B.6 Soft-loading Ethernet drivers

B Checking EtherX versions

B.6 Soft-loading Ethernet drivers

If you only want to use the PC-side networking then things are quitestraightforward: you can stop the existing modules being loaded from ROMby unplugging them: for example,

  *unplug ether3

On a Risc-PC 700 this is done automatically by the file!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk.SetUpNet. The new driver canthen be copied into the !PC directory, loaded in the!PC.!NetRun file, just before PCNE2 is loaded.

If you want to run ARM-side networking software as well as PCNE2, youmay have to alter the set-up of this software. Note that it is notpossible to mix the older DCI2 drivers and protocols with newer DCI4ones; if your ARM-side software uses DCI2 drivers, you will need to usethe DCI2 version of PCNE2, which will only work with ANT/Atomwidecards.

In the simplest case, where the all the ARM-side networking software isloaded from disc, you can locate the EtherX fileand replace it with the new version. Soft-loaded drivers will be in:

the !BootNet.Drivers directory for AUN, or in
the !Internet.Drivers directory for !Internet.

More commonly, driver or protocol modules will be loaded from ROM, andyou will need to alter the boot sequence to remove these modules andreload the new ones. The precise steps to be taken depend on the type ofnetworking you want to do, the host machine and its version of RISC OS.The relevant modules and procedures are detailed below:

Risc PC 700

Comes with a file called !Boot.Choices.Predesk.SetUpNetwhich disables all networking. Make pre-desktop-startup changes in thisfile. Put post-desktop-startup command into an Obey file calledDeskNet in !Boot.Choices.Tasks.

Risc PC 600

Create an Obey file called SetUpNet in!Boot.Choices.Predesk. Any commands which have to happenafter the desktop starts should go in an Obey file calledDeskNet in !Boot.Choices.Tasks.

Earlier machines

You need a two-stage Boot setup.

The !Boot Obey file contains things to be done before the desktopstarts, and ends with the line

Desktop -f ADFS::4.$.Deskboot

which starts up the desktop using the settings in the file 'Deskboot'.This latter file contains any post-desktop startup commands.

If the EtherX driver is being loaded from ROM,you will need to either:

Switch Bootnet Off with

*configure Bootnet Off

: then unplug the EtherX module in ROM with

*unplug EtherX

: If Bootnet is On, it will automatically *rmreinitEtherX, and the *unplug won't work). You should then ensurethat the new Ether3 module is loaded by !BootNet, !Internet or !PC.

Make sure these lines are run before the desktop starts up

RMload MbufManagerRMload EtherXRMReinit NetRMReinit Internet     or   RMReinit InternetA   (depending which you areusing)

If you have an Acorn Access card the procedure is more complex, as anumber of ROM modules (including EtherX) willalready be loaded on startup. You will need to make sure these arerestarted correctly when the EtherX driverchanges. If you just want to use Access with the PC card then you need a!Boot file or setupnet like this:

RMKill EtherXRMKill InternetARMkill SharefsRMkill freewayRMkill AccMsgsRMload adfs::4.$.!PC.MbufManagerRMLoad adfs::4.$.!PC.EtherXRMReinit InternetARMReinit AccMSGSRMReinit FreewayRMReinit sharefs

The order of modules is significant. The *RMLoad lineassumes that you have copied the new EtherX driverfile into the directory adfs::4.$.!PC.

If you have the !Internet software and want to run TCP/IP with Accessand !PC you need the commands below: (The information provided hereassumes that the !Internet and !BootNet application have had theirdrivers replaced with the new EtherX module).

Before the desktop starts:

RMKill EtherXRMKill InternetARMkill SharefsRMkill freewayRMkill AccMsgsRun ADFS::4.$.Apps.tcp_ip.!Internet.!RunRMReinit AccMSGSRMReinit FreewayRMReinit sharefsRun ADFS::4.$.Apps.tcp_ip.!BootNet.!Run

Note: The pathnames to the applications and files mayvary according to the disc structure used. The order in which themodules are *RMREINITed is vital.

Risc PC 700
Risc PC 600
Earlier machines