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From: nick@drune.UUCP (SilvaNT)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple
Subject: Re://GS questions, comments
Message-ID: <713@drune.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 20-Apr-87 15:23:19 EST
Article-I.D.: drune.713
Posted: Mon Apr 20 15:23:19 1987
Date-Received: Tue, 21-Apr-87 23:50:25 EST
Organization: AT&T Information Systems Labs, Denver, Co
Lines: 49
Keywords: response


>1.  When I hit a certain series of keys it drops me into an assembler
>monitor.  How do I go about learning what commands the monitor
>understands? I have done some experimenting but this is rough at best.
>Would like a good reference source.  A good tech manual would be nice.
>Does anyone know how to get one?  The same is true for Applesoft(is this
>basic really as weak and archaic as it appears?) as well.  Speaking of
>programming, what is the best language to get for the //gs?  I like pascal
>basic is okay and have been trying to learn C.  But which ever I get I
>would want it to be able to compile.  Of course it should take advantage of
>the newer //gs features.

While the monitor commands are similar to those of the old mini-assembler
there are some differences for 16 bit mode and there are some new commands.
At this time the only source of information on the monitor is found in the
//gs Firmware Reference manual (not yet released but available in draft form 
to APDA members). Applesoft has been around for a while, so you should be 
able to find a (many) manuals at any bookstore. As for languages, the
'official' languages will be 'C' or 65816 assembly running under APW, but
there are already two native code Pascal compilers availabe (even before 
apple C) and a BASIC compiler. To my knowlede, only TML pascal takes 
advantage of the GS's toolbox calls.

>2. I just installed a AE gsram card and have a question or two about this.
>First, I have found that when I installed a ramdisk the ramdisk became slot
>5-2.  I have two 3.5 inch drives and they were 5-1 and 5-2.  Now my second
>3.5 inch drive is 2-1.  Why would it do that?  

The explanation for this could also be found in the GS firmware ref. manual.

>I have had the Ramdisk lock
>up on me a couple of times when I was playing around with dos and putting
>files in the ramdisk.  Not sure why that is happening.  And last, when I
>copied all of the dos files to ramdisk set the control panel to start from
>the ramdisk then reset the machine it came up saying error with startup
>device.  Can't you run dos from ramdisk?

First, if by dos you mean dos 3.3, it won't work. If Prodos, first make sure
you have formated the ramdisk, and that you include Prodos and possibly a 
Startup file on the ramdisk.

					Nick Silva
					AT&T-IS


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Disclaimer: My opinions are my own, the company doesn't pay me enough to 
give those away too!
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