*<>*<>*›       SpartaDos X Disk Preparer›     by Dave Arlington, member JACG› › (File is on this July/Aug 1995 OL'› HACKERS NEWSLETTER)›› A VALUABLE NEW DOS IN 1989›      No  doubt,  the  premium  product› release  for  the Atari 8-bits in 1989› was the  SpartaDos  X  cartridge  from› ICD,  Inc.  There  have been plenty of› words written about it since then, but› one  of its most powerful capabilities› is that you can custom  configure  the› Dos to your system using a file called› CONFIG.SYS, and few seem to know it!›› PRIOR CONFIGURATION AT THE FACTORY!›       As   a   startoff   point,   the› SpartaDos  X cart itself has a default› CONFIG.SYS file burned  into  its  ROM› that  is  installed  if  you  do   not› provide  your  own  on  disk or if you› hold   down   the   option  key  while› booting.  Since  ICD  has  no  way  of› knowing the  system  configuration  of› every  purchaser, they took their best› shot when deciding what to include  or› not  include in the default CONFIG.SYS› file.  Since chances are  the  default› CONFIG.SYS  file  will  not be exactly› right for your system, it really makes› sense  to   write   the   one   sector› CONFIG.SYS file to each disk you have.› There are several  reasons  you  might› want  to  do this. First, every device› driver you load that you don't need or› want  takes  up  memory. For instance,› the default file loads both  CLOCK.SYS› and  JIFFY.SYS  even  though  you only› need one or  the  other  depending  on› whether you have an R-Time 8 cartridge› or not. Secondly, it  is  annoying  to› continually  see messages like "R-Time› 8 not present" or "Error while  saving› memory"  for  options  you  don't have› present. Lastly, even when the options› apply,  I question some of the default› choices. On a stock 130XE,  the  extra› memory    is    made   available   for› programming with Basic XE, rather than› being used for a RAMdisk. I think most› users would prefer the RAMdisk. When a› RAMdisk  is  installed,  it  is put on› Drive  9,  inconvenient  if  all  your› software using RAMdisks is set up  for› Drive 8.›› CONVINCED? OK HERE'S WHAT PREPX DOES!›      After  hopefully  imparting   the› wisdom  of  creating  your  own custom› CONFIG.SYS files, let me explain  what› PREPX  will  do  for  you.  To   avoid› creating  your own CONFIG.SYS files by› hand or creating  one  and  having  to› copy  it to many disks, PREPX will let› you prepare as many disks as you  want› in  one session. You need only press a› couple of keys to customize your disks› exactly the way you want them. You can› use   it   to  format  disks  for  new› storage. If you have 2 free sectors on› your  old  disks, PREPX will write the› custom CONFIG.SYS and/or  AUTOEXEC.BAT› files  and  then  hide  them  so  your› directories  will  not  change. If you› type the program in using the  Action!› cartridge, you can even change PREPX's› defaults to  match  your  own  special› system.›› TRICKS OF THE TRADE!›       Following    are    the    valid› keystrokes  and a brief explanation of› some of  SpartaDos  X  tricks  of  the› trade:›› M - Memory Change. Defaults to 48K for› Atari 400/800, 128K for XL/XE  models.› Every  time  you  press  M, the memory› size changes to tell  PREPX  how  much› memory  your  system  has. The options› are 48K,  64K,  128K,  and  Extnd  for› anything  over  128K.  Every  time you› switch from Extnd to 48K or  from  64K› to  128K,  the  defaults  for RAMdisk,› BASIC   memory   save,  and  Cartridge› memory save will change. The  defaults› for  all 3 are (N)one for 48K and 64K,› and Drive 8 for 128K and Extnd.›› R - RAMdisk. This allows  you  to  set› the  drive  number  or  (N)one for any› internal RAMdisks. Since  this  refers› to  internal  RAMdisks and not devices› like the MIO board, you  will  not  be› allowed  to  specify a drive number if› the memory toggle is  set  to  48K  or› 64K.  To  use the 130XE's extra memory› for BASIC XE programming,  set  memory› to  128K  and RAMdisk to (N)one. Note,› every  time  you  change  the  RAMdisk› setting, the  BASIC  memory  save  and› Cartridge  memory  save also change to› the   same  option.  To  toggle  these› separate   from  the  RAMdisk,  toggle› these   AFTER   setting   the  RAMdisk› option.›› B - BASIC memory save and› C - Cartridge memory save. This allows› you  to set the drive number or (N)one› for   these   memory   saves.   Unlike› internal  RAMdisks, these can be saved› to floppy drives, hard drives, or  MIO› RAMdisks,  so  these  two  toggles are› available in 48K or 64K mode. However,› a word of caution before you designate› the memory saves to  a  floppy  drive.› Any  time  you  change  memory AT ALL,› SpartaDos X saves the whole  chunk  of› memory  to  disk. For instance, if you› load a 32K BASIC program and then type› NEW,  SpartaDos  X will save the whole› 32K block of memory anyway  since  all› it  sees  is  that  memory  has   been› changed  in  some  way.  So  use these› options   with   caution  with  floppy› drives.›› A - AtariDos Access. Toggles (Y)es  or› (N)o.  If  you want to be able to read› and write to  or  from  disks  with  a› standard  Atari  DOS  format (standard› meaning DOS 2.0, 2.5, MyDos, SmartDos,› Dos XL, but not DOS 3 or DOSXE), leave› this option at (Y)es.›› S - High Speed. If you own a Happy  or› Indus  disk drive, leave this at (Y)es› for high speed read/writes.  Actually,› since  the  Indus  driver  takes up no› memory, it  doesn't  waste  memory  to› leave  this at (Y)es even if you don't› have an Indus or Happy drive.›› T - R-Time 8 Cartridge. Uses CLOCK.SYS› driver  if  set at (Y)es, JIFFY.SYS if› set at (N)o.›› H - Hide CONFIG.SYS file.  If  set  at› (Y)es,  the  CONFIG.SYS  file   and/or› AUTOEXEC.BAT  files  will  be   hidden› after  being  written.  There  are two› nice things about hidden  files  under› SpartaDos  X.  First,  it  acts   like› protecting  these  files   since   you› cannot  overwrite them accidently when› using PREPX. Secondly, you won't  have› the same two files cluttering up every› disk   directory   like   DOS.SYS  and› DUP.SYS always did with DOS  2.5.  The› only  files  that have to be seen on a› SpartaDos X disk are your actual  data› and program files. How nice!›› P  -  D  -  Prompt  and  Path  Display› respectively.  Hitting either of these› two keys, turns on the cursor  in  the› proper  field.  You  may  type in text› until you either hit RETURN  or  reach› the  end  of  the  edit field area. No› real edit checking is  done,  so  what› you  type is what you'll get. Note the› PATH will still always begin with CAR:› and  edit-checking  of the $ symbol in› the Prompt is not done for  those  who› want  actual  $   symbols   in   their› prompt.›› X  -  XEP-80.  Toggle  to (Y)es if you› want XEP-80  support,  leave  at  (N)o› otherwise.›› FOUR MORE OPTIONS FOR YOU!›      The   last   four   options   are› interrelated  in   that   they   cover› popular  options  on  boot-up that are› handled in an AUTOEXEC.BAT file rather› than in CONFIG.SYS:›› W  -  Write  AUTOEXEC.BAT.  If  set at› (N)o, defaults change to  Key  Buffer:› Off,  Left  Margin:  2,   Prompt   for› Time/Date: N and these defaults cannot› be  changed.  Conversely,  if  set  at› (Y)es and the above three  values  are› in  place for the K, L, and I options,› the AUTOEXEC.BAT will not be written.›› K - Keyboard Buffer. Toggles On or Off› the  type-ahead  keyboard  buffer. The› SpartaDos X default is Key Off, unlike› SpartaDos  3.2d. Also unlike SpartaDos› 3.2d, when the keyboard buffer IS  on,› the  key repeat rate IS NOT speeded up› so you can now use the keyboard buffer› with  Action!  for  instance. Note the› PREPX default is On. This  buffer  can› interfere  with some software, so turn› it off if you have problems.›› L - Left Margin. Toggles to  0  or  2.› PREPX  default  is  0, default without› AUTOEXEC.BAT is 2.›› I - Initialize Time/Date.  If  set  to› (Y)es,  you  will be prompted to enter› time and date on boot-up, like an  MS-› DOS machine. If you indicated you have› an R-Time 8 cartridge,  this  will  be› set  to  (N)o  and  you  will  not  be› allowed to change it.›› O.K..... LETS START NOW!›      When  you  have selected all your› options, press START to continue.  The› ICD  SpartaDos X format menu comes up.› If you wish to format the disk,  enter› the  relevant information and press F.› If   you   only   wish  to  write  the› CONFIG.SYS and/or  AUTOEXEC.BAT  files› to  a  disk  that  has  already   been› formatted,  press  ESCape.  When done,› you will  be  returned  to  the  PREPX› options menu. From here you may set up› for another disk or  press  ESCape  to› exit the program.›› BEHIND THE SCENES!›       The    program     is     pretty› straightforward.  If  you  wish to set› the initial parameters to fit your own› needs,  you  need  only  make a couple› changes     to      InitVar()      and› DrawScreen().››      CheckOption()   reads   the   key› pressed  and  branches  to  the proper› handling section. WriteOptions() calls› the  SpartaDos  X  format  routine and› then writes the actual files.››      For the prompt and path  options,› I  could not get the library procedure› InputS() to work  properly,  hence  my› own limited GetS() procedure.››      The  Toggle()  procedure might be› of   interest   to  beginning  Action!› programmers   since   it   covers    a› technique  familiar  to C programmers,› but one that is not mentioned anywhere› in  the  Action! manual. Unlike BASIC,› when you pass variables to an  Action!› procedure    (think    of    a   BASIC› subroutine),   you   are  really  only› passing the VALUE of the variable, not› the  actual  variable  itself. This is› nice when we want to be sure our  main› variables are not mysteriously altered› by some procedure somewhere.›      Sometimes  though,  as  with  the› Toggle()  procedure, we do want access› to  the  variable  itself  so  we  can› change   its  value.  We  do  this  by› passing the ADDRESS  of  the  variable› (@hide),  instead  of  the  value. The› procedure being  called  then  uses  a› pointer  of  the  same  type  as   the› varaible.  (For  instance, in Toggle()› we use a BYTE POINTER memloc  to  hold› the  address  of the variable (a BYTE)› being passed.›      By using this  pointer,  we  have› the same access to the variable we had› before, using the ^  operator  (as  in› memloc^,  which  in  this  example, is› like using  the  variable  hide).  The› additional benefit is that any changes› we make to memloc^  are  the  same  as› changing  the  value   of   the   main› variable.›› THE START OF MUCH SPARTADOS X SUPPORT?›      I  hope  this utility is just the› start of a  lot  of  support  for  the› SpartaDos  X  operating  system,   and› makes  customizing  your  own  disks a› little easier. ›                *=*=*=*››