Installing or Upgrading BASIC/WS  

These directions assume that you are upgrading or using BASIC/WS 6.4; however, the same commands are used for nearly all versions of BASIC/WS.

How to tell what version of BASIC is running

When you boot the system, or when you invoke RMB/UX from HP-UX with the rmb command, a "banner screen" appears and the system will temporarily display the BASIC version number.    You can also interrogate the sytem by typing and executing this command:

SYSTEM$("VERSION:BASIC")

Trying out BASIC/WS without affecting the Hard Drive:

The easiest way to try out the product is to boot from the diskettes.  Insert the SYSTEM diskette (or SYSTEM 1) into a floppy drive attached to your current workstation, and then power up the workstation.

Tap the space bar to interrupt the automatic boot.  This will prevent the system from simply booting the very first bootable system that it finds.  

Make a note of the revision of the boot ROM.  Now, wait for the system to complete its search for bootable files.  You will be looking for SYSTEM_B64, found on the flexible diskette.  It will be associated with a two or three character code, such as 2B.

Type in the corresponding code and hit (enter) or (return).

BASIC/WS will boot and then begin executing an AUTOST program that is included on the diskette.  This program will scan the local hardware and then load driver binaries, and the most popular option binaries into memory. We recommend that you allow the program to run its course. It will not do anything to the hard drive.

If the AUTOST program encounters a problem, such as not having enough memory to load all the options, no lasting harm has been done.  Simply turn the system off and start over.  There is a slight pause between booting and the AUTOST execution, so if the autostart fails, start over, and this time, press the STOP key after you see that BASIC has booted.  

Now you can "MSI over" to your hard drive and try out your programs.  

Storing the system on your hard drive

There are two ways to put the new revision of BASIC onto your hard drive. You can do it manually, or use the HFS utility.

Note that you cannot use BASIC to overwrite an existing system file.  If you want to reuse a name, you will have to PURGE or RENAME the original and then you can store under the original name.  STORE SYSTEM will not execute if a file already exists with the same name.

Storing Manually

The most direct way to put the new version of BASIC on the drive is to boot from floppies, go through the autostart process, and then MSI over to the root directory of your hard drive, catalog (CAT)  to make sure you are in the right place, and then execute the STORE SYSTEM command.

For example, if you have a 382 system with a SCSI interface at select code 14 and a hard drive at SCSI address 6, execute:

MSI ":,1406"

CAT

STORE SYSTEM "SYSTEM_B64"

Naming Rules:

In order to store a usable system file, you must use a name that your boot ROM will recognize as a possible bootable system.  If you have a boot ROM revision 1.0 or 2.0, the system file's name must begin with SYSTEM_ followed by exactly 1 to 3 characters.  If you have a Boot ROM revision 3.0, or A.0 or later, you will have more flexibility.  System files for these need only to start with SYS instead of SYSTEM_;  the SYS can be followed by up to 7 characters for identification.

(The version of the boot ROM is displayed during initial boot-up.)

Storing using the HFS Utility

Another way to install the new versionof BASIC/WS is to use the HFS utility.  This utility will allow you to view other drives that are available, format a new drive if desired, perform disk checks, and copy the SYSTEM and BINARY files onto the hard drive.

After you boot BASIC from the new diskettes, insert the HFS Utilities diskette into the same drive that you booted from.  Execute:

LOAD "DISC_UTIL"

Press RUN and you will be offered a choice of options.  Read the screen carefully and complete the steps as directed.

Test booting from the hard drive

After you have stored the system on your hard drive, remove all floppies.  Cycle the power and again tap the space bar while the system test is underway. Now look for your new system on the hard drive, and choose to boot it by typing the corresponding two or three character code that corresponds to it.  Hit RETURN. (On some systems it is not necessary to hit Return.

Custom Systems

The AUTOST program that came with the SYSTEM diskette created a typical BASIC with the binaries that are most commonly used.  It did not load all of the available binaries. If you have need of other binaries, use the LIST BIN command to identify what binaries are already loaded, and then use the LOAD BIN command to add the additional binaries.  Then use the STORE SYSTEM command to place your new system on the hard drive.  It will not interfere with any other system already stored.