[Coco] Re: OS-9 as Replacement for DECB.

[Bob Devries]

Ahah!! Here's where the Aussie coco3 shines. The ROM in our coco3 *IS*
socketted.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Robert Gault" <robert.gault at worldnet.att.net>
To: "CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts" <coco at maltedmedia.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 30, 2005 10:41 PM
Subject: Re: [Coco] Re: OS-9 as Replacement for DECB.


> Stephen H. Fischer wrote:
> > Hi,
> >
> > I have been thinking about this a little more.
> >
> > The first Target:
> >
> > A new rom that is installed into a "normal CoCo 3" in place of the
> > original.
>
> Possible but problematic as the Coco3 ROM is not socketed while the disk
> cart ROM is. Removal of the Coco3 ROM and replacement with a socketed
> EPROM is not a job for the untrained or timid user. Complete destruction
> of the Coco3 is a likely outcome. Who is going to program your EPROM and
> do the soldering?
>
> If you are referring only to the disk ROM, there is nowhere near enough
> room for a self contained OS-9.
>
> >
> > Plug the CoCo into the Wall and connect a monitor.
> >
> > Turning power on the exact same messages are displayed and it is not
> > possible to determine that anything has changed, but OS-9 is running.
>
> You want Extended Color Basic displayed even though it no longer exists
> on the Coco? That does not make any sense unless you want to confuse the
> user.
>
> >
> > Plug in a game and it runs just as before. Remember, the rom is
available
> > and will get control after the 3 wise men are displayed so control can
be
> > given to a game completely.
>
> If by this you mean a game cart. for a Basic or ml. game, it might work
> but only if the game is completely self contained and does not expect
> the presence of the Coco3 ROM.
>
> >
> > No learning of OS-9 is necessary.
>
> Please explain how the exchange of a ROM will teach you OS-9. Do you
> mean that it is no longer needed to learn how to create a bootable OS-9
> disk? The latter is true but you would lose the ability to customize
> OS-9 disks with individualized os9boot files, unless only the contents
> of track 34 are ROMed.
>
> >
> > Now this is a goal that may not be reached, but it is the starting
target.
>
> Some of it unrealistic as requested.
>
> >
> > I have not played with RGBdos and I do not know if it can be turned into
a
> > OS-9 Shell.
>
> As stated in another thread, both RGBDOS and HDBDOS will automatically
> run an AUTOEXEC.BAS file from a hard drive on power up or a hard RESET.
> If the AUTOEXEC.BAS is programmed to use the DOS command on a Disk Basic
> partition of the hard drive containing an OS-9 boot disk, then the net
> result will be exactly what you want from changing the ROM. However,
> there would be much more flexibility, no os9boot size constraint, and
> Disk Basic would still be present for 100% compatibility with any
> program requiring it.
>
> >
> > Can someone knowledgeable tell me more and think about what is needed in
> > OS-9 to run on a diskless system. I consider 2 Meg Memory as a
requirement
> > so a ram disk can be used.
>
> Not good enough because the RAM will be wiped clean at power off. You
> will need something like a flash card that would be semi-permanent or a
> hard drive. You still need a method of populating the semi-permanent
> memory which means a disk somewhere.
>
> >
> > Stephen H. Fischer
>
> Why this burning desire for a disk less system? There are no advantages
> and many disadvantages to such a system. If you hate floppies, use a
> hard drive system with an RS-232 pak.
>
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