[Coco] Coco Digest, Vol 49, Issue 20

[Paul Fitch]

> Message: 11

> Date: Sun, 05 Aug 2007 17:56:00 -0400

> From: Robert Gault <robert.gault at worldnet.att.net>

> Subject: Re: [Coco] NitrOS-9 instant boot CoCo

> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>

> Message-ID: <46B64770.6000103 at worldnet.att.net>

> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii; format=flowed

> 



>   The "problem" with booting from a ROM as Roger asks rather 

> than a hard 

> drive, is that you are locked into at least a specific kernel. That 

> means cobbler and os9gen have lost some of their usefulness. It is 

> important to be able to make changes to the core 

> OS-9/NitrOS-9 modules 

> at will as needed without needing to burn a new EPROM.

>   Using a CF card more easily reloaded with new code should 

> be just as 

> good as booting from hard drive directly.

> 

>   At the moment the size of a typical NitrOS-9 OS9Boot file 

> plus kernel 

> is about 12.5K. It would certainly fit into a ROM. However, 

> if you plan 

> to include the CMDS directory as well, forget it!

>   It is not enough to load just the OS9Boot file to run OS-9. 

> You also 

> need all of the commands and software. Where would they be 

> without some 

> type of drive system unless you use a very large CF card?

>


A large CF card isn't really a problem these days.  I've got a 4-gig CF card
in one of my Pocket PCs.  A 256-MEG CF card can be found with google for
less than $25, and a 128-Meg for under $12.  I'd think the 256-meg version
would be more than sufficient for a COCO OS9 system.