Bootable install program? What modes?

[Warmaster199]

"CD Setup programs are cool!" - nondot.org

I am not even close to being finished my O.S., nevermind finding a means to distribute it...

...I have an idea. A bootable set-up program similar to Windows 95's. The problem is I don't know if it should be a Real mode or Protected mode. My OS is protected mode, but that's a b*tch to setup (Setup GDT, enter PMode, setup IDT, install handlers, setup v86 session). I don't really want to use it for my install program. Real mode would be a problem because I will need more than 1MByte of RAM (Bitmaps on screen, loading files into memory then onto HDD(Could do sector by sector, but very slow)). I will want to use interrupts to minimize the code needed for drivers.

I remember reading this document on Real Flat mode... What is that? From what I understood, it's Real mode but with more RAM support. I am pretty sure that you set it by going to PMode, and quiting PMode again.

[Tim]

Write a really good OS, then put a cut-down version of it on your install CD. Write your install program to run inside your OS. It's pretty impressive if your OS can install itself.

[Warmaster199]

Hmmm... Is that the Windows approach? That's actually a nice install program... I just installed NT on a P5ODP @ 83MHz today. I guess the NT setup program is what you're talking about, correct?

[srg]

As far as I understand, the NT installer is running on NT, linux installer runs on linux and Windows 95/98[me=srg]installer runs on DOS/Windows 3.11!!!!!![/me]

[Warmaster199]

As far as I understand, the NT installer is running on NT, linux installer runs on linux and Windows 95/98[me=srg]installer runs on DOS/Windows 3.11!!!!!![/me]

I guess that's why the setup's start-up screen for NT looks exactly the same as the full OS start-up screen.
"NT Kernel multiprocessor version 4.0 build ####
1 processor running... yada yada"