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Atari Mega Archive 1
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maxidisk.arc
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README.TXT
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1985-11-02
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Cologne , West Germany , July 4 , 1988
---- This file is a translation of the original german README file, written
by Max Böhm, the author of this exceptional public domain program.
Translated by COLONIUS. Comments made by the translator are within
brackets.
MAXIDISK.PRG installs a resetproof ramdisk, which compresses the files
stored in it. It is usually possible, to store about 750 kB in a 500 kB
ramdisk! This version works with all versions of ROM based TOS, including
the new Blitter TOS of the MEGA STs. Any memory size, up to 4 megabyte, is
supported. (Although it makes little sense to use a ramdisk on a 512 kB
system.)
MAXIDISK.PRG should reside in the AUTO folder on your boot disk, although
you may also install the ramdisk from the desktop after booting your ST.
(In this case you should rename the program to MAXIDISK.TOS, since it is not
a GEM application and will cause trouble if started as one. It must,
however, carry the .PRG extender to autoboot from the AUTO folder.)
The first thing MAXIDISK.PRG does, is to check if there is already a
MAXIDISK installed. In this case, you are informed about the size and the
assigned partition name and the installation terminates.
After this, MAXIDISK checks for MAXIDISK.INF on drive A and B (if started
from floppy) or on the logical drive (partition) it was started from.
If you would rather abort the installation of the ramdisk after starting
MAXIDISK.PRG, simply hit return without entering a numeric value when
prompted to enter the desired ramdisk size. A message will inform you that
the ramdisk was not installed.
Once the MAXIDISK is installed, it is resetproof. This means that the
contents of the ramdisk will survive the reset, not the driver program
itself. You must start MAXIDISK.PRG after a reset, to be able to access the
data in the ramdisk. If you fail to do so, the ramdisk will still remain
intact over any number of "warm" resets, but it will seem to be empty (0
bytes in 0 files) until the MAXIDISK driver is reinstalled.
MAXIDISK.INF is an ASCII file which you may use to install the maxidisk
automatically after MAXIDISK.PRG has been invoked.
MAXIDISK.INF contains the size of the ramdisk, the drive number which shall
be assigned to the ramdisk (C through P) and the names of programs that
should be started after the ramdisk has been installed. (You may edit this
file with any text editor or word processor that allows you to save plain
ASCII files. If you should use 1st Word (any version), be sure to switch of
the word processor mode. You may also delete MAXIDISK.INF entirely, if you
prefer to enter size and drive number manually.) The example MAXIDISK.INF
file installs a 500 kB ramdisk as drive D, copies the contents of the folder
COPY_IT to the ramdisk and finally starts SET_TIME.TOS. (see also COPY.TTP
and SET_TIME.TOS)
The following files are not required for the operation of the Maxidisk, but
are utilities that are nice to have.
COPY.TTP is used to copy files into the ramdisk on a coldstart bootup. The
required parameters are the names of the source and destination folders.
(Example: A:\COPY_IT D:\ will copy all files within the folder "COPY_IT" on
drive A to the main directory of drive B. It is a good idea to include the
line COPY.TTP A:\COPY_IT D:\ in MAXIDISK.INF to automate the procedure.)
SET_TIME.TOS allows you to set the ST's internal clock.
COPY.C and SET_TIME.C contain the C source code of COPY.TTP and SETTIME.TOS.
These files are contained in a seperate .ARC file which you may download or
not.
MAXIDISK.INF, COPY.TTP and SET_TIME.TOS should reside in the root directory
of the same drive (either floppy or hard disk) as MAXIDISK.PRG. If you have
two disk drives and MAXIDISK.PRG is not started from hard disk, both drives
will be checked for the MAXIDISK.INF file.
Known Problems: none, so far -- at least if you rename MAXIDISK.PRG to
MAXIDISK.TOS if you start it from the desktop. If you boot
in 40 column mode, the display will be somewhat garbled, but
the program works fine nonetheless, so this is not assumed
to be a problem.
Disclaimer: This software and its documentation are in the public
domain. You may copy them freely for non comercial purposes
only. No warranty whatsoever is made regarding the
performance of this program and the accuracy of its
documentation. In other words: use it at your own risk!
Problems , Suggestions etc : EMAIL to username COLONIUS on DELPHI.
Original Program and all coding by: Max Boehm
Im Engelbrauck 5
4670 Luenen
West Germany
Conversion to the English language by: Stephan Muhs
Wilhelmstr. 51
5000 Koeln 60
West Germany
(Username Colonius on Delphi)