[Coco] OS-9 Floppy / Printer configuration?

[Gene Heskett]

On Sunday, July 25, 2010 11:28:42 pm Chad H did opine:

> Ok, I've only slightly tinkered with OS-9 slightly over the years.  I
> usually only load it because an application or game requires it.  I'm
> trying to learn a bit more about it so I can make better use of it.
> 
> Here's the issue I'm working on right now: trying to configure it to
> take advantage of the printer and floppy drive setup I have attached. 
> I have a FD-502 with dual 5.25 double-sided 360k drives with a modified
> RS-DOS EPROM that allows the top unit to be drives 0/1 and the bottom
> 2/3.  How do I configure OS-9 to take advantage of the other sides of
> the drives, either as /d2, /d3, etc. or by making /d0 and /d1
> double-sided devices.   Also, a person on this list was gracious enough
> to sell me a serial-to-parallel converter that allows me to print to a
> old HP DeskJet 540 printer rather well.  I've coded some RS-DOS BASIC
> programs to work properly with it (i.e. setting 1200baud and CRLF) but
> is there a way to set such parameters in OS/9?  If memory serves, the
> printer is /P device, right?  I've seen a couple of OS-9 applications
> allow the setting of the baud rate inside the application setup, but
> not much other settings.   Only way I could get these to printt down a
> page instead of all text on the first line was to run a RS-DOS BASIC
> initialization program to initialize the printer and then go into the
> OS-9 apps and print.

When running os9, there is a utility called xmode that will allow you to 
control those sorts of things. 
> 
> 
>  I know there are more advanced things out there now for the CoCo.  I
> find the idea of using SD card for storage fascinating.  However, I got
> into the world of computers and programming on this very CoCo 2 when I
> was 14 and I'm trying to remain true to its original character.  Some
> of what I once had learned years ago I've forgotten and I'm slowly
> trying to relearn all I can and then some.
> 
> 
> 
> P.S. I have the original OS-9 level 1 rev. 1.0.0.  Wish I could find a
> later revision.  I know the DeskMate diskette I have says level 1 rev.
> 2.0.0 but I think it's missing a lot of the OS-9 files.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks for any help.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> --
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> Coco at maltedmedia.com
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-- 
Cheers, Gene
"There are four boxes to be used in defense of liberty:
 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
When I met th'POPE back in '58, I scrubbed him with a MILD SOAP or
DETERGENT for 15 minutes.  He seemed to enjoy it ...