Installation Guide

PLASMA is the Grand Unifying Environment for many 6502 platforms. Each platform has its own installation locations, but for the full install, a fixed disk(hard disk/compact flash/SD card) mass storage is required. Floppy disks just don't have enough storage for a satisfying experience.

Apple II and ///

The directory structure for both machines is identical. Assuming the fixed disk named HARDDISK, the structure would look like:

/HARDDISK/SYS           - System modules
/HARDDISK/BLD           - Build tools for PLASMA development
/HARDDISK/BLD/INC       - Source include files for system modules
/HARDDISK/BLD/SAMPLES   - Source files for sample programs
/HARDDISK/DEMOS         - Demo modules
/HARDDISK/DEMOS/ROGUE   - Unique Rogue-like game using visibility algorithms
/HARDDISK/DEMOS/SPIDERS - Hi-Res shooter-up arcade game
/HARDDISK/DEMOS/MUSIC   - Note sequencer demos
/HARDDISK/DEMOS/SDUTILS - Copy files to/from SD card+Ardiuno over gameport.
/HARDDISK/DEMOS/NET     - Network programs using ethernet card

Apple II floppy disks

The floppy file layout looks like:

PLASMA2-SYS.PO   -> /HARDDISK       - System modules
PLASMA2-FPSOS.PO -> /HARDDISK       - Floating point and Apple /// system modules
PLASMA2-BLD.PO   -> /HARDDISK/BLD   - Source files and build tools
PLASMA2-DEM.PO   -> /HARDDISK/DEMOS - Demo modules
PLASMA2-INET.PO  -> /HARDDISK/SYS   - TCP/IP modules, drivers and utilities

To install from a standard floppy disk, the PLASMA file utilities can be used to copy the files. Boot the PLASMA-SYS floppy, then to install to '/HARDDISK' used in this example:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.SYS/* /HARDDISK

To copy the floating point modules:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.FPSOS/SYS /HARDDISK

To copy the TCP/IP modules:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.INET/* /HARDDISK

For the build environment and demos, you first need to create their respective directories:

+NEWDIR /HARDDISK/BLD
+NEWDIR /HARDDISK/DEMOS

Insert the PLASMA2-BLD floppy and type:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.BLD/* /HARDDISK/BLD

After the copying is done, insert the PLASMA2-DEM floppy in the drive and type:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.DEMOS/* /HARDDISK/DEMOS

The system is now installed.

Apple II 800K disk image

There is a 800K disk image, PLASMA.2mg, that has a full, bootable installation of PLASMA and the EDASM assembler. This makes for a complete development environment. It can be booted as-is, or copied en-mass to fixed disk.

Apple /// boot floppy

The Apple /// can only boot from a floppy disk. The PLASMA2-FPSOS.PO image has the SOS.INTERP & SOS.CMD files for a non-JIT VM, freeing up 4K of global memory and 'SOS.INTERPJIT' and 'SOS.CMDJIT' files for a JIT enabled environment (when renamed to the standard names). One set of those files are needed to boot PLASMA on the Apple ///. These should be copied to a bootable SOS floppy to boot the Apple ///. Once booted, replace the PLASMA2-SYS floppy in the drive and enter:

S /PLASMA.SYS

to set the system directory to the PLASMA SYStem floppy. Now you can copy the files to your hard disk, named '/HARDDISK' in this example. To copy the baseline system modules:

+COPY -R SYS /HARDDISK

Now, to reset the system directory to the newly minted system:

S /HARDDISK

To copy the Apple /// specific system modules and floating point modules:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.FPSOS/* /HARDDISK

For the build environment and demos, you first need to create their respective directories:

+NEWDIR /HARDDISK/BLD
+NEWDIR /HARDDISK/DEMOS

Insert the PLASMA2-BLD floppy and type:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.BLD/* /HARDDISK/BLD

After the copying is done, insert the PLASMA2-DEM floppy in the drive and type:

+COPY -R /PLASMA.DEMOS/* /HARDDISK/DEMOS

To create the boot floppy, choose a JIT enabled environment or a non-JIT environment that frees up 4K of global memory. Copy '/HARDDISK/SOS.INTERP' and '/HARDDISK/SOS.CMD' to the boot floppy for a non-JIT environment:

+COPY /HARDISK/SOS.INTERP /BOOTFLOPPY
+COPY /HARDISK/SOS.CMD /BOOTFLOPPY

For a JIT enabled environment, use:

+COPY /HARDDISK/SOS.INTERPJIT /BOOTFLOPPY/SOS.INTERP
+COPY /HARDDISK/SOS.CMDJIT /BOOTFLOPPY

To automatically boot and set the system directory to the '/HARDISK', create an 'AUTORUN' file on the boot floppy with:

+ED /BOOTFLOPPY/AUTORUN

and enter this into the text file:

S /HARDDISK

Save it and quite be pressing the ESC key, then W <RETURN> and Q <RETURN>.