[comp.sys.amiga] Simpler 1.3 startup-sequence for 512K A1000

plouff@nac.dec.com (Wes Plouff) (10/21/88)

Here is a v1.3 startup sequence suitable for 512K A1000 machines.  It's
a quick midnight hack done in the two days since v1.3 came on sale in
this area.  Do whatever you like with it, but reports and suggestions 
are welcome.

When I first tried out Amiga OS Version 1.3, I was appalled at the added
RAM required by the new features in the default startup-sequence.  I own
an A1000 with 512K RAM, and get nervous when free memory gets below 350K
with no application running, based on painful experience.  Here are the
free RAM totals using my v1.2 Workbench disk and the v1.3 disk straight
from the Enhancer box. Configuration:  A1000, 512K, DMouse running,
disks inserted in DF0: and DF1:, measured just after reboot. 

					CLI/	CLI/Shell 
				WB only	Shell	running
				-------	-----	-------
	v1.2			381248	  C	372912
	v1.3 as distributed	348232	  S	314600	 (no DMouse)

Plainly v1.3 is oriented toward 1 meg and larger machines, not the
obsolete A1000.  I wanted the command line editing and history features
of the new shell. I wasn't concerned about command aliases and didn't
think I could afford much memory for resident commands.  Turns out that
the desirable features are part of the NEWCON: handler, while the rest
depends on the shell-segment.  So l:Shell-Seg and much of the
s:StartupII file got pitched.  Without the shell-segment there seems to
be no difference between Newshell and NewCLI. 

At the end of this message is my personal startup-sequence, distilled
from the two default startup scripts.  The only things I customized were
the DMouse and assign ARCTEMP: commands.  I evaluated the memory cost of
each of the six features discussed below, and chose all except FastFonts
(FF).  The free memory totals are: 

	no features enabled	379552	  C	371176
	all features enabled	366744	  C	347512
	final version		369976	  C	350744

Here is the memory cost of each feature:

	setpatch			3224
	addbuffers DF0: 10		5464
	FF enabled			3232
	NEWCON: mounted			  88
	NEWCON: running		       10856 vs. CON:
	2 makedirs and 3 assigns to RAM: 712

Now, astute readers will notice 88 bytes misplaced between the free RAM
comparison and the total of the cost table.  But it's close enough to
make decisions.  Any feature can be disabled by commenting it out with a
';' at the beginning of the line.  If NEWCON: is not mounted, be sure to
change the reference to it in the DMouse command line.

Perhaps someone could do a comparison of this setup versus using CON:
with either the Dillon/Drew shell, or ConMan plus WShell.

Since DMouse does not inherit a search path, I have also included my CLI
startup script.  Happy hacking! 

---s:startup-sequence-----------cut here-------------cut here-----------
;Small memory v1.3 startup   NWP 10-20-88
Addbuffers df0: 10
c:SetPatch >NIL: ;patch system functions
c:cd c:
echo "A1000 512K Workbench disk.  Release 1.3 version 34.20*N"
BindDrivers
echo "Last date set: " NOLINE
date < NIL:
echo "Set new date: " NOLINE
date ?
;FF >NIL: -0 ;speed up Text
mount newcon:
;
makedir ram:t
makedir ram:env ; set up ENV: directory
assign T: ram:t ;set up T: directory for scripts
assign ENV: ram:env
assign ARCTEMP: ram:
;
dmouse -A0 -m25 -C "NewCLI newcon:0/100/640/100/NewCLI"
;
SYS:System/SetMap usa1 ; Works even on A1000
path ram: c: sys:utilities sys:system s: add ;set path for Workbench
LoadWB
endcli >NIL:
--------cut here----------------cut here-------------cut here-----------

---s:CLI-Startup----------------cut here-------------cut here-----------
c:prompt "%N> "
c:path ram: sys:utilities sys:system add
--------cut here----------------cut here-------------cut here-----------

-- 
Wes Plouff, Digital Equipment Corp, Littleton, Mass.
plouff%nac.dec@decwrl.dec.com

Amiga -- over 179,200,000,000 pixels sold.

jesup@cbmvax.UUCP (Randell Jesup) (10/22/88)

In article <8810201831.AA07532@decwrl.dec.com> plouff@nac.dec.com (Wes Plouff) writes:
>Here is the memory cost of each feature:
>	setpatch			3224

	Please don't even _consider_ not running SetPatch.  It fixes several
KickStart bugs that can cause memory corruption or Guru's.  The machine is
much more reliable with SetPatch installed.

-- 
You've heard of CATS? Well, I'm a member of DOGS: Developers Of Great Software.
Randell Jesup, Commodore Engineering {uunet|rutgers|allegra}!cbmvax!jesup