Re: Apple IIgs Rom 0

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

Jeff Blakeney <CUTjefbla@bconnex.net> wrote:

> On Sat, 7 Nov 1998 02:27:53 +1300, dempson@actrix.gen.nz (David
> Empson) wrote:
> 
> >There is a IIgs technical note that summarises the changes between ROM 0
> >and ROM 1, confusingly referring to the latter as "ROM 2.0".
> 
> No less confusing than the version numbers for the Operating System.

I disagree.  The ROM version numbers were publically referred to using
two different numbers: ROM 01 and ROM 2.0, depending on what you were
reading.

The system software and operating system version numbers have always
been distinct.  The ProDOS-16 or GS/OS version is defined as the version
number of the core native operating system, not including any other
software on the disk (drivers, FSTs, toolsets, ProDOS-8, Finder, etc.),
most of which also have their own version numbers.

The System Software version is the version number of the entire
collection of software.

The catch is that prior to System 6.0, it was difficult to tell what the
system software version was, but easy enough to spot the GS/OS or
ProDOS-16 version (if you knew where to look in the case of GS/OS).

> System 4.0 can also be referred to as GS/OS v1.0 (I think that's when
> it started) so that means that everyone who is using System 6.0.1
> right now is actually using GS/OS v3.0.1.  :-)

Not exactly.  System 1.0 includes ProDOS 16 1.0.  After that, the
operating system version increased with nearly every system software
release, but not in sync with it.

System 4.0 includes GS/OS 2.0.  (Anything with a 1.x version is
ProDOS-16.)

System 6.0.1 includes GS/OS 4.02.

I have an AppleWorks spreadsheet I created which lists the version
number of all the major system software components (toolsets, operating
systems, BASIC.SYSTEM, Finder/Desktop, Launcher).  I didn't bother doing
all the drivers, since they are rarely found separately from the version
of system software with which they were released.  I posted this
spreadsheet to comp.binaries.apple2 a few years ago, so I imagine it
made its way onto some archives.

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