Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!att!chinet!saj
From: saj@chinet.chi.il.us (Stephen Jacobs)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: ROM disassembly for TOS 1.4
Keywords: ROM disassembly TOS1.4 Abacus internals
Message-ID: <9401@chinet.chi.il.us>
Date: 29 Aug 89 03:45:16 GMT
Organization: Chinet - Chicago, Ill.
Lines: 22

One of the more useful tools in programming the ST is the commented ROM
disassembly in the Abacus ST Internals book (English translation of the
corresponding Data Becker book, I think, but I'm usually wrong).  Now
that TOS 1.4 is filtering out, can anyone tell us if a corresponding
disassembly of that ROM is going to be available soon?  My (probably
inaccurate) assumption was that Atari influenced what was published in
the Abacus book by saying what they would object strenuously to having
published, and that at least one subsequent book went too far; and therefore
can't be brought into the US.  Anyway, whatever I can get, I want.
   And a small love-note to the Atari contingent: IBM did it, even though
some of them must nearly have died doing it: they published a complete,
official ROM disassembly.  Many developers did exactly what you don't want
us to do: they exploited internal code and data structures.  Their code
broke when new DOS versions used the ROM code differently.  Some of them
learned their lesson.  Near-clone ROMs took more victims.  But on balance,
I think you'll find pretty nearly complete agreement that the published
ROM code has helped the PC.  An Atari-authorized, commented disassembly of
TOS 1.4 as of a given date (say the delivery date of the first production 
lot?) would help programmers enormously.  And if Atari emulated IBM even
further by charging $100 for the disassembly (I hope they would charge less),
sales would even give the company a shot in the net profit.  ??
                                Steve J.