[Coco] NitrOS-9 newbie needs some help

[Robert Emery]

--- Nickolas Marentes <NickM at qm.qld.gov.au> wrote:

> Hello everyone,
> 
> I've been absent from the CoCo scene for awhile due to home renovation
> commitments. Recently, I have been trying to catch up with the CoCo world
> and have decided to once again have a crack at OS-9 on the CoCo3.
> <snip>
And I think I can safely say that we are all glad to see you back!

> As before, I gave up in frustration, put the hard drive and OS-9
> aside and went back to programming assembly language in RS-DOS (releasing
> Pac-man Tribute, Gate Crasher, Digiwiper).

And thank God for that! I just played GC this year for the first time, not
having a 512K machine until recently. Amazing!

> 
> The Present:
> <more snippage>
> First thing I wanted to do was make a backup copy of my NitrOS-9 disks so in
> went a blank 5.28" disk and "format /d1". It began formatting when around
> track 10, it hung. I reset and tried repeatedly. Each time it failed at
> random times during the format. I decided to replace my Floppy Controller, a
> tandy FD502 with a Tandy FD501 controller. This time it formatted. In fact
> it formatted and backup up several disks. I thought I had it licked so I put
> my CoCo3 back together and just bit the bullet that I would have to use the
> long length controller that looked like a swimming pool launch pad hanging
> out the right hand side of my computer.

I've been using an FD502 controller booting NitrOS9... don't remember if I
tried formatting a disk, but I did make some backups. I'm about like you,
wanting to learn it but not enjoying the instability, which I largely blame on
my own lack of familiarity with it. Kind of like Linux.

> 
> So I went back to the FD502 and decided to play with the capacitor and
> resistor that one normally removes when installing the 512K upgrade.

In the controller or the motherboard? I just removed caps, no resistor
involved. I'm using both a 512K (my portable) and a 128K (repack) machine.

> <snip>
> 2) Other than the formatting, NitrOS-9 otherwise behaved perfectly. Is there
> a GUI available for it? I have downloaded the "Getting Started with
> NitrOS-9" and the "NitrOS-9 Level 2 Windowing System" manuals (which are
> very good!). It seems to me that much of the GUI elements are already built
> in to the system. I know of MultiVue but I shudder at trying to run that
> again.

I understand there is an enhanced version of MV, much better, but as far as I'm
concerned that's just a rumor until I see it.

> 3) Are there additional manuals available? I read in the "Getting Started"
> manual about a "NitrOS-9 Commands Reference" and a "Technical Reference"
> manual.

I am currently working on the Command Reference, going through the html version
on RTSI and cleaning it as much as I can before passing it on to Boisy for
updating to NitrOS9 and final formatting. I think Boisy is working on the
TechRef... they are both very long. I was about halfway through Chapter 6 last
night when I managed to lock up my computer before I had saved about an hours
work. I'm afraid to go back and see what I'll have to redo.
 
> 4) Have there been any new (well, newer than 1992) applications written for
> OS-9/NitrOS-9? 

(are those crickets I hear?) 

> Boisy and everyone else involved have done a marvalous job with NitrOS-9. I
> guess I'm looking at it all from a newbie/outsider perspective. NitrOS-9
> could do with a bit of "glitz". This would come in the form of a GUI front
> end and updated applications. Sure, I'd like to develop for it but it's
> taken me over 15 years to get this far. I hate having to battle with the OS.
> The OS should be a tool towards creating other applications. So far, OS-9
> has been like a bent screwdriver with me spending more time trying to get
> the bends out that actually fixing the job at hand.

I'm right there with you Nick. Now that I've written the GUI I always wished
for in RSDOS, I'd like to see what's possible in NitrOS9, but I know I'll
probably only work in assembler or Basic09. I'm not fond of compiled languages,
but I just need to get over that.

> NitrOS-9 certainly has fixed many of the problems of the original CoCo3
> OS-9.
> 
> I'me determined to get it right this time. I've spent a week on it so far.
> I'll give it another week...before giving up again.
> 
> Nickolas Marentes

Well, good luck to both of us. 
Long live the CoCo!

Bob Emery


		
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