[plug] lilo and Win95, also SQL

[The Thought Assassin]

> Can anyone remind me of what Win95 trashes (like the MBR) and the
> easiest way to restore it?  I've just got a copy of the Bootdisk-HOWTO
> but haven't yet read it through. Hoping for a shortcut!
95 _definitely_ trashes the MBR. It has no concept of multiboot,
unfortunately. If you are using loadlin, you will only have to boot into 
DoS mode (F6 or something to get a menu, but my memory is hazy) and invoke
your normal loadlin commandline/batchscript. ISTR '95 moving DoS boot
files, though? you might have to search for them. If you are using LILO,
then things are a little trickier. If you have a CD, you should be able to
boot from that and use your present root filesystem. Either boot directly
from the CD, or use the loadlin scripts on it, or make a floppy from it.
If you don't have a CD, download a bootdisk from your distrib vendor, and
follow their instructions to boot from that. If the machine doesn't have a
net connection, you can download a floppy elsewhere, or DIY.
If your machine doesn't have a floppy drive, then you are just causing
trouble. (Yes, I know & use bootp... Isn't that _your_ idea of trouble? :)
Actually, the manual creation of boot/root disks (particularly for embedded
system - like router/firewalls) is an enjoyable and particularly
educational process, which would make a good topic for a talk, should anyone
be interested. Bootp/NFSroot is much the same, though perhaps with less
application.

> On a related issue, I've just had a terrific morning with Access97,
> where it corrupted my database just as I'd made the last change but
> before the backup.  
Is this the reproducible bug that was plastered all over the net last week?
Forget "anti-trust" laws, I think the DoJ should go after them over the
lemon laws.
I don't think that kind of thing is excusable, given the roles they knew
they were selling it into. Software Engineering is hard, but that's just the
reason why you make an effort about things like this.

-Greg