Re: dos 3.3

[dalthoff@capital.edu]

In article <19980917001543.08049.00000442@ng103.aol.com>,
  mikew50@aol.com (MikeW50) wrote:
>
> > where can i get a copy of dos 3.3?
>
> You can download a copy from several sources, including Apple's Web site. That
> leaves you with the problem of getting it from the computer you used for the
> download to an Apple II disk, though.

This brings up an interesting point, and reminds me of an experiment I tried
some time ago...

Consider that DOS 3.3 is entirely memory-resident, and that almost all Apple
]['s running today have 48k of base memory[Footnote 1].  So one could
technically *key in* DOS 3.3 to its final location.  Then, simply call the
DOS warmstart routine at $9DBF to get it hooked in, execute an FP command to
reset HIMEM:, and one would be off and running.  Just INIT a new disk, and
PRESTO! you have a bootable DOS 3.3 disk.

Of course, that is silly.  Who would want to *type in* 9k of hex code?

But this is an Apple.  Its system of I/O hooks provides a useful feature...

I began by booting DOS 3.3 on one machine and writing a short Applesoft
program which would create a hex dump of the upper portion of memory,
specifically $9D00-$BFFF, and store it as a text file.	Then, I got fancy.  I
connected two machines via null modem.	On one machine, I loaded up a
communications program (Kermit-65, I believe...).  The other machine, I
turned on and hit RESET.

The Super Serial Card (SSC) (along with most serial cards, and even the one
modem card I have used...a Hayes Micromodem ][e, actually) can be connected
with no comms software.  I issued an...

]IN#2

command to instruct the machine to accept input from the serial port.
Fortunately, the SSC does not lock out the local keyboard when you do this. 
But on a ][e, the keyboard changes from a flashing checkerboard to the more
traditional flashing block [Footnote 2], which tells you the input is coming
through the SSC firmware.  In fact, to verify this, I issued the next command
from the keyboard of the *other machine*, running a comm program in terminal
mode...


]CALL -151
*

Having dumped the "slave" machine into the Monitor, I proceeded to do a text
upload of the DOS 3.3 hex dump.  This file looked just like a Monitor dump
(i.e. each line is something like "xxxx-yy yy yy yy yy yy yy yy") except that
the "-" had been replaced with a ":"...almost as if I had performed a...

*9D00.BFFF

on the machine I was uploading from.

But remember, the target machine is not running comms software.  That data is
flying in through the SSC and heading straight for the Machine Language
Monitor.  The Monitor, then, is instantly loading the data straight into the
assigned memory locations.

When the upload finished, I issued the last command from the source to the
target:

*0^K

(the last command, of course, since that is the Monitor equivalent to "IN#0",
which disconnects the SSC)

Now it was time for the real experiment to begin.  I set the "master" machine
aside and turned my attention to the target...

*9DBFG
*FP
]<RESET>

So, did it work?  I put a totally blank disk into the drive.

]INIT THE LAST FILE

The disk drive buzzed.
I smiled.
The disk drive whirred.
The disk drive went "thunk" 33 times.
I grinned.
The disk drive went "scrape...thunk...thunk...scrape"
(note:  This machine is equipped with a Disk ][)
I smiled broadly.
The disk drive stopped.
The Applesoft prompt reappeared.

Hey, that was a neat trick!  One last trick to perform...

I power-cycled the machine.

"BZZZZZT!...whirrr...thunk...thunk...scrape...scrape...whirrr"
]

This looks promising...

]CATALOG

  DISK VOLUME 254

 A 002  THE LAST FILE

]

It appears, then, that it is possible...given a properly formatted hex dump of
DOS, to get DOS 3.3 loaded and operational on a machine which has no comm
software and shares no disk hardware with the download machine.

This being the case, I wonder if anyone has considered making such a dump
available for the benefit of the many people who just want to get started
with their "new" Apples and do not have any disks for them.  I ask, because
while any of us *could* provide such a file on the 'Net...in fact, if I
search hard enough, I have one someplace...I believe it would be technically
illegal to do so, as DOS 3.3 still belongs to Apple Computer.  But if one of
the sites authorized to distribute Apple system software were to make a copy
of DOS 3.3 available in this format, it would provide a means for new users
to get started with *only* a net connection.  Once equipped with DOS, for
instance, a new user could load up a quick-and-dirty capture-port-to-file
Applesoft program, and use that to download, say, a proper comm program in
Executioner format.  You can see how this builds...a couple more basic
utilities, and this new user can download a disk image of ProDOS, Shrinkit,
and BinSCII and really get rolling...

It's just a thought....I have no idea how much demand there might be for such
an option......

(Note that ProDOS cannot be installed in this fashion.)

AD AD C4 E1 F6 E5 A0 C1 EC F4 E8 EF E6 E6 AC A0 DD DB 8D [Footnote 3]

Footnote 1:  Remember all memory above $BFFF is bank-switched on the ][.  DOS
3.3 doesn't know about the IIgs, and to pure 8-bit programs, the GS looks
like a 48k machine just like the ][e.  When I say "pure 8-bit," programs like
ANSITerm, which use 16-bit code but run under ProDOS 8 don't count.

Footnote 2:  Am I showing my "age" here?  (the first A][ I worked on was a
][+)

Footnote 3:  That's a signature.  Have fun!  8-)

AD AD C4 C3 C1 DD DB 8D

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