Geneva FAQ

Why doesn't the Limit Memory flag work in release 005?

What's the difference between preemptive and cooperative multitasking?

Why can't I use my boot manager to change resolutions?

Why are the colors of some of my window gadgets messed up?

Where can I get info on using MiNT with Geneva? or Why don't I have an Extras Disk?

Why doesn't the Limit Memory flag work in release 005?

Unfortunately, due to a typo in rel 005, the "Limit memory to..." flag does not work. The following is a fix that can be made to GENEVA.PRG in order to work around this problem.

This change can be made with any raw file editor like MemFile or EdHack/EditPlus. MAKE THIS CHANGE TO A COPY OF GENEVA.PRG. Do NOT alter the file on your Geneva Master disk, as this may prevent future patch programs from working.

All numbers are in hexadecimal:

Offset 125BE now contains 66 82 3F 00. Change just the 66 to 67. Leave the rest unchanged.

A real fix for this problem will be incorporated into Geneva 006, which will be available in the coming weeks. [12/3/96]

What's the difference between preemptive and cooperative multitasking?

Cooperative multitasking relies on applications making certain calls frequently (in this case, AES calls) in order to allow the other processes a chance to become active. Preemptive multitasking gives all processes an equal chance to get control on a regular basis.

The advantage of preemptive multitasking is that if an application goes into an infinite loop or does something that is computationally intensive (like ray tracing) where it doesn't want to have to use the AES, the other applications won't get locked-out. However, under GEM, many older applications use methods that still prevent you from getting to other applications while they are doing time-intensive tasks. An example of this is printing in Pagestream.

Because GEM was originally designed using cooperative multitasking, older applications work much better with this method. The major reason Geneva's primary mode of multitasking is cooperative is for backward compatibility.

But you can use MiNT with Geneva 004 or newer to get preemptive multitasking, if you desire. Granted, MiNT is not very easy to set up, and can decrease compatibility, but it does offer some other advantages such as i/o pipes, alternate filesystems, and shared memory. [12/30/96]

Why can't I use my boot manager to change resolutions?

Geneva can read the default video resolution in two ways, either from the old-style DESKTOP.INF or NEWDESK.INF file, which is used by most boot managers to choose resolution, or from its own GENEVA.CNF.

By default, Geneva uses the value stored in GENEVA.CNF. You can change this by going to the Task Manager's Misc. Options dialog. There, check the "Video from DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF" option. Press "OK" and now Save Geneva's Settings. [12/3/96]

Why are the colors of some of my window gadgets messed up?

Geneva's windows have lots of extra features that are not part of the normal Atari-style windows. Starting with release 004, Geneva had a new feature which allows you to individually specify the colors of all window gadgets.

In order to maintain backward compatibility with old applications, however, Geneva still allows programs which know about changing window colors using Atari's methods to do so. The result is that if you use another program, like the XCONTROL module WCOLORS.CPX, the CPX's settings will override any changes you might make using Geneva's Task Manager. The solution is to remove WCOLORS.CPX, or rename it to WCOLORS.CPZ. [12/3/96]

Where can I get info on using MiNT with Geneva? or Why don't I have an Extras Disk?

Since release 004, Geneva can be used with the MiNT multitasking kernel to get true preemptive multitasking. MiNT is included on a second, Extras Disk starting with release 004 of Geneva.

Configuring MiNT can be rather difficult. The file MINT/MINT.TXT on the Geneva Extras Disk describes the basic setup. However, many people either do not have an Extras Disk or do not realize they do!

If you fall into the first category, one reason may be an early, faulty version of the release 003->004 patch program. When run on a Falcon computer, the patch program would crash and return back to the desktop before writing the Extras Disk.

A workaround for this bug in Falcon TOS was found, and a second version of the patch program was released shortly after the first. This newer patch is available from Gribnif Software's Web site. In fact, if you still have either a Geneva 003 or an 004 Master Disk, you can run this patch program and it will write an Extras Disk to a new floppy.

Failing the above, you can get one from us for a minimal fee. Contact us by email for more info. [12/3/96]