Master stroke or Ignorant B***?
Reading " Combine Slax with Puppy or Dog " in this section and a previous kind reference from BK about an FD entree to USB booting prompted a thought as to whether the incredibly clever gurus on this Forum might be able to hack and incorporated FDD recognition codes and signals into a Puppy-on-USB to fool the BIOS. Guess this might involve massive intellectual contortions even if possible? Probably the patents on FDDs have run out? Think of the implications: Puppy running on generations more 'old' kit. Aeons ago there used to be external FDDs, but they might've been running on the serial bus? Despite most SW punters never using the D9/D25 sockets, one or more are still present on most mbs, even if only as headers, ditto FDD ports; some HW mods would be acceptable. Naysayers are sure to dream up thousand&one reasons why not - probably many would be valid, but this is more a a techno intellectual exercise than a necessity. Great challenge?!
Not really interested in hearing why not...
USB as FDD
hmmm... I remember spoofing W98-2 into beliving the usb stick was a pcmcia. USB bootable. The catch was BOTH had to have a blank device name, or no-go. Geniuses at M$ forgot about blank device names all the way upto W7. 
Linux user #498913 "Some people need to reimagine their thinking."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."
"Zuckerberg: a large city inhabited by mentally challenged people."
Not exactly what you are asking for.
Put this program will make a boot Floppy disk for booting Puppy.
Wakepup2
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_pa ... 120812.pet
Put this program will make a boot Floppy disk for booting Puppy.
Wakepup2
http://distro.ibiblio.org/quirky/pet_pa ... 120812.pet
- Attachments
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The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
Thank you, bp. Yes, that's very much like the option BK sent me. My thought was that an FDD is no different in principle to any other piece of electronic kit. In that instance, It spins, sends a signal that it's spinning, it reads, sends a signal, etc. - all of which can be synthesized by a smarter guy than me and added to the front material of a 'Wakepup' type of proglette. In principle, it might be similar in concept (if not detail!) to boot codes & co. offered by holding down the <Shift> after BIOS. Somehow info has to be input to say " I am a FDD and I am located at USB". There will need to be additional mods to the main code on the USB OS to say "Hello! I am your friendly FDD today and do this...
Addendum; Should've mentioned that some HW mods would be anticipated. For instance, intercepting where FDD signals go, etc might involve using other line-busses, perhaps via a header or an USB PS/2 or D9/25 adapter depending on where the signals can be picked up by the BIOS. Ruling out UEFI - never use it/switch it off.
Addendum; Should've mentioned that some HW mods would be anticipated. For instance, intercepting where FDD signals go, etc might involve using other line-busses, perhaps via a header or an USB PS/2 or D9/25 adapter depending on where the signals can be picked up by the BIOS. Ruling out UEFI - never use it/switch it off.
What device the computer can boot from is all controlled by the motherboard and the bios.
If the bios has no option to select a USB drive as a boot device, it is not going to work.
Could look into flashing an updated bios.
That could possibly offer to update the bios to now be able to boot from USB drives.
Go to the computers manufacture web site.
Usually they will have bios updates for their computers.
Search by the computer model.
If they offer any bios updates for the specific model it should have information on what the bios update provides.
If you find one.
CAREFULLY FOLLOW ALL THE STEPS FOR FLASHING THE BIOS!!!!
Doing it wrong can possibly kill the computer.
If you tell me the make and model of the computer. I will see what I can find out about USB drive booting on it.
If the bios has no option to select a USB drive as a boot device, it is not going to work.
Could look into flashing an updated bios.
That could possibly offer to update the bios to now be able to boot from USB drives.
Go to the computers manufacture web site.
Usually they will have bios updates for their computers.
Search by the computer model.
If they offer any bios updates for the specific model it should have information on what the bios update provides.
If you find one.
CAREFULLY FOLLOW ALL THE STEPS FOR FLASHING THE BIOS!!!!
Doing it wrong can possibly kill the computer.
If you tell me the make and model of the computer. I will see what I can find out about USB drive booting on it.
The things they do not tell you, are usually the clue to solving the problem.
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
When I was a kid I wanted to be older.... This is not what I expected
YaPI(any iso installer)
PLoP will simulate booting from things if they are not directly supported.
https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html
https://www.plop.at/en/bootmanager/download.html
"Just think of it as leaving early to avoid the rush" - T Pratchett