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FASTBOOT.TXT
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1998-03-14
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6KB
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152 lines
* SHAREWARE * SHAREWARE * SHAREWARE * SHAREWARE * SHAREWARE * SHAREWARE *
******* Official Support BBS: Dataline System BBS +46-8-778 28 86 *******
FastBoot 030 v1.0beta
---------------------
What is this program?
---------------------
FastBoot 030 is a little nifty bootsector program that will speed up the
boot process for non-IDE Falcon's. Since TOS needs about 10 seconds to
discover there is no IDE-drive present, the result will be a faster boot.
If you keep reading, you will get to the benchmarks.
Program Manifest:
-----------------
In this archive (FASTBT10.ZIP/LZH/whatever) you should have found the
following 4 files:
FASTBOOT.TOS - The simple TOS-program that will put the bootsector on the
disk in drive A.
FASTBOOT.DOC - This simple documentation textfile you are reading now.
FASTBOOT.BBS - Information about my support board.
FILE_ID.DIZ - A short information file for BBS's.
History:
--------
Being a very poor guy, I couldn't afford an internal IDE harddrive for my
F030. After a while I discovered that everyone that had an internal IDE would
boot a lot faster than my system did, and that bugged me.
During a period when I was exploring TOS, I discovered a way to cure this,
and wrote the first version of FastBoot 030, which was very crude, it only
worked on TOS 4.04 and had no error-checking what-so-ever.
The first released version of FastBoot was v0.4beta, which supported
TOS 4.01/4.02/4.04 and had some basic errorchecking.
In version 0.5beta, I included support for TOS 4.00, even though I can't think
of any reason to have it. Somehow I got hold of it, found it on a BBS
somewhere, and thought I'd include it, just to make the perfect FastBoot...;-)
Version 0.6beta was coded in a couple of minutes, after I got a mail from
Lars H. Lühe and his friend T34. They wanted me to make a Magic-aware FastBoot
that wouldn't crash when booting Magic. They also supplied me with a patch
that was easily incorporated in the existing code for doing that.
I also made a few cosmetic changes.
This version, v1.0beta, is officially released at the NAS convention in
Gothenburg 14-16 of june, 1996. Although, my official support BBS,
Dataline System, will have it available as soon as I finished this text.
This is the closest thing to a major upgrade FastBoot will ever see. I have
reworked the code for optimum use of the limited space in the bootsector, made
a lot of changes, mostly cosmetic, and introduced a few new features.
FastBoot now features:
* Limited errorchecking.
* Fastboot support for TOS 4.00/4.01/4.02/4.04
* Magic-aware. It won't crash, but it will not fastboot either.
* A userdefinable delay of up to 5 seconds, for those who have slowstarting
SCSI-devices. It's possible to interrupt the delay by a simple keyclick.
Benchmark:
----------
One of the nicest letters I've ever got in my life, was from Sven Bornemark
from OXIE, sweden.
He actually benchmarked my program, and came up with the following results
in his environment:
Coldboot without fastboot 52.0 seconds
Coldboot with fastboot 39.5 seconds
Warmboot without fastboot 47.4 seconds
Warmboot with fastboot 36.8 seconds
Pretty nifty, 12.5 seconds saved every coldboot, and 10.6 seconds every
warmboot!
Standard Disclaimer:
--------------------
I will under no circumstances at all accept any responsibility for what
this program does, or doesn't do. If you use it, and it fries your system,
it is your problem, not mine.
This program hasn't been thoroughly tested, reason being that I only have
access to TOS 4.04 F030's, thus the beta-status of the program.
(Feedback, my fellow Atarians!)
However, I do not think there will be any problem.
But if you do run into problems, feel free to contact me, and I'll try to
help you to the best of my ability.
This program is SHAREWARE.
--------------------------
A great disappointment to me is the lack of feedback I've got, so far I've
got 3 (yes, three) letters, from users of my program.
Because of that, FastBoot is no longer in Public Domain. I have decided that
from now on, FastBoot is shareware.
Shareware means that you can try FastBoot out for a limited period of time.
(a limited period of time corresponds to the time you need to determine
what this program do, and if you wish to continue using it on a permanent
basis. A reasonable period for FastBoot would be 2 weeks.)
If you, after that period of time, decides that you want to continue using
this program, you are obliged by the concept of shareware, to register.
This is not crippleware! Which means that the unregistered version of FastBoot
has no limitations at all. I believe this is the concept of true shareware.
This also means that if you don't want to send me money, I have no real means
of stopping you from using it. But on the other hand, if I get no appreciation
for the work I do, I won't do any more programs for you to enjoy.
Registering FastBoot...
-----------------------
... is the easiest thing on earth. All I ask is that you send me a sum of
50 SEK / 8 USD / 12 DM / 5 UKP (Current exchangerates) to me.
If you also send me a disk, a selfadressed envelope and enough international
reply coupons for me to return the mail, I'll send you a disk with my latest
programs, including a personalised copy of the latest FastBoot.
(If you send me extra money to cover the costs, that'll work just as well.
20 SEK / 3 USD / 5 DM / 2 UKP would be enough)
People living in Sweden, who wants to register, can send me the money via
postal-giro, account PG: 632 54 41-1.
This account can also be used from some other european countries, but please!
Since the Swedish postaloffice charge ME for the exchanging of foreign
currencies people deposit in my account, please add another
5 USD / 8 DM / 3.50 UKP for that fee.
If you want to contact me, write to:
Tommy Jonaeson
Gustavsbergsv. 31
136 67 Haninge
Sweden
e-mail: jonaeson@dataphone.se
Fido : 2:201/345.15
Nest : 90:1104/115.0
Atari-net: 51:1102/315.0
Fuji : 7:101/115.0
SAK-net : 79:114/115.0
Or leave a message at my supportboard, Dataline System BBS.