11 Apr
1997
11 Apr
'97
2:48 a.m.
I still want to find a disk system for my CoCo-3 so
that I can run OS-9 on
I assume you realise that a CoCo2 disk drive + controller will work.
That's what I currently use.
The very first CoCo disk controller needed a -12V line for the main
controller chip (1793?), and won't work in later CoCo's unless you add an
external PSU. This is possible, though.
it. OS-9 is still amazing to this day, which is why
any number of companies
use it for the base OS for cutting edge stuff such as set-top boxes for the
TV. Until I saw it, I would've never thought you could put a Unix-like OS
witch was multitasking and multiuser on a 128k 8bit machine! I've heard
Actually, you can run OS-9 level 1 in 64K. A CoCo 2 will do it (although
the 32*16 text display, upper case only, makes programming a pain!). OS-9
level 2 needs an MMU (the GIME chip on the CoCo3 gives you that), and
probably 128K.
mention of there being a version that runs on the
Commodore 128 as well, but
haven't been able to find anything out about it.
There may be Unix-like OS's for the Commodore 128, but they won't (AFAIK)
be OS-9. OS-9 uses some neat features of the 6809 chip, like the ability
to write truely position-independant code (the 6809 has relative
subroutine calls, and PC-relative addressing for data, for example).
Jeff jeffh(a)eleventh.com
--
-tony
ard12(a)eng.cam.ac.uk
The gates in my computer are AND,OR and NOT, not Bill