os9@nyit.UUCP (OS9 News) (01/16/86)
OS-9 Digest Number 2, 16-January-1986
Contents:
1. SDISK and CoCo OS-9 2.0
2. Spice3 on 68k OS-9?
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From: ihwpt!knudsen
Subject: SDISK and Coco OS9 2.0
Keywords: CoCo, disk driver, 6809, sdisk
The latest Rainbow's OS9 column stated that DP Johnson's
SDISK (the decent floppy driver that actually looks at the
device descriptors) will not work with the new RS version 2.0
OS9. How can this be?
If OS9 is as modular as it's said to be, and the device descriptor
formats are standardized, I don't see why the new system should
be incompatible with existing device drivers.
Did SDISK hook into some places it shouldn't have?
I know that Hogg's HiRes screen won't work, because it laid patches
over CCIO, which has been totally restructured.
Please post any answers, since I think we could all learn
something about device drivers, OS9, and compatibility issues
on this one. Or please, say it isn't so!
mike k
[Moderator's note:
Mike, I did make a system with OS-9 2.0 and Johnson's
SDISK, and it works, but it never turns off the disk drive
motor. OS-9 1.0 had the disk motor timer in another
module, I think it was in CCIO. The timer routine had to be
called at regular intervals, and I think Microware just
piggy-backed it on top of the keyboard-polling routine in CCIO.
Johnson used the drive motor timer in CCIO, and his driver
was broken once Microware moved the timer out of there.
It isn't Johnson's fault.
1.0 had lots of violations of the OS-9 philosophy. Many of them
are fixed in 2.0, but others are left for us to fix.
In version 2.0, the drive motor timer is in the CCDISK
module, where it belongs. If you want to use SDISK, you have
to put the timer routine in another module. I am going
to try to put the timer in Dave Lewis' disk driver - that looks
easy enough. I'll probably be able to generate a stand-alone
version of the timer for those who want to continue using
SDISK. I'd like to hear from anyone who has worked on this.
By the way, I don't have all of 2.0, just the subset
that came with DeskMate. I'm waiting for the local RS
computer store to get the update in stock. -bp]
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From: fluke!swifty (steve swift)
Subject: spice3 on 68k os9
Keywords: spice, 68k, simulation, VLSI
Spice3 is written in C, so it may be possible to port to OS-9.
I wonder it anyone has already accomplished it. The source is
in public domain, so if anyone is interested in trying, it can be
made available. [Moderator's note: I have a copy of the source. -bp]
A subset without all the graphics capability would still be useful.
Thanks.
Steven Swift (206) 356-5278
John Fluke Mfg. Co.
P.O. Box C9090 Everett WA 98206
{uw-beaver,decvax!microsof,ucbvax!lbl-csam,allegra,ssc-vax}!fluke!swifty
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