Table of Contents

OS-9, NITROS-9, AND EOU

There are five main editions (or distributions) of OS-9 for the 6×09 microprocessor, Color Computer, and compatibles:

1. Microware OS-9 Level I (1979 - 1985)
https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Disks/Operating Systems/

2. Microware OS-9 Level II (1985 - 1987)
https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Disks/Operating Systems/

3. Microware OS-9 Level III (1988 - 1995)
https://colorcomputerarchive.com/repo/Disks/Operating Systems/

4. Community-developed NitrOS-9 (1994 - now)
https://github.com/nitros9project/nitros9/

5. Community-developed NitrOS-9 Ease of Use (EOU) Edition (2017 - now)
http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/nitros9.html

HARDWARE

OS-9 Level I supports the following hardware:

SOFTWARE

OS-9 Level I came packaged as 2 x 5.25” Single-Sided Double-Density floppy diskettes.

V01.00.00: OS9L1V1B.DSK OS9L1V1M.DSK

The OS-9 package includes several different software systems together:

BOOT DISKETTE

See also “Getting Started with OS-9” chapter 3 “Starting up OS-9” pp.7-9

BOOT TRACK

The second floppy or “System Master” diskette is formatted with a customized OS-9 RBF file system with a Disk Extended Color BASIC 1.1-compatible boot on sectors 1-15 of track 34.

The boot track includes the following code, data, and modules:

OS9BOOT

Once the kernel initializes, it reads the RBF file system on disk to locate the OS9Boot file, load it into memory, and initialize all of the modules within.

The following modules are in the /D0/OS9Boot file:

Enable Lowercase

OS-9 Level 1 V02.00.00 supports true lowercase if run on a Color Computer 2 with the MC6847T1 Video Display Generator.

The easiest way to tell without cracking open the case:
Simply type a zero.
If it looks like a square, then the Color Computer has an MC6847.
If it looks like a zero with a slash through it, then the Color Computer has an MC6847T1.

Before we begin … you did make a backup of your OS-9 System Master diskette, right? Right? RIGHT?

To configure OS-9 Level 1 V02.00.00 for true lowercase:

Boot into OS-9 from your backup System Master diskette with the DOS command from Disk Extended Color BASIC.

After the sign-on banner, enter the date and time at the Setime prompt as usual.

At the Shell prompt enable true lower case in the /TERM device descriptor:

OS-9: XMODE /TERM -UPC PAUSE TYPE=1
OS-9: COBBLER /D0

Once Cobbler finishes re-writing the boot track, press RESET once to reboot OS-9.

The prompts should now display using the MC6847T1 upper and lower case characters.

CMDS

With OS-9 up and running there is typically a startup file to run the Setime command and then the Shell itself presents its OS9: prompt for you to run OS-9 commands

The following commands are in /D0/CMDS/ directory:

See also: the “OS-9 Commands” manual.

ACCOUNTS

OS-9 is a multi-user / multi-programming / multi-tasking system.

Account information is kept in /SYS/password in the following format:

Example Password file:

,,0,128,/D0/CMDS,.,SHELL
USER1,,1,128,.,.,SHELL
USER2,,2,128,.,.,SHELL
USER3,,3,128,.,.,SHELL
USER4,,4,128,.,.,SHELL

See also:

BACKUPS

The floppy disk formatting used by Disk Extended Color BASIC and OS-9 are not the same.

Disk Extended BASIC provides a DSKINI and BACKUP to backup DECB-formatted floppies such as the OS9 Level I Boot disk.

OS-9 contains a FORMAT and BACKUP command to backup OS-9 formatted floppies such as the OS-9 Level I System Master disk.

See also: “Getting Started with OS-9” manual, chapter 4 “Formatting Disks and Making Backups” pp.11-16

MONITORING

The Free command allows you to monitor the free space of each disk.

The Mfree command allows you to monitor the free space in RAM.

The Procs command allows you to see the running processes / programs on the system.

SECURITY

The attr command allows you to see and modify (if you are the appropriate user) the security permissions of the OS-9 files and directories.

The permissions shown, in order, are:

A - (dash) in any position means that permission has not been granted.

Owners are described in the Login command.

The Verify command allows you to check the integrity of OS-9 modules.

TROUBLESHOOTING

The Boot Sequence details steps to bring up the OS-9 Level 1 system from Disk Extended Color BASIC after power-up.

The Printerr module command links in additional information and description for the OS-9 numeric error codes.

DOCUMENTATION

OS-9 Level I shipped with 4 well-written introduction and reference manuals:

Dale Puckett and Peter Dibble wrote The Rainbow Guide to OS-9 which shares everything you need to know to get well started as an OS-9 user and developer.

The Rainbow Magazine, and several OS-9 specific newsletters provide many more tools and tricks for OS-9.

NITROS-9 EASE OF USE

HELPING USERS

The Tandy / Radio Shack Color Computer Discord hosts the Operating Systems channel category, including the #os-9 channel where you can ask questions and talk about the OS-9 operating system.

SEE ALSO

Favorite OS9 Utilities - DaBarnStudio
RBF File System: OSADL - Open Source Automation Development Lab eG
The Structure of I-Code - CoCopedia - The Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer Wiki
TRS-80 Color Computer Archive
Virtual Hard Drive.txt

RTS

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