Root Disk Size Problem
 

I'm trying to create a root disk but the install.1/2 files are both 1,474,560 bytes whilst all my floppys appear to be 1,457,664... help?

The difference is due to the format of the disk - the disk's true size will be used when you dd the files over.

should work fine with "dd if=disk1.img of=/dev/fd0"
That's what worked for me, at least.

Formatted disk loses some space. It's normal. But you don't copy those files to a formatted disk, you copy them direct to the unformated device.

If the disk is already formated will "dd" remove the formatting?

I typed "dd if=install.1 of=/dev/fd0" at the command prompt and was told "dd is not recognised as an external or internal command, operable program or batch file"?

Where did you type dd command, in a windows dos prompt ?

Yeah, it was open in windows.

You have to use rawrite.exe in dos, this program is in slackware CD1

Okay I used Rawrite and here's how it went down;


"VFS: Insert root floppy and press ENTER
nkkaffc* moended bood (ehd" filecicdem).
fbeeing eneced kebnel memobi* !#&k fbeed
ehd"-fc ebbob (defice fd(", ))* ehd"ochecko'age* bad endbi in dibecdobi #"* enal
igned dibecdobi endbi - offced , inode-$")$)&&&$ , becolen-)'"', nameolen-!#&
gabning enable do o'en an inidial concole.
kebnel 'anic* no inid foend. dbi 'accing inid- o'dion do kebnel.
_"



where the final _ is flashing cursor... is that good?

No you have a kernel panic, it is not good
Maybe try with another floppy, did the rawrite
command end with success in windows ?

[edit]
You did read the readme.txt files in /bootdisks and /rootdisks dir, didn't you ?
There are several rawrite.exe versions, maybe the one you used is not
good for you

I used RAWrite12 since RAWrite didn't seem to do much and RAWrite13 is not a valid Win32 application...

12 reports success. I tried again, and installation is now in progress.

Okay, now I'm stuck again. It says

"...done disk #2
VFS: insert disk #3 and press ENTER"

But install.2 is the last I had. Is disk #3 optional e.g. sbootmgr.dsk?

Maybe just press enter

Sorry for asking (I never did a floppy install) but :
Did you make a floppy with bare.i ?

Bare.i is what I used to boot the computer up with.

Bare.i > install.1 > install.2 > ?disk#3?

Do you think I should insert the bare.i _again_?

The disk #3 is the floppy made with sbootmgr.dsk image,
it is responsible to load programs and packages from the
CD rom drive

Am I supposed to use rawrite to make the sbootmgr.dsk disk since none of my rawrite versions work. version 12 which worked before appears to display a message but the window closes down almost as soon as it appears so it's impossible to read.
I used the NT version and that appears to have worked but when using the disk on the target computer, in just a second or two a new messages comes up just like the last asking for disk#4. I'm not even sure it had time to read the whole of disk#3... what now?