MagiC ROM for DFB1

[Badwolf]

With not much time to work on hardware recently, I've been dabbling with a bit of software hackery in my lunchtimes.

Probably my favourite OS back in the day was MagiC. It was multitasking, it was fast, it was light. It was also recently (well, 6 years ago -- recently in the grand scheme of things) open-sourced and Thorsten has put a lot of effort into making sure it's complete and buildable.

So let's build a ROM version for DFB1!

https://github.com/dh219/MagicMac/tree/romwork

First things first, the ROM conversion tools don't really work for the Falcon and the direct ROM build doesn't boot properly from cold (although it will boot up if you boot into TOS with flash disabled, enable the jumper and then wam reset), so I need to do some proper hardware initialisation.

This isn't quite compete yet, but it'll now boot from cold (warm still needs work) and load its drivers and wotnot from drive c: if you've installed them in c:\gemsys.

But wait. We should be able to do better. MagiC fits into 256k to parallel TOS2.06, but it leaves a lot on the disc as the full OS is bigger than TOS2.06. In DFB1 (and the Falcon natively) we have 512k ROM. So can we get a minimal system to boot to desktop using that upper bank of ROM? You bet we can.

So the attached image will boot from drive C if you have MagiC installed properly but it also has a 256k ROM Disc (drive M) which it will boot from if not.

It doesn't have everything for a fully functional MagxDesk, but it has screen drivers, offscreen drivers and core MagxDesk functionality (even the command prompt) and it'll give you that quick-on-need-to-set-something-up-or-rename-something-when-you-need-it boot from ROM that we've come to expect with TOS.

Still early days, but if you've a DFB1 (or a stock Falcon and a rewritable 27C4096 EPROM), then do give it a go and let me know how you get on.

magic_rom_falcon_20240304.zip

I reckon it looks pretty reasonable and doesn't perform too shabbily either.

IMG_7579.jpeg

IMG_7580.jpeg

Cheers,

BW

[exxos]

:bravo:

But I really wouldn't use GB 7.01. Just about everything is broken in that version.

[atari030]

Nicely done. Never thought there would ever be a need for a Falcon ROM switcher. :-)

[Badwolf]

:bravo:

But I really wouldn't use GB 7.01. Just about everything is broken in that version.

Ah, was the latest version on my hard disc. Probably explains the palette! :D

BW

[Badwolf]

I've been asked off-thread "Why would you do this? Just install it to hard disc."

Fair question. So here's why:-


With every OS you install on the ST range there always comes a time when you need to change a configuration or edit a file or do something quickly. And you end up at the plain GEM desktop doing it. I don't like that.

With machines that have no built in desktop like the Amiga or Mac it's a given you boot from disc to do some file editing, but for things like the ST and the Archie, you always end up back at the ROM desktop sooner or later.

I suspect the majority of most people's desktop time is with whatever's in the ROM.

I'd like my 'lowest common denominator' to be better.

EmuTOS is great but, by philosophy, they eschew the things I value -- multitasking and bult-in tools.

So I thought I'd try making Magic my default OS.

If the recently open-sourced Geneva gets around to being buildable, I may try with that in the future too. Or forking EmuTOS to add what I like but whist providing a ROM disc for utilities is simple enough now I suspect I don't know enough yet to implement co-op multitasking on ET.

Cheers,

BW

[af0l]

Good job!

I love the MagiC OS, too. I’m on CT60 and a stock Falcon though, so can’t fully test, but I’ll try it out one of these months 😁

[Steve]

I wish someone with the skill & enthusiasm would fork Emutos and create Multi-Emutos. To create the ultimate standard TOS.