Help setting up STOS

[lavalamp]

Hi Guys, its been nearly 20 years since I programmed in STOS, and diving back into it. But I'm having trouble remembering how to configure ACBs to load on start up. I used EXXOS's AUTOEXEC.BAS as my template, successfully added the registration for Missing Link, but cant seem to add any further ACBs, I even tried *.ACB and nothing happens. this occurs in emulation and on the real STE so am a bit perplexed. Can someone supply their working one? Cheers.

[mlynn1974]

Extensions live in the STOS directory and are named EX[A-Z].
ACB's were compiled programs that weren't standard PRGs.

In my STOS 2.6 installation I have the following Extensions in the STOS directory:
BLITTER.EXG
COMPACT.EXA
COMPILER.EXC
LINK1.EXQ
LINK2.EXR
LINK3.EXS
MAESTRO.EXD
MISTY.EXM
SQUASHER.EXE
STE_EXTN.EXF
TOME21.EXT
General name format: extension_name.EX[A-Z]
They are all loaded at startup.

The only ACB I use is the STOS Compiler.
To save memory when I only had 1Mb I would only load it when required.

On STEEM with a hard disk image:
load "C:\STOS26\STOSCOMP\COMPILER.ACB"
If you list this it says:
**********************************
* COMPILED PROGRAM *
* don't change line 65535! *
**********************************
then simply type:
run
to run the compiler.

I don't think I ever used ACB's in any other way.

[lavalamp]

I would like the Sprite & Map Editor available, I thought that ACBs were basic and not complied?

[mlynn1974]

Yes, you are right. Compiled programs had the .CMP file extension.
They must have added something special to the Compiler to protect it a bit.
One ACB I used to use a lot was COMPACT.ACB. I have that in my root directory.

I never used MAP.ACB but I would simply load it as required:
load "MAP.ACB"
run

I never used to load ACBs to a memory bank and then switch to it as required. On floppy it would add to the load time and simply take up memory.
I had the Discovery Pack version of STOS then made a copy with all the extensions I needed on it. I didn't have a hard disk back in the day so my installation only had the things I needed on it.

[thomas3]

STOS renaissance ahoy!!

[lavalamp]

Got everything up and running on the STe, 4Mbs of RAM, TOS 2.06 ROMs installed, Megafile 30 up and running, STOS launches from this fine, still cant get ACBs to load...

[Dal]

What version of STOS are you using? For STE, you need Version 2.6 AFAIK.

[thomas3]

What happens if you just use:

load "name.acb"
run

...?

[Rustynutt]

Purchased STOS for my son way long ago, with STACK.
Came across the package last year cleaning up and refreshed just was it was. Think I'd read in the manual user agreement games created with the package couldn't be distributed, either that or sold.
If so, that still the case? Not a gamer at all, but if you can call compiled work from within another application, would be fun to work with.

See in the thread you all are talking about ST(e). Have two options here, Falcon and TT. Working there?
I don't "emulate" either

[thomas3]

In the pre-compiler days, you could save your programme as an executable that could be run outside STOS - but, basically, it ran interpreted and therefore needed the full STOS libraries/binaries on the disc. So, Mandarin (unsurprisingly) were wobbly about these being distributed just as is. STOS came with a programme that did something to these binaries to "protect" them - I think you could then distribute freely.

None of this applied really once the compiler came out...

In the demo I just released (which all runs interpreted), I just bundled a full copy of STOS with an autoexec file to auto-run the code. But this was just to add to the nostalgic aesthetic (and to prove that I wasn't cheating )...

[lavalamp]

What happens if you just use:

load "name.acb"
run

...?

Yup this works just fine, but accload wont...

[lavalamp]

What version of STOS are you using? For STE, you need Version 2.6 AFAIK.

Using 2.8? From exxos's STOS1904.ZIP with the 3.0 Compiler...

[lavalamp]

Purchased STOS for my son way long ago, with STACK.
Came across the package last year cleaning up and refreshed just was it was. Think I'd read in the manual user agreement games created with the package couldn't be distributed, either that or sold.
If so, that still the case? Not a gamer at all, but if you can call compiled work from within another application, would be fun to work with.

See in the thread you all are talking about ST(e). Have two options here, Falcon and TT. Working there?
I don't "emulate" either

I did initially use an emultator to become re-familiar with the STe before all the parts arrived for me to rebuild it, exta RAM , Megafile, new TOS etc . Its made me so happy to dive back in. Although I would like to ask my younger self how the hell he setup those ACBs!!