kBootManager v0.35.9ßeta

The kBootManager is now read for it first public release. This is a beta release, but it is more than stable enough to use. i have used it for nearly a year now.

kBootManager v0.30.9Beta release (rar-file) - now with INSTALLER for OS/2 and DOZ.

(unsigned) short Documentation

Documentation is non-existing right now but i will write on it when i have time.
But here is a short doc/summary:

• Booting as with the IBM bootmanager - DOS and OS/2 from primary parititions and OS/2 from logical partitions.
  
• Booting Floppy - bootmanager autodetects floppydrives.
  
• Hiding and unhiding bootable parititions from the menu. (Press 'H' to hide and 'U' to unhide.)
  
• Booting logical partition as primary partition - This is what is NEW for the kBootManager. None of the other boot mangers i have seen does this. To archive this i created the EBF - Extended BootFlags - located at offset 430 in any partitiontable - one for each partition - with a size of 8-bits.
  Currently these flags are defined:
  • bit 0 - As Primary - logical parition as a primary. (WARNING! do NOT set this flag on an primary partitions it will then be removed at next bootup! WARNING!)
  • bit 1 - Hide Logical - hides logical partition while booting it as a primary.
  • bit 2 - Without primary partition visible (they hide) on any drive. OBSOLETE?
  • bit 3 - Without primary partition visible (they still hides) on boot drive. OBSOLETE?
  • bit 4 - reserved
  • bit 5 - Update BPB - writes an updated bpb to bootsector - Use this if you want to boot OS/2 "As Primary" or boot NT of an extended partition.
  • bit 6 - clean up - UnHides partition at cleanup (runs during initiation of the bootmanager).
  • bit 7 - clean up - Hides partition at cleanup (runs during initiation of the bootmanager).
• Booting OS/2 from an extended partition as primary - On the FIRST disk ONLY.(Have not tested it on another disk - thats way.)
  1. Start "qinstos2" or "qinst" and configure the partition you want to install OS/2 onto.
  2. Set EBF to As Primary,Update BPB and Hide Logical.
  3. Ensure that you have the kBootManager and kMBR installed.
  4. Boot - insert OS/2 'installation floppy', select the partition and press 'I'(install).
  5. If installtion suggests anythink but "C:" run fdisk and select the partition assigned to "C:" - Do not make any changes to the partition table on the first disk.
  6. And installtion precedes as usual.
  NOTE: Normal installation on an extended parition is not supported - use the IBM Boot Manager - during installtion only, of course.
• Booting NT from an extended partition (well it boots the NT-loader).
  1. Boot NT - Copy the "BOOT.INI", "NTLDR" and "NTDETECT.COM" from C:\ (or where you have put it) to the root of your NT-partition. (You may have to use "attrib" or "xcopy" to do this since files are hidden and system files)
  2. Boot OS/2 or DOS and run "qinstos2" or "qinst" to set up the bootmanager.
  3. Then enable boot from the partition by toggle "Nameflag" on.
  4. Give the partition a name (optional).
  5. Toggle EBF - extended bootflags - for the partition. Set ONLY the "UpdateBPB" flag.
  6. Install kBootManager and kMBR. (requered....)
  7. Write changes to disk.
  NT is not bootable as primary - because it is checking (during installation) where the parition starts. And since a primary partition ALWAYS (except from the first one - which lays on head 1) on cylinder boundary - while a logical always starts at Head 1 (since it is a logical disk with only ONE partitions and that partition is always the first one - one head from the begining). NT sees an partitiontable error and get cold feets and would NOT install on that partitions - it also get a prety wrong picture of the disk claiming that all space from the "as primary" partition is free. NOTE. It only act this way during SETUP.
• Booting DOS "as primary" is done the same way as OS/2.
• Other OSes:
  • Linux - LILO in superblock. NOT in MBR.
  • IBM Boot Manager.
  • Mostly all other OSs which does not require special care.

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