    LOADLIN.EXE, a loader (running under DOS) for LINUX kernel images
          (fully supporting the kernel's command line feature)
         (C) 1994..1995 Hans Lermen (lermen@elserv.ffm.fgan.de)
      (C) 2008..2010 Samuel Thibault (samuel.thibault@ens-lyon.org)
    =================================================================

LOADLIN uses the same principle as BOOTLIN from F.Coutant, but has
enhanced error checking and fully supports the "command line feature"
of Linux. It also accepts a response file, so the command line can be
greater than 128 bytes.

LOADLIN-1.6 is highly adaptable to different DOS configurations, and now
has very few loading restrictions. It makes use of extended memory and
also can load big kernels (bzImages) and ramdisk images (initrd)
directly high. The bzImage+initrd standard was jointly developed
by the LILO-author (Werner Almesberger) and the LOADLIN-author (me)
and is part of the official kernel since version 1.3.73.

It is also capable of booting a UMSDOS-based system from a DOS drive.

Some options (-v, -t, -d) produce debug information, so if you have
problems, you can follow what is really being done by LOADLIN.

LOADLIN also can load out of Virtual-86 mode (which is normal when
using EMS drivers) if a VCPI server is present.


The loader program works from the DOS prompt or from CONFIG.SYS
under the following conditions:

   1. The buffer memory (lowmem + extended) is great enough
      to hold the compressed kernel image (zImage or bzImage)
      aswell as the initrd image (optional).

   2. A) The CPU is not in virtual-8086 mode
        or
      B) The EMS driver supports VCPI.

Note that some VCPI drivers overwrite the ACPI table located at the end
of the memory.  This that reduces Linux hardware support, it is thus
recommended to avoid using such VCPI driver.

Some old BIOSes can not load data above 16MB.  If your kernel+initrd does
not fit in 16MB, loadlin emits a warning.  If the machine crashes, try using
a memory manager instead of relying on the BIOS only.


For a quick start read the QUICKSTA.RT file
For a detailed description please read the MANUAL.TXT file.

===========================================================================

Contents of LODLIN16.TGZ
------------------------

  readme.1st        you're reading me now!
  loadlin.exe       the loader
  copying           GPL of Free Software Foundation
  test.par          a sample response (params) file
  linux.bat         a sample DOS batch file
  initrd            a _very_ simple initrd (/linuxrc) example
  doc
  doc/changes       history of LOADLIN
  doc/quicksta.rt   as the file name says, but you will need more to read
  doc/manual.txt    the manual
  doc/params.doc    description of Linux command line parameters
  doc/announce.txt  the posting that announced bzImage+initrd
  doc/initrd.txt    description of initrd (as of linux/Documentation/*)
  doc/lodlin16.lsm
  src               source
  src/loadlin.asm
  src/loadlina.asm
  src/loadlini.asm
  src/loadlinj.asm
  src/loadlinm.asm
  src/makefile      makefile for TASM
  src/srclinux      32-bit source (must compile under Linux)
