Re: ProDos questions.

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Dennis Jenkins writes ...
> 
> Hello,
>         I have a IIgs with both 5.25" drives and 3.5" drives.  I can boot from
> a 5.25" prodos floppy (v1.8.something?).  I wish to format a floppy in
> the 3.5" drive.  I do not know which "tool" or command to use.  I have
> reviewed the list of prodos commands that was posted to this newsgroup a
> few weeks ago.  None seem to fit (there is no "init" in prodos?)
 ....

     Right. There is no INIT for ProDOS.

     Besides using the standard ProDOS utilities to format a disk for ProDOS, you
can use any of the later versions of Copy II Plus (e.g. version 7.2).  This formats
each track and sets up a couple boot blocks and a directory block; and, you have a
named ProDOS volume.

     The disk can be used to store ProDOS files; but, it is still not bootable. To
have a disk which is bootable and can launch Applesoft BASIC programs, you would
usually copy the files PRODOS and BASIC.SYSTEM from some other ProDOS disk to the
newly formatted disk. If you want a BASIC program to be run automatically when
ProDOS is booted, the program should be named "STARTUP".

     For diskettes you want to be able to boot on 64k Apple II's, the best version
of ProDOS is 1.9 (along with the BASIC.SYSTEM on the same disk as the v1.9 PRODOS
file).  Version 2.0.3 is the latest ProDOS. It requires a 128k Apple II and lets
you access more volumes.

     There is more about ProDOS (and DOS 3.3) in the FAQs. See the DOS & ProDOS
page at http://home.swbell.net/rubywand/Csa2DOSMM.html .



Rubywand