February 14, 1996
(Happy Valentines Day - with LOVE to ALL!)

From:
Charles T. Turley, Ph.D.
Exec. Coordinator - 1WSW-CA
URL: http://web.wco.com/~3d5d1wsw/1WSW.CA.Home.Page.html
Editor - GS WorldView Ezine
URL: http://web.wco.com/~3d5d1wsw/gsezine
emails; gbmaidsf@wco.com  (or)  owsw@aol.com
Voice: (415) 468-1609 
Snail Mail: 115 Santa Clara St.
                  Brisbane, CA 94005
                  USA

About: BHFTA.SDK (This is a Shrinkit GS disk archive)
Status: public domain

Here's the original disk of Blue Helmet GS, exactly as I received it back in 1992 from the author Olivier Goguel.  It's contents are all public domain!

The reason I'm uploading it again, is simply because I've read from many people that the existing Blue Helmet GS archive file is corrupted and gives a boot error, when unpacked as a 3.5" disk and booted!   I've downloaded the
existing Blue Helmet GS archive and found that it (indeed) does have a boot error and crashes, when you attempt to boot it.

This disk archive, I'm presenting is not corrupt and can be booted, when unpacked as a 3.5" disk, using your 3.5 disk drive with your IIGS.  It has been tested and been foun to boot properly from either ; ROM 01 or 03 IIGS', with or without; Zip or TransWarp accelerator cards.

The Blue Helmet GS disk is a special 'NO TOOLS - self-booting, self-loader'
non-ProDOS disk format and design.   DO NOT ATTEMPT TO WRITE TO THE DISK!  If you do you will corrupt the disk and it will present a boot error, when re-booted again.

You can not successfully launch the disk or any of the programs on the disk from; ProDOS 8, ProDOS 16 or GS/OS.   The programs on the disk and the files can not be installed and then launched from any storage device, as they are currently on this disk.  Don't waste your time trying as it won't work!

You will find the disk has no ProDOS 8 or any system files on it.  No Basic.system, etc.  It's a NO-TOOLS - SELF BOOTING DISK!   All src. codes (Merlin) are included on the disk (comments in French), for all programs;
Blue Helmet GS game, CrackPoty Boot, Paint and Font Editor.  None of these programs are complete.  Some even have minor basic errors, that prevent their functionality.   These errors can be corrected to allow the programs to function, as intended, with little effort and skill.

The Blue Helmet GS game is fully functional.  But, it appears to not have any save level game or score options.  Thus the game is incomplete, but playable.

I'm attempting to arrange for the release of the Merlin PRO program and utilities, as either; freeware or public domain, with all of its src. codes included.   Hopefully this will be available soon!

I think it would be a nice gesture and a fitting tribute to the memory of the FTA and all the effort, time and energy they put into this disk, its programs (unfinished as they are), the routines, etc. if somebody would finish the Blue Helmet GS game and repair the minor errors with the other included (however incompleted) programs and release them, with the updates and/or upgrades and src. codes for such.   It should certainly be possible for some
of you that have the desire, time, skills and motivational incentives to rewrite these programs on this disk as GS/OS desktop applications, that are functional with the GS/OS v6.0.1 release.  What do you say!   Does anybody want to give it a try?

Enjoy the Contents & please do something with it to improve its program contents, for the use and enjoyment of all the other devoted IIGS users!

Charles Turley