UDVD2 driver not installed

[rofl0r]

after a fresh install from the CD iso, config.sys has REM C:\drivers\UDVD2\UDVD2.SYS ... but C:\DRIVERS doesn't exist.
udvd2 is nowhere to be found. i suppose the system is laid out so that you can install it with the "package manager" via network, but i've never seen a DOS computer connected to internet, and even if it had an ethernet adapter, i'd have no idea how to actually make it work. having a CD driver available is like the bare minimum to get started after installing a minimal OS.

[boeckmann]

I second that it would be beneficial to include a CD driver. Especially useful if one also downloads the SvarDOS package CD http://svardos.org/repo/sv-repo.iso.

But I would not unconditionally load UDVD via config.sys, at least not with DMA enabled. This causes problems with at least one system (mine :-D, Aladdin V chipset ).

[mateuszviste]

Loading UDVD can indeed lead to troubles sometimes, even freezing the boot process (was even the case on at least some versions of virtualbox).
It is also not installed by default, but it is present on the installation medium (A:\UDVD.SVP).
I am not installing it automatically because it seemed wasteful to install such thing on a 8086 with 256K of RAM.

I agree this is not clear at all and a fresh user might be lost.

I think that a sane option would be for the installer to simply ask the user: "do you have a CDROM drive?". If yes, then install UDVD.SVP, and maybe load it automatically in config.sys, but using the safer PIO mode (possibly with a CONFIG.SYS comment "try DMA if you want but you'r on your own")...

[mateuszviste]

...or maybe instead of asking, just assume that if SvarDOS is being installed from an ISO, then it is likely the user will want UDVD. And if the installation is from a floppy, then just skip UDVD.

[rofl0r]

hah, thanks for your comments. indeed, UDVD locks up my PC after i installed and enabled it. you said there might be a more compatible mode ("PIO"), would you mind explaining how it can be used ?

[mateuszviste]

indeed, UDVD locks up my PC after i installed and enabled it. you said there might be a more compatible mode ("PIO"), would you mind explaining how it can be used ?

In my (limited) experience the lockups are usually happening because of DMA/UDMA probing. Relying on the full-CPU legacy PIO mode for transfers is usually much safer (and slower). According to the UDVD documentation:

/UX  Disables ALL UltraDMA, even for a CD/DVD drive capable of it.
       UDVD.SYS then uses "PIO mode" for every I/O request. /UX is
       rarely needed. It is mainly for tests and diagnostics.

It seems there is also this "UIDE.SYS" driver that is supposed to be a newer replacement for UDVD. I never tried it, maybe it's worth taking a look at it.

I also wonder if it would be legally acceptable to distribute VIDE-CDD which is the de facto industry standard...

[bttrx]

I also wonder if it would be legally acceptable to distribute VIDE-CDD which is the de facto industry standard...

Not sure, although it was my favorite driver back then.

I have the original apicd214.exe SFX here, which was available for download from BenQ (formerly known as Acer Peripherals, Inc.). I doesn't mention anything about distribution or licensing at all. There is not even a copyright string in VIDE-CDD.SYS. (But in SETUP.EXE.)

The other de-facto industry standard was OAKCDROM.SYS from the Windows 98 setup diskette.

By the way: My Windows 95 setup diskette holds an ACERCD.SYS stating "Copyright Oak Technology Inc.".

[mateuszviste]

some words about VIDECDD and thoughts on legality of its redistribution
https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=75297

[rofl0r]

tried UDVD2 in /UX mode - PC locks up too.
UIDE.SYS complains about XMS.
VIDE-CDD.SYS works perfectly on first try. only thing speaking against it is that the SFX archive doesnt use a directory, so i'm off cleaning up my C:\ ...

[mateuszviste]

tried UDVD2 in /UX mode - PC locks up too. UIDE.SYS complains about XMS. VIDE-CDD.SYS works perfectly on first try. only thing speaking against it is that the SFX archive doesnt use a directory, so i'm off cleaning up my C:\ ...

Thanks for your feedback. I think it should be reasonable to include VIDE-CDD in the SvarDOS repo, and possibly also in the installation ISO.

I've read that some people that had no luck with UDVD, got a working setup using the much older XCDROM (same author as UDVD and UIDE). Any chance you could test it on your hardware? XCDROM is in SvarDOS repo already, ie. you can fetch it from http://svardos.org/?p=repo

[mateuszviste]

So I've added VIDE-CDD to the SvarDOS repo, and it is also being included in the ISO (but not in floppy images).

This new build is available here: http://svardos.org/?p=files&dir=20240222

If nobody complains, it will become the new public download soon.

[rofl0r]

maybe hold on a bit on that. it turns out that vide-cdd was a success in that i finally got a drive letter assigned, but accessing it i get "Drive not ready" though i'm not 100% sure whether the drive actually works... anyway i'll test XCDROM in the next 24 hrs.

[mateuszviste]

maybe hold on a bit on that. it turns out that vide-cdd was a success in that i finally got a drive letter assigned, but accessing it i get "Drive not ready" though i'm not 100% sure whether the drive actually works...

The two changes I made yesterday are:

1. the VIDE-CDD driver is being proposed in the SvarDOS repository
2. the same driver is being preinstalled when SvarDOS is installed from a CD

Independently of your specific results, I think both these changes are generally for the better. :)

Your "drive not ready" issue might also be due to a dirty lens in your drive, or a drive that supports only pressed CDs, not recorded ones (if that's what you try to read), or indeed - a broken drive.

[rofl0r]

ok, X-CDROM works fine too, getting a drive letter immediately w/o issues - though it seems the CD drive doesn't work (no cd starts to spin after insertion).
since VIDE seems to be one of the best drivers available, and is now included on the iso install , i guess this can be closed as completed. thanks!