SpartaDOS, like MS-DOS, will time and date stamp all files as they are created. How many times have you been working on a program and created several different versions on the same disk, all of them having some bug within the code? I always try to figure out which was the last version that I created. Now you will know because the time and date are listed in the directory along with the actual file size in bytes, not sectors. The space remaining on the disk is listed in sectors. The clock is set when you execute the SET.COM file, which will ask you for the date and time. To get a continuous display of the date and time, you can run the TIME.COM file. This will display the date and time at the top of the screen, even when you are using a language such as BASIC. The clock is capable of keeping time even when the disk drives are being used. It will not display the correct time, but it will make up for lost time during the time the drives are not being accessed. 

According to an ICD product release, a cartridge called R-Time will be available in December 1984. This cartridge will contain a 5-year battery, will work in the left or right cartridge slot on the Atari 800, and will keep time for the computer. This clock will be easily accessed through SpartaDOS with some simple PEEKs into memory. The cost will be $79.95. 

SpartaDOS also supports sub-directories, which are very important to users of DS/DD disk drives. Atari DOS 2.0 and all other disk operating systems for the Atari have a limit of 64 files per directory. MyDOS allows multiple directories so you can have a file on the disk that contains another directory that takes up 8 sectors of space but will allow you to have another 64 filenames. You can have as many of these sub-directories on the disk as there is disk space. Under SpartaDOS, 128 filenames are allowed per directory, and you can create as many directories as there is disk space. Each directory takes only 2 sectors. There are several commands, similar to MS-DOS, that make a new directory, change to another directory, and delete a directory. A directory must be empty before you can delete it. There is also a command called TREE, which will show the directory paths on a disk and optionally the filenames in each directory. 

Each directory must have a unique 8-letter Volume Name. This name can consist of any of the symbols that a filename can contain (A-Z, 0-9, and _). The DOS uses this to determine if you have changed disks or not and what disk format is being used on each disk. 

SpartaDOS will allow you to use Batch Files. A special batch file will run on a cold boot, just like AUTORUN.SYS runs on a cold boot in Atari DOS 2.0. Unlike DOS-XL, SpartaDOS does not support both AUTORUN.SYS files and STARTUP.BAT files. Also, a batch file will execute commands within another program, which is not possible under OS/A+ or DOS-XL. This means that you can, for example, boot up the disk operating system, load the RS232 handler, load the BASIC cartridge, load the modem program that you are using, tell BASIC XL to go to FAST mode, and run the program without ever touching the keyboard. Under DOS-XL, a batch file would end after the command CAR was entered to go to BASIC. You can also execute a file called CLR.COM, which will clear the screen. Another file called PAUSE.COM will wait until you hit a carriage return, and still another file called DIS_BAT.COM will remove the batch file processing. This is sometimes necessary because some programs won’t run while the batch file capability is enabled. 

One of the things lacking from all other disk operating systems for the Atari is the ability to support full input/output (I/O) redirection. What does this mean? In CP/M, it is possible to send what is being typed on the keyboard to the printer or the RS232 port or the CRT or any other peripheral connected to the computer. There are many applications that use this feature, but the one that I am most familiar with is in setting up a RCP/M (Remote CP/M). A RCP/M is a computer that is set up so that other people may operate it by connecting to it with a modem. A RCP/M may contain a bulletin board program and a database containing files that can be downloaded and space for files to be uploaded. When someone calls an RCP/M, they are operating the computer just as if they were sitting at the computer operating the operating system from the keyboard. If you want to see the disk directory, you could do so by typing DIR, and the system would display a disk directory. 

An Atari bulletin board system (or an Apple or Commodore for that matter) has a single program that the person calling operates. The caller never leaves this program. In a RCP/M, the caller may use five or six programs while on the system (e.g., XMODEM.COM, RBBS.COM, SD.COM, TYPEL.COM, and CHAT.COM). The input and output to and from these programs are received from and sent to the modem because the disk operating system (CP/M) says that it will be coming from there. In the Atari bulletin board, the input and output is received from and sent to the modem because the program says that it will be coming from there. With SpartaDOS, a bulletin board system could conceivably be set up like a RCP/M (RSpartaDOS?). This will be a challenge to someone. 

SpartaDOS uses a different disk format than Atari DOS 2.0, so the files must be converted from one system to another. This is easily done with the SPCOPY.COM program, which will give you a menu of the source disk’s directory and let you tag the files you want to copy from one disk to another. This is similar to SWEEP.COM in CP/M. SPCOPY will not read OS/A+ version 4.10 files. These must be converted to DOS 2.0 format, then to SpartaDOS format. 

SpartaDOS can tell what type of drives you are using. No more configuring the system for your system and then reconfiguring every disk when you add a new disk drive. It is capable of supporting 5 1/4″, 8″, and hard disk drives (Yes, I said hard disk drives. The hard disk drive controller for the ATR-8000 is due anytime now.). It will support double sided and single, double and quad density formats. In other words, it will support just about any format available. I had no trouble using my double sided/double density 5 1/4″ drives or my 8″ single sided/double density drives. 

The main question with any new disk operating system is how much software modification will be necessary. With SpartaDOS, there is some that can be performed and some that doesn’t matter. The communications program that I use checks the I/O Control Block Status Register to find out if a carrier has been detected. The value returned by MyDOS is 120. Under SpartaDOS, the value is 60. This is a simple thing to change. 

Another compatibility problem has to do with the directory. Since SpartaDOS keeps file size in bytes and also time and date stamps files, the directory displayed by a program would have problems (this takes about 30 columns on the screen). ICD decided they would have to take care of this. They have two forms of the directory. One form displays all the information (date, time, file size in bytes, etc.). The other displays the filename and 3 zeros for the file size. In other words, you do not know how large the file is in sectors. This may not be a major problem in most cases, but could be in others. 

What won’t SpartaDOS do? It won’t lock a file like all the other Atari DOS’s will. To take care of this problem, the distribution disk contains an UNERASE Utility. The only problem with this is that if your disk has been written to since you erased the file, the file may be unrecoverable. 

Another thing that you can’t do is append non-binary files together. You can’t do this under DOS-XL or OS/A+ either. You can use the APPEND command to append two or more binary files together. 

ICD says they are going to continue to produce several utilities for the system. Also, I think that a program similar to SWEEP in CP/M needs to be made for the Atari that will allow you to copy files, copy a number of selected files, rename files, delete files, etc. Remember that in SpartaDOS, it is not hard to load a binary file as long as it has COM as a filename extension. Just type the first part of the filename and the program loads and executes without any further typing. 

Do I like SpartaDOS? Yes, I think that it has some good features, but I doubt that I will convert all my disks to SpartaDOS. I will have to work with it some more before I decide to do that. Would I recommend it to someone else? It would really depend on what the other person’s needs are. If they find that they need to time stamp files or maintain some similarity in disk operating systems to either MS-DOS or CP/M, then I would recommend it. If a programmer is running a large number of binary files or needs the batch file capabilities, SpartaDOS will fill their needs. If they are used to Atari DOS 2.0, then I would probably recommend MyDOS. I may change my mind when I get the R-Time Cartridge so that I don’t have to enter the date and time every time I have to reboot the system.