SpartaDOS X 4.49 (release version)

[flashjazzcat]

@trub I expect you have been very busy lately, but I have a few questions which perhaps we could discuss by email if you have time. Thanks for the change to SDX 4.49g (I think - as per my request - it no longer opens the SIDE3 RAM A Window when running the SIDE3 Loader), but the cartridge autorun function I have been working on still encounters a few problems when the loader is launched from the SDX prompt and mounts a cartridge image and jumps into the emulated cart's INIT section instead of opening the UI. The emulated cartridge appears properly - as if one had called it directly with 'CAR' - but on the first system reset, DOS and the cartridge appear lost and the system ends up in the self-test. If I first type 'DOS', however, after the emulated cart starts up, and then type CAR again, this seems to adjust some of DOS's internal pointers and everything works properly, even surviving reset.

 

I'm not surprised that a little more work might be required on my part here (which is to say, special handling of cart autorun when SIDE3's SDX ROM is present) since SDX believed it was running the SIDE3 Loader but by the time the OS returns, cartridge emulation has been started. I wonder if I can make some SDX kernel calls to properly orient DOS after 'silently' enabling cartridge emulation in the way described, so that DOS knows cartridge emulation is active and therefore survives a subsequent system reset without a prior jump through $0A.

 

Edited May 15, 2022 by flashjazzcat

[+Stephen]

9 hours ago, Mazzspeed said:

I updated to SDX 4.49g today. I will say I was most impressed when I switched into CON 80 mode and tested ED with my config.sys file and ED opened in it's own window in front of the CLI! Normally when I try to use ED in CON 80 mode the system crashes.

 

Outstanding job to those involved.

It doesn't actually crash - older versions did not write to CON80.  Hitting ESC will close ED and return you back to the CLI.  Since you are using 80 col mode, try out EDX, it's a nice little 80 col editor.  When using SC, you can specify it as the editor OR if you prefer ED, you could make it force 40 column mode when opening.

[trub]

20 hours ago, flashjazzcat said:

@trub I expect you have been very busy lately

I am afraid this is a permanent situation. ? I will send you PM.

Edited May 16, 2022 by trub

[spicyjack]

Is it possible to add file renaming support to the ARC.COM command when a file in the archive being eXtracted matches the name of a file already in the target directory?

 

So for this prompt while using the ARC.COM X command:

File exists - Overwrite (Y/N/A) ?

Can you add a 4th option to allow renaming of the file being extracted?

 

Since archive extraction has already blocked on the duplicate filename, IMO it won't cause users that much extra grief to allow them to rename the file at this point.

 

For reference, I use the script TKUNPACK.BAT on the Toolkit disk to build new installs of SDX on various SD/CF cards and in emulators.  Unpacking everything on the Toolkit disk inevitably comes up with duplicate filenames (CHANGES.TXT for example, lots of files with this name in the Toolkit archives)

 

It would be nice to rename things at the point where the filename conflict occurs, instead of trying to take notes and then go back afterwards and unpack and rename the file(s) with the conflicting names.

 

Thanks!

[janzh]

On 1/2/2022 at 8:06 PM, drac030 said:

The ED text editor can now run on VBXE 80-column text console as well as on the software-driven 80-column text console (provided by RC_GR8.SYS).

Cool feature!

I love it but I am not able to use the 80 column. ED alway starts with 40 column. I tried SET ED=22,78.

Is there a possibility run ED with 22 lines and 78 columns?

[+Stephen]

6 hours ago, janzh said:

Cool feature!

I love it but I am not able to use the 80 column. ED alway starts with 40 column. I tried SET ED=22,78.

Is there a possibility run ED with 22 lines and 78 columns?

Pretty sure just by having the latest 4.49 version, ED will launch in 80 columns if you are currently in 80 column mode.  I'm not sure if it possible to be in 40 column mode, and launch ED in 80 column mode.  The shell SC has provisions for this.  That being said, if you have an 80 col setup, I highly recommend just using EDX rather than ED.

[_The Doctor__]

You have to have an appropriate 80 col console loaded (and driver for add on devices if not software) first and it will launch in the mode you are in when called.

  I would like to see a switch to call it in whatever mode myself but that requires more code... to check for things before acting on the switch.

[janzh]

Everything works great (see screens below) except ED only uses 40 columns. EDX works but ignores color and margin setting from SDX.

 

[janzh]

I just figured out that EDX uses SCRDEF but ignores the parameter for RS_GR8. Usually I use blue/white with 40 and black/white with 80. That works quiet well if I definitely the 40 values by SCRDEF and the 80 values as parameter of RC_GR8.

[andyhants]

Does anyone know if its possible to get a flashing / blinking cursor working in CON 80 mode when running under VBXE ?

 

I use the FLASH utility in normal 40 col mode & that works great but when I switch to 80 cols its just the solid cursor.

 

As ever any help  or advice much appreciated.

[PeBe]

The SDX 4.49g beta release is missing the IDEPTIME.SYS driver in CAR: - no mention of removal in whatsnew-449g.txt 
I have tried using APETIME.SYS from the toolkit, but the problem is that although it provides the correct time and date the time of creation of the new file is wrong.

After copying the IDEPTIME.SYS driver from the previous version (4.49) to the hard drive and running it, everything returned to normal.

 

The questions are as follows:

1. What is the difference between the two drivers?

2. Can they be used interchangeably, as I have done?

3. In the new release, will IDEPTIME.SYS be available on CAR:?

 

Thanks for any answers

 

PS. I am using the KMK/JŻ IDE v2 under the Altirra emulator.

Edited October 28, 2022 by PeBe

[trub]

IDEPTIME.SYS is available in CAR:, provided you are using an SDX 4.49g image for IDE Plus 2.0.

Make sure you are not using any other SDX hardware (e.g. U1MB) at the same time (you can use XVER to verify this).

[andyhants]

I'm guessing this is the appropriate thread for SDX feature requests - so here goes:-

 

Would it be possible to develop drivers for SDX writing to FAT partitions please? So for example if I have a FAT partition mounted under a SIDE3 cartridge as say D5: it would be great to be able to write to that as any other drive from the SDX command prompt - eg COPY D3: XXXXXXXX.YYY D5:

 

From other discussions on here I appreciate its not a simple request but I believe its quite a common 'want' that others would like to see too. I believe help may also have previously been offered from another develoment source with a very good A8 firmware track-record.

 

Thanks. 

Edited November 6, 2022 by andyhants

[PeBe]

On 29.10.2022 at 13:19, trub said:

IDEPTIME.SYS jest dostępny w CAR:, pod warunkiem, że używasz obrazu SDX 4.49g dla IDE Plus 2.0.

Upewnij się, że nie używasz żadnego innego sprzętu SDX (np. U1MB) w tym samym czasie (możesz użyć XVER, aby to sprawdzić).

At the outset, I apologise for the delay in responding.

 

Yes, you are right. I wrongly downloaded the SDX from the website. I didn't include the options from the IDE interface.

 

Thanks for the reply. 

[LessNick]

Hello there o/

 

Please tell me, is there a schematic and a board for self-assembly in the public domain or is it a purely commercial product?

[trub]

I do not understand your question. SpartaDOS X 4.4x runs on a variety of hardware and cartridges. You can check this here.

[LessNick]

3 minutes ago, trub said:

I do not understand your question. SpartaDOS X 4.4x runs on a variety of hardware and cartridges. You can check this here.

I want to assemble a SpartaDOS cartridge myself.

However, I can't find any boards or schematics for this anywhere.

Judging by the photos that I saw, this is not a simple cartridge, there are some chips and a battery (apparently for watches) there.

 

 

 

Actually, this is why the question arose, if I can’t find a ready-made archive with a project in any way, maybe this is commercial information?

 

I know the site at the link, but I can’t find the information.

 

For example, for a project on the photo: Is this has a PCB, schematic and firmware in the public domain (Open Source)?

[pixelmischief]

What you want is a SIDE3 cartridge.

[_The Doctor__]

Or an AVG cartridge, or a SuperSpartaDos Cartridge, or a ... well just about anything on the list at SpartaDOS X project pages... https://sdx.atari8.info/index.php?show=en_hardware

 

But there isn't alot of information out for building them yourself and really should be.

[trub]

1 hour ago, LessNick said:

For example, for a project on the photo: Is this has a PCB, schematic and firmware in the public domain (Open Source)?

Judging by the photo, it is a "Super SpartaDOS" PCB. You can search this forum for the authors and ask them directly. I think the referenced site (bitsofthepast) with build instructions and firmware is currently offline.

This is a pass-through (stackable) cartridge, as the original SDX cart from ICD. 

If the pass-through option is not necessary, you can build e.g. SIC! cartridge using schematics, gerber and jed files provided here.

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by trub

[flashjazzcat]

Be aware - when choosing hardware - that an integrated battery-powered real-time clock can be rather convenient when you have a time-stamped filesystem such as SDFS.

 

Edited January 19, 2023 by flashjazzcat
Clarity

[_The Doctor__]

Brewing Academy / @MacRorie can help you with some Real Time Clock solutions, Professor of DIY and perhaps time.

[+bf2k+]

The one in your picture is one made by Dropcheck.  I have one and it is very nice but I don't know if she is still making them.

[Bee]

@LessNickBefore the Dropcheck site went down, she said she was going the route of Mytek.  So there maybe details to make it yourself down the road.

 

https://www.bitsofthepast.com/

 

blog is here

 

https://web.archive.org/web/20221129021304/https://www.bitsofthepast.com/

 

That said a Side3 is a good choice for the moment.

 

Thank you

[LessNick]

5 hours ago, Bee said:

That said a Side3 is a good choice for the moment.

 

Thanks for the answers, but here the key point here side 3 is a commercial finished product, and it was about self-assembly simple SpartaDOS PCB.