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".
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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You can now control the volume for DMA sound. You can specify this on page 7
of "Edit Program Parameters".
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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!
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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}
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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.
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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.
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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