Getting started

Requirements

• Elektronika MK90 with 16 KiB RAM and the cartridge wiring already validated for the 27C256.
• The 32,768-byte mk90_unix_v0.6_27c256.bin image, normally installed in SMP0.
• A writable supported SMP data cartridge in SMP1 for saving files and compiling BASIC. A stock 10 KiB module is supported at the storage-driver level; it must contain MKS2 to mount.

Install and boot

Program the whole binary starting at EPROM offset zero, then use the programmer’s verify operation. The image is one 32 KiB layout, not four duplicate 8 KiB images. Start the cartridge from the original MK90 startup menu.

After the banner, the prompt begins at the virtual root: / $ . The boot slot remains physically identified as SMP0 or SMP1; no DOS drive-letter renaming occurs.

The bootstrap loads 8,752 bytes of resident code into RAM. Other applications and resources are read from the boot cartridge when needed. Leave that cartridge installed while the OS runs.

Use an existing MKS2 cartridge

devices
mount /dev/smp1 /mnt/smp1
cd /mnt/smp1
ls

Do not format a compatible data cartridge just to update the ROM. The MKS2 layout in 0.6 is compatible with the previous 0.5 release.

Prepare a new data cartridge

For an unmounted 10 KiB data cartridge:

cd /
mkfs /dev/smp1 10

Confirm with YES, then BK. If the volume is already mounted, first run umount /mnt/smp1 while outside it. A successful MKFS also mounts the volume. Valid capacity arguments are 8, 10, 16, 32 and 64 KiB; use the module’s actual size.

Compile the supplied demonstration

cp /mnt/smp0/demo.bas /mnt/smp1/demo.bas
cd /mnt/smp1
mbc demo.bas
./demo.mbx

The demonstration clears the display, prints five numbered lines and beeps. The compiler creates demo.mbx next to its source. Compilation directly in the read-only boot volume cannot create that output.

To change the source, run edit demo.bas. Save with SU, then S; exit with SU, then Q; compile again. Editor guide.

Try cooperative jobs and a pipe

run count 10
ps
sleep 2
ps
ls /mnt/smp1 | less

RUN prints the allocated PID. A pipeline needs at least one free or finished background slot. In LESS, BK/space advances; lowercase q exits. Enter the pipe character with V/N, then backslash.

If the ROM does not run correctly

Run romtest with a responsive cartridge in the other SMP slot to check the ROM and slot switching. A successful ROM test does not imply that the data cartridge has an MKS2 filesystem. See Diagnostics for the exact messages.