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I have a quick job to offer to anyone who wants it. It consists in writing a set of FAT32 functions. More specifically, I will need to use these functions in two places, in my Stage-1 bootloader to load the Stage-2, and in my Stage-2 to load the Kernel. So I will need all the fat handling functions to be in an include file that I will include in my Stage-1 and Stage-2, while the file name to load and destination segment and offset to be in bytes defined in the stage-1 and stage-2.

Moreover, it will need to compile with NASM and run on VirtualBox. It will be used to boot from my USB stick. I can send you the BPB info, or even mail you the stick if needed.

Contact me with a price. I'm willing to pay half upfront and half when I have a working booting USB stick.

There's some information missing in your post. What executable format is your kernel, PE-EXE, ELF, flat binary, else? At what address do you what it loaded? It the second stage loader supposed to do something else, like entering protected mode, gathering information about available RAM, set a video VESA mode? What kind of budget are we talking about? What OS will you use it from, so tools to automate the process can be included or at least instructions? Also, you could include an image file of the USB drive freshly formatted with FAT32 and it will include everything needed to complete the task.

bubach wrote:What executable format is your kernel, PE-EXE, ELF, flat binary, else?

Flat Binary

bubach wrote:At what address do you what it loaded?

Since the code will be used to load two files (the stage 2, then the kernel) at two different addresses, I would like the Fat32 code to only refer to variable names, and then these variables would be assigned values in the code calling it (the stage-1 then the stage-2, respectively)

bubach wrote:It the second stage loader supposed to do something else, like entering protected mode, gathering information about available RAM, set a video VESA mode?

Yes, but I can take care of that. Right now I'm really struggling with the FAT32 code.

bubach wrote:What kind of budget are we talking about?

$400CND

bubach wrote:What OS will you use it from, so tools to automate the process can be included or at least instructions?

It will be compiled on a Windows PC using NASM. It will run in a virtual machine with no OS.

bubach wrote:Also, you could include an image file of the USB drive freshly formatted with FAT32 and it will include everything needed to complete the task.

Yes, I will provide all information requested by the person helping me.

JFYI: The OP was unable to install and use my FAT32 bootsector (I can't find the link, but I have posted the code somewhere on the forum) on a USB stick despite me providing all instructions. So, you may have difficulties retrieving the other half of the pay.

alexfru wrote:JFYI: The OP was unable to install and use my FAT32 bootsector (I can't find the link, but I have posted the code somewhere on the forum) on a USB stick despite me providing all instructions. So, you may have difficulties retrieving the other half of the pay.

That is true, I was unable to install and use alexfru's FAT32 bootsector. I don't know what goes wrong, I've spent countless hours looking and cannot spare any more time on that problem, and alexfru has been unable to figure it out from a distance. But if it's something silly that I'm not seeing, then whoever takes the contract will have easy money in their pocket.

EDIT: That includes you, alexfru, btw. I'll mail you the stick and the first half, you send it back to me with working code and step-by-step instructions on how you made it work so whatever thing I'm doing that's not working stops happening, and you'll be a few hundred dollars richer with little effort.