DOS disks?

From: Sam Ismail <dastar_at_ncal.verio.com>
Date: Wed Oct 28 16:10:57 1998

On 28 Oct 1998, Eric Smith wrote:

> By your definition, your original claim is exagerated and irrelevant
> anyhow, because it's "tricky" building a 6.22 "system disk" on any size
> floppy. 6.22 comes with so much useless crap that I was forced to sort
> through it even to make a "system disk" on a 2M hard disk partition.

Let me help you guys out. Here's a suggested configuration for a good DOS
6.22 system disk. Both configurations will fit on a 720K diskette. The
config with the options will leave about 53K. The standard config only
takes up about two-thirds of the diskette. For the full config, all you
would need is a decent editor that fits in under 53K and you're set. I
suggest my DOS vi that I mentioned previously (it would leave you with
8K). Otherwise you can use anything up to 200K or so with the standard
install.

DISCLAIMER: I used DOS 6.20 to test this all, but 6.22 was just a patch
that changed some minor things so there should be no filesize related
problems. Shoot me if there are.

To install, format a 720K diskette with DOS 6.22:

FORMAT /U /F:720 /S A:

DOS will install DBLSPACE.BIN which you don't need, so ATTRIB -R -S -H
DBLSPACE.BIN and then delete it (at least it does this on 6.20).

The standard install includes the bare minimum plus some handy programs.

The optional install includes all the stuff that would make your life easy
when working with a vintage DOS computer, such as INTERLNK and INTERSVR
for transferring files over the Parallel/Serial ports, MSD for spying on
your system's config, etc. Plus some superfluous stuff just to prove you
can have a good system disk in under 720K. Take these extras out for even
more room for an editor. I don't know how small EDLIN was but I would
only install that if I couldn't find anything better (and even then I
would be loath to install that foul piece of yak dung).


  FILENAME FILESIZE OPTIONAL
  ------------ -------- --------
  ANSI.SYS 9,065 *
  ATTRIB.EXE 11,208 *
  CHKDSK.EXE 12,241
  COMMAND.COM 54,619
  DEBUG.EXE 15,718
  DELTREE.EXE 11,111 *
  DISKCOMP.COM 10,748
  DISKCOPY.COM 13,335
  DOSKEY.COM 5,861 *
  FDISK.EXE 29,334
  FORMAT.COM 22,916
  INTERLNK.EXE 17,197 *
  INTERSVR.EXE 37,426 *
  IO.SYS 40,566
  MEM.EXE 32,502
  MODE.COM 23,569
  MORE.COM 2,545
  MOVE.EXE 18,319
  MSD.EXE 158,470 *
  MSDOS.SYS 38,138
  PRINT.EXE 15,656
  SETVER.EXE 12,015
  SHARE.EXE 10,912
  SUBST.EXE 18,526
  SYS.COM 9,432
  UNDELETE.EXE 26,416 *
  XCOPY.EXE 16,930


Standard System Disk: 397,686 bytes
Standard with Options: 662,975 bytes

Throw this vi on there and you're set:

  VI.EXE 45,085



Sellam Alternate e-mail: dastar_at_siconic.com
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Received on Wed Oct 28 1998 - 16:10:57 GMT

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