[Coco] VCC, NitrOS-9 and "/P"

[Robert Gault]

Stephen H. Fischer wrote:
> Hi,
>
> The VCC emulator has support for the bitbanger printer port.
>
> ChangeLog
> Version 1.42 08/13/2010
> Updated documentation.
> Added Monitor Console for BitBanger Output.
>
> The supplied NitrOS-9 "Preinstalled Hard disk image Nitros9 Ver 3.2.8"
> does not have the "/P" and "PRINTER" modules.
>
> I am trying to keep my "OS-9 Multicolumn Printing software" project
> under control but I have run into trouble with several items including
> "/P".
>
><snip>
>
> I want to test it's output to "/P" and have loaded the modules from my
> old boot disk but a 207 error occurred with "OS9:ECHO This is a test >/P".
>
> How can I do this?
>
> TIA.
>
> SHF
>

Stephen,
You are leaving out of your message the most important part. :) How did you, 
"... have loaded the modules from my old boot disk."

In most cases, you can't just load modules required by the system to be in 
os9boot. You need to add them to the os9boot file. It is also important to use 
modules from the same OS-9 version if they closely interact with the system.

You will need to get P and Printer from the 6309 NitrOS-9 3.2.8 distribution 
disk and add these to the os9boot file on the VCC .vhd drive.
Obtaining the modules is easy. The VCC .vhd drive has the boot disk on drive 
#255. You need to merge P and Printer onto os9boot so that it does not fragment. 
Then you need to run LINK.BAS to inform NitrOS-9 of the new os9boot file length.
This process has been made more complex than necessary as NitrOS-9 has changed 
the names of these modules and vc6809 (VCC author) has changed the format of my 
original .vhd disk.

The VCC .vhd disk has installed on it a NitrOS-9 directory that contains the 
needed modules in the SCF sub-directory. The modules are labeled p_scbbp.dd and 
scbbp.dr which are respectively the P and Printer for the bitbannger port.
Mount a clean disk in drive #0. BACKUP255TO0 under Basic. Boot NitrOS-9 from 
drive #255,  DOS255. Make a temporary directory on the hard drive (TMP) and 
merge /d0/os9boot p_scbbp.dd scbbp.dr > TMP/os9boot . Now
del /d0/os9boot
copy TMP/os9boot /d0/os9boot
You can figure out which directories to change to so that the minimum number of 
full path names are needed.
Now move the floppy to the .vhd drive but NOT to drive #255. For example,
BACKUP0TO200
The program LINK.BAS is on drive #254.
RUN"LINK:254
Indicate that the drive to use is where you put the new boot disk, in this 
example 200. Now if the boot disk is good, you will boot into NitrOS-9 with 
DOS200 and should see p and scbbp as modules with mdir.

If the new boot disk works and you want to save space on the .vhd drive,
BACKUP200TO255 : RUN"LINK:254
Indicate drive #255 is the boot drive and then after testing DOS255 you can 
DSKINI200.
Alternatively leave the boot disk where it is and DSKINI255.

VCC should then send anything sent to /p to a PC file. You must mount that file 
from the VCC menu.