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GS/OS Quad Boot



This was originally posted on comp.sys.apple2.marketplace in response to a
question, but I thought it really belongs here.

==============
GS/OS Quad Boot
==============

By Joel Buckley 11/7/2002

In an earlier post I described my quadruple boot.
Technically, you could call it a sextuple boot.

Startup Menu
0-exit to BASIC
1-run Copy II Plus
2-boot slot 6 (5.25 drive)
3-boot slot 5 (3.5 drive)
4-boot GSOS 4
5-boot GSOS 5.04
6-boot GSOS 6.01

Why all the choices?
Some software won't run off the hard disk-hence the floppy boot choices.
Some old GSOS programs don't work under System 6, hence the old GSOS
versions.

Since a couple of people have expressed interest, I present it here.

=============
THE PROGRAM

100  HOME
110 D$ =  CHR$ (4)
120  PRINT D$"PR#3"
130  PRINT "Startup Menu 12/08/2001"
200  PRINT "0-exit to BASIC"
210  PRINT "1-run Copy II Plus"
220  PRINT "2-boot slot 6 (5.25 floppy drive)"
230  PRINT "3-boot slot 5 (3.5 floppy drive)"
240  PRINT "4-boot GS/OS 4"
250  PRINT "5-boot GS/OS 5.04"
260  PRINT "6-boot GS/OS 6.01"
300  VTAB 20: HTAB 5
310  PRINT "Select: "; CHR$ (7);
320  GET A$: IF A$ < "0" OR A$ > "6" THEN 300
330 A =  VAL (A$): PRINT A$
340  ON A + 1 GOTO 900,1000,2000,3000,4000,5000,6000
890 :
900  REM  exit to BASIC
910  END
990 :
1000  REM  run Copy II Plus
1010  PRINT D$"-disk/copy2/util.system"
1020  END
1990 :
2000  REM  boot slot 6 (5.25" floppy drive)
2010  PRINT D$"PR#6"
2020  END
2990 :
3000  REM  boot slot 5 (3.5" floppy drive)
3010  PRINT D$"PR#5"
3020  END
3990 :
4000  REM  boot GS/OS 4
4010 S$ = "4"
4020  GOTO 6100
4900 :
5000  REM  boot GS/OS 5.04
5010 S$ = "5"
5020  GOTO 6100
5900 :
6000  REM  boot GS/OS 6.01
6010 S$ = "6"
6090 :
6100  PRINT D$"open version"
6110  PRINT D$"read version"
6120  INPUT V$
6130  PRINT D$"close"
6140  IF V$ = S$ THEN 6400
6150  PRINT D$"rename system, system"V$
6160  PRINT D$"rename system"S$", system"
6170  PRINT D$"rename icons, icons"V$
6180  PRINT D$"rename icons"S$", icons"
6190  PRINT D$"rename basic.launcher, basic.l"V$
6200  PRINT D$"rename basic.l"S$", basic.launcher"
6210  PRINT D$"rename basic.system, basic.s"V$
6220  PRINT D$"rename basic.s"S$", basic.system"
6230  PRINT D$"rename boot.gs, boot.g"V$
6240  PRINT D$"rename boot.g"S$", boot.gs"
6300  PRINT D$"open version"
6310  PRINT D$"write version"
6320  PRINT S$
6330  PRINT D$"close"
6390 :
6400  PRINT D$"-BOOT.GS"
6410  END

=============
SETTING IT UP


Besides the menu program, you have to install the three different versions
of GS/OS and rename them.

Don't install the Basic startup menu program until you've set-up all the
other files.

Let's assume you have GS/OS System 6.01 installed.
The file in the root directory named PRODOS is actually a GSOS loader.
The real PRODOS8 version is named P8 and sits in the System folder.
Rename PRODOS as BOOT.G6.
Copy P8 to the root directory (copy, not move) and rename it PRODOS.

After boot, PRODOS8 will run the first file ending in.SYSTEM in the root
directory.
This is usually BASIC.SYSTEM.
BASIC.SYSTEM will run an Applesoft program named STARTUP in the root
directory.

Rename ICONS as ICONS6
Rename SYSTEM folder as SYSTEM6.
Rename BASIC.SYSTEM as BASIC.S6
Create a text file and name it BASIC.L6

Get out your GS/OS System 4 Install disks and run them.
When you are done, boot ProDOS8 off a floppy

Rename PRODOS as BOOT.G4
Rename ICONS folder as ICONS4
Rename SYSTEM folder as SYSTEM4
Rename BASIC.SYSTEM as BASIC.S4
Rename BASIC.LAUNCHER as BASIC.L4

Get out your GS/OS System 5 Install disks and run them.
When you are done, boot ProDOS8 off a floppy

Rename PRODOS as BOOT.G5
Rename ICONS folder as ICONS5
Rename SYSTEM folder as SYSTEM5
Rename BASIC.SYSTEM as BASIC.S5
Rename BASIC.LAUNCHER as BASIC.L5

When you are done, boot ProDOS8 off a floppy
Copy P8 from SYSTEM6/P8 to the root directory and rename it PRODOS.

Create a text file named version with contents of "6"

Rename BOOT.G6 as BOOT.GS
Rename BASIC.S6 as BASIC.SYSTEM
Rename BASIC.L6 as BASIC.LAUNCHER
Rename ICONS6 as ICONS
Rename SYSTEM6 as SYSTEM

Save the STARTUP program.

Whew!, You should be done.


============
EXPLANATION

The program is actually pretty simple.

If we want to stay in ProDOS8 we just exit.
Or add your favorite ProDOS8 programs to the menu.

Booting off floppies is straightforward.

Managing 3 versions of GSOS is a little more complicated.

We check the version number.
If it hasn't changed we just run BOOT.GS.
If it has changed, we rename all the standard files to .v files (where 'v'
is the current version.
Then we rename all the .s files to standard filenames (where 's' is the
newly selected version.
We update Version.
We run BOOT.GS.

Example:
If we select 6, first we check to see which version of GS/OS is active.
If its 6, we just run it with -BOOT.GS

If it was 5, first we rename BOOT.GS to BOOT.G5
Then we rename BOOT.G6 to BOOT.GS.
And so on with BASIC.SYSTEM, BASIC.LAUNCHER, ICONS, SYSTEM.
Then we change VERSION to 6.

Then we run it with -BOOT.GS.

=================
ADDITIONAL NOTES

If I remember correctly, System 4 (and maybe System 5) may not recognize
more than 2 hard drive partitions.
So, if you want to run old stuff off the hard drive, you must place it
there.

You may find a lot of the old stuff won't run off a hard drive.

Also, you should set your preferences on system 4 and system 6 to NOT save
finder information on disk. Otherwise, System 6 finder settings (like folder
colors) will be lost.

If the menu program ever gets interrupted, you will have to manually rename
the files and change VERSION to a known state.

System 4+5 used a program called BASIC.LAUNCHER. System 6 doesn't.
We just create a text file called BASIC.L6 to keep the renaming process the
same. This file is never used, only renamed.

I have a pretty large collection of software for the GS.
Much of it predates System 6.
Ssome of it doesn't work properly under System 6.
This setup let's me still use my hard disk with the earlier version
software.