@Since Berkeley did not respond to my letters, and did not market GEOPROGRAMMER 2.0 like they said they would do in
" RUN magazine " in 1989,
I worked hard and came up with two updates. Here is the 128 version of the first beta version. The 64 version is included with GEOS Utilities #1
Note: GEODEBUGGER
is copyright by
HBerkeley Softworks..
@ Will work under GEOS-128 40/80 col. with KERNAL V2.0 only
* This update is for
@geoDebugger V1.0 only,
and will only work with the
@Super-Debugger... What it means is that you need a R.E.U. (Ram Expension Unit)
to take advantage of this update.
This is a beta version and
@ 100 % FULL Proof, so be very very carefull, and read all informations before using it. And it may not work with your 128 Kernal, since I am not 100% sure that all GEOS 128 v2.0 are all the same.
" YOU ARE THE BETA TESTER"
Please send comments of any problems you had, or improvements you would like to be implemented. Thanks.
This patch, like the one for
@GEOS 64
@GEOS Utilities #1,
will update the debugger to be completly transparent. That means, that you can step through programs like the DESKTOP, GEOCALC etc.
The only down side is that to achieve that performance, the debugger kernal (about 192 bytes) has to be installed in a region of memory that is completly free of use. Not easy to find on GEOS 128, it was easier for
@GEOS 64.
So I neutralized the Time/Alarm update routine and installed the debugger kernal there. We only loose the ability to have an alarm executed, everything else remains the same.
You also loose the reboot command and RESET switch (128 version only), since part of the reboot code in bank 0 of the REU is overwrite by the debugger (this is not true with GEOS 64 since there is enough space left to keep the KERNAL intact). But future version will have the ability to find a free REU bank and install itself there, being able to reboot at all time.
see next page...
@Description
*- After being updated, geoDebugger will work almost the same, but with big improvments
@Description
*- After being updated, geoDebugger will work almost the same, but with big improvments.
1- The first one is that the debugger Kernal has been moved to $CDF1 (the time/alarm routine is there, that is the only down side, we loose the ability to set an alarm, but everything else works fine ). With the debugger Kernal at that place, it is almost completly self-contained. The debugger still uses the area below stack pointer, so do not touch it.
2- The routine that was hiding protected area behind EE's was removed. Leaving the entire 64K free to see.
3- The fill command was not working properly, so it was fixed, the copy and diff command was not working at all, they have been fix too.
4- One more file type has been added to the opening Dialogue Box; "SYSTEM". So now you can load programs like DESKTOP without any problems. And because most of Berkeley's programs use memory between $340 to $400, you couldn't load them with the original version, but now almost any program can be step through with geoDebugger.
5- After being loaded, the debugger was putting a breakpoint at EnterDeskTop and RstrAppl vectors. Not anymore, so if you don't want the program to exit, you should put a breakpoint at $c22c (EnterDeskTop) and $c23e (RstrAppl). But remember that if it do exit you are still in geoDebugger, and pressing RESTORE, will halt the execution of the DESKTOP. P.S. you should always use the "stopmain" command after stopping a program with RESTORE. That will prevent a possible damage to your disks.
6- 40-80 columns compatibility has been set up, but because of very little free space the SetMod command was dissabled.
Loading the debugger will still have to be done in 40 col. because of the opening DB GetFiles that is not yet compatible with 80 col., but after you can go to 80 col. with the program you are working on, or if the programs expect to be in 80 col. as it start, like geoWrite 128 v2.0, go to the DESKTOP with a "go C22C", then switch mode, load the program and stop it with the RESTORE key and put your breakpoints.
Since all the internal routines of the debugger are all made to work only in 40 col., if you press the RESTORE key, you will be brought to 40 col. and will have to switch mode on your monitor to see the debugger screen. (would be great to have two monitors), and again if you proceed you will have to switch it back to 80 col. A lot of switching if you are stepping through a program in 80 col.
7- the "R" command to see the register has been modified too. It will show the MMUreg and bank nbr. The bank info will only tell you if top of bank 0 or 1 is common.
ex: if Bnk = 1 then $C000-FFFF belongs to bank 1 etc.
You can not step through bank 0 yet, but you can see it from $C000-FFFF by putting #$4B in $D506 (MMURCR), but remember to put back the old value before going on.
@Note
: This modification brings open the entire system, but can be very dangerous if you venture to deep. You should use it on a RAM DISK or with a back up disk. So be careful with this new weapon.
@Instruction
To upgrade GEODEBUGGER, just copy both files to the same disk and open debuggerUpdate. It will make the corrections on that file and exit.
(.txt)