[Coco] OS-9 DS floppy config - SUCCESS!

[Chad H]

Big thanks to everyone for throwing ideas at me to keep me from giving up.
I was finally able to get a copy of the BOOTFIX and it patched my OS9Gen'd
double-sided disk like a charm!  (Thanks Bob!)  

 

I will be using the resulting disk as a base for memory/disk storage
intensive apps and other needs.  Basically, we have a OS-9 Level 1 v2.00.00
kernel on a double-sided 40-trak disk that has the d0, d1 devices in same
configuration as the default NitrOS9, but loads with 160 free mem pages
instead of 142.  I figure if I ever need to add OS-9 driver modules, it will
be more memory efficient to work from this base instead of OS-9 (If memory
is a critical factor).

 

In case anyone's interested, I outlined what it took for me to get the
original Tandy OS-9 level 1 v2.00.00 set up this way.

 

1.       Get copy of DESKMATE (original, not the CoCo3 version)  This
Deskmate has a streamlined OS-9 Level 1 v2.00.00 boostrap/kernel.very lean
on memory.

2.       (from NitrOS9 or OS-9 system disk) Use SAVE to store the bootstrap
modules to a 'modules' disk.

3.       Boot NitrOS9 and save 3 modules to same 'modules' disk: RB1773, D0,
D1

4.       Use OS9Gen from OS9 to rebuild a new boot disk replacing the CCDISK
with the RB1773 and using the NitrOS9 versions of D0, d1.  This gives you a
OS-9 boot disk (still single sided) that recognizes double-sided disks and
has 6ms step rate.

5.       Boot the new disk and use NitrOS9's FORMAT to make a double-sided
40-track blank.  Use OS9's COBBLER to put the boot onto this double-sided
disk.  At this point the bootstrap is corrupted

6.       Run BOOTFIX on the new disk

7.       Make the CMDS directory and SAVE out a SHELL plus whatever else you
need.

8.       Voila!  This disk will be double-sided and boot OS9 with access to
double-sided disks just like NitrOS9 and have plenty of free ram at boot.