Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!watdragon!tiger!achowe
From: achowe@tiger.waterloo.edu (CrackerJack)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: TOS 1.4
Message-ID: <11258@watdragon.waterloo.edu>
Date: 4 Feb 89 15:46:40 GMT
References: <5440013@hplsla.HP.COM> <5321@homxc.ATT.COM>
Sender: daemon@watdragon.waterloo.edu
Reply-To: achowe@tiger.waterloo.edu (CrackerJack)
Organization: U. of Waterloo, Ontario
Lines: 51

>A friend of mine just got the floppy version of TOS 1.4 and is having
>some problems making it work.  The disk has 2 files on it; TOS.IMG,
>and COLDBOOT.PRG.  In typical ATARI fashion the documentation describes
>what the changes are but not how to use the new version.  Running the
>COLDBOOT.PRG causes a reboot and the old TOS installs.  If he puts the
>program in an auto folder it causes "infinite reboots".  He has tried
>all possible combinations of .IMG file and COLDBOOT program in either
>root directory or auto folder with no luck.
>
>Question 1 - is it possible that you have to remove the old TOS ROMS
>             from your machine before the software version will load?
>	     Does anyone know how to use this software version of TOS1.4?
>
>Assuming he can get the floppy version of TOS1.4 to work, my friend would
>like to attempt to make ROMS of TOS1.4.
>
>Question 2 - Can this be done using the TOS.IMG file?  How?
>
>I have a utility program called f2s.prg which supposedly takes an image
>file and converts it into Motorolla S-record format suitable for downloading
>into a PROM programmer.  When I run this program on the TOS.IMG file I
>get 4 bombs on the screen.  Has anyone used this utility and seen this
>problem before?

a) Tos 1.4 can only be loaded by booting with the Tos disk in the drive.
All the .ACC files you want to use have to be present on that disk.
Also the Tos 1.4 disk I had came as a single sided disk. Of course I
wanted to have Tos on a double sided disk. I sent a program with source
to comp.{binaries, sources}.atari.st called CPBOOT which copies the
boot sector that loads TOS.IMG correctly across disk formats.

b) From what I have read of the docs TOS.IMG is loaded into the middle
of RAM then executed. TOS.IMG will then self-relocate itself in a 
polite space in high memory and take ove the boot up procedure. This
self-relocating code will kind of screw up any attempt to put TOS.IMG
on EPROMS.

c) Tos 1.4 is nice to use but I too want to place it in EPROM. Yet it is
handy to have so that you can play those games that didn't work previously
with the Mega Roms. I've decided to wait to Atari finalizes Tos 1.4 so
that I can ask for the new version suitable for EPROM burning.
Should be Real Soon Now.

-Ant


--
   achowe@tiger.waterloo.edu      |  "Murdered by pirates is good."
 __                    _          |    - The Princess Bride (movie)
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