Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!think.com!mintaka!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!isgate!krafla!adamd From: adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David) Newsgroups: comp.os.minix Subject: Re: Minix-ST keyboard / mouse / clock Keywords: clock ST RTC Message-ID: <3164@krafla.rhi.hi.is> Date: 18 May 91 17:13:12 GMT References: <9105072564@arrakis.nl.mugnet.org> <1747@targon.UUCP> Organization: University of Iceland Lines: 53 Klamer Schutte wrote about the IKBD processor in the ST: > It has a clock which keeps counting as long as the hardware is not > switched off. This means that its value is kept between switches > between minix and tos. (And thus between reboots of minix). If I have understood correctly, this implies that the 6301 keyboard processor does not clear its internal RAM when it receives a reset pulse from the ST. The rest of my comments here depend on this being true. In <1747@targon.UUCP> gert@targon.UUCP (Gert Kanis) writes: [Bert Laverman mentioned RTC programs in PC Minix] >Accidentily we happen to even a couple of these program for different >*real time* clocks. e.g. megarct (builtin clock of MEGA ST series) >weiderct (add on of Weide Electronics), something for SUPRA clocks >(found in some hard disks). >All those clocks keep the right time even if you switch the computer off. >The Atari keyboard (processor) clock keeps the *right* time only if >a) you set it first (once every power up) >b) you don't power down. Very true. >So it could be of limited use for those who don't have >a REAL real time clock :-) (and reboot a lot). I propose that it is extremely useful for systems without a battery-backed clock, Minix is quite capable of being rebooted without switching off the power to the ST (see below). You seem to have missed the patch which was posted around this time for making a controlled reboot on CTRL-ALT-DEL reset or when the reset button is pressed. I think I lost my copy but it's real easy to figure out from scratch. It would simply ensure that the long word stored in the TOS system variables at $426 (resvalid) has the value $31415926 (resmagic), and the long word at $42A (resvector) points somewhere sensible like a reboot address for TOS or Minix. It may prove necessary to configure the TOS image base address (which varies between versions) into this setup. At offset $18 from this base is a long word which contains the default TOS date (after cold boot) in BCD format MMDDYYYY. If the IKBD date is sufficiently close to the default then the user will be prompted for the correct date. If this works and no-one else beats me to it or tells me not to, I will post the patch after a few days. -Adam David- adamd@rhi.hi.is