Re: A new idea for GS programmer

[David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz]

In article <1992Nov4.023334.24597@nuscc.nus.sg> ltchean@rambutan.iss.nus.sg (lim thye chean) writes:
> 
> Is it possible to create a utility to launch "boot" a 3.5" disk image?

Possibly in some cases, but all the FTA programs (for example) bypass
the standard entry points to the firmware and either call internal
routines directly or use the hardware directly (I'm not sure which).

If the program used ProDOS-8, you'd have to arrange some way to trick
it into calling your "driver" to read blocks from the hard drive file,
rather than the standard SmartPort driver in the slot 5 ROM.

This would not be easy, without patching it in some way.

It might be possible to install hooks in the SmartPort 3.5" driver,
so that calls to read/write the 3.5" drive would access the hard
drive.  You'd have to do it without an operating system, of course, so
if the disk image was fragmented, you'd have to either buffer or at
least re-read the disk image's index blocks.
-- 
David Empson

Internet: David.Empson@bbs.actrix.gen.nz    EMPSON_D@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand