Message-ID: <3915@decwrl.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 15-Oct-84 10:59:33 EDT
Article-I.D.: decwrl.3915
Posted: Mon Oct 15 10:59:33 1984
Date-Received: Tue, 16-Oct-84 08:03:48 EDT
Sender: daemon@decwrl.UUCP
Organization: DEC Engineering Network
Lines: 32

I purchased a copy of ProDOS this weekend, and I have a question for the
net. 

Will ProDOS really work only on a real Apple ][+ or //x with a real 
Apple disk controller?  It fails to boot on at least some other makers'
"compatible" computers (mine among them).  As nearly as I can test the
failure, it is that ProDOS looks for something in the monitor ROM when
it boots, and it hangs with its Apple copyright message on the screen if
all isn't to its liking.  There may also be other checks - I think I
recall someone's having said something about the ROM in the disk
controller, but mine is authentic. 

Now why would Apple display such a stupid turn of mind as to make ProDOS
behave in this way?  Sure, there have been copyright infringements on
the Apple ][ series, but making ProDOS refuse to boot on competitive
machines is the surest way to guarantee a loss of sales.  With the easy
availability of PROM blasters, it's nothing for a "compatible" owner to
borrow an Apple monitor ROM and get it copied, which is what I did to 
solve the problem, but I'd venture a guess that a lot of owners will do 
so only if there is a FREE copy of ProDOS waiting, with the net result 
that Apple loses sales and causes ill will, too.

The bottom line is, does anyone know of any patch I can make to ProDOS 
so that it will boot on a non-Apple machine?

Cheers,
Dick Binder   (The Stainless Steel Rat)

UUCP:  { decvax, allegra, ucbvax... }!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-dosadi!binder
ARPA:  binder%dosadi.DEC@decwrl.ARPA

Posted Monday 15th October 1984, 11:06 EDT by DOSADI::BINDER

Message-ID: <113@utcsrgv.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 18-Oct-84 20:23:55 EDT
Article-I.D.: utcsrgv.113
Posted: Thu Oct 18 20:23:55 1984
Date-Received: Thu, 18-Oct-84 20:56:00 EDT
Organization: CSRI, University of Toronto
Lines: 24

	Well, my sources indicate (although I HAVE NOT VERIFIED IT)
that ProDOS goes & looks in Monitor ROM for the word
"APPLE ][".  If it does not find it, it fails to boot.
This rumor comes from a guy who works at a store that sells
apple ][ "clones", so I think it's pretty reliable. 
Given this fact, the patch is pretty obvious; just check the ref.
manual for the address & find the reference to it in ProDOS.
	I agree it it seems strange of Apple to protect their
software this way.  It was my understanding that most of the
bad old clone makers had been run out of business.  In that case,
would it not be reasonable of apple to try & make ProDos as
generally acceptable as possible?  Even to those people who
had purchased those distasteful copies.  Or was it just that they
couldn't resist the chance to punish the people that had bought
rip-off machines.  [I don't begrudge people for buying the cheapest
product, but I think it is/was a pity that the clone-makers were
able to do as well as they did with such obviously unethical copies.  I
think the legal system did not show itself very well on this one.]
	BTW, I had heard earlier that ProDOS looked at the disk controller.
Maybe it checks both for authenticity.
   Greg Dudek
-- 
   Gregory Dudek
   {cornell,decvax,ihnp4,linus,utzoo,uw-beaver}!utcsrgv!dudek