Re: 1 meg expander

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

In article <1995Dec18.035813.5136@lafn.org>,
leroy humphries <ae198@lafn.org> wrote:
> 
> I just got this and I need to know this. If I copy my terminal program to 
> it using Copy 2 Plus, how can I quit the disk drive and  go to my 
> expander card which I have in slot 5.

Do you actually want to _boot_ from the memory expansion card?  If
not, you should have already done everything necessary.

Here are the steps needed to set up a memory expansion card to be
bootable.

1. Boot a ProDOS system disk, and get into any utility program that
   supports formatting disks and copying files (Copy II+ would be fine).

2. Format (initialize) the RAM disk (/RAM5, probably, if the card is in
   slot 5).  This step is necessary to set up the "boot blocks" on the
   disk.

3. Copy the PRODOS file from a ProDOS-8 boot disk onto the RAM disk.

4. Copy the application program (SYS file) that you want to use, along
   with any other files it needs.

5. If you are using ProDOS-8 1.9 or earlier, make sure the application
   SYS file's name ends with ".SYSTEM" (e.g. BASIC.SYSTEM,
   APLWORKS.SYSTEM, PROTERM.SYSTEM, etc.)  This is necessary to ensure
   that ProDOS will run this program.  If it cannot find a SYS file with
   a name ending with .SYSTEM, ProDOS will stop during the boot process.

   This isn't so important with ProDOS-8 2.0 and later.  If they cannot
   find a startup application, they will go to the program selector, and
   you can pick it from the menu.  You should still rename the file
   (if necessary) if you want it to auto-boot straight into the program.

6. Quit from the copy program, and get into BASIC.

7. Type PR#5 and press return.  This will boot from the RAM disk.


In practice, you should not need to set up the RAM disk as a bootable
disk.  All you really need to do is to copy the application onto the
RAM disk, then quit to your program selector, get to the right disk and
choose the program from the menu.  You can just boot off floppy.

If you don't have a program selector, get one!  My QUITTER.SYSTEM is
freeware and should be fine for your application (you could even copy
QUITTER.SYSTEM as the first file on the RAM disk and use it to select
the application to run).  QUITTER.SYSTEM is mainly a front-end for my
improved version of BIRD'S BETTER BYE, which was written by Alan Bird
of Beagle Bros.

ProDOS-8 1.9 and later include a simple program selector that works on
an 80-column IIe or a IIc/IIgs.  Earlier versions of ProDOS just give
you a couple of screens asking you to type in a prefix and application
name.  Note that ProDOS-8 2.0 and later require an enhanced IIe (or a
IIc/IIgs).

QUITTER.SYSTEM will also work on 40-column machines.
-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand