Installing eCS from hard disk volume
It is possible to install eCS from hard disk instead of CD-ROM media:
- Create a FAT formated compatibility volume. This is a requirement, because the boot method only works with CD-ROM ISO9660 and FAT file systems. For this volume, use a drive letter that will not conflict with other drive letters that are in use later (namely, Z: and S: - we'll assume H: in this description). Name the volume as you want, for example "eCS Install" and add this volume to the BootManager (or use other ways to make it bootable).
- Copy the contents of the first CD to the hard disk (there are some files that will fail to copy, because of non 8.3 filenames; that is being worked on - install won't fail unless one of those files is required for your particular installation, f.e. WLAN files), and remove the media from the CD-ROM drive.
- Set the volume label of drive H: to "ECS_CDRUN" (this is another requirement, it is the same as the CD).
- Copy the H:\BOOTIMGS\memboot.bin file to H:\memboot.bin
- Install in H: a bootsector that loads H:\memboot.bin:
download wboot.exe∞ and memboot.sek∞, and issue the command 'WBOOT MEMBOOT.SEK H:' where H: is the FAT volume.
- Copy eCS registration key onto the FAT volume.
- Boot from the FAT volume H: eCS Install.
First, there will appear an 'Boot from hard disk / CD' menu.
Select CD, this means the FAT volume with the copied CD files.
"Hard disk" would take you back the the BootManager.
It is possible the configure memboot.bin to not show this menu level.
- Continue either custom or default values.
When you choose custom values, you can make these custom values (like keyboard layout) default for later boots from the Install volume:
Open a command window in the Phase 1 Installer (Shift+F3 or maintenance console) and copy Z:\os2csm.set to H:\BOOTIMGS\os2csm.set.
This way, it should be possible to also install from USB removable media and similar, when the BIOS has support for booting from that storage. Like the os2csm.set custom option, you can supply additional drivers by copying them to H:\BOOTIMGS\, instead of preparing update floppies.
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