About RunPro, RunDos, and BootDos


    This is a beta release of a set of programs I have been working on
to allow people to run 8-bit applications from GS/OS without having to
leave GS/OS.

    RunPro allows ProDOS 8 system files to be run without switching to
ProDOS eight.  There are two versions of RunPro in this archive.

    The file called "runpro" is meant to be run under a shell like Orca or
GNO.  It has been tested with Orca 1.3 and GNO 1.0.  I invite feedback about
its operation (or failure) under other versions.  The syntax is simply:

                        runpro [system_file_name]

The current version does no file type checking, so be careful.  It will try
to run anything.

    The file called "runprom" is meant to be called by the Finder.  Put the
icon file "runpro.icons" into your icon directory and the file "runprom" in
your system directory.  You will then be able to run ProDOS 8 system programs
from the finder without the system switching to ProDOS 8.  However, because
ProDOS 8 system files are handled differently than most file types by the
Finder, ProDOS 8 system files must be changed to SOS files for this to work.
I'm trying to think of a way around this problem.

    Both "runpro" and "runprom" offer full emulation of ProDOS 8.  However,
in this beta version, the ability to write to disk is disabled.

    Warning!  Do not run ProDOS 8 programs that directly access the disk
hardware under "runpro" or "runprom."  This can have DISASTEROUS results!

    The file called "rundos" will run DOS 3.3 binary files.  DOS 3.3 is not
emulated.  The syntax is:

                        rundos [dos_binary_file_name]

    The file called "rundosm" will run DOS 3.3 binary files from the Finder.
The file "rundosm" must be in your system folder and the "runpro.icons" file
must be in your icons folder.  DOS 3.3 is not emulated.

    The file called "bootdos" will boot a DOS 3.3 disk image and emulate the
normal operation of DOS 3.3.  In this beta version, although it is possible
to modify the disk image in memory, it will not be written back to disk.
The syntax is:

                        bootdos [dos_disk_image_file_name]

Disk images can be generated by either the enclosed "makedisk" program or with
similar utilites, like that included with the DOS 3.3 launcher written by
somebody else.  The filetype of the disk image should be $09 (Apple III Basic
program).  However, "bootdos" will also run files of type $F1.

    The file called "bootdosm" will boot a DOS 3.3 disk image and emulate the
normal operation of DOS 3.3 from the Finder.  In this beta version, although
it is possible to modify the disk image in memory, it will not be written back
to disk.  The file "bootdosm" must be in your system folder and the
"runpro.icons" file must be in your icons folder.

    None of the programs which run DOS 3.3 programs will allow you to exit
back to the calling program.  I do have routines to let you exit via a key
combination, but they are disabled.  You must use control-apple-reset.
However, under ProDOS 8 emulation, the normal ProDOS 8 quit command will work.

    All the enclosed programs require the presence in the system folder of a
file called "p816".  This file is an image of ProDOS 8 as it appears in memory.
It also includes information on the default location (in ROM, mostly) of
certain interupt routines.  Most of the information is pertinent only to
"runpro" and "runprom", but the file is used by all programs.

    To generate the "p816" file, you must run the enclosed ProDOS 8 system
file called "makep816".  Run it normally, not with "runpro".  This program will
generate the "p816" file in the directory in which it is run.  The "p816" file
must be moved to the system directory.

    Since this is a beta version, I would appreciate it if people would send
me feedback and bug reports.  I'm especially curious about the program's
performance on ROM 03 machines or machines with non-standard hardware.

    My e-mail address is:  wogg0743@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu.



Thank you,


Bill Gulstad
(Shakespeare)