*=*=*=*››           ---------------›            SUPERDOS V5.0 ›           ---------------›            by Tom Curtner ›                             ›         An optional DOS for the Eight› BIT  users,  brought  to  you  by the› by  THE  OL'  HACKERS,  NY, USA, with› THANKS ** (Source unknown!)›› ONE OF MANY FEATURES! **›  One of the great features  available› for  the  Atari  is  the  many   Disk› Operating  Systems.  Most  of us know› how   DOS   2.x  functions  with  our› machine,   and   the  limitations  it› imposes upon us. DOS 2.x is friendly,› moderately  fast,  and   dependable. › However,  is  does  lack  some of the› refinements   other   DOSes   offer. › Though  Atari  did  address  some  of› these  options  with DOS XE, they did› not   bother   to   make   it   truly› compatible. This presents the regular› DOS 2.x user a  problem:   stay  with› 2.x or go to another DOS.›› HISTORY! **›  In  1988  a  new  DOS was introduced› into   the   U.S.   (SUPERDOS   v4.x)› (Editor-  today  there  is an upgrade› v5.0,   see   below)   by   Technical› Support,  situated  in   Daly   City,› California.     The   program   being› marketed   was   SUPERDOS   by   Paul› Nicholls  of  Australia.  Through BBS› message  bases  and  the  user  group› grapevine, we heard good remarks  for› this DOS.›› COMPATABILITY! **›  A  major  asset  of  SUPERDOS is the› ability to run on all Atari Eight-Bit› machines.   And with 64K or more, you› have   the   SDUP.SYS    menu    load› automatically (and resident).  If you› have  less  than  64K,  you  can  set› SDUP.SYS to resident.   The  SUPERDOS› disk  has  seven  files  on  it:     › DOS.SYS       (77 S/D sectors)› SDUP.SYS      (40)› AUX.SYS       (38)› SBAS.SYS      (03)› DOC.SYS       (318)› AUTORUN.SYS   (49)› DOCv5.SYS     (47)›› WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT **›   DOCv5.SYS   describes   the  latest› revisions of version 5.0.   When  you› boot  SUPERDOS you have the option of› printing the documentation  or  going› directly to DOS.  Your best option is› to print the  docs,  read,  and  then› experiment.   Once  you have the docs› printed, take the "D" option  to  DOS› and  view  the  menu.   At the top of› your   screen  you  have  the  "Drive› Status Line".   Drives  are  numbered› from  1  to  5+,  with  5+  being the› RAMdisk.  If you access  6,7,  or  8,› DOS  will  refer to 5+, the RAMdisk. › Since SUPERDOS is DOS sensitive,  the› Drive  Line  will reflect the current› disk status, changing at each  access› (single,  double, etc.).  In addition› to the Drive Line, your  border  will› reflect  the  type of operation which› you   are  performing.   Red  is  for› WRITE, green for READ, and purple for› INITIALIZE/FORMAT.›› MENU **›  The SDUP.SYS menu for SUPERDOS reads› pretty much the same as DOS 2.x  with› modifications.   DIRECTORY  is   very› lenient  (D1:1  or  1  is   allowed).› DIRECTORY also gives note if there is› a  DELETED  or  OPEN  file  (-FN.*  =› DELETED, ?FN.* = OPEN).  The spacebar› or  no   designated drive number will› show the directory for  "D1:".   When› calling  up the directory in SUPERDOS› your listing is in  double  columns. › The  screen  will scroll, so you will› be able to view  all  files  listed. › CARTRIDGE  will  enable/disable BASIC› for the XL/XE   machines.   The  COPY› option has been enhanced and combines› the 2.x  COPY/DUPLICATE functions.›› HEY, LOOK AT ALL MY OPTIONS! **›  Other options  that you  will enjoy:› Bypass   the  verify  prompts  before› proceeding (*.*/N or *.*/Y), and Copy› from cassette.  DELETE is the same as› 2.x.  RENAME will  rename  the  first› file  only  if  two  of the same name› have been  saved.   LOCK  and  UNLOCK› same  as  2.x.   WRITE DOS allows you› write both DOS.SYS  and  SDUP.SYS  or› just DOS.SYS (make sure you WRITE DOS› if you  make  any  changes  with  the› AUX.SYS  menu).   FORMAT  will do any› density   (this  includes  the  XF551› drive), plus   skewed  sectors.   DUP› DISK  will  do  disks or sectors, and› will copy the boot sectors.  BIN SAVE› takes  HEX  or  DEC. RESTORE recovers› DELETED/DAMAGED/OPEN   FILES.     And› finally,    VERIFY    toggles    your› write/verify  to on/off.  The AUX.SYS› menu offers special options.   The  #› LIST   DIRECTORY   works   like   the› SDUP.SYS menu.  INITIALIZE  DOS  will› activate  any options you have chosen› for DOS (such  as  DRIVE  BUFFERS  or› FILE  BUFFERS).   COPY  FROM  DOS   3› copies from DOS 3 to SUPERDOS.  WRITE› SUPERBIN enables you to have a binary› loader on your disk (note:  while not› part of the AUX.SYS menu, the program› SUPERBAS  will  likewise make a BASIC› loader for your disk).  CONFIG.BLOCK › displays  disk  drive  configuration.› TRACE  AND  PATCH  will   trace   bad› sectors,  linking  the good sectors. › XL/XE KEY RATE has the selection from› 1  (slow)  to 4 (fast).  This is done› in increments of one.   FILE  BUFFERS› allows  you  to  set your file buffer› number.    DRIVE   BUFFERS  lets  you› designate   the   amount   of   drive› buffers.  RESIDENT SDUP gives you the› option of having SDUP resident at the› bottom  of memory, while non-resident› will reside  on  disk  or  under  the› operating  system,  depending on your› machine.  EXIT TO SDUP executes  that› command.   NOTE,  with any change you› make in the AUX.SYS menu, you  should› INITIALIZE DOS, and then WRITE DOS to› make your change permanent.›› TESTING! **›   I   tested   SUPERDOS   under  many› conditions.  First I discovered that › the copy I had was in double density.› So with my 1050 (with US Doubler),  I› formatted a disk in single density on› the   810.    Then   using   COPY,  I› transferred the  files  from  double › density to single density-No problem!› SUPERDOS did the job nicely. Also and› in addition, my sector count remained› in  sectors,  unlike  DOS XE with its› Kilobyte count.  Copying on a  single› drive from D/D to S/D and back to D/D› gave no problems  either.   When  you› copy,  you   have   the   option   of› initializing  in  D/D,S/D,E/D,  and 2› sided D/D (XF551).  I even tested the› duplication  method  by  copying   my› TextPro  3.2 initialized in SpartaDOS› in S/D.  I may not have been able  to› read  the  directory properly, but it› did copy the disk!   More  important,› all  the files in 2.x and SpartaDOS I› copied   during   my   test    worked› properly.  In addition to the regular› copy test,  once  again  I  subjected› COPY MATE 4.3 and MyCopyR to the task› of duplication. Here again everything› worked  as  desired.    SINGLE/DOUBLE› DENSITY!  **  SUPERDOS   appears   to› emulate  2.x  quite well.  I was able› to read the D/D  SUPERDOS  disk  with› SpartaDOS without any problem.  This,› unfortunately,   DOS   XE  could  not› address.  So if  you  have  SpartaDOS› and  someone  hands  you  a  disk  in› SUPERDOS,  you're  in luck.  This may› not seem important to some, but  with› the  various  DOS formats  available,› it's   good   to   know    what    is› compatable.›› WORKS WITH MODIFIED XL/XE TOO! **›  I  don't  have  a  modified  XL so I› won't be able to tell you  personally› much   about   the   RAMdisk   setup.› (EDITORS NOTE: I do have  a  modified› 800XL  and  130XL,  and  I can report› that   they   all  work  without  any› problems.) However, according to  the› docs,    SUPERDOS    supports    most› RAMdisks, and will set up the largest› RAMdisk   possible.    In   addition,› SUPERDOS will copy all files with the› *.RAM extension automatically to  the› RAMdisk.  (EDITORS  NOTE: A great way› to work off the RAMDISK and  not  use› your  own drives!) There's even a way› in which you can protect your RAMdisk› from a coldstart.›› SPEED **›  The   speed   of   SUPERDOS   during› operations  is very good.  In working› from  D/D  to  S/D,  operations  went› smoothly.    The  only  lag  is  when› transferring from my  1050  (with  US› Doubler)  to  the 810. Here, reads on› the 1050 were fast, but  normal  when› writing  to  the  810.  I must state,› however,   this  is  also  true  with› SpartaDOS.  There is help for this by› toggling VERIFY to OFF.  This gave a › moderate increase  in  speed.     The› menus  in  SUPERDOS  function   well,› giving you clear instructions of what› to do.  By using the BREAK  key,  you› abort  the current function.  This is› an asset if you have made  a  blunder› (who,  me?),  or  change your mind at› the   last  nanosecond  and  wish  to› abort.  If you load the  AUX.SYS  and› don't  take  any   of   the   options› available,  any  other  key  response› will  take  you  back  to  SDUP. Just› remember!--SAVE all changes  in  your› configuration.›› EASE OF OPERATION! **›  Working with SUPERDOS is easy.  It's› fast, user friendly, and  very  full-› featured.     If    you    have   any› familiarity   with  DOS  2.x,  you'll› speed   through   with   ease.    The› compatibility  and  enhancements   of› SUPERDOS  are  worthwhile,  and  will› answer  most  needs.  If you have the› XF551 Drive, this could  be  the  DOS› for you.›› A FINAL WORD! **› (EDITORS NOTE:› When  I  work  from my HARD DRIVE, I› use SPARTA DOS 3.25, however  when  I› work with FLOPPIES and my disk drives› I try  to  almost  always  use  SUPER› DOS....IT  is in my opinion better by› far than DOS  2.0  or  2.5.  I  often› receive DOUBLE DENSITY disks, which I› copy into my FORMATTED single density› RAMDISK,  and then from my RAMDISK, I› copy all  programs  to  my  FORMATTED› single  density floppy. It works like› a charm. If you  have  any  questions› please  contact  me,  and I'll try to› help you.  Alex  Pignato,  EDITOR  of› OHAUG newsletter.)›               *=*=*=* ››