The LS-DOS 6.3.1 Source Code Restoration Project
The Libraries

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The LS-DOS 6.3.1 source tree is available on LS-DOS 6 format or MS-DOS format floppy diskettes, including all tools and TRSDOS 6/LS-DOS 6 utilities needed to assemble the entire operating system. This can be obtained from M. A. D. Software

Library Overview

This page lists all the modules that comprise the LS-DOS library overlays. (These modules are assembled separately and can run as /CMD files.) When building the system, they are consolidated into the three LS-DOS library overlays, SYS6/SYS, SYS7/SYS and SYS8/SYS. A table in SYS1/SYS allows the command interpreter to specify which module to load to perform a given command. The actual task of loading overlays is handled by the resident portion of the operating system.

Because of the small disk capacities of the Model I and III systems upon which the LS-DOS directory structure and storage granule concept are based, there was a need to conserve disk space for the various system commands as well as to avoid using all the slots in the fixed directory structures just to hold the system commands. The library system uses just three directory slots, and consumes less disk space than would be needed if each command was in its own separate file.

In addition, not just any program can be placed in a library, Programs that could run in the memory between 0x2400 and 0x2fff and can still function if the entire region is reloaded when a system call are made are usually made into library modules, while larger programs, programs which can't keep variables on the stack, or programs with other behavior that makes them unsuitable for use as an overlay, are stored in separate /CMD files.

In the source tree, the source code files for library modules are all prefixed with the letters "LB". However, for some reason that will probably remain unknown, the executables built from these source files by the original JCL files were prefixed only with the letter "L". To keep the reconstruction as accurate as possible, this naming convention is preserved here.

Individual library command programs are loaded inserted into the appropriate /SYS file by the program GENISAM4, and are stored and accessed by an ISAM index code. These codes are listed below, as they were originally published in "The Source".

Below, you will find the index for the source code files, assembly listings and finished executable for each command, organized by SYS library and alphabetically within that library. This matches the actual order that the files are assembled by the original JCL files. For convienence, the following table lists commands in global alphabetical order and can be used to jump directly to the program you are interested in.

Command	Operation	System Overlay	ISAM Key
APPEND	Append one file/device to another	SYS6/SYS	0x31
ATTRIB	Change file access levels and passwords	SYS7/SYS	0x51
AUTO	Specify command to execute on boot	SYS7/SYS	0x11
BUILD	Create a file and enter contents	SYS7/SYS	0x33
CAT	Display names of files on disk, related to DIR	SYS6/SYS	0x20
CLS	Clear screen	SYS6/SYS	0x24
COPY	Copy contents of file/device to another file/device	SYS6/SYS	0x32
CREATE	Create a file with specific size/LRL parameters	SYS7/SYS	0x13
DATE	Get or set the current date	SYS7/SYS	0x15
DEBUG	Enable the system debugger	SYS7/SYS	0x14
DEVICE	Examine disk and characters devices	SYS6/SYS	0x61
DIR	Display names of files on disk with more detail than CAT	SYS6/SYS	0x21
DO	Execute a /JCL file	SYS6/SYS	0x91
DUMP	Dump contents of a region of memory to disk	SYS7/SYS	0x71
FILTER	Designate a program to filter characters sent to a device	SYS6/SYS	0x66
FORMS	Specify printer paper management	SYS8/SYS	0xB1
FREE	Display amount of free disk and directory entries	SYS7/SYS	0x22
LIB	List names of commands in the system libraries	SYS6/SYS	0x19
LINK	Connect a device to a driver or another device	SYS6/SYS	0x62
LIST	Display or print contents of a file	SYS6/SYS	0x41
LOAD	Load a program or data into memory without runnint it	SYS6/SYS	0x81
MEMORY	Show high and low memory limits or read/set contents of specific memory locations	SYS6/SYS	0x1E
PURGE	Delete one or more files matching partspec	SYS7/SYS	0x72
REMOVE	Delete a specific file	SYS6/SYS	0x18
RENAME	Change the name of an existing file	SYS6/SYS	0x53
RESET	Disable a device or restore it to boot settings	SYS6/SYS	0x63
ROUTE	Send data meant for a device to another device or file	SYS6/SYS	0x64
RUN	Load and execute the specified program	SYS6/SYS	0x82
SET	Load a device driver and attach it to a device name	SYS6/SYS	0x65
SETCOM	Set or display serial port settings	SYS8/SYS	0xB2
SETKI	Set or display keyboard behavior settings	SYS8/SYS	0xB3
SPOOL	Enable, disable or manage the printer spool system	SYS8/SYS	0xA2
SYSGEN	Save system driver and filter configuration	SYS8/SYS	0x1C
SYSTEM	Read or set operating system or disk driver parameters	SYS8/SYS	0xA1
TIME	Read or set the current time-of-day	SYS7/SYS	0x16
TOF	Send a TOF character to the printer (or printer filter)	SYS6/SYS	0x25
VERIFY	Enable or disable disk write verification tests	SYS7/SYS	0x1B

The LS-DOS 6.3.1 Source Code Restoration Project The Libraries

Library Overview

SYS6/SYS Library

SYS7/SYS Library

SYS8/SYS Library

The LS-DOS 6.3.1 Source Code Restoration Project
The Libraries