RAMBOOT II Version 1.0› Copyright 1990 by Charles Hughes›››  RAMBOOT II is a program that creates up to 4 ram floppies and two ram›drives in your XL/XE.  You need at least a 256K ram upgrade to use this›program.  You also need a device called a JOYBITTER.  A text file describing›how to make one is included in RAMBOOT2.ARC.›  The JOYBITTER is used with RAMBOOT II in the following way - the fire›button turns the ram drives on/off; the first set of two switches (up/down›on a joystick) control which ram floppy is in ram drive #1; the second set›of two switches (left/right on a joystick) control which ram floppy is in›ram drive #2.  When the ram drives are turned on, the real drives can be›accessed as their drive number +2.  So the real D1: could be accessed as›D3:, D3: could be accessed as D5:, etc.›  RAMBOOT II is known to work with Atari DOS 2.0S, TOPDOS 1.2, SMARTDOS, and›DOS XL.  It should work with DOS 2.5, and MYDOS.  It won't work with›SpartaDOS or DOS XE.  The SpartaDOS X cartridge doesn't work with RAMBOOT II›right now, I am trying to remedy that problem. (The problem is with SDX, not›my program - ICD didn't want to bother allowing for a RAM OS.)  RAMBOOT II›will have problems with DOSes that use a ramdisk, so boot DOS without a›ramdisk.›  To use RAMBOOT II pull out your JOYBITTER, if you don't have one, now is a›good time to make it.  Remove anything that may be plugged into the second›joystick port.  Load up your favorite DOS (if your favorite is Sparta then›load up Atari DOS).  Make sure all the switches on the Joybitter are›switched off and then plug it in.›  Load the program called "OSRD.COM" from DOS (Binary Load).  OSRD.COM›copies the OS ROM into the RAM underneath and then enables the OS RAM.  It›then patches the RAM OS with the ramdisk handler.›  OSRD.COM should return control to DOS in under 10 seconds.  If the machine›appears to have locked up, hit RESET.  If DOS returns load the program›"OSON.COM".  If DOS doesn't return, or the machine locks up after loading›OSON.COM, or your machine reboots on RESET then try another DOS.›  Get a directory listing of D1:, it should show your DOS disk.  Now turn on›the ram drives by pressing down the fire button on the Joybitter and get a›directory of D1:.  You should see garbage or a funny amount of sectors/bytes›available.  Get a directory of D3:, it should show your DOS disk.  If you›get a directory of your DOS disk when the ram drives are enabled, you need›to test out the Joybitter - see the Joybitter text for a program to do this.›If the Joybitter is fine, then start over at the beginning of this file.  If›you reach this point a second time you will need to use a different DOS.››  Since you've gotten this far it means you have a working setup. ›Congratulate yourself, it took me a week to get to this point.››  You now have two single density, single sided ram drives accessed as D1:›and D2:, and 2 (256K upgrade) or 4 (512k upgrade) ram floppies.  If all you›want are ramdisks then you are finished, just format them in single density›and you can use them as you like.›››  Didn't like that ending, eh?  Wanna know what I'm doing wasting my time›writing ramdisk handlers that only allow single density disks right?›  Pssst....hey buddy, can ya keep a secret?›  Me too.›››  Just kidding.  Four single density ram floppies are useless to me in›general, but I did this with a specific purpose in mind.›  Ever play Ultima IV?  I have, and it's a great game.  It has a couple of›problems though - it comes on 4 single density disks (does that number seem›familiar?), can't be run off a hard drive, uses the standard skew (slow›reading the drive), and does a lot of disk access.  My poor drives don't›like that kind of abuse, and, lets face it, NOBODY likes to constantly›switch floppies in and out of a drive.  So, as you can see, I was desperate›to make my gaming easier.  RAMBOOT II was born out of that desperation.  Of›course, Russ Babylon's program RAMBOOT, and Bob Wooley's wonderful PIO›device/program combination also contributed - thanks guys.›  Have you guessed?  Yes, I knew you could - RAMBOOT II is for playing›games, no more long disk accesses, no more overheated drives as you play›"Leather Goddess of Phobos" (eh, Bob? :), no more waiting minutes while the›next part of the game loads.››  Okay, now for the bad news.  Lots of games turn off the RAM OS and this,›of course, kills the ramdisk handler and defeats the whole purpose of this›file.  To get around this you need to modify the game.  The file "ULT4.ROS"›is a basic program that will fix Ultima IV.  Run it and follow directions to›remove the code that turns on the ROM OS.  Make sure you have a backup of›Ultima IV just in case.›  Copy protection by itself is no fun but doesn't bother RAMBOOT II.  If you›have a lot of copy protected games, I suggest you beg for, borrow, or buy›Chipmunk and related programs.  These will unprotect your disks.  I have›Chipmunk so I ALWAYS unprotect my stuff as I buy it.›  Those games that are copy protected AND also turn off the RAM OS are a›pain in the you-know-where.  If you want to use RAMBOOT II with these games›then you have two choices - make an unprotected backup, or notch the›original so it can be written to.  Then modify the backup (original) with a›.ROS program.›  NOTE: You will need the correct .ROS program to modify the game.  Don't›use ULT4.ROS to try and unprotect other games, it won't work.  Other .ROS›programs will become available as I play the games and make the appropriate›.ROS file for each one.  Or as people ask for a .ROS file for their favorite›game.›››  Now back to using the ram drives for games...››  Since the ram drives can be accessed just like regular drives, and the ram›floppies will act just like regular floppies you can sector copy a disk onto›them.  The best way to do this is with a sector copier program (or the›sector copy utility built into several DOSes).  Another way, if you don't›have a sector copier, or if you have a hard drive, is to use DISKCOMM 3.2.›  Copy your games disks to different ram floppies, making sure to write down›on a piece of paper just which floppy has which game disk written on it.›  If you copy a protected boot disk you may come across bad sectors - just›ignore these, they aren't important right now.  If you come across a bad›sector on any other disk, then that disk is probably bad and you should make›a new backup disk.›  If the game is unprotected you can set the Joybitter for the boot ram›floppy and then load the file "SOFTBOOT.COM".  The game will load and you›can continue from there normally.  When the game asks for a different disk,›make sure you set the switches correctly for that switch.›  If the game is protected you need to boot from the real boot floppy.  Turn›off the fire button on the Joybitter in order to disable the ram drives. ›Now load "SOFTBOOT.COM" and the game will load.  Once the real drive stops›spinning and you see the opening screen of the game, you can turn the ram›drives back on - just make sure that ram drive #1 is set for the ram boot›floopy.  From then on just use the ram floppies as needed.›  No, I haven't forgotten.  To save a game (assuming that the game you are›playing allows that) just start the save game process and when it asks for›the save disk, insert the real save floppy into the correct real drive, turn›off the fire button and continue.  After it finishes saving you can turn the›fire button back on and continue using the Joybitter.››  Now, if the game doesn't load correctly, or it does load but ignores the›Joybitter & ram drives, it is one of those nasty ones that turns the OS ROM›back on.  Send me a note and I'll see what I can do about creating a .ROS›program for it.›››  If you are playing a game that requires more than 4 floppy sides, then›just insert the disk(s) you didn't copy, when it is needed, and turn off the›fire button.  When you need to use a ram floppy again, turn the fire button›back on.››››  Well, that's all there is.  Have fun with this and send me some responses›so I know somebody out there appreciates it. :)›››  If you have any questions or comments I can be reached at:››CLOSER TO HOME BBS (419) 368-4413›ATARI BASE     BBS (408) 745-5306›BAAUG          BBS (408) 986-0215›Usenet: Ordania-DM@cup.portal.com›   or   Charles_Hughes@cup.portal.com››Or USnail:› Charles Hughes› 555 E. Washington Ave. #301› Sunnyvale, CA 94086›› Phone: (408) 732-7749›