dvik: the hd.dsk should be in My Documents/openMSX/persistent/ide/untitled1/hd.dsk (oh, I see mars already told you that)

Prodatron: I can't try in blueMSX, because I'm using a Linux system. Please let me know what the problem is with setting up IDE in openMSX. (Or join our IRC channel, #openMSX on irc.freenode.net.)

dvik: I tried yesterday, if I have time I'll try to setup a harddisk today. But in theory, yours should work fine in openMSX, unless something is wrong somewhere. What's the partition 4 thing then, if you set it all up on the first partition?

dvik/mars2000you: you can lock the mouse by typing "set grabinput on" in the console. (See the manual ) Oh, I see now that BiFi already told you this

If it doesn't work in openMSX, but it does work on real hardware, there might be some bug in openMSX...

prodatron> Such a difference between the emulator and the real thing is often an issue of timing. Maybe the delays between the selection of the register and reading the register aren't long enough. In the milc article on mice I found delays of a 30/10 djnz loop. I don't really know if those are realistic values though. Maybe someone with more recent experience can help out there. Also, it may need to be even bigger in R800 mode.

Hey, I didn't know about a first alpha release ^-^ . I'll try it now. Unfortunately, my IDE doesn't work (do you know if sunrise can fix it?) so I will try it without IDE.

Yours,

Well, I've tried now under my MSX: I have a MSX 2 512KB external RAM (I've tried also with internal 128KB) and I am launching Symbos from MSX-DOS 1 from floppy disk. It starts, but it hangs when desktop opens: floppy led is always on and I try to move the mouse or the cursor, but it doens't work. Well... it's a very alpha release, so I'll wait for the next But this desktop looks great at my MSX ^^

@Spl: Does it still hang after 1 or 1,5 minutes? Please use Graph+Cursor or Joystick1 to move the pointer, but you should wait 1,5mins first. If you are able to move the pointer after some time, I would like to know, if you have the same "button 1 is always pressed" problem.

Ok, now retrying... Symbos (and MSX) clock is still 13:36, and now it's 13:31, so I think that Symbos hangs on my MSX Also, I've tried to move the cursor but it doesn't move. I think is not a problem of MSX-DOS... as Symbos doesn't need it.

Will Symbos work with an external mapper, then?

Algorythms, actually, if prodatron uses under Bluemsx a MSX 2 with 512 KB ram, he is using external mapper

then it should work on the A1WX msx 2+ i guess, with an external mapper, which it don't. But maybe it's a Panasonic thing.

I think I found some problems, which cause the Kana led to blink, the mouse to behave a little bit crazy and the button 1 to be pressed all the time. I also will keep the correct video mode (PAL or NTSC) in the next version.

Regarding memory mappers I am currently a little bit confused.
All what I am doing now it to set the 16K blocks for the different pages with the ports #FC-#FF. Do I have to do something else to support external memory mappers?
Btw, what happens, if I switch a block, which does not exists? What do I see in the page then? Do I see rubbish or do I see another block?

Usually you see another block
if you have n blocks and set block m
you should expect to find block
m and (n-1)

Note that you can have the same block
mirrored in 2, 3 or 4 pages, whitout any problem.

Writing in one one page will affect all the mirrors

I've tried SymbOS on my real (1MB extended) TurboR ST and 128kb NMS8250. Both had the 'button always pressed' problem. Therefor I haven't been able to run any apps (anybody got a hint how to, with this button-issue?) Also the borders above and below the screen are filled with stripes. Other than that is looks teriffic! Great first alpha release Prodatron!

Hope the new version will fix the button problem on your machines.
I will upload it as soon as I also have improved the memory detection.
Does someone have an idea, what could cause these stripes? I read, that VDP register 7 can generate stripes in Mode 6, but I just it to 1, so bit4 is zero.

Prodatron, To support External memory mappers is not just OUT $FC/$FF you needs to switch SLOT and SSLOT ... by OUT $A8 and LD ($FFFF) and it is not a short routine. Also you needs to determine is whitch slot/sslots the rans mappers exists... <---- and that means a large startup routine.

Also if you want to do a good job you needs to start thinking in 16bits mappers (more than 4MB). They are not common now, but in the future can be, overall thinking that the more easy way to expand a msx system is just adding more and more RAM...

if you thinks in BIG you needs to sacrifice a bit of speed!, and a bit can be a lot is some process.

The same when one starts to thinks in supporting more than 4 colors, happens the same thing. One sacrifice speed for getting more feature/expandability/capability.

So, why I am telling that?

because one thing is

[a] = page base.
OUT (FD),a
inc a
out (FE),a
inc a
out (FF),a
ret

or something like that.

And other thing is to works with multiple memory mappers, to preconfigure and etc....

that means to jump form a routine of 6 instruction to 20 instructions maybe if you want to swap all at once.

Maybe because all the OS code is done around how works his memory administration and others features and this BASE determine how long the product will survive.

If you has MSN i want to talk about, my msn is flyguille at hot....

As I think I will need some time for the improved memory detection, I uploaded the current version now to the same place:

http://www.symbos.de/files/symbosmsx.zip

(the hard disc image hasn't been upaded, so please use only this link).
This update may only be interesting for people who have problems with the button1 and 50/60hz switch.
I couldn't reproduce the button problem in the emulator (I am getting another real MSX with working disc drive next week), but I hope it's fixed now. The mouse bug is also fixed.

Currently I am working on a new memory detection and will remove the long hang (device detection) after booting (maybe then it will also not crash on SPLs machine anymore).