WinImage Command Line Problems

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19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

WinImage Command Line Problems

#1 Post by 19gt52 » Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:57 pm

I have read extensively and tried many things, but I cannot get WinImage to provide a "bootable" floppy image from the command line.
I am creating the IMA file from a floppy. I like the program, but must use it from the command line.

I have followed their sparse instructions to the letter, and tried to get assistance, but I have just given up on any help from them.

Working from the GUI is absolutely no problem.

Any help from knowledgable users would be *greatly* appreciated.

as702
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:14 am

#2 Post by as702 » Mon Aug 04, 2008 11:14 pm

Unless I'm very much mistaken, Winimage CLI doesn't support a bootable switch (odd). You need to use this:

http://www.nu2.nu/mkbt/

MKBT
It supports transferring a bootsector to floppy images. This allows you to create a bootable 2.88MB floppy image without needing a 2.88MB floppy drive.

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Usage:
  mkbt [switches] <source> <target>

  <source>  The source file/drive which contains the bootsector to install
  <target>  The target file/drive to install the bootsector on

  Switches: -v        Verbose mode
            -c        Copy mode (no install) used for copying the
                      bootsector(s)
            -x        Expert mode (do not check drive A or B only)
                      USE WITH CAUTION!
            -l=<xxx>  Set Volume Label to <xxx>

  Returns errorlevel 0 when OK, 1 when some error occurred.

  Examples:
    To install bootsector from file "bootsect.bin" onto drive A:
    -> mkbt c:\os\dos622\bootsect.bin a:

    To install bootsector from file "bootsect.bin" onto floppy image "288.img"
    -> mkbt c:\os\dos622\bootsect.bin c:\tmp\288.img

    To copy bootsector from a bootable floppy in drive A: to a file called
    "bootsect.bin"
    -> mkbt -c a: c:\os\dos622\bootsect.bin

19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

WinImage

#3 Post by 19gt52 » Tue Aug 05, 2008 4:14 am

I appreciate the input, and will look into it.

I find WinImage so useful and so easy to use in GUI mode that I hate to give it up.

I can't understand why there is no *single* application that will run in GUI or in command mode (if desired) and do the whole "nine yards." That is, make a bootable floppy image (from multiple disks if required), create an ISO file and burn a bootable CD.

Seems like a winning combo. It seems so archaic to have to involve 2-3-4 programs just to do that.

19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

#4 Post by 19gt52 » Tue Aug 05, 2008 3:07 pm

Well, I used Bart's MKBT and BFI and made a bootable (?) CD. Looks good until I get to boot screen and it says "2.88MB floppy" and then "Cannot Load DOS."

This is my simplified batch file to extract boot sector, make bootabe 2.88MB image called BOOT.IMG, create an ISO named BOOT.ISO and then burn it:

mkbt -c A: BOOTSECT.BIN
bfi -t=288 -l=BOOT -b=bootsect.bin -f=BOOT.IMG C:\A2\
mkbiso BOOT.ISO BOOT.IMG
C:\progra~1\imgburn\imgburn.exe /mode write /speed 8x /erase /start /src C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\Desktop\BOOT.ISO /dest E: /verify yes /close /eject yes

as702
Posts: 276
Joined: Tue Jun 17, 2008 3:14 am

#5 Post by as702 » Wed Aug 06, 2008 11:56 am

19gt52 wrote: mkbt -c A: BOOTSECT.BIN
bfi -t=288 -l=BOOT -b=bootsect.bin -f=BOOT.IMG C:\A2\
mkbiso BOOT.ISO BOOT.IMG
C:\progra~1\imgburn\imgburn.exe /mode write /speed 8x /erase /start /src C:\DOCUME~1\ADMINI~1\Desktop\BOOT.ISO /dest E: /verify yes /close /eject yes
I assume the longfilename you're using isn't the problem? I've not used MKBT before but have glanced over the documentation and can't see a problem with the command line you've issued.

Some questions:

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bfi -t=288 -l=BOOT -b=bootsect.bin -f=BOOT.IMG C:\A2\
What is this tool? Presumably, it creates the image your intending to use for the iso. Remember, to boot a floppy requires more than simply the correct boot sector (e.g. freedos requires command.com and kernel.sys to be present in the root directory).

What are the contents of the floppy you've created?

19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

#6 Post by 19gt52 » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:32 pm

I don't see any long file names.

BFI is another of "Bart's" tools for image creation. Matter of fact if you look at http://www.nu2.nu/mkbt/#buildimage, it refences BFI.

BFI usage
Build Floppy Image v1.0, Oct 2002
Copyright (c) 2002 Bart Lagerweij. All rights reserved.
This program is free Software; you can redistribute it under the terms of
the NU2 License (see nu2lic.txt or http://www.nu2.nu/license/).

Creates a FAT12 floppy image from files.

Usage: bfi [-v] [-t=type] [-o=file] [-o=file] [-l=mylabel] [-b=file]
-f=file.img path [path ...]

-v Verbose mode (talk more)
-t=type Disktype use string "144", "120" or "288" or number:
4=720K,6=1440K,7=2880K,8=DMF2048,9=DMF1024,10=1680K
0=160K,1=180K,2=320K,3=360K,5=1200K
Default is 1.44MB
-f=file Image filename
-o=file Order file, put these file on the image first
-l=mylabel Set volume label to "mylabel"
-b=file Install bootsector from "file"
path Input folder(s) to inject files from

This program is created using WinImage SDK from WinImage 6.10
Copyright (c) 1993-2002 Gilles Vollant
http://www.winimage.com

19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

#7 Post by 19gt52 » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:44 pm

Sorry, I forgot to include file list. They are standard PM8 boot files, except I added CuteMouse, since it's the only mouse driver that works for me in DOS, and of course the contents of autoexec.bat and config.sys are modified for my use. Keep in mind that this same group of files are used when I successfully create image using GUI version of WinIMage:

AUTOEXEC.BAT
CHKDSK.EXE
COMMAND.COM
CONFIG.SYS
CTMOUSE.EXE
DISPLAY.SYS
EGA.CPI
FDISK.COM
HIMEM.SYS
IBMBIO.COM
IBMDOS.COM
IO.SYS
KEYB.COM
KEYBOARD.SYS
MODE.COM
MSCDEX.EXE
MSDOS.SYS
partinfo.exe
PMHELP.DAT
PQMAGIC.EXE
PQMAGIC.OVL
PQMAGIC.PQG
PQPB.RTC
PTEDIT.EXE
RESCUE.TXT
zABOUT.PQG

Icecube
Posts: 1278
Joined: Fri Jan 11, 2008 2:52 pm
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#8 Post by Icecube » Wed Aug 06, 2008 12:52 pm

Maybe you have to change:

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bfi -t=288 -l=BOOT -b=bootsect.bin -f=BOOT.IMG C:\A2\
To:

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bfi -t="288" -l=BOOT -b=bootsect.bin -f=BOOT.IMG C:\A2\
For a 2880K floppy, use -t="228" or -t=7
-t=type Disktype use string "144", "120" or "288" or number:
4=720K,6=1440K,7=2880K,8=DMF2048,9=DMF1024,10=1680K
0=160K,1=180K,2=320K,3=360K,5=1200K

19gt52
Posts: 6
Joined: Mon Aug 04, 2008 4:44 pm

#9 Post by 19gt52 » Thu Aug 07, 2008 9:56 am

adding quotes doesn't do it

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