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1994-01-27
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═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
DocsBoot+ version 0.20ß documentation
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(c) 1994 Zac Schroff, all rights reserved
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Introduction to DocsBoot+
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DocsBoot+ plus is a program which allows you to select which
partition you want to boot on your hard disc or discs. It is designed
to install on any hard disc without the need for re-partitioning (as
IBM's BootManager requires). DocsBoot+ plus also stores a copy of your
system CMOS settings on the disc, and automatically restores these
settings if they are lost. Both of these features are provided in a
program which takes no usable space on hard discs and only 8.5KB on
floppy discs.
DocsBoot+ requires an AT class machine. It may run with an XT
class system, but this is doubtful. While DocsBoot+ was not written
using 80186 or later opcodes, rendering it machine code compatible
with the XT, it does use certain hardware which requires an AT, or
perhaps an XT equipped with certain hardware built into the AT. Also,
future versions may be written for the 80186 or later.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Beta notice
~~~~~~~~~~~
READ THIS
THIS IS A BETA RELEASE OF DOCSBOOT. IT HAS THEREFORE NOT BEEN
THOROUGHLY TESTED, AND SHOULD BE USED WITH DUE CAUTION. THE USER OF
THIS PROGRAM TAKES FULL RESPONSIBILITY FOR ANY DAMAGES CAUSED BY USE
OR ABUSE OF THIS PROGRAM.
YOU ARE STRONGLY URGED TO MAKE A FULL BACKUP BEFORE INSTALLING THIS
PROGRAM AND MAKE PERIODIC BACKUPS DURING USE.
This beta will expire on 1 April 1994. After that time, it will
simply boot the first bootable partition it finds (or if it is on
floppy, will tell you to insert a bootable disc). I do not want betas
around after the final release, so please upgrade your copy when the
final release is available.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Shareware notice
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
READ THIS
DocsBoot+ is shareware. This means that you may use it for a
limited time (in this case, 30 days) for testing and evaluation. After
this time, you must register the program to continue its use. In the
case of DocsBoot+, registration is only $10 US (or foreign
equivalent). For this, you will be sent a copy of the current
version, plus a registration code which will disable the registration
notices. Please send your registration to :
Zac Schroff
2906 Firethorn Drive
Tuscaloosa, Alabama 35405 USA
Please specify whether you intend it for single computer use, or
how many systems at a site you intend to use it on. The only extra
asked of site users is that a site registration only be installed on
systems owned by the site, and not on visiting systems.
PLEASE DO NOT SEND CASH, AND I CAN NOT ACCEPT CREDIT CARDS. If a
non-certified cheque is used to pay, I will not ship the disc until it
clears. Registrations paid with certified cheques and money orders
will be shipped immediately.
Once you have registered DocsBoot+, you may upgrade whenever you
wish by downloading a new version and registering it using your
registration code. There is no additional charge this way. If you
want the latest version sent to you, please contact the author at the
address above, or as zschroff@buster.eng.ua.edu on Internet. For a
minimal charge to cover the disc and shipping, it will be sent.
You are hereby given permission to copy and distribute this
product freely, providing that : (1) all files are included, (2) no
files have been changed in any way, (3) it is not included with any
other product, and (4) no charge is made for it except reasonable
medium and handling charges. If you want to negotiate flexibility
with any of these rules, contact the author for written permission.
LIMITED OFFER : If you send the registration for this beta before 1
April 1994 (postmarked at or before 11.59.59p on 31 March 1994),
registration only costs $7.50 US and you will be sent the released
version when it becomes available. Your cheque or money order will
not be cashed until the released version is ready to ship. You will
be contacted if your order does not meet this deadline and asked what
you want to do.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Introduction to the DocsBoot+ installer
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When the DocsBoot+ installer (DOCSBOOT.EXE) is run, it will
display a menu, much like the one below, which contains several
options. To select one of the options, move the cursor (the bar which
covers the selected item) to the function you wish performed, and
press then [Enter] key. The [Escape] key will exit from this menu, no
matter what the current selection is.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DocsBoot+ v0.20ß installer (c) 1994 Zac Schroff, all rights reserved. │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ │
│ Install a copy of DocsBoot+ to hard disc 0 │
│ Setup a copy of DocsBoot+ on hard disc 0 │
│ Remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from hard disc 0 │
│ │
│ Install a copy of DocsBoot+ to a floppy disc in A: │
│ Setup a copy of DocsBoot+ on a floppy disc in A: │
│ Remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from a floppy disc in A: │
│ │
│ Exit the DocsBoot+ installler │
│ │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Move the cursor using the arrow keys. Press enter to make a selction. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
Install a copy of DocsBoot+ to hard disc 0 - This selection will
install DocsBoot+ to the primary hard disc in your system. This does
not require any special preparation.
Setup a copy of DocsBoot+ on hard disc 0 - This selection will
configure a copy of DocsBoot+ which has been installed on the hard
disc. Note that if DocsBoot+ has not yet been installed to the hard
disc, this does nothing.
Remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from hard disc 0 - This selection will
remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from the hard disc. If DocsBoot+ is not
installed on the hard disc, this will do nothing.
Install a copy of DocsBoot+ to a floppy disc in A: - This
selection will install DocsBoot+ to a formatted floppy disc. Note
that the disc MUST have at least 17 sectors per track (only 3.5 inch
1440KB discs normally) for this to work. THIS FUNCTION WILL DESTROY
ALL THE DATA ON THE DISC UNLESS IT IS PREPARED AS DESCRIBED IN THE
SECTION ABOUT INSTALLATION OF DOCSBOOT TO FLOPPY DISCS. Please take
care in using this option.
Setup a copy of DocsBoot+ on a floppy disc in A: - This selection
will configure a copy of DocsBoot+ which has been installed on a
floppy disc. Note that this requires DocsBoot+ be installed on the
floppy disc. If it is not already installed, this function will do
nothing.
Remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from a floppy disc in A: - This
selection will remove a copy of DocsBoot+ from a floppy disc. If
DocsBoot+ is not installed on the disc, this function will do nothing.
Exit the DocsBoot+ installer - This selection will quit the
DocsBoot+ installer and return to DOS.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Installation of DocsBoot+ on hard discs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DocsBoot+ can be installed on your primary hard disc (indeed,
this is where it was designed to be installed). When DocsBoot+ is
installed on your hard disc, you are presented with a menu whenever
you boot your system from the hard disc. DocsBoot+ takes no usable
space on hard discs, and will load considerably faster than it does
on floppy discs.
DocsBoot+, when installed on a hard disc, takes no normally
usable space. It installs to track zero, which is called reserved,
and has not been used to date by any other legitimate software except
FDisk and a few other utilities. If your system has any information
you need to keep on track zero of the primary hard disc (not likely),
then DO NOT INSTALL TO THE HARD DISC. Track zero is side zero of
cylinder zero, not the entire cylinder. Note that DocsBoot+ preserves
the partition table, so it should not be worried over. If you did not
understand this paragraph, you probably have no cause to worry.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Installation of DocsBoot+ on floppy discs
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
WARNING : INSTALLING DOCSBOOT ON A FLOPPY CAN HAVE ADVERSE EFFECTS ON
THE DOS FLOPPY I/O ROUTINES. DOS VERSIONS BY MICROSOFT AND IBM
APPEAR TO HAVE A SEVERE PROBLEM WITH THE WAY DOCSBOOT `HIDES'
ITSELF ON A FLOPPY, AND MAY EITHER TRASH THE DISC DOCSBOOT IS
INSTALLED ON OR TRASH OTHER DISCS AFTER ACCESSING THE ONE DOCSBOOT
IS INSTALLED ON. THIS MAY ALSO BE TRUE OF OTHER VERSIONS OF DOS.
THESE PROBLEMS ARE NOT PROBLEMS WITH DOCSBOOT, BUT WITH DOS ITSELF.
No such effects occur with hard disc installations. This problem
does not occur under OS/2, nor does it occur under DOS by Digital
Research, DR-DOS.
DocsBoot+ can also be installed on a floppy disc in the primary
(usually A:) floppy drive. While this allows it to be experimented
with without making changes to the hard disc, it is considerably
slower and a couple of features are disabled. The boot menu is still
displayed, and any partitions which could be booted from a hard disc
installed copy can be booted from a floppy installed copy.
Normally, installing DocsBoot+ to a floppy disc renders it
unusable for other uses (besides destroying any data already on it).
There is a way around this. In order to use a floppy disc which has
DocsBoot+ on it, you will need to follow this procedure :
1) Format a 3.5 inch high density (1440KB) disc.
2) Install DocsBoot+ on it.
3) Perform an unconditional quickformat on the disc.
4) Install DocsBoot+ on it again.
Now, the disc will contain DocsBoot+ and will be usable for other
purposes. Note that these instructions assume you have DOS 5.00 or
later. If you are using an earlier version of DOS, you will have to
experiment. Once you have finished these four steps, DocsBoot+ can be
removed and installed to that disc without any further problems. This
is to allow easy upgrades. Note that a floppy disc containing
DocsBoot+ MUST NEVER BE SYSTEMED. Please make sure you can read other
floppies afterward, and if not, reboot.
If enough people decide they actually want this as a permanent
option, I will make the installer capable of making the changes to a
floppy, so this option can be used with any operating system which
complies with the standards set up by IBM and Microsoft back in the
early 1980s (DOS does not). I may also include, if there are enough
requests for it, the capability to install to a 1200KB (5.25 high
density) disc.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
The DocsBoot+ setup facility
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DocsBoot+ has many features which can be set by the user. These
options are changed from a configuration utility which displays a
setup screen which looks like this one. The cursor can be moved with
the arrow keys and the settings can be changed using the [PageUp] and
[PageDown] keys. Pressing the [F10] key will save the settings and
return to the main menu, pressing the [Escape] key will return to the
main menu without saving the settings.
┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ DocsBoot+ v0.20ß setup facility (c) 1994 Zac Schroff, all rights reserved. │
├──────────────────────────────────────┬──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ No boot menu (only CMOS prot) No │ │
│ Extra details displayed No │ │
│ Timed boot enable No │ │
│ Timed boot delay (seconds) 15 │ │
│ Include non-bootables Yes │ │
│ Include BootManager Yes │ │
│ Default partition enabled No │ │
│ Default partition number 0 │ │
│ Confirm reboot request (^C) Yes │ │
│ Warn on boot unformatted Yes │ │
│ Search for extensions No │ │
│ │ Program is registered? No │
├──────────────────────────────────────┴──────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Use the arrow keys to move about and the PageUp and PageDown keys to change │
│ a setting, the F6 key to restore to the defaults, the F10 key to save the │
│ settings and exit, or the Escape key to exit without saving the settings. │
│ │
│ Press F9 to edit the partition types information. │
│ Press [Alt R] to register the program for your use. │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
No boot menu (only CMOS prot) - This setting only applies to
DocsBoot+ when it is installed on a hard disc. If it is yes,
DocsBoot+ will keep the CMOS settings, but will not offer a boot menu.
Instead, it will boot as the normal MBR for a hard disc. If it is no,
DocsBoot+ will still keep up with the CMOS settings, but it will also
offer the boot menu. Note that this does not disable the extensions
loader function.
Extra details displayed - This setting will allow more
information to be displayed about each partition on the boot menu.
Most of the extra information is technical in nature, and is probably
of little interest to anybody except the technically experienced.
Timed boot enable - If this is yes, DocsBoot+ will only wait a
limited amount of time for a selection to be made, then it will
automatically boot either the last partition booted or the default (if
the default is enabled). Note that this function can be toggled at
boot time with the escape key.
Timed boot delay (seconds) - This is how long DocsBoot+ will wait
before it chooses a partition to boot automatically. This setting only
matters if the timed boot is enabled above or at boot time. At boot
time, toggling the timed boot function resets this delay to the value
set here.
Include non-bootables - If this is yes, all partitions that
DocsBoot+ can find will be listed. If it is no, only partitions
marked bootable will be listed. IF YOU ARE USING BOOTMANAGER WITH
OS/2, THIS SHOULD BE SET TO YES.
Include BootManager - If this is yes, DocsBoot+ will include
BootManager in its menu. If no, BootManger will not be included.
Default partition enabled - If this is yes, the default partition
will always be selected when DocsBoot+ is initially started. If no,
the last partition booted will be selected initially.
Default partition number - This is the number (in the partitions
list) of the partition which is to be the default. Note that the
partitions list is zero based (the top entry is the zeroth). If the
selected partition does not exist, DocsBoot+ will temporarily disable
the default partition option.
Confirm reboot request (^C) - If this is yes, pressing [Control
C] will ask for confirmation before rebooting. If no, [Control C]
will reboot the system immediately.
Warn on boot unformatted - If this is set to yes, DocsBoot+ will
display a warning message and ask for confirmation before it boots an
unformatted partition. If no, it will simply boot the partition as
if it was a normal bootable partition.
Search for extensios - Soon, I expect to be releasing some
extensions to DocsBoot+ (such as ExtraDrives for DocsBoot+, an extra
hard disc manager). If this is yes, extensions of this nature will be
searched for. If no, they will not be searched for.
Program is registered? - This can not be set directly. If it is
no, the copy of DocsBoot+ has not been registered and will display a
screen requesting it be registered each time before it displays the
menu. If it is yes, then the registration screen will not be
displayed, and the registration will be displayed below the title bar.
Pressing [F9] from this screen brings up the partition type
editor, which allows unknown types of partitions to be added to
DocsBoot+'s database. At this time, however, this function has not
been implemented, so it does nothing. This will be implemented before
the general release.
Pressing [Alt R] from this screen brings up the registration
entry screen, which allows a copy of DocsBoot+ to be registered so it
will no longer display the registration screen when it is started.
Note that this only registers the copy being set up.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Compatibility issues
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DocsBoot+ has been found to be fully compatible with several
versions of DOS (ranging from 2.11 through 6.20 and including MS-DOS,
PC-DOS, Toshiba-DOS, DR-DOS, and others). The only problem I have
found so far is that many of these simply will not boot from an
extended partition, or in some cases, even from a primary partition on
anything other than the primary drive.
DocsBoot+ is fully compatible with OS/2 on primary partitions,
but there may still be some quirks to work out on extended partitions.
These should not matter too much if you are using OS/2 as the primary
partition on a secondary drive, or something to that effect. OS/2
will not, unfortunately, install to anywhere other than C: unless
BootManager is installed on a system. I am now trying to work with
IBM to correct both of these problems.
The installer will not work from within OS/2 except on floppies.
Please boot a DOS disc (it does not matter what version as long as it
is 3.30 or later, because the installer does its own disc I/O) then
run the Installer. I may work on a family mode application if all
goes well.
DocsBoot+ appears to be compatible with WinNT, but since I do not
want to put Windows NT on my personal system (I only have 300MB of
storage and 16MB of RAM), I have not tested it thoroughly. If further
testing on a system in a local store proves positive, I will probably
include an NTBoot patch which will allow DocsBoot+ to boot NT without
all the annoyance that normally involves. This patch is already
operational, but at this point it is still applied by hand.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Support
~~~~~~~
DocsBoot+ is, like any other program, subject to errors, bugs, or
what have you. I am open to suggestions and comments and bug reports,
but I must have some level of detail. Comments such as `it does not
work with xxxx' or `make it do yyyy better' will not be responded to.
If you want to get a response, and possibly help eliminate a problem
you need to include :
Problem description
A short description of what happens. Again, not `something went
wrong'. I need more details. Describe scren effects, strange
noises, odd messages, et cetera.
Computer system description
Please include ports, RAM, DMAs and IRQs of rare or non-standard
hardware. Also, a more or less complete run down of the system
would be extemely helpful.
Software description
What happens with which packages? What operating system or
systems? Does anything reasonable happen at all? Does changing
any settings (DocsBoot+ or the other program) help?
Workarounds you have used
Detailed description of how you fixed the problem if you have
managed to fix it. If not, anything you have tried and the
results from these trials would be helpful.
If you have a suggestion, please describe it in detail, along
with where it is to be made, and what usefulness you think it may
have. Useless doodads will not be considered ── the code space is
highly limited. I will consider anything which appears to have
reasonable justification. Æsthetic changes are open to suggestion.
Unless mouse I/O routines turn out to be FAR smaller than MS and some
others are writing them, no mouse support will be offered.
Comments, error reports, suggestions, et cetera should be
directed to the author, at one of these addresses :
[mail] Zac Schroff
2906 Firethorn Drive
Tuscaloosa AL 35405 USA
[Internet] zschroff@buster.eng.ua.edu
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Revision history
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
19930906 (v0.00) : Created this program with the idea that OS/2's
BootManager was too big. Decided after seeing an advert for a
product called Amnesia that it, too, would be nice to have in
this small space.
199310xx (v0.0x) : Finished initial version, but kind of problematic
with OS/2 so I traced part of BootManager to find my error.
Fixed it with a simple insertion of two bytes of code.
19931215 (v0.10) : Another modification, this time added a couple of
the currently supported options.
19931220 (v0.11) : Fixed a bug in the timer.
19940102 (v0.20) : Rewrote user interface and part of internal
operations. Added decent installer program, plus the setup
facility. Then changed both to be modeled after the AMI BIOS
setup facility (thought the interface was nicer than the one I
used). Added floppy installation options, worked out a way to
still use the floppy. Added manual.
19940120 (v0.20) : Debugged a few features, added warning message for
non-bootables, made corrections and updates to the manual.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Planned near-future enhancements
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The ability to load VersaBoot class II compliant applications,
such as ExtraDrives v1.0 (expected to be released by Q3 1994),
DOSWatch v5.0 (still in development) and others, should be included
before the GA release.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Known bugs
~~~~~~~~~~
This section is laid out in a more or less tabular fashion with
problems, solutions, and workarounds (ways around the problem). Most
of these which are problems with the program will be corrected before
the final release.
Problem : DOS can't read or trashes a floppy with DocsBoot+ on it.
Solution : None known (this is a problem with DOS, not DocsBoot+)
Workaround : Do not access the disc from DOS.
Workaround : Use OS/2 to access the disc.
Workaround : User DR-DOS to access the disc.
Notes : Some DOS versions ignore their own standards.
Problem : There is no upgrade option on the installer menu.
Solution : One will be available on the released version.
Notes : There are no external versions to upgrade from.
Problem : The partition type editor does not work in the setup.
Solution : None yet
Notes : The partition type editor has not yet been implemented.
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Development and testing
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Development :
Zac Schroff : `I have this neat idea... hmm...'
Documentation :
Zac Schroff : `I hate writing manuals.'
Alpha test group :
Denny McGough : `Put in these features.' <handing over a list>
Zac Schroff : `It works okay for me.'
Scott Kelley : `Works fine.'
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
Legal stuff
~~~~~~~~~~~
By using this product (DocsBoot+ and the associated documentation
and installer program), you agree to the following terms :
1) Neither the author nor any distributor is to be held
liable for any damages of any kind from the use or
abuse of this program or its associated products.
2) Neither the author nor any distributor is
responsible for any damages caused by unauthorised
changes to the program or its associated products.
3) You will not disassemble, decompile, or reverse-
engineer the program or its associated products.
4) You will not tamper with the program or its
associated products in any way except expressly
provided for in the documentation or as implied in
the setup and installation facilities.
4) You will only copy and distribute the program and
its associated products as expressly provided in the
documentation for the program.
5) Your sole remedy for any malfunctions of DocsBoot+
or damages caused by such are limited to a refund of
the cost of the program.
If you do not agree to ALL of these terms, you must not use this
program or any of the associated products. If you paid a distributor
for them, please return them and insist upon a refund.
Several trademarks from various sources were mentioned somewhere
in this document. Here is a listing of the trademarks and their
owners :
Trademark Owning entity
──────────────────────────── ────────────────────────────────────────
AMI American Megatrends Incorporated
BootManager International Business Machines corp.
DR-DOS Digital Research corporation
Digital Research Digital Research corporation
DocsBoot, DocsBoot+ Zac Schroff
DOSWatch Zac Schroff
ExtraDrives Zac Schroff
IBM International Business Machines corp.
International Business Mac... International Business Machines corp.
Microsoft Microsoft corporation
MS Microsoft corporation
MS-DOS Microsoft corporation
OS/2 International Business Machines corp.
PC, PC-XT, PC-AT International Business Machines corp.
PC-DOS International Business Machines corp.
Toshiba Toshiba America corporation
Windows Microsoft corporation
Windows NT, WinNT Microsoft corporation
Toshiba-DOS is Toshiba's variant on MS-DOS. It appears to have
fewer bugs than the Microsoft equivalent, and it gets along with more
non-standard configurations. This is probably because Toshiba
anticipated the strange demands the unique features in some of their
laptop computers would provide. I have only tested Toshiba's 3.30 and
5.00 and found both to be quite good. I did use Toshiba's 2.11 for a
short time, but I quickly upgraded to 3.30. Toshiba's 5.00 seems more
like MS-DOS 5.00, including certain bugs not present in their 3.30.
Note that ExtraDrives is NOT the product XtraDrive, which is
produced by somebody else (of whom I know little). ExtraDrives is a
program which allows more than the normal two hard discs to be
connected to a computer, and XtraDrive is a hard disc compression
utility.
DocsBoot, if anybody is still wondering after reading all this
about DocsBoot+, was a boot sector for floppy discs which would
transfer control to some other device (usually the hard disc) when it
was booted. This was written because I accidentally left a floppy in
the drive rather often at one time, and did not like having to
physically remove it and press a key and wait for another boot try.
DocsBoot was not very widely released, though it worked perfectly...
═══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════
[end of file]