History of Atari TOS
Historical versions of Atari TOS v1.04
| Cell 1 | Cell 2 | Cell 3 | Cell 4 | Cell 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OS | Vendor | Version | Machines | Comments |
| TOS | Atari | 260/520ST | 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". | |
| TOS | Atari | |||
| TOS | Atari | |||
| TOS | Atari | |||
| TOS | Atari | |||
| TOS | Atari | |||
==============================================================
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-Parameters)
==============================================================
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
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