ICT Hard Drive
Specific System Requirements - ICT HD
Color 64 BBS fully supports the InConTrol Data Chief HFD20 hard disk drive system. All you need to do is use "hm4 11 22" as the drive command for whatever files you want stored in a chain defined as starting at partition 11 and ending at partition 22 or h10 for files you want stored in an individual partition 10. The only files that you can put in chain mode are Public Messages Help Files, Text Files, Uploads and Downloads. System Files, Private Mail, Caller Logs, Password File, Boot Files and Program Files must be assigned individual partitions. And if you are using the Epyx Fastload cartridge, you must put your program files on H0 (the built-in floppy) or you will experience intermittent system lockups.
The ICT has been tested with the Burst Mode Rom from Chip Level Designs and it works great! This ROM allows your C64 or C128 to access your hard drive in its burst mode of operation, speeding up all disk access by 2 to 10 times. Also, if you have a 1764 or 1750 Ram Expansion module, there are Color 64 modules available that will let you do all your ICT maintenance from within Color 64. One such module is included in this package (see below after merge information).
As far as download directories, I recommend you answer "N" to the question "Multiple Directories Per Drive" in SETUP. As far as Color 64 BBS is concerned, each different chain looks like a different drive. Running one directory per drive/chain has the advantage of not having to rename files before they can be downloaded too. It will work either way, this is just my recommendation.
One last comment: The scan for new downloads is a little slower on the ICT drive than on other drives. That is because it IS necessary to read two different files in 2 different partitions. So, we are having to open and close a lot more files than on the CBM drives. But overall, it does work well and is still fast enough in my opinion (especially if you have the burst mode ROM in your computer).
ICT System Merges
If you run a system with an ICT (In ConTrol) DataChief or MiniChief hard drive, and you plan to use chained partitions, then you need to merge the following files into the specified programs. If these merges aren't made, then your upload/download directories will not function properly on chained partitions:
- ict.xfer -> √bbs.xfer
- ict.ovl -> √bbs.ovl
The ICT Utilities Module
Also included in your Color 64 package is a version of the popular "√bbs.ict" module for ICT Hard Drive users. It adds a multiple-chain compress routine, auto-return to the waiting for caller screen, busy modem and a scan upload space routine that will scan all upload directories that are chains on an ICT and show you the total blocks free and the max blocks allowed on an upload. This last routine can be used to keep an eye on your upload space on the ICT and to determine when you need to compress your chains.
For those that aren't already familiar with this program, it is a special program just for those people using an ICT hard disk drive, a 17XX series Ram Expander, and RAMDOS on your Color 64 BBS. This routine allows you to copy files using a pattern match from any one partition or chain to any other partition or chain or drive. It also allows you to compress chains, busy the modem, scan all upload space, etc. all from within Color 64 BBS. Note that when the program is doing a copy operation, you will see data flash across the top of the screen as the copy is proceeding, due to the ML routine.
All you need to do is to modify your "√sys.ramove" file to copy "√bbs.ict" into your ram module. If you put your √bbs.ict module with your Program Files, this can be accomplished by adding the following line anywhere in the line range 7100 to 7499: 7XXX &(8)="√bbs.ict":>310
Otherwise, if your √bbs.ict module is located elsewhere, you will need to follow the instructions for adding to the script program in the section on the "√sys.ramove" program.
Next, you will need to modify your √bbs.xfer overlay so that it will load √bbs.ict when you type "+" from the DOS prompt. Just merge "ict.load" into √bbs.xfer and this will be taken care of for you. Once this is done, typing "+" and hitting return at the DOS prompt will send you to the ICT module.
Note: The busy modem feature does not work on the Commodore 1670 modem - it does not support the ATH1 command (or any other command that can be used to busy the modem).
Remember, the √bbs.ict mod is for ICT hard drive systems with ram expanders only.