This repository is home to a bootloader for executable code on Apple parallel port hard drives (ProFile, Widget) and compatible emulators (IDEFile, X/ProFile, Cameo/Aphid, etc.). The bootloader occupies the first two blocks of a hard drive and loads a program from blocks immediately following. It can run from a hard drive connected to any ordinary Lisa parallel port: fixed/internal or on an expansion card.
The bootloader includes the Apple parallel port hard drive I/O library from the
lisa_io project. This library remains
memory-resident after loading, and loaded programs can use it to read and write
hard drive blocks if desired.
Because people might choose to package the bootloader into their own software projects, nearly all important documentation---including references, acknowledgements, and release history---appears within the source code files themselves.
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bootloader_hd.x68Source code for the hard drive bootloader. Refer to its header comment for extensive documentation. -
build_bootable_disk_image.pyA standalone Python program for generating a bootable Apple parallel port hard drive disk image that loads and executes a program you supply.
The hard drive bootloader and any supporting programs, software libraries, and documentation distributed alongside it are released into the public domain without any warranty. See the LICENSE file for details.