SuperCPU GEOS Info SuperCPU GEOS Information The SuperCPU was designed with GEOS users in mind. In fact, the SuperCPU has a special optimization mode supplied intentionally to help speed GEOS operations. Before using GEOS with the SuperCPU, however, users need to run the GEOS SuperInstall program supplied with the unit. SuperInstall automatically installs options on your GEOS boot disk that are necessary to use the SuperCPU with GEOS. The additions and modifications made by SuperInstaller are as follows: Modifies your 'GEOS' boot file so that it will force the SuperCPU to 1 MHz while the initial load is taking place Creates the SUPERGEOS auto-exec file which installs the SuperCPU GEOS Kernal patches during booting Determines if you're using a CMD SmartMouse, and creates the SuperSmart driver if you are. If you're using some other mouse, SuperInstall will instead default to the option that creates a Super1351 mouse driver. If you have only a joystick, no driver will be selected. Complete step-by-step instructions for using SuperInstall to modify GEOS boot disks are included in the SuperCPU Users Guide. Once the patches and additional files have been installed, you'll be able to boot GEOS in the same manner in which you have always done. In addition, your GEOS boot disk will continue to function properly whether the SuperCPU is present or not -- the new routines automatically detect your hardware configuration while booting. SUPERGEOS AS AN APPLICATION While SUPERGEOS functions mainly as an auto-exec that installs SuperCPU patches during the boot process, it can also be run as an application. When operated in this manner, it presents a representation of the SuperCPU front panel controls, but with one additional switch on the far right, labelled 'GEOS OPTIMIZE'. While the UNIT and JIFFYDOS switches shown on the displayed control panel do nothing, clicking on SPEED or GEOS OPTIMIZE switches changes these functions within the SuperCPU itself (as well as on the screen). This control panel can thus be used to change the speed of your SuperCPU, or to disable the GEOS Optimization mode which is normally turned on during the boot process. SUPER MOUSE DRIVERS The two Super mouse drivers have been specially designed to make mouse input devices operate smoothly at high speed. To facilitate this, one of the mouse buttons has been programmed to switch TURBO mode off while the button is held down. The following shows the button assignments for the two drivers: SuperSmart Driver Left Button: Turbo Single-click Center Button: Normal Single-click Right Button: Turbo Double-click Super1351 Driver Left Button: Turbo Single-click Right Button: Normal Single-click ADDITIONAL NOTES ON GEOS Due to the use of the GEOS Optimization mode built into the SuperCPU, GEOS applications are able to operate at a highly efficient speed. In addition, thanks to the expertise of GEOS programmer Maurice Randall, the provided GEOS patches deliver an extremely high level of compatibility. GEOS programmers, however, just like many other Commodore programmers, don't always follow conventional standards -- even Geoworks' (formerly Berkeley SoftWorks) programmers would occasionally throw caution to the wind and break some of their own guidelines in writing GEOS applications. While every attempt has been made to assure that things will work smoothly, there are bound to be some oddities lurking about. The SuperCPU enables GEOS to run at speeds many times faster than the original authors could have ever foreseen possible. While we can't guarantee every problem can be resolved, we will investigate and attempt to duplicate and resolve all problems which are reported and properly documented. That aside, the following are a few notes about various GEOS attributes with respect to the SuperCPU and SUPERGEOS patches: After installing the GEOS patches on your boot disk, it can still be used to boot your system without a SuperCPU as well as with one. The GEOS patches can be applied to GEOS boot partitions on CMD devices that were created with geoMakeBoot. For guaranteed results, the GEOS patches should only be applied to original GEOS boot disks and disks or partitions created with geoMakeBoot. Other boot disk creation methods may be compatible, but we cannot guarantee it. You shouldn't create geoMakeBoot disks after booting from a patched disk. Boot with a stock GEOS disk, create a geoMakeBoot boot disk, and then apply the patches to the newly created boot disk. SUPERGEOS should always appear on your boot disk before Configure, especially if you use a RAM device with the RAM Reboot option selected. A portion of the GEOS patches reside in the SuperCPU itself, in a new RAM area reserved for system use. If a program happens to trash that area -- however unlikely this is -- you may experience problems performing a RAM reboot (RBOOT) using power- or battery?backed RAM devices. The odds of this happening are slim, but it's possible. To avoid areas that other programmers might use within applications, the GEOS Kernal routine 'ToBASIC' has been patched and partially relocated into the SuperCPU. We don't expect this to create any compatibility problems, but programmers may want to be aware of this. The GEOS patches applied to the 'ToBASIC' routine also make GEOS perform a better reset. This means that all JiffyDOS commands work correctly now when exiting from GEOS. Programs such as 'CleanReset 64' are no longer required.