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From: bxj2161@acf5.NYU.EDU (bxj2161)
Newsgroups: comp.os.minix
Subject: Compiling MINIX 1.3 with Turbo C 2.0
Message-ID: <1174@acf5.NYU.EDU>
Date: 6 May 90 17:16:48 GMT
Organization: New York University
Lines: 42

Hi guys:

    I am compiling MINIX 1.3 using Turbo C 2.0 and MASM 4.0.
And boot it from MS-DOS without building a boot diskette.

    The major differences between the original MINIX 1.3 and my
update are:
  1. kernel, mm, fs, and init are compiled into .BIN files
     and build is changed to a loader program which reads
     these four files, allocate space for them, and begin
     to execute them.  So you don't need to keep a boot diskette.
  2. Use MS-DOS files as MINIX file systems.  So you don't
     need to create a MINIX partition if you don't want to.
     Also, you don't need to worry about MFM, RLL, ESDI, or
     SCSI; any kind of controller can be used transparently.
     You can even use a MS-DOS file as your root file system.
  3. Ctrl-alt-del lets you go back to MS-DOS, rather than reboot.
     Maybe I'll figure out another hot-key later, or even switch
     between these two, not just terminating MINIX.
  4. (Not finished yet) Use MS-DOS keyboard, screen, and printer
     routines, so all the good functions of MS-DOS and BIOS can
     be used. (Of course, you shall forget about the bad functions.)

    I've overcome the problem of compiler difference, assembler
difference, coordination for interrupt handling between MINIX and
MS-DOS, and some minor things.  I'm quite happy that I don't have
to keep the boot diskette now, though I still keep my MINIX partitions.

    My problems now are:
  1. Is it legal posting my results? (Sorry, I am a new netter,
     so I don't know much about this aspect.)
  2. If I may post my result, how can I do it in the most convinent way?
     I heard you guys tlaked about cdiff, uuencode, shar, crc, ....  but
     I don't know how to do them. (Sorry again for being a new netter.)

    Thank you guys in advance.

Benchiao Jai
jai@cs.nyu.edu

P.S. All the 'I' above should be changed to 'We', who are professor
Malcolm Harrison, Chris Kirby, and the tiny little 'me'.