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by ikari_pl 908 days ago
on the Amstrad computers, and that's the context, BASIC was an interpreter on top of AMSDOS, which is a DOS, and an OS (just without any UI) indeed.

It's AMSDOS that provided hardware and disk handling, while BASIC could focus on running BASIC code. I think even the graphics routines (like setting a pixel) may have been implemented in AMSDOS, but not sure - and the line between two is blurry from user perspective. While those are two ROMs by two companies, they were developed in cooperation.
1 comments
flohofwoe 908 days ago
> I think even the graphics routines (like setting a pixel) may have been implemented in AMSDOS

Since I just have the CPC Intern book lying around on my desk :)

The graphics routines were not part of AMSDOS, but of the GRA ROM pack (the CPC OS was modularized into "packs" each coming with a standardized interface jump table: Kernel (KL), Machine Pack (MP), Jump/Restore (JRE), Screen Pack (SCR), Text Screen (TXT), Graphics Screen (GRA), Keyboard Manager (KM), Sound Manager (SOUND), Cassette Manager (CAS), Screen Editor (EDIT).

The book doesn't tell much about the AMSDOS ROM, only that the 16 KByte ROM is split into 8 KByte for the actual AMSDOS, and the other 8 KByte are used for a part of the LOGO interpreter coming with CP/M 2.2

PS: also important to note that not all CPC models came with the AMSDOS ROM or builtin floppy drive, so the actual operating system and BASIC interpreter couldn't be built on top of AMSDOS.

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ikari_pl 908 days ago
> PS: also important to note that not all CPC models came with the AMSDOS ROM or builtin floppy drive, so the actual operating system and

Right, technically correct! On the other hand, the command to return to BASIC from CP/M was "AMSDOS" - the distinction to be seen by the user was to be AMSDOS vs CP/M as two operating systems.

Btw. which book describes these internals? ;>>>

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flohofwoe 908 days ago
There was a popular book series in Germany called 'xxx Intern' where xxx would be a computer model. For instance for the CPC:

https://archive.org/details/cpc-464-intern-bruckmann-english...

(I have a physical copy of the followup book "CPC 664/6128 Intern", archive.org doesn't seem to have that one though)

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ikari_pl 908 days ago
Awesome, thank you! Appreciated :)

(Amstrad community is the main reason I am thinking of learning German and Spanish :D)

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