Posted By
RobertB on 2015-12-02 19:06:38
| Re: New switchless JiffyDos for the c16
craftsman wrote:
> I can't really comment on if JiffyDos is better or bugs worked out. I got my copy from Retro last year...
As reported by James of cbm264 in 2011 on comp.sys.cbm, here is a list of bugs he discovered in C16/Plus4 JD (possibly the same bugs in VIC-20 JD):
Bug #1: @Q gives "Device Not Present" error if disk drive is not on. So does @F. I haven't gotten around to all the @ commands yet, but these two should work even if the drive isn't on, as they disable JiffyDOS or the JiffyDOS function key definitions -- disk drive shouldn't matter. (Maurice replied: "The 64 and 128 do this as well. The way the code is written would take a lot of work to eliminate this. This is generally not a problem since in most cases, a disk drive is in use and JiffyDOS is a "Disk Operating System". Personally, I agree though, that CMD should have accounted for these two commands when a disk drive is not present.")
Bug #2: Key 6 is "LIST"+CHR$(13), contrary to manual (manual states key 6 should be left arrow, SAVE).
Bug #3: Function key definitions not disabled during program execution: 10 SCNCLR 20 KEY 30 GETKEYA$ RUN PRINT A$ ... the JiffyDOS function key definitions are displayed, and pressing F3 captures an @ in A$. Proper function key disabling should redefine the function keys to Commodore's default definitions? Manual states on page 45 under @F: "The JiffyDOS function keys are active only in BASIC direct mode and are disabled when programs are run...."
Bug #4: C16 program "Leaper" has a multi-part loader like many UK C16 games. (1) A boot file is loaded, which (2) displays a copyright/title screen as it (3) loads a graphic title screen (some play music), then (4) the copyright/title screen is displayed again while (5) the actual game code is loaded. Disk operations occur at steps 1, 2, and 4. The bug is that the game is corrupted upon final load (at the end of step 5). Either the game doesn't start (hung on copyright screen) or the graphics are corrupted. (This may go back to the JiffyDOS 255 byte buffer at the top of memory. A lot of commercial C16 games fool the Plus/4 into reporting 16K memory (12288 bytes free) even after a soft reset.)
Bug #5: C16 program "Skyhawk" hangs upon loading its' loader program. A one-block file shouldn't cause me to hit the reset button after 30 seconds.
Bug #6: Pressing F2 ("/", load from directory listing) will error out with "?File not found error" apprxomately half the time. It may be due to the 1541 not through spinning down after displaying the directory with F3 ("@$"). The 1541's red activity light is left solidly on. OPEN15,8,15;CLOSE15 from direct mode closes whatever file is being left open. @ is not turning the red light off when this happens (because there's no disk drive error to report?).
Bug #7: "ACE" from the same page errors out during its' boot process as well. It dumps me into the MONITOR with a flashing 1541 light and I can't get out of MONITOR to read the error channel. I have to hit the RESET button, which clears the 1541. The only way I can load ACE is to turn off JIffyDOS at both the computer and the drive. This title has a disk-directory copy protection, one must type LOAD"ACE",8,1 for it to boot.
Bug #8: I have a customized "Plus/Extra". It hangs during the boot, after displaying the first screen (insturctions for a Notepad that comes up by pressing Commodore-Control), before it loads the selection menu. Error given is "File not found in line 750". About half the time, I can type GOTO750 and it will finish loading; the other half of the time, the 1541's light stays on (not flashing) and goes back to the "File not found in line 750" error. Once again, OPEN15,8,15;CLOSE15 turns the red light off on the 1541. If you want a copy of this one I'll email it to you, as the custom one isn't on my site.
Bug #9: File copy doesn't work right. I've only attempted to copy the "Action Pack" as referenced in the last message, and the copy won't run even if I turn off JiffyDOS on both the Plus/4 and the 1541. It seems that the copy process is corrupting these ML files.
Bug #10: If I put a file on the destination disk before file copying, then the first file on "Action Pack" disk isn't copied. The filenames are different.
Truly, Robert Bernardo Fresno Commodore User Group http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
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