[Coco] OS9 Lev1 Ver2 / NOS9 Lev1

Fri Oct 26 00:54:56 EDT 2007

On Friday 26 October 2007 00:32:44 Bob Devries wrote:
> Gene Heskett said:
> > With those modules all saved, a
> > new boot track is a matter of the right command line for merge.
>
> Merge by itself will not create a boot track, since there is some data
> before the start of the first module in track 34 Sector 1.

Merge, if those data bits are saved out as files by vfy, can indeed make a 
boot track, I've done it many times, Bob.

If vfy is given the -s option, and an os9boot file as its input argument, will 
split the os9 boot file back out into the individual modules, and IIRC, heck 
its been a decade plus since I wrote it, but if the option given is -sb, then 
it knows its dealing with a boot track, so it saves both non-module stuffs as  
header and tail or some such at the same time.

Now, the only fly in that ointment is the T34S1 dump posted earlier, 
the 'Boot' module actually had no 87CD module marker.  So that is either a 
bug, or the result from finding enough space to do some new tricks in the 
bootfile configuration.

Which I do not know, and I suspect that would be a question for Boisy or 
possibly Robert Gault.  I do not personally know of this change to the Boot 
module.  If its true, then vfy would probably call the whole header+boot 
module as the header file.  That would sure make a header file of more than 6 
bytes.

As for boot tracks, I also wrote a tool that makes a directory entry that 
points to the whole track 34, and that needs to be found an executed, or the 
same thing hacked up with ded so that it becomes just another file for vfy to 
munch on.  It also makes dcheck happy when checking that disk.  Unforch, I 
don't recall the name at this late date, but 'krnl2dir' or krnltodir' is in 
the ballpark.  It also should be on rtsi.

 --
> Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia
>
> Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
> the capacity to be his spokesman,
> so that I know how to help the weary.
>
> website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
> my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Gene heskett" <gene.heskett at verizon.net>
> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 10:57 AM
> Subject: Re: [Coco] OS9 Lev1 Ver2 / NOS9 Lev1
>
> > On Thursday 25 October 2007 17:52:25 Bob Devries wrote:
> >> I think it was Kevin Darling who wrote a utility to extract the files
> >> from
> >> the OS-9/NitroOS9 boot track, and save the 3 separate modules with a
> >> view to modifying them, and then rewriting them.
> >>
> >> For the life of me, I can't remember its name. Can anyone prompt my
> >> memory?
> >>
> >> --
> >> Regards, Bob Devries, Dalby, Queensland, Australia
> >>
> >> Isaiah 50:4 The sovereign Lord has given me
> >> the capacity to be his spokesman,
> >> so that I know how to help the weary.
> >>
> >> website: http://www.home.gil.com.au/~bdevasl
> >> my blog: http://bdevries.invigorated.org/
> >>
> >> ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Chester A Patterson" <vchester at setec-cr.com>
> >> To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> >> Sent: Friday, October 26, 2007 1:14 AM
> >> Subject: Re: [Coco] OS9 Lev1 Ver2 / NOS9 Lev1
> >>
> >> > Excellent! Thankyou.
> >> >
> >> > I figured REL had to be there somewhere but I couldn't find it. Tricky
> >> > little devil. Gotta get it. Think ded @/d1 will do it?
> >> > I'm working straight stock Coco3-512k, I just use emulators to
> >> > transfer files back and forth.
> >> > OS9L1.2 with the rb1773 works great and boots great, no problems with
> >> > BOOT.
> >> >
> >> > My problem is that I am unable to make a working bootdisk other than
> >> > by using DECB BACKUP.
> >> > I've tried every combination of single & double sided, 35, 40 and 80
> >> > tracks, AND cobbler and os9gen (both Nitro V1)
> >> >
> >> > Why OS-9 1.2 and not NOS9 1? It goes back to the same trouble
> >> > discussed here many weeks ago about the OS9L2 vs NOS9L2 VDG TERM, some
> >> > old games and apps that insist, for some reason I cannot fathom, on
> >> > NOT working with NOS9 but do with OS9.
> >> > So bit by bit I intend to learn all I can and get to the bottom of
> >> > this.
> >> > Even if it takes me years, which it will, considering everything I've
> >> > got to learn! But the REAL reason is that messing around with all this
> >> > is a great way to kill a couple of hours each day.
> >> >
> >> > I take it that "OS" in the T34S1 list below is just that, ASCII "O"
> >> > and "S", not a file, in order to meet the DECB DOS command's
> >> > requirement. Also I assume that what you mean by T34 "S1" is side one
> >> > of two.
> >> >
> >> > -----Original Message-----
> >> > From: Robert Gault
> >> > Sent: Wednesday, October 24, 2007 9:47 AM
> >> > Subject: Re: [Coco] OS9 Lev1 Ver2 / NOS9 Lev1
> >> >
> >> > Chester A Patterson wrote:
> >> >> Are not these bugs ironed out in Nitro OS-9 Level 1?
> >> >
> >> > They should be.
> >> >
> >> > There are several things that will prevent you from booting a double
> >> > sided disk with OS-9 Level1 version2.
> >> > It has already been stated indirectly that tracks alternate front to
> >> > back on double sided OS-9 disks. Two modules in OS-9 need to know how
> >> > to
> >> > deal with this, Boot and CCDisk. You replaced CCDisk with rb1773 but
> >> > did
> >> > not replace Boot. Since Boot has not been replaced, you may have
> >> > problems getting OS9Boot to load.
> >> > Also, DECB DOS command does not know what to make of double sided
> >> > disks.
> >> > It expects the boot track to always be on side0 T34. That's fine with
> >> > real hardware systems but not emulators which alternate front/back
> >> > tracks in the disk image file. That means the emulator or DOS has to
> >> > find the correct track which is now at T68. MESS solves the problem
> >> > with
> >> > .os9 images by reading the disk info in lsn0.
> >> > Are you trying this on a real Coco or an emulator? If an emulator,
> >> > which
> >> > one?
> >> >
> >> > The OS-9 Level1 version2 T34S1 has the following entries.
> >> > OS
> >> > Rel or the Level1 equivalent of the Level2 Rel; not shown with mdir.
> >> > OS9
> >> > OS9P2
> >> > INIT
> >> > BOOT
> >> > You can merge these together to create a boot track but there aren't
> >> > any
> >> > Level1 programs that permit creating the actual boot track. There is
> >> > also no program for saving "Rel" from memory as it is not listed.
> >> >
> >> > Is there some reason why you want to use OS-9 Level1 V2 rather than
> >> > NitrOS-9 Level1?
> >
> > In either event, in addition to kutil, which doesn't to my knowledge save
> > the
> > preamble in front of the boot module, it also doesn't save the IRQ
> > entries after os9p1, or it didn't when I tried it.  With those modules
> > all saved, a
> > new boot track is a matter of the right command line for merge.
> >
> > One of the reasons I wrote vfy all those years ago was to address those
> > concerns.  So get  copy of it from rtsi or Mark, and look at its options.
> >
> > I think that should do the job.
> >
> > --
> > Cheers. Gene
> > "There are 4 boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
> > soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order"
> > -Ed Howdershelt (Author)
> >
> > --
> > Coco mailing list
> > Coco at maltedmedia.com
> > http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>
> --
> Coco mailing list
> Coco at maltedmedia.com
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-- 
Cheers. Gene
"There are 4 boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order"
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)