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Conference hydra::amiga_v1

Title:	AMIGA NOTES
Notice:	Join us in the NEW conference - HYDRA::AMIGA_V2
Moderator:	HYDRA::MOORE

Created:	Sat Apr 26 1986
Last Modified:	Wed Feb 05 1992
Last Successful Update:	Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:	5378
Total number of notes:	38326

2979.0. "How does AutoBoot work?" by BOMBE::MOORE (BaN CaSe_sEnSiTiVe iDeNtIfIeRs!) Tue Oct 03 1989 23:12

    Does anybody out there have information on how AutoBoot is implemented
    in KS 1.3?  I'm guessing that it involves [greatly simplified] finding
    the EPROM on the controller and jumping to boot code stored there.  Am
    I close?
    
    The reason I ask is because I'm wondering if it might be possible to
    create a boot block on floppy to do the equivalent.  This would save
    the time spent loading libraries and such from the floppy before my
    startup procedure can transfer control to the hard disk.
    
    I know I could just get the 1.3 roms installed.  But since I know 1.4
    is coming, I'd like to try a temporary workaround with software in the
    meantime.  I can live with my present floppy setup if necessary, but
    it seems like a very tiny piece of code could make it so much nicer.

T.R	Title	User	Personal Name	Date	Lines
2979.1	Maybe this info will help	HPSCAD::GATULIS	Frank Gatulis	`Wed Oct 04 1989 13:00`	21
	I don't understand exactly how Autoboot works so I won't try to explain it but I have some emperical knowledge that might help. 1. You can do a lot to minimize the time it takes to transfer the boot process from floppy to HD. As I recal, my boot floppy is almost empty and I think there are only 3 lines in the startup sequence on the floppy (if you like, I'll look, and tell you how mine is set up). 2. I measured the difference in time it took to autoboot with the 1.3 kickstart rom/HD vs. the 1.2 rom/floppy/HD combination and the autoboot was only 7 seconds faster. I feel this improvement was almost insignificant. I ceratinly wouldn't buy the 1.3 rom for the sole reason of speeding up MY boot time. I realize boot time varies according to how complex your startup sequence gets but in my case, the difference is whether or not my system boots in 28 or 35 seconds. Frank
2979.2		RBW::WICKERT	MAA USIS Consultant	`Mon Oct 09 1989 19:02`	6
	I'd be interested in finding out how you've set up your floppy... I have a feeling mine is a little long-winded... Thanks, Ray
2979.3	re .2	HPSCAD::GATULIS	Frank Gatulis	`Mon Oct 09 1989 21:41`	17
	Ray, Here's the startup-sequence on my floppy which transfers me quickly to DH0: Bind Drivers DH0:c/assign T: RAM: DH0:c/cd RAM: DH0:/execute DH0:s/HDstartup-continue That's it. Couldn't get much simpler (that's not a challenge!) Frank
2979.4	OOPS!	HPSCAD::GATULIS	Frank Gatulis	`Mon Oct 09 1989 21:43`	8
	correction ... in .3 that's "BindDrivers" not "Bind Drivers" Frank
2979.5	Avoid nested EXECUTEs	TLE::RMEYERS	Randy Meyers	`Thu Oct 12 1989 00:15`	17
	Re: .3 If you change : DH0:c/execute DH0:s/HDstartup-continue to DH0:C/RUN DH0:c/execute DH0:s/HDstartup-continue The system will not fill obligated to make a copy of the execute script in T: before executing it. The execute command writes out a copy of the script into T: if the script takes arguments or it is a nested execute. Beats me why nesting causes it to make a copy of the script.