Re: IIgs RAM drive question

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

ground.ecn AppleII Librarian <apple2pd@ground.ecn.uiowa.edu> wrote:

> In article <830j89$isg$1@nnrp1.deja.com>,  <paulrsm@my-deja.com> wrote:
> >How do I set up a RAM drive on a IIgs running ProDOS 8?
> >
> >I just got a ROM 01 IIgs with Apple's 1MB memory card (1.25MB total RAM) and
> >an 800K floppy drive.  I plan to use it as a faster Apple IIe with ProDOS 8
> >and not GS/OS.       I went into the control panel and told the IIgs to use a 800K
> >RAM drive, but I only get the little IIe Auxmem RAM drive when using ProDOS
> >1.4, 1.8, 1.9, or 2.0.3.
> >
> >I am an Apple IIe expert but an Apple IIgs ignoramus.  What am I missing?
> 
> The GS/OS ramdrive is only for GS/OS.  ProDOS can't access it.

Pardon?

The IIgs RAM disk (/RAM5) is accessible through the SmartPort firmware
in slot 5, which makes it perfectly usable under ProDOS-8.  You can even
boot from it if you set it up correctly.  Assuming you have a 3.5" drive
connected, /RAM5 will be S5,D2.

GS/OS has a RAMDisk driver which significantly increases the speed at
which GS/OS can access /RAM5.  It is exactly the same volume that can be
accessed through the firmware.

If you have slot 5 set to "Your Card" in the control panel, then GS/OS
will still be able to access the RAM disk through its disk-based driver,
but ProDOS-8 won't be able to access it.


There is a second RAM disk which is provided by ProDOS-8 itself in
auxiliary memory (S3,D2), called "/RAM".  This RAM disk cannot be used
to boot ProDOS-8, and its contents is not preserved over restart.  It is
unavailable in GS/OS.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P O Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand