add x86test

Post your suggestions here if there are new features or applications that you would like added to the Ultimate Boot CD.

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pointy
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:41 am

add x86test

#1 Post by pointy » Sun Jun 19, 2005 4:43 am

Hi,

You may wish to add x86test to the "CPU Information" section. It is an open-source bootable CPU information tool that supports almost all x86 processors to some extent. I think the simplest way to load it on the UBCD is to stick the zImage version in the isolinux directory and load it with isolinux e.g.

if ($lastKey == key[x]); then isolinux x86test

homepage:
http://www.vortex.prodigynet.co.uk/x86test/

latest zImage binary:
http://www.vortex.prodigynet.co.uk/x86t ... zImage.bin

Thanks

Victor Chew
Posts: 1368
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:59 pm
Contact:

add x86test

#2 Post by Victor Chew » Sun Jun 19, 2005 8:02 pm

Thanks! I will consider it for the next release.

pointy
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:41 am

add x86test

#3 Post by pointy » Sat Aug 27, 2005 5:47 am

If anyone wants to add x86test themselves I have put slightly fuller instructions here,

http://www.vortex.prodigynet.co.uk/x86t ... ml#booting

Victor Chew
Posts: 1368
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:59 pm
Contact:

add x86test

#4 Post by Victor Chew » Sun Aug 28, 2005 6:40 pm

Thanks! I will add this to the list of useful links at the UBCD website.

Victor Chew
Posts: 1368
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:59 pm
Contact:

#5 Post by Victor Chew » Thu Oct 13, 2005 11:03 pm

Did anyone try this and get it to work with UBCD?

I tried following the instructions at:

http://www.vortex.prodigynet.co.uk/x86t ... ml#booting

I added the following lines to isolinux.cfg:

Code: Select all

LABEL x86test
KERNEL x86test.bin
APPEND -
But "isolinux x86test" merely produces a single dot and hangs. This is on both VMWare and a physical AMD64 machine.

So I verified it by creating the floppy disk using the DOS Installer. This time, it prints "Load x86test", and hangs. I waited for nearly 5 minutes before giving up (since I thought it might be computing the CPU speed or something).

Please help!

pointy
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Jun 19, 2005 2:41 am

add x86test

#6 Post by pointy » Fri Oct 14, 2005 8:01 am

Hi Victor,

for isolinux you will have to use the zImage version (just the normal binary with 2-sector
zImage header) -- it won't know what to do with a raw binary.

I don't think the KERNEL line is needed if the label is the same as the filename. I just called
it 'x86test' with no extension, but I don't see why that should matter.

I am mostly worried about the installer not working -- the floppy loader 'fatload' has been
very reliable, but it seems to not work for you! It should print "Loading x86test", followed
by a '.' for each file fragment. If there is a read error it will just print a single character
corresponding to the BIOS error number (due to the lack of space for proper error
handling) -- ussually a funny symbol. If it is not printing anything after "Loading x86test",
then this is strange and possibly a signifcant bug in fatload.

Have a look at your floppy lights to check that it's not trying to access the wrong drive or
hanging during a read operation. I've never tried fatload from an ElTorito emulation
(x86test can be loaded directly without an emulation on most BIOSes), but I can't see any
obvious problems. Note fatload will only work from drive 0 (A:), so you may want to try
playing with BIOS setup option for swapping floppy drives for int 0x13 use.

if you were experiencing a bug in x86test itself, you should still see "x86test-0.10a"
printed, as this is done very near the start using ye-olde BIOS calls.

x86test should take less than a second to do everything -- you should see a load of green
text in the BIOS 8x8 font.

if none of this helps then I can add debug output to the zImage setup sector and the very start of x86test to try to see what's going on.

appologies for the problems -- I'd be greatful if you can help fix them!

P.S. ignore the mkisofs options I listed as they seem to cause problems on some BIOSes
-- I'm sure you know more about this than me!

Victor Chew
Posts: 1368
Joined: Mon Feb 21, 2005 10:59 pm
Contact:

#7 Post by Victor Chew » Sat Oct 15, 2005 12:46 am

OK, renamed x86test_zImage.bin to x86test, dropping the "kernel" line in isolinux.cfg, and it is working! Thanks!

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