Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!batcomputer!munnari.oz.au!metro!news From: dawes@suphys.physics.su.OZ.AU (David Dawes) Newsgroups: comp.unix.sysv386 Subject: Re: ISC dual boot (bootmenu) Keywords: fdisk, pfdisk, bootmenu Message-ID: <1991Feb27.121559.11503@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU> Date: 27 Feb 91 12:15:59 GMT References: <1991Feb25.210428.4566@world.std.com> <1879@chinacat.Unicom.COM> <1991Feb27.073543.17557@world.std.com> Sender: news@metro.ucc.su.OZ.AU Reply-To: dawes@suphys.physics.su.OZ.AU (David Dawes) Organization: School of Physics, Uni of Sydney, Australia. Lines: 47 Nntp-Posting-Host: suphys.physics.su.oz.au In article <1991Feb27.073543.17557@world.std.com> gwr@world.std.com (Gordon W. Ross) writes: >In article <1879@chinacat.Unicom.COM> chip@chinacat.Unicom.COM >(Chip Rosenthal) comments about bootmenu: >>[...] I think it's fdisk replacement is a bit crude, but the >>package is functional. On the other hand, it really gives you full >>access to the fdisk table and I have tried it under both XENIX and >>DOS. (The DOS binary was generated by SCO's cross compile stuff.) >>-- >>Chip Rosenthal 512-482-8260 | >>Unicom Systems Development | I saw Elvis in my wtmp file. >> | > >I wrote the bootmenu and pfdisk package, and yes, pfdisk has a very >simple line oriented command language, but for good reasons. First, >pfdisk is a tool one seldom uses, so there's little motivation to >expend the effort to give it a flashy, full-screen user interface. >Secondly, I wanted to be able to use its output as an ASCII record >of the fdisk partition table. The saved output from pfdisk (from the >"list" command) can be used to re-create a partition table. Lastly, >the simple I/O model allows pfdisk to be easily embedded in a script. >(It has built-in help too. What more does one really need?) > >The reason I needed to write a replacement for fdisk was to simplify >replacement of the fdisk boot code without smashing the partition table. >Features I decided to include are: > Set boot menu names (when new boot code is in use) > Compatibility with old fdisk (old boot code in use) > Complete control over fdisk table contents > >So now, when I turn on my computer, it asks: > > 1 MS-LOSS > 2 Minix > 3 > 4 ESIX >Boot partition? (1-4) > >I'm happy! So am I! The pfdisk/bootmenu stuff is great. Thanks for making it available. David -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ David Dawes (dawes@suphys.physics.su.oz.au) DoD#210 | Phone: +612 692 2639 School of Physics, University of Sydney, Australia | Fax: +612 660 2903 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------