Subversion Repositories Kolibri OS

System requirements

-------------------

Minimal system requirements for KolibriOS:

* CPU 5x86: Pentium, AMD or Cyrix without MMX with frequency 90 MHz

* RAM: 8 MB

* Videocard: supporting VGA (640x480x16 mode) or VESA

* Keyboard: AT

* Mouse: COM, PS/2 or USB

The system can boot from any of following devices:

* BIOS mode

  - Floppy 3.5

  - HDD LBA

  - CD/DVD

  - USB Flash

* UEFI mode

  - HDD

  - USB Flash

Installation: BIOS mode

-----------------------

### Install to floppy

* Insert clean floppy without bad sectors to drive.

* Write to it `kolibri.img` image with any available methods:

  * (if you have already loaded KolibriOS by any method) run the program

    `rdsave` and select the variant corresponding to floppy;

  * (for DOS and Windows) run subjoined install.bat;

  * with program WinImage or its analogue (e.g. DiskExplorer);

  * (for Linux) set "executable" attribute to subjoined script install.sh

    and run it.

Now you can boot from floppy (keep it in drive, reboot, set in BIOS option of

floppy booting).

### Install to hard disk

There exist several loaders from hard disk. All are oriented on DOS and Windows

users. Also standard Linux-loader GRUB can be used. All methods work with file

`kolibri.img`. If you already have old version of KolibriOS installed, simply

replace `kolibri.img` to the new one. If you have booted from LiveCD, which does

not contain the file `kolibri.img`, KolibriOS can create it independently. To do

this, run the program `rdsave`, enter the file name for saving and select the

corresponding variant. Of course, in this case KolibriOS must be able to write

to file system of selected partitions. Currently this means that only FAT and

EXT2 volumes are ok.

* Most of all features has the loader mtldr (author - Diamond) - works with

  DOS/Win95/98/NT/2k/XP/Vista, supports FAT32 and NTFS, has installer, can be

  installed to any folder on disk.

  To install, simply run file HD_load\mtldr_install.exe and select image file.

  Apropos, by this way you can install several images. There is also variant of

  install by hand - for those who want to know what installer does: directions

  in `HD_load\mtldr`.

* There is also the loader MeOSLoad (author - Trans, expanded by Mario79) -

  works with DOS/Win95/98, supports FAT32. It is placed with the instruction

  to the folder `HD_load\MeOSLoad`.

* Moreover, there exists a program which allows to load KolibriOS directly from

  Windows 95/98/Me (of course, unloading it) - `9x2klbr` (author - Diamond),

  supports FAT32 and NTFS.

* Usage of the loader GRUB. Place the file `memdisk` to the folder `boot`

  or to the partition used for KolibriOS.

  a) For GRUB2, in the folder `/etc/grub.d` add to one of files next lines:

  ```

  menuentry 'KolibriOS' {

          linux16 (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/memdisk

          initrd16 (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/kolibri.img

  }

  ```

  example:

  ```

  menuentry 'KolibriOS' {

          linux16 (hd0,msdos1)/boot/memdisk

          initrd16 (hd0,msdos1)/boot/kolibri.img

  }

  ```

  then, run in terminal `sudo update-grub`.

  b) For old GRUB, add to the configuration file `menu.lst` next lines:

  ```

  title KolibriOS

  kernel (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/memdisk

  initrd (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/kolibri.img

  ```

  Remember that numeration in GRUB starts from 0. Example:

  ```

  title KolibriOS

  kernel (hd0,0)/boot/memdisk

  initrd (hd0,3)/kolibri/kolibri.img

  ```

### Install to USB flash drive

The special loader for FAT32-volumes has been written. It and its installer to

flash drive can be found in the directory `HD_load\USB_Boot`.

Despite the fact that the installer from the previous step is recommended, you

may also use Rufus https://rufus.ie to write Kolibri ISO-image on the USB flash.

For not-FAT32 drives you may use article placed in the directory

`HD_load\USB_Boot_old`.

### Install to CD and DVD

There exists special LiveCD-version of KolibriOS, which contains in addition to

standard things some 'heavy' (in KolibriOS standards) programs: the ported

emulator DosBox, videoplayer Fplay, PDF reader, games like Quake, DOOM, Tyrian

and Wolfenstain3D, etc.

You can also create bootable CD or DVD on the base of `kolibri.img`, adding

anything what you want, in the mode of floppy emulation. The appropriate actions

are determined by used CD/DVD write program (focus on words such as 'boot floppy

emulation').

Installation: UEFI mode

-----------------------

UEFI support is still in beta. Be ready to face issues and report them.

### Install to hard disk

* To boot KolibriOS from HDD these four files are needed:

  * `uefi4kos`: UEFI-specific loader for KolibriOS, shipped as `bootx64.efi` and

    `bootia32.efi` binaries. Choose one of these `boot*.efi` images to match the

    architecture of your machine's UEFI firmware. Use `bootx64.efi` if unsure.

  * `kolibri.img`: a RAM disk image.

  * `kolibri.krn`: KolibriOS kernel compiled without BIOS-related legacy stuff.

  * `kolibri.ini`: a configuration file. It is used to e.g. set screen

    resolution.

* If you have any UEFI-aware OS installed on your HDD, then there already is a

  so called EFI system partition (ESP) on it. If your HDD is not partitioned

  yet, you have to first create a GUID partition table (GPT) on it and then

  create mentioned EFI system partition formatted as FAT32.

* Make a directory `/efi/kolibrios` on the ESP.

* Copy all the `kolibri.???` files mentioned above to that directory.

* If KolibriOS is the only OS to be loaded from that HDD, make a directory

  `/efi/boot` and copy the chosen `boot*.efi` loader there.

* If there is some other OS already installed on the HDD, put `boot*.efi` file

  to `/efi/kolibrios` directory and then setup the boot loader of the installed

  OS to boot KolibriOS.

  For example, for GRUB2 (nowadays also known as just GRUB, not GRUB1 or

  GRUB-legacy) follow these three steps:

  1. Append file `/etc/grub.d/42_custom` with a new menu entry.

     ```

     menuentry "KolibriOS" {

             insmod part_gpt

             insmod fat

             insmod chain

             chainloader /EFI/kolibrios/bootx64.efi

     }

     ```

  2. Locate GRUB config file in your system, namely `grub.cfg`. It might be in

     `/boot/grub/`.

  3. Update `grub.cfg` with a command like below.

     ```

     sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

     ```

### Install to USB flash drive

* If you prefer to keep all the data on the USB drive, follow the

  steps above for hard disks.

* If, instead, you are okay to lose all the data on the USB drive, use

  `kolibri.raw` image. It is ready to be directly written to the flash drive.

  Linux users can write the image with standard utilities `cat` or `dd`.

  Windows users can use [Rawwrite32] or [Rufus].

[Rawwrite32]: https://www.netbsd.org/~martin/rawrite32/

[Rufus]: https://rufus.ie