Smile Bootloader 2.01

[DavidCooper]

USB-to-serial-port cable found. Still looking for Psion serial cable though - I have two of them, so one of them should appear before long. I did manage in the past to send a Basic file from MS-DOS into a psion, so it may be possible to do the same from your bootloader. What I need to know next is the settings I should use on the Psion machine for (1) baud rate, (2) data bits, (3) stop bits, and (4) parity. I also need to know whether to set the Psion to XON/XOFF, RTS/CTS, DSR/DTR or DCD mode.

[Karlosoft]

Here there are all the info
Baud Rate: 9600
Data Bits: 8bit
Parity: None
Stop Bits:1
DTR and RTS should be enabled. Here there is the new image with some bug-fixes here and there, with some I'm still working now. There are some new commands like exe, receiveb and read.
Now the bootloader supports the execution of external programs (so the editor, the basic interpreter and the debugger will be divided). The external applications can also use the functions provided from the bootloader. I'll give you other information about them in the next days

How to send a file to Smile bootloader
You need to convert files in a packets, using the original name like arg of createBinaryPacket.exe or createTextPacket.exe. Than you should set the proper command (receive or receiveb) in the Smile Console, and send the file from the other computer. You can use the copy command of dos or the program I attached in the zip

How to try the new Smile bootloader
You need to execute createImage.exe in order to create the floppy image form the bootloader one Than you can substitute the elder with the newer

I'm not able to upload the file. Osdev seems to refuse my connection >.<

[DavidCooper]

Here there are all the info
Baud Rate: 9600
Data Bits: 8bit
Parity: None
Stop Bits:1

That's good - if it doesn't work, at least I'll know I'm using the right settings and that there's no point in trying out any others.

DTR and RTS should be enabled.

I don't actually know what these mean, but the Psion appears to offer them as alternatives rather than allowing both to be enabled at the same time - I'll have to try each of them in turn and see if anything happens, or at least I will do if I can get the serial port set up in the first place - the Bochs menu for setting up the serial port doesn't fit on the screen of my netbook, so I don't know if I'll be able to get past that point. I have a feeling that the equipment available to me may not be up to the task.

How to send a file to Smile bootloader
You need to convert files in a packets, using the original name like arg of createBinaryPacket.exe or createTextPacket.exe. Than you should set the proper command (receive or receiveb) in the Smile Console, and send the file from the other computer. You can use the copy command of dos or the program I attached in the zip

I wasn't expecting this packets business - I didn't need to go through that step in the past when sending files via a serial port. At the moment I don't have access to any working machine with both a serial port and the ability to run MS-DOS either, so I'll just have to see if the Psion can send and receive files to/from your bootloader using its own commands of "send" and "receive". I did manage to send a Basic program long ago from MS-DOS on a 486 into a Psion (though the first few dozen bytes were missing for some reason), and I don't remember the process involving packets - the whole file was simply sent from one machine to the other by some simple MS-DOS command, though I've no memory of what that instruction was.

How to try the new Smile bootloader
You need to execute createImage.exe in order to create the floppy image form the bootloader one Than you can substitute the elder with the newer

I'm not able to upload the file. Osdev seems to refuse my connection >.<

I don't understand the instructions. Is "createImage.exe" something I should do within your bootloader program in order to generate the image of the new bootloader from the attached file, or is it to be done within MS-DOS? It might be easier if you'd just provide a normal disk image of the new version.

I've found the missing cable I was looking for, so I'm just about ready to give it a go, but not today as I've been struck down with a nasty cold which is making it near impossible to get anything done. Maybe tomorrow, but more likely the day after that.

[DavidCooper]

Turns out it was the wrong cable, and I can't find one of the right type. Sorry, but I won't be able to try it out until the right kind of cable shows up, and I haven't seen either of mine for years (because I use CF cards for transferring data in and out of Psions instead of the serial connection). I'll keep hunting, but I'm running out of ideas as to where to look.

[Karlosoft]

It doesn't matter I will provide a way to load file from a fat12 floppy or something like this.
Thank you a lot for testing, I added you and blacklight in the credits of the next version. I think I'm near to finish my bootloader, or better I'm near to finish the list of things I decided to implement. The next will be the final 2.1 version

[DavidCooper]

There is one other thing I know I can help with, and that's the English pages of your website, though a lot of them are obviously well out of date - feel free to email me the content of any page you're updating (along with the Italian version) so I can check the grammar, because it'll only take me a few minutes, and it'll help me improve my understanding of Italian at the same time.

[Karlosoft]

Thank you very much
That website is old, I'm rewriting it, I'll publish it in the next days

I said the next would have been the last version. It's not true , this is an other beta. I solved many bugs even in the editor. Now it can run on a real computer without problem. I added the update command in order to update the bootloader itself from a file in the disk without loosing all the data inside.

[Kazinsal]

Any update on those specifications? I know about the cryptography issue, but maybe you could do a specification for the FS without it? Could be neat to play with.

[Karlosoft]

I'm writing them, If you want I can post the first part here or I could send you what I wrote.