| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 ProDOS242_TJ_beta2.po | 1 MB |
I've put together an image which I am still working on, primarily for my II Plus, which contains some useful tools. Right now the starting point is the ProDOS 2.4.2 disk from John Brooks' website:https://prodos8.com/releases/prodos-242/
Combined into the Blank drive with firmware file provided in TJ's repo (https://github.com/tjboldt/ProDOS-ROM-Drive) I pieced it together using the instructions for Bitsy Bye (again, from John Brooks' website).
The result is an EPROM image you can burn to your 27c801 for your TJBoldt ProDOS rom drive which boots into Bitsy Bye and contains not just BASIC.SYSTEM but also Copy II Plus and ADT Pro. I thoght that even though I am still in progress with this, it is enough that some other folks might find it useful.
There is the majority of the EPROM space left still (easily 800k) so there is room certainly for other things. I am certainly open to suggestions for additions, especially if you know the utility will run from a ProDOS volume.
Photo / Bitsy Bye screen: https://i.imgur.com/c0j14Jn.jpg
ROM Image download: https://photosuckit.com/ProDOS242_TJ_beta2.po (Or attached to this post).
If your II Plus does not have a lowercase ROM installed, TJ's copyright disclaimer will appear scrambled (not a problematic issue, do not panic).
I should also mention, since this already has the card firmware as well as ProDOS etc. at the correct order at the beginning of disk, you should be able to try adding other stuff to this .po file in CiderPress before burning the EPROM without much risk.
This looks really useful. I'm doing something similar and now trying to get the STARTUP program modified to setup the menu.
Running into all sorts of problems with get it working on CiderPress so if you start messing around with this let me know. Would be interestred to see if you run into the same issue.
Exactly what issues are you having in CiderPress?
More importantly what is your end goal in modifying TJs menu? I opted for Bitsy Bye in this case for ease of use and later addition/removal of programs without having to modify a hard coded menu script. But, if your end goal is more to learn BASIC then I won't discourage you by any means.
Was just messing around with the menu to see what could be done.
Looks like a bug in Ciderpress. I edited the STARTUP file and then set the file attribute to BAS and it adds some random numbers to the top of the file.
Found a workround by using AppleCommander to add the STARTUP file to the .po image and that's fixed it.
I had time to work on this a bit more, as of now, I have the RAM test from http://www.ivanhogan.com/kfest/MemUtil/ seeming to work in a subdirectory on this card. I tested my II+ and also forced the language card test on the same. Both of those tests (Normal RAM test, a couple passes, as well as language card test) passed on my working II+ systems.
I want to add a joystick utility next, but I didn't have the same luck with the joystick utility on that website. I can give it another go, I may have missed a file, otherwise there is a much simpler application on the MicroDrive that just displays polls of X/Y constantly. That would work better than nothing.
Ideas of programs which will run from a ProDOS volume are most welcome, there is plenty of ROM space left. Primarily I'm focusing on II+, but also utils for the IIe are high priority as well.
Once I have a joystick test utility to accompany the RAM rest, I'll share another updated version of the .PO file.
Cheers,
Alex
Here are the video tests from Apex II in a single file - you can just drop it in the root and run it from ProDOS:
Also a full screen standard color bar pattern that I wrote in Basic:
Fantastic, thank you! They both look like they work. I have updated this disk image with them. I also added a few games (namely lode runner and tetris) from the TJBoldt Games image, as I still had a lot of space left. As it sits, still about 1/2 the room is left.
In addition to the above changes this has the RAM test from ivanhogan's website as I mentioned in my above post, and the simple joystick test from the Reactive MicroDrive Turbo.
ProDOS242_Beta5.po
Last year I also made a game collection for the ProDOS card with about 30 games. I am attaching it here in case you want to add any of them to your collection. This image is however for v2.4 of the card, when the firmware used to be at the bottom of the archive and will not work with version 4.0 when it was moved to the top.
Games.jpg
This file got more downloads than I expected, so I have created a GitHub repo with my few custom ROMS for this card.
https://github.com/Alex-Kw/ProDOS-ROM-Drive-Images
Hi,
Thanks for the alternate ROM image for the ROM card, recently a new version of ProDOS was out so I want to update the ROM image by copying the BASIC.SYSTEM to the .PO image with CiderPress 4, but I got an error and unable to boot, am I did anything wrong? What is the correct way to update files to the .PO image?
Thanks.
Rgds,
Johnson.
Hey there,
The ProDOS catalog order is important; the files have to be added [in ciderpress) in a specific order. The documentation for Bitsy Bye covers this perfectly. The order you place files determines what boots, so my process is to start with the blank image from TJs repo with the firmware (alternately, open a dupliace copy of mine and remove every file). Then add prodos and quit.system and such in the proper order, per bitsy bye docs, followed by the rest of your desired content.
While on the subject,
If you want a ROM for this card which auto runs a BASIC command / program, you can use the Games with BASIC image from TJs repo. Delete every file but the primary BASIC file (and ProDOS? It has been a while, and its late here) and edit it to your liking to run whatever command or supplementary program you load to the card. You can also stick other files on the ROM. This is how the ESP32NTSC autoboot rom in my repo was made.
You can also manipulate the catalog order on a disk's directory with Copy II Plus v 8 and above.
ProDOS will seek out the file "PRODOS" on a directory wherever it lies in the catalog order.
Then it will scan the catalog top to bottom and execute the first *.SYSTEM file it finds, then the next and then the next.
So if you want to install drivers like a clock driver before BASIC you put that CLOCK.SYSTEM file at the top of the order, with BASIC.SYSTEM residing below it.
Incidentally, if you want to auto-run something, BASIC.SYSTEM looks for an AppleSOFT file called "STARTUP" and executes it, so if you want something to auto-run, write a small BASIC program to do just that and save it as "STARTUP".
>>The ProDOS catalog order is important; the files have to be added [in ciderpress) in a specific order.
Thank you VERY MUCH for your information, I just did not notice the order is so important that can ruin it, will try to follow your way to make another image.
Spent most of the time with DOS before PRODOS and know too little, will try to find some books to read.
Huge thanks!
Rgds,
Johnson.
Thanks for your tips, now I know what to do.
Thank you for your information, definite useful! I need to learn more about PRODOS, knowing too little.
Rgds,
Johnson.
Thank you for sharing the images!
No problem! As time allows I plan to make a Bitsy Bye / PRODOS ROM file with the new ProDOS ver, as well as a set of games not on the tjboldt standard set (essentially, update and dedpulicate the games in the prodos image currently / add new ones).
I think I've tried and failed to get ocmputer inspector into an image to flash. Have you tried?
I am looking to also include the Apple service diagnostic programs but expect those may not work correctly. Have you tried any of those?
Has anyone seen this version of the ROM image?
received_1432395567503475.jpeg
received_3617037365248172.jpeg
received_938850193961242.jpeg
I have compiled a new ROM for the ProDOS Rom Drive card, with ProDOS 2.4.3. It has RAM test, Joystick test, ADT Pro, and some other things. It can be found on my Github:
https://github.com/Alex-Kw/ProDOS-ROM-Drive-Images/blob/main/ProDOS_2.4.3_TJ.po
Main page w/other ROMs:
https://github.com/Alex-Kw/ProDOS-ROM-Drive-Images
I would love to try further diagnostics, I have ~300k leftover right now? Also considering the possibility of throwing those on a ROM for the Brain Board but I have not looked at the mapping of RAM areas yet.
@Macintosh_nik I don't recognize that one off hand!
Great work, I will definitely try this firmware.
About those photos above, this firmware with games was built by Ivan Platonov, you can add it to your GitHub. I don't know much about bits and bytes, the firmware came to me with a version 3 card, I may have to modify it a bit for the latest version of the card.
Here's the full list of games:
Lode RunnerDonkey KongBoloBoulder dashChoplifterDraw PokerGold RushMario BrosersMoon PatrolNeptunePacmanSnack AttackHard hat mackApple panicRobotronMs. PacmanMr. CoolRaster blasterSabotageBlitzkriegCheckersChessDig DugDogfightDung BeetlesEpochFroggerNoradPest PatrolSpace RaidersStar BlazerAlien TyphoonMaze
Nice, thank you! I can't remember if the firmware itself was relocated; if it's in the same byte range we may be able to over write it. I'll have a look!
Edit: I did a quick hack to insert the new firmware into that ROM, have not tested it yet, but I'll post it if it works.
You're welcome. As they say, "From our table to your table! "
:D
I overwrote the image you provided, substituting 0000-03FF of the newer .po file with the latest firmware. Perpaps lazy, but it works in an emulator at the moment.
However, can you double check the .po file? This one appears to be A2Desktop (which should be included in my other image, for what it is worth), but if you have the other image, it's a great list of games and it should be able to be "upgraded" the same way.
Oh, sorry, I downloaded the wrong file. This is the right file....
That first firmware we usually use for Apple //gs. You can add it to your GitHub too.
Very much appreciated, thank you!!
Saves me the trouble of building and testing thst myself!