TPUG - Toronto PET Users Group/TPUG Users Group CD/TPUG Users Group CD.iso/CRS/crs07.d81/ramdos.sfx/ramdos128.doc

Text File | 1990-02-12 | 8KB | 127 lines

╥┴═─╧╙ 128 VERSION 4.2 DOCUMENTATION
╨ROGRAM BY: ╚EDLEY ─AVIS & ╞RED ┬OWEN
├OPYRIGHT 1987 ├OMMODORE ┬USINESS ═ACHINES ┴LL ╥IGHTS ╥ESERVED
─OCUMENTATION BY: ╠OREN ╠OVHAUG & ╞RED ┬OWEN


╥┴═─╧╙ 128 WEDGES INTO YOUR ├-128S OPERATING SYSTEM TO FACILITATE THE USAGE
OF THE 1700 OR 1750 ╥┴═ EXPANSION UNIT AS A FAST PSEUDO-DISK DRIVE
(╥┴═DISK).  ╧NCE ╥┴═─╧╙ IS INSTALLED, YOU CAN USE MOST ├OMMODORE ─╧╙
COMMANDS TO READ, WRITE, AND MANIPULATE PROGRAMS AND DATA WITH YOUR ╥┴═
EXPANSION UNIT.

╔NSTALLING ╥┴═─╧╙ 128

╨LACE A DISK CONTAINING BOTH THE ╥┴═─╧╙.┬┴╙ AND THE ╥┴═─╧╙128.┬╔╬4.2 INTO A
DRIVE DESIGNATED AS UNIT 8.  ╘HEN TYPE ╥╒╬"╥┴═─╧╙.┬┴╙".  ╒PON EXECUTION YOU
WILL BE ASKED WHAT UNIT NUMBER YOU WISH TO ASSIGN TO THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER.  ╘HE
DEFAULT UNIT NUMBER IS 9, HOWEVER YOU CAN USE ANY DEVICE NUMBER FROM 4 TO
30.  ╧NCE YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO THE DEVICE NUMBER PROMPT YOU WILL BE ASKED
WHERE YOU WOULD LIKE THE ╥┴═─╧╙ INTERFACE CODE TO RESIDE, THE DEFAULT IS
PAGE 14.  ┘OU SHOULD NOT ALTER THIS VALUE UNLESS YOU ARE TRYING TO MAKE
╥┴═─╧╙ WORK WITH AN APPLICATION THAT MUST UTILIZE THE DEFAULT AREA.  (╘HE
DEFAULT AREA IS THE LOWER HALF OF THE SPRITE DEFINITION AREA SO OBVIOUSLY
YOU CANNOT USE PAGE 14 IF YOU WISH TO USE SPRITES OR A PROGRAM WHICH USES
SPRITES).  ╔F YOU MUST RELOCATE THE INTERFACE PAGE, NOTE THAT THIS CODE
MUST BE PLACED ON A PAGE BOUNDARY AND MUST NOT BE PLACED AT AN AREA THAT IS
OVERLAPPED BY ╥╧═.  ╧NCE YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO THE INTERFACE PROMPT, YOU
WILL BE ASKED IF YOU WANT TO INITIALIZE THE ╥┴═ DISK.  ╥ESPOND BY TYPING
"Y" IF YOU HAVE NOT PREVIOUSLY SAVED DATA IN THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER OR IF DO NOT
WANT TO ACCESS ANY EXISTING DATA CURRENTLY STORED IN THE EXPANDER VIA
╥┴═─╧╙.  ╘HE DEFAULT RESPONSE IS "Y".  ╧NCE YOU HAVE RESPONDED TO THE
INITIALIZATION PROMPT YOUR ╥┴═DISK WILL BE INSTALLED.

╒SING THE ╥┴═DISK

╘HE ╥┴═DISK IS IDEAL FOR DATA INTENSIVE APPLICATIONS SINCE YOU CAN READ AND
WRITE DATA TO THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER MUCH FASTER THAN WOULD BE POSSIBLE WITH A
CONVENTIONAL PHYSICAL DISK DRIVE.  ╚OWEVER, YOU MUST REMEMBER THAT UNLIKE A
PHYSICAL DISK DRIVE, THE DATA YOU STORE IN YOUR 1700 OR 1750 IS BY NO MEANS
PERMANENT AND WILL BE ERASED WHEN YOU TURN OFF YOUR ├-128, SO MAKE SURE
THAT YOU STORE ANY IMPORTANT DATA TO DISK BEFORE YOU TURN OFF YOUR MACHINE.

╘O COPY PROGRAMS AND DATA TO THE ╥┴═DISK, YOU CAN SIMPLY WRITE IT TO THE
╥┴═DISK JUST AS YOU WOULD NORMALLY, USING ITS DESIGNATED UNIT NUMBER.
╚OWEVER, AT TIMES IT IS HANDY TO COPY A LARGE NUMBER OF FILES FROM A
CONVENTIONAL 1541, 1571, OR 1581 DISK TO THE ╥┴═DISK.  ╘O FACILITATE SUCH,
WE HAVE INCLUDED A FILE COPY UTILITY CALLED ╞╔╠┼├╧╨┘.┬┴╙.  ╞╔╠┼├╧╨┘.┬┴╙ IS
A SIMPLE NO-NONSENSE FILE COPY UTILITY, THE OPERATION OF WHICH SHOULD BE
SELF-EXPLAINATORY.  ╧THER FILE COPY PROGRAMS *MAY* WORK FOR THIS PURPOSE,
ALTHOUGH WE CAN'T VOUCH FOR ANY BESIDES ╞╔╠┼├╧╨┘.┬┴╙.  ╬OTE: ╘HE FILE
╞╔╠┼├╧╨┘.┬╔╬ MUST ON THE SAME DISK AS ╞╔╠┼├╧╨┘.┬┴╙ WHEN IT IS EXECUTED.

┴S ALLUDED TO ABOVE, A SUBSET OF ├OMMODORE ─╧╙ COMMANDS CAN BE USED IN
CONJUNCTION WITH THE ╥┴═DISK.  ═OST NORMAL FILE CREATION AND ACCESSING
COMMANDS ARE AVAILABLE INCLUDING: ╧╨┼╬, ─╧╨┼╬, ┴╨╨┼╬─#, ├╠╧╙┼, ─├╠╧╙┼,
╠╧┴─, ─╠╧┴─, ╙┴╓┼, ─╙┴╓┼, ┬╠╧┴─, ┬╙┴╓┼, ╓┼╥╔╞┘, ─╓┼╥╔╞┘, ╨╥╔╬╘#, ╔╬╨╒╘#,
╥┼├╧╥─# AND ╟┼╘#.  ╠IKEWISE MOST ─╧╙ HOUSEKEEPING COMMANDS ARE IMPLEMENTED
SUCH AS: ╙├╥┴╘├╚, ╥┼╬┴═┼, ╚┼┴─┼╥, ─├╠┼┴╥, ├╧╨┘, AND ├╧╠╠┼├╘.  ╚OWEVER THE
├╧╠╠┼├╘ AND ─├╠┼┴╥ COMMANDS ARE NOT REALLY NECESSARY SINCE THE ╥┴═DISK CODE
DOES THE EQUIVALENT OF ├╧╠╠┼├╘ AND ─├╠┼┴╥ WITH EACH OPERATION.  ╘HE ├╧╬├┴╘
COMMAND IS NOT IMPLEMENTED.  ╘HE ERROR CHANNEL, AS WELL AS THE ┬┴╙╔├ 7.0
VARIABLES ─╙ AND ─╙$ CAN BE EXAMINED TO DETERMINE DISK OPERATION STATUS.

═OST DIRECT ACCESS COMMANDS (I.E. ┬-┴, ┬-╥, ┬-╫, ═-╥, ═-╫ ETC.) ARE NOT
IMPLEMENTED SINCE THESE INVOLVE EITHER THE ACCESSING OF PHYSICAL TRACKS AND
SECTORS ON A DISK OR THE READING OR WRITING OF A PHYSICAL DISK DRIVE'S
MEMORY.  ╘HE ┬-╨ (BUFFER POINTER POSITION) COMMAND HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED FOR
THE POSITIONING OF THE RELATIVE FILE POINTER ALA ┬┴╙╔├ 2.0 (IN MOST CASES
128 OWNERS WILL WANT TO USE THE ╥┼├╧╥─# COMMAND FOR THIS PURPOSE).  ┴NOTHER
SPECIAL EXCEPTION IS THE USE OF THE ╒╙┼╥ COMMAND FOR CHANGING DEVICE NUMBER
AS FOUND IN THE 1571 AND 1581 VERSIONS OF ├OMMODORE ─╧╙.  ┘OU MAY CHANGE
THE UNIT NUMBER OF THE ╥┴═DISK AT WILL BY USING THE FOLLOWING SYNTAX:

╧╨┼╬ 15,OLD UNIT NUMBER,15,"U0>"+CHR$(NEW UNIT NUMBER)
┘OU MAY ALSO USE THE 1541 EQUIVALENT ═-╫ COMMAND (THIS IS THE ONLY ═-╫
COMMAND THAT IS IMPLEMENTED IN ╥┴═─╧╙).

╒NLIKE PHYSICAL DISK DRIVES YOU CAN CHANGE THE UNIT NUMBER OF THE ╥┴═DISK
TO A UNIT NUMBER THAT IS ALREADY IN USE WITHOUT CHANGING THE UNIT NUMBER OR
SHUTTING DOWN THE PHYSICAL DRIVE THAT ALREADY HAS THAT UNIT NUMBER.  ╞OR
INSTANCE YOU MAY HAVE A PHYSICAL DRIVE SUCH AS THE 1541, 1571, OR 1581 IN
USE AS UNIT 9 AND DEFINE THE ╥┴═DISK AS UNIT 9 ALSO.  ╔N THIS EXAMPLE, YOUR
├-128 WOULD "SEE" THE ╥┴═DISK AS UNIT 9, AND SUBSEQUENT ─╧╙ OPERATIONS
DIRECTED AT UNIT 9 WOULD OPERATE ON THE ╥┴═DISK AND NOT THE PHYSICAL DRIVE
SET AS UNIT 9.  ┴S A RULE, THE ╥┴═DISK TAKES PRECEDENCE OVER A PHYSICAL
DRIVE WITH THE SAME UNIT NUMBER AS FAR AS ─╧╙ OPERATIONS ARE CONCERNED.

╫HEN THE ╥┴═DISK IS INSTALLED, ┬┴╙╔├ 7.0'S ╙╘┴╙╚, ╞┼╘├╚, AND ╙╫┴╨ COMMANDS
ARE DISABLED.  ┬┴╙╔├ PROGRAMS USING THESE COMMANDS WILL NOT FUNCTION
CORRECTLY WITH THE ╥┴═DISK INSTALLED ALTHOUGH THEIR USE WILL NOT CAUSE A
┬┴╙╔├ ERROR PER SE.

╨RESSING THE RESET BUTTON ON THE LEFT SIDE OF YOUR KEYBOARD WILL NOT ERASE
OR CORRUPT THE DATA STORED IN THE ╥┴═ EXPANSION UNITS.  ╚OWEVER, PRESSING
THE RESET KEY WHILE THE ╥┴═─╧╙ IS EFFECTING AN OPERATION ON THE CONTENTS OF
YOUR ╥┴═DISK WILL MOST CERTAINLY CORRUPT THE DATA IN THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER, SO
YOU SHOULD MAKE SURE THAT ALL ─╧╙ OPERATIONS ARE COMPLETED AND ALL OPEN
FILES CLOSED ┬┼╞╧╥┼ YOU HIT THE RESET BUTTON.

╒PON INSTALLATION, ╥┴═─╧╙ AUTOMATICALLY ALLOCATES THE 40 COLUMN GRAPHICS
SCREEN.  ╘HIS MOVES THE START OF THE ┬┴╙╔├ TEXT POINTER UP FROM ITS DEFAULT
POSITION OF $1├00 (7168) TO $4000 (16384).  ┴LTHOUGH THE GRAPHICS SCREEN IS
ALLOCATED YOU MAY USE THE AREA BETWEEN $1├00 AND $4000 FOR 40 COLUMN
BITMAPPED GRAPHICS OR FOR OTHER PURPOSES.  ┘OU MAY ALSO DEALLOCATE THE
GRAPHIC AREA LATER IF YOU WISH.   ╔F YOU ARE VIEWING THE ├-128'S 40 COLUMN
BITMAPPED GRAPHICS SCREEN DURING THE EXECUTION OF A ─╧╙ COMMAND TO THE
╥┴═DISK, YOU WILL PROBABLY NOTICE A MOMENTARY FLICKER OF THE SCREEN AND THE
APPEARANCE OF RANDOM PIXELS ON THE GRAPHICS SCREEN FOR A BRIEF INSTANT.
╘HIS IS CAUSED BY A NORMAL FUNCTION OF THE ╥┴═─╧╙ AND SHOULD NOT BE CAUSE
FOR ALARM.  ╒PON EXECUTION OF A ─╧╙ COMMAND, ╥┴═─╧╙ AUTOMATICALLY RETRIEVES
SOME TRANSIENT OPERATION CODE PLACED IN THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER UPON INSTALLATION.
╘HIS CODE IS MOMENTARILY PLACED IN THE 40 COLUMN GRAPHIC AREA FOR
EXECUTION, HOWEVER THE CONTENTS OF THE 40 COLUMN GRAPHICS SCREEN ARE NOT
CORRUPTED BECAUSE IT IS TEMPORARILY STORED IN THE ╥┴═ EXPANDER AND THEN
RETRIEVED WHEN THE EXECUTION OF THE ─╧╙ COMMAND IS COMPLETED.

╞INALLY, ALTHOUGH ─═┴ TRANSFERS TO THE ╥┴═ EXPANSION UNITS CANNOT BE DONE
IN ╞┴╙╘ MODE, THERE IS NO NEED FOR THE USER TO PUT THE ├-128 INTO SLOW MODE
BEFORE ACCESSING THE ╥┴═DISK.  ╥┴═DOS WILL AUTOMATICALLY PLACE THE ├-128 IN
SLOW MODE WHILE ─═┴ OPERATIONS ARE TAKING PLACE, AND RETURN THE ├-128 TO
╞┴╙╘ MODE IF THE ├-128 WAS IN ╞┴╙╘ MODE BEFORE THE OPERATION WAS EXECUTED.

╫E HOPE YOU ENJOY ╥┴═DOS!  ╠OOK FOR MORE TECHNICAL INFORMATION (I.E. HOW TO
HACK INTO IT), AND APPLICATIONS OF THE ╥┴═DISK IN FUTURE ISSUES OF  ╘WIN
├ITIES 128 AND ON THE VARIOUS TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORKS.