Aztec C SHELLS - Unix-Like Environment for DOS 3.3 and ProDOS 8

["Bill Buckels" <bbuckels@mts.net>]

The Aztec C Shells for DOS 3.3 and ProDOS are now up for download from the 
following links:

Diskimages and text-docs only (very small)

http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/AppleShellDisks.zip

Diskimages and text-docs and fairly large 41 page scanned manual

http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/AppleShell.zip

Note: You do not need Aztec C to use these. And when you download these also 
included is a DOS 3.3 stripped-down version of Aztec C for compiling TINY 
Aztec C programs that run the DOS 3.3 SHELL.

Please see the ReadMe below and the Docs in the ZIP file for additional 
details. The SHELL commands for the ProDOS version are also described at the 
following link:

http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/cat2.htm

See the Shell Commands sections.

This was not a solo effort by any means. Phoenyx and Rubywand and Paul R. 
Santa-Maria provided most of the pieces of this perfectly enjoyable puzzle. 
If you have not yet experienced just how well-done James Goodnow's efforts 
in making the Apple II into a unix-like environment were back-in the day, 
you really must play with this surprisingly functional little disk set. Even 
if you are not a programmer.

ReadMe.txt for
AppleShell.zip
By Bill Buckels Aug 2008

This ZIP file contains diskimages and documentation for 2 versions of the 
Aztec C SHELL for the Apple II; a ProDOS 8 Version and a DOS 3.3 version.

Some additional utilities are included with both versions and an Aztec C 
native mode compiler environment is included on the diskimages for the DOS 
3.3 version.

I am not going into exhaustive detail about the use of the SHELL. For the 
DOS 3.3 version; see the text file D33Shell.txt and for the ProDOS version 
see SHELL65A.PDF also in this ZIP file.

I have written and compiled a couple of filter programs and a "hello world" 
program for use with each shell. The source code is identical, however the 
executables are targeted at their particular SHELL. The programs targeted at 
the DOS 3.3 shell are very tiny. Neither the ProDOS nor the DOS 3.3 sample 
programs will run properly outside their intended SHELL since both 
environments are SHELL version and OS version specific and all accept commad 
line arguments. The filter programs will also accept redirected input and 
output and do file input.

These sample programs are compiled to PCODE (pseudo-code) and run somewhat 
slower than native code, but with the availbility of emulators and 
accelerators that increase execution speed over what was then available, 
their performance is passingly acceptable.

The ProDOS samples were compiled in the CG65 cross-development environment, 
and the DOS 3.3 samples were compiled on the diskimage provided in this ZIP 
file using the native mode compiler also provided on the diskimage in this 
ZIP file. To my knowledge, no cross-development environment exists for the 
DOS 3.3 Aztec C SHELL.

These diskimages and the other contents of this ZIP file were produced as a 
mini-project of sorts to explore the use of both SHELL programs which 
provide a decidedly unix-like flavour to the Apple II.

Not only are many of the unix commands supported, but also each SHELL has 
its own unique strengths, a couple which I will mention now.

The ProDOS SHELL.SYSTEM uses paths to navigate, and further the SHELL has a 
resident and transient portion that is similar to what one would have 
expected back in the MS-DOS days of TSR programs. If you don't know about 
those, suffice to say that the ProDOS SHELL unloads itself to run external 
programs and relaods itself when done (in most cases). Another important 
feature of the ProDOS SHELL.SYSTEM is that since it can be copied to the RAM 
disk on an Apple //e it will load itself back-in from RAM leaving the 2 disk 
drives open for program and data disks.

The DOS 3.3 shell tackles efficient use of the limited resources on an Apple 
II by supporting very tiny PCODE programs.

I have configured both SHELL programs to run in 80 column mode.

Please read each's respective documentation for additional details.

And please remember that like unix, these SHELL programs are case- sensitive 
and expect lower-case for their internal commands. SHELL scipting is also 
supported in both and a surpring myriad of additional features considering 
the relative size of these and the small memory footprint of the Apple II.

End of Document