Re: How to boot 16k program?

[dalloff@gcfn.org (Dave Althoff)]

Mark Percival (mark.REMOVE.percival@videotron.ca) wrote:
: On Sat, 25 Sep 1999 00:12:40 GMT, cornelio@san.rr.com (L. Cornelio)
: wrote:

: >In article <7sg37q$bal@acme.freenet.columbus.oh.us>, dalloff@gcfn.org
: >(Dave Althoff) wrote:
: >>
: >>Could it be that this is a DOS 3.2 disk?  Grab your DOS 3.3 System Master
: >>and try brunning BOOT13 and see if you can start it that way.
: >
: >nope, it just crashed into the monitor.

: Louis,

: Another reason may be that the programs expects to find the integer
: ROM available at startup.  There are some routines (such as
: Programer's Aid #1) that are only available from there.  On a II (or
: II+ with the firmware switch set) you could boot slot 6 and still keep
: the integer ROMs intact.  I think that without actual integer ROMs
: (like integer loaded into the language card) it is difficult (if not
: impossible) to boot keeping these ROMS intact.  The booting process
: will always revert back to the onboard ROMs.

Now there's a good thought...

How about this...boot with a DOS 3.3 System Master, which will load
INTBASIC into the Language Card and write protect the card.  I think that
if you then go into Integer BASIC--

]INT
>CALL-151
*C600G

...you activate the Integer BASIC "ROM".  Not really ROM, but it might be
close enough.  Anyway, since the mere act of initiating a boot cycle
shouldn't affect the ROM switch (unless something in the boot process
does), that might let the thing start with something close to Integer
BASIC ROM. 

Sometimes it makes a difference whether you enter the Monitor from
Applesoft or from Integer BASIC.  For instance, if you enter the Monitor
from Integer BASIC and then issue the command...

*F666G
!

...you will find yourself in the Mini-Assembler.  Try that from Applesoft,
and it won't work.

: Another possibility is it may use undocumented 6502 opcoded that
: didn't make it to the 65c02.  I have seen a couple of programs that
: will only run with a 6502 installed.

Possible, but somehow I don't think that would keep the thing from booting.

Hmmmmmmmmm.

By the way, the big difference between DOS 3.2 (or DOS 3.2.1) and DOS 3.3
is that DOS 3.2(.1) uses 13-sector tracks while DOS 3.3 is 16-sector.  The
upgrade from DOS 3.2 to DOS 3.3 included a ROM swap, I believe in the disk
controller (I never dealt with DOS 3.2 and certainly never did a 16-sector
upgrade!) which is why the BOOT13 program was developed for DOS 3.3...to
allow DOS 3.2 programs to load.

Maybe the solution is to find an aging pirate and have him do a boot-trace
on the disk and figger out just what the heck is going on... 8-)

--Dave Althoff, ][.
-- 
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