My SW projects, updates in near future

Started by Petari, 05-09-2010, 14:25:33

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Petari

In a few days I will post on site new freeware hard disk driver versions. Mostly minor updates - like using CFG file for settings like: blitter usage and write protection (read only mode) .
There will be autoboot for IDE, twisted IDE, ACSI,   from floppy runnable for same IFs, cabling.
Freeware drivers work with DOS partitioned disks, and need BIGDOS.PRG for partitions over 32MB.

More changes will be with TOS/DOS compatible drivers (planned price is 10 Euros with partitioner).
Complete driver will work independent from MFP in ST machines, so independent from Timers like C.
Driver core is fully PC-relative what allows some special things like moving up in RAM by need.
In practice, driver will work almost like some RAM disk.  It is especially good for some games which use for instance Timer C for own purposes.
In combination with  reworked GOS (based on TOS 1.04 GEMDOS part, which is also Timer independant) new driver core will allow better and faster working hard disk adaptations - there will be no more need to sample MFP state before every hard disk access. It will result in faster work, especially in case by many short files and machines with less RAM. + more stability.

New GOS versions will not work more with Hddriver and AHDI, only with mine drivers. That's price of speed and more stability, less interrupts if there is some music, sample playback during load from disk in game.

 TOS/DOS drivers will come with CFG file too, quick HW test at start, GUI partitioner, manual.

Some people may remember my ideas about reworking GEMDOS filesystem, to be compatible with DOS type FAT16 partitions up to 2GB (without BIGDOS.PRG) . For now, it is on 'ice'. Requires too much time, and I don't see that it as much necessary while we have proven TOS/DOS compatible system. Partition size limit of 512 MB I don't see as some big flaw - considering size of Atari SW + compatible multimedia.
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