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Author Topic: SymbOS (Read 611951 times)

Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #165 on: 2014.November.09. 16:53:05 »
@Lgb, BTW that was a good idea with the taskbar :)

I will have a look at the BoxSoft mouse support as soon as the floppy disc driver is running.

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #166 on: 2014.November.09. 16:54:28 »
@Lgb, BTW that was a good idea with the taskbar :)
I also wanted to suggest this (different palette for taskbar) :-)

Offline Z80System

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #167 on: 2014.November.09. 17:01:25 »

Quote
@Lgb, BTW that was a good idea with the taskbar :)

And what about the vertical taskbar ? :)



And with this different taskbar palette option, will SymbOS get an EP specific control panel item ?

How much are SymbOS different around its platforms ?
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Offline Zozosoft

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #168 on: 2014.November.09. 17:08:14 »
And what about the vertical taskbar ? :)
Then you can't use different colors.

Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #169 on: 2014.November.09. 17:12:20 »
And what about the vertical taskbar ? :)
That's the reason why there is no vertical taskbar :mrgreen:

And with this different taskbar palette option, will SymbOS get an EP specific control panel item ?
Yes, I will add a button "taskbar" there for the EP, which opens another colour definition dialogue for the taskbar colours.

How much are SymbOS different around its platforms ?
Nearly all apps are not platform specific, so you can run the same EXE file on all systems which run SymbOS.
The control panel is indeed a little bit different, as each system has some different hardware specs (like keyboard layout, screen resolutions/colours etc). Currently it's still the same EXE, but I guess for the 3.0 I will make a dedicated version for each platform to save memory.

Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #170 on: 2014.November.09. 17:35:35 »
I also wanted to suggest this (different palette for taskbar) :-)
That was a good suggestion, and now it looks already better than the CPC version :) After the first port is finished I wonder how it will look with 360x255...

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #171 on: 2014.November.09. 17:44:23 »
Little idea: the taskbar needed to count in graphics screen? I think for 255+taskbar...

Offline Z80System

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #172 on: 2014.November.09. 17:56:27 »
Quote
That was a good suggestion, and now it looks already better than the CPC version :) After the first port is finished I wonder how it will look with 360x255...

Aren't there a technique, like screen "cutting" on C64, or such, with what CPC can accomplish the different color palette toolbar ?



And, in case of the EP: aren't there "fullscreen" apps in SymbOS where that technique would have a meaning, with what Amiga OS can change screens ?
Somebody can drag the different (full)screens in vertical direction, splitting the hardware screen vertically, and of course, the vertically splitted screens can have different palettes, different screen modes, or such ...

I think of this effect:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H86miOXXS48#t=538
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Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #173 on: 2014.November.09. 17:56:57 »
Little idea: the taskbar needed to count in graphics screen? I think for 255+taskbar...
Very good point! I am sure that's possible! Then we have 360x269 :)

Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #174 on: 2014.November.09. 18:01:13 »
Aren't there a technique, like screen "cutting" on C64, or such, with what CPC can accomplish the different color palette toolbar ?
Yes, but on the CPC you have to use interrupt-based hardware tricks, which will crash if the interrupts are locked for a moment (e.g. when reading from disc). So probably not a good idea to use this in a GUI+multitasking environment.

And, in case of the EP: aren't there "fullscreen" apps in SymbOS where that technique would have a meaning, with what Amiga OS can change screens ?
Somebody can drag the different (full)screens in vertical direction, splitting the hardware screen vertically, and of course, the vertically splitted screens can have different palettes, different screen modes, or such ...
Thanks to Nick it would be quite easy to have these Amiga workbench multiscreen effects on the EP. Let's see what the future brings :)

Offline lgb

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #175 on: 2014.November.09. 18:03:59 »
Little idea: the taskbar needed to count in graphics screen? I think for 255+taskbar...

Zozo is the leader of "the human rights for higher vertical resolution" movement :)

Offline Prodatron

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #176 on: 2014.November.09. 18:25:37 »
Lgb already helped me a lot with the floppy disc controller of the EP. It seems to be (nearly) the same like these from the MSX.
Attached is a data sheet of the common MSX FDCs (sheet by Marcos Blanco). Is the WD in the EP the same like the Microsol?
MSX FDC commands seem to be the same:
Code: [Select]
fdc_cmd_recal   equ #00     ;recalibrate (seek track 0)
fdc_cmd_seek    equ #10     ;seek track
fdc_cmd_read    equ #80     ;read sector
fdc_cmd_write   equ #a0     ;write sector
fdc_cmd_id      equ #c0     ;read sector ID
fdc_cmd_break   equ #d0     ;abort command
It seems, that writing the FDC driver should be an easy task, if the MSX routines can be used...

Offline lgb

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #177 on: 2014.November.09. 18:42:36 »
Lgb already helped me a lot with the floppy disc controller of the EP. It seems to be (nearly) the same like these from the MSX.

Yes, I tried to help, however I am far from being a WD/EXDOS expert it seems. What I am not really sure: the exact functions of bits on port 0x18 on reading/writing and there was some topic about "turbo EXDOS carts" with switchable clocks or so? I can't remember too much, and maybe this "turbo" thing is not so common either? Zozo, please help :)

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #178 on: 2014.November.09. 19:34:32 »
Quick answer, WD commands used by the EXDOS ROM:
88h read sectors
E8h read track
C8h read sector ID
A8h write sectors
F8h write track
08h restore
18h seek track
58h step in
78h step out
D0h abort command

Offline Zozosoft

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Re: SymbOS
« Reply #179 on: 2014.November.09. 20:16:10 »
List of the EXDOS floppy driver capatibilities:
-can handle four drives (A,B,C,D)
-drive can be a 40 or 80 tracks, single or double sided, any combination of these
-drive types can be mixed in any combination
-40 tracks disks can be used in 80 tracks drive with double stepping
-disk compatibility checked, double stepping automaticaly switch on or off
-at non compatibility situation (80 track disk in 40 track drive or a double sided disk in single sided drive) error reported
-handle 8,9,10,11 sectors/track disks
-plus tracks don't problem (I have a 90 tracks drives :-) ), most commonly used disk format 84x2x10=840K
-don't use Drive Ready signal, then no problem with modern drives
-at default don't use Disck Change signal, then also no problem with modern drives
-works reliable at different speed machines (from 4 to 10Mhz tested yet)
-exist a Turbo EXDOS hack, where WD overclocked to 10Mhz then 13 sectors/track can be stored with normal DD disks and drives, it is can be work both WD1770 and 1772
-more Turbo :-), 13.333Mhz for 1.2M drives (300rpm mode) with HD disks, and 16Mhz for 1.44M drives with HD disk. With 1.44 drive can be up to 22 sectors/disk. Exist a different configuration where 1.2M drives run at 360rpm then 9.6Mhz used for handle DD disks, and 16MHz for HD.

At file system level (these also valid for fixed disk volumes):
-probably all options of FAT filesystem supported, for example FAT copies can be from 1 to 7
-FAT copies really used as backups, if any FAT sector unreadable, then automaticaly try to use same sector from the next copy
-instead the hw Disk Change use a sw disk change checking, for this store 32 bit disk serial number in the boot sector. At todays the updated formating programs generate a combined boot sector which are have same serial number for EP and PC.
-can handle early MS-DOS 1.x disk which not have a BPB, and Apricot disks which have a non standard BPB
-for UNDEL store the first character of filename in directory entry. Allocation information not deleted from the last FAT sector, this situation marked in boot sector with Dirty Disk Flag.

Another:
EXDOS card built with WD1770 or WD1772, at 1770 the step rate 0 are the fastest, 6ms. With 1772 the step rate 3 will be faster, 3ms. About 99% of the drives in the world can be used with 3ms, then faster and quiet. (The fastest with 1772 the step rate 2 which are 2ms.) EXDOS have a variable where can selecet the step rate.

Most of them will also needed from SymbOS :oops:
I think need a Setup option or Configuration windows or something :-) for select step rates and enable/select turbo modes.