Minimal system requirements for Kolibri 0.7.x.0:

The system can boot from any of following devices:

I. Install to floppy.

  1. Insert clean floppy without bad sectors to drive.
  2. Write to it kolibri.img image with any available methods:
    a) (if you have already loaded Kolibri by any method) run the program
    rdsave and select the variant corresponding to floppy
    b) (for DOS and Windows) run subjoined install.bat
    c) with program WinImage or its analogue (e.g. DiskExplorer)
    d) (for Linux) set "executable" attribute to subjoined script install.sh
    and run it
    Now you can boot from floppy (keep it in drive, reboot, set in BIOS option
    of floppy booting).

II. Install to hard disk.
There exists several loaders from hard disk. All are oriented on DOS and
Windows users. Also standard Linux-loader GRUB can be used. All methods work
with file kolibri.img. If you already have old version of Kolibri installed,
simply replace kolibri.img to new. If you have booted from LiveCD, which
does not contain the file kolibri.img, Kolibri can create it independently,
to do this, run the program rdsave, enter the file name for saving and select
the corresponding variant. Of course, in this case Kolibri must be able to
write to file system of selected partitions, currently this means that
only FAT volumes are ok.

  1. Most of all features has the loader mtldr (author - Diamond) - works with
    DOS/Win95/98/NT/2k/XP/Vista, supports FAT32 and NTFS, has installator, can
    be installed to any folder on disk.
    To install, simply run file HD_load\mtldr_install.exe and select image file.
    Apropos, by this way you can install several images. There is also
    variant of install by hand - for those who want to know what installator
    does: directions in HD_load\mtldr

  2. There is also the loader MeOSLoad (author - Trans, expanded by Mario79) -
    works with DOS/Win95/98, supports FAT32, it is placed with the instruction
    to the folder HD_load\MeOSLoad.

  3. Moreover, there exist a program which allow load Kolibri directly from
    Windows 95/98/Me (of course, unloading it) - 9x2klbr (author - Diamond),
    supports FAT32 and NTFS.

  4. Usage of the loader GRUB. The way of using file 'memdisk' to load Kolibri
    has been described by derPENGUIN on english forum
    (http://meos32.7.forumer.com/viewtopic.php?t=110).
    The suggested method (described by Alver) is based on that description
    and was checked on grub-0.97-19mdv2007.0.

    1. Kolibri can write only on FAT filesystem, so if image file is placed not
      to FAT volume, the system can not save settings. Therefore if you have
      FAT32 partition, place 'kolibri.img' there.

    2. This method requires the file 'memdisk' from the package 'syslinux'
      (http://syslinux.zytor.com). You may install the whole package or only
      extract the mentioned file. Only the file 'memdisk' is needed. (After
      package install it will be in '/usr/lib/syslinux').

    3. Place the file 'memdisk' to the folder 'boot' or to the partition used
      for Kolibri.

    4. Add to the configuration file 'menu.lst' ('grub.conf') lines as follow:

      title KolibriOS
      kernel (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/memdisk
      initrd (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])[path]/kolibri.img

      (Remember that numeration of partitions in GRUB starts from 0.)
      Example:
      title KolibriOS
      kernel (hd0,0)/boot/memdisk
      initrd (hd0,3)/kolibri/kolibri.img

      The initial variant was:

      label KolibriOS
      root (hd[Hard disk number],[partition number])
      kernel [path]/memdisk
      initrd [path]/kolibri.img

      Here 'memdisk' and 'kolibri.img' must be placed on the same partition.

      Example:
      label KolibriOS
      root (hd0,0)
      kernel /boot/memdisk
      initrd /boot/kolibri.img
      This example is the variant described on english forum, with install to
      Linux boot partition (of course, without FAT partition).

  5. The previous method could not work as is in GRUB2 (tested by Apocalypse_dn),
    the commands "linux16" and "initrd16" should be used instead of "kernel"
    and "initrd" (suggested by vkos).

III. Install to USB-Flash-drive.
The special loader for FAT32-volumes has been written, it and its installer
to flash drive can be found in the folder HD_load\USB_Boot.
For not-FAT32 drives you may use article placed in the folder
HD_load\USB_Boot_old.

IV. Install to CD and DVD.
There exists special LiveCD-version of Kolibri, which contains
in addition to standard things some "heavy" (in Kolibri standards) programs:
the ported emulator DosBox, games "Fixed Rate Pig" and "sokoban".
You can also create bootable CD or DVD on the base of kolibri.img, adding
anything what you want, in the mode of floppy emulation.
The appropriate actions are determined by used CD/DVD write program
(focus on words such as "boot floppy emulation").