READMEFM.TXT -- help file for sources for ADAMserve File Manager 4.1
by Richard F. Drushel  drushel@apk.net  13 August 2000


(1) Source Files.

ADAMserve File Manager was completely reverse-engineered from the File Manager
4.0 binary.  All hard-coded device dependencies were removed; all devices are
accessed at the EOS level, not at the ADAMnet device control block level.
Thus, ADAMserve File Manager should work perfectly well with all Coleco and
third-party disks, including Mini Wini and IDE hard disks.

The following source files are required to assemble ADAMserve File Manager
4.1:

    FM023   .ASM    ;application
    FM4BOOT .ASM    ;block 0 boot, for making a stand-alone disk

To assemble File Manager, type Z80ASM+ FM023.ASM.  (Note:  if you are using a
CP/M emulator under MS-DOS, you will have to change the name of the assembler
to Z80ASMP, because '+' is an invalid filename character in MS-DOS.)  To
assemble the boot block, type Z80ASM+ FM4BOOT.ASM.

The resulting binaries must be copied to tape/disk for use.  FILEMAN(^B),
where (^B) is Control-B, CHR$(2), is the accepted name for File Manager.  It
may be file-copied to any desired destination.  The boot block image, however,
must be block-copied to block 0 of the desired tape/disk.

NOTE:  On the ADAMserve hard drive, the Volume 0 copy of FILEMAN should *only*
be updated by block-copying onto the existing image.  There is a bug in the
file launcher of HARDDISK which limits the display of launchable programs to
only one screen's worth.  If there are too many entries, you cannot page down
to another screen.  FILEMAN is *always* something you want to be able to
launch, so it occupies a top position in the directory listing.  If you move
it to the end, you may not be able to see it some day, if your Volume 0 fills
up with too many application software boot blocks.


(2) Bug Fixes.

A long-standing bug in File Manager was that the entire number of blocks of
a tape/disk could not be copied in one pass, because of an off-by-one error
in the block counter.  This has been fixed in ADAMserve File Manager.


(3) Limitations.

The FORMAT menu merely gives the MS-DOS FORMAT command switches necessary to
create disks of the desired size.  Since the disk formatting protocol of
ADAMserve has not been specified implemented, there is no way currently to
format disks from within ADAMserve.


--RFD


