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From: LSI@UMass.BITNET.UUCP
Newsgroups: mod.computers.68k
Subject: Questions!
Message-ID: <860603153729.000005D8.AIOT.AA@UMass>
Date: Tue, 3-Jun-86 15:37:29 EDT
Article-I.D.: UMass.860603153729.000005D8.AIOT.AA
Posted: Tue Jun  3 15:37:29 1986
Date-Received: Wed, 4-Jun-86 17:07:24 EDT
Sender: mwm@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The ARPA Internet
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Approved: info-68k@ucbvax.berkeley.edu

Hi,
     I've been developing a small 68000 based system here, and
originally chose the CP/M 68K O.S. a few years back, as it was
the only one available.  The hardware is now complete, and I
have a BIOS that works fine with the original release (Ver 1.1)
of the operating system.  The problem seems to be in upgrading
to version 1.2 of 68K (did someone say that they are up to 1.3?).
When the same BIOS is linked to the ver 1.2 CPMLIB, the system
boots properly, and all the built in functions work fine.  When
you try to execute one of the disk resident utilities, however,
problems crop up.  The utility loads and runs properly, but as
soon as the utility tries to access a drive, the system hangs.
Weird.  Anyone have any comments?  Suggestions?  Help?
    Another thing about the BIOS:  I have implemented track
buffering, but not without a hitch.  It seems that all the disk
based utilities and applications programs do a proper system
warm boot on exit (either through BDOS 0 or RTS) which in turn
calls my BIOS warm boot function that marks the track buffer as
invalid.  This is all fine and well, and the disks can be
swapped after this occurs.  The built in commands do not appear
to call the warm boot function, however.  The current track is
not marked as invalid, and if, for instance, the track in the
buffer is the directory track, the same directory will appear
for subsequent DIR commands if you change disks.  The only way
around this is to throw a <CTRL C> character in after each DIR
command.  What a pain in the butt!  There HAS to be a way around
this!  (short of switching to OS9-68K, which looks like it might
be a good idea!)
     All we have and know of here for CP/M 68K is the O.S. and
its futilities, the Alcyon compiler, and Mark of the Unicorn's
Mince screen editor.  How about somebody posting a list of
available software (with addresses and phone #'s!) here if they
know of any... Or is Mince the only real third party program
out there???

                           Peter