CoCo OS/9 was: TRS-80 floppy

[Fred Cisin]

On Sun, 22 Jul 2018, Charles Dickman via cctalk wrote:
> So what does it take to get OS/9 running on a Radio Shack Color Computer?

If you use the Radio Shack distribution of OS-9, then just booting with 
the RS OS-9 boot disk.
I never took it much past that.  I played with it a little to learn a 
little about it, but didn't have any active need or use for it.


Make spare copies of the disks, and write protect them.  If unfamiliar 
with the commands of an OS, it's quite possible to accidentally issue 
destructive commands.  I remember somebody (NOT ME) accidentally 
formatting an Apple II disk when they first came out, while trying to 
guess the commands.

> I have a Color Computer 2 (? 64k and non-chicklet keyboard) and have
> always wanted to get it working with a disk OS. What do I need? I see
> a reproduction floppy disk controller on ebay. I would rather skip
> that and go straight to some kind of sold state memory.
> Suggestions or pointer to active groups?

It is certainly your choice, and it sounds like a good idea.

However, if it were I, I would separate the hardware project from the 
software project, rather than doing both at once.

Being cowardly, I would set up a stock disk system, and play with OS-9.
Separately, I would try implementing solid-state memory.
THEN I would try to combine the two modifications.


There are still some Coco and OS-9 people around, although hardly as many 
as there once were.  I'm in touch with Doctor Marty, but he's no longer 
doing Coco.  His current project(s) are retrospective 
scanning/digitization of communist newspapers from the 1920s through 1940s.

--
Grumpy Ol' Fred     		cisin at xenosoft.com