2025 by E. C. Masloch. Usage of the works is permitted provided that this instrument is retained with the works, so that any entity that uses the works is notified of this instrument. DISCLAIMER: THE WORKS ARE WITHOUT WARRANTY.
This document has been compiled on 2025-03-11.
To build only the kernel and sharer, the following tools are needed:
The two DOS tools have to be found in the DOS path.
The following components are expected in sister directories to the repo:
The lDOS current release build includes four different kernel files in the bin/ subdirectory: ldos.com, ldos.sys, ldospak.com, and ldospak.sys. Any single one of these four files contains the complete kernel.
The .com files are called iniload variants, as they are wrapped in the lDOS iniload.asm (initial loader) stage. They are valid DOS MZ application executables and can be loaded as a number of different kernel formats.
The .sys files are called drload variants, from the stage named drload.asm (originally created for the lDOS flavour of the Enhanced DR-DOS kernel). They are only valid to be loaded as FreeDOS kernel (typically named kernel.sys) or as EDR-DOS kernel (typically named drbio.sys). The advantage is that they are smaller than the iniload variants.
The ldos files are uncompressed. The advantage is faster load time and being able to patch the kernel image.
The ldospak files are compressed. The advantage is, again, the smaller file size.
The recommended choice is to install a boot sector loader using the instsect application. This application is found both in instsect.com and in the COMLOADER multi-executable tool which is embedded in ldos.com, using the command program name instsect.
The default filename for instsect's loaders is ldos.com. Note that the loaders use the lDOS load protocol. Trying to load ldos.sys or ldospak.sys using these loaders will fail with a check 'V'alue error (letter ‘V’ displayed at boot time).
The instsect online help can be accessed using the /? switch. Redirect to a file or to a tool like ‘more’ to read all of it.
There are four inputs to the lDOS configuration:
The query patch site determines whether the initial loader uses CHS or LBA access, and whether it queries the CHS geometry using int 13h function 08h. This is accessed using the patchqry tool.
The query patch site is not passed along to the lDOS kernel yet.
The lCFG block currently contains two configuration choices:
First, the inicomp depack progress display choice. This allows to choose none, dots, percentage, bar, or bar with percentage. This is accessed using the patchpro tool.
Second, the debugger detection choice. This indicates conditions for detecting a resident debugger in order to avoid overwriting its int 1 and int 3 handlers. This is accessed using the patchdeb tool.
The kernel command line is a text string of up to 255 bytes that can be passed to the kernel from the prior loader. Bootable lDebug allows to pass a command line when loading a kernel using the RxDOS.2, RxDOS.3, lDOS, FreeDOS, or EDR-DOS load protocols. (The latter two need to enable this using a CMDLINE=1 parameter.)
The commands of the command line are separated by semicolons. A semicolon immediately following another semicolon is parsed as an escaped semicolon. The following command names are recognised:
ldos.ini’.
config.sys’.
.’ (dot)
If a configuration file is found, its length is checked. The length should not exceed 56 KiB. Then a buffer is allocated and the entire file is read. Too long file contents may be truncated. The command line PREPEND and APPEND lines are also stored in the buffer.
Aside all the usual MS-DOS v4 level configuration directives, some additional directives are supported:
The kernel executables can be compressed with a choice of different compressors. The files then contain a decompression stub. Some of these stubs have their own usage conditions. The following stub usage conditions apply, if one of these stubs is used.
BriefLZ - small fast Lempel-Ziv
8086 Assembly lDOS iniload payload BriefLZ depacker
Based on: BriefLZ C safe depacker
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Usage of the works is permitted provided that this instrument is retained with the works, so that any entity that uses the works is notified of this instrument.
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hg 7222dbcff067, from commit on at 2025-03-11 21:28:06 +0100
If this is in ecm's repository, you can find it at https://hg.pushbx.org/ecm/msdos4/rev/7222dbcff067