Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!decwrl!sun!imagen!atari!danscott
From: danscott@atari.UUCP (Dan Scott)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: TOS 1.4
Message-ID: <1336@atari.UUCP>
Date: 7 Feb 89 01:50:58 GMT
References: <5321@homxc.ATT.COM>
Organization: Atari Corp., Sunnyvale CA.
Lines: 49

in article <5321@homxc.ATT.COM>, dmk2@homxc.ATT.COM (D.KUSTER) says:
> 
> 
> 
> 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.

You're right, COLDBOOT.PRG only re-boots the system.

> 
> 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?

No, that is not necessary when booting a RAM loaded copy of TOS 1.4
In order to use the TOS 1.4 disk, you mearly need to have it in drive
A: at power-on time for the computer.

From the sound of it, your friend has an incomplete disk.  The disks that
are packed out of Developer Support have an AUTO folder w/ some HD
files needed, a disk caching program, the SPR folder w/ the SPRgen
program and of course TOS.IMG and COLDBOOT.PRG.  There is also an
active boot sector on the disk.

If your friend is a registered developer (which he should be in order to
have a copy of the OS at this point) then he should call Developer Support
for an immeadiate replacement disk.  Dev/Sup is the only place that
*REAL* updates to TOS 1.4 should be comming from.

> 
> Assuming he can get the floppy version of TOS1.4 to work, my friend would
> like to attempt to make ROMS of TOS1.4.

Making ROMs out of the RAM loaded TOS 1.4 will not be supported by Atari
corp. in any fashion.  TOS 1.4 is still in beta test and updates are common
at this point.

> 
> Question 2 - Can this be done using the TOS.IMG file?  How?
> 

You do not use the TOS.IMG file, there is a boot sector on each TOS 1.4
disk shipped from Atari that calls in and runs the .IMG OS file.