kacovert@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu (08/06/90)
In article <4236@bdt.UUCP>, david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) writes: > Micro RTX and MT C-Shell are products developed and marketed by > Beckemeyer Development. These are multitasking software products > for the Atari ST. They were first released in 1986 and have been > steadily updated and improved upon since that time. Beckemeyer > Development recently released a sharware version of Micro RTX > so that all Atari ST users could have access to true multitasking. > As anyone who uses these programs knows, the statement that > they don't work very well is simply untrue. > Could you give us more information on Micro RTX. I was under the impression that programs had to be specifically written to run under Micro RTX. Is this true? From your post, it would seem that I'm mistaken. In either case, what software is known to run under Micro RTX? Where can I get Micro RTX? How much memory should I have to run Micro RTX properly? Is it known whether Micro RTX will run on a STacy? How about the STe? Or even the TT? If it runs on the TT, does it use the built in memory protection? Any help in this would be appreciated. Kent Covert Miami University Oxford, Ohio Miami's in Ohio, Dammit!
jg@hpldola.HP.COM (Joe Gilray) (08/08/90)
To answer your questions about Micrortx: (This is from my head as I don't have the docs here) 1) Micrortx takes only a small amount of memory to run (about 40k) so it will run on any atari ST. 2) Programs do NOT need to be recompiled to run under Micrortx as it is installed at the interrupt level. I have found that most of the tools I use and the software I've written run fine with Micrortx installed. In fact I use the MWC msh enviroment to write micrortx programs with micrortx installed, this makes developing programs for micrortx easy (well I hung the system initially, until I got the obvious defects out, but then again I still hang the system once in a while while programming under GEM). I believe Micrortx is programmable from virtually any compiler/linker. 3) Micrortx doesn't implement any process protection scheme, but does offer signals, message passing, file locking, and other OS extensions. It also allows the programmer very low-level access to the machine while still being TOS compatible. 4) There is a shareware version of Micrortx available at many archives. -Joe Gilray
david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckemeyer) (08/09/90)
In article <2070.26bd2888@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu> kacovert@miavx1.acs.muohio.edu writes: >Could you give us more information on Micro RTX. I was under the >impression that programs had to be specifically written to run >under Micro RTX. Is this true? From your post, it would seem >that I'm mistaken. > >In either case, what software is known to run under Micro RTX? Most software just runs as is, and you don't have to do anything to it to get it to run. The list of programs that runs is so long I can't list everything here, but here are some of the more commonly known titles (off the top of my head): GEM apps: Pagestream Calamus Touchup 1st Word EZ Draw Opus Stalker Flash Just about any GEM app. Utilities: arc zoo kermit Many well-behaved TOS apps. Compilers etc: Mark Williams C Alcyon C Lazer C Sozobon C GNU GCC Most what doesn't work are games and other programs that "take over" the hardware and bypass the OS system calls. Programs that want to use the extra system facilities (e.g. interprocess communications, installable device drivers, or perhaps real-time events), would need to be written specifially to use those RTX services that they need. These programs can be set up to even detect the presense of RTX and work even with the system, in a "sub-set" fashion. >Where can I get Micro RTX? How much memory should I have to run >Micro RTX properly? Is it known whether Micro RTX will run on >a STacy? How about the STe? Or even the TT? If it runs on the >TT, does it use the built in memory protection? Micro RTX is available from ST binaries archive servers, Compuserv, GEnie and the BDT BBS (415) 530-9682. To run the basic RTX kernel you don't need very much memory; it really depends on the size of your RTX apps. The Micro RTX shareware distribution contains information that you should find helpful. I do have customers running Micro RTX on an STe. There are minor problems, mostly related to disk access that may or may not be related to Micro RTX. I don't know for sure yet, since I only have one reported problem with one STe customer. There are roughly 50 STe systems that I am personally aware of running Micro RTX. I have no idea how many STe users may be using the Micro RTX kernel and I don't know about it. The TT doesn't exist yet, and therefore Micro RTX doesn't run on it. If the machine is ever released there are plans to develop a TT compatible Micro RTX. I don't have a TT and I do not know when (if) I will get one. -- David Beckemeyer | "Reckon the Ball's plumb open now, Beckemeyer Development Tools | and it's `swing partner'!" P.O. Box 21575, Oakland, CA 94620 | - Unnamed Cowboy, upon seeing UUCP: {uunet,ucbvax}!unisoft!bdt!david | heap many Indians approaching