help to make OWN "ram:" device

[GreatLor]

I really need to make an OWN ram-device/-disk, because if I'm not mistaking even if I break WB as soon as it starts downloading, it still has download stuff into the mem cos when I do an "avail" I see approximately 800k+, this, when I have 1024K mem, so I figured if I format a disk and just create needed directorys/files ONLY (for a well functioning ram-device and a few dos-commands there should then be ebnough ram left to download an adf-image (about 911k) to write to disk, right ?
However, the other part of the story getting better and better (read 'worse and worse'), last time I had this problem with a adf2disk progg that required OS 2.0+, so I download another one, now this one requires something about 3.9+ (?)  :lol:
now I dont even DARE thinking about more adf-/image-2disk stuff  :-)

This is really redicilous, how the hell should I overcome this  :-x

[Piru]

I really need to make an OWN ram-device/-disk, because if I'm not mistaking even if I break WB as soon as it starts downloading, it still has download stuff into the mem cos when I do an "avail" I see approximately 800k+, this, when I have 1024K mem, so I figured if I format a disk and just create needed directorys/files ONLY (for a well functioning ram-device and a few dos-commands there should then be ebnough ram left to download an adf-image (about 911k) to write to disk, right ?

Wrong. Ram Disk is not device, but handler. Also Ram Disk is dynamic, it doesn't take any memory if empty.

The memory lost initially is used by the system itself.

This is really redicilous, how the hell should I overcome this

Buy more memory?

Other than that there are some tricks, like not copying ENV: to RAM at all. This should leave some more memory to system, esp if ENVARC: is crowded.

[GreatLor]

quote]

This is really redicilous, how the hell should I overcome this

Buy more memory?

Other than that there are some tricks, like not copying ENV: to RAM at all. This should leave some more memory to system, esp if ENVARC: is crowded.[/quote]

hmm... , thats why I wanted to make a new ram-devi.. uhh I mean ram-handler, hehe, the WB-startup-sequence looks like a real mess ( :-D ), so can you come up with a script to take care of this problem man ? I would really be thankful If I could have say 960k+ ram when in cli  :-)

[ChaosLord]

It is 2004.

Hard drives have been available for Amiga since 1986.

Buy a hard drive.

[Thomas]

GreatLor wrote:
the WB-startup-sequence looks like a real mess ( :-D ), so can you come up with a script to take care of this problem man ?

Add the following lines between FailAt 21 and C:MakeDir RAM:T ... in S:Startup-Sequence:

delete >nil: "Sys:Ram Disk" all force quiet
assign RAM: dismount
makedir "Sys:Ram Disk"
assign RAM: "Sys:Ram Disk"

The following is optional, if you want to get your Ram Disk icon back on the desktop:

Start IconEdit, open envarc:sys/def_ram.info, change the type to Drawer and save it as Sys:Ram Disk.info.

Now open your Workbench drawer, click once on Ram Disk and choose Leave Out from the menu.

Reboot and see how much RAM you saved.

I would really be thankful If I could have say 960k+ ram when in cli  :-)

If you totally delete or rename startup-sequence, you'll directly end in the CLI window and have as much free RAM as possible.

Bye,
Thomas

[GreatLor]

ChaosLord wrote:
It is 2004.

Hard drives have been available for Amiga since 1986.

Buy a hard drive.

Wow, such great assistance some ppl give !!!

If you totally delete or rename startup-sequence, you'll directly end in the CLI window and have as much free RAM as possible.

Thank you Thomas.
By the way I looked in startup-sequence yesterday and noticed something weird, when I "break" into CLI at immediately at startup, the line "echo A500/2000 ..." (or something like it) never gets executed, so this ram-handler must be defined in one of the (three ?) first commands before the "echo" command (since it obviously isnt executed), does it mean that those  (three ?) first lines are enough for a functioning ram-handler ? just curious now  :-)

[LP]

@GreatLor

How about posting your startup-sequence here so we can see if you've got any really memory absorbing programs...

Could't maybe help you out for a start

[LP]

If you "break" (assuming you do a Ctrl + C or D) into CLI while the startup-sequence is being executed, you simply stop the startup- sequence so it's quite clear that nothing executes after the break...

And BTW the echo command is just a little program that writes the lines to the working CLI window..

[GreatLor]

Well daaaa !! :-o , need you REALLY tell me that echo just writes text to the screen ? Cheeezes, I wasnt looking for an description on what "echo" is and how it works  :-D , I wondered if those few lines BEFORE it were enough for a functioning ram-handler !
Oh, I cant post you my startup-, I'm not at home.

[Ilwrath]

Why is everyone making this so tough for the poor guy?  All he wants is more free RAM at boot-up.

I suggest:

1) make a backup of your workbench disk.
2) go to the backup, and delete s:startup-sequence
3) boot from backup
4) about a half second later, you'll be greeted with a command prompt, along with as much free RAM as you possibly can have on your configuration.

Granted, you'll be missing the nice workbench interface, shell-seg, setpatch, and a few other nicities, but it's a command prompt, with a heap of free RAM, which IS the goal here.  (note, RAM: disk may not function with no startup-sequence, at all.  I forget.  If this is the case, you may need a startup-sequence that contains the command "binddrivers" -- I'd try it without, first.)

[GreatLor]

That "ram:" probably wouldnt work without startup-sequence was my very guess.
And no, I dont need a GUI, just 960k+ ram with its handler.

[Noster]

Hi

> I wondered if those few lines BEFORE it were enough for a functioning ram-handler !

You are running Kickstart/Workbench 1.3 ? The code for the RAM-handler is found in the "l" directory of your Workbench-disk. An entry in the "so called" DOSList addressing this handler is created during system-startup, no way to suppress this (the according code is stored in the Kickstart ROM :-)).
The handlers code itself is loaded during the first access to the RAM-disk, i.e. the first time the volume "RAM:" is accessed (usually by the commandline "Assign T: RAM:T" in the "startup-sequence").
If you create a startup-sequence without any reference to "RAM:". There will not be a "RAM-disk" icon on your Workbench screen, but it will occure at that moment you type something like "dir RAM:" in a CLI (or any application tries to access "RAM:").

If you need maximum memory, create an empty disk and "initialize" it, so it contains a boot-block and use this empty disk for booting. You will get the initial CLI and nothing else.
I recommend you to have a look to ebay and buy a memory expansion for a few bucks. There are a lot of games that also will benefit from more than 1MB ram.

Noster

EDIT - Do you have additonal disk-drives connected to your Amiga ? Remove them, every additional disk-drive costs at least 50 Kb memory.
EDIT-2 - I don't think you will get 960+ KB memory, whatever you are doing, there are several structures according to the OS that are created by the code in the Kickstart ROM during system startup, you can't suppress this, and I think this uses more than 50Kb.

[Ilwrath]

That "ram:" probably wouldnt work without startup-sequence was my very guess.
And no, I dont need a GUI, just 960k+ ram with its handler.

nope... Noster confirmed what I suspected...  All you need is the handler in your L: directory.  code in your kickstart ROM takes care of the rest.  Don't need a startup-sequence, at all.  That make your job easier?  :-)  I'd use a copy of a workbench disk for this, rather than the blank initialized disk he suggests, though.  That way you don't have to hassle yourself with copying things like CD, DIR, LIST, etc...

[GreatLor]

Thank you both very much, appreciate it very much.

ps: hey where do you usually buy your amiga devices ? just curious ! (as always  :-) )

[Ilwrath]

You're welcome... Let us know how it works out for you.  We really should write this up into a FULL tutorial, as the topic of writing ADFs for Amiga 500's comes up every few months.  (And we've kinda given inconsistant answers over time, because it is such an in-depth procedure...)

ps: hey where do you usually buy your amiga devices ? just curious ! (as always :-) )

I'm in the US...  I've worked with our own "redrumloa" and his Anachronism Industries, as well as the old stand-by of Software Hut, and been quite satisfied.  Mostly, lately, though, I just pick up odds and ends here and there that add to my collection.  (random finds, saving Amigas from scrapheaps, etc...)  Heck, I'VE probably got as much inventory as some dealers...  ;-)