ZX-News #39 18 августа 1997

Working with TR-DOS - Collections of TR-DOS floppies.

            Collection of disks

           (Sub-TR-DOS)


  The most important (and difficult) feature
embedded software is an attempt to emulate the hard disk
disk-TR-DOS.


  The idea is very simple: subsection
TR-DOS is a collection of psevdodisket, the format which 
corresponds exactly to the format of a floppy. Special tools 
allow you to "embed" such a floppy disk in the "normal" drives, 
and TR-DOS has no idea of ​​what works

with the emulator.


  First you need to create a sub-
TR-DOS. Select Create partition ...
Move the cursor to the line that says Unused (at the beginning 
of a single line) then press ENTER. The line will

inscription TR-DOS - again, press ENTER. Now you must enter the 
name of the subdivision. This addressed in the future will be 
used for access to the stored in subsection ramdisk. It can 
contain up to six characters. Fix input the name of the key 
ENTER. Now you must enter the amount subsection - enter a 
number equal to the number of disks contained in this section. 
Minimum quantity - 1, maximum - 51. By default the as possible 
in this section number (Fig. 6).



  1993 Professional Extention NCACB
-97 MOA Shadow Service Monitor 15-06
Analyser V4.00

          Local partition table

                                         

           Create partition ...

        TR-DOS sys-1 .051

                                         

          G. Global partition table

                                         

          V. Partition information

                                         

          C. Create partition ...

          N. Rename partition ...

                                         

          D. Delete partition ...

                                         

          A. Delete all part

                                         

                                         

          R. Restore from disk

          W. Write to disk

                                         
 Enter number


                  Fig.6


  You can create multiple collections ramdisk, it is important 
only to the names of their were different. Please note: 
Collection ramdisk can be removed as easily as part of the 
global table but only in its entirety. Current software

provision does not provide for increase / decrease the size of 
the subsections. Is developing a support program hard disk of 
some functions of the Shadow Service Monitor will require hard

drive a certain amount of memory (it is planned to 3-5 MB), so 
it is recommended leave a few megabytes of vacant

(Unused) so that no further
had to repartition the entire hard drive.


  Creating a sub-iS-DOS and Micro DOS
does not differ significantly from the creation of sub-TR-DOS. 
Select Create partition ..., move the cursor to the free space 
(Unused), and then ENTER. SPACE key to select the desired

type, fix the selection by pressing ENTER.
Then enter the name of the subkey lock
him, and, finally, set the volume of sub-
in kilobytes. Volume should not be less than
256 kilobytes, and more than 32 megabytes (or rather
32767), although in the iS-DOS'e can only use up to 16,300 
kilobytes. As for TR-DOS, these systems can also be

create several sub-sections, but with different names and 
different for the whole table MFS, ie two subsections, for 
example, TR-DOS and iS-DOS can have the same

name, despite their differences among themselves.


  Hardware and operating system support TR-DOS (Beta Disc 
Interface) has historically maintained for up to four 
real-world drives. In the system, they are denoted by A, B, C 
and D, respectively. But the real connects one, maximum two 
drives, devices C and D on Scorpion'e how would disappear. 
Originally it was planned specifically to these unused 
characters designate created on your hard drive psevdodiskety. 
These becomes virtual drives - for

TR-DOS they are, but for Beta Disc Interface
they are not. But then it was possible to
provide the opportunity for all
four devices.


  But the question arose: how to tell the system
that, say, drive "B" is now
physical (if it is connected to the controller), and not 
virtual, and vice versa? To exit from this situation, we 
introduced the concept of Communications and floppy disk image 
on hard drive. If the connection is established -

the drive is virtual, and when it receives the choice of the 
physical drive does not occur. If there is no connection - the 
drive Physics (except, naturally, "C" and

"D").


  Establishing a connection between the device and
ramdisk is carried out in sub-Hard
disk utility. For each device has
para Mount (mount, mount) with
followed by the name of the virtual drive.
This choice leads to the appearance of
display the current table of local chapters.
From this it is necessary to select a collection of ramdisk, 
then there catalog of the collection. Move the cursor to the 
desired floppy disk and select it by pressing ENTER or mouse. 
It is also possible choices of "hot" keys from 1 to 0 (0 = 
tenth item). Pressing "3", we choose "Disk03"

(See Figure 7).

  1993 Professional Extention NCACB
-97 MOA Shadow Service Monitor 15-06
Analyser V4.00

            Har `disk utility

                                         

                Select disk

         Disk Name: Disk01 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk02 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk03 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk04 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk05 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk06 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk07 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk08 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk09 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk10 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk11 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk12 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk13 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk14 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk15 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk16 640 KB

         Disk Name: Disk17 640 KB

                                         


                  Fig.7


  The name of the selected (connected) ramdisk appear in a row 
Mount. The name of the compound, the first is the name of the 
collection (sub-TR-DOS), and by the character "\" should be 
addressed disk image (see Figure 8).


  1993 Professional Extention NCACB
-97 MOA Shadow Service Monitor 15-06
Analyser V4.00

            Hard disk utility

                                         

                                         

          0. Previous menu

                                         

          A. Mount on A:

          B. Mount on B: sys-1 \ Disk03

          C. Mount on C:

          D. Mount on D:

          Z. Dismount ...

                                         

          M. TRDOS mirror ON

                                         

          P. Partition manager

                                         

          S. Set Up

                                         


                  Fig.8


  Now, any appeal from the TR-DOS or
monitor to the appropriate drive will be "sent" to your hard 
drive. Disc You can "format" (the best way to choose the 
"quick" format in the submenu Disk Utility item Quick format 
disk) and copy the virtual disk files

a real disk. When potrekovaya copying a disc you can do without 
the formatting, because hard drives formatted yet at the 
factory. 


  Quickly browse directory of any device - A, B, C and D - can 
be key combinations EDIT + D, which can be pressed, when in any 
area of ​​the Shadow Service Monitor (except, naturally, the 
monitor-debugger). 


  The current target is automatically stored on your hard disk 
and restored when the "cold" start your computer. 


  If you must break the link between
device name TR-DOS and ramdisk on
hard disk, for example, to return the physical disk "B", you 
must select click Dismount ... submenu Hard disk utility. In 
this case, all items are replaced by Mount to Dismount. Select 
corresponding to the required disk, for example, Dismount B. 
All items Dismount again turn to the Mount, but the selected 
item disappears the name of the ramdisk.