Can I Upgrade BB MSDOS?
15 messages in this thread
Can I install MSDOS upgrades (such as version 5) on my 2088 bridgeboard
without messing up my Amiga-Bridgeboard interface? Would AREAD and AWRITE
and all the video work correctly? How about MS Windows?
-E Cottle
– via Whap!
I've heard from others that MSDOS 5.0 does indeed work with the XT A2088
bridgeboard. You may wish to get a memory or multi-function card to
upgrade the memory from the onboard 512K to the full 640K conventional
memory. Also, getting an XT memory board that is LIM 4.0 compatible to
achieve expanded memory is also a good idea. One of the benefits of
upgrading is the use of more memory. I bought my AST SixPakPlus
multi-function card ($129) from Bulldog Computer Products (800) 438-6039
and my MEMO-2000X memory board from AltexElectyronics, Inc. (800) 531-5369.
I an running DRDOS 6.0 on my XT BB. I do not have the use of the Janus
virtual drives but everything else works. I don't recall whether MSDOS 5.0
will let you use the virtual drives. Now I did not install the sstor disk
compression that comes with DRDOS. If you get MSDOS 5.0, the DOSSHELL
program may crash on you. You might prefer ArcMaster from New-Ware instead
(The CGA emulation tends to trash the graphics, though.) BTW, I am running
MSDOS 5.0 on a Zenith AT at work. The MSDOS Edit and the DRDOS Editor
definitely are a major improvement over the old Edlin for handling text
files such as your Autoexec.bat or Config.sys files.
Both the JLink'ed and the MakeAB drives work fine with MS-DOS 5.0. They
both work fine with Windows 3.0 also. I've had both MS-DOS 5.0 and Windows
3.0 w/Multimedia Extensions running on my ATBB/ATOP setup for several
months now. I haven't run into any compatibility problems with DOS 5.0.
Sunny,
A friend and I have disassembled a version of Jlink to find out if we
can modify it to make it work with DRDOS. Other than the Jlink drives,
everything else works that I've tried. The problem seems to be in the
specification of the drive using interrupts 25H & 26H which are absolute
disk read/write calls. I've referred the problem to the DRFORUM to see
what they will say.
I'd appreciate it if you could let me know what you find out concerning the
Jlink problem. I've been interested in switching from MS-DOS 5 to DR-DOS
6.0, but have held out due to concerns about compatibility. I hope you're
able to resolve the problem soon.
I'll be happy to keep you posted. You may find out as soon or sooner
than I do if you GO DRFORUM.
Hi Gayle,
Regarding jlink – is there a way to make it produce a bigger partition than
33 meg limit that it currently has?
Ken,
That 33 meg partition is the MS-DOS limit on a filesystem side.
You should be able to get JLink to make multiple partitions though if you
wish.
Don
Ken,
Are you asking about jlink or the size of a partition on a hard drive
attached to the PC side of the Amiga through either an ST506 or SCSI
controller?
If you are actually asking about a hard drive, the 33 Meg limit on
partitions is a characteristic of MSDOS 3.3. You must upgrade your
operating system OS to either MSDOS 5.0 (perhaps 4.01, I don't know and
don't recommend it.) or DRDOS 6.0. (If you upgrade, you may as well use
the latest version.) Both of these upgrades will let you increase the size
of your partition. I think but am not sure whether this also applies to
the Makeab psuedo hard drive that can be created on an Amiga hard drive.
Since my hard drive is 40 Meg, you can understand why a 33 meg partition
for DR/MSDOS is not attractive to me since I have a bunch of Amiga stuff.
However, I think you could do it. (You must have a monster hard drive to
divide between Amiga and IBM partitions!)
As for jlink it can only create temporary virtual drives using an
AmigaDOS anywhere you want it. The virtual drives are not as stable as the
other drives because they must be unlinked through jlink to cause AmigaDOS
to close out the file properly. A linked virtual drive with pending writes
of any kind is vulnerable to a crash. If it in RAM:, then all you lose is
the contents. If the virtual drive is on actual physical media such as a
floppy or your hard drive, then you could corrupt the file. NOT FUN! 🙁
Why would you want a virtual drive as large as 33 meg? Anyway, you
could probably do it under MSDOS 5.0. You cannot yet have any virtual
drives under DRDOS, at least not with my Janus version!
Does this help?
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless'
– via Whap!
You can certainly use JLink'ed drives as permanent storage. There
are ONLY subject to corruption if you do not create them full sized the
first time. Once they reach full size, and are properly unlinked that one
time, you can reboot without unlinking and not lose anything…nor will you
corrupt the AmigaDOS filesystem.
The problem with JLinked drives is that they are not created
fullsized, and they can grow while in use until they reach the maximum size
you specified when you first created it. It's during the growing…that
is, when you add files to them that cause them to grow towards that
maximum…that they're vulnerable if you don't unlink them.
The easy way to set one up is to create one…then fill it with
anything you can find. As you run out of space, copy small files…1k or
less to make sure you use up all the room you specified when you created
it. Once that's done, unlink the drive.
You may now re-link it, and delete all those files. Your JLink'ed
drive is no longer subject to corruption if you happen to forget to unlink
it.
Don,
Thanks for the clarification. Now all (well, almost all, at least until
the next problem!), I have to do is to get the jlink'ed drives to work
under DRDOS 6.0.
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless'
– via Whap!
Gayle, what's the status now on DR DOS 6 on the bb?
Ron
Ron,
I'm still running it on my A2088 Bridgeboard (XT BB). Everything works
except the Jlink'ed virtual drives. TaskMax seems to run fine. ViewMax
runs, I suppose, but I don't like the colors on CGA emulation. The C:
drive is an AmigaDOS file, fake-c, on my Amiga hard drive. It is a MakeAB
file. I haven't been brave enough to try Sstor yet. Arcmaster 6.7 from
New-Ware works fine. The evaluation copy of Shez wants to turn on printer
logging. Last Fall, PC Magazine reviewed Arcmaster and Shez. They are
front ends for handing zip, arc, arj, virus scan, etc. You have to have
the corresponding archive programs, list, and scan programs.
I can run PCGLOBE 4.0 on it. I have an early version of DeskMate
running on it. PRSWAP from PC Magazine does a nice job of translating
print files for my Okidata Microline 92 which I originally got for my Apple
][+. (You can GO PCMAG to get their stuff! It's on ZiffNet.)
DRSG, formerly DRI, has not yet gotten back to me on the Jlink'ed drive
problem. I intend to stay on top of it, though.
Sincerely,
(Mr.) Gayle Lee Fairless
'Perfessor Fearless' from the
Rocket City!
– via Whap!
Gayle,
You can always change the CGA colors, you know. It's a selection on the
Bridgeboard menus (Right mouse button when you're in the Bridgeboard
screen).
Marion
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