Experiments...
Linld is a program that can load Linux from DOS. Since DOSBox-X boots to a DOS prompt by default, Linld is a convenient way to start Linux without needing to install and configure a boot loader. What follows is an explanation about how to boot Tiny Core 7.0 using Linld and, optionally, how to set up a hard drive with extensions (Tiny Core's name for what are called packages in other Linux distributions).
Table of contents
Booting Tiny Core
This is the simplest way to boot into Tiny Core if you do not wish to load any extensions or set up a hard drive.
What you'll need
A multi-disk bundle containing the following floppy image and ISO:
- A floppy image with the LINLD.COM file from the Linld site. That site also offers a Readme file for those interested.
- The Core-7.0 ISO is available from the Tiny Core site.
File: LINLD.COM Size: 5,832 bytes MD5: cb3627ce4505a59b506beab8f6ae7360 SHA-1: 17c944731dfb4d09cf077d53147fb2f71f239c52
File: Core-7.0.iso Size: 11,116,544 bytes MD5: 11ee7e2a449415cec8feb5dc7dbee064 SHA-1: 724b57a226ab1e771a483dff5f0bb80d030d5a0d
BizHawk configuration
- Machine preset: 1999 - IBM Thinkpad 240
Boot process
- Load the multi-disk bundle in BizHawk via
File -> Open ROM.... - At the DOS prompt, type
a:and press Enter to change the current drive to the floppy disk - Enter the following command to boot into Tiny Core:
linld.com image=D:\boot\vmlinuz initrd=D:\boot\core.gz- The Tiny Core CD should be drive
d:
- The Tiny Core CD should be drive
Hard Drive Installation
DOSBox-X only supports FAT file systems currently, so installing Tiny Core to a hard drive is a simple matter of copying a few files to one of the pre-formatted drives.
What you'll need
A multi-disk bundle containing the floppy image and ISO as described above.
BizHawk configuration
- Machine preset: 1999 - IBM Thinkpad 240
- Mount Formatted Hard Disk Drive: 241MB (FAT16)
- Any of the larger sizes should also work.
- The smaller sizes might be adequate to hold just the base Tiny Core files but probably are not enough if you want to add any extensions.
Installation process
- Load the multi-disk bundle in BizHawk via
File -> Open ROM.... The drives should be under the following drive letters:- Floppy drive
a: - Hard drive
c: - Tiny Core CD
d:
- Floppy drive
- If the DOS prompt is not at the hard drive, type
c:and press Enter to switch to it - Make a directory to hold the boot files:
md boot - Change to the new directory:
cd boot - Copy Linld from the floppy drive:
copy A:\LINLD.COM . - Copy the Tiny Core files from the CD drive:
copy D:\boot\core.gz .andcopy D:\boot\vmlinuz . - All done! Remember to export the hard drive image for future use:
DOS -> Export Hard Disk Drive...
Extension Installation
Tiny Core extensions come as compressed files with the file extension tcz. Many extensions have dependencies, which are other programs or files that are required in order for them to work. The dependencies are listed in files with file extension tcz.dep. Each dependency may have its own dependencies. For any given extension, the file with file extension tcz.tree should list its full set of dependencies. This makes it easier to find all of the dependencies without having to search each individual tcz.dep file. When installing an extension, only the tcz and tcz.dep files are needed.
When booting, Tiny Core searches for a directory named tce on available drives. It automatically loads any extensions listed in a file named onboot.lst within the tce directory. The extensions should be located in a subdirectory of tce named optional. We can install extensions to the hard drive by copying the appropriate tcz and tcz.dep files to the optional directory. The process for creating these directories from the DOS prompt is simple:
- Change to the proper drive (this example assumes a hard drive under drive letter C):
c: - Create the tce directory:
md tce - Change to the new directory:
cd tce - Create the optional directory:
md optional
Remember to export the hard drive image if you want to save any changes for future use:
DOS -> Export Hard Disk Drive...