I don't know if this is the right place for this, honestly don't know much. I recently got an IBM 5155 in working condition but I have no idea how to get it to run things. I have floppy disks I cant put information on (I have a greaseweazle but no floppy drive), and an xt-cf lite with a compactflash card. Do I need to format things a certain way? If so how? Do you need to boot through a floppy disk anyway? How do I even get floppy disk software nowadays. As you can probably tell I'm very confused about everything. I'm sorry if this is the wrong place but i've done about all I can do without help from someone.
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IBM 5155 help
- Thread starter Maniacal
- Start date
mikeyp
Experienced Member
You need one of the following:
Where are you based? I'm sure there would be someone within mailing distance who could help you out for the cost of postage with a dos boot disk or similar. Myself, I'm in Leicestershire, UK.
- A way of writing floppy disk images to physical disks to get the machine going
- Someone to setup the CF card for you somehow
- Fit a floppy drive emulator which can directly read/write floppy images on a USB stick
Where are you based? I'm sure there would be someone within mailing distance who could help you out for the cost of postage with a dos boot disk or similar. Myself, I'm in Leicestershire, UK.
@Maniacal you should be able to format a CF card with DOS 3.3, and load some software on it, to use to have the 5155 create its own floppy disks.
You can start from this Tech Tangents video:
There are a number of ways to create the CF card with DOS 3.3 installed. What I would suggest is to find a CF to USB adapter (likely combined with a bunch of other formats, like SD) and then use VirtualBox to do the installation.
The basic steps are:
1) insert the CF card into the USB-CF adapter, and plug the adapter into your PC
2) create a basic DOS PC virtual machine, in VirtualBox. Don't give it any hard drives, but include a 3.5" high density floppy drive.
3) figure out the name of the USB-CF device, and create a virtual VMDK for raw passthrough. This article explains the process:
https://www.serverwatch.com/guides/using-a-physical-hard-drive-with-a-virtualbox-vm/
4) boot the virtual machine, using a floppy image of DOS 3.3
5) fdisk/format/sys the CF card, and install DOS 3.3 to c:\dos. This article explains how:
https://tutorialsonlegacyos.blogspot.com/2021/05/how-to-install-dos-31-on-virtualbox.html
When done, you can copy a bunch of software to the 32mb (the max HDD size for DOS 3.3) partition on the CF card, so that you can make floppy disks on the 5155. You should then shut down the VM, and eject the CF card.
Once done, you can install the CF card into the XT-CF card, and put it into a slot (not 8, unless you have a modded card!) in the 5155, and it should boot from the card.
This is just an outline, there are lots of other possible issues, but hopefully this will get you started.
Good luck!
- Alex
You can start from this Tech Tangents video:
There are a number of ways to create the CF card with DOS 3.3 installed. What I would suggest is to find a CF to USB adapter (likely combined with a bunch of other formats, like SD) and then use VirtualBox to do the installation.
The basic steps are:
1) insert the CF card into the USB-CF adapter, and plug the adapter into your PC
2) create a basic DOS PC virtual machine, in VirtualBox. Don't give it any hard drives, but include a 3.5" high density floppy drive.
3) figure out the name of the USB-CF device, and create a virtual VMDK for raw passthrough. This article explains the process:
https://www.serverwatch.com/guides/using-a-physical-hard-drive-with-a-virtualbox-vm/
4) boot the virtual machine, using a floppy image of DOS 3.3
5) fdisk/format/sys the CF card, and install DOS 3.3 to c:\dos. This article explains how:
https://tutorialsonlegacyos.blogspot.com/2021/05/how-to-install-dos-31-on-virtualbox.html
When done, you can copy a bunch of software to the 32mb (the max HDD size for DOS 3.3) partition on the CF card, so that you can make floppy disks on the 5155. You should then shut down the VM, and eject the CF card.
Once done, you can install the CF card into the XT-CF card, and put it into a slot (not 8, unless you have a modded card!) in the 5155, and it should boot from the card.
This is just an outline, there are lots of other possible issues, but hopefully this will get you started.
Good luck!
- Alex
dhau
Experienced Member
bluelava person always sells their xt-ide and xt-cf cards with a bootable 64mb cf card. I think it is useful for brand new folks.
Hugo Holden
Veteran Member
I have an IBM5155 and I knew little of it initially, but I knew I had to find a way to get data & programs into and out of it. And I was not that cluey on how to do it via the serial port.
When I got it, it had two 5.25 inch floppy drives, which is standard I think. What I did initially was to replace one of them with a Dual. 3.5 inch 5.25 inch Teac drive. There is a floppy control board out there called a Unique Floppy controller, that supports both and it just plugs into the 8 bit ISA slot. Then later I replaced the other 5.25 inch drive with an ST250 Hard drive, using an ST-11 controller board.
But the thing is, I could plug a USB external 3.5 inch drive to a new computer and cut 3.5 inch disks of various software for the 5155, then I just take the 3.5 inch disk to the 5155 and have no issues. So this is how I transfer programs/ software in and out of my 5155.
One bit of advice, don't buy a cheap new USB external hard drive, they are riddled with problems. Get a 1990's- year 2005 vintage one from IBM or Imation, preferably new old stock and you won't have any problems. I bought one of those modern & cheap, USB 3.5 inch drives on ebay from Asia and all it was good for was corrupting files. When I opened it up it had a crude home grown USB interface board in it with the IC numbers ground of the IC tops. It took me ages to find it was the cause of all my troubles, until, I inspected some image files, where they became progressively corrupted over time. It pays to pay more money and get a drive from a reputable manufacturer from yesteryear.
When I got it, it had two 5.25 inch floppy drives, which is standard I think. What I did initially was to replace one of them with a Dual. 3.5 inch 5.25 inch Teac drive. There is a floppy control board out there called a Unique Floppy controller, that supports both and it just plugs into the 8 bit ISA slot. Then later I replaced the other 5.25 inch drive with an ST250 Hard drive, using an ST-11 controller board.
But the thing is, I could plug a USB external 3.5 inch drive to a new computer and cut 3.5 inch disks of various software for the 5155, then I just take the 3.5 inch disk to the 5155 and have no issues. So this is how I transfer programs/ software in and out of my 5155.
One bit of advice, don't buy a cheap new USB external hard drive, they are riddled with problems. Get a 1990's- year 2005 vintage one from IBM or Imation, preferably new old stock and you won't have any problems. I bought one of those modern & cheap, USB 3.5 inch drives on ebay from Asia and all it was good for was corrupting files. When I opened it up it had a crude home grown USB interface board in it with the IC numbers ground of the IC tops. It took me ages to find it was the cause of all my troubles, until, I inspected some image files, where they became progressively corrupted over time. It pays to pay more money and get a drive from a reputable manufacturer from yesteryear.
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sorry for such a late response, i recently tried to get this working and i've made it far but not far enough, I was able to create the partition and get dos on the CF card but was unable to boot from the machine. Attached are some images of what i currently have. Thanks for helping with this, it's not an issue i can just go to anyone and ask about yknow.
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sure hope replies ping or give a notification, this post is like 4 months old
modem7
10k Member
Is the XT-CF-Lite something that you recently constructed yourself (i.e. unproven), or something you bought pre-built ?
There are a few different cards named 'XT-CF-Lite'. It may be useful later to know which one you have. If you look at the cards shown at [here], which one do you have ?
With the XT-CF-Lite fitted in the IBM 5155, the BIOS on the XT-CF-Lite is going to display a 'splash screen' at computer turn on time. An example is shown at [here]. Seeing that? And per that photo, to the right of "Master at 300h:", are you seeing the information returned by the CF card ?
As confirmation, you did not "create the partition and get dos on the CF card" via Windows itself, and instead, you used the raw pass-through feature of VirtualBox per post #3 ?
Io-tech XT-CF lite rev.2 (pre made). Did not get a bios splash screen on turn on. and yes i went through VirtualBox to create the partition.
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modem7
10k Member
SLOT #1: 'Plus Hardcard' (combination hard drive and controller)
SLOT #2: 'IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter' - see [here]
SLOT #3: 'IBM 5.25" Diskette Drive Adapter' - see [here]
SLOT #4: A RAM card of some kind, probably providing RAM beyond the 256 KB address
SLOT #5: Early version of the 'IBM Asynchronous Communications Adapter' - provides a serial port - see [here]
SLOT #6: 'IBM Printer Adapter' - provides a parallel port - see [here]
SLOT #7: 'Lo-tech XT-CF-lite rev.2'
SLOT #8: 'Microsoft InPort' (card for a mouse) - see [here]
Years ago, your computer will have been booting from the Plus Hardcard.
Now, there is a fault with it.
At computer start-up time, the BIOS ROM on the Hardcard is attempting to read the hard drive, but cannot, and consequently, displaying the "Error reading fixed disk boot block. Please insert ..."
The probable cause is 'stiction'.
You may be able to get the Hardcard working by removing the card from the computer, and tapping the hard drive on it using something like the handle of a large screwdriver.
I am sure that others here will make comment.
SLOT #2: 'IBM Color/Graphics Monitor Adapter' - see [here]
SLOT #3: 'IBM 5.25" Diskette Drive Adapter' - see [here]
SLOT #4: A RAM card of some kind, probably providing RAM beyond the 256 KB address
SLOT #5: Early version of the 'IBM Asynchronous Communications Adapter' - provides a serial port - see [here]
SLOT #6: 'IBM Printer Adapter' - provides a parallel port - see [here]
SLOT #7: 'Lo-tech XT-CF-lite rev.2'
SLOT #8: 'Microsoft InPort' (card for a mouse) - see [here]
Years ago, your computer will have been booting from the Plus Hardcard.
Now, there is a fault with it.
At computer start-up time, the BIOS ROM on the Hardcard is attempting to read the hard drive, but cannot, and consequently, displaying the "Error reading fixed disk boot block. Please insert ..."
The probable cause is 'stiction'.
You may be able to get the Hardcard working by removing the card from the computer, and tapping the hard drive on it using something like the handle of a large screwdriver.
I am sure that others here will make comment.
The Plus Hardcard appears to be hijacking the boot process. Remove it and then see if the XT-CF-Lite's splash screen appears.
modem7
10k Member
sqpat
Experienced Member
That error message definitely doesn’t look like an xtide bios error message. Ignoring whether the hard card is fixable or not, I’d assume that if you removed it, you would get a different behavior from the 5155 at least (working or not).
modem7
10k Member
Once I was aware that a Plus Hardcard was fitted in the computer, I took a look at the contents of the BIOS expansion ROM of a Hardcard 20, and I saw the subject error message in that.
ok, first off did not know this came with a hard disk, that's pretty neat. Second off it is to expand memory (has 640k on it). I removed the hard card which turns out it was a demonstration model which is cool and we have xtide. It skipped it and now it's running IBM basic. don't think it's dos but this is more than i've gotten before
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This is the message it gives before going into the basic, not sure what to make of this but this is what happens in the XT-IDE bios before taking me to IBM basic
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modem7
10k Member
Your IBM 5155 will jump into BASIC if there is nothing to boot from (floppy, hard drive, etc.)
The BIOS on your XT-CF-lite rev.2 is the 'XTIDE Universal BIOS', but most people here will refer to it as the 'XUB'.
So, the XUB is now displaying its splash screen. That shows us:
* It is an old version of the XUB, dated 22 October 2013
* The XT-CF-lite rev.2 is jumpered for the BIOS ROM to start at address C8000h.
* The XUB is configured for a base I/O port address of 300h.
* The XT-CF-lite is not 'seeing' the CF card.
Regarding the fourth point, see [here]. Now we just need to work out why your XT-CF-lite cannot see the CF card.
Assumption (at this time): The supplier tested the card.
The technical information on your card is at [here]. There are four jumpers positions on the card, labelled 1 through 4. Confirm for us that there is a jumper on position 2 (i.e. the card itself is configured for a base I/O port address of 300h.)
modem7
10k Member
After confirming that for us:
Another possibility is a resource conflict - see [here].
Of the cards that you have fitted in your 5155, the only card I can see as having possible I/O port conflict with your XT-CF-lite rev.2 is the Microsoft InPort.
Try removing the Microsoft InPort card.
ok, i have a picture of the cf card in the xt-ide. Not entirely sure what you mean by jumpers or what they do but i know i have the JP in this picture (should be near top middle).
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I removed the mouse card and i'm getting the same error, could be that the cf card is modern but i figured it wouldn't be an issue since i have it formatted and partitioned