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  1. System requirements
  2. -------------------
  3.  
  4. Minimal system requirements for KolibriOS:
  5. * CPU 5x86: Pentium, AMD or Cyrix without MMX with frequency 90 MHz
  6. * RAM: 8 MB
  7. * Videocard: supporting VGA (640x480x16 mode) or VESA
  8. * Keyboard: AT
  9. * Mouse: COM, PS/2 or USB
  10.  
  11. The system can boot from any of following devices:
  12. * BIOS mode
  13.   - Floppy 3.5
  14.   - HDD LBA
  15.   - CD/DVD
  16.   - USB Flash
  17. * UEFI mode
  18.   - HDD
  19.   - USB Flash
  20.  
  21.  
  22. Installation: BIOS mode
  23. -----------------------
  24.  
  25. ### Install to floppy
  26.  
  27. * Insert clean floppy without bad sectors to drive.
  28. * Write to it `kolibri.img` image with any available methods:
  29.  
  30.   * (if you have already loaded KolibriOS by any method) run the program
  31.     `rdsave` and select the variant corresponding to floppy;
  32.  
  33.   * (for DOS and Windows) run subjoined install.bat;
  34.  
  35.   * with program WinImage or its analogue (e.g. DiskExplorer);
  36.  
  37.   * (for Linux) set "executable" attribute to subjoined script install.sh
  38.     and run it.
  39.  
  40. Now you can boot from floppy (keep it in drive, reboot, set in BIOS option of
  41. floppy booting).
  42.  
  43.  
  44. ### Install to hard disk
  45.  
  46. There exist several loaders from hard disk. All are oriented on DOS and Windows
  47. users. Also standard Linux-loader GRUB can be used. All methods work with file
  48. `kolibri.img`. If you already have old version of KolibriOS installed, simply
  49. replace `kolibri.img` to the new one. If you have booted from LiveCD, which does
  50. not contain the file `kolibri.img`, KolibriOS can create it independently. To do
  51. this, run the program `rdsave`, enter the file name for saving and select the
  52. corresponding variant. Of course, in this case KolibriOS must be able to write
  53. to file system of selected partitions. Currently this means that only FAT and
  54. EXT2 volumes are ok.
  55.  
  56. * Most of all features has the loader mtldr (author - Diamond) - works with
  57.   DOS/Win95/98/NT/2k/XP/Vista, supports FAT32 and NTFS, has installer, can be
  58.   installed to any folder on disk.
  59.  
  60.   To install, simply run file HD_load\mtldr_install.exe and select image file.
  61.   Apropos, by this way you can install several images. There is also variant of
  62.   install by hand - for those who want to know what installer does: directions
  63.   in `HD_load\mtldr`.
  64.  
  65. * There is also the loader MeOSLoad (author - Trans, expanded by Mario79) -
  66.   works with DOS/Win95/98, supports FAT32. It is placed with the instruction
  67.   to the folder `HD_load\MeOSLoad`.
  68.  
  69. * Moreover, there exists a program which allows to load KolibriOS directly from
  70.   Windows 95/98/Me (of course, unloading it) - `9x2klbr` (author - Diamond),
  71.   supports FAT32 and NTFS.
  72.  
  73. * Usage of the loader GRUB. Place the file `memdisk` to the folder `boot`
  74.   or to the partition used for KolibriOS.
  75.  
  76.   a) For GRUB2, in the folder `/etc/grub.d` add to one of files next lines:
  77.  
  78.   ```
  79.   menuentry 'KolibriOS' {
  80.           linux16 (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/memdisk
  81.           initrd16 (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/kolibri.img
  82.   }
  83.   ```
  84.   example:
  85.  
  86.   ```
  87.   menuentry 'KolibriOS' {
  88.           linux16 (hd0,msdos1)/boot/memdisk
  89.           initrd16 (hd0,msdos1)/boot/kolibri.img
  90.   }
  91.   ```
  92.   then, run in terminal `sudo update-grub`.
  93.  
  94.   b) For old GRUB, add to the configuration file `menu.lst` next lines:
  95.  
  96.   ```
  97.   title KolibriOS
  98.   kernel (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/memdisk
  99.   initrd (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/kolibri.img
  100.   ```
  101.   Remember that numeration in GRUB starts from 0. Example:
  102.  
  103.   ```
  104.   title KolibriOS
  105.   kernel (hd0,0)/boot/memdisk
  106.   initrd (hd0,3)/kolibri/kolibri.img
  107.   ```
  108.  
  109.  
  110. ### Install to USB flash drive
  111.  
  112. The special loader for FAT32-volumes has been written. It and its installer to
  113. flash drive can be found in the directory `HD_load\USB_Boot`.
  114.  
  115. Despite the fact that the installer from the previous step is recommended, you
  116. may also use Rufus https://rufus.ie to write Kolibri ISO-image on the USB flash.
  117.  
  118. For not-FAT32 drives you may use article placed in the directory
  119. `HD_load\USB_Boot_old`.
  120.  
  121.  
  122. ### Install to CD and DVD
  123.  
  124. There exists special LiveCD-version of KolibriOS, which contains in addition to
  125. standard things some 'heavy' (in KolibriOS standards) programs: the ported
  126. emulator DosBox, videoplayer Fplay, PDF reader, games like Quake, DOOM, Tyrian
  127. and Wolfenstain3D, etc.
  128.  
  129. You can also create bootable CD or DVD on the base of `kolibri.img`, adding
  130. anything what you want, in the mode of floppy emulation. The appropriate actions
  131. are determined by used CD/DVD write program (focus on words such as 'boot floppy
  132. emulation').
  133.  
  134.  
  135. Installation: UEFI mode
  136. -----------------------
  137.  
  138. UEFI support is still in beta. Be ready to face issues and report them.
  139.  
  140. ### Install to hard disk
  141.  
  142. * To boot KolibriOS from HDD these four files are needed:
  143.  
  144.   * `uefi4kos`: UEFI-specific loader for KolibriOS, shipped as `bootx64.efi` and
  145.     `bootia32.efi` binaries. Choose one of these `boot*.efi` images to match the
  146.     architecture of your machine's UEFI firmware. Use `bootx64.efi` if unsure.
  147.   * `kolibri.img`: a RAM disk image.
  148.   * `kolibri.krn`: KolibriOS kernel compiled without BIOS-related legacy stuff.
  149.   * `kolibri.ini`: a configuration file. It is used to e.g. set screen
  150.     resolution.
  151.  
  152.  
  153. * If you have any UEFI-aware OS installed on your HDD, then there already is a
  154.   so called EFI system partition (ESP) on it. If your HDD is not partitioned
  155.   yet, you have to first create a GUID partition table (GPT) on it and then
  156.   create mentioned EFI system partition formatted as FAT32.
  157.  
  158. * Make a directory `/efi/kolibrios` on the ESP.
  159.  
  160. * Copy all the `kolibri.???` files mentioned above to that directory.
  161.  
  162. * If KolibriOS is the only OS to be loaded from that HDD, make a directory
  163.   `/efi/boot` and copy the chosen `boot*.efi` loader there.
  164.  
  165. * If there is some other OS already installed on the HDD, put `boot*.efi` file
  166.   to `/efi/kolibrios` directory and then setup the boot loader of the installed
  167.   OS to boot KolibriOS.
  168.  
  169.   For example, for GRUB2 (nowadays also known as just GRUB, not GRUB1 or
  170.   GRUB-legacy) follow these three steps:
  171.  
  172.   1. Append file `/etc/grub.d/42_custom` with a new menu entry.
  173.  
  174.      ```
  175.      menuentry "KolibriOS" {
  176.              insmod part_gpt
  177.              insmod fat
  178.              insmod chain
  179.              chainloader /EFI/kolibrios/bootx64.efi
  180.      }
  181.      ```
  182.  
  183.   2. Locate GRUB config file in your system, namely `grub.cfg`. It might be in
  184.      `/boot/grub/`.
  185.  
  186.   3. Update `grub.cfg` with a command like below.
  187.      ```
  188.      sudo grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
  189.      ```
  190.  
  191.  
  192. ### Install to USB flash drive
  193.  
  194. * If you prefer to keep all the data on the USB drive, follow the
  195.   steps above for hard disks.
  196.  
  197. * If, instead, you are okay to lose all the data on the USB drive, use
  198.   `kolibri.raw` image. It is ready to be directly written to the flash drive.
  199.  
  200.   Linux users can write the image with standard utilities `cat` or `dd`.
  201.  
  202.   Windows users can use [Rawwrite32] or [Rufus].
  203.  
  204. [Rawwrite32]: https://www.netbsd.org/~martin/rawrite32/
  205. [Rufus]: https://rufus.ie
  206.