Amiga icon types

[paul1981]

Just had a look on aminet and found this:

http://aminet.net/package/util/wb/seticontype

From the Readme:

">> How to use?
-----------------------

Locate an .info icon file you want to change and from a shell
type:

seticontype T .info

where T is a numeric value representing a type:
    1 - disk or volume
    2 - drawer (folder)
    3 - tool (executable)
    4 - project (data file)
    5 - trashcan
    6 - device
    7 - Kickstart ROM image
    8 - an appicon (from an app)
   
You can just type "seticontype" on the command prompt for a
reference of the possible types."

So my question is this; What is number 7 all about? In all my years of Amiga computing I've never come across a Kickstart ROM image icon before, nor did I know one existed. Is this to do with pre 1.3 days?

[paul1981]

That's a left-over from the very first Amiga, the A1000. The icon type denotes the kickstart disk. If you want to say so, that is a "ROM image", but it is actually a kickstart disk. It is no longer in use, apparently.

Thanks Thomas. I suspected it could be the Kickstart disk. I'm suprised that a Kickstart icon type even exists though. I thought the Kickstart disk would just be a normal disk type, perhaps one with no visible files on but that said "100% Full" so that no files could be accidentally copied onto it.

So when you select "Info" from the Icon menu on Workbench on a Kickstart disk, what does it greet you with?

P.S. So presumably Workbench won't let you format a Kickstart disk...it makes sense now why they created that particular "Kickstart ROM" disk type.

[paul1981]

It's also used for DF0:NDOS or DF0:BAD.

Not sure, but I think a Kickstart disk is not a valid AmigaDOS disk and as thus will show DF0:NDOS (with the WBKICK type icon).

If that's the case then I suppose that means that you CAN format a Kickstart disk, but can't copy one....at least not through the Workbench. That makes sense as the Kickstart was copyright protected software.