Hi, to join this discussion...

I agree that the best way to install DOS on a very old PC
is to use a floppy distro. If you ask me, one which users
can install using manual FDISK FORMAT SYS XCOPY steps as
needed depending on their wishes. No need to waste space
on a floppy for a complex installer which would know ALL
about ALL sorts of old computers. Examples are Rugxulo's
old Ruffidea, my Brezel and Rugxulo's new Metados distros:

http://www.ibiblio.org/pub/micro/pc-stuff/freedos/files/distributions/unofficial/metados/

https://sites.google.com/site/rugxulo/

You can also use the "made for each kernel/shell update"
minimal boot disks available at www.fdos.org/bootdisks/

Also, regarding chkdsk for fat32 on pre-386 computers: Even
if you would support hardware EMS, pre-386 would probably
be just too slow for checking fat32 partitions, so as far
as I am concerned, the 386+ only DOSFSCK is enough for it.

However, as mentioned earlier, SOME checks can be done even
for fat32 without using many megabytes of RAM, so it could
be worth the effort to support "a bit of fat32" on a newer
version of 8086-compatible CHKDSK, which could optionally
make use of XMS (286+) and EMS (386+, some 8086+) if found.

Regards, Eric



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