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 Post subject: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Fri Sep 30, 2016 2:16 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:04 pm
Posts: 66
Ok, so I started a thread regarding my 32-in-1 board and MyIDE 2, got some answers, but maybe I was asking the wrong questions and getting answers from those that don't use SDX. So I'm starting over.

First I'll start with full details of what I have with my 1200XL system. I have an AtariMax 256/512K Rambo compatible board and AtariMax Warp+ 32-in-1 OS. I doubt it matters, but it also has been converted to PAL. I also have a Super SDX cart w/R-time 8 built in. Also, when I ordered MyIDE 2, I did not have enough in my Paypal account to order the ready to plug-and-play CF card at the same time, so I will be starting with an 8MB Sandisk CF card I bought at Walmart.

I would like to use all these items with MyIDE 2 if possible. I understand that Mybios is the OS that is used with MyIDE, but is that no matter what, or only depending on how you set up and use MyIDE 2?

When I get my MyIDE II, will it be ready to format my CF card or will I have to use Maxflash studio with SIO2PC and start everything from scratch? ANSWERED: I just got MyIDE II in the mail and the page that came with it answered this question.

If I just use MyIDE 2 as a FAT32 loader, does that mean I can use Warp+ OS or other (maybe myIDE OS) OS from the 32-in-1, or is Mybios still required?

Can I use my SpartDOS X cartridge with MyIDE 2 if I am only using it in FAT32 mode? Or do I have to use the Mybios&SDX in flash no matter what, if I want to use SpartDOS X?

My perfect solution would be to be able to use MyIDE, AtariMax Warp+ OS and my SpartaDOS X cart with built in R-time 8, but would settle for the flash version of SpartaDOS if I have to, without R-time 8.

What is the FAT32 loader compatible with OS & DOS wise if i did choose to only use MyIDE 2 with FAT32?

Can I use the special XE supercartridge (R16?) files with FAT32 or do they require another format option?

Can I have multiple partitions with different set-ups on the same CF card? And be able to choose FAT32 or MyBIOS w/MyDOS or SpartaDOS and other (special cartridge file format partition?) upon boot-up?

What about the flash area? Are rom cartridge images (both standard and bank-selecting) able to be stored there if it's not being used for SpartaDOS or something else? Maybe two 256K XE supercart roms like Commando and Airball?

I'm sure a lot of this is covered in the documentation, which I will be continuing to read, but after going through this forum I seem to have just as many new questions come to mind as I do answers to original questions.

Thanks!


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 Post subject: Re: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Sun Oct 02, 2016 7:19 am 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:04 pm
Posts: 66
After exploring things a bit more, I understand now that the SDX side of MyIDE II is really all third party and I'll probably need to go to different forums to find out more about it.

This MyBIOS seems like an awesome OS, I just wish I had it on my 32-in-1 OS so I don't have to use up ram in order to load it from the MyIDE cart, if I am understanding it all correctly.

It's quite a lot to learn and take in all at once. I suppose I'll just start with the FAT32 loader part of it all and slowly learn and adapt from there.

I'm hoping I can eventually set up partitions for both myDOS and SpartaDOS use, as well as others.

What I really wish is a way to use my SpartaDOS X cartridge and have MyIDE II plugged into it, even if I can't use the cart version of Sparta and have to use an sram version, I'd still like to be able to use the real time clock with battery back up my SDX super cart has on it. But I guess that would be the SDX guys I would need to talk to about that possibility.

In anycase, it's a great product for sure, and I thank Mr. Atari for MyIDE II and MyBios.

Did Steven Tucker make the original MyIDE himself and the new one is by Mr. Atari, or were both inventions of Mr. Atari?

I have an 8GB CF card I bought, it's the only size the store had, and I don't care if all of it can be used or not, I'm sure it's far more space than I'd ever need for all the Atari software ever made anyway, but with a manual init and formatting, how much of it is actually available?

How many partitions/logical drives can MyBIOS handle? IIRC, the latest SpartaDOS versions are able to handle 32? Instead of the traditional 15/16?

Also, APT...I'm guessing that stands for Atari Partition Table? A lot of these acronyms really need to be explained better for newbie users...LBA? A step-by-step instructions or tutorial is really needed for this stuff, the "manual/instructions" seem to really be for users who are already familiar with using PBI and HDD's etc., and just seem to confuse me as much as help.

Not to mention they are hard to find and read in the .doc/.txt files. an online step-by-step is needed badly, for several different set ups including MyDOS, SpartDOS and using FAT32 and sram and cartridge rom areas, etc. I'm surprised at a lack of them since this product has been around for several years now...this forum is confusing to follow and find info in the many threads, there really should be a sticky thread with tutorials to help and maybe a FAQ so we don't have to resort to posting threads like this and hope they are answered in a timely fashion and seen by the right people that know the different system set ups that can be used.

Are all partitions limited to 16MB each (that's fine, just wondering), and can a 16MB ATR be used as an entire partition? I'm hoping to get SpartaDOS working and have a 16MB ATR partition for ATOS desktop GUI that works with SpartaDOS. I wish it worked with MyDOS, but it doesn't.


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 Post subject: Re: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 1:44 am 
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Joined: Sun Nov 02, 2003 8:15 am
Posts: 1549
Location: netherlands
A lot of questions, I try to do them in order.

SDX: Yep, third party. You need to config their rom-file to your needs.
I.E. change config.sys and/or autoexec.bat.
I tried SDX 4.48 a few days ago (using the FAT32-loader loading "SDX448_myideiiram.rom").
It works nicely with MyBIOS from ROM.
SDX uses OSRAM also when you select "NONE", so working with MyBIOS from RAM is almost impossible.

The last version 4.9-B16 is very stable, you can re-flash your cartridge using the MyIDE-][.bin file.
To put it in your 32-in1, you need to do some work. Remove the flash-chip, use a programmer etc......
But for common usage, the MyBIOS 4.9-B16 works very well from OSRAM (the upper 16k beneath the stock OS).
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585
Here you also find a rough manual

Learning is the key-word, just try and see, nothing can go wrong.
Unless you accidentally erase your flash-rom with the diagnostic-software.... (and have no means of SIO2something to restore it)

I developed the IDE-port back in 1999, Steve did flash-cartridges, we combined forces when I stopped making them.

8GB:
Best is to re-partition the card using MyBIOS 4.9-B16 (!)
Back-up your FAT-partition first.
Go to the MyIDE menu and do init, manual, detect=auto, APT and FAT yes, then press enter until finished)
Now you have a card prepared and ready for future use.
~2Gb (25%) APT for SDX
~2Gb (25%) FAT for the FAT32-loader
~4Gb (50%) last but not least MyBIOS
The INIT makes only the containers or reserved space in the MBR (master boot record).
You need to format on your PC the FAT-partition and with SDX the APT-partition.
MyBIOS-partition is done during the INIT.

You can use the quick-guide to setup a DOS partition in MyBIOS-space.
It can handle 14 logical partition, assigned to maximum 8 drives, you can hot-swap and change drive-numbers as you go.
It can handle upto 65535 disk images in image-mode, card-size is the limiter here.
Each logic partition can be 16Mb max (65535 sectors), needing a highcapacity DOS to access them.
For easy access on your PC. use this 3rd party tool:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1592

So, enough for now, start your learning curve and explore the power of MyIDE-][
:-)


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 Post subject: Re: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Mon Oct 03, 2016 10:55 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:04 pm
Posts: 66
Thank you very much Mr. Atari, you've most definitely helped with the MyBIOS end and a bit with SDX. I have decided, from advice on AtariAge, to use separate CF cards for MyBIOS/MYDOS and SDX/APT. But I think i am going to get the MyBIOS/MyDOS card up and running first, and get a smaller CF card for SDX/APT since SDX's limit is 15 32MB partitions (65535 sectors too, but 512 quad density per sector instead of 256 double density) which only adds up to 480MB's, so a 1Gig CF card will be more than enough. And i don't think you can reassign partition drive numbers on the fly like you can with MyBIOS, so ultimately MyBIOS can use more CF card memory. Not that i'll probably ever fill up all the partitions with either MyBIOS or SDX, I think all the Atari programs ever made might fit on one 4gig or smaller CF card!


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 Post subject: Re: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 12:50 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:04 pm
Posts: 66
Double post.


Last edited by Gunstar on Thu Oct 06, 2016 12:53 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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 Post subject: Re: Noob questions regarding MyIDE, OS's and SDX
PostPosted: Thu Oct 06, 2016 12:51 pm 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 3:04 pm
Posts: 66
mr-atari wrote:
A lot of questions, I try to do them in order.

SDX: Yep, third party. You need to config their rom-file to your needs.
I.E. change config.sys and/or autoexec.bat.
I tried SDX 4.48 a few days ago (using the FAT32-loader loading "SDX448_myideiiram.rom").
It works nicely with MyBIOS from ROM.
SDX uses OSRAM also when you select "NONE", so working with MyBIOS from RAM is almost impossible.

The last version 4.9-B16 is very stable, you can re-flash your cartridge using the MyIDE-][.bin file.
To put it in your 32-in1, you need to do some work. Remove the flash-chip, use a programmer etc......
But for common usage, the MyBIOS 4.9-B16 works very well from OSRAM (the upper 16k beneath the stock OS).
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1585
Here you also find a rough manual

Learning is the key-word, just try and see, nothing can go wrong.
Unless you accidentally erase your flash-rom with the diagnostic-software.... (and have no means of SIO2something to restore it)

I developed the IDE-port back in 1999, Steve did flash-cartridges, we combined forces when I stopped making them.

8GB:
Best is to re-partition the card using MyBIOS 4.9-B16 (!)
Back-up your FAT-partition first.
Go to the MyIDE menu and do init, manual, detect=auto, APT and FAT yes, then press enter until finished)
Now you have a card prepared and ready for future use.
~2Gb (25%) APT for SDX
~2Gb (25%) FAT for the FAT32-loader
~4Gb (50%) last but not least MyBIOS
The INIT makes only the containers or reserved space in the MBR (master boot record).
You need to format on your PC the FAT-partition and with SDX the APT-partition.
MyBIOS-partition is done during the INIT.

You can use the quick-guide to setup a DOS partition in MyBIOS-space.
It can handle 14 logical partition, assigned to maximum 8 drives, you can hot-swap and change drive-numbers as you go.
It can handle upto 65535 disk images in image-mode, card-size is the limiter here.
Each logic partition can be 16Mb max (65535 sectors), needing a highcapacity DOS to access them.
For easy access on your PC. use this 3rd party tool:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=1592

So, enough for now, start your learning curve and explore the power of MyIDE-][
:-)


When you talk about 65535 images in image mode, is image mode part of the MyBios/MyDOS CF area but still separate from the logical partitions? This is different from ATR images in FAT32 area? Or are you referring to the FAT32 area? And images are in fact standard ATR images? If it is another area other than FAT32, is it more compatible with ATR images than the FAT32 flash area?

EDIT: Never mind, I found the answer in the CF card easy setup guide thread.


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