Re: Creating Startup Disks?

[nathan@visi.com (Nathan Mates)]

In article <353D6CBB.7E11@ix.netcom.com>,
Bob and Linda Barrett  <blbarret@ix.netcom.com> wrote:
>However, I want to be able to create bootable program disks [...]
>According to the Apple II FAQ, I simply need to copy ProDOs and a
>Basic.system to the disk to make it work.  Unfortunately, it hasn't.
>It gets me into AppleSoft Basic, but then I can't seem to access the
>programs I have on the disk.

   What kinds of programs? If these are GS-Specific programs (GS/OS
Application or ProDOS 16 applications), then you can't run these from
ProDOS 8's Basic-- you'll have to make a minimal GS/OS boot disk (use
Apple's installer from System 6.x or manually copy files in System
5.x) to run them.

   The rules are different for ProDOS 8 'system' (filetype='SYS' in a
Basic 'CATALOG'), as well as Applesoft Basic and Binary files. If you
specify which programs these are or at least their filetypes (in the
Finder, do a 'Get Info'-- open apple-i), more targeted help can be
given.

>Accoring to the ProDos manual, ProDos also looks for some kind of
>"Startup" program as well. Do I have to create that? And how?

   To be fairly pedantic about the boot order, ProDOS 8 (what you're
using now on these disks if running Basic.System with it) looks for
the first ProDOS 8 System file with name ending in '.SYSTEM' to run in
the root directory. As you copied BASIC.SYSTEM to these disks, that's
what gets run after ProDOS loads. Basic.System looks for an Applesoft
Basic, Binary, or text file named 'Startup' in the same directory, and
if that's found, it runs it.

   This, if you've got a .SYSTEM file to run, place it (and any other
files if bundled together) on a disk with ProDOS and delete
Basic.System. That'll run that file. [And if you have a ProDOS 8
Application, but the name doesn't end in .SYSTEM, you can rename it to
have such a name.] If you have an Applesoft Basic, runnable binary
file (warning: not all binary files are designed to be run directly--
read the dox, or you might get something that crashes all the time),
or executable text file, then rename the main program 'STARTUP' and
put it on the disk with ProDOS and Basic.System.


>What if I have more than one program on the disk--how can I create a
>directory that allows students to choose the one they want?

   The Finder can create directories (==folders) to put things in, or
from the Applesoft Basic prompt, you can type "CREATE DIRNAME,TDIR"
(no "s, and replace 'DIRNAME' with whatever you want to call
it). However, what you seem to be asking for is a 'launcher' program
instead that allows users to pick programs and run them. 

   If using GS/OS system 6, by not installing the Finder to the disk--
a mini launcher appears between programs allowing people to pick
another program, but not mess with files. ProDOS 8 version 2.x has a
small semi-graphical SYS file launcher builtin-- type 'BYE' from Basic
to get to it, or boot a disk w/o any .SYSTEM files. For Applesoft or
the like, you might have to write up a small custom launcher
program. Here's a small sample written in Basic. Fill in program
descriptions and filenames as desired; security is minimal and the
called programs will need to be changed to quit "back" to this
program, but it's free.

5 TEXT:NORMAL:SPEED=255
10 HOME: PRINT "Choose a program:"
20 PRINT "A: Program #1"
30 PRINT "B: Program #2"
100 INPUT "Press letter next to name";A$
110 B$=LEFT$(A$,1);
120 IF B$>="a" B$=CHR$(ASC(B$)-32);
130 IF B$="A" PRINT CHR$(4)"-PROG1NAME"
140 IF B$="B" PRINT CHR$(4)"-PROG2NAME"

200 GOTO 10: REM If we got here, illegal key.

   Further info on Applesoft Basic or DOS Commands within Basic.System,
see http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/asoft.html and
http://www.visi.com/~nathan/a2/faq/dos.html

Nathan Mates
--
<*> Nathan Mates http://www.visi.com/~nathan/      <*>
# What are the facts? Again and again and again-- what are the _facts_?
# Shun wishful thinking, avoid opinion, care not what the neighbors
# think-- what are the facts, and to how many decimal places? -R.A. Heinlein