Please read this before you boot SymbOS Release 2.1 the first time!
Booting SymbOS on the CPC
Because of the huge size it is necessary to place the operating system and the full application and game packages on sepparated discs.
If you boot SymbOS from ROM (type |SYM) you just have to insert the application disc and copy your screensaver, the SymbOS extensions module ("SYMEXTEN.EXE") and your background picture on this disc.
If you boot SymbOS from disc (type RUN"SYM" or RUN"SYM1MB"), you first need to insert the OS disc, boot SymbOS, remove the OS disc and insert the application disc. Then you can start to work with SymbOS. Of course this is not necessary if you place the applications on a second disc drive or a hard disc / CF card.
If you modify the system configuration and want to save the changes, you always need to insert the OS disc again. You also may need to copy your desktop background picture, the SymbOS extensions module and the screen saver on the OS disc, as SymbOS requires these files during the booting process.
For more information how to install and use SymbOS please download and read the user manual.
Booting SymbOS on the MSX
You can install and boot SymbOS in MSX-DOS 1.x or 2.x. If you have an external memory mapper you should use MSX-DOS 2, so that the additional memory is preselected.
You have to install SymbOS first with the setup utility. For more information please read the #README.TXT in the MSX package.
Booting SymbOS on the PCW (Joyce)
This is quite simple and similiar to the disc version of SymbOS CPC, so you should check the information there, too.
You have to boot SymbOS from CP/M by typing "SYMBOS". If you don't want to change the actual configuration, you can insert the application disc and continue.
Please note, that SymbOS doesn't support the 720KB CP/M format of the PCW, but if you connected a 3,5" drive as B you should be able to access FAT12 discs (MS-DOS).
Important information for CPCs and MSXs with ONLY 128K ram!
Please note, that on a 128K system there is only about 33KB (CPC)/44KB (MSX) memory available for applications, as the operating system
already requires about 79K (+16K video ram). 33KB/44KB is enough to run most existing application, but you will need to deactivate the desktop
background graphic, the screen saver and the SymbOS extensions, as these require additional memory and would shrink the free memory down a lot.
The MSX setup utility will automatically not install the background graphic and additional modules.
CPC users have to delete the SYMBOS.INI file on the disc when booting the first time. SymbOS will then start with a minimum configuration.
Please note, that in any case you will have much more fun with SymbOS, if your computer has a memory expansion. Just 64KB additional
memory has a great effect, and a full expanded 576KB or 1024MB system feels like having unlimited memory space!
Some existing applications and more complex ones, which will be released in the future, may require more than 128KB as the minimum.
Bug reporting - PLEASE HELP!
Please report all recognized bugs directly to me
First check the "known bugs" section below
If the bug you found is not mentioned there, please report it to me via email
My email is PRODATRON [at] PRODATRON [dot] NET
Very important: if possible please describe how to reproduce the bug
I will be happy about every bug report, so please help me and contribute to the SymbOS project!
Known bugs:
Currently SymbOS doesn't support 3,5" drives without ready-signal (on the CPC).
The scrolling of the window content doesn't work correctly, when a part of the window is outside the visible area.
Playing Soundtrakker 128 modules on a MSX TurboR with SymAmp does not always work.
The AMX mouse support doesn't work on a real Amstrad PCW but only in the "Joyce" emulator.
The Graphics 9000 version for the MSX may display some chars below the task bar in resolutions with 240 pixels vertical.
The Sunrise IDE is not autodetected, if Nextor is installed. You will have to add the IDE driver manually.
Known problems:
Writing files on a FAT device starts to become more and more slow, as bigger the file is.
Left/right scrolling on a MSX is not optimized.
There are several missing mass storage device drivers for the MSX. Especially the Padial SD interface is not supported yet.
