[Coco] partial OS9 boot from hard drive (back on topic)

[Vern Burke]

Well, heaven knows I don't want to put anyone out by asking for help 
getting this to work, nor was I expecting free paid type support. I'm 
simply asking for someone who has done this before or knows more detail 
about the OS-9 boot process to either give me a brief rundown on the 
steps in the boot process so I can understand where this is going wrong 
or suggestions as to what it could be trying to load that I'm not aware 
of that would cause the machine to crash.

Anyone who doesn't want to answer, feel free to ignore me, everyone else 
  who has replied with suggestions, I'm grateful.

Vern


Mark Marlette wrote:
> Vern,
> 
> The files work. The details of getting a distribution setup. I do it all 
> the time and it can cause some problems in the process and the tool kit 
> required is a good one. My life on the coco is it. That is why I offer 
> the free installation on the drive. I have spent more time on these two 
> Email's than it takes to do the complete installation of the 
> distribution. I don't have the time to support a free OS. The SuperBoard 
> will require the same drivers for the SCSI/IDE.
> 
> Mark
> 
> 
> At 8/27/2005 09:00 PM, you wrote:
> 
>> Mark:
>>    It was just the controller (since I have/had a ton of SCSI hard 
>> drives hanging around on the shelf). Unfortunately, the recent 
>> disintegration of my business under extreme pressure and the loss of 
>> almost everything I've worked for for the last 12 years leaves me with 
>> no discretionary funds at the moment.
>>    I don't believe this is anything that hasn't been done before, but 
>> 99% of the question answer volume has been "buy something else", so 
>> I'll probably just end up re-shelving things.
>>    Regarding NitrOS-9, I was finally able to tease what appeared to be 
>> a good disk from the dsk file (now that I understand which 
>> distribution file is supposed to be what)(disk and files all readable 
>> from stock OS9)
>> however it totally refuses to boot (after DOS command, simply drops 
>> back to OK). The machine runs stock OS9 fine, has a 63C09E, and 
>> completely fails to run NitrOS9 (but runs the old Gale Force version 
>> I've still got hanging around on floppy).
>>    Maybe I'll bother pulling it back out when the SuperBoard comes 
>> around (yes, I've got an outstanding deposit on a SuperBoard from 
>> quite some time back).
>>
>> Vern
>>
>>
>> Mark Marlette wrote:
>>
>>> At 8/27/2005 08:50 AM, Vern Burke wrote:
>>> Vern,
>>> Don't recall if you bought a SCSI system or just the controller. The 
>>> TCC512 is no longer supported because it is replaced with SuperDriver.
>>> If you bought a drive from me then it has a nitros9 directory in the 
>>> root with the version you are running below it. Inside of that 
>>> directory is a script and bootlist directory that builds the boot 
>>> disks for you. If you didn't then you are probably finding out that 
>>> $25 isn't to bad for a drive and a free installation. :)
>>> If you have HDB-DOS then you will be able to boot directly from the 
>>> hard drive at powerup.
>>> Get to the current version of NitrOS-9,SuperDriver and HDB-DOS and 
>>> you will have no problems. If not enjoy the challenge.
>>> Regards,
>>> Mark
>>>
>>>
>>>> OS is OS9 L2, the SCSI controller is a TCCC/Cloud 9 unit. The driver 
>>>> is TCC512 and, yes, the working floppy boot contains the driver and 
>>>> /h0 description for the hard drive. I sometimes wish for the old 
>>>> days of my CoCo XT and the XT ROM.
>>>>
>>>> At the time I got mine, and as far as I know still, there is no 
>>>> provision to boot this combination without use of a floppy, or to 
>>>> load the boot track or os9boot from the hard drive.
>>>>
>>>> I certainly can just make the /dd descriptor the hard drive 
>>>> descriptor, the problem is that the boot will not finish with /dd 
>>>> set as working directory and /dd/cmds set as execution. The boot 
>>>> finshes up /d0 and /d0/cmds and it's a pain in the butt because I 
>>>> have to do a manual chd/chx to the hard drive.
>>>>
>>>> Vern
>>>>
>>>> Robert Gault wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Vern Burke wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Ok, we're straying way the heck off track here :). Lemme lay this 
>>>>>> out again:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> What I have to work with:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A working hard drive and SCSI controller with no support for 
>>>>>> booting directly from the hard drive.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Why no support? What SCSI controller and OS? Do you just mean that 
>>>>> you don't know how to set up OS-9 to boot from the hard drive or 
>>>>> that your SCSI OS can't boot from the hard drive?
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> A working OS9 boot floppy with /dd and /d0 as the floppy and /h0 
>>>>>> as the hard drive.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Does this working floppy contain a hard disk driver (hdisk) in the 
>>>>> os9boot file?
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> All the standard disk manipulation tools (ezgen/etc, ded)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> The goal:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Boot from floppy and finish with the hard drive as /dd, the 
>>>>>> working directory set to /dd, and the execution directory set to 
>>>>>> /dd/cmds.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Just change /dd so that it is the hard drive. There should be 
>>>>> substitute /dd modules on the NitrOS-9 80T disk or 40T disk 2 for 
>>>>> this purpose.
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I will not/can not:
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Rewrite BOOT or any other module (I can patch where required, not 
>>>>>> a programmer).
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Buy an RS-BASIC replacement.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> Meaning what? Again, what disk OS is in use with your hard drive 
>>>>> system?
>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> How do I get there from here? :)
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Vern
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> -- 
>>>> Coco mailing list
>>>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>>>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
>>>
>>>
>>
>> -- 
>> Coco mailing list
>> Coco at maltedmedia.com
>> http://five.pairlist.net/mailman/listinfo/coco
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