SUPERDOS SuperDOS V5.1 was designed for the more advanced user who needs a DOS with true double sided, double density operation. The aim was to keep the program short and powerful. Until now Atari DOS 2 seemed to be the most convienient DOS to use but was only capable of single density and was memory inefficient. Other double density DOS's are available but they use heaps of memory or are extremely slow because you need to load a file to perform each function. SuperDOS combines many functions (and more) from some of these giant DOS's into an easy to use, menu driven DOS needing slightly more memory than Atari DOS 2.0S but using seven sectors less on the disk and therefore taking less time to load. With 64K RAM XL/XE and all SUPERRAM models, DUP is hidden in RAM under the OS or in the ramdisk and available imediately with NO loss of the resident program. The 256K SuperRAM ramdisk, plus 130XE, Axlon, Bucholtz, Newell, Peterson and RAMbo ramdisks are supported. Features 1. SuperDOS for Atari 400/800/600XL/800XL/65XE/130XE computers, Atari 810, 1050, XF551 and compatible disk drives. 2. Single, Enhanced and Double density plus double sided, double density operation. 3. Handles up to 4 disk drives plus a ramdisk plus up to 8 concurrent files. 4. Auto density enables SuperDos to automatically configure to the density of the disk in the drive. 5. With auto density you can copy files from single to double density (or vice versa) with only one drive. 6. RESTORE deleted or open files, either from SDUP menu or BASIC with XIO commands. 7. Use upper, lower case, inverse characters or numbers even as the first char of a filename. 8. Short SYS files allows maximum use of disk space and memory. 9. Variable XL/XE key delay and repeat rate. 10. Ramdisks: SuperRAM & Peterson with 256K, 130XE with 64K or Axlon, Bucholtz, Newell, or RAMbo with 180K. Enables instant loading of files. 11. Autoload all files with "RAM" filename extenders from drive one to the ramdisk during boot process. 12. With SuperRAM or 64K RAM, SDUP is available the instant you type DOS and the resident program is saved. No MEM.SAV waiting. 13. Use single keystrokes to list drrectory or select items. 14. Copy to or from casstette "C:" device using long or short IRG. Copy all SYS files except DOS.SYS using wildcards. 15. A verification prompt message gives you a chance to change your mind about copying a file. 16. Write DOS.SYS file only or format a disk with skewed sectors using SuperMAX, US Doubler or Atari XF551. 17. Copy sectors and display bad sector numbers. Copy only the used sectors. 18. Option to format destination disk during disk copy. It formats in the same density as the source disk. 19. Enter sector numbers in hex or decimal. Default is hex use # for decimal. eg #370. 20. Write with or without verify. Toggled from SDUP menu. 21. Drive status (density, sides) is displayed on top of the screen above SDUP menu. 22. Concise menu with plenty of room for directory listings. There are 2 columns on dirs. 23. Annoying Atari 4 line scroll removed. 24. A red screen border indicates next operation may write to the disk. Purple for format. 25. A red or green screen border to indicate write or read in next operation of copy file disk or sectors. 26. A binary save that even saves carts. 27. A copy from DOS 3 using 1 or 2 drives and wildcards. 28. SuperBIN - a boot program to display a menu of file names and load and run the bin file you choose. 29. Display the conmfiguration block of drives. (not 810 or 1050) 30. Trace and link data of files and patch around bad sectors. 31. Option to display deleted or open filenames. 32. Alter the number of open file or drive buffers from the AUX menu. 33. Choice of resident or non-resident SDUP. Enables instant access to DOS menu on 400/800 or option to disable the ramdisk. 34. SUPERBAS - an AUTORUN.SYS file to display a menu of BASIC programs to load and run. 35. I/O defaults to the ramdisk if one is available. 36. Use ESCAPE when booting to format a ramdisk leaving all normal 130XE banks free (requires 128K) THE VARIOUS DENSITIES There are 4 standard disk formats used by SuperDos, Atari and Atari compatible disk drives. 1. (S)INGLE - 720 sectors of 128 bytes. 810 format. 2. (E)NHANCED - 1024 sectors of 128 bytes. 1050 format. 3. (D)OUBLE - 720 sectors of 256 bytes. SuperMax, Us Doubler, Happy format. 4. (X)TENDED - 1024 sectors of 256 bytes. SuperRAM, 130XE & Peterson ramdisks. 5. (2) SIDES - 1440 sectors of 256 bytes. Atari XF551 format. LOADING SUPERDOS Works the same way as DOS 2 with these extra steps: 1. During the boot process (after about 5 sectors) a test is made for SuperMAX or Atari XF551 and the baud rate is adjusted. 2. With 64K RAM XL/XE, the "SDUP.SYS" file is now loaded and hidden in the RAM under the OS or in the ramdisk. 3. With SuperRAM, the 130XE or other ramdisk, the ramdisk is initialized (if ESC was pressed the 1st 4 130XE banks are not used) and all files with the ".RAM" extention are copied to the ramdisk. Press BREAK to abort it. 4. Continue as DOS 2. Load and run "AUTORUN.SYS" and pass control to cartridge or SDUP.SYS. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU TYPE DOS The same thing happens no matter how much RAM your Atari has. 1. A check is made to see if "SDUP.SYS" is still intact in RAM under the OS OR in bank 2 of the SuperRAM ramdisk OR it is in the resident program area. If it is then the DOS menu appears instantly. 2. If SDUP.SYS in not in RAM then it is loaded from drive 1. 3. If the disk in drive 1 does not have SDUP you are returned to the calling program. GUIDE TO THE SUPERDOS MENU At the top of screen you'll see the status line. It indicates which drives are available and the density of each of them. At the prompt "SELECT ITEM OR RETURN" the following commands are available. Only one keystroke is required. #1-4 List the directory of drive 1 to 4. #5-8 List the contents of the ramdisk. A. DIRECTORY Also may be used with the ramdisk. The directory listing may have some info you have not seen before. "- DELETED .TXT 014" Deleted file "? OPEN .TXT 000" File opened but never closed. " 011" This file uses sectors beyond 720 and only available in Enhanced density or 2 sided. Use the /N option to skip OPEN and DELETED files (eg "D1:*.*/N,E:") B. CARTRIDGE XL/XE users have the option of enabling or disabling BASIC. C. COPY FILE Copy AND duplicate file. A red or green border will indicate the next read/write operation. 1. You may enter one OR two filenames seperated by a comma. a. Enter one filename for one drive copy. eg "D:TEST" b. Enter two filenames for two drive copy. eg "D1:TEST,2:TEST" c. Enter two filenames (one or two drive copy) to APPEND or RENAME while copying. 2. Auto-density configures SUPERDOS and the drive to the density of the DISK in the drive. You can then copy between densities with one drive. 3. The cassette "C:" device may also be used. The default is short IRG (Inter Record Gap). This is the same as BASIC's CLOAD and CSAVE. To specify long IRG use /L. eg "D:TEST,C:/L" copies the file from disk to cassette using long IRG. 4. Wildcards may be used in both source and destination filenames. 5. All "SYS" files except "DOS.SYS" may be copied using wildcards. 6. The wildcard mode displays the verification prompt "TYPE "Y" TO COPY - D1:TEST". Press "Y" to copy the file or any other key to go onto the next file. 7. To use the wildcard mode to copy all the matching files after the first "Y" response enter the /N option in the destination filename. eg "D:*,2:*/N" 8. To use the wildcard without any verification prompts enter the /N option in both filenames. eg "D:*/N,2:*/N" D. DELETE Same as DOS 2 E. RENAME You can rename using wildcards. "*.DAT,*.BYT" renames all the files with the extender "DAT" to "BYT". However, you still need to be careful not to specify a file that already exists. F. LOCK Same as DOS 2 G. UNLOCK Same as DOS 2 H. WRITE DOS You can write both "DOS.SYS" and "SDUP.SYS" or "DOS.SYS" only. Just follow the prompts. I. FORMAT You may select the formatting density: Single, Enhanced, Double, Extended or 2 sides. Follow the prompts. 1. You can only format with skewed sectors in Double or 2 sides with the Atari XF551 or in Single or Double density if your drive is fitted with SuperMax or the US Doubler, thus allowing extremely fast read/write speeds. 2. The Enhanced density format is compatible with DOS 2.5 but with 1011 free sectors. (Dos 2.5 doesn't use sect 720) 3. The 2 sides format is upwardly compatible with standard DOUBLE density. (ie the files and free sectors on side 2 are invisible to single sided drives.) 4. You may format the ramdisk, as you would a floppy disk, but memory requirements limit the type of format. If you pressed ESC during the boot process then you must reboot if you want to recover the reserved 64K. See NEW DISK COMMANDS for ramdisk formatting details. J. DUP. DISK Copy disk or sectors. Unlike DOS 2 this option copies ALL the used sectors of a disk. It even copies boot disks. If all the bytes of a sector are the same value then the sector is not copied. 1. If no sectors are specified then the entire disk is copied and you have the option of formatting the destination disk. The formatting density is taken from the source. 2. If sector numbers are entered then only that range of sectors is copied. 3. If any disk erros are encounted you'll see the message "BAD SECTOR - XXX "Y" TO RETRY". A "Y" will retry as many times as you want or any other key will continue with the next sector. 4. You may copy disk or sectors to or from the ramdisk provided your ramdisk can match the density of the disk. 5. You may enter sector numbers in hex or decimal. (Default is hex, use "#" to specify decimal. eg #370) 6. A red or green border indicates the next read/write. K. BIN. SAVE Same as DOS 2. Memory addresses may be decimal. eg #20788. You can even save roms without error. L. BIN. LOAD Same as DOS2 M. GO ADDRESS Memory addresses may also be decimal. 1. If you type RETURN only, you can run at the address of a previously loaded binary file. Note: the run address is destroyed when the program area is destroyed. N. RESTORE or "undelete" restores OPEN or DELETED files. You'll see the prompt "RESTORE FILE SPEC?" Type in the name of an open or deleted file (wildcards may be used). These files are indicated by - or ? in the dir list. CAUTION: A directory list may show a used, deleted and/or open file with the same name. If you RESTORE this file you may finish with two files with the same name. To avoid this RENAME the file currently in use then RESTORE. If you have written to the disk since deleting a file then RESTORE may encounter errors. If so, then only those sectors BEFORE the error will be restored and you'll see an error message. If the first sector does not belong to the file then the file will remain deleted. O. VERIFY Toggles the SIO write command between write with verify "W" and write without verify "P". THE AUX.SYS FILE This file has some seldom used commands and is loaded using the "L" command from the SDUP menu. #. LIST DIRECTORY Type 1 thru 8 to list the directory of drives 1 to 8. P. INITIALIZE DOS After you have altered the number of open files or drive buffers or toggled the resident SDUP option you will need to initialize DOS. This will destroy any BASIC programs. Q. COPY FROM DOS 3 Copy files from an Atari DOS 3 disk to a DOS 2 disk. It is used exactly as the C. COPY FILE command. R. WRITE SUPERBIN For a description of SUPERBIN see WHAT IS SUPERBIN? Follow the prompts. 1. SUPERBIN may not work with every BINARY LOAD file because it requires some memory. SUPERBIN errors cause a cold start. 2. The correct density will be selected for you. You can delete "DOS.SYS" and "SDUP.SYS" as they are not used. 3. CAUTION: The SUPERBIN menu displays only 24 files and, as there are only three directory sectors allocated, writting more than 24 files may overwrite existing files. S. CONFIG. BLOCK The config block is a set of 12 bytes in the disk control microprocessors memory inside the disk drive. This command merely displays this information to the screen. Note: Atari 810 and 1050 drives do not have config blocks (unless upgraded) and sending this command produces an SIO error. T. TRACE AND PATCH Use this command to PATCH around bad sectors (ie SIO errors only) on a disk. You may have noticed DELETE does not delete a file with bad sectors. (DOS 2 doesn't either). TRACE AND PATCH will trace a file until it encounters a bad sector and then look look for the next sector on the disk belonging to that file. It then points (alters sector link data) the sectore before the bad sector to the next matching sector and decrements the number of sectors belonging to that file. If there are bad sectors in a file then you'll loose the data in the bad sectors but you can access the remaining data or delete the entire file. U. XL/XE KEY RATE Alter the key delay and repeat rates for the XL/XE OS only. To alter the rates in DOS on the disk, you'll need to write the DOS files. V. FILE BUFFERS Alter the number of open file buffers. You need one file buffer for each concurrently open file. To alter the file buffers in DOS on the disk, you'll need to write the DOS files. W. DRIVE BUFFERS Alter the number of drive buffers. You need one for each disk drive. To alter the drive buffers in DOS on the disk, you'll need to write the DOS files. X. RAMDISK ENABLE Toggles the ramdisk. "1" indicates that during the boot process the ramdisk is to be initialized. Y. RESIDENT SDUP Toggles between the resident and non-resident SDUP. 1. The value of the OS variable MEMLO ($2E7) is altered so the user program will be destroyed. 2. With less than 64K RAM a resident SDUP ensures that your user program is always safe and DOS appears instantly. Unfortunately this also means less memory. 3. With SUPERRAM or 64K (or more) SDUP is always loaded during the boot process and hidden under the OS or in the ramdisk. With a resident SDUP you can reserve memory from the DOS buffers (usual MEMLO) to the end of SDUP for your own use (see Memory Map for addresses). This could be usful for co-resident machine language and BASIC programs. Z. EXIT TO SDUP Returns you to the SDUP menu. NEW DISK COMMANDS CmdNo Operation BASIC Examples 34 $22 RESTORE XIO 34,#1,0,0,"D:RESTORE.BAS" 253 $FD SPECIFY FORMAT XIO 253,#1,AUX1,AUX2,"D1:FILENAME DATA" AUX1 - FLOPPY DISKS 0 $00 Format in the current density of the drive. 33 $21 Format in the current density of the drive except if in enhanced then format single. 34 $22 Format in enhanced density. 102 $66 US Doubler only. Format using AUX2 (set to 1 or 129), AUX3, AUX4 (skew table) and FILENAME DATA. 105 $69 SUPERMAX only. Format in the current density (not available in enhanced) with skewed sectors. 161 $A1 Atari XF551 only. Format in the current density using skewed sectors. AUX1 - RAMDISK 0 $00 Format ramdisk using maximum density and memory avail. 1 $01 Format ramdisk single density, 64K, 502 free sectors. (SuperRAM, 130XE or Axlon) 2 $02 Format ramdisk single density, 90K, 707 free sectors. (SuperRAM or Axlon) 3 $03 Format ramdisk enhanced density, 128K, 1011 free sec. (SuperRAM) 4 $04 Format ramdisk double density, 180K, 707 free sectors. (SuperRAM) 5 $05 Format ramdisk Xtended density, 256K, 1011 free sec. (130XE SuperRAM only) AUX2 - FLOPPY AND RAMDISK 0 $00 Ignored 1 $01 Set density using the information in FILENAME DATA and then format. 128 $80 Format but don't write boot sectors, VTOC or directory. 129 $81 Set density using FILENAME DATA, format but don't write boot sectors, VTOC or directory. AUX3 AND AUX 4 US Doubler only. Low and high byte pointer to a skewed sector layout table. FILENAME DATA Used only if bit 0 set in AUX2 and if the disk drive has a config. block. eg SuperMAX. "D:h??R?@@#" Set single density. "D:h??Z?D@#" Set enhanced density. "D:h??R@DA@" Set double density. "D:H??RADA@" Set 2 sides, double density. Note: # represents an inverse @. WHAT IS SUPERBIN? Superbin is a binary loader that resides on the boot and directory sectors of a disk. It is used to LOAD and RUN games or any other program that will load using the "L. BIN. LOAD" option of the SDUP menu. You won't need any "SYS" files on a Superbin disk and only three directory sectors (24 files) are allowed. You will fill the rest of the disk with your binary load files. (They must have a RUN address). When you boot a Superbin disk it will display a menu of files on the disk. You make your selection by pressing the appropriate key and the file is loaded and exectued for you. WHAT IS SUPERBAS? Superbas displays a menu of BASIC programs and you can select a program to LOAD and RUN. To create a Superbas disk: 1. Format a disk and write DOS.SYS only. 2. Copy the SBAS.SYS from your SuperDOS master disk and rename the file to AUTORUN.SYS. 3. Copy your BASIC programs onto the disk. 4. Rename the BASIC programs with exteners to filenames without extenders. 5. Lock the programs you wish to be displayed on the menu. ALLOCATION OF DRIVE AND FILE BUFFERS Superdos always allocates buffers for double density operation. It is initally set for two drives and three concurrently open files. Use the AUX.SYS menu to alter Superdos to your own requirements. You'll need to write the DOS files on the disk the keep the change. These options affect the of memory you have available. SUPERDOS AND RAMDISKS If you have extra memory for a ramdisk, the ramdisk will be initalized using the maximum format available when you load Superdos. You can keep the first 64K free (ie the normal 130XE RAM) by pressing ESC during the boot process. If you don't have enough RAM this may result in no ramdisk but allows you to run programs that require this RAM. The ramdisk is accessed using DOS and is assigned as drives 5 to 8. Some programs (eg AtariWriter) only provide access to drive one. To use these programs: 1. Remove the disk in drive one and turn it off. You may now load and save but all IO is diverted to the ramdisk. 2. Turn drive one on to use it again. MEMORY MAP OF SUPERDOS Address Contents 0000-05FF RAM Operating System 0600-06FF RAM Unused 0700-1CCD RAM Disk Operating System (File Management System) 1CCE-22CD* RAM Drive and File Buffers. MEMLO Min - $1ECE, Max - $28CE *22CE-3749 RAM User program area or SDUP 374A-7FFF RAM User program area or SDUP buffer area. If resident SDUP, then MEMLO=$374A. 8C00-BFFF RAM User program area or screen display. ROM Cartridge. C000-DFFF RAM Unused. E000-FFFF RAM SDUP or temporary storage of user program C000-FFFF ROM Operating System and Hardware Registers * Varies according to the number of drive and file buffers allocated. RAMDISK MEMORY MAP 130XE banks not reserved. Type of ramdisk Single Enhanced Double Extended Superram, Axlon 800 0-7 0-9 0-14 NA Superram, Bucholtz, Newell, RAMbo XL 0-5 0-7 0-12 NA Superram, Peterson XE 0-5 0-7 0-12 0-15 130XE banks 0-3 reserved. Type of ramdisk Single Enhanced Double Extended Superram, Axlon 800 NA NA NA NA Superram, Bucholtz, Newell, RAMbo XL 4-9 4-11 NA NA Superram, Peterson XE 4-9 4-11 4-15 NA ADVANCED USER NOTES 1. Some key DOS 2 addresses remain unchanged in SuperDOS to allow programs that use illegal entry points to run. $07E0 DOS initialization $1540 SDUP initialization $179F entry point on DOS call 2. Two new vectors have been added to Superdos. $07DA - Binary Load vector. Entry: A=Filename address lo byte Y=Filename address hi byte Exit: Y=CIO code. $07DD - SIO superspeed and ramdisk vector. Set up the DCB ($0300-$030B) as for any SIO (as you would for $E459). All commands may be used with disk drives. Ramdisk commands are: STATUS "S" (ramdisk format type), READ "R" and WRITE "W". Entry: Parameters in DCB. Set DUNIT to 5-8. Exit: status in DSTATS ($0303). 3. Version byte is at $07D9. $50 is Version 5.0