KickBench 1.3 2/17/89 - Djj Finally, KickBench arrives for AmigaDOS 1.3! The files included in this archive will convert a copy of KickStart 1.3 into a combination KickStart and WorkBench disk. In addition to the included files, you will need a program called WARP which is available from just about any BBS system, Fred Fish, your favorite Amiga users group or from a friendly Amiga dealer. Please read and follw the directions carefully. WARP will be used to convert a copy of KickStart into an empty KickBench disk. UnKick converts the KickBench disk into a writable WorkBench disk and CopyFiles moves most of the standard WorkBench 1.3 files onto the newly created KB disk. 1) Copy the following files into RAM: WARP KBench.WRP CopyFiles Kick 2) Make a copy of your 1.3 KickStart disk. Put the original copy away in a safe place. You must use the official KS 1.3 disk. Any other disk - such as Gamma or Omega versions - will most likely hang on bootup. 3) type: cd RAM: then put the copy of KickStart into drive DF0: and type: WARP write KBench Press RETURN when directed. 4) Place your original WorkBench 1.3 disk into drive DF1: then type: Execute Unkick DF0: Wait 3 or 4 seconds then type: Execute CopyFiles Sit back and wait while the files are copied from your WB disk to the new KB disk. 5) You may now examine your new KickBench disk and add or delete any files to suit your needs. 6) Type: Kick df0: to arm your new KB disk. That's it. Enjoy. ====================================================================== The rest of this doc file was extracted from the MAKEBOTH arc and was originally written by Alonzo Gariepy. Kick and UnKick also by Alonzo Gariepy. ====================================================================== HOW TO USE A KICKBENCH DISK =========================== Arming a disk makes it into a Kickstart disk (so you can power up with it). Disarming a disk makes it into a DOS disk (so you can access its files). After the KB disk is created, it must be armed before it can be used as a kickstart. This is accomplished with the command KICK DF1: You can also specify DF0: (the default). When you insert a KB disk and turn on your machine, the system recognizes it as a Kickstart disk. During the boot process, the KB disk turns itself into a DOS disk so that you can access files. For this reason, THE DISK MUST BE WRITE ENABLED AT ALL TIMES. This means that the write protect tab should cover the hole. At some time before you turn off your machine, the disk must be re-armed so that it will work as a kickstart disk when you power on again. YOU CAN CONTINUE TO USE THE DISK ================================ You can re-arm the disk without DOS knowing. This allows you to continue to use the disk after it has been turned back into a Kickstart. You can continue this way until the disk is identified as a non DOS disk. If you remove and re-insert the KB disk after it has been re-armed, it will be treated as a Kickstart disk. Certain programs will also cause a disk to be identified including DISKCHANGE, DISKCOPY, DISKED, etc. Since it is inconvenient to lose access to your system disk, you should not remove a KB disk or run any of these programs when the disk is armed, unless you are going to reboot or turn off the machine. If this does happen, you can reboot the KB disk with ctrl-Amiga-Amiga. If you have been very clever and copied the KICK command to the RAM: disk in your startup sequence, you can swap disks whenever you like and always be able to reinsert and disarm the KB disk with RAM:KICK DF0: DISARM This change will not be recognized until DOS identifies the disk. You can use the DISKCHANGE command or remove and re-insert the disk. POWERING ON WITH A DISARMED KICKBENCH DISK ========================================== The other problem you may encounter that is even more inconvenient is turning off your machine with your KB disk disarmed (in the DOS state). This means that you can not use it as a kickstart disk when you power on your machine. To remedy this, you must use a real kickstart disk and insert the KB disk when the workbench disk is required. Make sure you arm your disk before turning off the power. This is done with KICK (since df0: is the default) If, at any time, you cannot reboot your KB disk with ctrl-A-A you must power off and on. This will only happen if you have booted a disarmed KB disk using a real kickstart disk. GENERAL USE =========== The above things never happen to me but it is nice to know that you can recover from them. I generally don't arm my disk until I am ready to turn off the machine. That way I can swap disks back and forth and even boot different disks to my hearts content. If for some reason I have booted another disk and I'm ready to power down, I can stick the KB disk into drive one and type DF1:C/KICK DF1: AUTOMATIC USE ============= If you are running an application with its own boot disk that runs by itself and does not require disk swapping, you will want the disk to re-arm itself automatically. You do this by placing the command KICK in the startup-sequence. The best place for it is right at the start. Such turnkey applications include games, bulletin board systems, word processors and control systems. You cannot boot an armed kickbench disk if the system was powered on with a regular kickstart disk. You must power off and on to boot in such a case. USES OF KICKBENCH ================= Power fail recovery in realtime control and data acquisition. - machines reboot and restart the software - Production testing Amiga hardware peripherals (such as memory). - you can power on and off repeatedly without swapping - Exceptional programs that require old Kickstart and Workbench. - you don't need to search for that 1.1 kickstart disk - Bulletin board systems (you do lose space on drive DF0: however). - you can stick the disk in, power on, and go out - Programs which get major use: Word Processors, Terminal Programs. - you can stick the disk in, power on, and put on a record - Systems which take a long time to intialize (eg. large RAM disks). - put in both floppies, power on, and don't wait twice -