11/29/92 SUPER BOOT VERSION 8.0 The following files should be included in your SPBT80.LZH file: README.1ST - This file (a summary of changes from 7.4 to 8.0). SUPERBT.PRG - Super Boot 8.0. SUPERBTA.PRG - Auxiliary program used by Super Boot. SUPER_CS.PRG - Super Boot Construction Set V8.0. SUPER_CS.RSC - Resource file used by SUPER_CS.PRG. SBCNV7_0.TOS - Program to convert 5.0, 5.1, 5.5, or 6.0 data file to 7.0. SBCNV8_0.TOS - Program to convert 7.0, 7.2, or 7.4 data file to 8.0. SUPERBT.DOC - Manual for Super Boot. STARTGEM.PRG - GEM program autobooter. STARTGEM.DOC - Documentation for Startgem. Programs available elsewhere in SB_OTHER.LZH. These are programs by other authors, either P.D. or Shareware (Shareware programs of course must still be payed for if used), which have been included with the permission of each author. These are very useful when used in conjunction with Super Boot: ACC.DOC - Loads accessories from a folder named "ACCS". ACC.PRG - " " AUTOSORT.PRG - Changes the order of files in the AUTO folder DIGIEDIT.DOC - Convert sound files to DIGISOUND format DIGIEDIT.PRG - " " DIGIEDIT.RSC - " " DIGIEDIX.RSC - " " DIGISND.RSC - " " PICSW7.DOC - Picswitch 0.7 - converts many picture formats PICSW7.PRG - " " READ.ME - Short description =========================================================================== SUMMARY OF CHANGES FROM 7.4 TO 8.0 ---------------------------------- The Super Boot Construction Set only forces you to read the "Copyright/Please Register" screen when it doesn't find a SUPERBT.STF file (which should be just the first time it is used). After that, it can be viewed from an option on the main menu called "About Super Boot". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- File capacity has been greatly expanded through use of a new Multi-Page file selection mode. Each type of file is on a separate page, allowing 152 files of each type instead of a limit of 152 files total. I badly needed this feature as I'm sure many others did, since I could no longer fit all of my files on a single screen. This feature is optional. You can move from one page to another by pressing RETURN or SHIFT RETURN. RETURN moves you forward and SHIFT RETURN moves you backwards. You can also move from page to page by moving the cursor off the edge of the screen (if you enable the wrap-around cursor on page 2 of Edit Program Parameters). The page number you're on and the total number of pages will be shown in the bottom right corner of the screen. Total file capacity is now 1824 total files. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- The reserved file type for GDOS ASSIGN.SYS files has been removed. Not everybody uses these files (myself included) however they can be added back in as an "Other" file type. This also expands the number of DESKTOP.INF files that can be selected (on the single-page file selection screen) from 9 to 19 files. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- An additional "Other" file slot has been added, increasing the number of available "Other" file types from 8 to 9. This was done partially to make up for removing the specific GDOS file type. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Super Boot can now play DMA sound files in stereo or mono! The "Sound & Welcome Screen" utilities in the Super Boot Construction Set have been enhanced to now play DMA sounds and to rename the sound file appropriately for use with Super Boot. As before, Digisound sound files should have the extension .S##, where ## is a 2 digit number representing the sample rate, for example HELLO.S08. DMA sound files should have the extension .S?#, where ? is "S" for Stereo or "M" for Mono, and # is the first digit of the DMA playback rate, 6 for 6, 1 for 12, 2 for 25, and 5 for 50. Those are the only possible DMA play speeds. Of course the DMA sound will only work if your computer is capable of DMA sound, as is the STE. If your computer is capable of DMA sound, you need to specify that on page 7 of "Edit Program Parameters". If you tell Super Boot that your machine can play DMA sound and it really can't, your machine will crash when you run SUPERBT.PRG. Example DMA filenames: HELLO.SS2 (DMA sound in stereo, play rate 25) ATARI.SM6 (DMA sound in mono, play rate 6). ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- You can now control the volume for DMA sound. You can specify this on page 7 of "Edit Program Parameters". ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- A new feature has been added if you use the "Link Sound To Welcome Screen" option. If Super Boot does not find a sound which has the same filename as the welcome screen it displayed, it will look for a sound with the filename DEFAULT. This may be a DMA or Digisound file - it can handle both. For example DEFAULT.S13 or DEFAULT.SS5 are both acceptable filenames. A default sound is not required, but it is loads of fun! ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Super Boot can now be called from other programs with a command line argument (as if it were a .TTP program) to set up your system based on a specified function key. This allows you to, for example, set up a .BAT file in Neodesk that you could just double-click on and have Super Boot do the rest. Or you could program a function key (with the appropriate hot-key type program) to execute Super Boot. The command line is of the form: SUPERBT.PRG fk [drv] [-option] fk = function key: 1-10 normal function key 11-20 ALT function key (ALT-F1 to ALT-F10) 21-30 CONTROL function key (CONTROL-F1 to CONTROL-F10) drv = boot drive option = "W" for warmboot or "C" for coldboot The function key number is required and must be the first argument on the command line. The boot drive and reboot option are optional and their order is not important. If the calling program does not make the drive or partition where Super Boot resides the default drive, then you must supply the boot drive on the command line. I would recommend doing it anyway just to be safe, otherwise Super Boot will not be able to find its data files. Also, you should be calling the copy of Super Boot you boot with in the AUTO folder, not a different copy in another folder. The reboot option will reboot the machine so that after the files are activated according the specified function key, the programs and accessories will be loaded. It is recommended that the -W reboot option is used so that Super Boot will not run from the AUTO folder when the machine is rebooted. The -C coldboot option should (on most models of ST's) simulate a real coldboot in which case Super Boot would run from the AUTO folder since the program would think the machine was just turned on. If no reboot option is specified, Super Boot will just activate/deactivate the files for the specified function keys and exit without doing anything else. Examples: SUPERBT.PRG 5 -W C {set function key F5, boot drive = C:, warmboot} SUPERBT.PRG 11 -C {set function key ALT-F1, do a coldboot, current drive is the boot drive} SUPERBT.PRG 25 {set function key CONTROL-F5, current drive is the boot drive, do not reboot machine} ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Two new options have been added to the file selection screen. You can now press "W" to update the files you have selected and then do a "W"armboot, or you can press "C" to update the files and do a "C"oldboot. As mentioned above, a Warmboot should prevent Super Boot from running twice on the same boot. Why would you use this feature? If for some reason you have an AUTO program that runs before Super Boot, and you needed to activate/deactivate it, the change would not take effect until you reboot. If you changed its status and then pressed "W", it would work as if the file was located after Super Boot. This feature will also allow you to run Super Boot from the desktop. IMPORTANT: A new parameter has been added on page 7 of the "Edit Program Parameters" function of the Super Boot Construction Set called REBOOT DELAY. If you use write-cacheing with your hard drive, the cache software may take several seconds to actually write any new data to the hard drive. If Super Boot was to immediately reboot when asked to, you would lose any unwritten cached information. The Reboot Delay parameter tells Super Boot to pause for a specified number of seconds before rebooting to give your cache software time to write. I would suggest starting out with 10 seconds and decrease it gradually if there appears to be more of a delay than needed. Of course if you do not use write cacheing, or your cache software does not do delayed writes then you can set this parameter to zero. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Bug Fix - Problem would occur when trying to save a function key from within SUPERBT.PRG with more than 40 active files. This has been corrected. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- Starting with this release, all programs will be compressed (execution time is essentially unaffected) and the fastload bit is now explicitly set. =========================================================================== BEFORE RUNNING YOUR NEW VERSION OF SUPERBOOT o Please read through the new sections of the manual if you need more detailed information. o Copy all files to their proper directories o Run SBCNV8_0.TOS to convert your data file from 7.0, 7.2 or 7.4 format for use with this new version of Super Boot. o Run SUPER_CS.PRG to configure the new parameters in this version. NOTE: You can also just delete your old SUPERBT.STF and run SUPER_CS.PRG and it will create a new data file with default settings in 8.0 format. =========================================================================== THE FUTURE Super Boot is a very feature-rich application but of course there is always some new feature which can be added. I don't have any specific new features in mind for a future version but I'm sure some will eventually come along. Because I don't know when I'll be doing a new version, I am changing my update policy, and will do update notifications instead of accepting pre- payment for future updates. See the documentation, section VIII., for details. If Atari's new Falcon takes off, you will probably see some new Falcon specific features added, but of course that is a BIG if! We can only hope that the Tramiels realize that most people in the U.S. won't buy it if it is not available from a local store. If they would only start selling it through the huge discount stores such as K-mart, Walmart, and Sears, which would provide NATIONAL distribution, not just Southern California distribution, I'm sure they would repeat the past success of their Commodore 64 again with the Falcon. This also provides FREE advertising, by virtue of merely sitting on the shelf where people can see it. This is something that many of the various PC clone manufacturers such as Packard Bell have figured out, so lets hope Atari does too. If you feel the same way, please let Atari know. Write them a letter, call them, or send them E-mail on Genie. I'm stepping off my soapbox now. Enjoy your new version of Super Boot! =========================================================================== Gordon Moore 2300 Beech St. Ashland, KY 41102 (USA) E - M A I L Genie : G.W.MOORE Compuserve: 73647,2735 Internet : gordonm1@aol.com