Enhanced Ram disk driver

[gids.rs@sasktel.net]

The Perfect Ramdisk

Problem:
On the IIe, I have no 3.5" drives, a cffa card and 1 Mb Ramworks III
On the IIc+, I have only one 3.5" drive and a 1 Mb ZRAM.
On the Laser 128EX, I have only one 3.5" drive and 1 Mb expansion RAM.
With some Ram disk drivers, you lose slot #5 functionality.  On the Laser 128EX, a switch on the bottom of the computer is switched from external port to internal port to use the Ram disk.
I wanted to have access to all my commands, but still have access to my 3.5 " drives
I also needed the Auxiliary RAM to be free.

Thus, an advanced Ram disk driver was born.  The driver replaces the slot #3 drive #2 /RAM driver.  And more importantly, Auxiliary RAM is freed up for software use.  Yes, that is correct.  Auxiliary RAM is not used as part of the Ram disk but only holds the driver so the /Ram does not have to be disconnected for software to use Aux Ram.

The installer for the Ram disk driver will recognize RamWorks, ZRAM, IIGS RAM and the Laser 128EX RAM and install the necessary driver.  The IIGS also has its own driver and the user will not have to switch on the RAM disk in the control panel, although precautions should be given when using GSOS as memory usage could overlap and destroy the Ram disk.

I have not played with the smartport much yet, but I believe when slot #5 is switched to Ram disk or internal port, you lose smartport functionality.  With this Ramdisk driver, that should no longer be so.  And this driver does not use slot #5 drive #2.  It uses slot #3 drive #2.

Reference: Sandy Mossberg's article in Nibble explaining Ram disks.


Rob