Boot program details: Difference between revisions

Latest revision as of 17:19, 27 February 2026

Installation – Boot Program Details

Boot Program Details

All boot programs begin with a plus symbol (“+”). The primary entry point during installation is +setup, which is used to configure your BBS. You will return to +setup frequently as your system evolves.

When a boot program is loaded and run, the following actions occur:

The system performs an initial reset. The screen clears and default colors are restored to ensure a clean operating state.
Required support files are loaded into memory. The specific files depend on the boot program selected.

Boot programs are the proper and supported entry point into the system. They contain essential configuration information such as device numbers and initialization parameters for your Boot and Program drives. Always start Color 64 using the appropriate boot file.

Boot File Descriptions

Filename	Description	Load Sequence
+bbs	Boots the main BBS and proceeds to the date and time prompts.	√sys.loadml √sys.mlinit √sys.mlnorm √bbs.init
+reboot	Same as +bbs, but automatically accepts default responses to the date/time and regenerate index prompts.
+setup	Boots the SETUP utility.	√sys.loadml √sys.mlinit √sys.mlnorm √sys.setup
+editor	Boots the stand-alone message editor.	√sys.loadml √sys.mlinit √sys.mlnorm √sys.edit
+shell	Loads the ML shell into memory and returns to the BASIC READY prompt. Used when running stand-alone utilities that require ML to be resident.	√sys.loadml √sys.mlinit √sys.mlnorm
REU Boot Files (if REU support was enabled)
+ram.start	Copies overlays to the REU, installs RAMDOS, and boots the BBS.	√sys.ramove √sys.ramdos √sys.smerge √sys.ramcpy +ram.bbs
+ram.restart	Same as +reboot, but reloads overlays into the REU before restarting.
+ram.reinit	Reinstalls RAMDOS after a system reset so REU contents can be accessed.	√sys.rdrein
+ram.bbs	Boots the BBS using overlays stored in the REU instead of disk. RAMDOS must be active.
+ram.reboot	Same as +ram.bbs, but automatically accepts reboot prompts.
Network Boot File (if networking enabled)
+net setup	Boots the Network Setup utility.	√sys.loadml √sys.mlinit √sys.mlnorm √sys.net

The ML Shell

Most boot programs begin by loading √sys.loadml. This installs the machine language (ML) core into memory and displays the Color 64 title screen.

Once installed, the ML shell remains resident until the computer is powered off or another program overwrites critical memory areas.

Several stand-alone utilities require the ML shell but do not automatically load it. To use them, run +shell first if the ML is not already resident. These utilities include:

pswd tools
dir tools
menu maker
bbs convert

SETUP Parameters

Defining system parameters is one of the most important steps in configuring your BBS.

Before running SETUP:

Ensure the drive designated for the password file is online.
Confirm that the disk or partition is formatted and empty.
Verify that sufficient free space exists.

SETUP creates a relative file large enough to support the maximum number of callers you specify.

To begin:

1. Insert your Boot disk (if applicable). 2. LOAD and RUN "+setup".

It is recommended that fastloader cartridges be disabled during the initial SETUP run. JiffyDOS may remain enabled. Some systems may produce a “NO CHANNEL” error when creating new relative files if fastload is active. After the password file exists, fastload is generally safe for normal operations.

You may be prompted to insert your Program disk during SETUP.

The √bbs.parms File

All BBS parameters are stored in a sequential file named √bbs.parms. This file is always read from the Program Files drive so that it remains accessible to overlays during operation and recovery from crashes.

For REU users, √bbs.parms is never copied into RAM. It is always read from disk.

If you prefer to store √bbs.parms on a disk separate from your overlays:

Answer “Y” to the disk swap question during bootmaker configuration.
Insert the desired disk when prompted during SETUP.
Ensure the correct disk is present whenever the BBS needs to read parameters.

If √bbs.parms cannot be found at startup, the system will prompt for the correct disk.

Once the proper disk is inserted and accessed, the Main Parameters screen will appear:

At each SETUP prompt:

The current or default value appears in brackets.
Press RETURN to accept the displayed value.
Enter “-” and press RETURN to return to the previous question.

For detailed explanations of each parameter, see:

SETUP Parameters

Next Section: SETUP Parameters

Installation

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-All boot programs are denoted with a plus-symbol (“+”) at the start of the filename. The first one you will be running is “+SETUP” to configure your BBS and you will be using it frequently as things change in your BBS.
+[[installation|Installation]] – '''Boot Program Details'''
+== Boot Program Details ==
+All boot programs begin with a plus symbol (“+”). The primary entry point during installation is +setup, which is used to configure your BBS. You will return to +setup frequently as your system evolves.
-When you load and run one of these files, several things occur:
+When a boot program is loaded and run, the following actions occur:
-* An initial reset occurs (the screen clears, and the colors go back to default).  The reset is done to make sure the system is ready to load the necessary programs.
-* Additional support files will be loaded into memory; which files are loaded will be dependent which boot file you are running.
-These boot files are the entry point to your system and should be the only way to start operations as they contain essential parameters of your system (such as the device numbers of your Program Files and Boot Files).
+* The system performs an initial reset. The screen clears and default colors are restored to ensure a clean operating state.
+* Required support files are loaded into memory. The specific files depend on the boot program selected.
+Boot programs are the proper and supported entry point into the system. They contain essential configuration information such as device numbers and initialization parameters for your Boot and Program drives. Always start Color 64 using the appropriate boot file.
-<strong>Boot File Descriptions  </strong>
+----
-The table below describes what each of the boot programs does and the additional files it will load:
+=== Boot File Descriptions ===
-{| class="wikitable
+{| class="wikitable"
 |-
-|+Boot Files Functional Description
 ! Filename
-! Functional Description
+! Description
 ! Load Sequence
 |-
 | +bbs
-|Boots the main BBS system to the point of the date and time setting prompts.
+| Boots the main BBS and proceeds to the date and time prompts.
 |
 # √sys.loadml
 # √sys.mlinit
-# √)sys.mlnorm
+# √sys.mlnorm
 # √bbs.init
 |-
 | +reboot
-|Like +bbs above, except +reboot will cause the default settings to be accepted by the “date and time” and “regenerate message index” questions, as if you had hit RETURN at these prompts yourself.
+| Same as +bbs, but automatically accepts default responses to the date/time and regenerate index prompts.
 |
 |-
 | +setup
-|Boots the SETUP utility.
+| Boots the SETUP utility.
 |
 # √sys.loadml
 # √sys.mlinit
-# √)sys.mlnorm
+# √sys.mlnorm
 # √sys.setup
 |-
 | +editor
-|Boots the stand-alone message editor.
+| Boots the stand-alone message editor.
 |
 # √sys.loadml
 # √sys.mlinit
-# √)sys.mlnorm
+# √sys.mlnorm
 # √sys.edit
 |-
 | +shell
-|Loads the ML shell (see section 2.4 below) into memory and returns to the BASIC "ready." prompt.  This is used for the included stand-alone utilities if the ML is not already in memory.  It first loads the √sys.loadml program, which in turn loads √sys.mlinit, and finally the specific system ML program.
+| Loads the ML shell into memory and returns to the BASIC READY prompt. Used when running stand-alone utilities that require ML to be resident.
 |
 # √sys.loadml
 # √sys.mlinit
-# √)sys.mlnorm
+# √sys.mlnorm
 |-
-|
+! colspan="3" | REU Boot Files (if REU support was enabled)
-| REU Boot Files (if REU option was set)
-|
 |-
-| +ram. Start
+| +ram.start
-|Main BBS system boot program for REU users.  This runs the BASIC script program necessary to copy your overlays to the REU and then will boot the system just like the +bbs program.
+| Copies overlays to the REU, installs RAMDOS, and boots the BBS.
 |
 # √sys.ramove
 # √sys.ramdos
 # √sys.smerge
 # √sys.ramcpy
 # +ram.bbs
 |-
-| +ram. Restart
+| +ram.restart
-|Like +reboot program, but for REU users as it copies the overlays before rebooting the system. It will also load +ram. Reboot instead of +ram.bbs
+| Same as +reboot, but reloads overlays into the REU before restarting.
-|Refer to +reboot
+|
 |-
 | +ram.reinit
-|In case of a system reset, this program can be used to reinstall the RAMDOS program necessary to access the files stored on the REU
+| Reinstalls RAMDOS after a system reset so REU contents can be accessed.
 |
 # √sys.rdrein
 |-
 | +ram.bbs
-|RAMDOS must be active, and Overlays must be resident in the REU.  This behaves like the standard +bbs program but loads all files from the REU instead of the Boot and Program disks.
+| Boots the BBS using overlays stored in the REU instead of disk. RAMDOS must be active.
-|Refer to +bbs
+|
 |-
-| +ram. Reboot
+| +ram.reboot
-|Just like +ram.bbs above, but this will behave like the +reboot program for REU.
+| Same as +ram.bbs, but automatically accepts reboot prompts.
-|Refer to +reboot
+|
 |-
-|
+! colspan="3" | Network Boot File (if networking enabled)
-|Network Setup Boot File (if Network option was set)
-|
 |-
 | +net setup
-|Boots the Network Setup Utility
+| Boots the Network Setup utility.
 |
 # √sys.loadml
 # √sys.mlinit
-# √)sys.mlnorm
+# √sys.mlnorm
 # √sys.net
 |}
-<strong>The ML Shell </strong>
+----
+=== The ML Shell ===
+Most boot programs begin by loading √sys.loadml. This installs the machine language (ML) core into memory and displays the Color 64 title screen.
+Once installed, the ML shell remains resident until the computer is powered off or another program overwrites critical memory areas.
+Several stand-alone utilities require the ML shell but do not automatically load it. To use them, run +shell first if the ML is not already resident. These utilities include:
+* pswd tools
+* dir tools
+* menu maker
+* bbs convert
+----
+=== SETUP Parameters ===
+Defining system parameters is one of the most important steps in configuring your BBS.
+Before running SETUP:
+* Ensure the drive designated for the password file is online.
+* Confirm that the disk or partition is formatted and empty.
+* Verify that sufficient free space exists.
+SETUP creates a relative file large enough to support the maximum number of callers you specify.
+To begin:
+. Insert your Boot disk (if applicable).
+. LOAD and RUN "+setup".
+It is recommended that fastloader cartridges be disabled during the initial SETUP run. JiffyDOS may remain enabled. Some systems may produce a “NO CHANNEL” error when creating new relative files if fastload is active. After the password file exists, fastload is generally safe for normal operations.
+You may be prompted to insert your Program disk during SETUP.
-From the above table, you will see many of the boot programs load the “√sys.loadml" file as the first step in the boot process.  This file then loads and installs the necessary ML code into memory, at which point the Color 64 title screen is displayed.  Once this ML "shell" is installed in memory, it will stay there until you either shut the computer off or run another non-Color 64 program that alters essential memory (the bootmaker programs do this).
+----
+=== The √bbs.parms File ===
-The BBS package comes with several stand-alone utilities that require the ML shell to be resident, but do not automatically load them. To use these, you should run the “+shell” boot program that will load the appropriate ML first if the ML is not already resident in your memory from BBS operations. These include “pswd tools”, “dir tools”, “menu maker”, and “bbs convert.”
+All BBS parameters are stored in a sequential file named √bbs.parms. This file is always read from the Program Files drive so that it remains accessible to overlays during operation and recovery from crashes.
+For REU users, √bbs.parms is never copied into RAM. It is always read from disk.
-<strong>SETUP Parameters  </strong>
+If you prefer to store √bbs.parms on a disk separate from your overlays:
-One of the most important things you will need to do when setting up your BBS is to define a few SYSOP selectable parameters.  To do this you must run the SETUP program included with Color 64.  Now is a good time to make sure the drive that you assigned to the password file is online and has enough space on it.  It is necessary to make sure that the disk in the drive or the partition on the hard drive is formatted and blank.  The SETUP program will create a relative file on this drive large enough to hold the number of callers you designated.
+* Answer “Y” to the disk swap question during bootmaker configuration.
+* Insert the desired disk when prompted during SETUP.
+* Ensure the correct disk is present whenever the BBS needs to read parameters.
+If √bbs.parms cannot be found at startup, the system will prompt for the correct disk.
-If you have a Boot disk, then insert the disk into your disk drive now.  Otherwise, just make sure you are accessing your Boot Files.  Next, LOAD and RUN the program called "+setup".  You may want to run SETUP the first time with Fastload disabled (You can leave JiffyDos enabled).  On some systems, you will get a "NO CHANNEL" error when creating REL files (like the password file) while Fastload is enabled.  If later you rerun SETUP to just change a parameter, it is ok to leave Fastload enabled.  It seems to be safe to read and write REL records with Fastload enabled, just not when creating a new file.  When you boot SETUP, you may be asked to insert your Program disk into the drive.
+Once the proper disk is inserted and accessed, the Main Parameters screen will appear:
+[[File:mainparameters.png|thumb|center|Main Parameters Screen]]
-<strong>The "√bbs.parms" File  </strong>
+At each SETUP prompt:
-Your BBS parameters are stored in a sequential file called "√bbs.parms" and will ALWAYS be stored on your Program Files drive.  This is necessary because the parms must always be accessible to the program overlays, not just during the boot process, but also in case the system crashes.  For REU users, your “√bbs.parms" file is NOT copied to RAM--it is always read in from the Program drive.  It is possible, however, to keep your parms on a disk that is not the Program disk.  You just need to make sure that the proper disk is in the drive when the BBS program gets to the point where it needs to be read in the parms.  If the BBS program cannot find the parms file when it is first loaded, it will ask you to insert a Parms disk.  Thus, if you want to use this method, then you must answer "Y" to the "swap disks" question in the "bm ram" program, then when SETUP asks for the Program disk, insert the disk which you want to store your "√bbs.parms" file on.
+* The current or default value appears in brackets.
+* Press RETURN to accept the displayed value.
+* Enter “-” and press RETURN to return to the previous question.
+For detailed explanations of each parameter, see:
-Insert your Program/Parms disk now and press RETURN if necessary.  After some disk access, the program should go right to the Main Parameters screen:
+[[setup parameters|SETUP Parameters]]
-[[File:mainparameters.png|center|200px]]
+----
-For most questions presented to you in setup, you will see the current or default value displayed in square brackets ("[" and "]").  If you wish to use the current value, just press RETURN to accept it.  Also, at most of the prompts you can type " - " (minus sign) and press RETURN to go back to the previous question.  This can be helpful if you accidentally "miss" the question you wanted to change.
+Next Section: [[setup parameters|SETUP Parameters]]
-See [[setup parameters|SETUP Parameters]] for assistance with answering the questions.
+[[installation|Installation]]