[Coco] Rolling My Own Version Of the NitrOS-9 'OS9BOOT' File

[Kip Koon]

I’d like to get a 51 column version of NitrOS-9 running on XRoar, but so far
I have not been able to roll my own successful OS9BOOT file in VCC using
NitrOS-9 Level 2 a while back.  Now to be fair I’m writing this email before
I try rolling a custom version of NitrOS-9 Level 1 in XRoar.  I do have
default configurations successfully booting in both VCC and XRoar now as
mentioned in another email.  I use to ‘config’ my own versions of both OS-9
Level 1 & Level 2 decades ago, but I know that the boot process has been
changed.  I even had 4 fully functional half-height 5 ¼” Double sided 40trk
and 80trk drives, 2 of each,  running in a very robust off-white metal
enclosure that I had bought with 2 full height (3” tall) 5 ¼” floppy drives
already installed and running.  It has two DB25 connectors on the back to
interface to the disk controller.  I wanted four  5 ¼” floppy drives online,
so I had to go through several floppy drives, floppy disk controllers plus
customized cables and various OS9BOOT file configurations until I finally
arrived at the sweet hardware and software configuration I wanted.  It took
quite a while since back then I was mostly by myself figuring all this out.
Yes, I had and still have the four floppy drives still mounted in that
cabinet along with all those floppy disk controllers from Disto and others.
I believe the Disto controller was the one that actually made available all
four drive selects so I could accomplish all this.  I will be getting this
setup running again along with replacing my old MFM 8-bit Winchester Hard
Drive Controller Card Coco Cartridge from ‘Burke and Burke’ with the
SuperIDE Hard Drive Controller Cartridge as I too have a boat-load of old 1,
2, 4, 6, and 8GB IDE hard drives laying in a box just waiting to be revived.
The thing I need to know is since I downloaded the NitrOS-9 documentation a
couple of years ago, has the documentation been updated with all the changes
that have taken place since then including all the very recent changes?  I
have not looked at the docs since then, so I’d like to know which file in
the NitrOS-9 Documentation should I read to thoroughly understand ALL the
requirements of the OS9BOOT file as NitrOS-9 requires it to be setup and
which commands to use to actually create the OS9BOOT file.  I’ve heard of
cobbler, but I don’t understand it yet.  I also remember seeing two script
files that can be copied and modified to create a custom boot configuration,
but what are the actual commands to do the job, or should I go back to
experimenting with the scripts until I get the sweet configuration I need.
I know that things have to end up on or close to an 8KB boundary, and if
things spill over, then the next 8KB block is used as well.  Recently
someone provided an excellent explanation of the boot requirements and the
proper construction of the OS9BOOT file which I will look for and review.
Please excuse and overlook the long email, but I wanted you all to know my
exact needs and desired configuration.  After I am successful with the 51
column version of NitrOS-9 6809 Level 1 v03.02.09, I will be setting up
identical hardware for my Coco 3 using NirOS-9 6809 Level 2 v03.02.09.
Later I will even play with OS-9 Level 3!  Big plans I know, but I have
always thought big anyway.  Just wait ‘til I get my Cocos upgraded with
6309s
  J  

Kip