Date   : Mon, 11 Jul 2005 17:33:25 +0200 (BST)
From   : Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...>
Subject: Re: NFS Versions

Hi,

On Sun 10 Jul, Pete Turnbull wrote:
> On Jul 10 2005, 13:06, Mike Tomlinson wrote:
> > In article <42D0D2AE.30200@...>, Mike Howard
> > <aixguru@...> writes
> >
> > > Anybody know which versions of NFS work with the BBC/B or B+? Which
> > > was the latest? I'm interested in purely NFS as opposed to DNFS.
> >
> > Relying on my memory (always suspect), but I think NFS 3.34 was the
> > last release for the B series.
> 
> NFS 3.34 was the original "production" version, in a 2764 EPROM usually
> with a green label.  It was replaced by DNFS, which contains NFS 3.60.
>  There are a few differences, mainly to do with privileged stations,
> and a few bugfixes.  ISTR also a significant difference in the way
> OS-heebie-jeebie (more formally known as OSGBPB) works. 

Ah yes, now you mention it: in 3.34 this was using byte access with
OSBGET/OSBPUT in a loop, thus the overhead in establishing the connection
was there for every byte in the block, taken up enourmous amounts of time.
In 3.60 this was streamlined, and the OSGBPB was really implemented, making
the overhead checking the connection only once for the whole block.

> All the later Econet kits contained DNFS.  I had several early BE and BDE
> (B with Econet, and B with Disc and Econet) which all had 3.34.
> 
> > >Did any versions of ANFS work on the beeb?
> >
> > Not as far as I know.  Why?
> 
> ANFS (the standard version was 4.25 but I also have a 4.21) was
> produced for the Master 128 and Master Compact, but I remember running
> it on a couple of my Beebs.  It had better file buffering, and several
> of the utilities that would normally be in the library on the
> fileserver were built-ins.  However, by that time most of my Beebs had
> CMOS processors, so I can't say with certainty that ANFS will work on a
> standard B or B+. 

The issue with the Master 4.25 version is using the special RAM available.
which isn't there in the B/B+.

> I'm not aware of any addressing differences that would prevent it, though.

I thought there was a special version for the B model, not only for the RAM
differences, but the absence of opcodes as well. I think I haven't had any
B/B+ version, so can't check it out.


As both NFS and DFS use a bit les than 8K, the combination in a single chip
gives more economic free space, which was used for improving the utilities
I think. So even if you don't need DFS, the DNFS can still improve on that.
IIRC '*Help utils' could give you some clues about this.


greetings,
Johan

-- 
Johan Heuseveldt <johan@...              >
  aka  waarland

  The best place is a Riscy place
 
Sibling rivalry is for children.