SpartaDOS X 4.42

[drac030]

DLT proudly presents the release version of

 

SpartaDOS X 4.42

 

Brief description of NEW features:

 

NEWS IN SPARTADOS 4.42 (relative to 4.41)

=========================================

 

EXTENSIONS TO OLD COMMANDS

==========================

 

COPY

----

 

The COPY command can now copy or move files in "flat" mode, as well as copy or move entire

directory trees recursively. The recursion depth is limited only by the maximum length of the

path (64 characters - practical limit of 8-10 levels).

 

FORMAT

------

 

Now verifies if the drive really has selected the requested number of tracks, sides etc.

 

MENU

----

 

Can now execute programs and serve as the DOS shell.

 

X

-

 

Clears the memory on request.

 

NEW COMMANDS

============

 

FMT - simple text formatter

LESS - paging text viewer

MORE - simple text viewer

RDDUMP - dumps a ramdisk contents to a file

RDLOAD - restores contents of the ramdisk from file created by RDDUMP

 

NEW DRIVERS

===========

 

ENV - extension to environment variables

DOSKEY - multi-function Command Processor extension

 

COMMAND.COM BUILT-INS

=====================

 

EXTENDED I/O REDIRECTION

------------------------

 

Apart from the normal I/O redirection, where the program's or command's output to the console

can be redirected to a disk file (the type DIR >>file), and a program's or command's input

from the console can be fed from a disk file (type MORE <<file), there is new feature called

"pipe". The pipe is an extension to the traditional I/O redirection, and it can transfer data

from one program (or command) to another program (or command). For example:

 

DIR | MORE

 

(where DIR and MORE are Command Processor's internal commands) or

 

ARC | MORE

 

(where ARC is an external program) or

 

DIR | LESS

 

(where LESS is an external program) or

 

ARC | LESS

 

If a program, that is supposed to be the receiver, only expects a regular file as the input

source, the '-' sign can be used to signify the pipe, for example:

 

ARC | TYPE - /P

 

will do the same as "ARC | MORE" above; and, if INVERSE is a command that displays the given

text in inverse video, the following:

 

CHKDSK /X | INVERSE | ARC A CHKDSK -

 

will create a file CHKDSK.ARC containing the compressed and inversed output of the CHKDSK /X

command.

 

AUTOMATIC EVALUATION OF ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES

---------------------------------------------

 

Passing a word preceded with a '$'-character in the command line causes the Command Processor

to evaluate it as an environment variable name and, if such variable exists, automatically

substitute its value. For example:

 

ECHO $PROMPT

 

will display the current value of the variable "PROMPT", and

 

DIR $TEMP

 

will list the contents of the directory pointed to by the TEMP variable. When you want to

switch it off, precede the '$'-sign with '\'.

 

DOSKEY

======

 

An additional utility called DOSKEY.SYS and usable on machines equipped with 128 KB RAM or

more provides the following extensions to the Command Processor:

 

COMMAND HISTORY

---------------

 

When DOSKEY is loaded, commands entered via the keyboard are stored in the memory buffer and

can be invoked at any time with a key combination. The buffer can hold up to 240 command

lines.

 

MULTIPLE COMMANDS PER LINE

--------------------------

 

When DOSKEY is loaded, multiple commands can be entered in single command line. The

'&'-character is the separator, for example:

 

VER & DIR & CHKDSK

 

will execute these three commands in order from left to right. There is no other limit of

keywords per line than the maximum length of the command line (64 characters).

 

ALIASES

-------

 

DOSKEY allows the user to define up to 256 keywords aliasing valid DOS command keywords or

entire command lines.

 

FOR ALL

=======

 

* A bit more free RAM. This will especially be visible on 64 KB machines, where MEMLO can

be lower by as much as 900 bytes.

 

* SIO calls can be now routed through OS ROM in any memory configuration (regardless of

the location of the buffers)

 

* String comparisons in BAT files now feature MS-DOS-like syntax.

 

* System error messages are now fully customizable.

 

* On-line help system provides documentation pages directly available from the DOS

prompt (on CAR: on Maxflash 8, or as separate archive for other versions). The

manual pages are excerpts from the printed "SpartaDOS X Reference Manual".

 

FOR PROGRAMMERS

===============

 

* all directory formatting modes are now available in OS and BASIC.

 

* new DOS function, "rename directory", is now available through a XIO call.

 

* strings may now contain ESC sequences: \a, \b, \e, \f, \n, \r, \t, \\

 

Versions for intSDX128, TurboFreezer 2005 and Atarimax Maxflash 1 and 8 Mbit are available here:

 

http://sdx.atari8.info

 

If someone is new to this version of SpartaDOS and wants to know, why this one is the best DOS for Atari, a brief characteristics of the SpartaDOS X can be read here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpartaDOS_X

Edited December 25, 2008 by drac030

[+Stephen]

DLT proudly presents the release version of

 

SpartaDOS X 4.42

---BIG SNIP---

 

Brief description of NEW features:

Versions for intSDX128, TurboFreezer 2005 and Atarimax Maxflash 1 and 8 Mbit are available here:

 

http://sdx.atari8.info

 

If someone is new to this version of SpartaDOS and wants to know, why this one is the best DOS for Atari, a brief characteristics of the SpartaDOS X can be read here:

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SpartaDOS_X

 

Excellent! Thanks guys. Downloading now. See - I did get something new for Atari this year.

 

Stephen Anderson

[twh/f2]

WOW DLT!

 

This is just breathtaking awesome! so many new features and add-ons!!

 

for me this software collection is at least as impressive like Numen or other top-notch demos. Actually the most time I spent with my real Atari hardware in the last years was because of SDX. It's amazing to see such a professional DOS on the XL/XE and finally some application which uses consequently the extra RAM of the 130XE or other upgrades.

 

also I must thank you guys for your great support and bug fixing system.

 

grtx,

\twh

[flashjazzcat]

Brilliant, thank you! Can't wait to try this out. The list of new features is just like my personal wish-list for SpartaDOS X... this seems a comprehensive and well thought out upgrade.

[+bf2k+]

Very Nice! (now to read the documentation).

 

One thing I noticed...

 

Is there something different about how it treats directory entries? When using SDX 4.42, my file counting program counts both files and directories as the same type instead of splitting the files and dirs into seperate counts. It isn't a disk difference, since the test disk was originally formatted in 3.2g.

[drac030]

First of all, a shame on me, because I forgot to write a very important thing, namely to express GREAT THANKS to GoodByteXL, who did a MARVELLOUS WORK preparing the excellent English User's Manual for the SpartaDOS 4.42, and all the manual pages for the online help. Thanks a lot!

 

Is there something different about how it treats directory entries? When using SDX 4.42, my file counting program counts both files and directories as the same type instead of splitting the files and dirs into seperate counts. It isn't a disk difference, since the test disk was originally formatted in 3.2g.

 

This depends how your program reads the directory. Certainly there is difference in directory formatting in "Atari-compatible" mode. In the old versions, the "short" directory listing printed "DIR" instead of the dir name extension. Now the actual extension is printed in that place, and the directories are marked by ":" in front of their names (like in MyDOS). The User's Manual contains a detailed section on how to select various modes for the formatted directory listing.

Edited December 26, 2008 by drac030

[+bf2k+]

This depends how your program reads the directory. Certainly there is difference in directory formatting in "Atari-compatible" mode. In the old versions, the "short" directory listing printed "DIR" instead of the dir name extension. Now the actual extension is printed in that place, and the directories are marked by ":" in front of their names (like in MyDOS). The User's Manual contains a detailed section on how to select various modes for the formatted directory listing.

 

I am reading the raw dir entry into a 23 byte string and then looking for d$(9,11) = DIR (inverse) to tell if its a directory or file.

 

My program doesn't work with DOS 2 fmt disks.

[drac030]

I am reading the raw dir entry into a 23 byte string and then looking for d$(9,11) = DIR (inverse) to tell if its a directory or file.

 

Well, the "raw" directory entry contains the name extension at bytes 14-16 (counting from 0), and it never contains (nor contained) the inverted DIR at that place, because the inverted DIR is inserted as a text string to the formatted directory entry. So my guess is that what you are reading, is the formatted text string in Atari-compatible mode (see below), not the "raw" 23-byte directory entry.

 

My program doesn't work with DOS 2 fmt disks.

 

By "Atari-compatible" mode I meant the so called "short directory listing" as produced by the Command Processor when the "DIRS" command was used instead of "DIR". Such a listing can be obtained from SpartaDOS disks as well. The same mode is used when a user program does an equivalent of OPEN #1,6,0,"D:*.*" and reads the directory in text mode.

 

By the way, there is no difference under SpartaDOS X in reading directories from various disk formats: you can read the SpartaDOS-compatible raw directory from an AtariDOS disk, and write them to as well, because the ATARIDOS.SYS driver translates the directory in either way.

[+bf2k+]

Yes I just loaded the source code into x 4.42 and saw the difference. Should be easy to fix, however the program isn't necessary with SDX 4.42 with the addition of the DIR /C option in terms of just counting entries.

 

BTW: I really love the new cart!

Edited December 26, 2008 by bf2k+

[drac030]

Should be easy to fix

 

I can see that the manual is not very clear on what the value of aux1 is to obtain the raw directory access. It says that it is done by "setting the bit 4 of aux1", i.e. adding 16, but it does not say, to what value. This is reading directory, so one may think, that the 16 should be added to 6, i.e. the aux1 value should be 22. In fact, 16 should be added to 4, e.g. OPEN #1,4+16,0,"D:*.*" opens the raw directory for reading. This should be fixed in the manual.

Edited December 26, 2008 by drac030

[Roydea6]

DLT proudly presents the release version of

 

SpartaDOS X 4.42

 

Great this truely is a Happy Holiday!!

[GoodByteXL]

Hi!

 

DLT developed it even further than one could think having used SDX V 4.41. It is a pleasure to work on the docs for this great product.

 

If anybody notices typos, errors, things to add or change, please send us a note. Everything will be "digested" for Rev 2.

[GoodByteXL]

ATR version for the SDX V 4.42 online help system is ready and availabel from my page as usual.

 

8 MBit MaxFlashCart users have it already in the cart image.

[+bf2k+]

ATR version for the SDX V 4.42 online help system is ready and availabel from my page as usual.

 

8 MBit MaxFlashCart users have it already in the cart image.

 

Nice job on the MAN pages!

[dwhyte]

I've never been much of a SpartaDOS X man... I've always used just plain SpartaDOS or Real.DOS... However, I'm having success running programs that didn't work on either of the previous two mentioned with X... I'm really liking this DOS... Thanks guys! Awesome work!!!

[twh/f2]

Hello SDX Experts,

 

is there a way to configure SpartaDOS which banks it is using for the OS-Table and the ramdisk driver? This is interesting to me when I want use the QMEG-Software Freezer in harmony with the SDX.

 

When available QMEG can save/restore/switch the complete 64kb of main memory with the first 64kb of extended memory. This is extremely nice when you want to "Exchange" one program by another. In fact this is like having multitasking. Example:

 

I start my atari and open an text-editor

-> I press now Ctrl+Help/Ctrl+S to save this instance into the freezer buffer

I quit the editor and start a compilation with MA65

-> I press now Ctrl+Help/Ctrl+E to switch (like Alt-Tab in windows) between these to instances

 

It would be nice to configure configure SDX to ignore the first 64KB and use instead everything above.

something like:

DEVICE SPARTA BANKED 1

 

furthermore the RAMDISK device driver should be ignoring the first 64KB too.

 

grtx,

\twh

[flashjazzcat]

It would be nice to configure configure SDX to ignore the first 64KB and use instead everything above.

something like:

DEVICE SPARTA BANKED 1

 

furthermore the RAMDISK device driver should be ignoring the first 64KB too.

When configured to "USE BANKED", I believe SpartaDOS X always grabs the uppermost extended banks first. This is also true of the RAMdisk driver. So, if you had 8 extended banks, and you used one bank for SDX and three for a RAMdisk, you'll always have the lower 64K of extended RAM free.

[twh/f2]

It would be nice to configure configure SDX to ignore the first 64KB and use instead everything above.

something like:

DEVICE SPARTA BANKED 1

 

furthermore the RAMDISK device driver should be ignoring the first 64KB too.

When configured to "USE BANKED", I believe SpartaDOS X always grabs the uppermost extended banks first. This is also true of the RAMdisk driver. So, if you had 8 extended banks, and you used one bank for SDX and three for a RAMdisk, you'll always have the lower 64K of extended RAM free.

 

If this is true, i would not have to configure anything. My Atari has 1MB. SDX is configured to "USE BANKED" (default). The Ramdisk driver let's 4 banks available (again by default). So that way, the classic 130XE extra RAM (first 64KB) can be used without conflicting with SDX at all?

 

grtx,

\twh

[trub]

So that way, the classic 130XE extra RAM (first 64KB) can be used without conflicting with SDX at all?

Yes, this is the default behaviour of SDX. This is also the reason, why the stock 130XE requires a custom config.sys to use the extended memory (otherwise the 4 banks are "reserved for XE programs"). So, to get the full potential of SDX more than 128kB RAM is recommeded.

[drac030]

If this is true, i would not have to configure anything. My Atari has 1MB. SDX is configured to "USE BANKED" (default).

 

You can use "MEM /X" to find out, which bank is used by the SDX drivers.

[Beetle]

This is wicked, SDX 4.4x rocks!

[+Stephen]

Guys, I just burned the 8Mb Atarimax flash version of 4.42. It is not recognizing my R-Time 8 clone (got it from Sunmark - final run). It works just fine with 4.41 on my 1Mb flash. Can anybody out there confirm this for me?

 

Typing "CAR:RTIME8.SYS" caused the machine to lock up and hitting reset made it boot to disk (ignoring the cart and not booting DOS). Typing TIME or DATE does not have the correct info.

 

I should clarify - I have a 320KB 130XE and I am using an original ICD ECI to PBI extender (for hooking up an MIO to the 130XE). I am also running a 32-in-1 OS with the APE WARP+ OS set as default. Again, everything works fine with my 4.41 cart.

 

Stephen Anderson

Edited January 4, 2009 by Stephen

[+Stephen]

Just gotta say version 4.42 kicks ass on the 8Mb Flashcart. I love the fact that all the MAN files are included. I've been sending some of the MAN files to my 24-pin Panasonic They look great using the CON80 driver too.

 

Stephen Anderson

[trub]

Guys, I just burned the 8Mb Atarimax flash version of 4.42. It is not recognizing my R-Time 8 clone (got it from Sunmark - final run). It works just fine with 4.41 on my 1Mb flash. Can anybody out there confirm this for me?

 

Typing "CAR:RTIME8.SYS" caused the machine to lock up and hitting reset made it boot to disk (ignoring the cart and not booting DOS). Typing TIME or DATE does not have the correct info.

It is the hardware issue: Maxflash 8Mb and R-Time 8 carts are not compatible The hardware register areas overlap, so accessing one of them also affects the other.

That's why RTIME8.SYS (CLOCK.SYS) driver has been removed from MF8's default CONFIG.SYS (it caused a lockup on startup). However it should have been entirely removed from the CAR: device. There is no explicit info in the docs about RTime8 not working with MF8, sorry for that.

R-Time8 should work with Maxflash 1Mb.

I love the fact that all the MAN files are included. I've been sending some of the MAN files to my 24-pin Panasonic They look great using the CON80 driver too.

If you create a custom CONFIG.SYS, be sure to add "SET MANPATH=CAR:" to keep the access to the MAN files.

[_The Doctor__]

Can the new SDX 4.42 handle pokey divisor 0X00 for SIO? 4.41 could not. I use it for APE and SIO2PC USB. Also is it possible the offending area of the cartridge be skipped to allow rtime 8 to load? rtime is not really a cartridge device the way it is accessed and might be able to still be accessed via timing or filter?

Edited January 4, 2009 by _The Doctor__