[ltp] dos config tools from a floppy?

[wes schreiner]

Al Arduengo wrote:

>
> My primary question is how do I get full control and access to my 
> serial ports using linux or at worst a dos boot floppy? Can I at all? 


Yes, you can do it either way. If you use a DOS boot floppy you need all 
of the tools, not just the PS2.EXE program. I have 28 files totaling 
1.2M in my /dos/config directory, so it will indeed all fit on a 
bootable floppy.

But you don't need PS2.EXE for most things if you use a recent 2.4.xx-ac 
kernel that supports PNP. You will also need the lspnp and setpnp tools. 
Between them and tpctl you can do pretty much everything that PS2.exe 
can do, and do it from Linux.

>
>
> My secondary question is of a less important nature. How (if possible) 
> can I fix things so that I don't have to boot up with my external 
> floppy plugged in to have access to it? It works fine *if* I boot with 
> it attached but I can not for the life of me get it to work if I plug 
> it in post-boot. 


AFAIK the external floppy can't be hot-plugged, it has to be present at 
boot. I'm not sure about hot-swapping it in the internal UltraSlimBay, 
never tried it.

>
>
> Lastly, would PnP access give me the ability to enable the devices in 
> question? If so I can compile the correct kernel source. 


Yes, with a recent ac kernel and lspnp/setpnp you can enable and 
configure the serial, mwave, and IR devices on the fly, from Linux.

>
>
> FYI.
> I have pnp bios support compiled into my kernel but I now see I need 
> at least 2.4.18-ac3 version to actually get access to the pnp devices. 
> Ethernet pcmcia card works fine. CD works fine. Sound works fine. 
> Haven't used the mwave modem yet since I don't dial up. 


Glad to hear it. The mwave modem works fine for me. The most recent 
version of the mwave driver has my little patch in it so now one can do 
things like disable the IR, move the mwave modem to the second serial 
port, and have the external RS-232 on the first serial port. There are 
three serial devices (mwave modem, IR, and external RS-232) but only two 
serial ports, so one must always be disabled.


wes


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