New (alt) BIOS for Ultimate 1MB/Incognito

[flashjazzcat]

New Side version yet?

 

Forgot all about it - sorry (been working on U1MB PBI BIOS). If all is well with the loader, I'll upload a SIDE build of the fixed version when I get home later.

[flashjazzcat]

SIDE/SIDE2 loader v.1.09:

 

sload109.rom

 

U1MB loader v.1.09:

 

uload109.rom

 

(Incognito hasn't changed, so can wait until next round of updates).

[fujidude]

I thought the UI was supposed to be unified now between the BIOS and the loader? I have to hold control on the arrow keys sometimes and sometimes not. I'm sure I'm missing something, but what?

[flashjazzcat]

The two UIs are as unified as they need to be given that the loader menus can contain 255 items while BIOS menus may contain no more that fourteen. What, specifically, is causing confusion now?

Edited August 4, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[+mytek]

It would be nice if ctrl or non-ctrl arrows would work across all menus the same. This would make for better TK-II compatibility which defaults to ctrl+arrow keys, but then still work properly from a 'stock' atari keyboard as well without necessitating holding down the ctrl key.

 

Just my 2 cents, and certainly not a deal breaker.

 

- Michael

[flashjazzcat]

It would be nice if ctrl or non-ctrl arrows would work across all menus the same. This would make for better TK-II compatibility which defaults to ctrl+arrow keys, but then still work properly from a 'stock' atari keyboard as well without necessitating holding down the ctrl key.

That's a reasonable observation, but the problem is which shortcut to then use for 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' in the loader. Would could use shift up/down, but that would filter out the underscore from the search bar. Perhaps shift left/right? Shift/Ctrl/Up and Down are already used for start/end of list, but perhaps they could be assigned to page up/down and Shift/Ctrl/S and E used for start/end. The console keys can already be used as start/page up/down.

 

Obviously - despite aesthetic similarities - the two tools (the BIOS menu and the loader) perform completely different tasks. There's no need, for instance, to leap through fourteen items by page intervals, but it's a rather useful thing to in a list of filenames filling twenty odd pages.

Edited August 4, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[+mytek]

That's a reasonable observation, but the problem is which shortcut to then use for 'Page Up' and 'Page Down' in the loader. Would could use shift up/down, but that would filter out the underscore from the search bar. Perhaps shift left/right? Shift/Ctrl/Up and Down are already used for start/end of list, but perhaps they could be assigned to page up/down and Shift/Ctrl/S and E used for start/end. The console keys can already be used as start/page up/down.

Obviously - despite aesthetic similarities - the two tools (the BIOS menu and the loader) perform completely different tasks. There's no need, for instance, to leap through fourteen items by page intervals, but it's a rather useful thing to in a list of filenames filling twenty odd pages.

Yeah good point. Although page up and down are also available with TK-II by mapping two of the 1200XL function keys to the PS/2 keys with those designated labels, which works with all XE and XL's. Perhaps have this as a configuration option in the U1MB setup?

 

- Michael

[flashjazzcat]

That's a good idea. I'd meant to add support for the F keys but completely forgot. Will do so in the next version.

[fujidude]

The two UIs are as unified as they need to be given that the loader menus can contain 255 items while BIOS menus may contain no more that fourteen. What, specifically, is causing confusion now?

 

I thought they were supposed to work the same now, so when they didn't I thought I might be overlooking something. That's all.

[flashjazzcat]

Yeah good point. Although page up and down are also available with TK-II by mapping two of the 1200XL function keys to the PS/2 keys with those designated labels, which works with all XE and XL's. Perhaps have this as a configuration option in the U1MB setup?

I have about a dozen bytes of code space left in the loader, having already just made the following changes:

 

1) Cursor left/right and up/down work the same with or without Ctrl

2) Ctrl+H or Start is now "cursor home"

3) Ctrl+E is now "cursor end"

4) Shift+Ctrl+up arrow or Select are now "page up"

5) Shift+Ctrl+down arrow or Option are now "page down"

 

In the remaining space I can probably squeeze in some Function key support. The unshifted F key meanings are clear enough (they emulate the cursor keys, or so says Mapping the Atari), but how about the shifted codes? Shift+F1 is "home"... how about:

 

Shift+F1: Home

Shift+F2: End (of list)

Shift+F3: Page Up

Shift+F4: Page Down

 

The mechanism exists to handle CTRL, SHIFT and SHIFT+CTRL, so there's scope for sixteen combinations, but there aren't 48 bytes of space available (each shortcut entry is three bytes long).

[+mytek]

I have about a dozen bytes of code space left in the loader, having already just made the following changes:

 

1) Cursor left/right and up/down work the same with or without Ctrl

2) Ctrl+H or Start is now "cursor home"

3) Ctrl+E is now "cursor end"

4) Shift+Ctrl+up arrow or Select are now "page up"

5) Shift+Ctrl+down arrow or Option are now "page down"

 

In the remaining space I can probably squeeze in some Function key support. The unshifted F key meanings are clear enough (they emulate the cursor keys, or so says Mapping the Atari), but how about the shifted codes? Shift+F1 is "home"... how about:

 

Shift+F1: Home

Shift+F2: End (of list)

Shift+F3: Page Up

Shift+F4: Page Down

 

The mechanism exists to handle CTRL, SHIFT and SHIFT+CTRL, so there's scope for sixteen combinations, but there aren't 48 bytes of space available (each shortcut entry is three bytes long).

 

Hi Jon,

 

These are the TK-II 1200XL Function Key Equivalents on the PS/2 keyboard.

 

PageUp = SHIFT+F1

PageDn = SHIFT+F2

Home = SHIFT+F3

End = SHIFT+F4

 

So it would seem like it is some what flipped top to bottom from what you suggested. Think about how your PC keyboard works, especially the 'Home' and 'End' keys. Home moves you to the start of a line (moving left) and End moves you to the end of a line (moving right).

 

- Michael

Edited August 4, 2016 by mytekcontrols

[flashjazzcat]

It wasn't so much a suggestion as a modification of the 1200XL defaults:

 

https://atariwiki.org/wiki/wiki.pdf?page=Fkeys&ext=.pdf

 

Obviously page up/down don't have any direct equivalent, but I just thought it would have been helpful to approximate the original home/end functionality of Shift-f1/f2, this being an Atari rather than a PC. But I have no special preference, and will go along with what's most practical.

[+mytek]

It wasn't so much a suggestion as a modification of the 1200XL defaults:

 

https://atariwiki.org/wiki/wiki.pdf?page=Fkeys&ext=.pdf

 

Obviously page up/down don't have any direct equivalent, but I just thought it would have been helpful to approximate the original home/end functionality of Shift-f1/f2, this being an Atari rather than a PC. But I have no special preference, and will go along with what's most practical.

 

When I was originally mapping out the 1200XL function keys to the PS/2 keyboard's navigation keys, I used the Basic editor as my guide and it just felt right to me at the time to have the Home and End keys work as I described, with SHIFT (or CTRL)+Home doing the clear screen and 'homing' the cursor to the upper left of the screen. Yes I agree that the Page-Up and Down keys don't really have a good definition or use in the Atari per-say, but overall my mapping for these keys ended up agreeing with how you defined the function keys in the Last Word fairly well (see breakdown here). But of course you should do what feels best to you, and you'll have the Last Word on how this rolls out.

 

I'm just thankful that you made the arrow keys will work the same through out. Thanks for that

 

- Michael

[flashjazzcat]

No problem. I don't think the F keys are exactly over-used anyway on the 1200XL, so perhaps we shouldn't be too influenced by the OS functions. And admittedly I did use Windows shortcuts for cut and paste in TLW.

[fujidude]

No problem. I don't think the F keys are exactly over-used anyway on the 1200XL, so perhaps we shouldn't be too influenced by the OS functions. And admittedly I did use Windows shortcuts for cut and paste in TLW.

 

Which I appreciate is the case. The less different systems that have to be kept straight the better.

[morelenmir]

When you do have the time to do a new customized distro of SDX v4.48 for the U1MB and SIDE2 with your APT utilities and the other additions would it be possible to put all these on to a standalone *.ATR? Using the "TYPE CAR:>FDISK.COM >>D1:>FDISK.COM" trick does work very well, but is a little time consuming for each application you want to unpack. It would be really handy for making our own customized SDX user areas if the applications were a little easier to get at.

Edited August 5, 2016 by morelenmir

[flashjazzcat]

I think the CAR: version of FDISK is the only thing which isn't already on the toolkit disk, and you can always run "FDISK.COM" straight from the ATR if extracting the four component parts of FDISK from CAR: is proving troublesome. I'll put the OVL files on the next toolkit update, however.

[morelenmir]

I think the CAR: version of FDISK is the only thing which isn't already on the toolkit disk, and you can always run "FDISK.COM" straight from the ATR if extracting the four component parts of FDISK from CAR: is proving troublesome. I'll put the OVL files on the next toolkit update, however.

 

Many thanks Jon!!! I didn't realize the toolkit held so many of the 'FJC distro' extras.

[flashjazzcat]

 

These are the TK-II 1200XL Function Key Equivalents on the PS/2 keyboard.

 

PageUp = SHIFT+F1

PageDn = SHIFT+F2

Home = SHIFT+F3

End = SHIFT+F4

 

 

Please test this U1MB build of the loader which adds the following 1200XL f-key definitions:

 

F1: up

F2: down

F3: left

F4: right

Shift-F1: page up

Shift-F2: page down

Shift-F3: home

Shift-F4: end

Ctrl-F1: mount file (same as ctrl-space)

Ctrl-F2: set drive number (same as tab)

Ctrl-F3: advance selection / open (same as enter)

Ctrl-F4: regress selection (same as ctrl-enter)

 

Other assignments also changed:

 

Shift-Ctrl-up: page up

Shift-Ctrl-down: page down

Ctrl-H: home

Ctrl-E: end

Start: home

Select: page up

Option: page down

 

In addition, cursor key functionality is uniform regardless of whether or not ctrl is pressed. I just tested this build with my 1200XL and it appears to work as designed.

 

uload110.rom

 

I'd forgotten that the loader has a 256 byte keyboard translation table, so the duplicated functions add no bloat.

 

Another idea I'll field while it's on my mind is to replace reverse alpha list sorting with the option to not group subdirectories together at the top of the file list. This would (optionally) allow the quick search (where you go ahead and start typing a filename) to work on folder names too (which it can't when there are effectively two alpha lists: folders, then filenames). I've seen a lot of CF card images where people like to organise huge collections of games under folders named "A", "B", "C", etc. The suggested change would allow "M" [enter] to immediately get you into the "M" folder.

Edited August 6, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[+mytek]

 

Please test this U1MB build of the loader which adds the following 1200XL f-key definitions:

 

F1: up

F2: down

F3: left

F4: right

Shift-F1: page up

Shift-F2: page down

Shift-F3: home

Shift-F4: end

Ctrl-F1: mount file (same as ctrl-space)

Ctrl-F2: set drive number (same as tab)

Ctrl-F3: advance selection / open (same as enter)

Ctrl-F4: regress selection (same as ctrl-enter)

 

Other assignments also changed:

 

Shift-Ctrl-up: page up

Shift-Ctrl-down: page down

Ctrl-H: home

Ctrl-E: end

Start: home

Select: page up

Option: page down

 

In addition, cursor key functionality is uniform regardless of whether or not ctrl is pressed. I just tested this build with my 1200XL and it appears to work as designed.

 

uload110.rom

 

I'd forgotten that the loader has a 256 byte keyboard translation table, so the duplicated functions add no bloat.

 

Another idea I'll field while it's on my mind is to replace reverse alpha list sorting with the option to not group subdirectories together at the top of the file list. This would (optionally) allow the quick search (where you go ahead and start typing a filename) to work on folder names too (which it can't when there are effectively two alpha lists: folders, then filenames). I've seen a lot of CF card images where people like to organise huge collections of games under folders named "A", "B", "C", etc. The suggested change would allow "M" [enter] to immediately get you into the "M" folder.

 

I'll do this later today and get back to you (my computer with the U1MB installed is in a total state of disarray due to testing the new TK-II-STEREO boards that arrived yesterday). Mucho thanks for doing this

 

- Michael

[Frankie]

 

Please test this U1MB build of the loader which adds the following 1200XL f-key definitions:

 

F1: up

F2: down

F3: left

F4: right

Shift-F1: page up

Shift-F2: page down

Shift-F3: home

Shift-F4: end

Ctrl-F1: mount file (same as ctrl-space)

Ctrl-F2: set drive number (same as tab)

Ctrl-F3: advance selection / open (same as enter)

Ctrl-F4: regress selection (same as ctrl-enter)

 

Other assignments also changed:

 

Shift-Ctrl-up: page up

Shift-Ctrl-down: page down

Ctrl-H: home

Ctrl-E: end

Start: home

Select: page up

Option: page down

 

In addition, cursor key functionality is uniform regardless of whether or not ctrl is pressed. I just tested this build with my 1200XL and it appears to work as designed.

 

uload110.rom

 

I'd forgotten that the loader has a 256 byte keyboard translation table, so the duplicated functions add no bloat.

 

Another idea I'll field while it's on my mind is to replace reverse alpha list sorting with the option to not group subdirectories together at the top of the file list. This would (optionally) allow the quick search (where you go ahead and start typing a filename) to work on folder names too (which it can't when there are effectively two alpha lists: folders, then filenames). I've seen a lot of CF card images where people like to organise huge collections of games under folders named "A", "B", "C", etc. The suggested change would allow "M" [enter] to immediately get you into the "M" folder.

 

I tested it on my 1200xl, they work as you described.

[Frankie]

 

Please test this U1MB build of the loader which adds the following 1200XL f-key definitions:

 

F1: up

F2: down

F3: left

F4: right

Shift-F1: page up

Shift-F2: page down

Shift-F3: home

Shift-F4: end

Ctrl-F1: mount file (same as ctrl-space)

Ctrl-F2: set drive number (same as tab)

Ctrl-F3: advance selection / open (same as enter)

Ctrl-F4: regress selection (same as ctrl-enter)

 

Other assignments also changed:

 

Shift-Ctrl-up: page up

Shift-Ctrl-down: page down

Ctrl-H: home

Ctrl-E: end

Start: home

Select: page up

Option: page down

 

In addition, cursor key functionality is uniform regardless of whether or not ctrl is pressed. I just tested this build with my 1200XL and it appears to work as designed.

 

uload110.rom

 

I'd forgotten that the loader has a 256 byte keyboard translation table, so the duplicated functions add no bloat.

 

Another idea I'll field while it's on my mind is to replace reverse alpha list sorting with the option to not group subdirectories together at the top of the file list. This would (optionally) allow the quick search (where you go ahead and start typing a filename) to work on folder names too (which it can't when there are effectively two alpha lists: folders, then filenames). I've seen a lot of CF card images where people like to organise huge collections of games under folders named "A", "B", "C", etc. The suggested change would allow "M" [enter] to immediately get you into the "M" folder.

 

Will there be SIDE/SIDE 2 versions?

[flashjazzcat]

Will there be SIDE/SIDE 2 versions?

Here are all three builds (U1MB, Incognito and SIDE/SIDE2):

 

loader_v.1.10.zip

Edited August 6, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[+mytek]

Hi Jon,

 

I just tested the new loader with TK-II, and it works perfect with the PS/2 keyboard navigation keys

 

Thank you ever so much

 

- Michael

[w1k]

how i can flash new LOADER to SIDE II ?

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7rgAqfPHhs