The content of a basic 16 bit real mode opreating system

[SpyderTL]

I usually try to take a second and warn the new guys about not taking criticism too personally on this site. Some people respond to simple questions with simple answers, and some people respond to simple questions by explaining why that question isn't the question you "should" be asking. Both can be helpful, in a way. You just need to be able to separate them and apply them where appropriate.

If you are patient, someone will eventually come along and answer your question in the way you wanted it to be answered.

I started out in real mode (because I wanted quick results), but after a few months I started over and switched to 32-bit when I ran out of memory to do things like graphics and PCM audio.

You might want to consider enumerating the PCI bus to see what plug-n-play devices are attached. That should keep you busy for a while, and that code will be virtually the same in 16-bit and 32-bit.