UniDOS, the new multi-device AMSDOS replacement

[zhulien]

I think UniDOS has the best compatibility potential with all my hardware without plugging/unplugging all the time.   If a game doesn't work on it, the game can be patched or... perhaps i don't play it, or use another CPC or emulator. 

[GUNHED]

Exactly, to omit unplugging/replugging is a big gain!

[OffseT]

A minor update of UniDOS main ROM is available from https://unidos.cpcscene.net


More to follow soon. 

[OffseT]

A very first version on the DOS node for the M4 Board is now available.

It does not have all the planned features yet, but it is fully fonctionnal and let you use the M4 Board integrated with any other card supported by UniDOS while ensuring AMSDOS compatibility.

Big thanks to Chany who provided me with his M4 Board.

Main features are:

   
• M4: drive to access MicroSD card (read/write).
• DSK: drive to access DSK files contents (read-only).
• Snapshots handling.
• CPR handling.
• DSK, CPR and SNA library.
• ROMs configuration.
• Network configuration.

Please refer to UniDOS website for installation and usage instructions.


-> https://unidos.cpcscene.net <-

[Targhan]

Excellent news! I will test this on my return from holidays. Well done and thanks for your work!!

[GUNHED]

Hello UniDOS team. Well, I don't know who to ask in particular, so I ask here...

As I heart, the UniDOS does use (without the Albireo) the Nova card for storage of some data. Can you please tell me in which way? Is some kind of directory structure used?

The reason I ask, is to eventually have something (data structure, code, etc.) which is compatible with every application we use/create.

[OffseT]

UniDOS itself does not rely on Nova card, it is totally independent from any additional hardware.


Only Nova and FatFs DOS nodes are making use of the Nova card.
Both are only using the last 8K memory page of the Nova card (the one which embeds clock registers).


Further UniDOS nodes that might make use of the Nova card will also only use this last 8K page.


It means that all other memory pages are available for non-UniDOS related applications.
A nv-ram library is still on the todolist so that several applications could use it at the same time.
Anyway, it is not a priority for now since I have so many other things to release before.

[GUNHED]

Only Nova and FatFs DOS nodes are making use of the Nova card.
Both are only using the last 8K memory page of the Nova card (the one which embeds clock registers).

Thanks, so page four of the Nova is completely used for the FAT FS, means we need nvRAM management only for Nova pages 1-3.
Thanks for your information, this helps. 

[OffseT]

UniDOS 1.34 is available.

This is a minor release which is fixing error handling in a very special case which is not reachable with the currently released DOS nodes.

Here is a short video about current nodes status:
http://amsnet.chez.com

Built-in floppies & tape, Albireo (SD+USB), X-Mass (IDE), Nova, and M4 Board (SD+DSK) at the same time.

[roudoudou]

"the publisher has marked video as private"

[OffseT]

"the publisher has marked video as private"

Ok, thx. Moved to another place.

[OffseT]

UniDOS 1.35 was released.

It fixes a few rare but annoying issues.

Get it here: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&u=https://unidos.cpcscene.net

[zhulien]

UniDOS 1.35 was released.

It fixes a few rare but annoying issues.

Get it here: https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=fr&tl=en&u=https://unidos.cpcscene.net

The download links didn't work for me.

[OffseT]

The download links didn't work for me.

Hum... Strange, it is just a Google Translate shortcut.
Get it directly from https://unidos.cpcscene.net/doku.php?id=fr:telechargements if Google don't like you.

[ComSoft6128]

I'd like to buy this on cartridge for a 6128 Plus, can anyone provide one?

[zhulien]

I'd like to buy this on cartridge for a 6128 Plus, can anyone provide one?

Actually would it be possible to make a multi-slot ROM board for this on plus machines just ROM 7 + 33, 34, 35... with inbuilt NovaRAM on a single cart?  (but still compatible with other ROM boards)?

[OffseT]

I'd like to buy this on cartridge for a 6128 Plus, can anyone provide one?

It would need some additional work to make it possible.

Not only because of the physical cartridge creation, but also because UniDOS needs to be put in a cartridge together with DOS nodes, which is not possible currently. That said, it is feasible. At least, a CPR with a special firmware could do the job, but if you want a physical cartridge, you'll still need to find someone to assemble it.

[OffseT]

Actually would it be possible to make a multi-slot ROM board for this on plus machines just ROM 7 + 33, 34, 35... with inbuilt NovaRAM on a single cart?  (but still compatible with other ROM boards)?

Cartridges provide limited ROM paging and do not have write capability. So, some tricks would be required (modified firmware, special read sequences to simulate write into built-in Nova RAM, ...). Not that easy.

[OffseT]

A small update of the FatFs DOS node was released today.
It improves a bit built-in Nova support and fixes some internals to be more system compliant regarding interrupts and ROM management.


Get it there: https://unidos.cpcscene.net/doku.php?id=fr:telechargements

Help is still wanted to provide this FatFs DOS node the love it would need to reach the performance of Albireo and M4 nodes.

[OffseT]

UniDOS web site and its full documentation was translated to English.
It was quite a hard work, but it will be more convinient than using Google translate.
There might still be some typos, let me know and I will fix them.



The web site should auto detect your language when accessing
https://unidos.cpcscene.net


Anyway, you can still select your preferred language from the header bar.

[OffseT]

I'd like to buy this on cartridge for a 6128 Plus, can anyone provide one?

I just made a small tool to create custom Amstrad Plus cartridges with UniDOS installed.

It can also be used to install additional tool ROMs (such as Protext, Utopia, Maxam...).
Most ROMs will work, with the notable exception of Orgams which is doing some direct hardware access (it should be easy to adapt it anyway).
Up to 30 ROMs can be programmed in the cartridge.

It might be useful for users owning a C4CPC with an Albireo (or a X-Mass) but with no ROM board to install UniDOS ROMs.

You can use the application menu to automatically download the latest UniDOS ROMs from the official web site.

Pick it at http://amsnet.chez.com
AmigaOS and MorphOS versions will also pop on Aminet tomorrow.

[ComSoft6128]

  Appreciated


Now can someone make this for me - say for £30 + postage.

[m_dr_m]

So, what is the difference with makecart tool http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/applications/makecart/ from @arnoldemu ?
Asking for a friend.

[m_dr_m]

Most ROMs will work, with the notable exception of Orgams which is doing some direct hardware access (it should be easy to adapt it anyway).

Yep. Hardware access is needed because the debugger works firmware-free (to be able to debug code in e.g. &b000 while remaining fast).
The cross-rom call routines are a bit of a mess: there are several of them with slightly different API adapted to each client's need at the time.
I started to try to factorise that, but it just added yet another way of doing it!

So, a complete clean-up could take this special firmware vs hardware dichotomy into account.
NB: orgams roms are detected at first invocation, and then stored persistently.
So I guess we would just have to store 2 sets of ids instead: firmware and hardware.

If anyone is interested with helping with that, I can give all the necessary pointers!

[OffseT]

So, what is the difference with makecart tool http://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/applications/makecart/ from @arnoldemu ?
Asking for a friend.

I didn't know about this tool before you told me about.

I guess it is quite similar, probably the same kind of firmware patch too.
Maybe the main difference is that UniDOS Cartridge Creator handles more ROMs; it also takes care about Burnin' Rubber when original Plus AMSDOS is chosen... and obviously it has a GUI.