ProDOS version recommendation

[Mark Wade]

I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.

Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.

Any advice?

Thanks, Mark Wade

[Mark Wade]

Post by Mark Wade
I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.
Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.
Any advice?
Thanks, Mark Wade

Apparently the 2.4.3 dld is a .po file I have no idea what to do with. Also
dlded the ProDOS versions here but did something wrong; my IIgs says they're
not valid SHK archives <shrug>

[Mark Wade]

Post by Mark Wade
I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.
Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.
Any advice?
Thanks, Mark Wade

I revisited the ProDos versions here and ran v2.0.3 through Stuffit on a
PB3400 running OS9 then ran the resulting .SHK through GSHK and that all
seemed to work okay and now the day for the date is correct, ie. Tuesday is
now Tuesday instead of Monday.

Still don't know what to do with a .po file though.

[Jeff Blakeney]

Post by Mark Wade
Still don't know what to do with a .po file though.

A .PO file is an uncompressed disk image where the data is stored a
sequential ProDOS blocks (ie. block 0, block 1, all the way to block 279
for a standard 5.25" floppy). There are programs like DiskMaker that
can write that data back to a floppy disk and I believe there is even a
IIgs program that can let you use that file like a RAM disk (I think the
program is called MountIt but it has been a very long time since I've
needed to do such a thing).

I have a CFFA3000 in my IIgs so I just use it to mount disk images as
drives and copy things off them if I want.

[Mark Wade]

Post by Jeff Blakeney

Post by Mark Wade
Still don't know what to do with a .po file though.

A .PO file is an uncompressed disk image where the data is stored a
sequential ProDOS blocks (ie. block 0, block 1, all the way to block 279
for a standard 5.25" floppy). There are programs like DiskMaker that
can write that data back to a floppy disk and I believe there is even a
IIgs program that can let you use that file like a RAM disk (I think the
program is called MountIt but it has been a very long time since I've
needed to do such a thing).
I have a CFFA3000 in my IIgs so I just use it to mount disk images as
drives and copy things off them if I want.

Oh, that rings a bell now, .po and disk images. Thank you.

Re: CFFA3000, I had never heard of that, looking at ReActiveMicro it sounds
real nice. I'm still using a SCSI HD and Zip disk in my IIgs and another
with an Alltech Electronics/Parsons Engineering card. Then there's my //e I
just replaced a failed CMS HD with an Apple HD pulled from some Mac or other
from eBay, oh and the //c. That they all work brings a real smile to me.

I'll try mounting that ProDOS v4.2.3 .po file with KEGS or Bernie ][ the
Rescue and see if I can move it to the //e. ProDOS v 2.0.3 doesn't know
2/29/2024; thinks it's Wednesday. I know there has been talk of date tables
or some such in ProDOS but I don't remember what or where. Nothing really
earth-shattering , just something else to think of.

-- Mark Wade

[Brian Patrie]

Post by Mark Wade
I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.
Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.
Any advice?
Thanks, Mark Wade

You really should get the NSC out of there before the battery leaks, and
makes a mess of your motherboard.

[Mark Wade]

Post by Brian Patrie

Post by Mark Wade
I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.
Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.
Any advice?
Thanks, Mark Wade

You really should get the NSC out of there before the battery leaks, and
makes a mess of your motherboard.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I know ReActiveMicro has a version
with replaceable batteries. I'll look to that when I can afford it,
hopefully it will be available. I'd hate to lose the clock/timestamp.
Thanks.

-- Mark Wade

[Michael J. Mahon]

Post by Mark Wade

Post by Brian Patrie

Post by Mark Wade
I have a No Slot Clock installed in my //e which because its battery has
long since died I need to set the time when I start the //e up. That will
keep time as long as the //e is powered up but it's off a day, today is
Tuesday but it thinks it's Monday.
Is there a version of ProDOS or a patch to fix that? Currently I have v2.0.2
installed. I've downloaded v2.4.3 but haven't installed it yet and if it
doesn't fix the issue I'd rather not I guess.
Any advice?
Thanks, Mark Wade

You really should get the NSC out of there before the battery leaks, and
makes a mess of your motherboard.

Good point, I hadn't thought of that. I know ReActiveMicro has a version
with replaceable batteries. I'll look to that when I can afford it,
hopefully it will be available. I'd hate to lose the clock/timestamp.
Thanks.
-- Mark Wade

The No-Slot Clock uses a lithium “coin” battery—a type that is widely used
in car key fobs and many “keychain” LED lights. I have never known the seal
on this type of battery to fail, causing a damaging leak. It’s certainly
not impossible, but I wouldn’t consider it a significant risk.

FWIW, I’ve also seen methods of replacing the battery in the NSC.

The last time I checked, the module sold as the NSC was still available
from Maxim (or its successor company). The real time clock module was
widely used “under” both ROMs and SRAMs in lots of embedded gear.

Also, there is an Applesoft program that was distributed by Apple to patch
the year table in ProDOS for any year range up to 2040 or thereabouts.