INSTALLING OPENLINUX FROM A DOS SYSTEM                        February 2000
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If you already have DOS installed on your system, you can launch the
OpenLinux installation from DOS. Installing OpenLinux from a DOS system
is useful when a diskette drive is not available (for example,
on laptops where either a CD-ROM or floppy drive is available but not
both).

This file contains the following:

- Contents of this directory
- Default Installation Instructions
- Alternate installation instructions

Contents of This Directory
==========================
 
This directory contains the following:

- stdinst.bat - a DOS "batch" file that utilizes the remaining files 
  in this directory, notably the "vmlinuz" and "initrd.gz" files described 
  below, to launch a standard OpenLinux installation.

- catins.bat - a DOS "batch" file similar to "stdinst.bat" above, but
  this one will launch an installation using cautious hardware probing
  techniques.  Use this file to launch the OpenLinux installation if
  "stdinst.bat" fails during hardware detection.

- fbins.bat - a DOS "batch" file similar to "stdinst.bat" above, but this
  one will launch an installation using your video card's frame buffer.
  Use this file to launch the OpenLinux installation if, when
  "stdinst.bat" is used, the installation process does not appear
  correctly.

- smallins.bat - a DOS "batch" file similar to "stdinst.bat" above, but
  this one will launch an installation using the "smallrd.gz" file
  described below.

- prepare.bat - a DOS "batch" file that will copy all files in the
  current directory to your DOS-defined TEMP directory.

- loadlin.exe - a DOS program that "boots" the installation program from
  a DOS command prompt.  Documentation for this can be found in 
  "..\..\tools\loadlin".

- vmlinuz - an OpenLinux kernel to be used during installation.

- initrd.gz - a compressed Linux filesystem used by the OpenLinux kernel 
  during installation.
  
- smallrd.gz - a compressed Linux filesystem used by the OpenLinux kernel 
  during installation.  This filesystem should be used in place of 
  "initrd.gz" on systems with minimal memory. Please use "stdinst.bat" 
  (which utilizes "initrd.gz") first, and if this fails, follow the 
  instructions again to launch the installation using the "smallins.bat" 
  file (which utilizes "smallrd.gz").


Default Installation Instructions
=================================
To install OpenLinux from DOS, follow these steps:

1. Boot your system to DOS.

2. Change to the "col\launch\dos" directory on this OpenLinux CD.

3. Run the "stdinst.bat" program.

Alternate Installation Instructions
===================================
If your system experiences problems when running "stdinst.bat" directly
from the CD-ROM, do the following:

1. Create a new directory on your DOS hard drive.

2. Copy all files in the "col/launch/dos" directory on this OpenLinux
   CD to the new directoy you just created on your DOS hard drive.  (You
   may use "prepare.bat" for steps 1 & 2.)

3. Reboot into DOS and hold down the left <Shift> key as DOS is loading.
   Holding down the left <Shift> will prevent some versions of DOS from
   loading drivers.  You may need to reference DOS documentation to learn
   how to disable driver loads during boot.

4. Change to the directory you created in Step 1 and do one of the
   following:

   - If you have sufficient memory, run "stdinst.bat".

   - If you experienced hadware detection or lock-up problems during
     the OpenLinux installation, run "catins.bat".

   - If you experience video-related problems, run "fbins.bat".

   - If you don't have sufficient memory, run the "smallins.bat" program.
     You may also need a module floppy for this type of installation.
     (See the "READMEus.txt" file in the "..\floppy" directory for details.)