Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!ncar!asuvax!hrc!viking!campbellb
From: campbellb@viking.UUCP (Brian Campbell)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: (Two) Test Drive II, GS self test
Keywords: Test Drive, Game, Self Test
Message-ID: <457fd53e.f759@viking.UUCP>
Date: 7 Sep 89 17:57:11 GMT
Organization: gte
Lines: 37

I have two subjects but one leads into the other.

I recently purchased the Test Drive II program from Accolade.  It is a GS
specific program unlike its predecessor Test Drive.  I basically
like it but there is one annoying aspect about starting up the program.
When I have a RAM disk defined on my GS (/RAM5 on the expansion card)
it refuses to load.  It displays a message saying that memory fragmentation
exists (I'm paraprasing).  I have a fully populated Apple card (1 Meg)
and my control panel settings are 0K min ram disk, and 1024K (1 Meg) max ram
disk when the error occurs.  I discovered that by setting the max ram disk
size to 0, the program finally loads properly.  I haven't experimented with
with intermediate settings.  The program requires 512K, so clearly it uses
the first 256K (or less) of the expansion memory.  But shouldn't be able to
steal memory from the Ram disk automatically if it needs it, when the min RAM
disk size is 0, or less than the Max.  I thought that's how GS software
worked.  Is this a bug in the program?  Other GS software I use doesn't have
this problem (e.g. deluxepaint, paintworks gold, etc.)

Anyway, since I generally have a RAM disk defined, it's annoying to have to
go to the control panel, change it, and then later when I need the Ram disk,
then change it back.  The main problem here is for the settings to take place
I need to either turn off and turn on the computer (creating unneccessory stress
on the circuitry, or is this really a concern?) or execute the option-apple-
cntl-reset self test (which takes a while).  Simply doing a re-boot does not
affect the Ram settings: apparently a feature intended to preserve the contents
of /RAM5 across cold-starts.  Is there an alternative?  I suppose I could
experiment with a max disk size of 768K (1024-256K), as I generally don't need
more than that anyway. (Don't have my GS handy right now to try it.)

The self test issue brings up another question.  What exactly goes on during
a self test on the GS.  The numbers on the bottom (in hex) range from 0 (or 1?)
to C (i.e 12) suggesting that the GS is subjected to 12 or 13 individual
tests?  If so, what are these various tests?  Do they include a RAM test?
If so, does any or all of the expansion memory get tested?  If so, this may
explain why the /RAM5 disk is re-initialized after a self test, if write
tests are occurring.  If ram tests are occuring, what kind of tests are made?
Just very curious.  Thanks.