I'm using plain HDD images (*.IMG) created with HAL9000 Megabuild version of DOSbox.

Please check this against the official latest release rather than a custom build.

You can't create images there 😉
But the FAT image code never writes any timestamps afaik.

I'm not interested to even think about what can create what when knowing he's not using the official release.

I've said I have created not used that images with "HAL9000 Megabuild" and yes - I may have been mistaken - maybe I created those images with some tool that was with this build. I am using vanilla DOSbox 0.74. Not any CVS/SVN.

Images are 1024 MB in size. So, can they be a FAT images? I always thought they are FAT16. Well, I probably mistaken there too. 😖

It would be simpler if some good person just explained to me how I can create HDD images 512-1024 MB in size so date/time will work. What tools do you recommend to use and what filesystem to create images with. I have BXIMAGE utility (recommended by someone on this forum).

PS. Sorry - my english is definitely not getting better when I'm frustrated. 😢

PPS. Wait a minute! "...FAT image code never writes any timestamps..." So date/time will not work with any FAT images (FAT12-16-32)???

I am using vanilla DOSbox 0.74.

For the records you neither stated that in your posting nor the OS nor anything else about the configuration.

But hal is correct, since disk images are usually used when booted they don't provide full support
when used in the nonbooted dosbox environment which includes timestamp writing/updating.

@wd: Yes. And I'm sorry for that. (Enough or you need me to do sorrowful begging for forgiveness on my knees? ) And about system configuration - I don't think it would give anything in this case.
- - -

So - I need to create a boot image. That's what I wanted to know.

Enough or you need me to do sorrowful begging for forgiveness on my knees?

There's no need to be sorry, just try posting enough information next time (there is no "too much" usually...)

So - I need to create a boot image. That's what I wanted to know.

A bootable image alone won't work per se, you'll have to boot it which is probably not
what you want since you'll lose cdrom/directory mounts.

Well - I know that. I have already booted from MS-DOS FDD image. 😁

In fact creating an "true" MS-DOS box - is pretty interesting. 🤑 I've already mounted both HDD images and transferred MS-DOS boot to one of them. It's working fine. Now I try to figure out how to attach CD-ROM.

PS. Now I see what do you mean. 😁 If I boot - I can't use anything other than IMGMOUNT. That's a setback. 😵

PPS. And i can't use CD image as a CD-ROM... Now THAT's a setback! 🙁

Now I try to figure out how to attach CD-ROM.

This will not work.

But you may want to use bochs/vmware/vpc or similar tools anyways for that.