#808414 RFP: ms-sys -- Program for writing Microsoft compatible boot records

Package:
wnpp
Source:
wnpp
Submitter:
Lucas Castro
Date:
2023-04-09 03:27:10 UTC
Severity:
wishlist
#808414#5
Date:
2015-12-19 21:25:28 UTC
From:
To:
* Package name    : ms-sys
  Version         : 0.0.28
  Upstream Author : Henrik Carlqvist <henca@users.sourceforge.net>
* URL             : http://ms-sys.sourceforge.net/
* License         : GPL-2+
  Programming Lang: C
  Description     : Program for writing Microsoft compatible boot records

The program does the same as Microsoft "fdisk /mbr" to a hard disk
 or "sys d:" to a floppy or FAT partition except that it does not copy
 any system files, only the boot record is written.

It's usual in day-to-day of sysadmin the OS installation,
and with this package become easier to write boot record
for MS OSes on flashs and so create MS OS bootable flash.
I'll maintain this package by myself.
#808414#10
Date:
2015-12-19 22:22:45 UTC
From:
To:
Dear Maintainer,

I'm looking for a sponsor for my package "ms-sys"
#808414#15
Date:
2015-12-19 23:12:18 UTC
From:
To:
Thanks Andrew about information,
I'll take a look at ms-sys-free.
#808414#20
Date:
2015-12-19 23:05:38 UTC
From:
To:
I'm quite certain this software can't enter Debian main, and I'm
unsure about non-free, as in includes dumps of boot records apparently
copyrighted by Microsoft, and even if there wasn't this they don't
come with the complete source code.

You may try packaging ms-sys-free instead, but I don't know how useful
that package would be.
#808414#25
Date:
2015-12-20 02:58:19 UTC
From:
To:
There is also the mbr package, which still already in Debian.
#808414#30
Date:
2015-12-20 11:13:03 UTC
From:
To:
Can you clarify which features it provides over the existing mbr
package?
#808414#39
Date:
2023-04-09 03:10:28 UTC
From:
To:
Hello,

 From a quick skimming of mbr's manpage, it looks like you need to supply
your own MBR for it to flash, which highly decreases the convenience
factor since you need to track down the exact MBR that you need to use
for the job, at which point you may as well just use dd. ms-sys has a
good selection of MBRs and PBRs built in that you can use to build or
repair many different operating system images. ms-sys-free also has a
similar problem because most of the MBRs that make ms-sys useful are
non-free, coming from proprietary Microsoft products. With ms-sys-free,
all that's left is Rufus, FreeDOS, and a couple other free options.

I've packaged ms-sys at https://salsa.debian.org/benthetechguy/ms-sys.

Thanks,
--
Ben Westover