TRS-80 DOS – MultiDOS: Part 4 – MultiDOS v2.00 – Present

MultiDOS v2.0

Released:

• October 1, 1985
• January 1, 1986 (Model 4)

Versions:

• Model I (Single, Double, and Pseudo)
• Model III
• Model 4
• MAX-80

Main Changes:

• Included SKIP as a CONFIG parameter
• Ensure that GAT bytes CCH and CDH were per TRSDOS 6 documentation (not what TRSDOS 6 does)
• Added T4/CMD
• Added TWO/IDO
• Added SPOOL/CMD that can use expanded memory
• Added and SYSGEN/CMD
• Implemented side compare implemented
• Enhanced CMD”V” to display array values
• Enhanced SORT/BOL (MAX-80 & Model 4) to do multi-key/indirect sort
• Model 4 version allowed for hard drive support

Download Links:

• Model I: MultiDOS v2.0S / v2.0D / v2.0P
• Model III: MultiDOS v2.0
• Model 4: MultiDOS v2.0
• MAX-80: MultiDOS v2.0

Model I, III and 4 versions contained the following files (Red is for ONLY the models listed):

Max-80 version contained the following files:

v2.0 contained the following library commands:

MultiDOS v2.1

Released:

• October 1, 1987
• August 1, 1987 (Model 4)

Versions:

• Model I (Single, Double, and Pseudo)
• Model III
• Model 4
• MAX-80

Main Changes:

• Included a new date format to include time and extend maximum date to 12/31/2011
• GAT byte CBH now available for cylinder 203
• Added FIXDATE/CMD to change a disk’s date format
• Added SYSGEN/CMD to create various SYSRES/SYS configurations

Download Links:

• Model I: MultiDOS v2.1S / v2.1D / v2.1P
• Model III
• Model 4 (Double-Sided)

FIXDATE/CMD:

FIXDATE [:]d [(param[,ABS][,CHECK][,G])]<ENTER>
FIXDATE (H)<ENTER>

d = drive number — the drive number is mandatory.
param = 1) ZT converts 1.0 through 2.0 to 3.xx format (default parameter if none specified).
param = 2) TZ converts 3.xx to 1.0 through 2.0 format.
param = 3) OZ converts 2.1x to 1.0 through 2.0 format.
param = 4) ZO converts 1.0 through 2.0 to 2.1x format.
param = 5) OT converts 2.1x to 3.xx format.
param = 6) TO converts 3.xx to 2.1x format.
ABS or A = Specifies update files that are probably in the previous format to the new format.
CHECK o rC=Display the files to be changed without changing them.
GAT or G = Update GAT bytes CCH and CDH to represent the number of physical cylinders less 35 in CCH, and the diskette’s configuration in CDH (see the discussion of these two bytes in the DIRECTORY STRUCTURE section).
H = Help.

FIXDATE/CMD changes the date format among the three formats used by MULTIDOS. It is recommended that you convert your disks once. It is relatively easy to convert your disks from 2.0 to the format used by 3.xx; however, the conversion from 2.1x to 3.xx or 3.xx to 2.1x may require the ABS parameter. The ABS parameter is used to convert files that their date format cannot be interpreted properly. Normally, during initial conversions, you would not use this parameter. However, it may be required if you are going to convert back to the 2.0 format with the TZ and/or REV parameter. Version 2.1x uses the bytes previously assigned to the access password to store the hour, minute, and year. The previous bytes for the date remained. Version 3.xx uses the bytes previously assigned to the update and access passwords to store the year, month, day, hour, minute, and seconds divided by two. The previous bytes used for the date are now used for the access password. ESOTERIC only uses the 3.xx format.

Although FIXDATE/CMD automatically updates the bytes on the GAT table at locations CCH and CDH (for use with Open/DOL on Version 2.11 or later) whenever any file’s date is converted, you may specify the G parameter to force this action if none of the dates are converted. Open/DOL, for versions 2.11 or later, has been changed to only access a diskette if the drive’s configuration agrees with the diskette’s configuration. i.e., if you put a single sided diskette in a drive that is configured double sided, Open/DOL does not open the file and returns “Drive Configuration Error.” (DOS error 40/28H). However, [V]FU/CMD has built in error messages and returns “Unknown error.”

FIXDATE/CMD will not change the dates on a floppy diskette in logical drive zero, and so the parameter :d was mandatory.

Contained the following files:

Contained the following library commands:

MultiDOS v2.11

Released:

• December 1, 1990

Versions:

• Model 4

Main Changes:

• Compensate for the ‘brain dead’ HD64180 microprocessor supplied with the XLR8er that alleged 8MHz processing for the TRS-80
• Added CP/CMD
• Added XCOPY/CMD
• Initial release of PCOPY (called XCOPY in 1990). Pcopy was written for a customer of Vernon’s who had a very large mailing list on his hard disk and wanted a backup in case his hard disk failed or he upgraded to another hard disk. Anyway, he pointed Vernon toward an application that DOSPLUS had, and Vernon created PCOPY. If you don’t have a hard drive, PCOPY is not much use. Let us say you want to backup a 300K file, and all you have handy is seven floppies with about 50K free on each. You can use PCOPY to backup your 300K file onto these seven floppies. And, you can restore any backup set. One must keep track on what set of floppies are in a given set because PCOPY will not let on mix floppies from different sets.

Contained the following files:

Contained the following library commands:

MultiDOS v3.00-v3.11

Released:

• April 1, 1987 (v3.00)
• December 1, 1996 (v3.01)
• March 1, 1997 (v3.10)
• March 1, 1998 (v3.11)

Note:

• Sold through Computer News 80 and contained special Computer News 80 utilities on the DOS disk.

MultiDOS v4.00

Official Build:

• November 8, 1998

Versions:

• Model I, III, and MAX-80

Notes:

• Never Released.

MultiDOS v4.01

Released:

• September 5, 1999

Versions:

• Model I (Single, Double, and Pseudo)
• Model III

Download Links:

• Model I / v4.01S / v4.01D / v4.01P
• Model III

MultiDOS v5.00

Official Build:

• December 15, 2002

Versions:

• Model 4

Main Changes:

• Implement major changes in the video routine.

Notes:

• Never Released.

MultiDOS v5.1

Official Build:

• August 1, 2004

Versions:

• Model 4

Notes:

• Never Released.

MultiDOS v5.11

Official Build:

• December 22, 2004 (and dated January 1, 2005)

Versions:

• Model 4

Contained the following files:

Contained the following library commands:

MultiDOS v5.00

Official Build: February 24, 2021
Versions: Model I and III
Main Changes: BASIC/CMD, BBASIC/CMD, RA/CMD, OPT/BOL, and UTIL/BOL were updated. CAT/CMD and Open/DOL were zapped.
Download Links:

• Model I: SSSD / SSDD / DSDD
• Model III: Single Sided / Double Sided
• Updated Manual in DOC Format

MultiDOS v5.10

Official Build: October 12, 2023

Versions: Model I and III

Download Links:

• Model I MultiDOS v5.10 in Double Sided Double Density Format.
• Model I MultiDOS v5.10 in Single Sided Double Density Format.
• Model I MultiDOS v5.10 in Single Sided Single Density Format.
• Model I MultiDOS v5.10 for the FreHD.
• Model III MultiDOS v5.10 in Double Sided Format.
• Model III MultiDOS v5.10 in Single Sided Format.
• Model III MultiDOS v5.10 for the FreHD.
• MultiDOS v5.1 and Esoteric v3.2 Manual (DOCx Format).

Main Changes:

MultiDOS v6.00

Official Build: February 24, 2021
Version: Model 4
Main Changes: BASIC/CMD, Library3/EXT, MEMDISK/CMD, MODULE/CMD, MONITOR/CMD, RA/CMD, SORT/BOL, UTIL/BOL were all changed.
Download Links:

• Single Sided / Double Sided 80 Track / Double Sided 40 Track
• High Resolution Program Disk for MultiDOS v6.00
• Updated Manual in DOC Format

MultiDOS v6.20

Official Build: October 14, 2023

Versions: Model 4

Download Links:

• Model 4 MultiDOS v6.20 in Double Sided Format.
• Model 4 MultiDOS v6.20 in Emulator Format (too big to fit on a real floppy).
• Model 4 MultiDOS v6.20 in Single Sided Format.
• Model 4 MultiDOS v6.20/Esoteric v3.20 for the FreHD.
• MultiDOS v6.2 and Esoteric v3.2 Manual (DOCx Format).

Main Changes:

Article Navigation:

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Part 5: Z’DOS and ESOTERIC

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Part 6: Q & A with Vernon Hester

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Part 1: MultiDOS
Part 2: ULTRADOS Page
Part 3: MultiDOS v1.0 – v1.72