🚀 go-pugleaf

In message <53h3uc$fi5@cpcug.org> - kbennett@cpcug.org (Keith Bennett) writes:
:>
:>I am trying to install OS/2 2.1 on the first and only primary
:>partition of a 1.3 GB HD.  The PC is an IBM Pentium 90.  The drive
:>has Boot Manager as its first partition, then a primary partition of
:>400 MB, and 2 logical partitions.
:>
:>We have tried to simplify and automate the installation procedure as
:>much as possible, because it is being done on many machines, and by
:>people without intimate knowledge of OS/2.
:>
:>In the past we have installed our system on smaller hard drives
:>(about 300 MB), configured with only one partition.  Because our
:>newer systems' drives are larger, we want to set them up with
:>multiple partitions.
:>
:>This is the general installation procedure we've done in the past:
:>
:> Partition the disk.
:> Format the drive(s).
:> Copy contents of tape or Syquest cartridge to C:

---- important step needs to be added here - see below ----

:> Reboot.
:>
:>This worked fine with our Dell machines.  This may be because the
:>tape/cartridge contains a copy of drive C: on a Dell PC with OS/2 and
:>all our additional stuff installed.
:>
:>I realize that restoring onto an IBM the contents of a Dell is not a
:>recommended way of installing the OS.  I have expressed this to my
:>client.  However, because it would take a long time to reconstruct
:>our drive with all the additions, configurations, and modifications
:>we have mode to the base OS installation, they have chosen to
:>continue using this method if at all possible.
:>
:>Anyway, here's what happens after I try the procedure: The system
:>boots and just hangs with the cursor blinking in the upper left
:>corner of the screen.  Even when I boot from diskettes and make the
:>Boot Manager startable, it doesn't start up, but hangs in the same
:>place.  
:>
:>What could be happening that would explain this behavior?  I thought
:>that Boot Manager would at least come up even if drive C: was not
:>bootable.
:>
:>Thanks for any help you can offer.  (And sorry for the long message.)
:>
:>- Keith
:>-- 
:>--------------------------------------------------------------------------
:>Keith Bennett                             Bennett Business Solutions, Inc.
:>Silver Spring, MD USA                     OS/2 & DOS Software Development
:>kbennett@cpcug.org                        (301) 871-7696


Since you are restoring onto a newly formatted drive, you have to initialize
the OS/2 boot records, as most back/restore programs only back up files (and
hopefully, extended attributes), and NOT the boot sector.

With DOS, you would do "SYS C:" to have DOS copy its critical boot and system
files to the partition.  In OS/2, the Command is "SYSINSTX C:".  You will need
to boot from the OS/2 install floppies/CD-ROM, change to the directory/floppy
that contains SYSINSTX (Disk 2, I believe) and issue the Command.  If you have
formatted the partition as HPFS, you will also need the UHPFS.DLL file.  This
is NOT always in the same directory/floppy as SYSINSTX, so you may have to
copy them to a common directory not on the partition you are "initializing".
(Way to go, IBM!)

Here is an off the wall idea, but it worked for me.

I stuck a Quantum Lightning 730S into a P5/120 and tried to install
OS/2. It went thru the initial phases (partitioning,formating) and
then copied the first few disks, told me to remove the disk and the
machine will reboot.... and it didn't.... All I got was the message
(from the bios) to hit any key to reboot.

After some thought and desperation, I tried booting on a dos disk
and running "fdisk /mbr" which "rebuilds" or somehow interacts with
the Master Boot Sector. IT WORKED LIKE MAGIC! The installation
continued. I am happy.

Dan

>
>We have tried to simplify and automate the installation procedure as
>much as possible, because it is being done on many machines, and by
>people without intimate knowledge of OS/2.

you would have to sysinstx the machine if you're using fat and i assume
you either have the exact video setup or its configured as vga (safest).

i used to do the same thing as you're doing but i used hpfs and BA/2.
all i had to do was restore and reboot. after awhile we needed more and
more done so i bought a $2,000 3-drive duplicator and that works great
to (even on different geometry drives which tend to show up as time goes
by).

Sonny

>Since you are restoring onto a newly formatted drive, you have to initialize
>the OS/2 boot records, as most back/restore programs only back up files (and
>hopefully, extended attributes), and NOT the boot sector.
>
>With DOS, you would do "SYS C:" to have DOS copy its critical boot and system
>files to the partition.  In OS/2, the Command is "SYSINSTX C:".  

The problem was solved by low-level formatting the drive.  I never needed
to run SYSINSTX.  Perhaps Boot Manager created the right boot sector when
I chose to add the partition to the BM menu.

Thanks for your advice.
- Keith

-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Keith Bennett                             Bennett Business Solutions, Inc.
Silver Spring, MD USA                     OS/2 & DOS Software Development
kbennett@cpcug.org                        (301) 871-7696

In article <543eaa$7nm@cpcug.org>, kbennett@cpcug.org (Keith Bennett) wrote:

)>Since you are restoring onto a newly formatted drive, you have to initialize
)>the OS/2 boot records, as most back/restore programs only back up files (and
)>hopefully, extended attributes), and NOT the boot sector.
)>
)>With DOS, you would do "SYS C:" to have DOS copy its critical boot and system
)>files to the partition.  In OS/2, the Command is "SYSINSTX C:".  
)
)The problem was solved by low-level formatting the drive.  I never needed
)to run SYSINSTX.  Perhaps Boot Manager created the right boot sector when
)I chose to add the partition to the BM menu.

Close but not quite right.

You probably used OS/2 to format the partition this time around.  See 
explanation below.

DOS FORMAT command creates a DOS boot sector during format and if used 
with /S parameter is also copies system files.

OS/2 FORMAT command creates an OS/2 boot sector during format but does 
not copy any system files.

DOS SYS command creates a DOS boot sector without destroying data and 
also copies system files.

OS/2 SYSINSTX command creates an OS/2 boot sector without destroying 
data but does not copy any system files.  It also "creates" either a FAT
or HPFS version of the OS2BOOT file,  BTW, unless you accidentally screw
something up or happen to use DOS to format what you plan to use as an
OS/2 bootable partition, you should never under normal circumstances
have to use the SYSINSTX command.

Where a lot of people seem to get burned is that they will use DOS to
format a partition they plan to restore a backed up copy of the OS/2
operating system.  If you look at a DOS boot sector you will see
instructions to load either IBMBIO.COM/IBMDOS.COM or IO.SYS/MSDOS.SYS if
you are using either PC-DOS or MS-DOS.  Looking at an OS/2 boot sector
you will see instructions to load OS2BOOT.  Since that information is
not put there by a DOS format the boot process fails.  BTW, using OS/2
to format your DOS boot drive and then restoring a backup of that
partition won't boot either until you SYS the partition.

Incidentally, other than any boot partitions, it doesn't matter whether
you use OS/2 or DOS to format a partition (except for HPFS partitions of
course...grin).  Each operating system will have no problems accessing
partitions formatted by the other.

)Keith Bennett                             Bennett Business Solutions, Inc.


-- 
Ron McGlade - Team OS/2
EMail ID: ronmc     EMail Domain: ibm.net or primenet.com