file that installs enhanced reboot code in your RAM Expander (
). The improved code will automatically reset your disk drives to their proper GEOS devices each time you reboot back to GEOS. RAMBoot works with GEOS 64 & 128 (V2.0 only); 40 & 80 column mode; 1750, 1764, & "clone" REU's (required); and 1541, 1571, & 1581 disk drives. If you try run it under other circumstances, it will take no action and exit back to the deskTop. It can access drives 8 through 11 ("A" to "D"-- if you have it!), and will temporarily renumber them to devices 12 through 15. Please be aware of any possible device conflicts with your system.
@Using RAMBoot.
To use RAMBoot, simply copy it to your boot disk so that its icon appears on a page following
@CONFIGURE
. CONFIGURE must set up your REU for
@RAM REBOOT
. RAMBoot will then install its enhanced reboot automatically when you boot your system. You may also install the enhanced reboot by opening RAMBoot from the deskTop, like any GEOS application.
@How it works.
GEOS installs information in your REU, so when you reset your computer or go "To BASIC" from the deskTop, you may re-enter GEOS quickly with your RAM disk and many settings intact. RAMBoot takes this process even further!
RAMBoot is used exactly like the standard GEOS reboot. On a C64, you may use the
@RESTORE
key, type
@SYS 49152
, or
@LOAD "0:RBOOT",8,1
. On a C128, you may press your
@RESET
button, type
@SYS 996
@BOOT "128 RBOOT"
. Any method that normally reboots should activate RAMBoot.
Once activated, RAMBoot restores your disk drives back to the device codes that GEOS is expecting. These may have changed if you reset the system or drives, or if programs you ran in BASIC changed the device numbers. Formerly, such changes resulted in drives "disappearing" once you re-entered the deskTop.
Finally RAMBoot restores GEOS from the REU. You can further speed the process by keeping a copy of
@deskTop
in your RAM disk, and selecting the RAM disk as the current disk before entering BASIC. If you keep the files
@Preferences
and
@Pad Color Pref
in your RAM disk, you can have a full GEOS recovery in an instant!
Under GEOS 128, when you switch to BASIC, the system checks the current setting of the
@40/80 Display
switch and activates the appropriate screen, regardless of which screen was actually in use at the time. When returning to GEOS, RAMBoot ignores the keyswitch and maintains the same screen that is active when you exit BASIC.
@A warning about Configure:
@Configure
seems to have a minor glitch... It sets the wrong system flag indicating
@RAM REBOOT
@DMA for MoveData
. If you always select BOTH of these options together, Configure will set the flags properly, your system will run faster, and RAMBoot will have no problems! I have found this problem in 64 Configure V2.0 and V2.1, and 128 Configure V2.1. I have not checked other versions.
Thanks to all who helped make this possible! I would especially like to thank Joseph Thomas for his help, and the use of his method of "rescue"-ing the disk drives!
RAMBoot V1.0 is "Freeware". Enjoy it! As usual, direct comments, questions or fan mail to: