[Coco] CoCoNet before Xmas

[Roger Taylor]

At 09:09 AM 11/27/2009, you wrote:
> >
>On powerup, once the drive types have been chosen and mounted for 
>0-3, each drive will be scanned for an AUTOBOOT.BAS program, with 
>the first one found being RUN automatically.
>You could have an AUTOBOOT program on your PC, the web, the Drive 
>Pak, and real disk drive.  It doesn't have to be the same program code.
>
>Telnet is also handled by the CoCoNet server and using the right 
>CoCo client software, you could connect to a remote Telnet server 
>from BASIC or OS-9.
>Again, if you can auto boot, it means you can do anything CoCoNet 
>can do right after power-up.
>
>-- ~ Roger Taylor
> >
>
>Sounds incredible Roger. Is it possible to have the server change 
>disk images without interaction from the CoCo? Specifically it would 
>be useful for multi-disk programs (games like Sinistaar in 
>particular)  if you could just select the proper image server-side 
>when the game tells you to "Insert disk # and press Enter to 
>continue.". Perhaps use a swapfile.dsk which is just a copy of the 
>appropriate image... optionally re-writing back over the original to 
>save changes to the disk.
>
>Cheers and happy Thanksgiving!
>
>Bob


The console version of the server maintains the initial mounted disks 
using the .ini file, so you'd have to close the server, edit the 
file, and restart the server in order to change the images from the 
PC.  The CoCo can change the images at any time by using the DRIVE 
#,path type commands.

Using the GUI version of the server, you can click on the 5.25" disk 
drives and the door handle will rotate open, a file browser dialog 
appears, click on a disk image file, the drive door handle shuts, and 
it's mounted.  The sound effects match those of a real 5.25" drive 
being fiddled with, even the Track 0 Seek stepping.  I could go 
further and make the drives make the track stepping noise all the 
time (by using on-the-fly WAV file creation) but then I'd have to put 
some dust on the drives, maybe some fried chicken finger prints and 
post-it notes as well to get the full effect.  :)  I think I'll just 
keep it like it is and put in the Sound Effects checkbox in case it 
gets annoying.

-- 
~ Roger Taylor