Customizing Your System

Your OS-9 operating system is originally configured in a certain way. Fbr instance, it is set up to recognize two floppy disk drives, but no hard drives. It is set up to recognize a printer or one extra terminal. It does not recognize a modem. It assumes that you only want 32 characters across your computer's display screen. It provides all of the OS-9 commands.


Using the CONFIG utility from the BASIC09/CONFIG diskette that came with your OS-9 package, you can create system diskettes that match the computer system you have. Before proceeding further, be sure you have a working copy of the BASIC09/ CONFIG diskette and a blank, formatted diskette. You can use the instructions in "Making Copies of Diskettes" in Chapter 3 to create a working copy of the BASIC09/CONFIG diskette and to create a blank, formatted diskette.


Creating a New System Diskette

To create a new system diskette make sure you have a newly formatted diskette on hand, then follow these steps:

















Getting Started With OS-9
and

      Enter Name of Dest. Disk:


Type the appropriate drive name (/D0, /D1, etc.) at each prompt.

 3. OS-9 informs you that it is:

      BUILDING DESCRIPTOR LIST

      .... PLEASE WAIT


    OS-9 is putting together a list of the various devices you might want to use with your computer. When it finishes, it shows you the list:


      CONFIG

      ARROWS - UP/DOWN/MORE/BACK

      S - SEL/UNSEL H - HELP D - DONE


ITEM SEL

 --------------

 P
 T1
 T2
 T3
 M1
 M2
 PIPE
 DO-35s X
 Dl-355
 D2_355

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 Customizing Your System / 7

To view the rest of this menu, press a). Now the screen shows:


CONFIG
 ARROWS - UP/DOWN/MORE/HACK
 S - SEL/UNSEL H - HELP D - DONE
 ITEM SEL
D3 355
        ddd0_355

        DO-40D

        Dl-40D

        D2_40D

        DDDO-40D

        D1 _80D

        D2_80D


4. You can choose the various devices you plan to use with your computer from this list. To choose a device, use 0 or 0 to move to the device. The -* shows the device you've chosen. Then, press ff) (for Select) to display an X in the SEL ("Selected") column. Pressing Os again cancels the selection.


You can move back and forth between the first and second screens by pressing either 0 (from the first screen) or 0 (from the second screen). Here's a short description of each device listed on this screen. To display helpful information about a device, position the -o. on its line in the list, and press [E for Help. Then, press the space bar to make the help information disappear. The devices on this screen are:


P

 T1

 T2

A printer that connects to the RS-232 serial port on your computer.


A terminal using the standard RS-232 port (in addition to your main computer display).


A terminal using the optional RS-232 communications pak in Slot 1 of the Multi-pak Interface. T2 supports a full baud rate range. Use T2 in addition to your main computer display alone, or in addition to your main computer display and a "T1" type terminal.


7-3
 Getting Started With OS-9
T3 Another terminal using the optional RS-232
 communications pak in Slot 2 of the Multi-pak
 Interface.
 M1 A modem using an optional 300 baud modem
 pak.
 M2 A modem using an optional 300 baud modem
 pak.
 PIPE Lets you use the PIPE utility in OS-9 (a utility
 that takes the information a program puts out
 and uses it as input data in another command).
 DO-35S Floppy Disk Drive /D0, single sided, 35 tracks.
 Dl-35S Floppy Disk Drive /D1, single sided, 35 tracks.
 D2-35S Floppy Disk Drive /D2, single sided, 35 tracks.
 D3-35S Floppy Disk Drive /D3, single sided, 35 tracks.

          DDDO-35S Default Disk Drive /DD using Drive /D0, single sided, 35 tracks. Select one default drive the drive where you keep your system diskette.


    DO-40D Floppy Disk Drive /D0, double sided, 40

    cylinders.

    Dl-40D Floppy Disk Drive /D1, double sided, 40

    cylinders.

    D2-40D Floppy Disk Drive /D2, double sided, 40

    cylinders.

    D3-40D Floppy Disk Drive /D3, double sided, 40

    cylinders.


          DDDO-40D Default Disk Drive /DD using Drive /D0, double sided, 40 cylinders. Select one default drive

          the drive where you keep your system diskette.


    Dl-80D Floppy Disk Drive /D1, double sided, 80

    cylinders.

    D2-80D Floppy Disk Drive /D2, double sided, 80

    cylinders.


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          Customizing Your system / 7


You must select a "DO" device as your first disk drive use D1, D2, and D3 devices for additional floppy disk drives. Select the drive that matches the drives you have on your system. If you are not sure, check with your supplier. To use extra terminals and modems, you must connect them via a Multi-Pak Interface.


5. As you finish choosing among the devices on the first screen, press 0 to display another screen of devices:


6. When you finish selecting devices, press 0 for Done. The screen asks:


      ARE YOU SURE (Y/N) ?


7. Now's your chance to change your mind. Press FA) if you want to reselect your devices. If you're sure about the devices you selected, press CE.


The next part of the CONFIG process appears on the screen:

              CONFIG


            SELECT TERM DESCRIPTOR


            1 - TERM_VDG 2 - TERM-WIN

          H - HELP

          SELECTION 11,21


8. These are Color Computer terminal I/O subroutine modules you can use. For a 32 character display, select 1 (TERMVDG). In order to have OS-9 windows and an 80 column display, select 2 (TERM-WIN).


    Note: You can use TERM.WIN with a TV rather than a monitor but it is difficult, if not impossible, to see characters on an 80-column window. When you later create text windows, select 40-column displays.


7-5
 Getting Started With OS-9

If you select 2 (Term-Win), CONFIG presents you with another menu of choices. This time, the display looks like this:


              CONFIG

      ARROWS - UP/DOWN/MORE/HACK

      S - SEL/UNSEL H - HELP D - DONE

          ITEM SEL


            W X

            W1 X

            W2 X

            W3

            W4

            W5

            W6

            W7


This list represents the pre-established windows you can open for use with OS-9. The next section in this chapter tells you how to open and use windows. For now, if you expect to open windows in which you can run mulitple tasks, select these items for your new diskette. (See "Using Windows" later in this Chapter.) .


9. After you select the modules you want to use, press M. As it did when you selected devices, the screen asks ARE YOU SURE c Y / N ) ? Press CE if you're finished. Or, press CK) to keep working on this screen.


OS-9 creates a file called Bootlist in Drive /DO's ROOT directory, using the information you've provided so far. It lets you know what it's up to by displaying:


      BUILDING HOOT LIST

      .... PLEASE WAIT


Then, the screen asks:

      WHAT CLOCK MODULE IS NEEDED: _

      1 - 60 HZ (AMERICAN POWER)

      2 - 50 HZ (EUROPEAN POWER)


10. Press CD if you live in the United States, Canada, or any other country that uses 60Hz electrical power. If you live in a country that uses 50Hz electrical power, press Q.


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            Customizing Your System / 7


        11. CONFIG is ready to begin creating your customized System Master diskette. If you have one drive, the screen tells you

,,~-~ that the DESTINATION diskette is your blank, formatted
        diskette and that your SOURCE diskette is the BASIC09/

        CONFIG diskette. Place your formatted diskette in the drive,

        and press ff). You'll swap between the formatted diskette and

        the BASIC09/CONFIG diskette several times.


        If you have a two-drive system, place a formatted diskette in Drive /D 1, and press the space bar. The screen tells you that OS-9 is:


            GENERATING A NEW BOOT .... PLEASE WAIT


        12. Fbllowing the boot file generation, a menu lets you select the commands you want to include on your system diskette. You have the following choices: none; a basic, limited set of commands; the full set of commands; or a set consisting of commands you choose individually. The menu looks like this:


                  CONFIG


      DO YOU WISH TO ADD

      tNIO COMMANDS, STOP NOW

      fBJASIC COMMAND SET

      LFJULL COMMAND SET

      fIJNDIVIDUALLY SELECT

      L?J RECEIVE HELP

      SELECTION IN,B,F,I,?l


A basic command set does not include:

    · The OS-9 Macro Edit module


    · System maintenance commands such as DSAVE,

      DCHECK, and COBBLER


Most people like- to choose the individual commands they want to use. For the time being, press 0 to include the full -set. Later, you can create another custom diskette that has only the commands you need.


?-7
 Getting Started With OS-9
13. Do one of the following:

    a. If you have one drive, the screen asks you to place your formatted diskette in Drive /D0. Do so, and press the space bar. Next, you'll place your "uncustomized" backup of the System Master diskette in Drive /D0. Swap the two diskettes as the screen asks you to. When the CONFIG program finishes, the o s 9 : message reappears. You now have a brand new, customized copy of the System Master diskette.


    b. If you have more than one drive, CONFIG continues and in a few minutes, finishes its work. The o s 9 : message reappears, and you have a customized copy of the System Master diskette in Drive /D 1.


    14. Label the diskette so that you can distinguish between your working copy of the System Master diskette and the custom copy.


Monitor Types

OS-9 lets you set your system for different monitor types. The monitor options are for a RGB color monitor, a composite color monitor or TV, or a monochrome monitor or TV. To set your system for a particular monitor type, enter one of the following commands, or add it to your system Startup file:


    Monitor Type Command


RGB montype r
 Composite montype c
 Monochrome montype m
 Therefore, to set your system for a composite monitor, type:

    montype c ENTER

To save typing the command each time you start OS-9, put it in the Startup file in the ROOT directory of your system diskette. If your system disk does not have an existing Startup file: Create one by typing:


    build 5tartuP ENTER m o n t y p e r ENTER ENTER


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          Customizing Your System / 7


If your system disk already has a Startup file:
First rename the Startup file by typing:

    rename startup old5tart ENTER


Then create a file that contains the new command, such as:

    build newstart ENTER m o n t y p e r ENTER ENTER


Now combine the two files into a new Startup file:

    merge oldstart newstart > startup ENTER


Use DEL to delete oldstart, newstart, or both, or leave them on your disk for future use.


Using Windows

If the window descriptors (W, W1, W2, W3, W4, W5, W6, W7) and the graphics interface and driver, Grflnt and GrfDrv, are in memory, OS-9 lets you set up windows on your display screen.


Note: Grflnt and the window descriptors must be loaded as part of the boot operation. Your System Master diskette does this.

Once you have initialized windows, you can then move among them, initiating different tasks in each. You can even have different processes showing on different portions of your display screen at the same time.


Another advantage of using windows is that you can choose windows that give you displays of 40 or 80 columns across the screen, rather than only 32. However, unless you have a monitor connected to your computer, rather than a television, you might be unable to read the screen.


Establishing a Window

You can establish one or more windows after booting OS-9, or you can include the window creation process in OS-9's Startup file. Startup is a file containing commands you want your system to execute during startup.


                                7-9

Getting Started With OS-9
To establish a window from the OS-9 prompt, type:

    i n i z w number

    ENTER


    5he11 i=lwnumber& ENTER


In this example, number represents the window number to initialize. After you type these commands, you can select the window by pressing CLEAR . To return to the original screen, press CLEAR again.


The default values for the window descriptors /W1 through /W7 are:


    Window Text size Window's physical size

    device name in columns Starts at: Size:


    /W1 40 0,0 27,11

    /W2 40 28,0 12,11

    /W3 40 0,12 40,12

    /W4 80 0,0 60,11

    /W5 80 60,0 19,11

    /W6 80 80,0 80,12

    /W7 80 0,0 80,24 , N


    Note: To initialize Windows /W2 and /W3, you must be operating from Window /W 1. To create Windows /W5 and /W6, you must be operating from Window /W4.


The "Starts at" column, indicates the position on the screen of the top left corner of the window. On the screen grid, coordinates 0,0 are located at the top left corner.


The "Size:" column indicates the number of characters across each window and the number of character lines in each window.


Therefore, Window 1 displays 40 column text, begins in the top left corner of the screen, extends right for 27 characters and down for 11 lines. Window 5 displays 80 column text, begins at the top of the screen, 60 columns from the left, extends 19 columns to the right and 11 lines down.


Note that the coordinates for each window are based on the text size of the screen. Therefore, Window 1 (based on 40 column text) ends at column 27, while Window 5 (based on 80 column text) begins at column 60.


7-10
 Customizing Your System / 7

Using the information in the previous chart, you can now establish any, or all, of the seven windows.


Note: You cannot establish all of the windows unless your computer has 512 kilobytes of memory.

 For instance, to set up a full screen, 80-column window, type:

    shell i=/w7& ENTER


After a short pause, the screen displays a message, such as:

 &04

This means that OS-9 has opened a path to your new window and started a shell on the window with the process identification of 04. To move to the window, press CLEAR . Your 32-column screen vanishes and you are now in Window 7. You can type commands or run programs from here in the same manner as before.


To set up three windows on the same screen, type these commands, then use CLEAR to move among the windows:


    i n i z w 1 w 2 w 3 ENTER

    shel l i=/w1 & ENTER shell i=/w2& ENTER shell i=/w3& ENTER


If you want, and your computer has enough memory, you can run different processes in all of the windows.


Changing Window Colors

Perhaps you don't like the color of the screen in one or more of your windows. You can change it using the display command. The following charts show you all of the colors available for the screen background, text, and border.


7-11
 Getting Started With OS-9
    Background Code = 33

    Text Code = 32

    Border Code = 34


            Color Codes

      Codes Color

      00 or 08 White

      01 or 09 Blue

      02 or OA Black

      03 or OB Green

      04 or OC Red

      05 or OD Yellow

      06 or OE Magenta

      07 or OF Cyan


10 or greater Black
 To change a color, type DISPLAY lb, followed by the background,
 text, border, or foreground code followed by a color code. Then,
 press ENTER .
 For instance, if you are in Window 7, you can change the back- ~,
 ground color to red, by typing:

    display 1 b 33 04 ENTER


Change the text color to black by typing:

    display 1 b 32 02 ENTER


To put a white border around the screen, type:

    display 1 b 34 00 ENTER


You can also type all the codes on one line, like this:

    display 1 b 33 04 1 b 32 00 1 b 34 00 ENTER


Pick the colors you want for each window, and change them using DISPLAY.

 Eliminating a Window
In the command to establish windows (shell i = /wnumber&), "i" tells SHELL that the process being created is immortal. This means that you can only terminate it from the window in which it resides.

 7-12
          Customizing Your System / 7


To kill a window in which you have established a shell, press
 CLEAR until the window you want appears on the screen. Type:

    e x ENTER


Now press CLEAR to move to another window in which a shell is running. Then use DEINIZ to deinitialize that window. For instance, if the window you want to eliminate is Window 1, type:


    deiniz w1 ENTER


Using Startup To Establish A Window

If you intend to use a window whenever you start OS-9, for instance if you want to use an 80 column screen; put the appropriate commands in the Startup file. This file must be located in the ROOT directory of your system disk.


If your system diskette already has a Startup file:
First rename the existing Startup file, such as:

    rename startup old5tart ENTER


Then put your new commands into a temporary file. To initialize window Number 7 (80 columns, full screen) with white text on a black background, type:


    build temp5tart i n i z w 7 ENTER 5 h e 1 1 i=/w7&

    ENTER display 1 b 32 00 1 b 33 02 1 b 34 02 0c > /w7 ENTER ENTER


Now combine your new commands with the original Startup file by typing:


    merge old5tart temp5tart > startup ENTER


You can remove the Tempstart file by typing d e 1 t e m p 5 t a r t
 ENTER , or you can leave it in your ROOT directory for future use.

 r
 Getting Started With OS-9
If Startup does not already exist: Create it by typing:

    build startup ENTER i n i z w 7 ENTER display 1 b 32 00 1 b 33 02 1 b 34 02 0c > /w7 ENTER shell i-/w7& ENTER ENTER


Now, after you boot OS-9, press CLEAR to operate in an 80column, black and white screen.

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