Amiga Format 98/af098sub.adf/abeeb.LZX/ABeeb/Roms/README

Text File | 1996-04-12 | 7.5 KB | 208 lines

1. *CAT (<drive>)
-----------------

XDFS now supports the number of times written to the disc BCD cycle count and
the boot up options (although I haven't put SHIFT - BREAK boot up in yet).
You will need to add 1 line to the top of all your catalogs giving the
number of times the disc has been written to (BCD, 2 characters) and the
disc boot up option (1 character between 0 and 3 inclusive). Eg.:

    44 0
    $.Hopper      FF2000 FF4800 002A00 FFF
    $.HopLScr     FF5800 FF5800 002800 FFF
    $.HopLdr      FF0E00 FF802B 000191 FFF

XDFS uses part of the start sector as a locked flag indicator. If you want
files unlocked, set the start sector to 0x3ff or lower. Note that *ACCESS has
not been implemented yet (even though it appears on *HELP DFS). If you want
to lock or unlock a file in xbeeb then use the relevant OSFILE call.

*CAT outputs the disc catalog on the xbeeb screen as in the Acorn DFS roms.
The current working directory (set with *DIR) is displayed first, followed by
the remaining directories. You cannot have more than 31 files in a directory.
Be careful not to put any redundant newlines at the end of the __CATALOG__
file otherwise you will get some strange output.

The single parameter supplied is the drive number (0-3 inclusive) that you
wish to catalog. This number is meaningless and is only implemented for the
sake of compatability. A Bad Drive error is generated if the drive is not in
the range 0-3 inclusive. There is a bug in the *CAT in all Acorn DFS roms that
allows you to enter:

    *.0 Blobby Blobby Blobby

ie.: only the first character is being checked. This feature is also
implemented in XDFS.

If no parameter is supplied, then the currently selected drive (selected with
*DRIVE or *DIR) is used.



2. *HELP
--------

XDFS responds to *H.., *HELP DFS and *HELP UTILS. In each case a list of star
commands the rom responds to is printed in the xbeeb screen. Along with most
functions in XDFS no case checking is done, so things like *HElp utILs will
work.



3. *DRIVE <drive> (40/80)
-------------------------

This command is provided to provide compatibility with those programs written
for Acorn DFS v 2.00 and above. The drive is a single digit in the range 0-3
inclusive. The second parameter is optional but is parsed if supplied, so
*DR. 0 52 is not allowed. Wherever possible the errors generated are the same
as the Acorn ones with the same error numbers, but I have invented some of my
own.



4. *DIR <dir>
-------------

This command is identical to the Acorn DFS version. All further occurances of
*LOAD, *RUN, *EX, *DELETE, etc will occur on the directory specified.

    *DIR :1   - Sets drive to 1, directory unchanged.
    *DIR P      - Sets directory to P, drive unchanged.
    *Dir :2.O - Sets the drive to 2 and the directory to O.


5. *LIB (<dir>)
---------------

This command is identical to the Acorn DFS version. Any *commands unrecognised
by the system will be checked against the currently selected directory and then
the library directory. Any parameters not supplied are set to those as given
by the last *DIR command (as DFS v 2.45).

    *DIR :1.Q - Sets the drive to 1 and the directory to Q
    *LIB :0.W - Sets the library drive to 0 and directory to W
    *LIB P    - Sets the library drive to 1 (currently selected drive)
                and the library directory to P.

Note that the internal flags and pointers used by XDFS are identical to Acorn
DFS v 0.90. So, if anyone's illegally changing directory by ?&10CA=ASC"$" this
will work. The tube not present flag is also set but not used. A list of flags
and pointers used by Acorn DFS v 0.90 is given in the Advanced Disc Users Guide.



6. *DISC, *DISK
---------------

This command selects the XDFS. The library and currently selected directories
are set to :0.$ and the tube not present flag is set. This command jumps into
the OS ROM quite a bit and won't work on any OS before OS 1.00 (but then and
again, if you're trying to run xbeeb with OS 0.1 then you really are sad).
This command is also issued when the XDFS ROM initialises, either if XDFS is
the highest priority filing system or the 'D' key is held down on a BREAK.

Note that *D. is equivalent to *DISC (as Acorn DFS up to 2.10) and not *DUMP
(as on the Master DFS v 2.24 and 2.45).



7. *ROMS (<rom id>)
-------------------

This command is quite different to the Acorn DFS version, although the output
is similar to that is DFS releases 1 and 2. The parameter supplied is a rom
id in the form of a string or a number 0-15 inclusive.

If no parameters are given then all ROMS are cataloged. If the ROM is a bank
of sideways RAM then this will be identified as Ram. Note the new RomSelect.c
required to make this feature work. The ROMs name and version number are also
printed.

If the parameter supplied is a number in the range 0-15 inclusive then that
ROM bank is cataloged. If the socket does not contain a valid ROM then no
output will be given.

Otherwise the parameter is taken to be a ROM title string, eg.: DFS. All ROMs
titled DFS will be cataloged. It is only necessary to enter the first word, so
*ROMS Acorn will catalog Acorn ADFS and Acorn ANFS. Again, no case checking
is made (unlike Acorn's version) so *ROMS BASIC and *ROMs baSIc will give the
same result.

In either case, if the ROM cannot be identified then the error Bad ROM id will
be generated. This may give some compatibility problems at this point as
Acorn's version gave no error.

    >*ROMS
    Rom 15 : ( L) BASIC
    Rom 10 : (S ) DFS 0.70
    Rom 09 : (S ) SLAVE  1.34
    Ram 04 : (S ) DISC DOCTOR  1.0B
    Rom 02 : (SL) ViewSheet B1.0
    Rom 01 : (SL) VIEW

Notice that bank 4 in the example above is declared as Ram.

    >*roms 9
    Rom 09 : (S ) SLAVE  1.34

    >*ROMS VIEWSHEET
    Rom 02 : (SL) ViewSheet B1.0


8. *EX (<dir>)
--------------

This command is identical to the command provided in Acorn's DFS v 2.00 and
above. The contents of the specified directory are given with their load,
execution, length and start sector. If no parameter is given then the
currently selected directory is used.



9. *NEWDISC, *NEWDISK <Unix dir>
--------------------------------

This command changes the current disc used by xbeeb. Its single parameter is
a Unix directory relative to the XBEEBROMS define in Config.h. This is the
only command in the ROM that is case sensitive, since Unix is case sensitive,
and Acornsoft and acornsoft could be two different directories.

If the directory does not exist or it does not contain a readable __CATALOG__
file then the error Bad Unix disc is generated. The old disc is no longer
selected. The title of the disc is taken to be the directory given to the
*NEWDISC command.

    *NEWDISC Acornsoft
    *NEW. Superior
    *NEW. ../efs-demo


10. *DELETE <fsp>
-----------------

For some reason, there are a shortage of people willing to test this function.
I have tested it and am happy that it works, but I'd be grateful if you'd do
the same. Please make a backup of your hard disc before attempting to use this
function. Although I am confident that the code is bug free, I cannot take
responsibility for any data lost by whatever means through direct or indirect
use of the XDFS ROM. In using the DFS ROM it is taken that you agree and
understand this disclaimer.



11. *RENAME <old fsp> <new fsp>
-------------------------------

This works but is not yet bug free. The function will not let you rename a
file to its original name, and nothing is printed if *OPT 1,2 has been set.
I have included it as it is a good indication of how errors that occur in the
Unix end of the filing system will be handled.



12. *OPT x,y
------------

Identical to Acorn's version.