X-BOOT version 5.0
by Fox/Taquart
INTRODUCTION
This tool converts Atari executable file (.OBX) to Atari disk image (.ATR),
which can be used in an emulator. For loading executable into real Atari
you need no .ATR, try using X-LOAD.
CHANGES
Version 5.0
- long file names support
- more flexible syntax: obxmask atrfile
and obxfile atrpath can be used
- internal write protection set in generated disk images
- headers with end address less than start allowed
- Unix-like -p option allowed
Version 4.0
- wildcards support - now you can convert a set of files
- .ATR name not required - name can be taken from executable
- no length limit - files longer than 60k allowed
- truncated executables handling
- checking for memory conflicts
- better errors handling
Version 3.2
- .OBX is default extension of Atari executable
Version 3.1
USAGE
This is syntax for running X-BOOT:
XBOOT [/p] obxfiles [atrpath][atrfile]
Parameters in brackets are optional.
If file name extension is omitted, the default .OBX or .ATR is added.
If no atrpath is given, disk images are written by default in
the directory where executables are.
If file name contains spaces, you should enclose it in quotation marks.
/p switch (or equivalent -p) forces writing 'professional loader',
which allows you to load code/data under ROM and disables ROM and interrupts
while starting program. By default, standard loader is used, which can load any
Atari executable not demanding DOS nor any special loader.
Both loaders disable Atari Basic, so you needn't hold OPTION key while
booting.
Below are some examples:
- XBOOT -p test
- Converts test.obx to test.atr in current directory
using professional loader.
- XBOOT d:\games\*.xex \atrs\
- Converts all files in d:\games with .xex extension
and writes disk images to directory \atrs on current drive
using standard loader.
- XBOOT "c:\test\Very Long File Name.AtariExecutable" /p
- Converts c:\test\Very Long File Name.AtariExecutable to
c:\test\Very Long File Name.atr using professional loader.
- XBOOT d:* /p .
- Converts all .OBX files in current directory on d:
to current directory on current drive using professional loader.
DETAILS
Produced ATR is single density and as short as possible.
Loader occupies one boot sector.
X-BOOT does not write executable in ATR as Atari file.
You can't read it from an Atari DOS nor extract it somehow or other.
You can only run it by booting.
For more details, read sources of loaders:
Loaders are so simple that they even do not detect end of file. Instead,
they are modified when end of file is reached. Disk image contains one
additional block, which doesn't belong to executable file, but changes
loader to run program instead of initializing.