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Re: Apple IIplus ROMs in original II?



Paul Schlyter wrote:
In article <JE6Zd.10575$yp.7261@newssvr11.news.prodigy.com>, nospam@nospam.com says...

Is it true that ProDOS 1.0.1 can run Integer BASIC? You can load and save Integer BASIC files on ProDOS root directory, but extension will show "INT" instead of "BAS". However, ProDOS 1.1.1 had removed Integer BASIC support and replaced with AppleSoft BASIC. Please verify if I am wrong.


You are wrong.

ProDos won't boot on an Apple II with Integer Basic ROM's on the motherboard. And an Integer Basic ROM card won't help either since it cannot coexist with a Language Card, and ProDos requires a Language Card to be able to even boot.

But there are ways to start Integer Basic, or run an Integer Basic
program, under ProDos anyway - you can do it in one of two ways:

1. Create a relocated version of Integer Basic which you can start as a binary file with the BRUN command, and which runs in the regular RAM area, below address $C000

2. Compile your program with an Integer Basic compiler (e.g. Mike Laumer's "Flash!" - available for download at http://stjarnhimlen.se/apple2/dsk.html ) and then run the compiled binary.

Doing this will work if the Integer Basic program does not attempt
to do any disk commands - a lot of early Integer Basic games were in
this category.  However, the Integer Basic interpreter as well as
compiled Integer Basic programs will clobber several page zero areas
which ProDos uses.  So after having run your Integer Basic program,
ProDos won't work until you reboot the Apple II.

What would be nice is if an INTBASIC interpreter could be hacked so as not to interfere with ProDOS.

I wonder if it could be done?

Moll.