PlusD: upgrading G+DOS, and patching Beta DOS
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2024 12:36 pm
I contributed a few changes to ZXDB to help any PlusD users who want to apply Miles Kinloch's patches for Beta DOS. (If you're not already using Beta DOS, I'd recommend it).
The betafix program is now available as a standalone disk, and the instructions have been extracted to a plaintext file.
I've also submitted similar changes to the ZXDB entry for Miles’ earlier Bugfixes program. You don't need to use both patchers (Betafix 2 contains everything) but it includes a useful program that demonstrates the bugs (and shows the patches working if you apply them). The filenames aren't clear* but there is "BUGTEST", "BETAFIX" and "GDOSFIX" on separate tape images if you need them.
ZXDB already has a ready-made Beta DOS disk image (which has been patched, although I'm not sure how it was derived) but it's configured for a single drive so it might not be what you need. I prefer to start from a fresh copy of G+DOS 2a from the System Tape, run the configuration tool (to set up specific drive parameters and printer options), then convert it to Beta DOS 1.3 using Beta DOS Maker ("BDM"), and finally patch the resulting system file with Betafix 2. (…and then save a working copy of that somewhere safe…)
Hat-tip to Simon N Goodwin for mentioning these patches elsewhere, and kudos to the mighty minds of Bruce, Andy and Miles!
* I've gone back and submitted "notes" on the files to tell them apart.
The betafix program is now available as a standalone disk, and the instructions have been extracted to a plaintext file.
I've also submitted similar changes to the ZXDB entry for Miles’ earlier Bugfixes program. You don't need to use both patchers (Betafix 2 contains everything) but it includes a useful program that demonstrates the bugs (and shows the patches working if you apply them). The filenames aren't clear* but there is "BUGTEST", "BETAFIX" and "GDOSFIX" on separate tape images if you need them.
ZXDB already has a ready-made Beta DOS disk image (which has been patched, although I'm not sure how it was derived) but it's configured for a single drive so it might not be what you need. I prefer to start from a fresh copy of G+DOS 2a from the System Tape, run the configuration tool (to set up specific drive parameters and printer options), then convert it to Beta DOS 1.3 using Beta DOS Maker ("BDM"), and finally patch the resulting system file with Betafix 2. (…and then save a working copy of that somewhere safe…)
Hat-tip to Simon N Goodwin for mentioning these patches elsewhere, and kudos to the mighty minds of Bruce, Andy and Miles!
* I've gone back and submitted "notes" on the files to tell them apart.