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#1
Software / Special hard disk driver upgra...
Last post by Petari - 16-08-2025, 17:57:58 I developed low RAM usage mode for my hard disk (now rather SD card) driver SW . It is for cases when RAM usage is tight, some SW what is written for lower RAM locations and like. Details on this page:
PP HD driver SW page
In paragraph "August 16 2025" .
How came on idea to do this ? Basically after writing about how can solve combination of so called GemDrive and regular TOS supported hard disk driver - to have good sides of both. Can not say that I got positive reactions on idea. And yes, not surprised - shallow people do not care about so complex things, even if it is useful. They make YT videos, where my SW is presented - without any serious effort, reading instructions, detailed tests. Why I write this ? Because I made detailed tests of thousands of Atari ST SW - mostly games. And I know what is needed that they work well with modern storage.
I hope that someone from developers from now pretty popular ACSI-SD card adapters will consider this seriously and go in developing/coding of new way of data transfer/exchange between now 40 Years TOS and modern computers filesystems. Flash C. sizes are now really big and low price.
PP HD driver SW page
In paragraph "August 16 2025" .
How came on idea to do this ? Basically after writing about how can solve combination of so called GemDrive and regular TOS supported hard disk driver - to have good sides of both. Can not say that I got positive reactions on idea. And yes, not surprised - shallow people do not care about so complex things, even if it is useful. They make YT videos, where my SW is presented - without any serious effort, reading instructions, detailed tests. Why I write this ? Because I made detailed tests of thousands of Atari ST SW - mostly games. And I know what is needed that they work well with modern storage.
I hope that someone from developers from now pretty popular ACSI-SD card adapters will consider this seriously and go in developing/coding of new way of data transfer/exchange between now 40 Years TOS and modern computers filesystems. Flash C. sizes are now really big and low price.
#2
FAQ / Re: Regarding how much free R...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 12-08-2025, 03:03:09Hehehe, people should visit your site more often. 
#3
FAQ / Regarding how much free RAM i...
Last post by Petari - 11-08-2025, 12:11:14 There's thread at atariage about how much free RAM is available after booting from image, surely without AUTO run PRGs, ACCessories or any other RAM allocating SW.
I wrote about it long time ago on page: Playfhd
Can see it at middle of page. TOS 1.02 is not listed, and it uses more RAM than later 1.04 .
Below it is detailed RAM usage .
All it was there in 2009 already.
I wrote about it long time ago on page: Playfhd
Can see it at middle of page. TOS 1.02 is not listed, and it uses more RAM than later 1.04 .
Below it is detailed RAM usage .
All it was there in 2009 already.
#4
News / Re: Another shallow YT video a...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 08-08-2025, 04:21:54Sorry about that Peter. I'm unsure why people don't do more
research and testing before posting things.
Too many people seem to be bent on getting "clicks" and "views"
these days...
research and testing before posting things.
Too many people seem to be bent on getting "clicks" and "views"
these days...
#5
News / Another shallow YT video about...
Last post by Petari - 07-08-2025, 10:33:21YT video by 'expert'
He talks that my driver is good only for TOS 1.04 and above. I'm really full of shallow 'testers', who making claims without any serious testing, looking details, and maybe reading what writes on site of programmer ...
And my comments just go deleted - sure, that's the simplest way to solve problem. Because for some that's the biggest problem - getting critic, corrections . No wonder where this 'humankind' sunk latest years.
Just something really elementary: they should read instructions supplied with partitioner/driver SW before using, and especially before doing YT video and commenting SW .
He talks that my driver is good only for TOS 1.04 and above. I'm really full of shallow 'testers', who making claims without any serious testing, looking details, and maybe reading what writes on site of programmer ...
And my comments just go deleted - sure, that's the simplest way to solve problem. Because for some that's the biggest problem - getting critic, corrections . No wonder where this 'humankind' sunk latest years.
Just something really elementary: they should read instructions supplied with partitioner/driver SW before using, and especially before doing YT video and commenting SW .
#6
News / Re: Interesting YT video about...
Last post by Petari - 04-08-2025, 08:26:07 I added new comment regarding 'opinions' about my iTOS in video.
Will quote it here - as it may be deleted, together with my right to post there :-)
"As here in this video is talk about my improved TOS, at about 10m 30s I need to say some things. It is not TOS 2.16 patch. You can not patch something what exists not. I used 2.16 because it is combination of 1.62 (GEMDOS part) and 2.06 (AES, Desktop part) . And 1.62 part is modified a lot. What needed proper disassembly of it - takes weeks of work, then correcting FAT16 filesystem code - all in ASM, as no C sources available. And not to mention adding lot of new things - is adding something new 'patch' - I don't think so. Then error was mentioned - 'but internal driver does not like other drivers' . I must say that this is just illogical - driver does not like other drivers -- huh. It is not driver what deals with other driver. It is in TOS FAT16 filesystem. As is stated goal was to keep maximal possible compatibility with regular TOS versions (because it is good for old SW) . So, if you simply install some other driver integrated will not be active (driver install will delete flags which activate integrated driver). Plus, it is not activated by default, user needs to click on 'Activ. int. driver', and there is small program to deactivate it any time. And because this is with pure DOS type partitions other drivers will not work - here mean usual drivers for TOS/AHDI kind partitions. Because iTOS works best with pure DOS type partitions - so no need for extra disk buffers, so there is 64 KB more free RAM, even with 1024 MB partitions. More details on my site. For those who care. And I need to say that I did not understand well in many case what was said, what must be purely my error. "
And, all this silliness with this video and writes on GitHub made me think about my older idea (what I exposed to Diego in e-mail some months ago) I will do some special testing version what will work without ACSI-SD adapter firmware modification. So, it will be 1-2 partitions of 32 MB size on SD card, where user can copy Atari SW runnable from hard disk. Why 32 MB ? It is enough for practically all Atari ST SW . And with that size no need for extra buffers, so 64 KB more free space, and is TOS/DOS compatible (as interested people can see on my site) . That will work even with Satandisk (but need non HxC SD card) .
It needs some PC or Mac to copy files on those partitions. When Atari session is over can attach it to PC/Mac and save somewhere changes, game state saves, so can use them even after deleting from 32 MB partitions. Yes, it needs little extra work, but I doubt that there is more than few % of users who have no modern computer with USB ports.
When I finish it and is tested I will propose to add it to firmware of SD4ST - surely fastest ACSI-SD adapter, and I expect better communication with it's designer. Then can use larger capacity SD card with FAT32, NTSC or some other new partition types. User needs to create/copy there some 32-64 MB long empty file, what will be actually image of Atari 'hard disk' where can copy files/DIRs for next session. And that can do with Atari, with firmware help (concept based on 'Hard disk' in Steem (at 2005) ) - need to select DIR from which to copy files to TOS parition(s) or just select 'Use existing' if want to continue with what is on TOS partitions since last session . When Atari session is over user will be able to save changes with special Windows program for that, and may be some other ways for it. So, this will have advantage of so called GemDrive and better SW compatibility of classic/regular TOS hard disk driver based system (low level access works too). And this will work faster too because dealing with small partitions.
Will quote it here - as it may be deleted, together with my right to post there :-)
"As here in this video is talk about my improved TOS, at about 10m 30s I need to say some things. It is not TOS 2.16 patch. You can not patch something what exists not. I used 2.16 because it is combination of 1.62 (GEMDOS part) and 2.06 (AES, Desktop part) . And 1.62 part is modified a lot. What needed proper disassembly of it - takes weeks of work, then correcting FAT16 filesystem code - all in ASM, as no C sources available. And not to mention adding lot of new things - is adding something new 'patch' - I don't think so. Then error was mentioned - 'but internal driver does not like other drivers' . I must say that this is just illogical - driver does not like other drivers -- huh. It is not driver what deals with other driver. It is in TOS FAT16 filesystem. As is stated goal was to keep maximal possible compatibility with regular TOS versions (because it is good for old SW) . So, if you simply install some other driver integrated will not be active (driver install will delete flags which activate integrated driver). Plus, it is not activated by default, user needs to click on 'Activ. int. driver', and there is small program to deactivate it any time. And because this is with pure DOS type partitions other drivers will not work - here mean usual drivers for TOS/AHDI kind partitions. Because iTOS works best with pure DOS type partitions - so no need for extra disk buffers, so there is 64 KB more free RAM, even with 1024 MB partitions. More details on my site. For those who care. And I need to say that I did not understand well in many case what was said, what must be purely my error. "
And, all this silliness with this video and writes on GitHub made me think about my older idea (what I exposed to Diego in e-mail some months ago) I will do some special testing version what will work without ACSI-SD adapter firmware modification. So, it will be 1-2 partitions of 32 MB size on SD card, where user can copy Atari SW runnable from hard disk. Why 32 MB ? It is enough for practically all Atari ST SW . And with that size no need for extra buffers, so 64 KB more free space, and is TOS/DOS compatible (as interested people can see on my site) . That will work even with Satandisk (but need non HxC SD card) .
It needs some PC or Mac to copy files on those partitions. When Atari session is over can attach it to PC/Mac and save somewhere changes, game state saves, so can use them even after deleting from 32 MB partitions. Yes, it needs little extra work, but I doubt that there is more than few % of users who have no modern computer with USB ports.
When I finish it and is tested I will propose to add it to firmware of SD4ST - surely fastest ACSI-SD adapter, and I expect better communication with it's designer. Then can use larger capacity SD card with FAT32, NTSC or some other new partition types. User needs to create/copy there some 32-64 MB long empty file, what will be actually image of Atari 'hard disk' where can copy files/DIRs for next session. And that can do with Atari, with firmware help (concept based on 'Hard disk' in Steem (at 2005) ) - need to select DIR from which to copy files to TOS parition(s) or just select 'Use existing' if want to continue with what is on TOS partitions since last session . When Atari session is over user will be able to save changes with special Windows program for that, and may be some other ways for it. So, this will have advantage of so called GemDrive and better SW compatibility of classic/regular TOS hard disk driver based system (low level access works too). And this will work faster too because dealing with small partitions.
#7
Software / Re: Future Game Adaptions Sugg...
Last post by Petari - 04-08-2025, 06:36:13Quote from: diamondspringwater on 03-08-2025, 17:54:38Can I suggest Suspicious cargo it looks interesting.
https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-suspicious-cargo_11479.html
It is already done. I sent you e-mail with some details, explanations, and how to get latest image for SD card .
#8
FAQ / Re: Using proper terminology o...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 03-08-2025, 18:11:17I agree that there are a lot of confusing terms out there.
Confuses me anyway (and yeah, I know - that don't take
much)...
Confuses me anyway (and yeah, I know - that don't take
much)...
#9
News / Re: Interesting YT video about...
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 03-08-2025, 18:09:22I don't understand the "delete" thing either.
I mean, if you disagree with something, fine - disagree,
in a civil manner and have a constructive discussion from
it.
Hard to have any kind of discussion when everything is just
outright deleted.
I mean, if you disagree with something, fine - disagree,
in a civil manner and have a constructive discussion from
it.
Hard to have any kind of discussion when everything is just
outright deleted.
#10
Software / Re: Future Game Adaptions Sugg...
Last post by diamondspringwater - 03-08-2025, 17:54:38Can I suggest Suspicious cargo it looks interesting.
https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-suspicious-cargo_11479.html
https://www.atarimania.com/game-atari-st-suspicious-cargo_11479.html