Month: August 2025

To a Better Smartloader

Well, up to the current version (0.36), smartloader was relying on Prodos 2.4 and the MLI kernel to execute Read Write Block. 

The main drawback are launch time (mainly to load prodos (a few second) and the fact that only Apple II with a language card (16k RAM) are able to run ProDos.

A new approach has been considered to address the speed and the compatibility issue. 

This new approach relies on:

  • A custom bootloader on track 0 sector 0,
  • Fast RWTS library
  • The adaptation of the smartloader to use RWTS
  • Everything on a single track 0

The boot loader is the so called stage 1 of the boot process, and it starts at 0x801 (Org is at 0x800 the first byte is 0x01 and used by the boot ROM).

The bootloader will perform 4 steps:

  • Display immediately the Mask of the main screen, 
  • Load the RWTS routines (from sector
… Read the rest

Gotek for IBM 5170

The Gotek floppy disk emulator is a great product and enables to relive most of the retro computer including the famous 5170. 

One of the big challenges to have the gotek to work is the BIOS configuration. the IBM 5170 genuine BIOS of more recent version can support various floppy format such as 

  • 360 K
  • 720 K
  • 1.2 M
  • 1.44 M

If you plan to have your gotek to work with your IBM 5170, you absolutely need to have the BIOS settings inline with your gotek image to be booted, I have spend hours to make it working… In other words, if your bios is set to 720 K drive, you will never boot a 1.44 gotek image. The good news is that the gotek with the fast floppy firmware automatically detect the format of the image to boot. 

Assuming, you have successfully boot your system with your Gotek, now … Read the rest