Post by wsoft on Feb 18, 2024 12:06:40 GMT
This is a detail involving drive detection within WsDos that I think needs to be explained more, and for posterity purposes if nothing else.
In the docs, it says:
"If RAMDOS isn't active, you can change the autoboot drive to whatever one you want by turning off any devices with unit numbers smaller than the one you want to use, then reset the computer. Otherwise there are the 4 "drive" commands".
Some may scratch their heads why this is, because on C-128-D machines there is always a drive 8 present and those cannot be shut off.
This is so that if you own a C128-D that has a defective built-in 1571, the code will search automatically for the next higher device found to be active. This used to be a cause for the code to bail when it couldn't find an active drive because
sometimes unit #8 isn't always there. I once had a C128-D that had a bad 1571 and it wouldn't recognize another CBM disk drive unless its DIP switch was set to something above 8. Anyway that was why I made it that way. Of course if RAMDOS is active then this isn't checked at all because then it knows to access only unit #20. 'nuff sed.
In the docs, it says:
"If RAMDOS isn't active, you can change the autoboot drive to whatever one you want by turning off any devices with unit numbers smaller than the one you want to use, then reset the computer. Otherwise there are the 4 "drive" commands".
Some may scratch their heads why this is, because on C-128-D machines there is always a drive 8 present and those cannot be shut off.
This is so that if you own a C128-D that has a defective built-in 1571, the code will search automatically for the next higher device found to be active. This used to be a cause for the code to bail when it couldn't find an active drive because
sometimes unit #8 isn't always there. I once had a C128-D that had a bad 1571 and it wouldn't recognize another CBM disk drive unless its DIP switch was set to something above 8. Anyway that was why I made it that way. Of course if RAMDOS is active then this isn't checked at all because then it knows to access only unit #20. 'nuff sed.