SymbOS CPC updates and infos

[Prodatron]

Here is a new preview package of SymbOS CPC with improved M4Board network and Albireo USB mouse support.

http://www.symbos.org/download/preview-cpc161021.zip

The changes are described in the #readme.txt, which I am pasting here as well:

SYMBOS 3.0 CPC - PREVIEW 16/10/21 (WORK IN PROGRESS)
=========================================
This package contains
- a new preview of SymbOS 3.0 - CPC edition
- the actual M4Board firmware ("M4FIRM_v110x2.zip")
You should install this firmware on your M4Board before using the updated
SymbOS package.

Changes since the last update:
- Albireo USB mouse driver with full working buttons
- Network daemon with M4Board driver
  - high stability for single connections
  - full support for network and WIFI settings and connection status
- loading/saving keyboard definitions for internationalisation

The package is arranged like the previous one (see section below).

Some details about the changes:
- USB MOUSE DRIVER
  Thanks to PulkoMandys investigations it was now possible to write a full
  working driver for standard USB mouses. The previous version couldn't handle
  the button status in a good way, this is fixed now.
  You may still get issues with very advanced gaming mouses etc. For such
  devices the driver should first ask the mouse for its capabilities which can
  be quite an annoying, as the USB HID standard allows all kind of bit
  resolutions for all parts of the protocol. Not sure if I will add this in the
  future as it doesn't make sense.
  The best thing is to buy a standard USB mouse with a wheel and three buttons
  for your CPC. SymbOS provides the only CPC GUI with mouse wheel support
  anyway, so that's more than enough
- M4BOARD NETWORK STABILITY
  Duke made several improvements to the M4 firmware to increase the stability
  of its Network API. This API was especially written for applications, which
  are using the TCP functionality directly like the SymbOS network daemon. It's
  now possible to download large files of several megabytes with WGET or have
  very long Telnet sessions (like ASCII Star Wars) in SymbOS.
  There is still an issue with multiple connections at the same time. This
  still has to be fixed.
- M4BOARD CONFIGURATION
  It's now possible to configure all network and Wifi settings of the M4Board
  inside the SymbOS Network Daemon. You will see the actual network settings
  (IP, Gateway, Subnet, primary and secondary DNS, DHCP) in the "TCP/IP" tab
  and the SSID/password of your hotspot in the "Driver" tab. Changing the
  network settings or pressing "Connect" next to the Wifi settings will re-
  configure the M4Board and ask it to reconnect to your network. You will see
  the different status messages in the "Status" tab.
- KEYBOARD DEFINITIONS LOAD- AND SAVEABLE
  The keyboard settings inside the control panel have been extended with a
  "load" and "save" button. You can use this to redefine your keyboard layout
  with existing presets (english, french, spanish, danish) or create own
  presets. This package contains the folder "/symbos/keyboard/" with several
  keyboard definitions. If you find any mistakes in these presets please
  contact me.


Some screenshots:
CPC is downloading a 2,1MB File from my homepage...
[attach=2]
Wrong WIFI-password...
[attach=3]
Placed my Smartphone with Wifi Hotspot in the basement, but the ESP8266 of the M4Board still has connection in the 2nd floor of my house
[attach=4]
TCP/IP settings:
[attach=5]

PS:I will update the first post of this thread with the link to the actual package all the time.

[CraigsBar]

I am so going to test this tonight!

[Duke]

Cool 

The download link seems to point at the last release though, but this one works: www.symbos.org/download/preview-cpc161021.zip
Btw. the M4FIRM_v110b5.zip can also be used (http://www.spinpoint.org/cpc/M4FIRM_v110b5.zip)

[Prodatron]

The download link seems to point at the last release though

Ops, you are right, that was a copy&paste issue with only changing the link title. Thanks, I corrected the link in the post above.

[opticpow]

Hi @Prodatron ,

Please forgive me if I've missed some obvious doco. I've not run it SymbOS before. How do I go about setting this up on my xmass?

Thanks,

Wayne.

[Prodatron]

Hi Wayne,

please copy the directory structure of the new package to your root and then move the files from /#IDE/ into your root (overwrite the existing SYM*.* files).
Now you can start the IDE version (X-MASS, SYMBiFACE II etc.) with RUN"SYM inside the root.
Currently I don't remember exactly if the DOM of the X-MASS is formatted with or without an MBR. If it doesn't find the partition after booting, please rename the SYMBOS1.INI into the SYMBOS.INI.

I will copy some parts of the #readme.txt here again, which may be relevant for you:

- IDE version (for SYMBiFACE II, X-MASS [http://www.centpourcent.net] and
  compatible). If you want to use the version with IDE driver please copy the
  content of the #IDE directory first into the root (overwrite the existing
  SYM*.* files). Regarding the SYMBOS.INI please read the previous section.

  Your device should be unpartitioned. If you have a partitioned device
  please rename SYMBOS1.INI into SYMBOS.INI first (overwrite the existing one).
  Even devices with only one partition maybe partitioned (include an MBR),
  this depends on the format tool.

System requirements:
- The prepared package requires a system with 256K RAM or more.
  If you have a standard 128K system you should first delete the SYMBOS.INI
  so that SymbOS boots with minimal requirements. Then you can start the
  control panel (copy it from /SYMBOS/CP.EXE) from floppy disc and complete
  your configuration.

[Joseman]

Hi @Prodatron

This is getting better and better!

I know is WIP, the M4 version doesn't save the custom colors for the desktop, i like to change the colors occasionally 

Edit: I let symbos and symirc alone, the screensaver came and when i moved the cursor, the colors that i redefined on the last sesion where there!!! (symbos loaded the original colors, but the screensaver put my colors  ).

[HAL6128]

I realized the same issue. The Symbos.ini stored the right values but somehow they won't be activated. After booting you go directly to the desktop configuration and click on a slide the colour theme is restored.

[Prodatron]

Thanks for the hints, I will check this later and try to reproduce it in the emulator (unfortunately without real hardware until thursday).

[opticpow]

Thanks @Prodatron , I eventually got it working. I was having issues as I was copying the files using CPCdiskXP, the amsdos header was causing me problems. Now to get one of the m4 wireless boards from @Duke so I can talk to the interwebs.

Wayne.

[Takis Kalatzis]

Hi Wayne,

please copy the directory structure of the new package to your root and then move the files from /#IDE/ into your root (overwrite the existing SYM*.* files).
Now you can start the IDE version (X-MASS, SYMBiFACE II etc.) with RUN"SYM inside the root.
Currently I don't remember exactly if the DOM of the X-MASS is formatted with or without an MBR. If it doesn't find the partition after booting, please rename the SYMBOS1.INI into the SYMBOS.INI.

I will copy some parts of the #readme.txt here again, which may be relevant for you:

Question : How do you copy CP.EXE to floppy? Do you mean a 3.5 floppy disk?

[Prodatron]

Question : How do you copy CP.EXE to floppy? Do you mean a 3.5 floppy disk?

Are you able to transfer DSK files to real floppy discs? Or do you own an HxC? You can use WinApe to transfer single files to a DSK (-> change disc -> edit).

[Prodatron]

The SymbOS homepage got a little update during the last days.

Beside some little tweaks regarding the design I added a new application area, which is now generated through a new database:
http://www.symbos.org/apps.htm
This makes it much easier to administrate all existing applications and update them including the download packages, which always have the pure files as well as the disc images for Amstrad (CPC+PCW) and FAT (MSX,Enterprise) machines.
With a total amount of 42 we have the answer to the ultimate question of life now 
The "history" section has been updated as well, there are still some missing parts.

[Edoz(MSX)]

Cool to see so many applications! Lets grow it upcoming time :-)

[Takis Kalatzis]

Are you able to transfer DSK files to real floppy discs? Or do you own an HxC? You can use WinApe to transfer single files to a DSK (-> change disc -> edit).

I finally managed to transfer CP.EXE to a floppy, started SymbOS from M4 Board SD and executed CP.EXE from floppy.
I am a bit confused about what I should do next. I mean, how I will be able to see and execute other SymbOS applications.
a) Should I also copy them to Floppy disk?
b) Is there a way to setup M4 board's SD disk as an External Storage? If yes, what are the correct parameters for this?
c) SymbOS has A drive as boot default. So, Symcommander for example tries to run from 3' floppy and fails. Can the boot default be changed to SD card where SymbOS is installed?


Sorry for the questions, but it's the first time I'm trying to use SymbOS.

[anyf33]

I finally managed to transfer CP.EXE to a floppy, started SymbOS from M4 Board SD and executed CP.EXE from floppy.
I am a bit confused about what I should do next. I mean, how I will be able to see and execute other SymbOS applications.
a) Should I also copy them to Floppy disk?
b) Is there a way to setup M4 board's SD disk as an External Storage? If yes, what are the correct parameters for this?
c) SymbOS has A drive as boot default. So, Symcommander for example tries to run from 3' floppy and fails. Can the boot default be changed to SD card where SymbOS is installed?


Sorry for the questions, but it's the first time I'm trying to use SymbOS.

Now you must go to control panel and tell symbOS that you have m4 board!!! i like my english  . or to speak right> you must configure in storage m4 board. thats why symbos searching in drive A!!!. @podatron give the  1.ini that configure the m4 board properly. but it have desktop background which it take a serius 16k of memory!!!.
HINT-> also remove screensave.this give you extra 10k!! and the you can run mostly all aplications in 128k.

[Prodatron]

I just made a package for 128K CPCs, which have the M4Board but no memory expansion:

http://www.symbos.org/download/preview-cpc128k-m4sdcard.zip

The M4Board SD card is already configured, and the system drive is set to drive C: which is the SD card.
If it doesn't find your SD card, please rename SYMBOS1.INI into SYMBOS.INI (overwrite it; it's the version for SD cards with MBR).
You should be able to start all apps from the desktop icons or startmenu.

As mentioned before 128K is quite limited for SymbOS, but at least something like this is still possible:
[attach=2]
Running 4 applications at the same time...
[attach=3]
Pac-Man and the task manager can still be started at once:
[attach=4]

I am still recommending you the X-MEM from TotO, if you want to have the full fun with multitasking and networking on your CPC

[Jungsi]

Thanks for this great software. Have it now running on the X-Mass. Next test will be the M$ board. :-)


One question:
Is there a chance that the great CPC RTC board gets supported by SymbOS in the future - would be great
not to have set date/time every time I start SymbOS :-)

[remax]

Thanks for this great software. Have it now running on the X-Mass. Next test will be the M$ board. :-)


One question:
Is there a chance that the great CPC RTC board gets supported by SymbOS in the future - would be great
not to have set date/time every time I start SymbOS :-)

It is...

[Jungsi]

It is...

Hmm....then I'am doing something wrong ;-)
CPC RTC is active and SymbOS is starting with time set to 00:00

[remax]

What version of SymbOS do you use ?

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

[Jungsi]

What version of SymbOS do you use ?

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

Preview 3.0

[remax]

Me too... Probably a configuration problem...

Envoyé de mon Nexus 5 en utilisant Tapatalk

[Prodatron]

@Jungsi , your RTC jumpers are set to "internal" and you are using the last preview version from this thread?
I just tested it again (now my Mother4X is fully equiped with Albireo + M4Board + X-MEM + DobbertinRTC) and here it still works fine.
@Others, maybe there could be a conflict with the ROMs of the X-MEM or the M4?

[Prodatron]

I am totally amazed right now.
It was the first time I connected FOUR different hardware expansions from FOUR different creators to my CPC at the same time!
[attach=2]
- M4Board by Duke
- X-MEM by TotO
- Albireo by PulkoMandy
- Dobbertin RTC by DXS
...all attached to the Mother4X by TotO.
All this hardware was created only during the last 2,x years, and this is really fantastic what you guys achieved!

It's really cool, that TotO was starting this new CPC hardware hype in 2014, DXS did his great RTC clone, while PulkoMandy created the first hardware with USB master and SD card reader, and then suddenly Duke came up with the revolutionary network + more hardware for the CPC.

Due to Jungsis issues I was testing it all in SymbOS today again. It was working fine, and so I realized, how you can use all this additional hardware at the same time on the CPC in SymbOS:
- M4Board SD-Card reader with a FAT32 32GB card + Wifi with full internet access
- X-MEM -> 576KB total ram
- Albireo with a real USB mouse including the wheel
- Dobbertin RTC clone with the actual time and date

Rhino likes to talk about the "true potential" of the Amstrad and I think this is a good way to use it as well