Hi all,
I'm not sure you guys are familiar with DOS.Master, but it is a program by Glen E. Bradon that allows DOS3.3 sectors to exist on a ProDos formatted Disk. This allows you to launch DOS 3.3 from ProDos, with it the ability to run DOS 3.3 software.
I've always wanted to be able to run IntBasic from ProDos, so this seemed like a reasonable middle ground. Have this DOS3.3 partition on my ProDos drive. Enter from ProDos, load IntBasic, use it, return to ProDos when done.
The PDF of the manual makes reference to a program known as LOAD INT. This supposedly loads Integer Basic into the language card. Clearly this program was designed to work with Integer Basic. However, none of the disk images online have this program, so I'm not sure how it worked.
When I bring over the LOADER.OBJ0 from DOS 3.3, it doesn't quite work. It will load IntBasic, when when I enter it, I end up getting memory related errors.
Does anyone have a copy of the original DOS.MASTER disk? Give it's unique structure(DOS 3.3 & PRODOS), it may be a good time to AppleSauce it because the images available online today aren't quite right. I'd really like to take a look at LOAD INT.
If you can't find this original program, an idea for an alternative would be appreciated.
Best,
Grimakis
It would take some serious coding to make it work because both ProDOS and INTBASIC use the 16k "language card" area. You'd need something to save ProDOS somewhere (like if you had a RAMWorks type card with system memor > 128k) and then restore it before you returned to it from DOS 3.3, or reload ProDOS from disk or something.
Give it some time ... I'm working on something quite similar to this.
I've already sorted out how to BRUN (from DOS) a single executable that will load the latest version of ProDOS (v2.4.2) on a 64K Apple II.
But once that is done, you can no longer read a DOS disk "conventionally". Copy ][ Plus version 8, located on the Latest ProDOS v2.4 release, allows transference of DOS programs to & from ProDOS and DOS Disks quite nicely, so between the two executables, you have good cross-platform control.
The challenge for me is being able to load BOTH programs from DOS, (not ProDOS) without bank-switching available memory. As most already know, ProDOS uses the Language card, so once ProDOS is loaded and the software hooks are in place, I have little choice but to load Copy ][ from disk or somewhere else.
I'll look into DOS Master & see what they came up with for a cross-platform interface.
FYI. The source for DOS Master is available on the disk itself.
Edit:
I'm a bit selfish myself. As I have a system with AUX memory, I'm not opposed to a solution that relocates the Language card portion of ProDos to the AUX memory. Also, I'm not certain how FUD returns to ProDos from DOS3.3 when using DOS Master.
These are questions above my pay-grade. I will attempt to learn the answer however.
I don't fully get it -- if you manage to swap/move the OS to a banked switched RAM the OS won't be available from within the interpreter whatever it is FP or INT BASIC. Is this what you want to do, e.g. to run the interpreter and some program under it but without a disk OS? As a good point of start I would advise you to use a second language card in another slot or a Saturn style RAM card that has several 16K banks which you can switch 'transparently" from the softwre that controls (and is aware only of) the language card in slot 0...
[quote=Casablanca]
I don't fully get it -- if you manage to swap/move the OS to a banked switched RAM the OS won't be available from within the interpreter whatever it is FP or INT BASIC. Is this what you want to do, e.g. to run the interpreter and some program under it but without a disk OS? As a good point of start I would advise you to use a second language card in another slot or a Saturn style RAM card that has several 16K banks which you can switch 'transparently" from the softwre that controls (and is aware only of) the language card in slot 0...
[/quote]
DOS Master hands off control to DOS 3.3. While in DOS 3.3, there would be no need to call ProDos for anything, as DOS3.3 is handling all disk activity. There you could use the Language Card space for Int Basic. Once you are done with IntBasic, you can leave restore ProDos, and give exit DosMaster
grimakis -- Yes, that's it exactly. It would take a LOT more work to actually make INTBASIC work directly with ProDOS.
I think you already have a solution with the MOVEDOS utility on the saturn RAM card diskette. Study pages 15-23 of the saturn ram card's manual. If you don't have such RAM card you can still reconfigure DOS to use a Language card/Firmware card in any other than number 0 slot where Integer BASIC can be present and within DOS you could switch both interpreters with the standard DOS FP and INT commands.