what is the best OS?

[Gunstar]

I got the Ape Warp+ 32-n-1 upgrade, and there are all these OS's on it I rarely use (many just becuase I don't know how to take advantage of them). I'm not concerned about any of the standard OS's, I use them when needed occasionally.

I generally use Warp+ for it's I/O speed, and Omniview can be useful sometimes for 80 columns, but I am curious about Qmeg, Omnimon, and ARGS. The MyIDE ones would obviously be used if I ever get MyIDE.

 

Also, I see Qmeg test rom too that I'm curious what it's for...

 

I mainly want feedback from people with expanded memory systems, like mine that can tell me what they use and why, what the advantages are, etc.

 

I know I can go read all the manuals for these OS's, but that's quite a lot of work, so I am looking for an overview and basic advantages to some of these OS's.

 

Thanks!

[flashjazzcat]

+1 for stock XL/XE OS - and I have a lot of fancy hardware.

[Rybags]

Stock here, I've got IDE +2 that takes care of faster I/O and Altirra beats the real deal for most debugging situations.

 

QMeg - I've not really utilized it but it's got some handy features like being able to do Ram snapshots which in the day would have helped with copying or debugging stuff.

 

I had the 32in1 installed for a while, once the novelty wore off the reality set in that it's really overkill - something like 8 OSes would probably cater for all needs.

 

If I was to specify an "ideal" OS it'd probably be a variation of the stock one with a couple of modifications such as doubling the time it takes for attract mode to start and having the left text margin default to 0 instead of 2.

[+Philsan]

+1 for stock XL/XE OS - and I have a lot of fancy hardware.

+2

[KubaCZ]

I really like QMEG 4.04, mostly because abilty to do cold reset and loading executables directly. Only thing that gets annoying is the ramdisk - I know it's the main feature but I don't use it and when D6-D8 is needed you have to go it's menu and change it from ramdisk to normal drive.

 

And if not QMEG then Hiassoft's fixed XL os - never had any compatiability problem with it and speedloading is nice thing

[Marius]

Well...

 

It depends on what you want. In 99% of the time I use Qmeg 4.04. My Qmeg is probably a hacked version (not sure) since D8: is free to use (not ramdisk linked by default). I think it is really cool with the built in Machine Language Monitor, Freezer, Ramdisk driver (this is very handy when you are programming, you can boot from ramdisk!) and the highspeed SIO. Also handy is that you can switch OSS carts on and off from the Qmeg Menu (mac/65 cart, action, basic XE etc.)

 

If you want to use a cheap and fast harddisk interface (which you can even built yourself!) the MyIDE OS is a cool one. Especially the latest releases are very good. Highly compatible (I have only found one program that does not run from MyIDE OS), fast, and has lots of nice features (that are MyIDE related).

 

And ofcourse the XL/XE os itself. Works great, and is the most compatible ofcourse; although there are different revisions floating around. I have an 130XE with an XL/XE os version where the selftest also test the extra 64K. This OS is not 100% compatible for software that counts a checksum on the OS.

 

Anyway... it's up to you!

[Gunstar]

What's Qmeg TEST ROM OS for? And Ominview is obvious, but what is Omnimon for?

Edited February 28, 2012 by Gunstar

[sloopy]

I mostly use stock and omnimon... with stock 80%+ of the time... but then i use a bone stock US 65XE most of the time...

 

Omnimon has built in ML monitor, which allows you to break into it while an program is running. You can change mem locations, save blocks of mem, and look at mem contents...

 

sloopy.

[Gunstar]

I have an 130XE with an XL/XE os version where the selftest also test the extra 64K. This OS is not 100% compatible for software that counts a checksum on the OS.

 

 

You mean it's not the stock 130XE OS rev. C? Becuase the stock 130XE OS checks the extra 64K too, in two big blocks at the bottom. Is your's more detailed?

[Marius]

@gunstar

 

That is a NEWER 130XE os. The original (older) 130XE os doesn't do that.

[+bf2k+]

+1 for stock XL/XE OS - and I have a lot of fancy hardware.

+2

 

Ditto!

[+David_P]

Bah. Hack your own OS! I have one (somewhere!) with accellerated E: drivers, fast floating point, and a printscreen function (only for GR.0, though). Took the various bits of object code, hacked them together with a very primitive BASIC program (that also calculated the OS ROM checksums) and burned them into a 27128 (using my joystick port driven EPROM burner).

 

What could be easier?

 

(Indeed... there's a thought - an OS customizer program in BASIC - takes various bits and pieces, pulls them together and makes an OS ROM image, complete with checksum. For added fun, include in the ATR a variety of options for users to select.)

[Gunstar]

What could be easier?!? Maybe if you have an eprom burner (I don't), maybe if you know about programming (I don't). Other than SpartaDOS batch files, if one would even call that "programming" in the most rudimentary stage. I'm a hardware guy, not a programmer.

 

As to the folks sticking with the stock OS's, once I get an HD or SD card reader or similiar so I can still have high-speed I/O, I'll probably start using them more than just with a few "trouble" programs. Right now I use the stock OS's like I do 800 OS's, just when needed.

Edited February 29, 2012 by Gunstar

[russg]

Omnimon has a ML monitor, hit SELECT RESET to enter it, START/RETURN to exit. You can dump any cart you want to dump using it, even the bank

switched ones if you know the banking scheme. Of course, all this has already been done, you aren't going to do something new. You dump a cart

to sectors on a single density disk. Then you use a utility to write the sectors to a file, and now you have a .ROM file of a single stage cart.

Lemme see, I have Omnimon instructions....:

 

Omnimon Basics

Enter Omnimon:

SELECT/RESET

OPTION/SELECT/RESET (always use this

if entering from BASIC)

JSR $C001 or X=USR(49152)

Will enter Omnimon upon any encounter

with a BRK instruction.

 

Once in Omnimon:

PC NV-BDIZC AC X Y SP

Program counter, status registers,

Accumulator, X reg, Y reg, Stack

pointer.

 

Leave Omnimon, return to program:

Hold START, hit RETURN, use D to

set PC first.

 

Command Summary:

A: Alter Memory: A addr byte byte... -

Used to change 1 or more contiguous

bytes of memory.

B: Boot Disk B - Will boot off of the

selected drive.

C: CPU Registers: C - Used to

display and alter the registers.

D: Display Memory: D (start addr) (

End addr) - Used to view memory data.

To alter memory, position cursor and

type change.

E: Execute Memory: E (option/=steps)

- Will execute one or more

instructions at a time and display

intermediate results.

F: Fill Prgm Buffer: F addr - Teach

monitor a sequence of commands for

later execution with the 'O' command.

G: Get File: G (filespec) (addr) = A

full binary load function, single or

double density. Doubles as disk

directory command.

H: Hex Arithmetic: H= (= oper) (=

oper) ... - Hex conversion allowing

addition, subtraction, multiplication

and division.

J: Jump Subroutine: J (addr) - Go

execute subroutine.

L: Link Drive: L (drv=) - Select

drive = and linked or sequential

sector modes. All disk I/O will go to

the selected drive.

M: Move Memory: M addr0 addr1 addr2

= Move a block of memory from anywhere

in memory to anywhere else.

N: Relocate Memory: N addr0 addr1

addr2 (addr3) (addr4) = Adjust 6502

code that it will execute in another

location.

O: Operate Prgm Buffer: O addr =

Execute the commands stored earlier

with the 'F' Command.

P: Printer Control: P - Screen I/O

and be echoed to a printer.

R: Read Disk: R (sect=) (buff addr)

(=sects) = Read one or more sectors

from selected disk drive into a

specified buffer area. See W for eg.

S: Search Memory: S addr byte byte

... = Search memory for and print out

occurrences of a sequence of bytes.

T: Toggle Format : T = Toggle between

hex and character formats.

V: Verify Memory: V addr0 addr1

addr2 = Compare 2 blocks of memory and

print out the differences.

W: Write disk: W (sect=) (buff addr)

(=sects) - Write one or more sectors

to disk from a specified buffer

address. eg. W 1 A000 40 (writes 64

decimal sectors, dumping $A000 to

$BFFF to sectors 1 to 64)

X: Disassembler: X (addr0) (addr1) =

Translate machine code into assembly

language. Can be used to create a

source file.

Y: Assembler: Y addr instr -

Translate assbly lang. into machine

code one line at a time. Usefull for

patching programs.

 

For instance, to dump $A000 to $BFFF, you would hit SELECT/RESET while in the cart. Then type "W 1 A000 40" to write 64 128 byte sectors, 8192

bytes to sectors 1 to 64 (all numbers in Omnimon are hex $40=64 decimal). Now you have a ROM dump on sectors of a floppy. You then

need a utility to dump the sectors to a file (I wrote my own if you're interested). Then you can put a header on the dump to move the

screen memory and display list down under $A000, just a few bytes, and run at the RUN address at $BFFA (if I remember). Now you have a

executable of the cart, if there isn't any copy protection, which you have to hunt out and defeat. Edit: you'd have to put a load header after

the move screen in also.

 

Omnimon is neat.

Edited February 29, 2012 by russg

[+Larry]

GOLD (At least) +3 for the almost stock XE OS. However, I like the reverse BASIC option. If I didn't have HD adapter's that supplied Ultra Speed, then I like it patched with Hias' wonderful HISIO.

 

SILVER Omnimon -- great monitor (but a hard to see screen color selection).

 

BRONZE Omniview -- OK 80-columns and a very compatible 800-type OS.

 

Honorable mention -- all others.

 

-Larry

[ivop]

Hmm, I hate reverse basic. Still, after all those years, my 'arm-muscle-memory' automatically presses option when booting an atari 8-bit. I have to _think_ not to do it.

 

BTW can you reflash a 32-in-1 OS?

Edited February 29, 2012 by ivop

[Rybags]

It can't be flashed in place.

 

But you can yank the chip and use an Atarimax 8 Mb cart to flash it.