Turbo Basic XL & DOS XL

[+slx]

I tried to set up a DD disc with the DD version of DOS XL, DOSXL.SYS, MENU.COM and Turbo Basic 1.5 as an AUTORUN.SYS. While TB loads and also loads an AUTORUN.BAS file it crashes when I call DOS. I supposed the resident MENU and/or bank-switched DOSXL.SYS to be at fault but renaming DOSXL.SYS and MENU.COM did not make a difference.

 

Is there a known conflict between Turbo BASIC XL and DOS XL?

 

Using an OSS multicart set to DOS XE resulted in the system locking up after boot. Does DOS XE need the DOSXL.SUP version of DOSXL.SYS? (With DOS XL the DOSXL.XL version worked fine.)

 

Thanks for help!

 

 

 

[+CharlieChaplin]

Well,

 

TB XL 1.5 uses RAM under the OS and I guess DOS XL also uses RAM under the OS (when DOS is called), thats why it crashes. There is a memory conflict, both programs are using the same memory. Afaik, its the same problem with DOS XE (which uses RAM under the OS) and some programs from the OSS multicart (Basic XL and/or Basic XE which also use RAM under the OS).

 

Since TB XL 1.5 requires RAM under the OS you cannot use any A8 DOS that also requires RAM under the OS. For SpartaDOS 3.2 there is a patched version, named Turbo Basic 3.2q, but afaik there is no TB version for DOS XL or DOS XE. Try to use Turbo-DOS 2.1, DOS 2.0, DOS 2.5, Top-DOS, Super-DOS, X-DOS, Bewe-DOS, etc. with Turbo-Basic instead (or if you use Bibo-DOS, don`t use the DUP.SYS since it also uses RAM under the OS).

[JD6502]

I've used several versions of Mydos with TB as well.

[+Larry]

What version are you using?

I tried this with Dos XL 2.30 and a stock 130XE. It looks to me like the menu is causing the problem. Lose the menu, and it works correctly here. The menu is not "Dos," so if you need the menu, use

BLOAD "D1:MENU.COM"

That works fine. Also, my disk has no DOSXL.SYS, just DOS.SYS and DOSXL.SUP

 

MyDos 4.55 B3 works just fine with its ramdisk as D8: loaded as .AR0. If you load TBXL as MEM.SAV, then you can even go back to TBXL from the DUP.SYS menu using Run at Address 2080. There is no part of TBXL that uses the banked memory, else it would not work on an stock 800XL.

 

You are on your own with Dos XE -- I've never even loaded it. :-)

 

Edit: I should add that I used the SD version of 2.30. I have a fairly early version of the manual, and I think my manual is probably lacking some info. My disk, however is the last one released as shareware by FTE. But still, if you can load/execute Turbo Basic, then I think that MENU is the problem. MENU has probably been corrupted by Turbo Basic, so there is nothing to go back to. Iooked through the my manual and the whole thing is "clear as mud." If you like a Dos 2.0 style dos, I'd give MyDos a try. Easy to use and quite flexible, IMO.

 

-Larry

[Rybags]

Note the "XL" in the product names, there is no actual relationship between the two.

Getting Turbo Basic XL to work with any config it's not used to could be a chore due to the memory usage. Problem is the decent modern day Doses will often need the exact areas that the Basic needs, not a lot can be done about it... I guess aside from re-engineering it to only use 130XE banked Ram.

[+Larry]

Note the "XL" in the product names, there is no actual relationship between the two.

Getting Turbo Basic XL to work with any config it's not used to could be a chore due to the memory usage. Problem is the decent modern day Doses will often need the exact areas that the Basic needs, not a lot can be done about it... I guess aside from re-engineering it to only use 130XE banked Ram.

I'm not sure what you just said. Are you saying that TBXL won't work on a stock 800XL?

 

-Larry

[GoodByteXL]

Note the "XL" in the product names, there is no actual relationship between the two.

There is. Since RAM under the OS is required, a XL at least is needed to run it. A 600XL needs to be upgraded first, since the 16KiB version doesn't provide RAM under the OS. And the 400/800 machines lack it as well. So 'XL' notes the minimum hardware requirements somehow.

 

Getting Turbo Basic XL to work with any config it's not used to could be a chore due to the memory usage. Problem is the decent modern day Doses will often need the exact areas that the Basic needs, not a lot can be done about it...

Besides SpartaDOS X 4.4x there isn't really a 'modern' DOS on A8. And SDX is a perfect base for using TBXL 1.5. Some other DOS need to be given the right address to know where TBXL 1.5 jumps to when DOS is called. For e.g. TurboDOS XL/XE this is 2080.

Edited October 2, 2014 by GoodByteXL

[flashjazzcat]

...SDX is a perfect base for using TBXL 1.5. Some other DOS need to be given the right address to know where TBXL 1.5 jumps to when DOS is called. For e.g. TurboDOS XL/XE this is 2080.

SDX won't jump back into TBXL at all, will it? It only saves application RAM when called from a cartridge or BASIC, so it's not possible to "RUN 2080" in SDX.

[GoodByteXL]

SDX won't jump back into TBXL at all, will it? It only saves application RAM when called from a cartridge or BASIC, so it's not possible to "RUN 2080" in SDX.

Misunderstanding - it's the other way around. Some DOS cannot be successfully called from the TBXL-Interpreter and often the system crashes instead of getting back to the DOS menu or cli. For some DOS this can be fixed, others are simply not usable with TBXL.

 

As for the use of a BASIC with SDX I prefer BASIC XL because of the mentioned perfect memory save option in SDX. And Action! for faster things.

[flashjazzcat]

Oh I see. I thought you meant memory save initially.