OSDev.org

Hey all,

COMBOOT is a simple bootloader that loads kernels & modules over the serial port. I made it because I wanted an easy way to test my kernel on a physical machine without having to swap USB sticks, hard disks, floppies, or burn CDs every time. I figured I'd post it here because maybe someone might have the same need . Please note that the quality of the code isn't anywhere near perfect, and that there are a lot of loose ends at the moment. But hey, it works.

Basically, the boot sector requests a stage2 binary over the serial port. This stage2 binary enables A20, switches to protected mode, and then it requests the kernel and module files. The protocol features a "high-speed" transfer mode, which temporarily switches the baud rate from 9600 bauds to a whopping 115200 bauds.

The source code can be found here: https://github.com/dseller/comboot. It contains the source code of the boot sector, stage2 binary, and the C# windows application that hosts the files.

I would love to hear about it if you are using it!

there are also LPT crossover cables exist. i beleive more people used that to connect computers together than the serial method. you maybe should think on implementig those, as some people might still be using them. its just as easy, its usually port 0x278 or 0x378