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SETUP.SYSTEM

The November 1987 edition of Call-A.P.P.L.E features an article by Sean Nolan, "SYSTEM.SETUP - A Proposed Startup File Standard". The article was reprinted in Beneath Apple DOS ProDOS 2020. The proposal combines the ProDOS-8 notion of running the first .SYSTEM file found on disk and the convention of chaining to the next .SYSTEM file, with the ProDOS-16 notion of enumerating a directory of startup files. A main SETUP.SYSTEM file is provided which enumerates all files in a SETUPS/ directory. These "setup files" are BIN or SYS files which work like standard ProDOS-8 drivers. The advantages of this approach are:

  • The top level directory only needs one SYSTEM file plus SETUPS/, which reduces clutter.
  • Each individual setup file is simpler than stand-alone SYSTEM files, as they don't need to implement chaining.

Which approach you use is a matter of taste.

How do you use these?

If you choose this approach, use a tool like Copy II Plus or Apple II DeskTop to copy and arrange SETUP.SYSTEM as the first .SYSTEM file in your root directory. Create a SETUPS/ directory, and copy the appropriate .SETUPS files there. A boot disk image catalog that is used on multiple different hardware configurations might include:

  • PRODOS - the operating system, e.g. ProDOS 2.4
  • SETUP.SYSTEM - install No-Slot clock driver, if present
  • QUIT.SYSTEM - invoke the Quit handler immediately, as a program selector
  • BASIC.SYSTEM - which will not be automatically invoked, but is available to manually invoke
  • SETUPS/NS.CLOCK.SYSTEM - install No-Slot clock driver, if present
  • SETUPS/ROMXRTC.SYSTEM - install ROMX clock driver, if present
  • SETUPS/FN.CLOCK.SYSTEM - install FujiNet clock driver, if present
  • SETUPS/DCLOCK.SYSTEM - install DClock clock driver, if present
  • SETUPS/CRICKET.SYSTEM - install Cricket! clock driver, if present
  • SETUPS/ZIPCHIP.SYSTEM - slow the ZIP CHIP on speaker access, if present
  • SETUPS/RAM.DRV.SYSTEM - install RamWorks RAM disk driver, if present
  • SETUPS/BUHBYE.SYSTEM - install a customized Quit handler to replace the built-in one
  • SETUPS/PAUSE.SYSTEM - pause for a moment, so that you can inspect the output of the above

Notes

The SETUP.SYSTEM program is not modified from the published version except that it no longer clears the screen between running each file in SETUPS/, so that any logged output remains visible.