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Re: 68K/OS "ROM" based disk attempt
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 10:09 am
by t0nyt
This is a 64Kb ROM image (32Kb GST 68K/OS + 32Kb ROM Disk)
The 32kb ROM disk is the same as the 16Kb ROM disk but with the EDIT program added (like on a real card)
Have only tried in Q-emuLator so far, but will try on a QL later today if my 64kb EEPROMS arrive as expected
Re: 68K/OS "ROM" based disk attempt
Posted: Sat Jan 18, 2025 1:58 pm
by t0nyt
Works fine in a real QL too
Obviously it needs to be installed in a board/device that allows 64kb ROMs (48Kb+16Kb@$C000)
I didn't think it was working properly at first as EDIT program wouldn't run, but I then realised I had $C000 disabled on the ROM board. Doh!
Re: 68K/OS "ROM" based disk attempt
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2025 9:57 am
by t0nyt
I've been reading up on articles in QL User/QL World and noticed a couple of things
Floppy Disk support was going to be a board with the FDC & 68K/OS ROMS, rather than a separate FDC controller
There was various software planned that never seems to have seen the light of day, including a version of GST assembler that would run from ROM. I don't see how it could fit in the 2 x 16KB ROM space so either they were planning another way or all the include files etc. weren't going to be included (no pun intended) in ROM. Am going to look at this in more detail
The thing that really came across though was that "the product" was really 68K/OS itself, not the ROM board(s) it comes on
It's a real shame the technical information on all this seems to be lost to the sands of time
Re: 68K/OS "ROM" based disk attempt
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2025 11:22 am
by t0nyt
Looking at the minimum required files they are
Code: Select all
ASM_PROG 17576 bytes
68KOS_IN 23145 bytes
SYSPROG_IN 14539 bytes
EDIT_PROG 11412 bytes
Obviously ASM_PROG & EDIT_PROG can't be reduced and they total about 29KB of the 32 KB available
But the _IN files are mainly comments & empty space
When I have time I'm going to try and strip both _IN files down to remove all the spaces & comments to see if they'll fit in 3KB, if they do I'll build a couple of RAM disk ROMS
I think the ASM_PROG can be split across the disk ROMs, otherwise the whole thing is a non-starter!
Re: 68K/OS "ROM" based disk attempt
Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2025 2:15 pm
by t0nyt
Managed to strip the smaller SYSPROG_IN down to 2742 bytes, but that's obviously not enough
I wonder if 68K/OS looks to other places (other than $8000 and $C000) for ROM disks. But even if it does I've no idea how to add that ROM space anyway!