5.2

RAM DISK EMULATION

Preparing The Program

The RAM disk program is on the Utilities side of your MultiRam disk. You will need to save this program to another disk as it cannot be used directly from the Utilities disk. The Utilities disk uses the ProDOS operating system. Programs stored on a ProDOS disk cannot be directly transferred to a DOS disk. You will need to use the Convert program, also found on the Utilities disk, to transfer the RAM disk program for you.

Before you start, please initialize a blank disk with your DOS 3.3 System Master disk. You will transfer the RAM drive program to this disk. You may want to use this disk for an auto—boot disk as discussed later in this chapter. A DOS formatted disk with files already on it say also be used if at least 10 sectors remain on the disk. Place the DOS formatted disk in drive 2.

Boot the Utilities disk (the back of the MultiRam disk). Choose the MULTIDRIVE.DOS from the menu. Follow the on—screen instructions and press the appropriate key to run the Convert program which will convert the ProDOS based binary file into a DOS based file.

The Convert screen should show “DIRECTION: PRODOS —----> DOS 3.3 S6,D2” at the top of the screen. Press “R” to reverse direction if it does not. If you are not using an external drive, press “C" to change to drive 1.

Press “T” to transfer the file. Use the right arrow key to copy over the prefix than enter “MULTIDRIVE.DOS” and press the Return key. After the disk drives stop, your DOS RAIl disk will be ready for use.

You may place your DOS disk with the “MULTIDRIVE.DOS” program on it in drive 1 and press Control+[Open—Apple]+Reset to boot the disk.

To rerun the Utilities menu. leave the Utilities disk in drive 1. Press “Escape” to return to the Convert main menu. Press “Q” to quit the Convert program. Press the “Return” key at the “LOAD WHAT SYSTEM PROGRAM?” prompt.

Installation

Install DOS 3.3 by booting your DOS SYSTEM MASTER diskette, or any other DOS 3.3 disk that leaves you with an Applesoft prompt. “I”. on the screen The DOS RAM disk can be installed now in slot 3 from the keyboard by typing “BRUN

MULTIDRIVE.DOS.’

To install the RAM disk from within an Applesoft program, enter this line: PRINT CHR$(4)”BRUN MULTIDRIVE.DOS.” The RAM disk program should be on the same disk as the Applesoft program using this line. When the program is run, a message appears telling you the number and size of RAM disk drives initialized.

Transferring Files

Files must be copied to and from the RAM disk using a file copier. FID. found on the DOS 3.3 System Master, is easily used for this purpose. A disk copy program, such as COPYA, will not work. If you use a file copier other than FID, it must be able to copy files to and from disks that have more than 35 tracks.