Apple MultiRam C Computer Hardware User Manual


 
5.6 RAM DISK EMULATION
PRODOS RAM DISK
The MULTIDRIVE.PRO program converts your MultiRam Cs memory into a fast
electronic disk drive for the ProDOS operating system. The ProDOS RAM disk is
recognized by ProDOS as one large ProWS volume.
Specifications
The MULTIDRIVE.PR0 RAM disk program creates one ProWS volume named “/RAM,”
located in slot 3, drive 2. The size of the “/RAM” disk depends upon the
amount of memory on the MultiRam C Card. RAM disk memory can be as small as
256K or, with a full 512K of memory on the MultiRam C, as large as 512K.
The “/RAM" disk created by the MULTIDRIYE.PRO program will take the place of the
64K “/RAM" drive automatically created by the ProDOS operating system in the 64K
auxiliary bank of the //c. You will always have a larger RAM drive using the
MultiRam “IRAN” disk than the RAM disk ProDOS automatically creates.
The MultiRam ProWS RAM disk uses only memory on the MultiRam C Card to create a
RAM disk so that the RAM disk directory and files stored on the RAM disk cannot
be destroyed by booting a program that uses main memory end the standard //c 64K
auxiliary memory bank.
The ProWS RAM disk can be used with ProDOS version 1.1.1 or any older version of
ProDOS and is compatible with floppy and hard disk drives.
The storage capacities of the ProWS RAM drive are as follows:
MultiRam C RAM Disk Total Blocks Blocks
Size Size Blocks Free Used
---------- -------- -------- ------ -------
256K 256K 512 495 17
3201 320K 640 620 20
512! 512K 1024 1024 29
In comparison, a standard Apple 5 1/4 inch floppy disk formatted by the Filer
with the ProWS operating system and the BASIC.SYSTEM file saved to it (which
are already in memory whenever the ProDOS RAM disk is used) has 2B0 total blocks
available. 221 blocks free and 59 used.
Installation
To install the ProDOS RAM disk, simply boot the Utilities side of the MultiRam
disk. Select the ProDOS RAM disk option from the main menu and the RAM disk will
be automatically installed. You will then see a message telling you the disk has
been activated and you will also see the memory size used by the ProDOS RAM
disk.