[Coco] NitrOS-9 beginner

[K. Pruitt]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Hermanek"
Sent: Friday, July 03, 2015 9:47 AM
Subject: [Coco] NitrOS-9 beginner


>I still have not had the time to learn how to even boot OS-9.
>

You boot in to OS-9 by typing DOS with an OS-9 bootable disk in drive 0.


> Posts here indicate that at this point in the game, it would be better to 
> use NitrOS-9 instead of some kind of vintage OS-9 L2 disks.
>

NitrOS-9 is faster, smoother, more reliable and actively supported by some 
very talented programmers. But there is nothing stopping you from learning 
on stock OS-9 level 2 with the Complete Rainbow Guide as your guide and then 
switching over to NitrOS-9. There are only minor difference in some of the 
command options between OS-9 and NitrOS-9 so honestly you could use the 
Rainbow Guide with NitrOS-9 and 99.9% of everything is going to be the same.


> I have the "Complete Rainbow Guide to OS-9 Level II" sitting here and I 
> have an idea of stepping through the books nice and slow and perhaps 
> learning something.
>
> That being said:  I am confused by how/where to get "standard" or 
> "un-customized" disk images.  Also, I find there are 40 track disks, but I 
> do not have a 40-track capable system.
>

Are you sure your 35 track disk is not 40 track compatable? I never had an 
issue running my single-sided 35 track disk system with 40 track disks.

The freshest builds are always available at:

http://nitros9.sourceforge.net/latest/

I usually use the images called

nos96809l2v030300coco3_40d_1.dsk

and

nos96809l2v030300coco3_40d_2.dsk

> So:  Assuming I have the rainbow guide in my hand, a 512K coco 3 with a 
> single 35 track drive, and a free hour on the weekend, how should I 
> proceed?  Does someone keep "reference" .DSK image(s) for OS-9?  If so, 
> and again assuming they are 35 track, I could take .DSK files, and get 
> them restored onto real floppies via HDB-DOS and drivewire with little 
> trouble.  I guess I just don't know which .DSK image to start with...
>
> Thanks
> -RobertH
>
>

Is your lone drive a single or double sided drive? With that information we 
can help you select the best disk image for your system, or make you one 
that suits your system.