Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!n8emr!bluemoon!slhood
From: slhood@bluemoon.uucp (Stephen L. Hood)
Subject: Re: Best hard drive combo
Message-ID: <gmm842w164w@bluemoon.uucp>
Sender: bbs@bluemoon.uucp (BBS Login)
Organization: Blue Moon BBS ((614) 868-998[0][2][4])
References: <16542@smoke.brl.mil>
Date: Thu, 27 Jun 91 13:04:39 EDT

gwyn@smoke.brl.mil (Doug Gwyn) writes:

> In article <4774.apple.a2.net@pro-nbs> asong@pro-nbs.cts.com (Andi Song) writ
> >        How do you IIgs hard-drivers do it? Is there a way to instruct the
> >CPU to wait for the hard drive to warm up and come on-line (maybe a few
> >seconds pause), THEN look in the other slots? How can you make the hard
> >drive boot up first if your hard drive is a bit slow getting out of bed?
> 
> I use a Conserver, with my disks on one switch and the CPU on another.
> I turn on the disks first, and when they are ready, I turn on the CPU.
> Works every time.

There is a program called SmartBoot out there somewhere that will do the 
trick.  SmartBoot (usually packaged with the RAM-drive utility First 
Start) replaces the PRODOS file on a P8 floppy.  You boot the floppy, and 
SmartBoot waits for your hard drive to spin up, and then reboots.  It 
features many handy options, from a timer to ejection of the floppy (if 
it's a 3.5, naturally!).  However, the two copies I have managed to get 
have been incompatible with my hard drive.  I use an InnerDrive, and I 
believe that SmartBoot makes some SCSI-specific calls.
 
The firmware on my InnerDrive originally compensated for the hard drive's 
spin up time, but when I replaced the firmware with the InnerExpress 
accellerator, I lost said feature.  What I have done to fix this problem 
is mearly to boot off ProDOS 8 3.5" disk and run a short BASIC program 
that just does a "PR#7".  By the time that ProDOS 8, BASIC.SYSTEM, and the 
program are loaded, my hard drive has finished spinning up!  It works out 
rather well.  I expect that some hard drives might take longer than this, 
but fixing that would be just a matter of using the good old for/next loop 
to delay the computer...
 
Hope this helps...
 

---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen L. Hood                      "WARNING:  MOS circuits are subject
                                       to damage from static discharge!"
Internet:  slhood@bluemoon.uucp
UUCP    :  ...osu-cis!n8emr!bluemoon!slhood
