Subject: Re: "To manually boot a disk..."
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From: Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>
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Date: Fri, 06 Oct 2000 09:26:44 -0500
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Theusch Family writes ...
> 
> Hiya kids.
> 
> I am attempting to make a sort of "network drive" for an Apple IIe.
> It involves using a serial null-modem connection to simulate the
> actions of what the RWTS IOB does with disks, except it retrievs disk
> info from a pc running "server" software.  I was hoping to be able to
> "boot" a "file server" "disk", therefore completely eliminating the
> need for a disk drive, except for my network booter program.
> 
> <snippet>
> 012- What does it mean to "Boot" a disk?
> 
>      BOOT comes from the idea of 'pulling yourself up by your
> bootstraps'.  The Apple II disk controller ROM has just enough smarts
> to load-in DOS's Bootstrap Loader from Track 0, Sector 0 (it comes in
> at address $800 ...).
> 
>      The Loader loads in a still smarter, bigger routine from several
> sectors of Track 0. This routine is the one which loads in the rest of
> DOS, moves it to the proper place in memory, and ends up going to
> DOS's Cold Start routine. Finally, the hello program is loaded and
> executed.
> </snippet>
> 
> What exactly would I have to read and execute from a DOS 3.3 disk
> (ProDos disk, any disk?) to start up the "Bootstrap Loader"?
> Eventually I would have to modify everything to be redirected through
> the null-modem ( !! ) but that is a different task.  If somebody could
> just explain the booting process in hazy detail, I will be satisfied
> for awhile.
> 
> Would I just sorta read in Track 0, sector 0, to address $800, and JMP
> to that?
> 
 ....

     Actually, you may not need to worry about getting into DOS 3.3. What you probably
want is a program which can tell the PC to do things (like send directory lists, send
files, etc.).

     One approach is to have the PC act like a BBS and use an Apple II terminal program to
talk to the BBS. This should let you peruse file lists on the PC and upload/download
files.



Rubywand