Re: Auto-format RAMdisk on boot?

[david@wraith.cs.uow.edu.au (David E A Wilson)]

gachenb@eis.calstate.edu (Greg R. Achenbach) writes:
>I would like to be able to boot from the RAMdisk in my IIc+ (Ram Express
>II with 1 meg).  I know I need to format the RAMdisk first.  when I do
>that, then load the thing, it works fine.  My question is this.  Is there
>some way that I can issue a format command to Prodos automatically upon
>boot and then have Prosel automatically load the RAMdisk?  Would a small
>BASIC program at the front of the disk do this?  If so, how?

ProDOS does not know how to format a disk. Period.

If the disk is a Disk ][ you have to do it all by hand (or get an application/
utility that does this).

If the disk is a ProDOS block device or a smartport the low level format can
be done by calling the ProDOS entry point on the card with the correct command
number. This gives you a disk which now will accept read/write block commands.

You then have to hand craft a root directory, bit map and (in your case) the
boot block.

This could be done from BASIC with a little machine language subroutine to
do reads and writes.

In your case, using ProSel, I am sure it comes with a utility to do exactly
what you want. Re-read the documentation on restoring files automatically.
When you power on the //c+ it will boot from the floppy and load the RAM disk.