Hi Bernd, > Jeremy, can you reduce the number of files which are downloadable? > I guess the non-XMS build is most universal, despite the high memory > consumption then.
The non-XMS build is really only useful if you cannot provide XMS by any means. In other words, the non-XMS build is useful for 8086 and is useful to test if it helps to use a shell which does not use XMS, not much more. The XMS-swap full-features 286+ build is still the preferred one. Some boot disks might use the XMS-swap-8086 build, but actually if you want maximum compatibility you can just as well use the non-XMS plain 8086 version anyway (and call /s manually for programs whichn need more RAM). All NORMAL people should use the XMS-swap version. Remember that you only get all FreeDOS features on 386+ with more than 1 MB of RAM (the SVGA installer is even worse, it needs a FPU and a system with more than 4 MB of RAM). While it is fine to have some kind of 8086 mode somewhere (e.g. a boot menu item on ODIN) I REALLY recommend to assume that all people who still have pre-386 CPUs will be able to adjust their configuration manually and do harddisk installs manually (if they actually do have harddisks that still work in their pre-386 at all), e.g. by copying ODIN to C:... Still it is good to have support for PCs which 1. cannot boot from CD or 2. do not have a CD drive at all for the installer. It is also good to have boot disks for other sizes than 1440k for general use (NOT needed for installing). Add a batch file which splits ODIN into four 360k chunks, and all 360k/720k/1200k drive owners will be happy enough IMHO. And remove that "fdconfig blocks config and autoexec" thing from ODIN. It confuses people more than it helps. I also vote for removal of the SVGA installer. By the way, about ODIN: Would be nice to have some add-on pack for ODIN. Remember when I planned the Brezel distro: One base disk, one disk with bigger tools and a "best-of" from non-base tools and some Freeware and the German FreeCOM and HTMLHELP, and a third disk with one big zip of all the other doc/ files. So the FIRST disk contains MOST base programs, all APPINFO, HTMLHELP, NLS, and 0.6 MB of extra programs (cal, callver, cdrom2, cmos, cpulevel, cut, cwsdpmi, devload, dosfsck, dt, du, eecho, finger, global, grab, head, insight, localize, locate, locktone, memteste, moresys, pg, rerror, runtime, stamp, sysmem, tail, ted3, tee, terminal, touch, trch, untgz, unzip, vgashot, df, whatis, whichfat, xgrep, zip). The SECOND disk contains, apart from the German stuff, more CPX files, metakern, ArrowASM, gosh (4k screensaver), hiew (hexeditor, old freeware version), list, te (edit), unrar, zips with the relevant help/ files and appinfo/ files (hm, so the first disk only contains minimal appinfo...), some bigger base parts: edit, pkginst, uninstal, udma, atapicd, fdxms286, fdxms, defrag, graphics bat, mema, bootfix, ptchsize, keyb, bitdisk, mirror, dos32a, ndisasm, wcd, nasm, wcd32. Whatever. You get the idea. By moving defrag/edit and some CPX to another disk you can get the first ODIN disk really feature-packed and the second disk can be used to add yet more tools and help/ and appinfo/ files :-)). Good for people who do not install from CD-ROM or do not even install at all - they just have a "two disks and be happy, and a third disk with all the other doc/ for reference" distro. Pity that I have no time to maintain or really release Brezel :-(. > *readme.cmd might be changed to readme.bat so also opens on Win9x? Better change that to readme.txt! Eric ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by the 'Do More With Dual!' webinar happening July 14 at 8am PDT/11am EDT. We invite you to explore the latest in dual core and dual graphics technology at this free one hour event hosted by HP, AMD, and NVIDIA. To register visit http://www.hp.com/go/dualwebinar _______________________________________________ Freedos-devel mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/freedos-devel
