MAME Geneve - creating MFM HD images

[Brufnus]

1 hour ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

Also, be sure to use the correctly named files and locations: there is mention of both SYSTEM-SYS and SYSTEM/SYS in this thread. 

Indeed. I'm getting a habit of having both on each device, just in case something is moved around etc.

 

Another thing is... do you think a future update might allow for DSK1 emulation on SCSI as well? I've also been thinking about having the ability to set a boot priority in, e.g. CYA, so that it'll always boot from a certain - user preconfigured - device unless interrupted.

 

I love the way Amiga's handle this; especially the CDTV's. If no CD-ROM or floppy is inserted, it assumes it should boot from HDD if available. If there's a floppy or CD inserted though, it assumes it should use that one instead. We can't use the same "disk inserted signal" of course, but we could set a priority in SYSTEM-SYS.

[+InsaneMultitasker]

12 minutes ago, Brufnus said:

Another thing is... do you think a future update might allow for DSK1 emulation on SCSI as well?

Maybe some day, though it is not high on my priority list.  The DSK1 emulation code is intertwined with the disk and hard disk DSR code, and relies upon memory that is on-board the HFDC card. I researched this when I was working on 6.70RC2 and did not have the appetite for pulling it all apart.  Instead, I decided to focus on fixing DSR bugs and major updates.

[Brufnus]

58 minutes ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

Maybe some day, though it is not high on my priority list.  The DSK1 emulation code is intertwined with the disk and hard disk DSR code, and relies upon memory that is on-board the HFDC card. I researched this when I was working on 6.70RC2 and did not have the appetite for pulling it all apart.  Instead, I decided to focus on fixing DSR bugs and major updates.

That's perfectly understandable. c",) It's also pretty impressing how much has happened especially since the community was handed over the source code. 😊

[+9640News]

@Brufnus

 

It does not hurt to have both SYSTEM-SYS and SYSTEM/SYS both on SCS1.    Once you get MDOS to load from SCSI, then can figure out which file it is loading.

 

I am attaching the latest SCSI LOAD-SCS (Not LOAD-SYS) file and place it at SCS1. at root level.  It is multi CRU aware and should allow you to boot from SCSI with both HFDC and SCSI in the system.  It is newer than the LOAD-xxx files with the MDOS745Distribution set.

 

With the 2.0 eprom, as I recall it will first try to load from the HRD, then HFDC, SCSI, IDE, TIP1, then floppy DSK1 as the last option in that order.  There are individual loaders with the 2.0 eprom with LOAD-MFM, LOAD-IDE, LOAD-SCS, and LOAD-TIP.

 

Just a FYI, on the HFDC, LOAD-MFM needs to be in the DSK1 directory on the HFDC.

 

 

 

LOAD-SCS

[Brufnus]

@InsaneMultitasker

 

It loads fine from SCSI now, also with the HFDC present (with boot ROM 1.0). However, your updated LOAD-SCS is much appreciated, thanks! 

 

Okay so the 2.0 eprom doesn't have a menu like 1.0 does? That'll lead me back to the original problem with not being able to boot off the SCSI disk of course, if the HFDC is still in the system... so I think I'll just stick to 1.0 for now.

 

Thanks again! 

 

 

[+9640News]

@Brufnus

 

To boot from SCS1.DSK1.LOAD-SCS, that is not a MDOS thing unless you want to edit and develop your own Geneve eprom by just changing the path to the file.  SCSI DSR "DSK1" emulation like what is done on the HFDC would be a DSR development issue and then that would necessitate the SCSI CRU to be at >1000 if any other floppy supporting controller was in the system.

 

After that, then if there was ever time, it could be added to the "wish list" for MDOS updates.

 

 

 

 

 

[Brufnus]

@InsaneMultitasker

 

Ah, yes. In practice it also doesn't really matter whether it boots the kernel from HFDC or SCSI, of course - except for the speed. What WOULD (will) make a difference though, is when I get my PATH adjusted to include the SCSI drive; that should speed things up quite a bit.  

 

If I get the time later on during my little holiday these days, I might try setting the SCSI card to 1000 and see how that behaves.

 

At this point though, my priority will be to finish my archive distribution.... oh, and make that shunt between my battery and the clock chip. It's pretty tedious having to set the clock at each cold boot.  

Edited September 28 by Brufnus

[+9640News]

@Brufnus,

 

If you don't have the LOAD-MFM file on your HFDC, the version 2.00 Geneve eprom will skip over the HFDC and then try to load from the SCSI if you have the file setup.  You can still keep your HFDC at >1000 or >1100, and the SCSI at any other available CRU address.

[Brufnus]

46 minutes ago, 9640News said:

@Brufnus,

 

If you don't have the LOAD-MFM file on your HFDC, the version 2.00 Geneve eprom will skip over the HFDC and then try to load from the SCSI if you have the file setup.  You can still keep your HFDC at >1000 or >1100, and the SCSI at any other available CRU address.

Okay, I just couldn't make it boot with that version. I'll try again later - thanks!

[Brufnus]

Another thing is... I've just started considering doing the Peter Hoddie mod on my 2nd RAM disk like the 1st one has. Is that just a matter of installing a different eprom, or are additional modifications needed in order to do this?

[+9640News]

22 hours ago, Brufnus said:

Another thing is... I've just started considering doing the Peter Hoddie mod on my 2nd RAM disk like the 1st one has. Is that just a matter of installing a different eprom, or are additional modifications needed in order to do this?

Are you planning on using the ram disk on the Geneve or on the 4A?  

[Brufnus]

3 minutes ago, 9640News said:

Are you planning on using the ram disk on the Geneve or on the 4A?  

It will be used with the Geneve. c",)

[+9640News]

Just now, Brufnus said:

It will be used with the Geneve. c",)

Then use GenCFG with the Geneve.  Otherwise, you would be restricted to use only under rompage mode in GPL mode.  MDOS carries the support of the HRD's.  GenCFG does put just enough DSR header information so MDOS can be booted from the HRD, but that is it.  @InsaneMultitasker can confirm if I err'd in my comments for this earlier HRD.

 

 

[Brufnus]

9 minutes ago, 9640News said:

Then use GenCFG with the Geneve.  Otherwise, you would be restricted to use only under rompage mode in GPL mode.  MDOS carries the support of the HRD's.  GenCFG does put just enough DSR header information so MDOS can be booted from the HRD, but that is it.  @InsaneMultitasker can confirm if I err'd in my comments for this earlier HRD.

 

 

Okay, thanks. It's working fine now though; I merely format it with FORM123 and can access it from MDOS. I just like the possibilities Hoddie's EPROM presents.

I'll take a look at GENCFG nonetheless (I don't think I've ever used that one).

Edited Tuesday at 11:46 PM by Brufnus

[+InsaneMultitasker]

GenCFG is the correct program to format the ramdisk. It will allow for emulating one disk and/or hard disk partition, per ramdisk.  As 9640News points out, the disk partition is bootable. See the included documentation. 
 

We should stop using the old FORM123 and FORM3MEG programs though I did maintain compatibility, at least up to this point in time.  
 

I thought the Hoddie mod was an eprom and if so, it is not supported by MDOS. 

[Brufnus]

27 minutes ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

GenCFG is the correct program to format the ramdisk. It will allow for emulating one disk and/or hard disk partition, per ramdisk.  As 9640News points out, the disk partition is bootable. See the included documentation. 
 

We should stop using the old FORM123 and FORM3MEG programs though I did maintain compatibility, at least up to this point in time.  
 

I thought the Hoddie mod was an eprom and if so, it is not supported by MDOS. 

Okay, I'll use that instead then. Well I haven't yet encountered any problems using my original HRD with the Hoddie eprom, regardless of the MDOS version. It boots fine from the HRD, and access from MDOS works fine as well.

Edited Wednesday at 12:28 AM by Brufnus

[+InsaneMultitasker]

1 hour ago, Brufnus said:

Okay, I'll use that instead then. Well I haven't yet encountered any problems using my original HRD with the Hoddie eprom, regardless of the MDOS version. It boots fine from the HRD, and access from MDOS works fine as well.

Interesting.  Come to think of it, when I disassembled the routines, it was a version 6 ROS with a unique device identifier, “HD” is what I recall.  Jim used the same header to eliminate the need for the eprom without disabling the existing mods.  I would expect the eprom to be limited to 8-bit cards. Since mdos controls the ramdisk file system, you won’t experience the bugs that have been fixed since the hoddie mod was created.   I stand corrected - thank you for sharing more details!

[Brufnus]

10 minutes ago, InsaneMultitasker said:

Interesting.  Come to think of it, when I disassembled the routines, it was a version 6 ROS with a unique device identifier, “HD” is what I recall.  Jim used the same header to eliminate the need for the eprom without disabling the existing mods.  I would expect the eprom to be limited to 8-bit cards. Since mdos controls the ramdisk file system, you won’t experience the bugs that have been fixed since the hoddie mod was created.   I stand corrected - thank you for sharing more details!

Ah, okay. I also guess the Hoddie mod is not that widespread, either (and, it seems a lot of people are using the 16 bit HRD's these days... one of the luxuries I've never had, haha). Anyway, it's nice and easy to format it and assign dsk # directly with this one; even from TI Basic. A "CALL HDSZ(***)" formats it to the given size, "CALL HDDN(*)" gives it the dsk #, and then there's a "CALL HDDIR" as well, which does what the name suggests of course. Very convenient indeed.