[net.micro.6809] Making room in RAM

davel@hpvcla.UUCP (davel) (10/09/85)

Topic: OS9 level 1

Question: How do I get more memory for my C compiler?

Another related questions. Which modules must reside in memory? Will OS9
load device diver or device descriptor modules when it needs them?  Or do
they have to be in memory?  My system has a disk driver with a /d0 and /d1
descriptor modules, an ACIA driver with /t0 and /t1 descriptors, a PIA
dirver with /p, and a windows driver with a /term descriptor.  I use them
all and like to have them all active, but I also hate to use up precious
memory with some of them which are used infrequently.  Can I have the
best of both worlds and only have the drivers loaded when I need them?

				Thanks,
				Dave Lowe
				hp-pcd!hpvcla!davel

kim@mcrware.UUCP (Kim Kempf) (10/15/85)

In article <8700002@hpvcla.UUCP> Dave Lowe writes:
> 
> Topic: OS9 level 1
> 
> Question: How do I get more memory for my C compiler?
> 
The best thing to do is to create a bootdisk that has no pipe and null
file managers/drivers/descriptors.  Every little bit helps.  Gaining a single
page of memory may be all it takes to get something to compile.  When memory
is REALLY tight, list the c.com file and enter the commands by hand into the
shell.  This saves the memory required for a shell to execute the commands
from a procedure file.

> Another related questions. Which modules must reside in memory? Will OS9
> load device diver or device descriptor modules when it needs them?  Or do
> they have to be in memory?
>
Driver/descriptor modules must be in memory; OS-9 does not automatically
load them.

> My system has a disk driver with a /d0 and /d1
> descriptor modules, an ACIA driver with /t0 and /t1 descriptors, a PIA
> dirver with /p, and a windows driver with a /term descriptor.  I use them
> all and like to have them all active, but I also hate to use up precious
> memory with some of them which are used infrequently.  Can I have the
> best of both worlds and only have the drivers loaded when I need them?
> 
Driver/descriptor modules can be loaded and executed at any time.  Be aware
that when the driver requests static storage for the device the remaining
system memory may become fragmented, depending on the driver used.

jimomura@lsuc.UUCP (Jim Omura) (10/17/85)

     Yes, you can offload the drivers and load them as you need them.
You will have to load and link them yourself though.  I tried offloading
ACIAPAK, p, printer, rs232 from my system and it freed up a bit.
Unfortunately, I switched to SDisk and WorkPakII a while back and both
are larger than the Shack's equivalents.  Then net effect is that I
still couldn't compile Kermit, which I expected would be workable
otherwise.  Keep in mind that when you load modules later, they are
loaded at 256 byte boundaries and are not as tightly packed as when
they are part of the OS9Boot file.  That is, modules loaded later will
take up more space than if you put them in the bootfile.

                                         Cheers! -- Jim O.

-- 
James Omura, Barrister & Solicitor, Toronto
ihnp4!utzoo!lsuc!jimomura
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davel@hpvcla.UUCP (davel) (10/29/85)

	Thanks to all who responsed via notes and mail to my question.
    Everyone had basically the same answer to the problem and is descibed
    well in the two other responses.  The information was very helpful.

	The reason for this reponse is I have received queries about my
    windows driver.  It is a product of Microware and is a device driver for
    memory mapped video. You can open different paths to the driver. When
    each new path is opened the window for that path is "programed" by
    defining the window's upper-left coordinate, it's width in characters,
    and length in lines.  From then on output to that path will go to
    that portion of the screen, with scrolling, end of line wrapping, etc
    taken care of by the driver.  Multiple windows can be in existence at
    one time.  I must admit I haven't used the windowing features.  It is
    my main terminal driver.  

				Dave Lowe
				hp-pcd!hpvcla!davel