Re: What is/does the driver A2.RAMCard do and why incompatiable with PCT

[dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

Randy Shackelford <shack@deimos.frii.com> wrote:

> In article <32d1dff0.0@duster.adelaide.on.net>,
> David Goble <goble@kigateway.eastend.com.au> wrote:
> 
> >     What does the driver A2.RAMCard do and why is it incompatiable with
> >the PcTransporter as a RAM disk, after setting up the PCT drivers in
> >the prodos file?
> 
> It's the supplied GS/OS device driver for slinky RAM cards, to access 'em as
> RAM disks. I would figure it takes a real slinky type card, so a PCT wouldn't
> qualify.

The PC Transporter is compatible with slinky cards at the hardware
level, and also at the firmware level if the drivers patched into the
PRODOS file are present.

However, the A2.RAMCARD driver doesn't work properly.  I haven't tried
it for a while, but from memory it doesn't read the directory correctly
when you use it after the first boot, and thinks you've inserted two
disks called /RAMAEPC.

It works fine on subsequent boots - it is only the initial boot (in
which the driver installed) that has a problem.  I suspect the PCT
hardware has been left in an unusual state by the driver installation,
and it takes one read cycle by the A2.RAMCARD driver before it gets back
into sync again.

> If you mean setting up drivers in a patched copy of the ProDOS 8
> SYS file like I think you mean, that would have no effect in GS/OS.

The driver is patched into the file called PRODOS, whether it is
ProDOS-8 or the first file in the GS/OS boot sequence.  (It installs the
driver firmware into the PCT, then resumes execution of the original
code.)

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand