At 06:49 PM 7/10/99 +0200, you wrote:
>> Another option: use UZIX drivers for every hardware device.
>> For example FastCopy also uses drivers to support different types of FDCs.
>
>MAARTEN!!!
>
>Are you really suggesting this?
>If something will result in incompatibility...
No, I haven't gone mad. Not more mad than I was before, anyway...
Usually I'm opposed to program using the FDC directly. But UZIX is an
operating system, not an ordinary program.
UZIX doesn't stick to normal MSX conventions. For example, the lower 32K is
user space, the upper 32K is system space.
For UZIX to use the DiskROM, it will have to stick to some rules:
1. certain data structures for the DiskROM in the system RAM
2. certain routines (slot switching etc) available in page 0
Such rules will make writing a new operating system a lot harder.
By using new device drivers for all hardware, none of the conventions for
memory usage have to be obeyed.
Using drivers also solves the problems of harddisk partitions with sector
numbers larger than 16 bits.
About incompatibility, that can be avoided by making sure there are drivers
for every FDC ever used for MSX. I know only 4 different ones: Philips/SONY
(mem), turbo R (mem), Sanyo Wavy (IO), Brazilian FDCs (IO). Maybe there are
more, but the number is managable.
>Anyways, I think FutureDisk uses direct FDC-access too...
>If that's true then I guess they have already written those drivers.
What makes you think that?
Bye,
Maarten
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