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diff docs/nitros9guide/chap1.chapter @ 144:f4e798ea65b9
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author | roug |
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date | Sun, 07 Jul 2002 09:54:04 +0000 |
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--- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/docs/nitros9guide/chap1.chapter Sun Jul 07 09:54:04 2002 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,307 @@ +<chapter> +<title>Getting Started...</title> + +<section> +<title>What You Need to Run OS-9</title> +<para> +OS-9 has been tailored to run on your standard, unmodified Dragon +Computer. To use it you'll need the following things: +</para> +<itemizedlist mark="bullet"> + <listitem><para>A 64K Memory Dragon Computer</para></listitem> + <listitem><para>A Dragon Disk Drive With Contoller Cartridge</para></listitem> + <listitem><para>An OS-9 Dragon System Disk</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> +<para> +OS-9 is also ready to use the following optional equipment that you +may have now or may obtain in the future: +</para> +<itemizedlist mark="bullet"> + <listitem><para>Additional Expansion Disk Drive(s)</para></listitem> + <listitem><para>A Parallel Printer</para></listitem> + <listitem><para>Game Joysticks</para></listitem> + <listitem><para>Other OS-9 Compatible Languages and Software</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> + +<section> +<title>Starting the System</title> +<para> +To start up OS-9 follow these steps: + +<orderedlist numeration="arabic"> +<listitem><para>Turn the Dragon Computer and disk drive(s) on. You should see +the usual Basic greeting message on the screen.</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>Insert the OS-9 System Disk in drive zero and close the door.</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>Type "BOOT". After a few seconds of disk activity you should +see a screen with the words "OS9BOOT".</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>OS-9 will then begin +its "bootstrap" loading process, which +involves ten to twenty seconds of disk activity. When the system +startup has finished, a message followed by an "OS9:" prompt will be +displayed.</para></listitem> +</orderedlist> +</para> +</section> + +<section> +<title>In Case You Have Problems Starting OS-9</title> +<itemizedlist> +<listitem><para>If Basic gives an error message after you +type "BOOT", remove the +disk, turn the computer off and on, then try again. If this +repeatedly fails your OS-9 diskette may be bad.</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>Did you remember to turn the disk drive power switch on?</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>Does your Dragon Computer have 64K RAM? This is a must!</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>If your Dragon Computer doesn't seem to understand the BOOT +command, contact your dealer.</para></listitem> + +<listitem><para>If the "OS9BOOT message is displayed but nothing else happens, +you may have a corrupted system disk. Hopefully you did make a +backup!</para></listitem> +</itemizedlist> +</section> + +<section> +<title>A Quick Introduction to the Use of the Keyboard and Disks</title> +<para> +For now, the only special keys on the keyboard of interest are +the SHIFT key which works like a typewriter shift key; the ENTER key +which you always use after typing a command or response to OS-9; and +the <- left arrow key which you can use to erase typing mistakes. +</para> +<para> +Your main disk drive is known to to OS-9 as "/D0" and is often +called "drive zero". If you have a second disk drive (drive one), +OS-9 recognizes it as "/D1". Why would anybody put a "/" in a name? +Because all input and output devices have names like files, and +names that start with "/" are always device names. +</para> +</section> + +<section> +<title>Initial Explorations</title> +<para> +When OS-9 first starts up, it will display a welcoming message, +and then ask you to enter the date and time. This allows OS-9 to +keep track of the date and time of creation of new files and disks. +Enter the current date and time in the format requested like this: +<screen> + YY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS + TIME ? 83 7 14 1420 +</screen> +In the example above, the date entered was July 14, 1983. OS-9 +uses 24-hour time so the date entered was 1420 hours or 2:20 PM. +Next, OS-9 will print an "OS9:" prompt to let you know it is ready +for you to type in a command. +</para> +<para> +Now you're ready to try some commands. A good first command to +try is DIR (for "<emphasis>dir</emphasis>ectory"). +This will display a list of the files +on the System Disk. Just type: +<screen> +dir +</screen> +followed by a "return". OS-9 should respond with a listing of file +names which should look something like this: +<screen> + OS9Boot startup CMDS SYS DEFS +</screen> +The file "OS9Boot" contains the OS-9 program in 6809 machine +language, which was loaded into memory during the bootstrap +operation. +</para> +<para> +The file "startup" is a "command file" which is automatically run +when the system starts up, and has the commands that printed the +welcoming message and asked for the time. Later, You may want to +replace this startup file with your own customized version after you +are more familiar with OS-9. Do you want to see the contents of +this file? If so, just type +<screen> +list startup +</screen> +As you can see, the LIST command displays the contents of files +that contain text (alphabetic characters). Some files like the +"OS9Boot" file contain binary data such as machine language +programs. These files are called "binary files", and attempts to +list them will result in a jumbled, meaningless display. On the +other hand, OS-9 will complain mightily if you try to run a text +file as a program! +</para> +<para> +As you may have surmised by now, the way you ask OS-9 to run a +program or command (they're really the same thing) is to simply type +its name. Some commands like LIST require one or more names of +files or options. If so, they are typed on the same line using +spaces to separate each item. +</para> +<para> +But where did the LIST and DIR programs come from? There are +really more files on the disk than you suspect. The DIR command +showed you what is the disk's +<emphasis>root directory</emphasis> - so named because the +OS-9 filing system resembles a tree. Growing out of the root +directory are three "branches" - files which are additional +directories of file names instead of programs or data. They in turn +can have even more "branches" - ad infinitum. If you draw a map on +paper of how this works it does look like a tree. +</para> +<para> +The directory files on your system disk are called "CMDS", +"SYS", and "DEFS". +The file "CMDS" is a directory that consists of +all the system commands such as DIR, LIST, FORMAT, etc. To see the +files contained in this directory, enter: +<screen> +DIR CMDS +</screen> +which tells DIR to show files on the directory file CMDS instead +of the root directory. After you type this you should see a long +list of file names. These are the complete set of command programs +that come with OS-9 and perform a myriad of functions. Chapter +Seven explains each one in detail. The DIR command also has a handy +option to display the CMDS directory with less typing: +<screen> +DIR X +</screen> +Whenever you want a list of available commands you can use this so +you don't have to look it up in the book. The DIR command has +options which can give you more detailed information about each file +(see sections 3.4 and 3.8.1). +</para> +</section> +</section> +<section> +<title>Making a Backup of the System Disk</title> +<para> +Before getting too much more involved in further experimentation, +NOW is the time to make one or more exact copies of your System Disk +in case some misfortune befalls your one and only master System +Disk. Making a backup involves two steps: formatting a blank disk +and running a backup program. +</para> +<section> +<title>Formatting Blank Disks</title> +<para> +Before the actual backup procedure can be done (or any fresh +diskette is used for any purpose), the blank disk which is to become +the backup disk must be initialized by OS-9's FORMAT command. +</para> +<para> +IF YOU HAVE ONLY ONE DISK DRIVE you have to be extra careful not to +accidentally FORMAT your system disk. Type: + +<screen> +FORMAT /D0 +</screen> + +and when you see the message + +<screen> +DRAGON DISK FORMATTER 1 . 2 +FORMAT DRIVE /D0 +Y (YES) OR N (NO) +READY? +</screen> + +immediately remove your system disk and insert a blank disk +<emphasis>before</emphasis> you type "Y". + +IF YOU HAVE TWO DISK DRIVES place the blank disk in drive one and +type: +</para> +<screen> +FORMAT /D1 +</screen> +<para> +WHEN THE BLANK DISK IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE, type "Y", then "ENTER". +This initiates the formatting process. IF THE CORRECT DEVICE NAME +(/D1) IS NOT DISPLAYED: TYPE N RIGHT NOW and start over, OR YOU +MAY ERASE your System Disk. +</para> +<para> +When you are asked for a disk name, type any letter, then ENTER. +The name you give is not important. If you have only one drive, +replace the system disk after the FORMAT program has finished. If +the FORMAT program reported any errors, try again. Disks used for +backups can't have any errors. You're now ready to run the BACKUP +program. +</para> +<para> +It takes several minutes for the FORMAT program to run. During +its second phase the hexadecimal number of each track will be +displayed as it is checked for bad sectors. If any are found an +error message for each bad sector is given. +</para> +</section> + +<section> +<title>Running the Backup Program</title> +<para> +The BACKUP program makes an exact duplicate of a disk. It can be +used even if you only have one disk drive. +</para> +<para> +IF YOU HAVE ONE DRIVE type +</para> +<screen> +BACKUP /D0 #32k +</screen> +<para> +The BACKUP program will prompt you to alternately insert the source +disk (the system disk) and the destination disk (the freshly +formatted disk). +</para> +<para> +IF YOU HAVE TWO DRIVES type +</para> +<screen> +BACKUP #32K +</screen> +<para> + +The BACKUP program will respond with +</para> +<screen> +Ready to BACKUP from /D0 to /D0 (or /D1) ? +</screen> +<para> +Now enter Y for yes. It will then ask: +</para> +<screen> +X IS BEING SCRATCHED +OK ?: +</screen> +<para> +Answer "Y" for yes again, and the BACKUP process should begin. +</para> +<para> +The BACKUP command has two phases: the first phase copies +everything from drive zero to drive one checking for errors while +reading from the master but not for "write" errors. The second +phase is the "verify" pass which makes sure everything was copied +onto the new disk correctly. If any errors are reported during the +first (copy) pass, there is a problem with the master disk or its +drive. If errors occur during the second (verify) pass, there is a +problem with the new disk and the BACKUP program should be run +again. If BACKUP repeatedly fails on the second pass, reformat the +disk and try to BACKUP again. If BACKUP fails again, the disk is +physically defective. +</para> +<para> +After you have made your backup disk, try turning the Dragon +Computer off and restarting the system with the copy you just made. +If it works OK, store it in a safe place in case it is needed later. +You should always have a backup copy of your system disk and all +other important disks. +</para> +</section> +</section> +</chapter>