TRS DESKTOP – user’s manual

PRELIMINARY INFORMATION

	The TRS Desktop is a graphic user interface for SpartaDOS X to be used with hard drives. The main goal is to simplify finding programs to be executed and grouping all links to them in one place, just like it can be seen on other operating systems with a GUI. The installer guides the user to preliminary installation before the Desktop is run. Apart of the SpartaDOS X, the program requires a mouse: it can be an Atari ST or Amiga mouse, or Atari Trakball.
	The idea was born in march 2005. The Desktop’s development was stimulated by other products like that, which hardly do what they first of all should do – just to mention a possibility to run all programs which run „normally” under the DOS – and are slow.

INSTALLATION

Before the installation you should prepare an empty and freshly formatted partition. The recommended size is 16 MB, but the exact capacity required depends on which packages will get installed.
CAUTION: on the partition selected by the user the installer writes configuration files for SpartaDOS X and the Desktop, and does not check, if already existing files are overwritten in the process. You should make sure before installation, that the partition does not contain any important data – the author is not take any responsibility for any possible data loss.

•	To begin the installation, put the installation floppy into D1: and boot the computer from that. This is the best way to begin the installation. If it is necessary to run the installer (SETUP.COM) from another drive, you shouldn’t load SpartaDOS X drivers as this can make the installation impossible (the system may run out of memory).
•	The firs installation stage is to choose packages to be installed. The installation of the Desktop core is obligatory, the add-ons package is optional. Each additional package will be configured as a separate desktop (the maximum number of them is 19). Packages marked with „+” will get installed, and packages marked with „-” will be skipped.
•	The next step is checking the disk space. When this is finished, a list of available drives is displayed, you should select the destination partition from that, where the Desktop will be installed to.
•	Next, the program is checking the hardware configuration (CPU type, the amount of available memory, the version of the SpartaDOS X, real time clock availability, the mouse type etc.). Depending on the setup, the installer creates config files for the DOS and the Desktop.
•	In the next step the installer is unpacking the selected packages. This may take some time depending on the speed of the source and destination disks.
•	The last phase involves writing the config files for the SpartaDOS X and the Desktop. If SIO2IDE, or KMK/JŻ/IDEa was detected, the installer proposes automatic remounting the destination drive as D1:, as this will make possible to reboot directly into the Desktop in an optimal configuration. With other devices, the setup can configure the Desktop for D1: as well, but this requires a manual remounting the target partition as D1:. A successful installation should end up with a running Desktop.

THE FIRST EXECUTION

If it was selected to mount the Desktop partition as D1:, the Desktop boots automatically during the system startup. We list below other methods of executing the Desktop:
•	from the command line; you should CD to the main directory of the Desktop partition and type „-D” (this directory can be added to the PATH variable as well).
•	from the command line, with “–7:>D”, where 7 should be replaced with the partition number used by the Desktop.
•	in DracOS (65c816 XL OS) and SDX 4.3 holding down the START key during reboot, and choosing the Desktop partition from the menu, that appears.
When the Desktop is running for the first time, some problems may appear caused by improperly detected mouse type. In this case, just before the Desktop starts, you should hold down the OPTION key – this allows the mouse configuration program (MOUSECFG.TDX) to be run automatically. This program is keyboard-driven and can’t be executed but under the TRS Desktop.
Other problems may be caused by the fact that the system was started with different configuration file (CONFIG.SYS) than the one created by the installer. The CONFIG.SYS created depends on the hardware setup, so it is difficult to propose an universal solution. It should be kept in mind, though, that the installer has created optimum config files (CONFIG.SYS, AUTOEXEC.BAT) on the destination partition, and these can be used as an example for creating own customized configuration. 

THE MAIN PROGRAM

THE MOUSE

The Desktop handles two standards, the ST mouse and the Amiga mouse. There is no place here to describe differences between them, the most important thing is certain property of such devices: namely, some mice work as one-button mice, other types are recognized as two-button mice, and that last type yet appears as two subtypes. So, if the function of the right mouse button can’t be got to work, you should select the right-button emulation function in the mouse configuration menu. In the emulation mode the function of the left mouse button changes – now a single click causes the normal reaction on the selected object, and „long click” emulates a right button click. The delay can be set with the mouse configuration program. 
It is also possible to modify the mouse in hardware so that the Desktop wil recognize the mouse as a two-button mouse. Such a modification does not impact the mouse operation when connected to the originally dedicated computer (Atari ST or Amiga).

THE FUNCTIONS

On the Desktop’s screen you can see the following objects:
•	MENU – it contains the list of ‘global’ programs, that are available independently of the the currently selected active desktop. The menu can be edited with any text editor, the file to be edited is MENU.PIN. An entry contains the program’s name to be displayed, the link to the file placed on the HDD, and the name of the program to run. The separators are „-”.
•	DESK – it contains the list of available desktops, and two functions: NEW and SAVE.
-	NEW creates new desktop
-	SAVE saves the changes done in the desktop and makes them permanent. If you modify one desktop and then switch to another without saving, the changes are lost.
•	ICONS – a single click causes execution of the program that the icon is assigned to. The right mouse button click (or „long click” with the left mouse button) opens an icon properties menu, with options as follows:
–	EDIT – allows to edit icon’s properties, i.e. the icon’s image, its name to be displayed, the path to the associated file and its name. If the link points to a directory that resides on the same disk as the Desktop, the drive number can be skipped, e.g. D:>PROGRAMS>. Additionally, if the directory is a subdirectory of the DESK directory (containing Desktop system files), e.g. D:>DESK>TOOLS>, the specification may be shortened to D:TOOLS>.
–	MOVE – moves an icon on the screen. The icon alignment is eight pixels.
–	DELETE – deletes an icon. To make it permanent, you have to SAVE the changes made for the current desktop.
•	PULPIT – right or „long” click open an auxiliary menu, that allows to create a new link and desktop properties. That last is currently not available, it is reserved for the future updates.
•	ZEGAR – the Desktop knows two real time clock modules, R-Time 8 and Atari Realtime Clock (ARC) made by Pasiu/SSG. Changing the settings is currently not available, it is reserved for future updates. The Desktop currently does not work properly with the JIFFY.SYS driver, that emulates the real time clock using the VBL-driven timer.
•	MENU TRS DESK – information about authors and the program.

LOADING PROGRAMS

	The program allows to load standard executables which can be loaded from the SpartaDOS X command processor; additionally there are also programs which can be executed from the TRS Desktop, but not from the SpartaDOS X command processor. If the program can exit to DOS (just not via RESET), the system will return to the GUI; it is possible because the Desktop runs in a looped batch file. Each time a program is executed, the Desktop performs two operations to increase compatibility with old or improperly written programs:
•	The current directory is changed to the directory contains the program files, and so old programs which do not support subdirectories work in own separate directories.
•	The memory is cleared from $1600 up to the MEMTOP. It is not recommended to have MEMLO value higher than $1400 (this is the maximum safe value), e.g. because of too much drivers loaded to the RAM.

TECHNICAL DETAILS

•	System files:
-	R.BAT: the batch file with a loop that keeps the Desktop running
-	DESKTOP.PIN: the last current desktop
-	*.DSK – configuration files for all desktops
-	EXIT.EXE – this aborts the looping batch file making it possible to return to the SpartaDOS X command processor.
-	START.EXE – the library that starts up the  MAIN.TD0 (see below)
-	*.GR8 – GR.8 bitmaps – to be used as desktop wallpapers.
-	DESK00.GR8 – the default wallpaper, which is loaded when the bitmap indicated in the DESK.CFG is not available.
-	DESK3.OBJ – the routines handling sprites, fonts, etc.
-	LOAD03.OBJ – the executable loader.
-	ICONS_A.PIN – bitmaps for all icons – 32 icons, 32x32 pixels each.
-	ICONS_D.PIN – system names for the icons.
-	MENU.PIN – the main menu configuration file
-	MAIN.TD0 – the main Desktop program
-	CLOCK.TDX – an utility program, not yet complete at the moment
-	INFO.TDX – information about authors and the Desktop version number
-	MOUSECFG.TDX – the mouse configuration program
-	SCRCFG.TDX - an utility program, not yet complete at the moment

•	Pthe installer:
-	SETUP.COM – the installer itself;
-	SETUPSDX.BIN – a library of installation routines;
-	XUNZIP.EXE – a ZIP unpacker (made by Epi)
-	*.ZIP – the installation packages;
-	*.DAT – information about installation packages;
-	AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS – startup configuration files;
-	README.TXT – an additional information about installation displayed after the process is finished..

MINIMUM HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS

•	CPU 6502
•	SIO2PC or any other mass storage
•	128kB RAM
•	Sparta DOS 4.20
•	Atari ST, Atari Trakball or Amiga mouse attached to port 2.
•	1 MB of free disk space

RECOMMENDED HARDWARE CONFIGURATION

•	CPU 65c816 (any upgrade providing that CPU) 
•	KMK/JŻ/IDEa hard disk interface, CF adapter/CF 
•	1024kB RAM
•	Sparta DOS X 4.3
•	Atari ST, Atari Trakball or Amiga mouse attached to port 2.
•	ARC clock/Pasiu SSG
•	SIO2PC – at the installation time
•	3 MB of free disk space

It is recommended to use the 65C816 and fast mass storage (KMK/JŻ/IDEa with a CF card), because these devices make the Desktop operation more convenient: e.g. the 16-bit CPU makes the ramdisk work much faster. It also will be some support in the future for the 65C816 accelerator operating at faster clock and providing more linear memory – the time will verify these plans.

Authors:

Epi, Pin – main program code and auxiliary programs
Trub – the installer
Draco (KMK) – the executable loader
Xan – few icons
Pin, Epi – the idea
Pin, Trub – this manual

Thanks for testing go to: Dely, Pasiu, Piguła, 

TRS DESKTOP was written in Turbo BASIC XL and compiled with Turbo BASIC XL Compiler.