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Changelist 18715:













Currently makes a number of broad assumptions about timing, so depending on the scene it'll be reasonably centered vertically, or it might scroll uncontrollably as if there's bad vsync.

How to create and set up a hard disk image for the Geneve driver (MESS)

Special thanks goes to mizapf for helping me to understand the procedure.
Vielen Dank, Michael!

You need:
chdman
editor_assembler.rpk (cartridge)
setup.dsk (Myarc Disk Manager 5 V1.50)

1.) Create a hard disk image
chdman createhd --output blank20mb.chd --chs 615,4,32 -ss 256

2.) Format the hard disk
We'll use the Myarc Disk Manager (setup.dsk) which runs on the ti99_4ae driver.

Start the MESS/ti99_4ae driver with the mounted devices
Command line:
mess ti99_4ae -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -peb:slot8 hfdc -hard1 blank20mb.chd -flop1 setup.dsk -cart editor_assembler.rpk

Enter Editor/Assembler, menu option 5 (RUN PROGRAM FILE), enter DSK1.MDM5

Press (E)xit, the time should be correct
Press (U)tility
Press (F)ormat
Press (H)ard, enter number 1

Wait a second while the hard disk is probed.
Provide a volume name, like HARDDISK (max 10 chars).

Geometry: (recall what you used in chdman)
32 sectors
4 heads
615 cylinders
Reserved: 2048, keep that
Write precomp: 464, keep that
Reduced write curr: 464, keep that
Retry: 8, keep that
Interlace: 3, keep that
Step: 1, keep that
Enter the "operational code": FORMAT

Wait until all cylinders are formatted (615)
There should be no error, anything else is a bug to be reported.

Leave MDM5: (E)xit, (Q)uit, (Y)es

Exit the TI-99/4A emulation.



3.) Start the MESS/geneve driver with the mounted devices
Command line:
mess geneve -keymap -keymap_file keymaps/km_de_LINUX.map -peb:slot8 hfdc -flop1 setup.dsk -hard1 blank20mb.chd

The Geneve should boot (takes about 20 seconds).

A blue welcome screen appears with a message. Follow the instructions.

Restart the Geneve when done. You can now unmount the floppy disk image.

MESS SVN r18677
geneve driver
Fractals! (programmed by Michael Zapf)



The TIImageTool (with CHD format version 5 support) is very helpful to edit disk images.

SVN revision 18778:

Awesome stuff!

@Anna: Thanks for posting the setup procedure here.

Some notes: The setup disk has been composed by me, so this is nothing you will find out there. You may get the required programs from the known sources (whtech).

As a high-level recipe the setup process is as follows:

- Create a hard disk using chdman
- Format the hard disk using Myarc Disk Manager V on the TI-99/4A
- Boot the Geneve using a floppy disk with the files SYSTEM/SYS and LOAD/SYS on it
- Copy the SYSTEM/SYS into the hard disk's root directory
- Create a directory named DSK1 in the HD's root directory and copy the LOAD/SYS file into it
- If you want a TI-99 simulation on the Geneve, copy the GPL interpreter on your HD (multi-file program, usually named GPL, GPM, GPN, ...)
- Create a suitable AUTOEXEC on your HD

I will collect all those hints on my Ninerpedia wiki.

These kinds of tutorials would be a perfect content of a MESS wiki ... if anybody cared. Why don't we just make use of it again?

Michael

For these steps, the TIImageTool can be useful too.

We're waiting for the plugins to be reinstalled to make the MESS wiki useful again (ie, to make the drivers page work again), but apparently there's some problem with doing that.

Beyond that, my understanding is that TI pretty much has disclaimed caring about the TI99 and ROMs and stuff. Assuming that's correct-ish, maybe you could just post formatted bootable CHD images?

Most of the stuff is reinstalled, but I don't think we should use the same system like in the old wiki. It was always outdated and difficult to use.

If you have a newer better system I'd love to hear about it