MAXG@SUVM.BITNET (Gerry Greenberg) (06/05/89)
In his message about Bigscreen, Julian F. Reschke mentions there are different versions of TOS, specifically 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4. I know about 1.4; it is the one currently being worked on, rumored to be almost ready, etc. My question is: How do I know which version I have in my 520ST? i.e. 1.0 or 1.2. Or is 1.0 the version that used to come on disk? Thanks--Gerry maxg@suvm.bitnet ggreenbe@rodan.acs.syr.edu
steve@pnet51.cts.com (Steve Yelvington) (06/06/89)
MAXG@SUVM.BITNET (Gerry Greenberg) writes: >In his message about Bigscreen, Julian F. Reschke mentions there are >different versions of TOS, specifically 1.0, 1.2, and 1.4. I know about >1.4; it is the one currently being worked on, rumored to be almost >ready, etc. My question is: How do I know which version I have in my >520ST? i.e. 1.0 or 1.2. Or is 1.0 the version that used to come on >disk? Thanks--Gerry The Sversion() Gemdos function allegedly provides this information, but on my STFM it returns a value of 0.19. Does anybody know whether Sversion() really works? /* * UUCP: {uunet!rosevax,amdahl!bungia,chinet,killer}!orbit!thelake!steve * ARPA: crash!orbit!thelake!steve@nosc.mil * #member <STdNET> The ST Developers Network */
kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) (06/07/89)
The best way to visually determine what TOS version you're running is to look at the copyright date in the "Desktop Info..." dialog. Here at Atari, we like to call the versions by name; the first TOS release is "ROM TOS" and it has a copyright year of 1985. The TOS that was put into the Mega computers is "Mega TOS" (we would call it "BLiT TOS", because the only major difference from ROM TOS is BLiTTER support, but that name is used by some German developers to refer to the hacked-up TOS ROM that works with a 68020). Mega TOS has copyright 1986,1987 in the Desktop Info dialog. When TOS 1.4 becomes available to the general public, it'll be pretty obvious from the Desktop Info box what its name should be. As far as dates go however, it's copyright 1985,86,87,88,89. Unfortunately, there are so many versions of TOS 1.4 floating around on BBS's, being sold by Atari Dealers (yes, it's true *sigh* -- illegal and bug-ridden copies of Beta Test ROMs are being foisted off on unknowing Atari customers by a few money grubbing dealers), and available from other channels that it might be worthwhile to have a "version-checking program" so that people can know what TOS version they're actually using. This program could be useful to the majority of honest dealers out there so they can prove that they've got the "real stuff" ;-) and it could be a benefit to the wary customer. -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include <disclaimer>
kbad@atari.UUCP (Ken Badertscher) (06/08/89)
In article <801@orbit.UUCP> steve@pnet51.cts.com (Steve Yelvington) writes: | The Sversion() Gemdos function allegedly provides this information, but on my | STFM it returns a value of 0.19. Does anybody know whether Sversion() really | works? Hmm, Sversion is returning a float value? Hmmm... ;-) Sversion() returns the GEMDOS version number, not the TOS version. The GEMDOS version number for your machine should be 0x1300 (our version numbers are all WORD values); I'm not sure how you get 0.19 from that, but... In any case, the TOS version number is in the OS header. To get the TOS version number, use the pointer to the OS header (sysbase) at 0x4f2. The TOS version number is the second word of the OS header. Offsets for the rest of the stuff in the OS header is documented in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the BIOS. The Pexec Cookbook also has a small section on GEMDOS/TOS version numbers. To add to the version number confusion, the AES has its own version number too (returned in global[0] on appl_init)! For those with a furniture fetish, here is a table: Versions ============== ROM TOS Mega TOS ------- -------- ------- $0100 $0102 $0104 TOS version (from the OS header) $1300 $1300 $1500 GEMDOS version (from the Sversion call) $0100 $0120 $0140 AES version (from global[0] after appl_init) Can you now see why we don't like to give OS releases specific version numbers? ;-) -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include <disclaimer>