History of Atari TOS

Historical versions of Atari TOS v1.04


==============================================================
OS:          TOS [The Operating System]
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1
Machines:    260/520ST
Comments:    Initial release. Fairly buggy; only used for
            compatibility with older programs. Desk
            accessories must be named DESKn.ACC. Loaded from
            disk, so also known as "RAM TOS" or "Disk TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1
Machines:    520/1040ST
Comments:    First ROM release. Updated GEMDOS and AES. AKA
            "Old TOS", "ROM TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.2 (later renumbered 1.02)
Machines:    520/1040ST/STF/SFM/STFM, Mega ST 2 and 4
Comments:    First ROM-only version. Bug fixes; support for
            DMA/Blitter and real-time clock chips. AKA
            "Blitter TOS", "Mega TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.09
Machines:    520/1040ST/STF/SFM/STFM, Mega ST 2 and 4
Comments:    Incorrectly-reported number for UK version of
            1.(0)2.
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.4 (later 1.04)
Machines:    Stacey laptop (1st release); later on
            520/1040STFM, Mega ST 1/2/4,
Comments:    Most common version of TOS; last version to run on
            pre-STe machines; most compatible with games. More
            bug fixes (e.g. archive attribute works); improved
            hard-disk handling and performance. Faster disk
            copy; file move function; copy preserves date/time
            stamps; folder renaming; auto-run of GEM apps at
            startup; larger screen support; file "fastload"
            flag for faster startup; improved file selector;
            DOS-compatible disk format; keyboard reset. AKA
            "Rainbow TOS" because of animated colour Atari
            "Fuji" logo in desktop "About" dialog box.
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.6
Machine:     1040STE
Comments:    As 1.(0)4 plus support for the enhanced STe. (Up
            to 4,096 colours; 8-bit stereo DMA sound; light-
            gun/paddle; external Genlock; hardware scrolling;
            68030 processor; etc.) Mouse support in "show file
            to screen" function; 4-bit colour values; disk
            boot-up delay. Bug fixes. AKA "STE TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.62
Machine:     1040STE
Comments:    As 1.6 plus bug-fixes, including of 1.6's failure
            to save selection of medium resolution correctly
            in DESKTOP.INF.
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Versions:    2.02, 2.05, 2.06
Machine:     Mega STE
Comments:    Last version of Atari TOS for the 68000 line. Many
            bug fixes. Atari logo display at boot-up;
            automatic cold boot memory test. Supports higher
            resolutions, 1.4MB diskettes, 6ms step rate,
            better media-change detection. Adds GTP program
            support (GEM-Takes-
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     2.08
Machine:     STbook
Comments:    Special version for 1992 notebook ST. ROM also
            contains some notebook-specific utilities: STTRANS
            (null-modem/ parallel-cable data transfer), power
            management tools, hard disk drive tools and
            drivers (AHDI, XHDI, BOOKINST and BOOKFMT) and a
            RAMdisk installer.
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     3.01, 3.05, 3.06
Machine:     TT
Comments:    TOS 3.0x was released (for the 68030-based TT)
            before 2.0x; TOS 2 was essentially a version of
            TOS 3 for older hardware. Feature parity was
            achieved with versions 2.05/3.05. Supports fast
            "TT RAM", special TT screen resolutions etc. ST-
            hardware-compatible "Line-A" API dropped for
            extended TT functionality, forcing programmers to
            use GEM-compliant VDI calls etc. and thus
            encouraging GEM-compatible (as opposed to ST-
            compatible) development. ROM size grows from 256KB
            to 512KB. AKA "TT TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     4.00, 4.01, 4.02, 4.04
Machine(s):  Falcon
Comments:    New version for the Falcon. 68030 only. Adds
            support for DSP, 16MHz blitter and video overlay.
            New v3.40 AES (last single-tasking version, but
            MiNT/MultiTOS-multitasking-aware) supports: and
            pop-up menus; 3D window and dialog objects (later
            modified to to use more compatible ob_state flags
            instead of extended type); 256-colour "animated"
            icons; soft-loaded fonts; inter-app drag&drop;
            background window manipulation; extensible
            filesystems. New CPX module for international
            localisation configuration. V4.04 was the last
            official Atari version of TOS. AKA "3D TOS".
==============================================================
OS:          TOS
Vendor:      none (developed by Atari)
Version:     4.92, 4.98
Machine(s):  Never officially released; distribution illegal
Comments:    Bug-ridden internal developer version, but
            sometimes offered for download. Would have become
            TOS 5.0, "Falcon TOS".
==============================================================
OS           MiNT [MiNT is Not (later, "Now") TOS]
component:
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.09 (last Atari version of MiNT)
Machine(s):  All STs and compatibles
Comments:    BSD Unix-based pre-emptive multitasking/multiuser
            kernel originally developed by Eric R. Smith.
            Replaces GEMDOS - provides process/memory
            management, filesystem I/O etc.; requires AES, VDI
            and desktop.
==============================================================
OS:          MultiTOS
Vendor:      Atari
Version:     1.04 (1.08 in unreleased beta)
Machine(s):  Falcon (but runs on all STs and compatibles)
Comments:    Official Atari version. Extension to TOS 4: MiNT
            kernel + (very slow) multitasking v4.1 AES (AKA
            "MultiAES".) Runs on 68000, but requires 68030 for
            memory protection.
==============================================================
OS:          Kaos TOS
Vendor:      Andreas Kromke
Version:     1.4.1
Machine(s):  All STs and compatibles
Comments:    Early single-tasking TOS replacement, originally
            based on a large and complex patch set for Atari
            TOS 1.4. Supplied on ROM as "KAOS030" and as a
            disk-loaded version, complete with its own
            desktop, KaosDesk. Faster and less bug-ridden, but
            incompatible with TT and Falcon. Supplied with
            some 68030 accelerator boards. Development stopped
            after release of TOS 2.06. Some parts (such as
            MCMD CLI shell) reused in MagiC, developed by the
            same author.



This document is maintained by Liam Proven
Please submit any corrections, additions or comments to
geminfo@lproven.cix.co.uk

My thanks to the following people, who were of inestimable
assistance in preparing this.
 Mark S. Baines (msbaines@cix.co.uk)
 Joe Connor (jconnor@cix.co.uk)
 Derryck Croker (derryck@cix.co.uk)
 Andrew Giddings (gidds@cix.co.uk)
 Paul Glover (stclub@cix.co.uk)
 Matt Jaap (mjaap@atari-computer.de)
 Ronald van der Kamp (atarist@xs4all.nl)
 Johan Klockars (rand@cd.chalmers.se)
 Ken Macdonald (macdonald@cfc.dnd.ca)
 Eddy Morfan (eddy.morfan@mail.dotcom.fr)
 Frank Naumann (fnaumann@prinz-atm.CS.Uni-Magdeburg.De)
 Martin-ric Racin (q-funk@funkyware.atari.org)
 Henk Robbers (H.Robbers@cable.A2000.nl)
 Oliver Schildmann (Oliver_Schildmann@LU.maus.de)
 John Stean (jstean@cix.co.uk)
 John Whalley (john@whalley.demon.co.uk)
 Michael White (michael@fastlane.net)
 The members of the news:comp.sys.atari-st newsgroup
 The members of the CIX atari.st conference

Version history
1  Original version
1. Information from Mark Baines' "The Atari A to Z" and other
01 sources
1. (20 Oct 1999) Information on replacement desktops added
02
1. (24 Oct 1999) Information on GDOS added; re-ordered
03
1. (25 Oct 1999) SpeedoGDOS relegated to "historical"
04
1. (31 Jan 2001) Finally converted to HTML
05

Back to Main_Page