[comp.sys.apple2] A few *easy* GS/OS questions ...

mitchell@tci.UUCP (Rob Mitchell) (09/18/90)

Hi,

	A few *easy* questions regarding Apple IIGS Operating System
software.  I'm dealing with an old version of GS/OS, so please bear
with me.  The system configuration is: Apple IIGS Rom 03, 3.5" floppy,
5.25" floppy (daisy-chained off 3.5 when needed, off otherwise), CVT
card in slot 7, Quantum hardrive, and RGB monitor.  I scrounged the
GS/OS from various game disks, so its relatively imcomplete.

	[1] I stuck in a 5.25" floppy (had typing tutor on it) and
	    double-clicked on the icon.  A dialog box came up with
	    message "Wrong ProDos ..."  I think I have ProDos 8 and
	    don't know how to get ProDos 16, or vice versa.

	[2] Do all applications need a version of ProDos in the same
	    folder as the application?

	[3] What's the basic configuration for GS/OS: 
		System folder: Drivers, Start, Finder, Launcher ...
		Icon folder: system icons
		ProDos: file system application
	
	[4] Does GS/OS take care of different ProDos versions?  In
	    other words, any can application run under GS/OS 5.0.2?

	Thanks in advance!!!



Rob Mitchell  Technology Concepts Inc.  Sudbury, MA.  01776 (508) 443-7311
	Bitnet:    ...!uunet!tci!mitchell
	Internet:  mitchell@tci.bell-atl.com
	America Online: RobertM308

Steep and Deep ... The only way!!  These are my opinions only.

jh4o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Jeffrey T. Hutzelman) (09/19/90)

> Rob Mitchell@tci.UUCP writes:
>
>
> Hi,
>
>	A few *easy* questions regarding Apple IIGS Operating
> System software.  I'm dealing with an old version of GS/OS, so please
> bear with me.  The system configuration is: Apple IIGS Rom 03, 3.5"
> floppy, 5.25" floppy (daisy-chained off 3.5 when needed, off
otherwise),
> CVT card in slot 7, Quantum hardrive, and RGB monitor.  I scrounged the
> GS/OS from various game disks, so its relatively imcomplete.
>
Not the best way to get your copy of GS/OS.  Go to your local Apple
dealer and get Apple IIgs System 5.0.2; they will copy it onto 2 3.5"
disks for free.

>	[1] I stuck in a 5.25" floppy (had typing tutor on it) and
>	    double-clicked on the icon.  A dialog box came up with
>	    message "Wrong ProDos ..."  I think I have ProDos 8 and
>	    don't know how to get ProDos 16, or vice versa.
What probably happened is that the version of P8 in your system folder
is not compatible with the version of GS/OS that you are using.  GS/OS
checks the versions of the various files that are a part of it,
including P8, and makes sure they are correct.  If one doesn't match, it
will refuse to use that file, in order to ensure that you are using all
the files from the same version of GS/OS.  In the case of P8, this means
you can't launch ProDOS 8 system files (SYS).  If it were one of the
other files, it might mean that you wouldn't even be able to boot.

>	[2] Do all applications need a version of ProDos in the same
>	    folder as the application?
NO.  However, you must have P8 in the SYSTEM folder of your boot disk in
order to use 8-bit applications.  In addition, it must be the correct
version (see above).

>	[3] What's the basic configuration for GS/OS: 
>		System folder: Drivers, Start, Finder, Launcher ...
>		Icon folder: system icons
>		ProDos: file system application
/BOOT.DISK/
1234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
	PRODOS					the GS/OS boot program; NOT
						the same as what's on a
						non-GS/OS boot disk
	ICONS/					contains icon files
		FINDER.ICONS
		a few others; I forget the names
	SYSTEM/
		START.GS.OS			Required
		ERROR.MSG			(or some such name)
		EXPRESSLOAD			(optional; 5.0+ only)
		DRIVERS/			Required
			CONSOLE		Required
			APPLEDRIVE.3.5	Needed for 3.5" boot
		SYSTEM.SETUP/
			TOOL.SETUP		Required
			TS2			Required
			TS3			Required
		TOOLS/				Required, with TOOLxxx files
		FSTS/				Required
			CHAR.FST		Required
			PRODOS.FST		Required
		DESK.ACCS/			Optional
			CONTROL.PANEL		Optional; needed for NDA
						control panel, 5.0+ only
		CDEVS/				Optional; needed for NDA
						control panel, 5.0+ only

>	[4] Does GS/OS take care of different ProDos versions?  In
>	    other words, any can application run under GS/OS 5.0.2?
The version of GS/OS that comes with System 5.0.2 (GS/OS 3.0.2, but
that's a long story) will support any applications written for GS/OS or
ProDOS 16, as long as they follow Apple's rules (most do).  The version
of P8 that comes with System 5.0.2 (ProDOS 8 version 1.8) will run any
programs written to run under any previous version of ProDOS 8 (1.1.1 or
later) or programs for ProDOS 1.0 or later, as long as they follow
Apple's rules (almost ALL do).
	However, as noted above, you can NOT mix and match versions of PRODOS,
GS/OS, P8, and other parts of the operating system.  P16 is the old
ProDOS 16 that was used in versions 3.2 and earlier of the IIgs system
disk.  It is no longer needed.  In addition, you can NOT use version 1.9
of P8 with system 5.0.2.  This does not present a problem, as version
1.9 corrects problems in version 1.8 and adds a new selector program,
both of which did not in any way affect operation if GS/OS was booted.
>	Thanks in advance!!!
Any time.  Again, to be safe, get the latest copy from your dealer.  If
you got the machine used and don't have any manuals, you may want to
consider buying System 5.0.2, which gets you 3 things:
	1.)	The manuals.  This is the most important, and what you pay for.
	2.)	Nice white disks with System 5.0.2 on them
	3.)	Apple Computer, Inc. labels for the 2 disks, already on.  (Wow! :)
-----------------
Jeffrey Hutzelman
America Online: JeffreyH11
Internet/BITNET:jh4o+@andrew.cmu.edu, jhutz@drycas.club.cc.cmu.edu

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