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PostPosted: Fri Aug 10, 2007 10:05 am 

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 10:34 am
Posts: 261
Location: NL
I found out you are able to boot image 0001 without joystick.

Do this:

COLD boot the atari. (with Select + Reset + START for image)

after the 0001 thing shows up.

Press reset again. It boots image 0001.

It is not a really handsome way, but it works here.

If you have a nice partition swapper on 0001, or other handy tools, this is the way you can do it.

By the way I still think it is a good idea to make the OS as compatible as possible, so perhaps that fancy FDISK (and other options?) util shouldn't be in the OS.

When you store such a tool on image 0001 you are also ready to go, and it might increase compatibility to the system. And that is what it is all about in my point of view: compatibility with whatever the user wants to do with his/her atari.

For some silly reasons there are more programs that need an OS ROM as close as possible to the original! I have an atari 130XE with a ROM in which the selftest checks 128KB in stead of 64KB. This Atari 130XE does not run all my software! (the only difference is this extra ram check thing in the selftest!)... can you imagine: such little difference makes that 130xe a little incompatible :S

Thanks
Marius


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 12:02 am 

Joined: Sat Sep 13, 2003 12:21 am
Posts: 251
rdemming wrote:
Since ROM space is limited, wouldn't it be better to just install an image loader in the last image (not as DOS file but as boot program to save loading time). Then you can create a super deluxe image loader with search and scroll capabilities since you are not limited to ROM space. Another advantage is that a "soft" image loader can be easily updated unlike the MyIDE OS rom.


Hmmm... where would you find one of those? :wink:



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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 3:58 am 

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 10:34 am
Posts: 261
Location: NL
Just an idea...

Wouldn't it be a great idea if there would be two versions available of the 'same' myIDE OS?

1. Expert level user version (without a lot of 'user-friendly' options, but with an increase of compatibility)

2. User-Friendly user version, with FDISK in the ROM, and all the hot-key combinations.

I have the feeling the hot-key combination stuff (like shift+control+tab etc.) is decreasing the compatibilty, and the fdisk tool in the self-test location isn't good for the compatibility neither (in my opinion).

The smaller the modifications of the original Atari OS, the more software MyIDE might run, I guess.

I know this is a difficult decision. MyIDE is extremelyl COOL, and I'm very impressed by the way Mr. Atari wrote such intelligent routines in such less memory. And ofcourse... 'compatibility' is an issue with several aspects. Sijmen did a great job on 'forcing' software to keep loading from the IDE drive, in stead of losing the drive. I like that very much. But I have found software that does not run anymore, and I don't think that is because of this better load routines, but because of some other add-ons (who are not really needed in my point of view)

I'd say: don't waste too much memory for options that can be solved outside the OS very well.

What about a write protect hardware key? It is safer, and works always.
What about an en/disable hardware key? Also safer, and works always.
Even a coldboot switch could be made easily, however: I like the software version of that ;)
FDISK and better image load options can be stored on the Harddrive.
(In the past you even wrote the complete software OS to harddrive... why not using harddrive space for tools and better user interface?)

MyIDE is (in my opinion) in first place created to store GAME disks on the Atari 8bit, because the main use of atari 8bit always might have been playing games.

Ofcourse: I'm not the only person on this planet, and not the only person in Atari 8bit land... and perhaps MyThoughts are exclusive? But I don't know what is wrong with concentrating on compatibility... I think it is the most important goal.

I'm not a gamer. I'm a coder, and I want to use MyIDE with flexible partitions, and I want to have the highest compatibility of software as possible.

the best way of providing a product, is it works in an universal way. And that's why I came with this idea... perhaps there should be two OS versions for the same hardware.

And last remark: With ROM 3.1 runs really a fantastic amount of software, and the feel is also more original-atari-like (also an opinion). Perhaps it is really not a bad idea to look again at 3.1

Thanks and keep doing the great work.
Marius


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 4:52 am 
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Location: netherlands
Sysop*Marius wrote:
I have an atari 130XE with a ROM in which the selftest checks 128KB in stead of 64KB.


Can you PM a copy of this rom to me?

The RESET trick to boot image 0001 is a small bug you found :-)
I leave it this way for now, it saved me some bytes.

Cheers,
Sijmen.


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PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:10 am 

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2004 10:34 am
Posts: 261
Location: NL
I'll have to look for that Rom.

I'll certainly find it, but where :S

It looks like this:

Ram check: the normal 48 blocks, and then at the bottom of the screen 4 larger blocks for the 64KB.

Stay tuned. I think I might find it soon.
I hope I still have the romsaver tool (written by freddy offenga?)

Greets
Marius

p.s. found it. pm'-ed you, and did add a screenshot from my Television doing the 128KB test.


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sat Aug 11, 2007 5:56 am 

Joined: Mon Jan 23, 2006 10:49 am
Posts: 187
Location: Salzburg, Austria
mr-atari wrote:
The RESET trick to boot image 0001 is a small bug you found :-)
I leave it this way for now, it saved me some bytes.

Nice trick! Thanks for the info, this really helps a lot!

so long,

Hias


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PostPosted: Sun Aug 12, 2007 4:04 am 
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Location: netherlands
Quote:
I did a quick test with changing the MBR on my CompactFlash card. If the last two bytes are not $55AA, then Windows XP asks if you want to format the card as soon as you click on it's drive letter in Windows Explorer.
If the last two bytes are $55AA but you fill the partition table with all zero's (no partitions defined) then Windows XP says: "Please insert a disk into drive 'x'"
Then you can only format the CF card for Windows via the Windows Disk Management (Partition) tool and not via Windows Explorer anymore.

So what behavior would be more desirable if you insert a MyIDE formatted CF card into a PC card reader?

Robert


OK, This is great. For CF and Memory-cards I can write $55AA to the last
2 bytes of the 512 byte sectors. But for IDE-drives not, so I did a small
modification to the interface to force the highbyte is always $AA ;-)

PIN 4,8,12,16 via 4.7K to ground
PIN 6,10,14,18 via 4.7K to Vcc
(see picture)

Then used FDISK (basic version), RUN, in the menu press BREAK.
poke (buf+256),85 then CONT, Quit, Save&exit. Moved the IDE media
to the PC and checked the sector. All highbytes are $AA and windows
indeed does not want to format the card/drive anymore!

After that I ran several tests on CF-cards in 8 bit mode and the $AA
modification did not distroy the data read/written to the highbyte!
8)

Thanks,
Sijmen.


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PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:39 am 
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Shawn Jefferson wrote:

Hmmm... where would you find one of those? :wink:


Ha, ha, I know. But that does not yet support the Beta 5 OS image format. :P
But I'm sure you will update your utility for that :wink:



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PostPosted: Mon Aug 13, 2007 8:46 am 
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mr-atari wrote:
But for IDE-drives not, so I did a small
modification to the interface to force the highbyte is always $AA ;-)


Wow, creative solution :)
Lets only hope that all those $00AA values in the "PC partition table" would not be recognized as a valid partition :P
But I suppose $00AA was what you wrote in the partition table so it seems to work without any problems :)

Robert



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 Post subject: Re: MyIDE-OS 5.0F BETA (for testing)
PostPosted: Mon Aug 20, 2007 11:34 am 

Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:53 am
Posts: 354
I've been using OS 5.0F for a couple of weeks, and have now a couple of issues to report. I'm using MyDos 4.50.

When I originally filled the blank D1:, I sector copied a backup image to the drive (first 30,000 DD sectors). Everything works fine, until I try to change the default MyDos ramdisk of 387 sectors. If I try to use the "o" command to set the ramdisk size to something other than the default, it won't work -- it appears that the MyDos system files are overwritten somehow and corrupted.
When going through the ramdisk setup process, MyDos correctly recognizes the size of the ram in my machines. But when I tell it the ramdisk number D:8, and it tries to write the new configuration data to the system area in ram, I can see it fail. After that, the system is corrupt.

If I boot from a MyDos Master floppy then I can write new Dos/Dup files to the HD. Again, these are the default system files. I tried several MyDos images and a master disk that I absolutely believe is not corrupted.

Has anyone else run into this?

-Larry


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 Post subject: Re: MyIDE-OS 5.0F BETA (for testing)
PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 6:11 am 

Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:53 am
Posts: 354
thewhiz wrote:
I've been using OS 5.0F for a couple of weeks, and have now a couple of issues to report. I'm using MyDos 4.50.

When I originally filled the blank D1:, I sector copied a backup image to the drive (first 30,000 DD sectors). Everything works fine, until I try to change the default MyDos ramdisk of 387 sectors. If I try to use the "o" command to set the ramdisk size to something other than the default, it won't work -- it appears that the MyDos system files are overwritten somehow and corrupted.
When going through the ramdisk setup process, MyDos correctly recognizes the size of the ram in my machines. But when I tell it the ramdisk number D:8, and it tries to write the new configuration data to the system area in ram, I can see it fail. After that, the system is corrupt.

If I boot from a MyDos Master floppy then I can write new Dos/Dup files to the HD. Again, these are the default system files. I tried several MyDos images and a master disk that I absolutely believe is not corrupted.

Has anyone else run into this?

-Larry


Here is a work-around for this MyDOS/5.0F issue:

Powerup with MyIDE (5.0F) attached.
Disable the MyIDE (Shift-cntl-D)
Boot a MyDOS 4.50 disk from APE or FDD
Use the O command to set up the ramdisk per your needs (192K, 256K, etc.) Refer to the MyDos docs if unsure about the O command.
Enable the MyIDE (Shift-cntl-E)
Write the new Dos files to your MyIDE
Reboot from the MyIDE and verify that the ramdisk is what you want. (64K=387 SD sectors; 192K=1410 SD sectors; 256K=1920 SD sectors )

-Larry


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Sun Sep 02, 2007 7:18 am 
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Location: netherlands
Thanks for the info and your work.

I wasn't been able to check this out.

Reading the forum, there are a lot of problems with MyDOS
and the writing or accidental copying of the DOS/DUP.
I asume this is one of the MyDOS-bugs floating to the surface.
Unfortunately MyDOS has no relation to MyIDE, I just use it
a lot because it's a Atari-like DOS.

The first thing I do with MyDOS on a new partition is to hit "O"
and press <enter> all the time, to autoconfigure. Then press
1 through 8 to recognize drives and setup buffers. Then write
the new system files to disk.

Cheers,
Sijmen.


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PostPosted: Mon Sep 03, 2007 3:51 am 
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Location: netherlands
Hmmm. I found some problems concerning powerup.
The MyIDE is not proper initialised giving unpredicted
results on boot.

I noticed that the re-written powerup/reset routine
(which I copied from the 3.x and 4.x version) is not
suitable. This needs rewriting, perhaps from scratch.
A lot of work for the winter-months :-)

So I have a TODO list from you all, thanks.

Propable the next BETA will be early 2008.

Cheers,
Sijmen.

P.S. I was not able to test the PERCOM support for sparta-dos.
Perhaps somebody tried it to auto-detect the 16Mb drive with Sparta?


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 6:46 am 

Joined: Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:53 am
Posts: 354
Bump...


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 Post subject:
PostPosted: Tue Oct 07, 2008 12:38 pm 
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Location: netherlands
Uhh.... bump ? .....

:?:


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