CoCopedia - The Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer Wiki - User contributions [en]

DW4 Installation Guide

2015-06-18T12:20:12Z

Soundchaser: /* .rom */

{{NavDriveWire}}
by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support.''
'' Those programs need a different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a''
''useful tool for the Coco Community, then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have''
''different GUI formats and capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and''
''I want this document to be simple and not confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use''
''the term PC to refer to any machine running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or''
''Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable for your system as I have very limited''
''knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9''
''will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.03.00 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Mark at Cloud9 may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4

*[http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/ XRoar Dragon32/64, Coco 1/2 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of XRoar usable with DriveWire4
*[[XRoar and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing XRoar and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2015-06-18T12:10:03Z

Soundchaser: /* Introduction to DriveWire4 */

{{NavDriveWire}}
by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support.''
'' Those programs need a different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a''
''useful tool for the Coco Community, then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have''
''different GUI formats and capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and''
''I want this document to be simple and not confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use''
''the term PC to refer to any machine running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or''
''Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable for your system as I have very limited''
''knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9''
''will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.03.00 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4

*[http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/ XRoar Dragon32/64, Coco 1/2 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of XRoar usable with DriveWire4
*[[XRoar and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing XRoar and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

CoCo Links

2015-06-18T12:02:58Z

Soundchaser: added to some of the descriptions

{{NavHome}}
[[Image:3Mugateers.GIF|right|The Three Mugateers]]

CoCo is the nickname given to the Radio Shack TRS-80 '''Co'''lor '''Co'''mputer.

==External CoCo Related Links==
*[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tandy_Color_Computer TRS-80 Color Computer Wikipedia Page] - A rather well done information page on just what a CoCo is.
*[http://coco3.com/ The TRS-80.Tandy Color Computer Supersite] - No longer active and full of SPAM, but use the search engine to find lots information for the CoCo.
*[http://cococoding.com/ CoCo Coding] - Massive Color Computer programming and documentation repository.
*[http://cloud9tech.com.com/ The Cloud-9 Page] - State of the art hardware and software upgrades for the CoCo.
*[http://glensideccc.com/ The Glenside Color Computer Club Page] - More information on the CoCo.
*[http://www.colorcomputerarchive.com/ TRS-80 Color Computer Archives] - A wealth of Coco software in organized directories. Most sofware for the Coco can be found here as well as manuals and magazines.
*[http://tandycoco.com/ CoCo News, Reviews & Updates] - CoCo commentary with news and hardware and software reviews.
*[http://tandycoco.com/forum/ The Color Computer Forums] CoCo Enthusiast Forum pages.
*[http://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ JAVA based DriveWire 4 by Aaron Wolfe] - Opens the CoCo to new features and worlds, with virtual drive access from your PC, DW4 MIDI for the Coco, OS-9 terminals, and much, much more!
*[http://users.axess.com/twilight/sock/ Sock Master's CoCo Page] - Home of CoCo's Donkey Kong Emulator, Twilight Term, mind-blowing CoCo demos such as CocoTracker (Coco Mod player) and much more.
*[http://www.cocoquest.com/ CoCo Quest] - Home of Mike Snyder's CoCo games.
*[http://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/ Da Barn Studios] - A site dedicated to the software projects of Bill Pierce as well as Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 1, 2 & 3.
*[http://lost.l-w.ca/coco/lwtools/ LWTools]- is a set of cross-development tools for the Motorola 6809 and Hitachi 6309 microprocessors.
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ NitrOS-9 on SourceForge] - The open source operating system for all CoCo's and Dragons. Great documentation in the wiki.
*[ftp://www.rtsi.com/OS9/OS9_6X09/ RTSI OS9 Archive] - The exclusive archive of OS9 software and tools.
*[ftp://www.rtsi.com/RSDOS/ RTSI RSDOS Archive] - The archive of RSDOS software and tools.
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/toolshed/ The Toolshed] - Great set of tools including a 6809 assembler, utilities for managing disk images, and much more.
*[http://webchat.freenode.net/?channels=coco_chat Coco Chat] - You can chat with folks interested in CoCo programming.
*[http://www.lcurtisboyle.com/nitros9/ NitrOS9.LCURTISBOYLE.COM] - A set of Coco 1/2/3 web pages by L. Curtis Boyle on NitrOS-9.
*[http://alsplace.os9al.com/subetha.html Al's Place] - The Home and history of Sub-Etha Software. A lot of info on Coco and OS-9.
*[http://cocomc10.pereanet.com/ Yet Another Coco & MC-10 Site] - Dedicated to the Tandy/Radio Shack MC-10 Micro Color Computer and the Color Computers 1, 2 & 3.
*[http://www.cs.unc.edu/~yakowenk/coco.html Color Computer Stuff] - SO, WHY ARE RADIO SHACK COLOR COMPUTERS SUDDENLY COOL?
*[http://www.vavasour.ca/cfdm/ Coco Friends Disk Magazine] - A web version of back issues of "Coco Friends Disk Magazine"
*[http://www.vavasour.ca/jeff/trs80.html Jeff Vavasour's TRS-80 EMULATION Page] - The first Color Computer Emulator. Jeff's TRS-80 emulation is good stuff. All MSDOS based, so modern computers need a DOSBox to run the emulators.
*[http://archive.worldofdragon.org/index.php?title=Main_Page The Dragon Archive] - This page contains links to various resources related to the Dragon 32 and Dragon 64 microcomputers.
*[http://www.coco4.com/vcc/download.shtml Virtual Color Computer (Vcc)] - the VCC Color Computer 3 Emulator for Windows download page. This is the last official release by the author.
*[http://members.optusnet.com.au/nickma/ProjectArchive/index.html Nickolas Marentes' Project Archive] - Nick's page includes information on all his CoCo projects and programs, interviews, software downloads and interesting information about the CoCo 3's (still) elusive 256 color mode.
*[http://cocoman.org/cocoman/ Coco Man's Webpage] - This Page Deticated to the Tandy/ Radio Shack Color Computer "COCO".
*[http://users.digitalindigo.net/~techno/coco.html Techno's CoCo Page] - Lots of interesting information about the various models of the CoCo, including pictures.
*[http://iloveglory.freehostia.com/daggorath/index.html The Dungeons of Daggorath Video Game] - A page devoted to the classic CoCo game, considered by many to be one of the best games of all time!
*[http://www.trs-80.com/wordpress/orch80/ Ira Goldklang's TRS-80 Revived Site] - Ira's TRS-80 site with pages devoted to the Orchestra 80/85/90.
*[http://coco.etechwds.com/ Life and Times of the Color Computer] - Steve Bjork's homepage. I wish Steve would get back to work on the Coco 4 project.

[[Category:Help]]

DW4 Installation Guide

2015-02-28T16:18:08Z

Soundchaser: /* Introduction to DriveWire4 */

{{NavDriveWire}}
by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support.''
'' Those programs need a different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a''
''useful tool for the Coco Community, then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have''
''different GUI formats and capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and''
''I want this document to be simple and not confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use''
''the term PC to refer to any machine running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or''
''Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable for your system as I have very limited''
''knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9''
''will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.03.00 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4

*[http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/ XRoar Dragon32/64, Coco 1/2 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of XRoar usable with DriveWire4
*[[XRoar and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing XRoar and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-10-26T01:43:49Z

Soundchaser: /* Vcc Coco 3 Emulator HDBDOS/DW4/NitrOS9 Starter Kits */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is''
''added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Installing VCC 1.4.3b & DriveWire4 ==

[[File:BootUmuse3.gif|500px|center]]

----

=== Introducing Vcc 1.4.3beta with Becker Port Support for DriveWire4 ===

When Joseph Forgione released the 1st version of the Vcc Coco 3 emulator, I was a little sceptical about it. Slowly, he updated the releases from 1.0.0 to 1.4.2. At that point the emulator had matured greatly and would run most Coco software, even OS-9. It was about that same time, the M.E.S.S. Coco 3 emulator started to get more features, but with each feature, introducing more bugs. Vcc 1.4.2 was easy to install, easy to run, and felt like using a real Coco 3. With some help from Robert Gault, Joseph added the RGBDOS system for controlling VHDs (virtual hard drives) just as you would real hard drives. The package was complete. With 4 virtual floppy disk dirves, a virtual hard drive usable in both RSDOS and OS-9, Vcc became the ultimate Coco 3 emulator. But sadly... Joseph seemed to disappear from the Coco community. There were no more updates, no more posts, and even his website eventually disappeared. As luck would have it, there were at least copies of the Vcc installation package in several of the Coco archive sites, so it was still available. It was still (IMHO) the best Coco 3 emulator around. But there were several things missing... like support to interface the outside world.... then came the Becker Port.

Originally, the Becker Port was interfaced in a Coco FPGA project by Gary Becker so the Coco emulation in the FPGA could access the DriveWire interface. All the port really consists of is 2 unused address lines that with proper coding, could access serial input from outside the emulation. But where did that leave Vcc?

Somewhere along the line, a couple of members of the Coco community located and contacted Joseph to inquire about the state of the Vcc source code. In his replies, he stated that he would like to move the Vcc sources to an Open Source project as his age and health would no longer allow him to work on the project. He want the Coco community to be able to carry on with his Vcc project. He sent them a copy of the source code to "play around" with until he finished preparing the sources for public release. He said he wanted to change the copyright statements and also remove the RSDOS ROMS to avoid possible copyright infringements. Much to our dismay, he hasn't been heard from since. Several people have tried to contact him with no response. So until he is contacted, there can be no official release of the sources or an Open Source project. Meanwhile, the holders of the sources ''had'' been playing with them. They discovered a way to implement the Becker Port so that Vcc could ''talk'' to the hosting PC through a patch to the TCP port. With a little modification to DriveWire, the Becker Port became Vcc's connection to the world. Eventually, the patched version of Vcc was released to the public as Vcc 1.4.3beta. Now with Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4, you can load multiple VHD images, print to DW4's virtual printer, access the internet through TelNet, play Coco MIDI sequences through DW4's virtual MIDI interface and much more!! Vcc couldn't be much better.

With all these new capabilities in Vcc, comes some complexity. The setup to get Vcc going with the Becker Port and DW4 is not so complicated as it is confusing. With this tutorial, I hope eliminate some of that confusion. So let's get on with it!

----

=== Installing DriveWire4 ===

I am not going to repeat the DriveWire4 installation here as there is already a tutorial for that installation. To install DW4, just click the link below and follow the instructions and get DW4 running. Once you have completed the DW4 installation, hit your back button on your browser to come back here and complete the Vcc 1.4.3b installation.

*[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/DW4_Installation_Guide#Installing_DriveWire4 Installing DriveWire4] - A complete guide for the DW4 installation.

----

=== Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta ===

To install Vcc 1.4.3b, you must download the Vcc installation package from:

[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)

Once you have downloaded the package, unzip it to a folder and you will find the Vcc_setup.exe file. Run this file and follow the prompts and Vcc 1.4.3b will be set up on you Windows PC with a shortcut on your desktop. At the end of the installation, you will also be prompted read the "ReadMe-143beta.txt" file. I recomend you do so. Now there are a few things you need to know about this installation before you run the program.

First, using Windows Explorer" (not Internet Explorer), navigate to the directory in which Vcc was installed. You should find these files:
*'''Vcc.exe''' - The actual Vcc emulator program
*'''Welcome to Vcc.pdf''' - The Vcc User's Manual in PDF format
*'''ReadMe-143beta.txt''' - A short explination for using the hdbdos roms and the Becker Port
*'''Vcc.ini''' - The initialization defaults for Vcc
*'''KeyMap.ini''' - The unfinished (and unusable) keymap file
*'''fd502.dll''' - The FD-502 Disk Controller emulation library
*'''harddisk.dll''' - The Glenside IDE Hard Drive Controller emulation library
*'''mpi.dll''' - The Tandy Multipak Interface emulation library
*'''orch90.dll''' - The Orchestra 90cc Program pak and interface library
*'''SuperIDE.dll''' - The Cloud9 SuperIDE HardDrive and CF card reader interface library
*'''hdbdw3bc3.rom''' - The HDBDOS rom patched for use with the Becker Port
*'''hdbdw3bck.rom''' - An alternate HDBDOS rom with hi-speed turned off for Coco 2 game compatibility
*'''unins000.exe''' - The windows uninstall program
*'''unins000.dat''' - The stored data record for the uninstall program

Familarize yourslef with these filenames as some of them will be accessed later in the tutorial.

----

==== Changing the defaults ====

First I recommend you read the Vcc manual thoroughly as well as the "ReadMe" text file as it contains important info in regards to using HDBDOS & DW4 with Vcc that is not covered in the manual. You must keep in mind that the Vcc manual was written before the Becker Port enhancement was introduced and does not cover it's operation, hence the writing of this tutorial.

Once you are familar with some of Vcc's features, you'll want to get up and running. Just double click the Vcc icon on your desktop and you will see the Vcc Coco 3 emulator default screen. You will start in "Disk Extended Color Basic 2.1" just as if you had turned on your real Coco 3 with a Radio Shack disk controller installed... But with a differnece. If you click the "Cartridge" menu item at the top of the emulator, you will see that not only do you have a disk controller, but a Multipak Interface, four disk drives, and a hard drive!!

----

===== RGB-DOS =====

At the default settings, you have a fully functional Coco 3 super system right at your finger tips (literally). What I would've given to have had such a system in the 80s. But this is only the tip of the iceberg... there's a lot more than just meets the eye. Try this, click the "Cartridge" menu and in the pulldown menu,

[[File:disk-basic-1.jpeg|500px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::select the "FD-502 Config" item.

[[File:FD-502_Config_2.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::In the top left box, check the "RGB Dos" button and click the "OK" button.

[[File:FD-502_Config_1.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::Hit "F9" two times to ''cold start'' Vcc and you should now be in RGBDOS for Vcc

[[File:rgbdos-1.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find that you can change the rom you're using, overclock the drives for faster read/write speeds, slect "Persistant disk images" to save your disk selections for the next run, and there's even a function to use the PC's real floppy drive as a Coco drive. I personally have never been able to get this functions to work, but I have heard others say that it does work with the proper PC and drives.

Though ultimately, we're going to move away from RGBDOS and into the DriveWire compatible "HDBDOS" which is basically RGBDOS on steroids, I figured this was a good place to set some things in the configuration so that you will be more familar with menus when we get to the good "stuff".

The "Cartridge" menu we were just accessing is where you go to "insert" your rom carts, disks and hard drives. For now were' going to leave that menu and move to the "Configuration" menu.

----

===== Configuration Menu =====

The "config" menu is where you can set all aspects of your Coco 3 emulation. Are you used to using an RGB monitor or a TV? You can emulate either one. Want to load from virtual cassette images? That can be done as well. There are lots of options here and we'll touch on a few of them as we prepare to set Vcc up to be ready for the Becker Port and DriveWire4.

[[File:rgbdos-2.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find the Config panel. This is where most of the Vcc defaults are set,

[[File:config-1.jpg|400px|center]]

This first tab, "Audio", is where you select your PC's soundcard so Vcc can emulate the sounds of the Coco on your PC speakers. Vcc will even play it's Orchestra 90 pak in full stereo sound!

[[File:config-2.jpg|400px|center]]

The next tab is the "CPU" panel. Here you can select your memory size from 128k stock off the shelf Coco 3 to a monster 8 meg Super Coco. Currently, NitrOS-9 only supports up to 2 meg, but with driver modifications, 8 meg should be do-able. You can select either a standard 6809 CPU or the Hitachi 6309 which runs at double speed with suedo 16 & 32 bit instruction set. You can also overclock the Coco CPU speed and get amazing speed. I use this function when I'm compiling C code as that can be a slow process at regular Coco speeds.

[[File:config-3.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Display" tab is (of course) where you set your Coco's display. You can set Vcc to emulate RGB on a Cm-8 monitor or Composite video like the color TV display... only much clearer. You will probably want to make sure "Allow Screen Resize" is checked or you will not be able to resize the Vcc window. I use a full maximized display on a wide-screen LCD monitor, but sometimes you want to "square" up the display so that games and graphics do not look stretched. Here you can also select "Throttle Speed" which when selected, makes the Coco's clock remain constant even when the PCU is overclocked. Unchecked, everything runs FULL speed of the overclock setting in the CPU panel.

[[File:config-4.jpg|400px|center]]

On the "Keyboard" tab, there is only one options setting. You can select the "Basic" keyboard layout in which the keys on your PC keyboard emulates the layout of the actual Coco keyboard or you can select the "OS-9" keyboard which is basically your PC keyboard's layout.

[[File:config-5.jpg|400px|center]]

In the "Joysticks" tab you can select to use your PC's mouse or the arrow/mapped keys as the Coco's joystick/mouse. There are disabled options for real PC joysticks but Joseph never finished that option so it's unavailable.

[[File:config-6.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Misc" tab contains selections for auto starting the program pak emulation. In other words, if you select "AutoStart Cart", when you select a slot in the emulated MPI (Cartridge menu), it will automatically start that cart. Deselecting this ooption and selecting a cart slot is like taping the the cart select pin on the cart so the Coco will not boot the rom. I used to do this on the Orchestra 90 pak to be able to use the stereo 8 bit sound for my programs.

[[File:config-7.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Tape" tab is where you insert a virtual cassette image to load and save cassette tape programs just like on a real tape deck. There is an option to use the "wav" format also, but a word of warning, I have found that even just loading a "wav" file mangles the original wav file. I would only use files in the "cas" format. You were warned.

[[File:config-8.jpg|400px|center]]

Finally we come to the "BitBanger" tab. Originally in Vcc 1.4.2, the bitbanger (or serial port) feature was non-functional. This tab is what is now used to set the Becker Port parameters. In the default installation, the port is disabled but the IP and Port settings are set for you. To enable the Becker Port you just click.... "Enable Becker Interface". It's that easy. Just for clarification, the IP setting should be "127.0.0.1" and the Port setting should be "65504" as shown in the picture above.

After clicking "Enable...", you are almost ready to use the port to drivewire but there's a couple of more things you need to know.

''NOTE: After setting the values of any items in the Config menu, you must click "Apply" for them to''
''to change to those settings. Clicking apply makes the changes "instant" before you leave the menu panel.''

----

==== HDBDOS ====

''Note: Scrrenshots comming soon''

Now we are going to set up the HDBDOS ROM. Exit any menu you may currently be viewing and click the "Cartridge" menu. In the "Cartridge" selection, make sure you have the "MPI.DLL" inserted into the "Cartridge" slot. With the "MPI.DLL" inserted, you should see 4 MPI "slots" below the "Catridge" selection. In the "MPI Slot 4", insert the "FD-502.DLL" if not already present. In "MPI Slot 3" insert the "harddisk.dll". It will display as "Hard drive + Clous9 RTC" in the selction. In "MPI Slot 2" I usually insert the "Orch90.dll" as I use this for stereo sound in some of my software. Now click the MPI Config. Set the "Slot Selct" to "4" and click "OK".

Click the "Cartridge" menu again, you should now have 4 FD-502 Drives and a Hard Drive 0 selection available below the MPI choices. For now, we are not going to worry with our disks, we are going to get HDBDOS going. Near the bottom of the menu, click the "FD-502 Config" selection. This should bring you back into the drive configuration menu we were in earlier. Click the "External ROM Image" button to make sure it is selected. In the bottom right corner of the panel should be a "Browse" button. Click this button and navagate to you VCC installation directory (it should already be there). Select the "hdbdw3bc3.rom" and click "Open". You should now be back in the "FD-502 Config" panel. Select "Overclock Disk Drives", "Persistent Disk Images", and "Clock At 0xFF50-51". Now click "OK". Vcc should now reboot and you should see the "Disk Extended Basic" logo as Well as the "HDBDOS 1.4 DW3" logo below that. If so, you have successfully booted into HDBDOS. If not, review the above directions and try again.

----

==== Configuring DriveWire4 for Vcc ====

At this point, Vcc may seem to be "hung up". This because HDBDOS is trying to connect to DriveWire4 and DW4 is not setup correctly if you followed the DW4 setup instructions. Those instructions were for a real Coco and not for Vcc. You need to bring up the DW4 GUI and set up the GUI for Vcc and the Becker Port.

In DW4, click the "Config" menu and select the firt item "Simple Config Wizard". The first panel in the wozard is just an info screen so click "Next". The next panel is where you select the machine type that you are running. The selection we want is the "Emulator or other TCP/IP" item in the bottom right corner" Select this item and click "Next". The rest of this configuration should be at defaults but we will review them to be sure. This panel is the "Connection TCP/IP Defaults". Make sure "Use Server Mode" is selected and the "Listen On Port" is set to 65504 as this is the port we have in Vcc. Click "Next".

In this panel, "Choose Virtual Midi Support", "yes" should be selected. Click "Next". The next panel is the "Printer Options" and we'll leave the defaults for now so click "Next" (for more on this option see the DW4 documentation). The next panel is the final screen so just click "Finish". DW4 should now be properly setup for Vcc 1.4.3 w/Becker Port support.

----

== Running Vcc with DriveWire4 and HDBDOS ==

Now go back to your Vcc window. Press "F9" on your PC keyboard twice. This will "Cold Start" Vcc as if you turned the Cooo Off, then back on. Neat eh?

If all went well, you should now have the Disk Extended Basic and HDBDOS logos with a "blinking" cursor. If your cursor is not blinking, I suggest you go back to the beginning of this tutorial and review all sections to see what was missed.

If you got the blinking cursor, then you have done it!! You have successfully got Vcc 1.4.3b running with DriveWire4. Now... What do we do with it? I will try to explain a few basics of the HDBDOS operations but I suggest you read the DriveWire4 documentation Wiki for DW4 info and get the HDBDOS documentation PDF file from Cloud9.com and read it well. There is a wealth of information there on all of HDBDOS's features.

----

=== Mounting VHDs (Virtual Hard Drives) ===

''NOTE: The internal Vcc "hard drive 0" will not be usable under HDBDOS. This is only usable under RGBDOS''
''or NitrOS9. You will be using the DriveWire "drive slots" in the DW4 GUI. The Vcc virtual "FD-502 Drives"''
''should work normally.''

To use "Floppy Disk" images found in the Color Computer Archives, just mount the images in the emulated floppy drives under Vcc's "Cartridge" / "FD-502 Drive" slots and use regular Disk Extended Basic commands just as you would on a real Coco 3.

To mount a VHD in the DriveWire4 GUI, just "right click" on the desired slot in the GUI and select "Insert Disk for Drive x". Navvigate to where your VHDs are stored and double click the desired image. Your VHD image is now mounted in DW4.

To use VHD files in Vcc with DW4, first you need to know a little about the way VHD files are configured. Basically, there are 2 types of VHD files found on the internet. The first is a straight, single partition VHD formatted for either RSDOS or OS9. To use these files, there is no "special" setup needed. The second type has been the subject of many disscussions on the Coco forums as to what the standard format is, but I will deal with the 2 most used formats here. These are the "dual partition" hybrid "OS9/RSDOS" VHDs. These images have both OS9 and RSDOS partitions and are the format most frequently found in the archives.

To use the dual partition VHDs under RSDOS, HDBDOS needs a little tweeking. As a standard, the OS9 partition comes first and the RSDOS partition last. Due to this configuration, HDBDOS cannot find the RSDOS partition until you tell it where the partition is. You do this by setting "offsets" in HDBDOS. There are several ways to do this.

The 2 formats of VHD are the original standard set up by Alan deKok for Jeff Vavasour's Coco emulator. In his format, the RSODS partition starts at $5A000 (368640)

The other format is used by Cloud9's SuperIDE controller and the offset is $79500 (496896).

The only real difference between these two formats is the size of the OS9 partition.

To use these offsets, first you must determine which type you are using. I know of no way to do this so my best suggestion is to ask someone involved with where you obtained the file. Once you know what type of VHD you have, using BASIC POKEs, you type:

(for "standard" VHDs)

POKE &HD938,5:POKE&HD939,&HA0:POKE&HD93A,0

(for "cloud9" VHDs)

POKE^HD938,7:POKE&HD939,&H95:POKE&HD93A,0

These pokes will make the RSDOS partition readily available to HDBDOS. The downfall of this method is you have to do this each time you start VCC or each time you move from RSDOS to OS9 and back again. The change is not permenant and is reset to default (000000 any time the HDBDOS rom is reloaded (reset or restart). You can also write an "AUTOEX/BAS" file to do this for you, but we'll discuss this in a later chapter of the tutorial.

The next method is a little more permenant. You must go to the DW4 GUI and "right click" the slot in which your VHD file is loaded. In the context menu displayed, select "Drive x Parameters" at the bottom of the menu. Scroll down the display until you find the "offset" (not "offsetdrv") entry. Click this entry and a dialog box appears at the bottom of the panel. Enter the proper offset from the text above into the box near the bottom and click "Apply" then "OK". You should now have access to the RSDOS partition of the VHD in Vcc. The major downfall of this method is that now you cannot use the OS9 partition on the drive as DW4 is set to look past that area. This is reall only useful is you are using RSDOS exclusively. Each VHD file can have it's own offset independant of the others so you can use mutiple types with this method.

The last method is the best (and the one I use) if you use both OS9 and RSDOS regularly, but it is also the most involved. First you will need to obtain a Windows hex editor program. I will not provide that here but you can easily find several free hex editors by Googling "windows hex editor" (I did). Once you have a hex editor, start the editor the load the "hdbdw3c3.rom" file into the editor. The file will be in your Vcc installation folder.

In the hex editor, scroll down to an offset of $1D98 and change this and the next 2 values to $05, $A0, $00 respectively. Now save the file as "hdbdw3c3_offset.rom" and exit the hex editor. Use the HDBDOS setup directions we used before and reload the new rom into Vcc. Hit "F9" twice (cold Start) and now you have a permenant offset in HDBDOS and both RSDOS & OS9 partitions will read properly.

The method you use is up to you and/or the type of VHD you are using. Personally, I always use the "standard" type VHD and keep my offsets in HDBDOS permenant.

----

== Summary ==

This concludes the basic Vcc 1.4.3b and DW4 installations. I will not go into how to use HDBDOS or setting up NitrOS9 in this tutorial as the HDBDOS manual describes all aspects of HDBDOS and should be your reference to that software. As for installing NitrOS-9 for Vcc and DW4, that will be a tutorial in itself. That can be a very involved process as there are many options and each user has his/her own needs in OS9. I hope to write the NitrOS9 installation tutorial soon, but until then....

Keep On Cocoing!!

----

== Resources ==

Here are the links for the all the downloads and documentation needed for Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator wit Becker Port support.

=== Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port ===
The download includes all Vcc needs to run. This download does NOT include DriveWire4
[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
----

=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in''
''developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----

=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs
----

=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Vcc Coco 3 Emulator HDBDOS/DW4/NitrOS9 Starter Kits ===
A complete "Starter Kit" including everything needed to get Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4 up and running. The kits even include software populated VHDs (virtual hard drives), and all Manuals.

ONLY For MS Windows XP (SP2), Vista, Win 7, & Win 8 ONLY

*[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206809%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6809 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)
*[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206309%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6309 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)

For my Starter Kit website (including kits for Coco 1-3, Vcc, Mess, and XRoar)

*[https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/the-color-computer-drivewire4-hdbdos-nitros9-starter-kit The Color Computer DriveWire4 HDBDOS NitrOS-9 Starter Kits]

''NOTE: "The Starter Kits" are a 3rd Party project and are by NO means the responsibility of the developers''
''and/or programmers of the product represented. I personally take responsibility for the quality and''
''reliability of these kits.''
''Bill Pierce''
----

DW4 Installation Guide

2014-05-27T16:04:18Z

Soundchaser: /* Coco 3 */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.03.00 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4

*[http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/ XRoar Dragon32/64, Coco 1/2 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of XRoar usable with DriveWire4
*[[XRoar and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing XRoar and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-04-18T23:50:43Z

Soundchaser:

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is''
''added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Installing VCC 1.4.3b & DriveWire4 ==

[[File:BootUmuse3.gif|500px|center]]

----

=== Introducing Vcc 1.4.3beta with Becker Port Support for DriveWire4 ===

When Joseph Forgione released the 1st version of the Vcc Coco 3 emulator, I was a little sceptical about it. Slowly, he updated the releases from 1.0.0 to 1.4.2. At that point the emulator had matured greatly and would run most Coco software, even OS-9. It was about that same time, the M.E.S.S. Coco 3 emulator started to get more features, but with each feature, introducing more bugs. Vcc 1.4.2 was easy to install, easy to run, and felt like using a real Coco 3. With some help from Robert Gault, Joseph added the RGBDOS system for controlling VHDs (virtual hard drives) just as you would real hard drives. The package was complete. With 4 virtual floppy disk dirves, a virtual hard drive usable in both RSDOS and OS-9, Vcc became the ultimate Coco 3 emulator. But sadly... Joseph seemed to disappear from the Coco community. There were no more updates, no more posts, and even his website eventually disappeared. As luck would have it, there were at least copies of the Vcc installation package in several of the Coco archive sites, so it was still available. It was still (IMHO) the best Coco 3 emulator around. But there were several things missing... like support to interface the outside world.... then came the Becker Port.

Originally, the Becker Port was interfaced in a Coco FPGA project by Gary Becker so the Coco emulation in the FPGA could access the DriveWire interface. All the port really consists of is 2 unused address lines that with proper coding, could access serial input from outside the emulation. But where did that leave Vcc?

Somewhere along the line, a couple of members of the Coco community located and contacted Joseph to inquire about the state of the Vcc source code. In his replies, he stated that he would like to move the Vcc sources to an Open Source project as his age and health would no longer allow him to work on the project. He want the Coco community to be able to carry on with his Vcc project. He sent them a copy of the source code to "play around" with until he finished preparing the sources for public release. He said he wanted to change the copyright statements and also remove the RSDOS ROMS to avoid possible copyright infringements. Much to our dismay, he hasn't been heard from since. Several people have tried to contact him with no response. So until he is contacted, there can be no official release of the sources or an Open Source project. Meanwhile, the holders of the sources ''had'' been playing with them. They discovered a way to implement the Becker Port so that Vcc could ''talk'' to the hosting PC through a patch to the TCP port. With a little modification to DriveWire, the Becker Port became Vcc's connection to the world. Eventually, the patched version of Vcc was released to the public as Vcc 1.4.3beta. Now with Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4, you can load multiple VHD images, print to DW4's virtual printer, access the internet through TelNet, play Coco MIDI sequences through DW4's virtual MIDI interface and much more!! Vcc couldn't be much better.

With all these new capabilities in Vcc, comes some complexity. The setup to get Vcc going with the Becker Port and DW4 is not so complicated as it is confusing. With this tutorial, I hope eliminate some of that confusion. So let's get on with it!

----

=== Installing DriveWire4 ===

I am not going to repeat the DriveWire4 installation here as there is already a tutorial for that installation. To install DW4, just click the link below and follow the instructions and get DW4 running. Once you have completed the DW4 installation, hit your back button on your browser to come back here and complete the Vcc 1.4.3b installation.

*[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/DW4_Installation_Guide#Installing_DriveWire4 Installing DriveWire4] - A complete guide for the DW4 installation.

----

=== Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta ===

To install Vcc 1.4.3b, you must download the Vcc installation package from:

[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)

Once you have downloaded the package, unzip it to a folder and you will find the Vcc_setup.exe file. Run this file and follow the prompts and Vcc 1.4.3b will be set up on you Windows PC with a shortcut on your desktop. At the end of the installation, you will also be prompted read the "ReadMe-143beta.txt" file. I recomend you do so. Now there are a few things you need to know about this installation before you run the program.

First, using Windows Explorer" (not Internet Explorer), navigate to the directory in which Vcc was installed. You should find these files:
*'''Vcc.exe''' - The actual Vcc emulator program
*'''Welcome to Vcc.pdf''' - The Vcc User's Manual in PDF format
*'''ReadMe-143beta.txt''' - A short explination for using the hdbdos roms and the Becker Port
*'''Vcc.ini''' - The initialization defaults for Vcc
*'''KeyMap.ini''' - The unfinished (and unusable) keymap file
*'''fd502.dll''' - The FD-502 Disk Controller emulation library
*'''harddisk.dll''' - The Glenside IDE Hard Drive Controller emulation library
*'''mpi.dll''' - The Tandy Multipak Interface emulation library
*'''orch90.dll''' - The Orchestra 90cc Program pak and interface library
*'''SuperIDE.dll''' - The Cloud9 SuperIDE HardDrive and CF card reader interface library
*'''hdbdw3bc3.rom''' - The HDBDOS rom patched for use with the Becker Port
*'''hdbdw3bck.rom''' - An alternate HDBDOS rom with hi-speed turned off for Coco 2 game compatibility
*'''unins000.exe''' - The windows uninstall program
*'''unins000.dat''' - The stored data record for the uninstall program

Familarize yourslef with these filenames as some of them will be accessed later in the tutorial.

----

==== Changing the defaults ====

First I recommend you read the Vcc manual thoroughly as well as the "ReadMe" text file as it contains important info in regards to using HDBDOS & DW4 with Vcc that is not covered in the manual. You must keep in mind that the Vcc manual was written before the Becker Port enhancement was introduced and does not cover it's operation, hence the writing of this tutorial.

Once you are familar with some of Vcc's features, you'll want to get up and running. Just double click the Vcc icon on your desktop and you will see the Vcc Coco 3 emulator default screen. You will start in "Disk Extended Color Basic 2.1" just as if you had turned on your real Coco 3 with a Radio Shack disk controller installed... But with a differnece. If you click the "Cartridge" menu item at the top of the emulator, you will see that not only do you have a disk controller, but a Multipak Interface, four disk drives, and a hard drive!!

----

===== RGB-DOS =====

At the default settings, you have a fully functional Coco 3 super system right at your finger tips (literally). What I would've given to have had such a system in the 80s. But this is only the tip of the iceberg... there's a lot more than just meets the eye. Try this, click the "Cartridge" menu and in the pulldown menu,

[[File:disk-basic-1.jpeg|500px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::select the "FD-502 Config" item.

[[File:FD-502_Config_2.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::In the top left box, check the "RGB Dos" button and click the "OK" button.

[[File:FD-502_Config_1.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::Hit "F9" two times to ''cold start'' Vcc and you should now be in RGBDOS for Vcc

[[File:rgbdos-1.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find that you can change the rom you're using, overclock the drives for faster read/write speeds, slect "Persistant disk images" to save your disk selections for the next run, and there's even a function to use the PC's real floppy drive as a Coco drive. I personally have never been able to get this functions to work, but I have heard others say that it does work with the proper PC and drives.

Though ultimately, we're going to move away from RGBDOS and into the DriveWire compatible "HDBDOS" which is basically RGBDOS on steroids, I figured this was a good place to set some things in the configuration so that you will be more familar with menus when we get to the good "stuff".

The "Cartridge" menu we were just accessing is where you go to "insert" your rom carts, disks and hard drives. For now were' going to leave that menu and move to the "Configuration" menu.

----

===== Configuration Menu =====

The "config" menu is where you can set all aspects of your Coco 3 emulation. Are you used to using an RGB monitor or a TV? You can emulate either one. Want to load from virtual cassette images? That can be done as well. There are lots of options here and we'll touch on a few of them as we prepare to set Vcc up to be ready for the Becker Port and DriveWire4.

[[File:rgbdos-2.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find the Config panel. This is where most of the Vcc defaults are set,

[[File:config-1.jpg|400px|center]]

This first tab, "Audio", is where you select your PC's soundcard so Vcc can emulate the sounds of the Coco on your PC speakers. Vcc will even play it's Orchestra 90 pak in full stereo sound!

[[File:config-2.jpg|400px|center]]

The next tab is the "CPU" panel. Here you can select your memory size from 128k stock off the shelf Coco 3 to a monster 8 meg Super Coco. Currently, NitrOS-9 only supports up to 2 meg, but with driver modifications, 8 meg should be do-able. You can select either a standard 6809 CPU or the Hitachi 6309 which runs at double speed with suedo 16 & 32 bit instruction set. You can also overclock the Coco CPU speed and get amazing speed. I use this function when I'm compiling C code as that can be a slow process at regular Coco speeds.

[[File:config-3.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Display" tab is (of course) where you set your Coco's display. You can set Vcc to emulate RGB on a Cm-8 monitor or Composite video like the color TV display... only much clearer. You will probably want to make sure "Allow Screen Resize" is checked or you will not be able to resize the Vcc window. I use a full maximized display on a wide-screen LCD monitor, but sometimes you want to "square" up the display so that games and graphics do not look stretched. Here you can also select "Throttle Speed" which when selected, makes the Coco's clock remain constant even when the PCU is overclocked. Unchecked, everything runs FULL speed of the overclock setting in the CPU panel.

[[File:config-4.jpg|400px|center]]

On the "Keyboard" tab, there is only one options setting. You can select the "Basic" keyboard layout in which the keys on your PC keyboard emulates the layout of the actual Coco keyboard or you can select the "OS-9" keyboard which is basically your PC keyboard's layout.

[[File:config-5.jpg|400px|center]]

In the "Joysticks" tab you can select to use your PC's mouse or the arrow/mapped keys as the Coco's joystick/mouse. There are disabled options for real PC joysticks but Joseph never finished that option so it's unavailable.

[[File:config-6.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Misc" tab contains selections for auto starting the program pak emulation. In other words, if you select "AutoStart Cart", when you select a slot in the emulated MPI (Cartridge menu), it will automatically start that cart. Deselecting this ooption and selecting a cart slot is like taping the the cart select pin on the cart so the Coco will not boot the rom. I used to do this on the Orchestra 90 pak to be able to use the stereo 8 bit sound for my programs.

[[File:config-7.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Tape" tab is where you insert a virtual cassette image to load and save cassette tape programs just like on a real tape deck. There is an option to use the "wav" format also, but a word of warning, I have found that even just loading a "wav" file mangles the original wav file. I would only use files in the "cas" format. You were warned.

[[File:config-8.jpg|400px|center]]

Finally we come to the "BitBanger" tab. Originally in Vcc 1.4.2, the bitbanger (or serial port) feature was non-functional. This tab is what is now used to set the Becker Port parameters. In the default installation, the port is disabled but the IP and Port settings are set for you. To enable the Becker Port you just click.... "Enable Becker Interface". It's that easy. Just for clarification, the IP setting should be "127.0.0.1" and the Port setting should be "65504" as shown in the picture above.

After clicking "Enable...", you are almost ready to use the port to drivewire but there's a couple of more things you need to know.

''NOTE: After setting the values of any items in the Config menu, you must click "Apply" for them to''
''to change to those settings. Clicking apply makes the changes "instant" before you leave the menu panel.''

----

==== HDBDOS ====

''Note: Scrrenshots comming soon''

Now we are going to set up the HDBDOS ROM. Exit any menu you may currently be viewing and click the "Cartridge" menu. In the "Cartridge" selection, make sure you have the "MPI.DLL" inserted into the "Cartridge" slot. With the "MPI.DLL" inserted, you should see 4 MPI "slots" below the "Catridge" selection. In the "MPI Slot 4", insert the "FD-502.DLL" if not already present. In "MPI Slot 3" insert the "harddisk.dll". It will display as "Hard drive + Clous9 RTC" in the selction. In "MPI Slot 2" I usually insert the "Orch90.dll" as I use this for stereo sound in some of my software. Now click the MPI Config. Set the "Slot Selct" to "4" and click "OK".

Click the "Cartridge" menu again, you should now have 4 FD-502 Drives and a Hard Drive 0 selection available below the MPI choices. For now, we are not going to worry with our disks, we are going to get HDBDOS going. Near the bottom of the menu, click the "FD-502 Config" selection. This should bring you back into the drive configuration menu we were in earlier. Click the "External ROM Image" button to make sure it is selected. In the bottom right corner of the panel should be a "Browse" button. Click this button and navagate to you VCC installation directory (it should already be there). Select the "hdbdw3bc3.rom" and click "Open". You should now be back in the "FD-502 Config" panel. Select "Overclock Disk Drives", "Persistent Disk Images", and "Clock At 0xFF50-51". Now click "OK". Vcc should now reboot and you should see the "Disk Extended Basic" logo as Well as the "HDBDOS 1.4 DW3" logo below that. If so, you have successfully booted into HDBDOS. If not, review the above directions and try again.

----

==== Configuring DriveWire4 for Vcc ====

At this point, Vcc may seem to be "hung up". This because HDBDOS is trying to connect to DriveWire4 and DW4 is not setup correctly if you followed the DW4 setup instructions. Those instructions were for a real Coco and not for Vcc. You need to bring up the DW4 GUI and set up the GUI for Vcc and the Becker Port.

In DW4, click the "Config" menu and select the firt item "Simple Config Wizard". The first panel in the wozard is just an info screen so click "Next". The next panel is where you select the machine type that you are running. The selection we want is the "Emulator or other TCP/IP" item in the bottom right corner" Select this item and click "Next". The rest of this configuration should be at defaults but we will review them to be sure. This panel is the "Connection TCP/IP Defaults". Make sure "Use Server Mode" is selected and the "Listen On Port" is set to 65504 as this is the port we have in Vcc. Click "Next".

In this panel, "Choose Virtual Midi Support", "yes" should be selected. Click "Next". The next panel is the "Printer Options" and we'll leave the defaults for now so click "Next" (for more on this option see the DW4 documentation). The next panel is the final screen so just click "Finish". DW4 should now be properly setup for Vcc 1.4.3 w/Becker Port support.

----

== Running Vcc with DriveWire4 and HDBDOS ==

Now go back to your Vcc window. Press "F9" on your PC keyboard twice. This will "Cold Start" Vcc as if you turned the Cooo Off, then back on. Neat eh?

If all went well, you should now have the Disk Extended Basic and HDBDOS logos with a "blinking" cursor. If your cursor is not blinking, I suggest you go back to the beginning of this tutorial and review all sections to see what was missed.

If you got the blinking cursor, then you have done it!! You have successfully got Vcc 1.4.3b running with DriveWire4. Now... What do we do with it? I will try to explain a few basics of the HDBDOS operations but I suggest you read the DriveWire4 documentation Wiki for DW4 info and get the HDBDOS documentation PDF file from Cloud9.com and read it well. There is a wealth of information there on all of HDBDOS's features.

----

=== Mounting VHDs (Virtual Hard Drives) ===

''NOTE: The internal Vcc "hard drive 0" will not be usable under HDBDOS. This is only usable under RGBDOS''
''or NitrOS9. You will be using the DriveWire "drive slots" in the DW4 GUI. The Vcc virtual "FD-502 Drives"''
''should work normally.''

To use "Floppy Disk" images found in the Color Computer Archives, just mount the images in the emulated floppy drives under Vcc's "Cartridge" / "FD-502 Drive" slots and use regular Disk Extended Basic commands just as you would on a real Coco 3.

To mount a VHD in the DriveWire4 GUI, just "right click" on the desired slot in the GUI and select "Insert Disk for Drive x". Navvigate to where your VHDs are stored and double click the desired image. Your VHD image is now mounted in DW4.

To use VHD files in Vcc with DW4, first you need to know a little about the way VHD files are configured. Basically, there are 2 types of VHD files found on the internet. The first is a straight, single partition VHD formatted for either RSDOS or OS9. To use these files, there is no "special" setup needed. The second type has been the subject of many disscussions on the Coco forums as to what the standard format is, but I will deal with the 2 most used formats here. These are the "dual partition" hybrid "OS9/RSDOS" VHDs. These images have both OS9 and RSDOS partitions and are the format most frequently found in the archives.

To use the dual partition VHDs under RSDOS, HDBDOS needs a little tweeking. As a standard, the OS9 partition comes first and the RSDOS partition last. Due to this configuration, HDBDOS cannot find the RSDOS partition until you tell it where the partition is. You do this by setting "offsets" in HDBDOS. There are several ways to do this.

The 2 formats of VHD are the original standard set up by Alan deKok for Jeff Vavasour's Coco emulator. In his format, the RSODS partition starts at $5A000 (368640)

The other format is used by Cloud9's SuperIDE controller and the offset is $79500 (496896).

The only real difference between these two formats is the size of the OS9 partition.

To use these offsets, first you must determine which type you are using. I know of no way to do this so my best suggestion is to ask someone involved with where you obtained the file. Once you know what type of VHD you have, using BASIC POKEs, you type:

(for "standard" VHDs)

POKE &HD938,5:POKE&HD939,&HA0:POKE&HD93A,0

(for "cloud9" VHDs)

POKE^HD938,7:POKE&HD939,&H95:POKE&HD93A,0

These pokes will make the RSDOS partition readily available to HDBDOS. The downfall of this method is you have to do this each time you start VCC or each time you move from RSDOS to OS9 and back again. The change is not permenant and is reset to default (000000 any time the HDBDOS rom is reloaded (reset or restart). You can also write an "AUTOEX/BAS" file to do this for you, but we'll discuss this in a later chapter of the tutorial.

The next method is a little more permenant. You must go to the DW4 GUI and "right click" the slot in which your VHD file is loaded. In the context menu displayed, select "Drive x Parameters" at the bottom of the menu. Scroll down the display until you find the "offset" (not "offsetdrv") entry. Click this entry and a dialog box appears at the bottom of the panel. Enter the proper offset from the text above into the box near the bottom and click "Apply" then "OK". You should now have access to the RSDOS partition of the VHD in Vcc. The major downfall of this method is that now you cannot use the OS9 partition on the drive as DW4 is set to look past that area. This is reall only useful is you are using RSDOS exclusively. Each VHD file can have it's own offset independant of the others so you can use mutiple types with this method.

The last method is the best (and the one I use) if you use both OS9 and RSDOS regularly, but it is also the most involved. First you will need to obtain a Windows hex editor program. I will not provide that here but you can easily find several free hex editors by Googling "windows hex editor" (I did). Once you have a hex editor, start the editor the load the "hdbdw3c3.rom" file into the editor. The file will be in your Vcc installation folder.

In the hex editor, scroll down to an offset of $1D98 and change this and the next 2 values to $05, $A0, $00 respectively. Now save the file as "hdbdw3c3_offset.rom" and exit the hex editor. Use the HDBDOS setup directions we used before and reload the new rom into Vcc. Hit "F9" twice (cold Start) and now you have a permenant offset in HDBDOS and both RSDOS & OS9 partitions will read properly.

The method you use is up to you and/or the type of VHD you are using. Personally, I always use the "standard" type VHD and keep my offsets in HDBDOS permenant.

----

== Summary ==

This concludes the basic Vcc 1.4.3b and DW4 installations. I will not go into how to use HDBDOS or setting up NitrOS9 in this tutorial as the HDBDOS manual describes all aspects of HDBDOS and should be your reference to that software. As for installing NitrOS-9 for Vcc and DW4, that will be a tutorial in itself. That can be a very involved process as there are many options and each user has his/her own needs in OS9. I hope to write the NitrOS9 installation tutorial soon, but until then....

Keep On Cocoing!!

----

== Resources ==

Here are the links for the all the downloads and documentation needed for Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator wit Becker Port support.

=== Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port ===
The download includes all Vcc needs to run. This download does NOT include DriveWire4
[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
----

=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in''
''developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----

=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs
----

=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Vcc Coco 3 Emulator HDBDOS/DW4/NitrOS9 Starter Kits ===
A complete "Starter Kit" including everything needed to get Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4 up and running. The kits even include software populated VHDs (virtual hard drives), and all Manuals.

ONLY For MS Windows XP (SP2), Vista, Win 7, & Win 8 ONLY

*[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206809%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6809 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)
*[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206309%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6309 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)

''NOTE: "The Starter Kits" are a 3rd Party project and are by NO means the responsibility of the developers''
''and/or programmers of the product represented. I personally take responsibility for the quality and''
''reliability of these kits.''
''Bill Pierce''
----

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-04-18T23:32:29Z

Soundchaser: /* Resources */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Installing VCC 1.4.3b & DriveWire4 ==

[[File:BootUmuse3.gif|500px|center]]

----

=== Introducing Vcc 1.4.3beta with Becker Port Support for DriveWire4 ===

When Joseph Forgione released the 1st version of the Vcc Coco 3 emulator, I was a little sceptical about it. Slowly, he updated the releases from 1.0.0 to 1.4.2. At that point the emulator had matured greatly and would run most Coco software, even OS-9. It was about that same time, the M.E.S.S. Coco 3 emulator started to get more features, but with each feature, introducing more bugs. Vcc 1.4.2 was easy to install, easy to run, and felt like using a real Coco 3. With some help from Robert Gault, Joseph added the RGBDOS system for controlling VHDs (virtual hard drives) just as you would real hard drives. The package was complete. With 4 virtual floppy disk dirves, a virtual hard drive usable in both RSDOS and OS-9, Vcc became the ultimate Coco 3 emulator. But sadly... Joseph seemed to disappear from the Coco community. There were no more updates, no more posts, and even his website eventually disappeared. As luck would have it, there were at least copies of the Vcc installation package in several of the Coco archive sites, so it was still available. It was still (IMHO) the best Coco 3 emulator around. But there were several things missing... like support to interface the outside world.... then came the Becker Port.

Originally, the Becker Port was interfaced in a Coco FPGA project by Gary Becker so the Coco emulation in the FPGA could access the DriveWire interface. All the port really consists of is 2 unused address lines that with proper coding, could access serial input from outside the emulation. But where did that leave Vcc?

Somewhere along the line, a couple of members of the Coco community located and contacted Joseph to inquire about the state of the Vcc source code. In his replies, he stated that he would like to move the Vcc sources to an Open Source project as his age and health would no longer allow him to work on the project. He want the Coco community to be able to carry on with his Vcc project. He sent them a copy of the source code to "play around" with until he finished preparing the sources for public release. He said he wanted to change the copyright statements and also remove the RSDOS ROMS to avoid possible copyright infringements. Much to our dismay, he hasn't been heard from since. Several people have tried to contact him with no response. So until he is contacted, there can be no official release of the sources or an Open Source project. Meanwhile, the holders of the sources ''had'' been playing with them. They discovered a way to implement the Becker Port so that Vcc could ''talk'' to the hosting PC through a patch to the TCP port. With a little modification to DriveWire, the Becker Port became Vcc's connection to the world. Eventually, the patched version of Vcc was released to the public as Vcc 1.4.3beta. Now with Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4, you can load multiple VHD images, print to DW4's virtual printer, access the internet through TelNet, play Coco MIDI sequences through DW4's virtual MIDI interface and much more!! Vcc couldn't be much better.

With all these new capabilities in Vcc, comes some complexity. The setup to get Vcc going with the Becker Port and DW4 is not so complicated as it is confusing. With this tutorial, I hope eliminate some of that confusion. So let's get on with it!

----

=== Installing DriveWire4 ===

I am not going to repeat the DriveWire4 installation here as there is already a tutorial for that installation. To install DW4, just click the link below and follow the instructions and get DW4 running. Once you have completed the DW4 installation, hit your back button on your browser to come back here and complete the Vcc 1.4.3b installation.

*[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/DW4_Installation_Guide#Installing_DriveWire4 Installing DriveWire4] - A complete guide for the DW4 installation.

----

=== Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta ===

To install Vcc 1.4.3b, you must download the Vcc installation package from:

[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)

Once you have downloaded the package, unzip it to a folder and you will find the Vcc_setup.exe file. Run this file and follow the prompts and Vcc 1.4.3b will be set up on you Windows PC with a shortcut on your desktop. At the end of the installation, you will also be prompted read the "ReadMe-143beta.txt" file. I recomend you do so. Now there are a few things you need to know about this installation before you run the program.

First, using Windows Explorer" (not Internet Explorer), navigate to the directory in which Vcc was installed. You should find these files:
*'''Vcc.exe''' - The actual Vcc emulator program
*'''Welcome to Vcc.pdf''' - The Vcc User's Manual in PDF format
*'''ReadMe-143beta.txt''' - A short explination for using the hdbdos roms and the Becker Port
*'''Vcc.ini''' - The initialization defaults for Vcc
*'''KeyMap.ini''' - The unfinished (and unusable) keymap file
*'''fd502.dll''' - The FD-502 Disk Controller emulation library
*'''harddisk.dll''' - The Glenside IDE Hard Drive Controller emulation library
*'''mpi.dll''' - The Tandy Multipak Interface emulation library
*'''orch90.dll''' - The Orchestra 90cc Program pak and interface library
*'''SuperIDE.dll''' - The Cloud9 SuperIDE HardDrive and CF card reader interface library
*'''hdbdw3bc3.rom''' - The HDBDOS rom patched for use with the Becker Port
*'''hdbdw3bck.rom''' - An alternate HDBDOS rom with hi-speed turned off for Coco 2 game compatibility
*'''unins000.exe''' - The windows uninstall program
*'''unins000.dat''' - The stored data record for the uninstall program

Familarize yourslef with these filenames as some of them will be accessed later in the tutorial.

----

==== Changing the defaults ====

First I recommend you read the Vcc manual thoroughly as well as the "ReadMe" text file as it contains important info in regards to using HDBDOS & DW4 with Vcc that is not covered in the manual. You must keep in mind that the Vcc manual was written before the Becker Port enhancement was introduced and does not cover it's operation, hence the writing of this tutorial.

Once you are familar with some of Vcc's features, you'll want to get up and running. Just double click the Vcc icon on your desktop and you will see the Vcc Coco 3 emulator default screen. You will start in "Disk Extended Color Basic 2.1" just as if you had turned on your real Coco 3 with a Radio Shack disk controller installed... But with a differnece. If you click the "Cartridge" menu item at the top of the emulator, you will see that not only do you have a disk controller, but a Multipak Interface, four disk drives, and a hard drive!!

----

===== RGB-DOS =====

At the default settings, you have a fully functional Coco 3 super system right at your finger tips (literally). What I would've given to have had such a system in the 80s. But this is only the tip of the iceberg... there's a lot more than just meets the eye. Try this, click the "Cartridge" menu and in the pulldown menu,

[[File:disk-basic-1.jpeg|500px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::select the "FD-502 Config" item.

[[File:FD-502_Config_2.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::In the top left box, check the "RGB Dos" button and click the "OK" button.

[[File:FD-502_Config_1.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::Hit "F9" two times to ''cold start'' Vcc and you should now be in RGBDOS for Vcc

[[File:rgbdos-1.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find that you can change the rom you're using, overclock the drives for faster read/write speeds, slect "Persistant disk images" to save your disk selections for the next run, and there's even a function to use the PC's real floppy drive as a Coco drive. I personally have never been able to get this functions to work, but I have heard others say that it does work with the proper PC and drives.

Though ultimately, we're going to move away from RGBDOS and into the DriveWire compatible "HDBDOS" which is basically RGBDOS on steroids, I figured this was a good place to set some things in the configuration so that you will be more familar with menus when we get to the good "stuff".

The "Cartridge" menu we were just accessing is where you go to "insert" your rom carts, disks and hard drives. For now were' going to leave that menu and move to the "Configuration" menu.

----

===== Configuration Menu =====

The "config" menu is where you can set all aspects of your Coco 3 emulation. Are you used to using an RGB monitor or a TV? You can emulate either one. Want to load from virtual cassette images? That can be done as well. There are lots of options here and we'll touch on a few of them as we prepare to set Vcc up to be ready for the Becker Port and DriveWire4.

[[File:rgbdos-2.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find the Config panel. This is where most of the Vcc defaults are set,

[[File:config-1.jpg|400px|center]]

This first tab, "Audio", is where you select your PC's soundcard so Vcc can emulate the sounds of the Coco on your PC speakers. Vcc will even play it's Orchestra 90 pak in full stereo sound!

[[File:config-2.jpg|400px|center]]

The next tab is the "CPU" panel. Here you can select your memory size from 128k stock off the shelf Coco 3 to a monster 8 meg Super Coco. Currently, NitrOS-9 only supports up to 2 meg, but with driver modifications, 8 meg should be do-able. You can select either a standard 6809 CPU or the Hitachi 6309 which runs at double speed with suedo 16 & 32 bit instruction set. You can also overclock the Coco CPU speed and get amazing speed. I use this function when I'm compiling C code as that can be a slow process at regular Coco speeds.

[[File:config-3.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Display" tab is (of course) where you set your Coco's display. You can set Vcc to emulate RGB on a Cm-8 monitor or Composite video like the color TV display... only much clearer. You will probably want to make sure "Allow Screen Resize" is checked or you will not be able to resize the Vcc window. I use a full maximized display on a wide-screen LCD monitor, but sometimes you want to "square" up the display so that games and graphics do not look stretched. Here you can also select "Throttle Speed" which when selected, makes the Coco's clock remain constant even when the PCU is overclocked. Unchecked, everything runs FULL speed of the overclock setting in the CPU panel.

[[File:config-4.jpg|400px|center]]

On the "Keyboard" tab, there is only one options setting. You can select the "Basic" keyboard layout in which the keys on your PC keyboard emulates the layout of the actual Coco keyboard or you can select the "OS-9" keyboard which is basically your PC keyboard's layout.

[[File:config-5.jpg|400px|center]]

In the "Joysticks" tab you can select to use your PC's mouse or the arrow/mapped keys as the Coco's joystick/mouse. There are disabled options for real PC joysticks but Joseph never finished that option so it's unavailable.

[[File:config-6.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Misc" tab contains selections for auto starting the program pak emulation. In other words, if you select "AutoStart Cart", when you select a slot in the emulated MPI (Cartridge menu), it will automatically start that cart. Deselecting this ooption and selecting a cart slot is like taping the the cart select pin on the cart so the Coco will not boot the rom. I used to do this on the Orchestra 90 pak to be able to use the stereo 8 bit sound for my programs.

[[File:config-7.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Tape" tab is where you insert a virtual cassette image to load and save cassette tape programs just like on a real tape deck. There is an option to use the "wav" format also, but a word of warning, I have found that even just loading a "wav" file mangles the original wav file. I would only use files in the "cas" format. You were warned.

[[File:config-8.jpg|400px|center]]

Finally we come to the "BitBanger" tab. Originally in Vcc 1.4.2, the bitbanger (or serial port) feature was non-functional. This tab is what is now used to set the Becker Port parameters. In the default installation, the port is disabled but the IP and Port settings are set for you. To enable the Becker Port you just click.... "Enable Becker Interface". It's that easy. Just for clarification, the IP setting should be "127.0.0.1" and the Port setting should be "65504" as shown in the picture above.

After clicking "Enable...", you are almost ready to use the port to drivewire but there's a couple of more things you need to know.

''NOTE: After setting the values of any items in the Config menu, you must click "Apply" for them to to change to those settings.''
''Clicking apply makes the changes "instant" before you leave the menu panel.

----

==== HDBDOS ====

''Note: Scrrenshots comming soon''

Now we are going to set up the HDBDOS ROM. Exit any menu you may currently be viewing and click the "Cartridge" menu. In the "Cartridge" selection, make sure you have the "MPI.DLL" inserted into the "Cartridge" slot. With the "MPI.DLL" inserted, you should see 4 MPI "slots" below the "Catridge" selection. In the "MPI Slot 4", insert the "FD-502.DLL" if not already present. In "MPI Slot 3" insert the "harddisk.dll". It will display as "Hard drive + Clous9 RTC" in the selction. In "MPI Slot 2" I usually insert the "Orch90.dll" as I use this for stereo sound in some of my software. Now click the MPI Config. Set the "Slot Selct" to "4" and click "OK".

Click the "Cartridge" menu again, you should now have 4 FD-502 Drives and a Hard Drive 0 selection available below the MPI choices. For now, we are not going to worry with our disks, we are going to get HDBDOS going. Near the bottom of the menu, click the "FD-502 Config" selection. This should bring you back into the drive configuration menu we were in earlier. Click the "External ROM Image" button to make sure it is selected. In the bottom right corner of the panel should be a "Browse" button. Click this button and navagate to you VCC installation directory (it should already be there). Select the "hdbdw3bc3.rom" and click "Open". You should now be back in the "FD-502 Config" panel. Select "Overclock Disk Drives", "Persistent Disk Images", and "Clock At 0xFF50-51". Now click "OK". Vcc should now reboot and you should see the "Disk Extended Basic" logo as Well as the "HDBDOS 1.4 DW3" logo below that. If so, you have successfully booted into HDBDOS. If not, review the above directions and try again.

----

==== Configuring DriveWire4 for Vcc ====

At this point, Vcc may seem to be "hung up". This because HDBDOS is trying to connect to DriveWire4 and DW4 is not setup correctly if you followed the DW4 setup instructions. Those instructions were for a real Coco and not for Vcc. You need to bring up the DW4 GUI and set up the GUI for Vcc and the Becker Port.

In DW4, click the "Config" menu and select the firt item "Simple Config Wizard". The first panel in the wozard is just an info screen so click "Next". The next panel is where you select the machine type that you are running. The selection we want is the "Emulator or other TCP/IP" item in the bottom right corner" Select this item and click "Next". The rest of this configuration should be at defaults but we will review them to be sure. This panel is the "Connection TCP/IP Defaults". Make sure "Use Server Mode" is selected and the "Listen On Port" is set to 65504 as this is the port we have in Vcc. Click "Next".

In this panel, "Choose Virtual Midi Support", "yes" should be selected. Click "Next". The next panel is the "Printer Options" and we'll leave the defaults for now so click "Next" (for more on this option see the DW4 documentation). The next panel is the final screen so just click "Finish". DW4 should now be properly setup for Vcc 1.4.3 w/Becker Port support.

----

== Running Vcc with DriveWire4 and HDBDOS ==

Now go back to your Vcc window. Press "F9" on your PC keyboard twice. This will "Cold Start" Vcc as if you turned the Cooo Off, then back on. Neat eh?

If all went well, you should now have the Disk Extended Basic and HDBDOS logos with a "blinking" cursor. If your cursor is not blinking, I suggest you go back to the beginning of this tutorial and review all sections to see what was missed.

If you got the blinking cursor, then you have done it!! You have successfully got Vcc 1.4.3b running with DriveWire4. Now... What do we do with it? I will try to explain a few basics of the HDBDOS operations but I suggest you read the DriveWire4 documentation Wiki for DW4 info and get the HDBDOS documentation PDF file from Cloud9.com and read it well. There is a wealth of information there on all of HDBDOS's features.

----

=== Mounting VHDs (Virtual Hard Drives) ===

''NOTE: The internal Vcc "hard drive 0" will not be usable under HDBDOS. This is only usable under RGBDOS or NitrOS9''
''You will be using the DriveWire "drive slots" in the DW4 GUI. The Vcc virtual "FD-502 Drives" should work normally.''

To use "Floppy Disk" images found in the Color Computer Archives, just mount the images in the emulated floppy drives under Vcc's "Cartridge" / "FD-502 Drive" slots and use regular Disk Extended Basic commands just as you would on a real Coco 3.

To mount a VHD in the DriveWire4 GUI, just "right click" on the desired slot in the GUI and select "Insert Disk for Drive x". Navvigate to where your VHDs are stored and double click the desired image. Your VHD image is now mounted in DW4.

To use VHD files in Vcc with DW4, first you need to know a little about the way VHD files are configured. Basically, there are 2 types of VHD files found on the internet. The first is a straight, single partition VHD formatted for either RSDOS or OS9. To use these files, there is no "special" setup needed. The second type has been the subject of many disscussions on the Coco forums as to what the standard format is, but I will deal with the 2 most used formats here. These are the "dual partition" hybrid "OS9/RSDOS" VHDs. These images have both OS9 and RSDOS partitions and are the format most frequently found in the archives.

To use the dual partition VHDs under RSDOS, HDBDOS needs a little tweeking. As a standard, the OS9 partition comes first and the RSDOS partition last. Due to this configuration, HDBDOS cannot find the RSDOS partition until you tell it where the partition is. You do this by setting "offsets" in HDBDOS. There are several ways to do this.

The 2 formats of VHD are the original standard set up by Alan deKok for Jeff Vavasour's Coco emulator. In his format, the RSODS partition starts at $5A000 (368640)

The other format is used by Cloud9's SuperIDE controller and the offset is $79500 (496896).

The only real difference between these two formats is the size of the OS9 partition.

To use these offsets, first you must determine which type you are using. I know of no way to do this so my best suggestion is to ask someone involved with where you obtained the file. Once you know what type of VHD you have, using BASIC POKEs, you type:

(for "standard" VHDs)

POKE &HD938,5:POKE&HD939,&HA0:POKE&HD93A,0

(for "cloud9" VHDs)

POKE^HD938,7:POKE&HD939,&H95:POKE&HD93A,0

These pokes will make the RSDOS partition readily available to HDBDOS. The downfall of this method is you have to do this each time you start VCC or each time you move from RSDOS to OS9 and back again. The change is not permenant and is reset to default (000000 any time the HDBDOS rom is reloaded (reset or restart). You can also write an "AUTOEX/BAS" file to do this for you, but we'll discuss this in a later chapter of the tutorial.

The next method is a little more permenant. You must go to the DW4 GUI and "right click" the slot in which your VHD file is loaded. In the context menu displayed, select "Drive x Parameters" at the bottom of the menu. Scroll down the display until you find the "offset" (not "offsetdrv") entry. Click this entry and a dialog box appears at the bottom of the panel. Enter the proper offset from the text above into the box near the bottom and click "Apply" then "OK". You should now have access to the RSDOS partition of the VHD in Vcc. The major downfall of this method is that now you cannot use the OS9 partition on the drive as DW4 is set to look past that area. This is reall only useful is you are using RSDOS exclusively. Each VHD file can have it's own offset independant of the others so you can use mutiple types with this method.

The last method is the best (and the one I use) if you use both OS9 and RSDOS regularly, but it is also the most involved. First you will need to obtain a Windows hex editor program. I will not provide that here but you can easily find several free hex editors by Googling "windows hex editor" (I did). Once you have a hex editor, start the editor the load the "hdbdw3c3.rom" file into the editor. The file will be in your Vcc installation folder.

In the hex editor, scroll down to an offset of $1D98 and change this and the next 2 values to $05, $A0, $00 respectively. Now save the file as "hdbdw3c3_offset.rom" and exit the hex editor. Use the HDBDOS setup directions we used before and reload the new rom into Vcc. Hit "F9" twice (cold Start) and now you have a permenant offset in HDBDOS and both RSDOS & OS9 partitions will read properly.

The method you use is up to you and/or the type of VHD you are using. Personally, I always use the "standard" type VHD and keep my offsets in HDBDOS permenant.

----

== Summary ==

This concludes the basic Vcc 1.4.3b and DW4 installations. I will not go into how to use HDBDOS or setting up NitrOS9 in this tutorial as the HDBDOS manual describes all aspects of HDBDOS and should be your reference to that software. As for installing NitrOS-9 for Vcc and DW4, that will be a tutorial in itself. That can be a very involved process as there are many options and each user has his/her own needs in OS9. I hope to write the NitrOS9 installation tutorial soon, but until then....

Keep On Cocoing!!

----

== Resources ==

Here are the links for the all the downloads and documentation needed for Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator wit Becker Port support.

=== Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port ===
The download includes all Vcc needs to run. This download does NOT include DriveWire4
[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
----

=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----

=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs
----

=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Vcc Coco 3 Emulator HDBDOS/DW4/NitrOS9 Starter Kits ===
A complete "Starter Kit" including everything needed to get Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4 up and running. The kits even include software populated VHDs (virtual hard drives), and all Manuals.

ONLY For MS Windows XP (SP2), Vista, Win 7, & Win 8 ONLY

[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206809%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6809 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)

[https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/23059963/Starter%20Kits/Vcc%201.4.3b%20Coco%203%206309%20HDBDOS%20DW4%20NitrOS9%20Starter%20Kit%20setup.exe Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 6309 HDBDOS DW4 NitrOS9 Starter Kit setup] - (101 meg download)
----

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-04-18T23:06:29Z

Soundchaser:

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Installing VCC 1.4.3b & DriveWire4 ==

[[File:BootUmuse3.gif|500px|center]]

----

=== Introducing Vcc 1.4.3beta with Becker Port Support for DriveWire4 ===

When Joseph Forgione released the 1st version of the Vcc Coco 3 emulator, I was a little sceptical about it. Slowly, he updated the releases from 1.0.0 to 1.4.2. At that point the emulator had matured greatly and would run most Coco software, even OS-9. It was about that same time, the M.E.S.S. Coco 3 emulator started to get more features, but with each feature, introducing more bugs. Vcc 1.4.2 was easy to install, easy to run, and felt like using a real Coco 3. With some help from Robert Gault, Joseph added the RGBDOS system for controlling VHDs (virtual hard drives) just as you would real hard drives. The package was complete. With 4 virtual floppy disk dirves, a virtual hard drive usable in both RSDOS and OS-9, Vcc became the ultimate Coco 3 emulator. But sadly... Joseph seemed to disappear from the Coco community. There were no more updates, no more posts, and even his website eventually disappeared. As luck would have it, there were at least copies of the Vcc installation package in several of the Coco archive sites, so it was still available. It was still (IMHO) the best Coco 3 emulator around. But there were several things missing... like support to interface the outside world.... then came the Becker Port.

Originally, the Becker Port was interfaced in a Coco FPGA project by Gary Becker so the Coco emulation in the FPGA could access the DriveWire interface. All the port really consists of is 2 unused address lines that with proper coding, could access serial input from outside the emulation. But where did that leave Vcc?

Somewhere along the line, a couple of members of the Coco community located and contacted Joseph to inquire about the state of the Vcc source code. In his replies, he stated that he would like to move the Vcc sources to an Open Source project as his age and health would no longer allow him to work on the project. He want the Coco community to be able to carry on with his Vcc project. He sent them a copy of the source code to "play around" with until he finished preparing the sources for public release. He said he wanted to change the copyright statements and also remove the RSDOS ROMS to avoid possible copyright infringements. Much to our dismay, he hasn't been heard from since. Several people have tried to contact him with no response. So until he is contacted, there can be no official release of the sources or an Open Source project. Meanwhile, the holders of the sources ''had'' been playing with them. They discovered a way to implement the Becker Port so that Vcc could ''talk'' to the hosting PC through a patch to the TCP port. With a little modification to DriveWire, the Becker Port became Vcc's connection to the world. Eventually, the patched version of Vcc was released to the public as Vcc 1.4.3beta. Now with Vcc 1.4.3b and DriveWire4, you can load multiple VHD images, print to DW4's virtual printer, access the internet through TelNet, play Coco MIDI sequences through DW4's virtual MIDI interface and much more!! Vcc couldn't be much better.

With all these new capabilities in Vcc, comes some complexity. The setup to get Vcc going with the Becker Port and DW4 is not so complicated as it is confusing. With this tutorial, I hope eliminate some of that confusion. So let's get on with it!

----

=== Installing DriveWire4 ===

I am not going to repeat the DriveWire4 installation here as there is already a tutorial for that installation. To install DW4, just click the link below and follow the instructions and get DW4 running. Once you have completed the DW4 installation, hit your back button on your browser to come back here and complete the Vcc 1.4.3b installation.

*[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/DW4_Installation_Guide#Installing_DriveWire4 Installing DriveWire4] - A complete guide for the DW4 installation.

----

=== Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta ===

To install Vcc 1.4.3b, you must download the Vcc installation package from:

[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)

Once you have downloaded the package, unzip it to a folder and you will find the Vcc_setup.exe file. Run this file and follow the prompts and Vcc 1.4.3b will be set up on you Windows PC with a shortcut on your desktop. At the end of the installation, you will also be prompted read the "ReadMe-143beta.txt" file. I recomend you do so. Now there are a few things you need to know about this installation before you run the program.

First, using Windows Explorer" (not Internet Explorer), navigate to the directory in which Vcc was installed. You should find these files:
*'''Vcc.exe''' - The actual Vcc emulator program
*'''Welcome to Vcc.pdf''' - The Vcc User's Manual in PDF format
*'''ReadMe-143beta.txt''' - A short explination for using the hdbdos roms and the Becker Port
*'''Vcc.ini''' - The initialization defaults for Vcc
*'''KeyMap.ini''' - The unfinished (and unusable) keymap file
*'''fd502.dll''' - The FD-502 Disk Controller emulation library
*'''harddisk.dll''' - The Glenside IDE Hard Drive Controller emulation library
*'''mpi.dll''' - The Tandy Multipak Interface emulation library
*'''orch90.dll''' - The Orchestra 90cc Program pak and interface library
*'''SuperIDE.dll''' - The Cloud9 SuperIDE HardDrive and CF card reader interface library
*'''hdbdw3bc3.rom''' - The HDBDOS rom patched for use with the Becker Port
*'''hdbdw3bck.rom''' - An alternate HDBDOS rom with hi-speed turned off for Coco 2 game compatibility
*'''unins000.exe''' - The windows uninstall program
*'''unins000.dat''' - The stored data record for the uninstall program

Familarize yourslef with these filenames as some of them will be accessed later in the tutorial.

----

==== Changing the defaults ====

First I recommend you read the Vcc manual thoroughly as well as the "ReadMe" text file as it contains important info in regards to using HDBDOS & DW4 with Vcc that is not covered in the manual. You must keep in mind that the Vcc manual was written before the Becker Port enhancement was introduced and does not cover it's operation, hence the writing of this tutorial.

Once you are familar with some of Vcc's features, you'll want to get up and running. Just double click the Vcc icon on your desktop and you will see the Vcc Coco 3 emulator default screen. You will start in "Disk Extended Color Basic 2.1" just as if you had turned on your real Coco 3 with a Radio Shack disk controller installed... But with a differnece. If you click the "Cartridge" menu item at the top of the emulator, you will see that not only do you have a disk controller, but a Multipak Interface, four disk drives, and a hard drive!!

----

===== RGB-DOS =====

At the default settings, you have a fully functional Coco 3 super system right at your finger tips (literally). What I would've given to have had such a system in the 80s. But this is only the tip of the iceberg... there's a lot more than just meets the eye. Try this, click the "Cartridge" menu and in the pulldown menu,

[[File:disk-basic-1.jpeg|500px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::::::select the "FD-502 Config" item.

[[File:FD-502_Config_2.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::In the top left box, check the "RGB Dos" button and click the "OK" button.

[[File:FD-502_Config_1.jpg|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::Hit "F9" two times to ''cold start'' Vcc and you should now be in RGBDOS for Vcc

[[File:rgbdos-1.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find that you can change the rom you're using, overclock the drives for faster read/write speeds, slect "Persistant disk images" to save your disk selections for the next run, and there's even a function to use the PC's real floppy drive as a Coco drive. I personally have never been able to get this functions to work, but I have heard others say that it does work with the proper PC and drives.

Though ultimately, we're going to move away from RGBDOS and into the DriveWire compatible "HDBDOS" which is basically RGBDOS on steroids, I figured this was a good place to set some things in the configuration so that you will be more familar with menus when we get to the good "stuff".

The "Cartridge" menu we were just accessing is where you go to "insert" your rom carts, disks and hard drives. For now were' going to leave that menu and move to the "Configuration" menu.

----

===== Configuration Menu =====

The "config" menu is where you can set all aspects of your Coco 3 emulation. Are you used to using an RGB monitor or a TV? You can emulate either one. Want to load from virtual cassette images? That can be done as well. There are lots of options here and we'll touch on a few of them as we prepare to set Vcc up to be ready for the Becker Port and DriveWire4.

[[File:rgbdos-2.jpg|500px|center]]

Here you will find the Config panel. This is where most of the Vcc defaults are set,

[[File:config-1.jpg|400px|center]]

This first tab, "Audio", is where you select your PC's soundcard so Vcc can emulate the sounds of the Coco on your PC speakers. Vcc will even play it's Orchestra 90 pak in full stereo sound!

[[File:config-2.jpg|400px|center]]

The next tab is the "CPU" panel. Here you can select your memory size from 128k stock off the shelf Coco 3 to a monster 8 meg Super Coco. Currently, NitrOS-9 only supports up to 2 meg, but with driver modifications, 8 meg should be do-able. You can select either a standard 6809 CPU or the Hitachi 6309 which runs at double speed with suedo 16 & 32 bit instruction set. You can also overclock the Coco CPU speed and get amazing speed. I use this function when I'm compiling C code as that can be a slow process at regular Coco speeds.

[[File:config-3.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Display" tab is (of course) where you set your Coco's display. You can set Vcc to emulate RGB on a Cm-8 monitor or Composite video like the color TV display... only much clearer. You will probably want to make sure "Allow Screen Resize" is checked or you will not be able to resize the Vcc window. I use a full maximized display on a wide-screen LCD monitor, but sometimes you want to "square" up the display so that games and graphics do not look stretched. Here you can also select "Throttle Speed" which when selected, makes the Coco's clock remain constant even when the PCU is overclocked. Unchecked, everything runs FULL speed of the overclock setting in the CPU panel.

[[File:config-4.jpg|400px|center]]

On the "Keyboard" tab, there is only one options setting. You can select the "Basic" keyboard layout in which the keys on your PC keyboard emulates the layout of the actual Coco keyboard or you can select the "OS-9" keyboard which is basically your PC keyboard's layout.

[[File:config-5.jpg|400px|center]]

In the "Joysticks" tab you can select to use your PC's mouse or the arrow/mapped keys as the Coco's joystick/mouse. There are disabled options for real PC joysticks but Joseph never finished that option so it's unavailable.

[[File:config-6.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Misc" tab contains selections for auto starting the program pak emulation. In other words, if you select "AutoStart Cart", when you select a slot in the emulated MPI (Cartridge menu), it will automatically start that cart. Deselecting this ooption and selecting a cart slot is like taping the the cart select pin on the cart so the Coco will not boot the rom. I used to do this on the Orchestra 90 pak to be able to use the stereo 8 bit sound for my programs.

[[File:config-7.jpg|400px|center]]

The "Tape" tab is where you insert a virtual cassette image to load and save cassette tape programs just like on a real tape deck. There is an option to use the "wav" format also, but a word of warning, I have found that even just loading a "wav" file mangles the original wav file. I would only use files in the "cas" format. You were warned.

[[File:config-8.jpg|400px|center]]

Finally we come to the "BitBanger" tab. Originally in Vcc 1.4.2, the bitbanger (or serial port) feature was non-functional. This tab is what is now used to set the Becker Port parameters. In the default installation, the port is disabled but the IP and Port settings are set for you. To enable the Becker Port you just click.... "Enable Becker Interface". It's that easy. Just for clarification, the IP setting should be "127.0.0.1" and the Port setting should be "65504" as shown in the picture above.

After clicking "Enable...", you are almost ready to use the port to drivewire but there's a couple of more things you need to know.

''NOTE: After setting the values of any items in the Config menu, you must click "Apply" for them to to change to those settings.''
''Clicking apply makes the changes "instant" before you leave the menu panel.

----

==== HDBDOS ====

''Note: Scrrenshots comming soon''

Now we are going to set up the HDBDOS ROM. Exit any menu you may currently be viewing and click the "Cartridge" menu. In the "Cartridge" selection, make sure you have the "MPI.DLL" inserted into the "Cartridge" slot. With the "MPI.DLL" inserted, you should see 4 MPI "slots" below the "Catridge" selection. In the "MPI Slot 4", insert the "FD-502.DLL" if not already present. In "MPI Slot 3" insert the "harddisk.dll". It will display as "Hard drive + Clous9 RTC" in the selction. In "MPI Slot 2" I usually insert the "Orch90.dll" as I use this for stereo sound in some of my software. Now click the MPI Config. Set the "Slot Selct" to "4" and click "OK".

Click the "Cartridge" menu again, you should now have 4 FD-502 Drives and a Hard Drive 0 selection available below the MPI choices. For now, we are not going to worry with our disks, we are going to get HDBDOS going. Near the bottom of the menu, click the "FD-502 Config" selection. This should bring you back into the drive configuration menu we were in earlier. Click the "External ROM Image" button to make sure it is selected. In the bottom right corner of the panel should be a "Browse" button. Click this button and navagate to you VCC installation directory (it should already be there). Select the "hdbdw3bc3.rom" and click "Open". You should now be back in the "FD-502 Config" panel. Select "Overclock Disk Drives", "Persistent Disk Images", and "Clock At 0xFF50-51". Now click "OK". Vcc should now reboot and you should see the "Disk Extended Basic" logo as Well as the "HDBDOS 1.4 DW3" logo below that. If so, you have successfully booted into HDBDOS. If not, review the above directions and try again.

----

==== Configuring DriveWire4 for Vcc ====

At this point, Vcc may seem to be "hung up". This because HDBDOS is trying to connect to DriveWire4 and DW4 is not setup correctly if you followed the DW4 setup instructions. Those instructions were for a real Coco and not for Vcc. You need to bring up the DW4 GUI and set up the GUI for Vcc and the Becker Port.

In DW4, click the "Config" menu and select the firt item "Simple Config Wizard". The first panel in the wozard is just an info screen so click "Next". The next panel is where you select the machine type that you are running. The selection we want is the "Emulator or other TCP/IP" item in the bottom right corner" Select this item and click "Next". The rest of this configuration should be at defaults but we will review them to be sure. This panel is the "Connection TCP/IP Defaults". Make sure "Use Server Mode" is selected and the "Listen On Port" is set to 65504 as this is the port we have in Vcc. Click "Next".

In this panel, "Choose Virtual Midi Support", "yes" should be selected. Click "Next". The next panel is the "Printer Options" and we'll leave the defaults for now so click "Next" (for more on this option see the DW4 documentation). The next panel is the final screen so just click "Finish". DW4 should now be properly setup for Vcc 1.4.3 w/Becker Port support.

----

== Running Vcc with DriveWire4 and HDBDOS ==

Now go back to your Vcc window. Press "F9" on your PC keyboard twice. This will "Cold Start" Vcc as if you turned the Cooo Off, then back on. Neat eh?

If all went well, you should now have the Disk Extended Basic and HDBDOS logos with a "blinking" cursor. If your cursor is not blinking, I suggest you go back to the beginning of this tutorial and review all sections to see what was missed.

If you got the blinking cursor, then you have done it!! You have successfully got Vcc 1.4.3b running with DriveWire4. Now... What do we do with it? I will try to explain a few basics of the HDBDOS operations but I suggest you read the DriveWire4 documentation Wiki for DW4 info and get the HDBDOS documentation PDF file from Cloud9.com and read it well. There is a wealth of information there on all of HDBDOS's features.

----

=== Mounting VHDs (Virtual Hard Drives) ===

''NOTE: The internal Vcc "hard drive 0" will not be usable under HDBDOS. This is only usable under RGBDOS or NitrOS9''
''You will be using the DriveWire "drive slots" in the DW4 GUI. The Vcc virtual "FD-502 Drives" should work normally.''

To use "Floppy Disk" images found in the Color Computer Archives, just mount the images in the emulated floppy drives under Vcc's "Cartridge" / "FD-502 Drive" slots and use regular Disk Extended Basic commands just as you would on a real Coco 3.

To mount a VHD in the DriveWire4 GUI, just "right click" on the desired slot in the GUI and select "Insert Disk for Drive x". Navvigate to where your VHDs are stored and double click the desired image. Your VHD image is now mounted in DW4.

To use VHD files in Vcc with DW4, first you need to know a little about the way VHD files are configured. Basically, there are 2 types of VHD files found on the internet. The first is a straight, single partition VHD formatted for either RSDOS or OS9. To use these files, there is no "special" setup needed. The second type has been the subject of many disscussions on the Coco forums as to what the standard format is, but I will deal with the 2 most used formats here. These are the "dual partition" hybrid "OS9/RSDOS" VHDs. These images have both OS9 and RSDOS partitions and are the format most frequently found in the archives.

To use the dual partition VHDs under RSDOS, HDBDOS needs a little tweeking. As a standard, the OS9 partition comes first and the RSDOS partition last. Due to this configuration, HDBDOS cannot find the RSDOS partition until you tell it where the partition is. You do this by setting "offsets" in HDBDOS. There are several ways to do this.

The 2 formats of VHD are the original standard set up by Alan deKok for Jeff Vavasour's Coco emulator. In his format, the RSODS partition starts at $5A000 (368640)

The other format is used by Cloud9's SuperIDE controller and the offset is $79500 (496896).

The only real difference between these two formats is the size of the OS9 partition.

To use these offsets, first you must determine which type you are using. I know of no way to do this so my best suggestion is to ask someone involved with where you obtained the file. Once you know what type of VHD you have, using BASIC POKEs, you type:

(for "standard" VHDs)

POKE &HD938,5:POKE&HD939,&HA0:POKE&HD93A,0

(for "cloud9" VHDs)

POKE^HD938,7:POKE&HD939,&H95:POKE&HD93A,0

These pokes will make the RSDOS partition readily available to HDBDOS. The downfall of this method is you have to do this each time you start VCC or each time you move from RSDOS to OS9 and back again. The change is not permenant and is reset to default (000000 any time the HDBDOS rom is reloaded (reset or restart). You can also write an "AUTOEX/BAS" file to do this for you, but we'll discuss this in a later chapter of the tutorial.

The next method is a little more permenant. You must go to the DW4 GUI and "right click" the slot in which your VHD file is loaded. In the context menu displayed, select "Drive x Parameters" at the bottom of the menu. Scroll down the display until you find the "offset" (not "offsetdrv") entry. Click this entry and a dialog box appears at the bottom of the panel. Enter the proper offset from the text above into the box near the bottom and click "Apply" then "OK". You should now have access to the RSDOS partition of the VHD in Vcc. The major downfall of this method is that now you cannot use the OS9 partition on the drive as DW4 is set to look past that area. This is reall only useful is you are using RSDOS exclusively. Each VHD file can have it's own offset independant of the others so you can use mutiple types with this method.

The last method is the best (and the one I use) if you use both OS9 and RSDOS regularly, but it is also the most involved. First you will need to obtain a Windows hex editor program. I will not provide that here but you can easily find several free hex editors by Googling "windows hex editor" (I did). Once you have a hex editor, start the editor the load the "hdbdw3c3.rom" file into the editor. The file will be in your Vcc installation folder.

In the hex editor, scroll down to an offset of $1D98 and change this and the next 2 values to $05, $A0, $00 respectively. Now save the file as "hdbdw3c3_offset.rom" and exit the hex editor. Use the HDBDOS setup directions we used before and reload the new rom into Vcc. Hit "F9" twice (cold Start) and now you have a permenant offset in HDBDOS and both RSDOS & OS9 partitions will read properly.

The method you use is up to you and/or the type of VHD you are using. Personally, I always use the "standard" type VHD and keep my offsets in HDBDOS permenant.

----

== Summary ==

This concludes the basic Vcc 1.4.3b and DW4 installations. I will not go into how to use HDBDOS or setting up NitrOS9 in this tutorial as the HDBDOS manual describes all aspects of HDBDOS and should be your reference to that software. As for installing NitrOS-9 for Vcc and DW4, that will be a tutorial in itself. That can be a very involved process as there are many options and each user has his/her own needs in OS9. I hope to write the NitrOS9 installation tutorial soon, but until then....

Keep On Cocoing!!

----

== Resources ==

Here are the links for the all the downloads and documentation needed for Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator wit Becker Port support.

=== Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port ===
The download includes all Vcc needs to run. This download does NOT include DriveWire4
[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)

=== DriveWire4 File Server ===

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-04-18T23:03:26Z

Soundchaser: /* Summary */

Main Page

2014-03-08T15:02:33Z

Soundchaser: /* Special Projects */

{{NavHome}}
[[Image:COCO-CM8.GIF|right|thumb|256px|SockMaster's CoCo 3 and CM-8 monitor.]]
{{AlertBox|As of 3/1/2014, the wiki has been updated. Also... I need someone who is willing to help me with Wiki cleanup. E-mail me and I'll talk to you about what I am trying to do (or start with the [[Read Me First]] file link). --[[User:AllenHuffman|OS-9 Al]]}}

Due to vandalism, this Wiki is now locked to prevent automated [[Special:Userlogin|new user signups]]. '''IF YOU WANT AN ACCOUNT SO YOU CAN EDIT PAGES''', please send e-mail to [mailto:wiki@cocopedia.com wiki@cocopedia.com] and let me know what you want for a username. A temporary password (which you can change) will be e-mailed to you.

See [[Special:Recentchanges|what's been added/changed]].

Welcome to the experimental CoCo Wiki! Help me fill this thing up with information on all things [[CoCo]]. You have to have an account to edit/create pages. If you are unfamiliar with how Wikis work, I'll have a short tutorial posted later. -- [[User:AllenHuffman|Allen]]

We will come up with a template format to use for the various pages. We can base it on other things that [http://wikipedia.org Wikipedia] has done, and include a photo and table for filling in information (name, release date, system requirements, etc.). This should be fun. For now, you can just create and edit pages and put raw information there, and we'll have editors start formatting later when we figure out what the format needs to be.

==Latest CoCo News==

'''1/16/2014:''' Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice have released a book on the history of the CoCo titled: CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer.

The book is currently available via Amazon and it's publisher CRC Press. The initial batch delivered to Amazon had some printing issues in a number of the books. That is supposed to have been rectified as of this date. I cannot recommend this book enough for CoCoNuts and classic computer enthusiasts.

Amazon link to the book is [http://www.amazon.com/CoCo-Colorful-History-Underdog-Computer/dp/1466592478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389888792&sr=8-1&keywords=coco+the+colorful+history+of+tandy%27s+underdog+computer here].

Link to the book's Facebook group is [https://www.facebook.com/groups/cocobook/597270527007466/?notif_t=group_activity here].

==Special Projects==
Visit the new [[Special Projects]] section, featuring:
* [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] - A short history and tutorial on DriveWire for your Color Computer 1, 2, or 3.
* [[DW4 Installation Guide]] - A Step by Step Guide to installing DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on a DW4 Coco setup.
* [[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - A complete guid to installing the Vcc 1.4.3b Coco 3 emulator with Becker Port support for DriveWire4
* [[30th Anniversary]] - Ideas and plans for the 30th Anniversary of the CoCo in 2010. This was never realized, but it is hoped some of the ideas may be carried forward and implemented at a future gathering.
* [[CoCo in the Movies]] - Listing of movies, TV shows, etc. that have featured a CoCo.
* [[New Development]] - Links to new CoCo hardware/software projects in development, including the CoCo-X Kickstarter project.

==Site Sections==
*[[Articles]] - New articles written specifically for the CoCo Wiki.
*[[CoCo|Color Computer Links]] - Collection of the known CoCo related websites.
*[[Color Computer 1]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 1
*[[Color Computer 2]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 2
*[[Color Computer 3]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 3
*[[Companies]] - Past, present, and... future?
*[[Conventions]] - Rainbow''fests'', Color Expos, CoCoFESTs and more.
*[[Datasheets]] - Manufacturer's Datasheets for all sorts of Integrated Circuits.
*[[FAQs]] - Frequently Asked Questions on CoCo topics.
*[[Hardware]] - Disk controllers, speech paks, MIDI interfaces.
*[[People]] - Who's who (or who was) in the CoCo Community.
*[[Programming]] - Programming Languages and Utilities.
*[[Publications]] - Rainbow, Hot CoCo, UpTime, Color Computer, and others.
*[[Software]] - Games, utilities, and tigers. Oh my!
*[[Timeline]] - Color Computer historic timeline.

==See Also==
*[[Emulators]] - The next best thing to the real thing? How to run Color Computer software on modern PCs, Macs and Linux machines. And more.
*[[CoCo Next Generation]] - A collaborative effort to write specifications for future CoCo development.
*[[CoCo Relatives]] - Color Computer clones, spin-offs, and descendants, such as the MM/1 and TC-9 Tomcat.
*[[Internet Resources]] - Other places to talk CoCo on the internet.

==Special Pages==
*See [[Special:Listusers|a list of registered users]] so far. (Tim Lindner was the first to sign up!)

...let's get building!

[[Category:Help]]

Main Page

2014-03-08T15:01:01Z

Soundchaser: /* Special Projects */

{{NavHome}}
[[Image:COCO-CM8.GIF|right|thumb|256px|SockMaster's CoCo 3 and CM-8 monitor.]]
{{AlertBox|As of 3/1/2014, the wiki has been updated. Also... I need someone who is willing to help me with Wiki cleanup. E-mail me and I'll talk to you about what I am trying to do (or start with the [[Read Me First]] file link). --[[User:AllenHuffman|OS-9 Al]]}}

Due to vandalism, this Wiki is now locked to prevent automated [[Special:Userlogin|new user signups]]. '''IF YOU WANT AN ACCOUNT SO YOU CAN EDIT PAGES''', please send e-mail to [mailto:wiki@cocopedia.com wiki@cocopedia.com] and let me know what you want for a username. A temporary password (which you can change) will be e-mailed to you.

See [[Special:Recentchanges|what's been added/changed]].

Welcome to the experimental CoCo Wiki! Help me fill this thing up with information on all things [[CoCo]]. You have to have an account to edit/create pages. If you are unfamiliar with how Wikis work, I'll have a short tutorial posted later. -- [[User:AllenHuffman|Allen]]

We will come up with a template format to use for the various pages. We can base it on other things that [http://wikipedia.org Wikipedia] has done, and include a photo and table for filling in information (name, release date, system requirements, etc.). This should be fun. For now, you can just create and edit pages and put raw information there, and we'll have editors start formatting later when we figure out what the format needs to be.

==Latest CoCo News==

'''1/16/2014:''' Boisy Pitre and Bill Loguidice have released a book on the history of the CoCo titled: CoCo: The Colorful History of Tandy's Underdog Computer.

The book is currently available via Amazon and it's publisher CRC Press. The initial batch delivered to Amazon had some printing issues in a number of the books. That is supposed to have been rectified as of this date. I cannot recommend this book enough for CoCoNuts and classic computer enthusiasts.

Amazon link to the book is [http://www.amazon.com/CoCo-Colorful-History-Underdog-Computer/dp/1466592478/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1389888792&sr=8-1&keywords=coco+the+colorful+history+of+tandy%27s+underdog+computer here].

Link to the book's Facebook group is [https://www.facebook.com/groups/cocobook/597270527007466/?notif_t=group_activity here].

==Special Projects==
Visit the new [[Special Projects]] section, featuring:
* [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] - A short history and tutorial on DriveWire for your Color Computer 1, 2, or 3.
* [[DW4 Installation Guide]] - A Step by Step Guide to installing DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on a DW4 Coco setup.
* [[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] A complete guid to installing Vcc 1.4.3b with Becker Port support for DriveWire4
* [[30th Anniversary]] - Ideas and plans for the 30th Anniversary of the CoCo in 2010. This was never realized, but it is hoped some of the ideas may be carried forward and implemented at a future gathering.
* [[CoCo in the Movies]] - Listing of movies, TV shows, etc. that have featured a CoCo.
* [[New Development]] - Links to new CoCo hardware/software projects in development, including the CoCo-X Kickstarter project.

==Site Sections==
*[[Articles]] - New articles written specifically for the CoCo Wiki.
*[[CoCo|Color Computer Links]] - Collection of the known CoCo related websites.
*[[Color Computer 1]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 1
*[[Color Computer 2]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 2
*[[Color Computer 3]] - Detailed information of the CoCo 3
*[[Companies]] - Past, present, and... future?
*[[Conventions]] - Rainbow''fests'', Color Expos, CoCoFESTs and more.
*[[Datasheets]] - Manufacturer's Datasheets for all sorts of Integrated Circuits.
*[[FAQs]] - Frequently Asked Questions on CoCo topics.
*[[Hardware]] - Disk controllers, speech paks, MIDI interfaces.
*[[People]] - Who's who (or who was) in the CoCo Community.
*[[Programming]] - Programming Languages and Utilities.
*[[Publications]] - Rainbow, Hot CoCo, UpTime, Color Computer, and others.
*[[Software]] - Games, utilities, and tigers. Oh my!
*[[Timeline]] - Color Computer historic timeline.

==See Also==
*[[Emulators]] - The next best thing to the real thing? How to run Color Computer software on modern PCs, Macs and Linux machines. And more.
*[[CoCo Next Generation]] - A collaborative effort to write specifications for future CoCo development.
*[[CoCo Relatives]] - Color Computer clones, spin-offs, and descendants, such as the MM/1 and TC-9 Tomcat.
*[[Internet Resources]] - Other places to talk CoCo on the internet.

==Special Pages==
*See [[Special:Listusers|a list of registered users]] so far. (Tim Lindner was the first to sign up!)

...let's get building!

[[Category:Help]]

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-03-08T14:16:34Z

Soundchaser: /* Installing VCC 1.4.3b & DriveWire4 */

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-03-08T12:29:10Z

Soundchaser: /* Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta */

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-03-08T11:25:42Z

Soundchaser: /* Changing the defaults */

VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

2014-03-08T11:14:04Z

Soundchaser: /* Installing Vcc 1.4.3beta */

DW4 Installation Guide

2014-01-28T21:12:44Z

Soundchaser: /* Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4

*[http://www.6809.org.uk/xroar/ XRoar Dragon32/64, Coco 1/2 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of XRoar usable with DriveWire4
*[[XRoar and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing XRoar and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T12:11:32Z

Soundchaser: /* NitrOS-9 Repository */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Builds Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----

=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T12:08:36Z

Soundchaser: /* DriveWire Cables */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p2050601.m570.l1313&_nkw=drivewire+cable&_sacat=0&_from=R40 EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T12:05:42Z

Soundchaser: /* DriveWire Cables */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
*The DriveWire cables have also been showing up on [http://www.ebay.com EBay.com] quite regularly, so you may find one there at a reasonable price.
----

=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T11:47:02Z

Soundchaser: /* Up and Running */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order. At this point, make sure your custom serial cable (above) is plugged into both your server and the Coco.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T11:44:02Z

Soundchaser: /* Installing HDBDOS for DW4 */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from the ToolShed package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with an RSDOS header and footer (start, end and execution addresses) so it can be loaded as any other RSDOS binary file. This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
''NOTE:The "bin" file must be renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit before transferring to disk.''

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-12-19T11:08:01Z

Soundchaser: /* Introduction to DriveWire4 */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” or Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well, allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from this package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with start, end and execution addresses so it can be loaded as any other file This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
The file is renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit.

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-10-15T14:36:07Z

Soundchaser:

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” and Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from this package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with start, end and execution addresses so it can be loaded as any other file This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
The file is renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit.

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet. If you are not planning to use NitrOS-9 with your DriveWire4 installation, you can skip the next section of the tutorial and move on to [[http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php?title=DW4_Installation_Guide&action=submit#Mounting_and_Using_Virtual_Disks_and_Drives Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ]].

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 ==

(WIP)

=== Running NitrOS-9 without HDBDOS installed ===

To install NitrOS-9 (NOS9) without HDBDOS installed, you must put the Coco into a state in which it has DW4 communication. This can be done in one of several methods listed below. Choose the one that is right for you.

==== Starting NitrOS-9 from a Real Floppy Disk ====

To start NOS9 from a real floppy disk, you must first have such a disk. To get NOS9 from the virtual disk images in the repository to a real disk is a matter I will not go into here as there are many methods of doing this and space will not allow for such a tutorial. But I will inform you that as far as I know, there is no copy of a 35 track, single sided, double density virtual disk of NitrOS-9 in the NitrOS-9 repository. RSDOS will only boot NOS9 from a 35trk SSDD disk. This makes creating a disk bootable from RSDOS a real PITA. The end goal is to get a NOS9 bootable disk.

The reason you need a disk in the floppy drive as well as the DW4 GUI is that the floppy boot will load the DW4 bootfile from track 34 and then attempt to connect to the DW4 server and load the rest of the boot (OS9Boot) from the DW4 disk in the GUI. This is due to these disk images bein designed to boot direct from the DW4 server. There are ways around this, but requiring the creation of special boot disks and beyond the scope of this tutorial.

You can get the NitrOS-9 disk images here:
[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ NitrOS-9 Latest Disk Images]]

The only images that you will be able to use to boot NitrOS-9 for DriveWire4 are:
*nos96809l1v030209coco1_dw.dsk (Coco 1, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2_dw.dsk (Coco 2, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209coco2b_dw.dsk (Coco 2b (true lower case VDG), NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l1v030209deluxe_dw.dsk (Coco 2 Deluxe, NitrOS-9 L1, 6809 Processor)
*nos96809l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor)
*nos96309l2v030209coco3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor)

And there are several "dedicated" disks that will also boot under DW4, but are limited to the intended program on the disk (Most require 512k):
*multivue_6309_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6309 Processor. "MultiVue")
*multivue_6809_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "MultiVue")
*christmas86_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Christmas '86" Demo)
*blackcauldron_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "The Black Cauldron")
*goldrush_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Gold Rush")
*kingsquest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest I")
*kingsquest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest II")
*kingsquest3_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest III")
*kingsquest4_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "King's Quest IV")
*leisuresuitlarry_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Leisure Suit Larry")
*manhunter1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 1")
*manhunter2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Manhunter 2")
*policequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Police Quest 1")
*spacequest0_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest - The Lost Episode")
*spacequest1_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 1")
*spacequest2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Sierra Online's "Space Quest 2")
*arcadepack_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Arcade Pack containing "Thexder", "Shangai", and "Smash")
*fsim2_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Tandy's "Flight Simulator II")
*koronis_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. Infocom's "Koronis Rift")
*kyumgai_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. OS-9 version of Sundog's "Kyumgai, To Be Ninja")
*mm_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Microscopic Mission")
*rof_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Rescue On Fractalus")
*subsim_dw.dsk (Coco 3, NitrOS-9 L2, 6809 Processor. "Sub Battle Simulator"

These disks can be mounted in the DW4 GUI and a regular NitrOS-9 boot disk in the real floppy drive. The real floppy will start the boot and continue on the DW4 disk, so the game/application will then boot and in most cases, autorun.

Once you have a bootable disk, just follow the instructions below.

Insert the real floppy disk in Drive0 in your disk drive.

You will also need a virtual disk or VHD mounted in DriveWire4 containing the same OS9Boot file being used on the floppy boot.

[[File:DW4_Inserting_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::::::::::Right click the drive slot 0 and select "Insert disk for drive 0"

[[File:DW4_browsing_a_disk.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::::Browse to the location of your virtual disk collection on your host computer and select the proper disk for your system

Once you have that, just insert the disks and type "DOS". NitrOS-9 should boot from the floppy first, then from the disk image in DW4. In a few seconds, you should see the NitrOS-9 welcome screen :-)

----

=== Running NitrOS-9 with HDBDOS installed ===

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

File:DW4 browsing a disk.jpg

2013-10-15T13:33:28Z

Soundchaser:

File:DW4 Inserting a disk.jpg

2013-10-15T13:30:38Z

Soundchaser:

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-10-15T12:45:49Z

Soundchaser: /* Up and Running */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” and Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from this package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with start, end and execution addresses so it can be loaded as any other file This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
The file is renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit.

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now that we have all the essentials in place, we are ready to get Drivewire4 and/or HDBDOS and/or NitrOS-9 up and running. At this point, we now want the Coco powered down, and the DriveWire4 GUI shut down. We are going to power everything up in it's proper order.

----

=== Running the DriveWire4 Simple Config Wizard ===

Now we get to see something run. Start DW4 on your PC. At the top menubar of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” menu selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready. On future runs of DW4, these steps are no longer needed unless you change the model of Coco that you are using. You can just start DW4 and move on to the next steps.

----

=== Starting the Coco with HDBDOS ===

''NOTE: If you plan to use NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using RSDOS or HDBDOS, you can start up your Coco and move on the the''
''Starting NitrOS-9 section of this tutorial. B.P. ''

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet.

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DW4 ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-10-15T12:28:13Z

Soundchaser: /* Up and Running */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” and Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from this package are:
----
=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
----
=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

----

==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with start, end and execution addresses so it can be loaded as any other file This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
The file is renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit.

----

==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

----

==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

----

== Up and Running ==

Now we get to see something run. First, power down the Coco. Then start DW4 on the PC if it’s not running already. At the top of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet.

----

== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

----

== Installing NitrOS-9 for DW4 ==

(WIP)

----

== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
----
=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
----
=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

----
=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
----
=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
----

== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

----

DW4 Installation Guide

2013-10-15T12:26:49Z

Soundchaser: /* .rom */

by Bill Pierce
''Please do not edit this page. This is a work in progress and I would like to finish it before anything is added or deleted.''
''If you see something in need of correction or would like to contribute to the page, please contact me''
''This page was created in 1440 x 900 Widescreen resolution, and is best viewed that way.''
''Thank you, B.P''

== Introduction to DriveWire4 ==

[[File:Coco_DW4_Plugged.gif|center|I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!]]
''--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------I'm mean when I'm green... and plugged in!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------''

''NOTE: This tutorial is for the actual Coco 1, 2, or 3. It is not for use with the Coco emulators with Becker port support. Those programs need a''
''different version of HDBDOS an/or NitrOS9 than what is discussed here. If this tutorial becomes a useful tool for the Coco Community,''
''then I may add a section for the emulators and the Becker port.''
''Also, In this tutorial I will only be covering the installation of DriveWire4, NOT DriveWire3. The two program have different GUI formats and''
''capabilities. To cover them both here would take two sets of instructions for each operation and I want this document to be simple and not''
''confuse the new user. I may do a similar page for DriveWire3 soon.''
'' B.P.''

The current DriveWire4 installation is a simple, easy way for the Coco 1, 2, & 3 user to access virtual disk and virtual hard drive images found in the Color Computer archive sites. These types of images were originally created for the Coco emulators as far back as 1995. With DriveWire, you can use your PC (Windows, Mac or Linux) as a “server” for these files and access them from the Coco as if they were real disks.

DriveWire has many capabilities that go far beyond just mounting disk images. Things such as “DW4Midi” for using DriveWire as a Midi synth for a Coco Midi player or sequencer such as Lester Hands’s “Lyra” and Mike Knudsen’s “Ultimuse 3”. DriveWire is a “serial communications” system as well allowing you to set a “Coco style” terminal on your PC to access your Coco from a remote location. There are features for “modem emulation” to allow DriveWire to act as a modem for the Coco to use for “Telnet” and similar communications systems. There are many other uses and you’ll have to visit the DriveWire documentation site to find out all the various things it can do.

This document will only deal with getting DriveWire set up and running and some of the “basic” functions of the system like mounting virtual disks. It is by no means the end of the story as the boundries of the DriveWire system seem to expand rapidly. So I will leave it up to the user to explore the internet and find out what other people are doing with DriveWire, I just want to get you up and running so you can do these things once you find them.

I have tried to be as complete and consise as possible in making the DriveWire installation simple and easy as well as fun, though it is quite an "involved" process. I have tried to include everything needed to get started. If you find any mistakes or inconsistencies in this document please leave me a message on the Coco Mailing List or on the Color Computer FaceBook page and I will try to make corrections and get it posted as soon as possible. Have fun!

I will try to explain what software and hardware is needed to get started with DriveWire4, HDBDOS, and NitrOS-9_dw on the Tandy Color Computer. This will not be a tutorial in operating these systems but a tutorial in installing them. I will be dividing most things into categories when I can to make it easier to grasp each concept as each system has it’s own requirements, setup and maintenance. Where applicable, I will be providing links to the websites of the developers and/or distributors of these systems and their supporting Wikis, documentation and downloads for further info and updates. I will try to provide the basic essentials to get you up and running as quick as possible.

This document is not to be considered an ''alternate'' to the development sites but as ''a starting point'' to those sites. Please take the time to check the links to sites with downloads and info as I will be listing quite a few of those throughout this document.

With all that said, let’s get on with the show. First, we need a list of the things required to get running.

Bill Pierce

''NOTE: Please keep in mind that most of my references to the PC refer to my Windows machine even though I will use the term PC to refer to any machine''
''running Windows, Linux, or a Mac operating system. If you are running a Mac or Linux system then you will have to find the equivalent term applicable''
''for your system as I have very limited knowledge of those systems. The Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, & 3 will be referred to as the Coco 1, Coco 2, and''
''Coco 3 respectively. Also, any references to OS-9 is usually referring to NitrOS-9, as standard vanilla MW OS-9 will not run the DriveWire drivers. B.P.''

----

== The DriveWire4 Hardware ==
To start with you will need the following hardware:

=== Hardware (Required) ===
*Tandy Color Computer 1, 2, or 3 with at least 64k of memory
*Coco Serial to DB-9 adapter cable. (more on this later)
*A Windows, Mac or Linux PC system with Java 1.5 or better.
*A Monitor/TV for the Coco
*Also, if your PC does not have a DB-9 serial port, you will need have to purchase a USB-to-DB9 adapter. (more later)

That’s it! This is all the hardware it takes to run an efficient modern Coco system!
For optional hardware, there are hundreds of things that could be listed, but I will only list the standards:
----
=== Hardware (Optional) ===
*Coco Floppy disk controller (Any Coco compatible will do)
*Coco Floppy disk drive(s) (35t, 40trk, 80trk)
*Coco Hard drive controller
*Coco Hard drive(s)
*Coco Multipak interface
----
=== Software (Required) ===

----

==== Windows, Linux, Mac PC ====
*Java 1.5 or better
*DriveWire4 Server package
----
==== Coco 1 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 1 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 1
----
==== Coco 2 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 2 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L1 for Coco 2
----
==== Coco 3 ====
*HDBDOS 1.4 DW Coco 3 or better (rom, wav, or bin)
*For NitrOS-9 you will need a DW compatible version of NitrOS-9 L2 for Coco 3
----

And most of all, a big collection of your favorite RSDOS or OS-9 software on virtual disk or vhd (virtual hard drive).

For the record, as of the writing of this document (10/01/2013), the current stable software versions are:
*HDBDOS v1.4 DW3 Coco 1, 2, and 3
*DriveWire v04.03.3o (or v04.03.3p for Turbo mode)
*NitrOS-9 v03.02.09 dw3 (Coco 1 & 2 Level 1, & Coco 3 Level 2)

''NOTE:To update any of these systems to their current version, please visit the links provided in each section and in the “Resources Links”''
''section of this document. From these links you can download the latest version of the software as well as documentation on each system. B.P.''

With those simple elements, there is a whole world of Color Computer at your finger tips (literally). From this point, depending on the Coco system you are running (1, 2, or 3), your DW4/HDBDOS/NitrOS-9 system can expand to unbelievable capabilities. The current list of new hardware seems to be growing. More on that later, right now let’s set up a simple, easy to use, basic Coco DW4 system.
----

== The DriveWire Cable ==

This was also covered in [[Getting Started with DriveWire]] but I will include it here for posterity.

Before you can use DriveWire 3 or 4, you will need to connect your CoCo to a computer being used as a DriveWire server. You will need a Coco Serial (bit-banger) to DB-9 serial cable. Again, [http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells these cables.

Conversely, you may build your own based upon the following diagram:

[[File:CoCo-serial-cable.png|500px|center]]

Also, if you have a more modern PC, it's most likely not to have the needed DB-9 serial port. As an alternative, you can puchase USB to Serial (DB-9) converters. These range in price from about $10 - $20 and can be purchased from most any electronics supply house. If they don't have it on the shelf, ask someone and they can most likely order it for you. You will still need the cable above as this is just an adapter to be able to connect it to PC's with no DB-9 serial port.

Alternatively, you can also still purchase an add-on PCI or PCIx serial card. TigerDirect and NewEgg still stock a large selection of these cards. The internal serial cards tend to offer better data transfer rates than the USB to Serial adapters in testing.

----

== Installing the JavaVM ==
''NOTE:This is NOT a Java browser plug-in, It is a Java Virtual Machine to run Java based code such as DriveWire4. As far as I know, it in no''
''way affects your browser and only runs when called to run Java code.''

First you will need Java 1.5 or better to run DriveWire 4 on your PC no matter if it’s a Windows, Mac, or Linux system. Most more modern machines will already have Java installed and if you use a web browser to view webpages with videos or audio, then you most likely have Java installed but may need to update the package. DriveWire will inform you if you need the Java app when it runs. If you find you need to obtain the Java app, there are packages available for all machines. Even old ones. I have provided the link for the Java download site here:

[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems]

Here you will find the latest Java downloads for most computer OS platforms. Just click the Java package that's right for your machine and follow the instructions on the site and throughout the installation process.

Once you have the Java app installed, you are ready to move on to DriveWire 4.

----

== Installing DriveWire4 ==
''Note:At this point, you want your Coco to remain powered down. B.P.''

To install DriveWire4, you will need the DriveWire4 installation package. You can go to the DW4 distribution site and download the latest incarnation yourself at:

[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4]

While you’re there, please read the documentation Wiki and browse the CocoCoding site to see all the available utilities. Links for those are on the site linked above.

After you have downloaded DriveWire4, unzip the DriveWire4 zip file to a folder of your choice. Choose what is right for you and your system as I know Mac and Linux are a little different in this respect. This is the only installation method for dw4 as there is no “Auto-Installation Package”.

Once you have the DW4 folder set up, open the folder and you will see a file named
*"DW4UI.exe" for MS Windows
*"DW4UI.sh" for Linux
*"DW4UI.command" for Mac OS

First, for Windows users, “right click” the "dw4ui.exe" file and click the “Create Shortcut” option to create a shortcut to put on your desktop. Some systems will automatically place this shortcut on the desktop and some will make you do it manually. If you have to do it manually, just drag the shortcut over and drop it on your desktop.

On Mac and Linux, I do not know the equivalent methods for creating desktop shortcuts so you will have to consult your OS documentation.

Now, double-click this shortcut and the DW4 GUI (graphics user interface) should display. You should see something similar to this:

[[File:DrivWire4 pic 1.jpg|450px|center]]

Of course there will be no disk images mounted in your drive slots yet.

The first thing you want to do in DW4 is to check for updates. Click the “Tools” tab at the top of the GUI, and at the bottom of the pull-down menu, you will see “Check for new version” as below:

[[File:DriveWire4 update 1.jpg|450px|center]]

To use this feature of DW4, your PC must be connected to the internet. Once clicked, DW4 will check the distribution site for the latest update and if available, will prompt you for permission to download. Once it downloads, it will shut itself down. You will then have to restart DW4 as I don’t think the developer has the restart feature worked out yet. Once you are satisfied the latest version is running correctly, we still have a bit of work to do yet before we can connect the Coco to DW4.

It is best not to do any other configuration at this point until you have the Coco ready to go. So now need to move to the Coco to set up HDBDOS and configure it for DriveWire.
----

== Installing HDBDOS for DW4 ==

''NOTE: Those of you who like to boot directly into NitrOS-9 and have no intention of using HDBDOS/RSDOS can skip to the "NitrOS-9 & DW4" section''
''This section is for those who will at least be using HDBDOS or RSDOS for running RSDOS BASIC or Machine Language games or applications''

This part of the installation needs to be done before you try to actually run a DW4 system. You need to be familiar with the version and method you will use to load and run HDBDOS.

''Note: At this point you may power up your Coco''

The HDBDOS installation is basically the same for all models of the Coco with the exception of the version of HDBDOS that you will be using. You can select the right version for your system when you download the latest HDBDOS build here:

[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : In the ToolShed Repository that is the home for the HDBDOS sources

Alternately, you can get the HDBDOS files at:

[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] at Cloud9's site (scroll to the bottom of the page).

The Cloud9 Roms are not quite as up to date as the Roms at the ToolShed site but proven stable over time. Which you choose is your decision. You can view a list of descriptions of the contents of this package at [[DRIVEWIRE.ZIP]]. You will have to compare the names and decipher the equivalent Roms from this package.

The ToolShed project has provided us with a nice selection of roms, bins and wav files for making real cassette and disk files as well as ROM images for burning an EPROM. If fact, too nice. Most of the Roms in this package deal with setups not related to DW4, but the ones we need are there.

''NOTE:The Roms listed below are from the ToolShed snapshot zip file. These are the only Roms in that file that can be used with DriveWire4.''
''There are other Roms, bins, and wavs in that zip but those are NOT used for DriveWire4. Most are experimental and are not stable for use''
''and again, are NOT DriveWire compatable.""

The Roms we are interested in from this package are:
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=== Coco 1 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc1.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1.
*hdbdw3cc1.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 1 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc1.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 1.
----
=== Coco 2 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc2.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2.
*hdbdw3cc2.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 2 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc2.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 2.
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=== Coco 3 Rom Files ===
*hdbdw3cc3.bin – The binary executable file for HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3.
*hdbdw3cc3.rom – The ROM version of HDBDOS DW on a Coco 3 for burning an EPROM to put in your disk controller.
*hdbdw3cc3.wav – The audio wave recording of the HDBDOS DW “.bin” file above for cassette on your Coco 3.
----
=== Rom File Extension Definitions ===

Now I feel there is a little more detailed explanation of the file extensions used here. I’ve had people tell me when they loaded the “.rom” file, it crashed their Coco… as well it should. I will explain why. Here is an explanation of the terms:

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==== .bin ====
This file was saved to disk with start, end and execution addresses so it can be loaded as any other file This is the same as any binary executable program file used by DECB. The actual “rom” file is loaded into low memory, then a small machine language program is added to the beginning of the file. The small program, when executed, will put the Coco into all-ram mode, copy the rom into high memory ($C000-$DFFF) and then execute the rom. To use this file, you must save it to a floppy disk. I will not get into the methods of transferring disk images to real floppies here as I have no drives that will work with my PC and cannot vouch for this method. It can then be loaded with:
LOADM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”:EXEC (x being your Coco model 1, 2, or 3)
The file is renamed to be compatible with DECB’s 8 character limit.

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==== .wav ====
This is the recording of a cassette version of the same file as above. It operates in the same manner. To use this file you must use one of the utilities that will play wav files through your PC speakers. You then either plug the Coco’s cassette cable into the PC’s headphone jack or use a straight 1/8th inch mini plug cable to plug into the headphone jack of the PC and the Microphone input on your cassette recorder. Type “CLOADM” on your Coco or press Play and Record on your cassette recorder, then start the playback of the wave file on your PC. If you’re using a cassette recorder, don’t forget to let the tape roll a bit to get past the leader tape at the beginning of the tape then hit Play on the PC. If you use the direct to Coco method, the program will load directly into memory just as if you were using a cassette player. The 2nd method makes a cassette tape that you can load normally on the Coco. In both cases, you may have to adjust the volume level on your PC as it tends have an output that’s a little higher than the Coco likes. I’ve found with experimentation that somewhere between 50% and 75% seems to work best. It will vary on different PCs and soundcards. You’ll have to experiment.

Once you have the file loaded into the Coco (before execution), you may want to save it to something more convenient to use in the future.
These files will have to be renamed to make them compatible with DECB’s 8 character name, 3 character extension limit.

===== Saving to disk =====
SAVEM”HDBDW3Cx/BIN”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

===== Saving to tape =====
CSAVEM”HDBDW3Cx”,&H4FD0,&H6FFF,&H4FD0 (no file extension) where “x” is your Coco model (1, 2, or 3)

Once you have the file loaded (and/or saved), just type EXEC<ENTER> and HDBDOS will start.

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==== .rom ====
This file is not a loadable or executable file. It is a raw binary dump of the actual HDBDOS rom for use with an EPROM burner. It has no start, end, or executing address. Do not try to load this file from tape or disk. If you do not have an EPROM burner and would like to have an a ROM version of HDBDOS to install in your disk controller, you’ll have to ask around on the Coco mailing list or the Coco FaceBook page to find someone who can do this for you. Most people will do it for the cost of the EPROM and s/h charges. Again, you can get premade ROMS from:

[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page.

Their ROMS are of HDB-DOS 1.2 but stable and that may be negotiable with Mark at Cloud9 as he does mention "custom" burning on the website. He may be willing to burn any version you may need, but I can’t speak for him so you will have to contact Cloud9 and find out.

The advantage of this method over the other two is that HDBDOS cannot be wiped out by a program that uses it's own disk routines or ROM/RAM switching in it’s operation. The disk and cassette versions load into ram and therefore are defenseless from such programs. The only exception being the Coco 3 which always runs in all ram mode due to the nature of the “Super Extended Color Basic” patch. It is actually defenseless from the start. This is one of the reasons a lot of old Coco 2 programs crash the Coco 3.

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=== Up and Running ===

Now we get to see something run. First, power down the Coco. Then start DW4 on the PC if it’s not running already. At the top of the DW4 GUI you will see a “Config” selection. Click on this and a menu will pop up. Select the “Simple Config Wizard” at the top of the menu:

[[File:DriveWire4 config.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::::::An info screen will appear. Click “Next” at the bottom of this window. Here you will see several options of machines to run:

[[File:DriveWire4 device.jpg|450px|center]]

::::::::Select the proper Coco you are running, 1, 2, or 3 and click that machine. It will then confirm your selection. Click “Next”. Here you should see a list of “Comm Ports”:

[[File:DriveWire4 port.jpg|450px|center]]

Click the port that your DW4 cable is connected to. Then Click “Next”. In the next few windows, just click “Next” for the defaults until it reaches the final screen in which “Next” will no longer be available. Click “Finish”:

[[File:DriveWire4 baud.jpg|300px|left]][[File:DriveWire4 printer.jpg|300px|right]]
[[File:DriveWire4 midi.jpg|300px|center]]

Your DW4 server is now ready

Now power up the Coco. You should see some activity in the “Server” tab in the DW4 GUI on your PC. This is normal as the server has found the Coco and is initializing. If you’ve installed an HDBDOS rom, you should now be in HDBDOS 1.4 on the Coco. If you do not have an HDBDOS rom, then load HDBDOS from disk or cassette by one of the methods described earlier and type “EXEC”. Either way, you should see:

[[File:Boot-Screen-1.jpg|450px|center]]

If you get the flashing OK prompt, then you are home free. If not and your system seems to “freeze” then something is wrong. Start from the beginning and review the various steps and make sure everything was done exactly as explained. If it still doesn’t work, check the DW4 GUI and see if it is reporting errors. If so, note these errors and leave a message on the Coco mailing list and we will try to figure out what went wrong or submit a bug report from the .DW4 GUI “Help” menu and the developer may be able to help you.

If HDBDOS has started successfully, you can now “insert” a virtual disk image into the Slot 0 in the DW4 GUI. Type DIR<ENTER> on the Coco. You should get a directory of the contents of the disk. If you get the listing then you have successfully gotten DW4 and HDBDOS installed and running.

But… we are not through yet.

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== Mounting and Using Virtual Disks and Drives ==

(WIP)

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== Installing NitrOS-9 for DW4 ==

(WIP)

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== DW4 Resources Links ==

=== DriveWire Cables ===
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Hardware/Cables.html Cloud9] sells Coco serial to DB-9 serial cables
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=== JavaVM Links ===
*[http://www.java.com/en/download/manual.jsp Java Downloads for All Operating Systems] : Download the JavaVM require to run DriveWire4
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=== DriveWire4 Links ===
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/ CocoCoding / DriveWire4] : The CocoCoding site is the source for everything DriveWire4 related.
*[https://sites.google.com/site/drivewire4/download DriveWire4 Tools and Disks] : Lots of good stuff for DriveWire4
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/drivewireserver/index.php DriveWire 4 Documentation Wiki] : A wealth of DriveWire4 information and specifications.
''NOTE:Links to download DriveWire4 from any other sites may result in a DriveWire4 version no longer in developement as DW4 is continuously updated''
''Please refer to CocoCoding's distribution site above for all DriveWire4 downloads.''
----
=== HDBDOS ROMs ===
*[http://toolshed.sourceforge.net/snapshots/ HDBDOS Snapshots] : The ToolShed Repository is the home for the HDBDOS sources
*[http://www.frontiernet.net/~mmarlette/Cloud-9/Software/DriveWire3.html HDBDOS Roms] Cloud9's ROM Images (scroll to the bottom of the page)
*[http://www.cloud9tech.com/Software/HDB-DOS.html Cloud9's HDBDOS] page for HDBDOS EPROMs

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=== NitrOS-9 Repository ===
*[http://sourceforge.net/projects/nitros9/ The NitrOS-9 Repository] : Main link to the NitrOS-9 Open Source Prject
*[http://sourceforge.net/apps/mediawiki/nitros9/index.php?title=Main_Page NitrOS-9 Wiki Pages] : For information and documentation on NitrOS-9
*[http://www.nitros9.org/latest/ Latest NitrOS-9 Disk Images] : The latest NitrOS-9 Build Disk Images
*[http://www.nitros9.org/nitros9project.zip Complete Latest NitrOS-9 Buils Zip File] : Contains all the above disks in one large zip file
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=== Coco Emulators and DriveWire4 ===
*[http://vcc.cococoding.com/ VCC 1.4.3beta Coco 3 Emulator w/Becker Port Support] - The latest version of VCC usable with DriveWire4. (installation package)
*[[VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide]] - Complete beginner's guide to installing and using VCC 1.4.3b and DriveWire4
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== That's Not All Folks... ==

This is not the end of the story. I hope to include a lot more information in the near future though it may lead to an "Advanced DriveWire4 Features" page because there is a lot of things that DriveWire4 can do that have not been covered here. I wanted this to be a "Beginner's Guide" so I have tried to keep it as simple as possible to get the new DW4 user up and running.

It's programs like DriveWire4 that keep our little Coco running in the future... and I'll see you there.

Bill Pierce

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VCC 1.4.3b and DW4 Installation Guide

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