LegendOS - An Impressive Operating System Project
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LegendOS Boot Manager V0.92
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Programming by Serdar Ozler
E-Mail: sozler@sitebest.com

Homepage: http://legendos.sitebest.com


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This utility is completely FREEWARE, and you can distribute it FREELY!
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WARNING: This software is a beta software. I've no beta testers like
other big companies, I can only test it in my computer and in my friends'
computers. So, USE IT AT YOUR OWN RISK!
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WARNING: DO NOT try to use Setup utility under Windows NT. It always
fails! The best platform for it is DOS. But you can also use it under
Windows 95 or Windows 98.
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This is the first module of LegendOS. Thank you as you're reading this text
now. If you see some errors in my english, sorry about them.

This utility is a boot manager which allows you to select which operating
system you want to use. Then it jumps to this operating system.

Standard partition code in a HDD starts only the active partition which it
finds. Therefore, you can't use more than one operating systems, or you have
to create some bootdisks...

But, LegendOS BM (Boot Manager) has a setup in which you can select
operating systems which you use. Then you can save this options and BM code
to your HDD by using this setup utility. It will be active at the next time
you restart your computer and display a menu which consists all operating
system you have selected. You can select any OS and press Enter key in this
menu, or wait 5 seconds to start default OS automatically. You can also
boot from floppy or restart/reset/reboot your system.

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Using:
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Firstly, you have to extract "losbm.zip" archive by using any PKZip
compatible archiver. It will create four files:

setup.exe
boot.dat
bm.dat
losbm.txt

"boot.dat" and "bm.dat" are important data files of LegendOS BM, and DO NOT
try to change these files.

"losbm.txt" is the file which you're reading now :)

You have to run "setup.exe" to define partitions to BM and save BM to your
HDD.

First of all, Setup Utility will ask you from which drive it shall load
current BM settings. Naturally, this is your first installation, and you
can select A or C. It doesn't change something. Setup Utility will give you
a message which says that setup can't found BM on the selected disk. This
is so normal.

Top window lists any defined partitions to boot by using BM. But in your
first installation, there will be no partitions in this list.

Bottom window lists all partitions which it can find. It also adds a "Drive
A:" partition to this list. This is a virtual partition to boot from a
diskette by using BM.

You can change active window by pressing the TAB key. If a window is NOT
active, there will be no highlighted partitions in it. In startup, default
active partition is the top window. You have to press TAB to change this.

When you press ENTER key in the bottom window, you add highlighted
partition to the top window. Also, you make it bootable by BM.

If you add a partition which you don't want to use, you can go to the top
window and press R key if this partition is selected. You can go through
the partitions by using arrow keys.

You can also change defined partition order in the top window. This will
directly affect your boot menu. You can drag one line up by using +, and
one line down by using -.

Naturally, you can change names of the defined partitions by using N key.
I'm sure that you don't want to use default names of these partitions :)

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Uninstalling:
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If you don't like LegendOS Boot Manager, or if it's not compatible with
your system, you can run "fdisk /mbr". BM forgets your old partition sectors.
So, please try to use fdisk.

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Experimental:
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You may have a Microsoft operating system which stays in an extended
partition or in a second/third/fourth fixed disk. Normally, you can't start
a Microsoft OS like this. But I'm working about it (because I have a Win98
which stays in an extended partition), and have found a solution for
Windows 98. I don't know whether it works for an another operating system
(like Windows 98 Second Edition or Windows 95) or not.

If you have an OS like this, you will see it in the bottom window. You can
press ENTER key to add it like the other OSes. Then try to start it by
restarting your computer and using BM menu. If it doesn't starts, run Setup
again. Select this partition in the top window and press the ENTER key. You
will see a dialog box which allows you to select any extended options for
this partition. There is only one option for now. It allows you to force
Windows 98 boot block to use IBM/MS INT 13h Extensions. It works for my
computer. So, you can try it.

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History:
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Version 0.92 (Sunday, June 18, 2000)
 B - Pressing a key disables timer in boot menu.
 B - Pressing 'R' restarts system.
 B - Fixed a bug with Windows 98 staying in non-first fixed disk.
 S - Setup shows more information about the partitions.
 S - Removed /U option. Please use FDISK /MBR to uninstall!
 S - Pressing 'G' key in Setup allows user to adjust timer duration, and
     select whether he wants to see url in boot screen or not.
 S - Setup can identify Windows 2000 partitions.
BS - Rebuilded data structure (WARNING: Therefore, it's COMPLETELY
     INCOMPATIBLE with previous versions). That is, you have to recreate
     your boot menu.

Version 0.91 (Tuesday, February 15, 2000)
BS - Fixed so many bugs.

Version 0.90 (Sunday, February 13, 2000)
BS - First release.

 B: This enhancement or fix is related to Boot Module.
 S: This enhancement or fix is related to Setup Module.
BS: This enhancement or fix is related to both Boot and Setup Modules.
