.EXE loader for Turbo Basic XL and Compiler?

[+Larry]

I'm trying to create a flash cart image that will properly load and execute TBXL and the Compiler. Unfortunately, the EXE loader used for the flash images causes the programs to freeze during load or run. So my next idea is to find an EXE loader that will properly load both programs from disk, then to try put the disk image in the cart.

 

I've tried this with several of my old EXE loaders, but thus far none work. (Interesting -- these programs load fine from DUP.SYS, but won't load from an EXE loader.) But all of my loaders are primarily from the pre-XL/XE days, so memory management may be the issue. (?)

 

Can anyone suggest a few loaders for me to try, or is there an archive of loaders. (Can't find one thus far.) Or perhaps someone has already done all or part of this exercise?

 

Thanks,

Larry

[Roydea6]

Larry,

Turbobasic needs DOS loaded in order to run. Try loading an ATR with all the programs included with Dos & Dup.

 

I haven't tried this yet. Good Luck?

[cas]

Larry,

Turbobasic needs DOS loaded in order to run. Try loading an ATR with all the programs included with Dos & Dup.

 

I haven't tried this yet. Good Luck?

 

Turbo-Basic can run without DOS, but then of course all DOS based commands will not work (like OPEN; DIR; LOAD; BLOAD ... )

 

The issue with loading Turbo-Basic from the Flash Cart is that Turbo-Basic is a multi-stage loading program, parts of Turbo-Basic XL load in the RAM below the OS ROM. For this Turbo-Basic loads a first part, which then changes the memory layout, and then loads the other parts in the RAM below the OS ROM.

 

I guess that the code that does the memory switching will collide with the Flash-Cart being active.

 

You should try first with Turbo Basic for the Atari800 (aka Frost-Basic), as it does not load below the ROM.

 

To get Turbo-Basic XL loaded from a Flash Cart, I would guess someone has to write a custom loader. Because Turbo-Basic is already available in ROM-Versions (build in or as a Cartridge), this might already been done.

 

Carsten

Edited November 4, 2007 by cas

[Shawn Jefferson]

The issue with loading Turbo-Basic from the Flash Cart is that Turbo-Basic is a multi-stage loading program, parts of Turbo-Basic XL load in the RAM below the OS ROM. For this Turbo-Basic loads a first part, which then changes the memory layout, and then loads the other parts in the RAM below the OS ROM.

 

If that is how TurboBASIC loads, then that would definitely cause a problem with the flashcart, since the flashcart software installs a modifed SIO routine into the space usually taken by the international charset. This redirects all disk i/o vectored through SIOV to get data from the flashcart instead. You may see screen garbage when the cartridge is banked in some cases.

 

You should try first with Turbo Basic for the Atari800 (aka Frost-Basic), as it does not load below the ROM.

 

To get Turbo-Basic XL loaded from a Flash Cart, I would guess someone has to write a custom loader. Because Turbo-Basic is already available in ROM-Versions (build in or as a Cartridge), this might already been done.

 

Exactly right... if the exe is a multi-stage loader, it might not be that hard to fix. Taking a cartridge ROM and using that may be harder.

[+Larry]

Thanks. Yes, definitely needs Dos to run properly. The EXE loaders that I tried load after Dos as an autorun.sys.

 

I got a little further by making a MyDos 4.50 disk image then adding the TBXL/Compiler files and using -diskpacker to put the image into the flash cart. Dos comes up fine, then the when the programs are loaded, they appear to load most of the way, but ultimately crash and return to Dos.

 

Yep, time to look over the load vectors and perhaps look into the rom images.

 

-Larry

 

The issue with loading Turbo-Basic from the Flash Cart is that Turbo-Basic is a multi-stage loading program, parts of Turbo-Basic XL load in the RAM below the OS ROM. For this Turbo-Basic loads a first part, which then changes the memory layout, and then loads the other parts in the RAM below the OS ROM.

 

If that is how TurboBASIC loads, then that would definitely cause a problem with the flashcart, since the flashcart software installs a modifed SIO routine into the space usually taken by the international charset. This redirects all disk i/o vectored through SIOV to get data from the flashcart instead. You may see screen garbage when the cartridge is banked in some cases.

 

You should try first with Turbo Basic for the Atari800 (aka Frost-Basic), as it does not load below the ROM.

 

To get Turbo-Basic XL loaded from a Flash Cart, I would guess someone has to write a custom loader. Because Turbo-Basic is already available in ROM-Versions (build in or as a Cartridge), this might already been done.

 

Exactly right... if the exe is a multi-stage loader, it might not be that hard to fix. Taking a cartridge ROM and using that may be harder.

[+Larry]

Frost Basic makes a successful flash cartridge.

 

But I know little about it other than it doesn't require an XL/XE "ram under rom." I also know that it is built directly on top of a Dos, but I don't know which one. The result is that once loaded, I can't get to a DUP.SYS menu. I thought that it was built on Dos 2.0s, but it's Dup.Sys package can't be loaded, it behaves like it is the wrong version, but gives no error message.

 

Is anyone more familiar with this Basic or know of any Docs (English or German or?) Or do any "mini-Dos" versions work with it? I am aware there is a SpartaDos version of this.

 

-Larry

[Urchlay]

If it's like Turbo BASIC, it has built in commands to do just about everything DUP.SYS does. DIR gets you a directory, I think there's a FORMAT command, I can't remember what the command to delete a file is (try KILL, ERASE, or DEL)... if these commands work, you at least know your DOS is being loaded correctly.