Atari Mega Archive 1/Atari Mega Archive - Volume 1.iso/utils/topdown.lzh/TOPDWN27.TXT

Text File | 1989-11-08 | 12KB | 248 lines

                TopDown Loader v2.7 - Shareware Release

                         Instruction Manual

          Software and Manual Copyright 1989 John Eidsvoog

                 revision: Wednesday, November 8, 1989


DESCRIPTION:

TopDown Loader is a program for the Atari ST series that runs from an
AUTO folder at boot-up time.  It forces the other AUTO programs and all
accessories to run at the top end of memory.  This leaves the bottom of
memory available for programs that require a particular "load" address
to run, such as Zoomracks, Art & Film Director, and early versions of
the MidiTrack ST series.  This means that now you can run these programs
with as many accessories as you like (up to 6, more with MultiDesk) with
no problem.

A side benefit of TopDown is that the boot-up procedure goes faster.
This is because the operating system clears all available memory every
time a program runs.  TopDown restricts the memory available during
boot-up so the time needed to clear memory is very short.  This is
especially evident on STs using older ROMs with memory upgrades.  The
following tests were done while booting from hard disk, timing from when
TopDown runs until it removes itself as the desktop comes up:

                           Without TopDown      With TopDown
5 AUTO prgs, 3 accs:

   1040ST with 1.0 ROMS:      21.9 secs           8.9 secs
               Mega ST4:      15.4 secs           5.1 secs

13 AUTO prgs, 6 accs:
               Mega ST4:      33.1 secs           16.5 secs


NOTE: It should be pointed out that usage of TopDown for faster bootups
has been made all but obsolete by the shareware program, PinHead, by
Charles F. Johnson.  PinHead does a far better job of speeding up the
running of programs, not only during bootup but when running programs
from the desktop also.  Look for it on GEnie, CompuServe, or your local
BBS or user group.

         -----------------------------------------------------

INSTALLING TopDown:

What is an AUTO folder?  When the Atari ST boots up (starts up by turning
on the power or hitting reset), it looks for a folder called AUTO on the
boot disk.  This would be the floppy disk in drive A, or one of your
hard disk partitions if you have an auto-boot program installed on your
hard disk.  If it finds one, it will then attempt to run all programs
within the AUTO folder that have the extension .PRG.  These programs
must be TOS applications as GEM has not been initialized at this level.
In other words, don't copy all of your programs into the AUTO folder and
expect them to work.  The order in which the PRGs are executed is NOT
alphabetical, but the order in which they were originally written to
(copied into) the AUTO folder.

TopDown will provide you with the best performance if it is the first
program in the AUTO folder.  The easiest way to do this is to use Auto
Organizer, contained on the CodeHead Utilities disk.  If you do not own
Auto Organizer, you should first format a new boot disk.  (For a hard
disk, save your AUTO programs and delete your AUTO folder.) Next,
install a folder named AUTO onto the new floppy (or hard disk) by
selecting "New Folder..." from the "File" menu.  And finally, copy the
rest of your AUTO programs into the AUTO folder, one at a time, in the
order you would like them to run.  Of course, if you previously did not
use any AUTO folder programs, TopDown will now be the only program in
the AUTO folder.

NOTE: If you use a reset-proof ramdisk that automatically re-boots when
it first installs, it is best to install it before TopDown.  If you use
the program FATSPEED, it must also run before TopDown.

If you are booting from floppy, you should now copy the accessories that
you wish to use onto the new boot disk, in the main directory.  If you
are booting from hard disk, your accessories are already there, you're
done.  If you have no accessories and no AUTO programs, you don't need
TopDown so you're outa here, dude.

         -----------------------------------------------------

USING TopDown:

Every attempt was made to make TopDown completely automatic, requiring
no user input.  This was just not possible as there is no way of knowing
how much memory each program needs.  I have provided the next best
thing.  When you boot up, TopDown will ask you:

             How many kilobytes (K) are needed by AUTO
             programs and accessories? (0 to bypass) 300

A typical amount might be 300, but to avoid confusion it is best to
start with an amount that is definitely more than you need (TopDown will
tell you later how much is really needed).  The amount used last will
appear as a default value.  You may use the backspace key or "Esc" to
help edit this amount.  When you hit "Return", TopDown will take over
and force your AUTO programs and accessories to load into the top (300K
or whatever you entered) of memory.  When the desktop comes up, a dialog
box will appear stating:

               Amount of top-end memory left = 76K
                Recommended reserve amount = 234K

76K is an an arbitrary amount for this example.  This is the amount of
memory that is wasted at the top of memory.  You could now reset and
enter the recommended amount in an attempt to end up with about 10K of
top-end memory left.  In this example, using a value of 234 the next
time should give about 10K left over.  The 10K is needed by the
operating system for redraws of menu dropdowns and such.  If you leave
too little memory at the top, you will find that the menu dropdowns will
not redraw correctly, as well as many other possible problems including
crashes and bombs.

The thing to watch out for is not starting with a high enough value.
This situation will be shown by a ">" instead of an "=" before the
recommended amount.  If, for instance, your accessories require 200K and
you only allowed 100K, some of them may not install correctly.  TopDown
may still show some top-end memory available, but the last program(s)
will not install or may crash.  To avoid this problem, make sure you
always start with a value that is more than enough.  Then work down from
there.

NOTE: It is still possible to use too small an amount and NOT have a
      ">" appear.

         -----------------------------------------------------

While configuring TopDown you may use the function keys F1-F4 to alter
the following settings:

   F1 - toggles between "Stop for prompt" and "Automatic drive-thru".
        This determines whether TopDown will stop for your input next
        time it runs.  To interrupt an "automatic" setting, you must
        hit a key before TopDown runs.  If you press "Undo" before
        TopDown runs, it will not stop for your input, but do a
        temporary "Automatic drive-thru", regardless of the F1 setting.
        This is useful if TopDown is followed by another program which
        uses type-ahead, such as "Desk Manager", by Charles F. Johnson.

   F2 - sets the time in 1/10 seconds for the exit dialog box.
        Allows you to enter the number of tenths-of-seconds that the
        dialog box stays on the screen.  A setting of 0 will cause
        the box not to appear at all.  If the mouse is moved during
        this pause or a key is pressed, the box will disappear
        immediately.

   F3 - toggles between "Sound off", "Whistle", and "Bell".  This
        specifies the type/presence of sound at exit time.  Everyone's
        got their own preferences and there's no disputing taste.

   F4 - toggles between "No auto re-sizing" and "Automatic re-sizing".
        If "automatic" is turned on, the "Recommended amount" is saved
        as the last reserve amount.  The next time you use TopDown,
        that size will be used (or appear as default).  Don't forget
        to increase the reserve amount if you add more accessories.

   F10- when pressed before or during TopDown's run, F10 will cause a
        temporary bypass (not installing).  None of the settings are
        changed including the reserve size.  F10's func