Article 4847 of comp.sys.amiga:
Path: mcdsun!noao!hao!oddjob!uwvax!seismo!ut-sally!utah-cs!utah-gr!stride!l5comp!scotty
From: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: PD Boot Disks
Summary: One for the good guys! ie give us a break C-A!
Keywords: boot copyright
Message-ID: <137@l5comp.UUCP>
Date: 21 May 87 08:49:38 GMT
References: <504@myrias.UUCP> <1868@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> <1541@cadovax.UUCP> <2142@hoptoad.uucp> <709@unccvax.UUCP> <1891@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP>
Reply-To: scotty@l5comp.UUCP (Scott Turner)
Distribution: world
Organization: L5 Computing, Edmonds, WA
Lines: 168

In article <1891@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> carolyn@cbmvax.UUCP (Carolyn Scheppner CATS) writes:
>In article <709@unccvax.UUCP> innes@unccvax.UUCP (Norm Innes) writes:
>>In article <2142@hoptoad.uucp>, farren@hoptoad.uucp (Mike Farren) writes:
>>> In article <1541@cadovax.UUCP> keithd@cadovax.UUCP (Keith Doyle) writes:
>>> > In article <1868@cbmvax.cbmvax.cbm.UUCP> carolyn@cbmvax.UUCP writes:
B
>>> > > I'd like to clarify a legal issue here.  Files from the WorkBench disk
>>> > > may not be distributed on shareware or freeware or in any publicly
>>> > > redistributable manner. The contents of the Workbench disk is copyrighted.
>>> >
>>> > This is still a bit fuzzy in my mind.  Does that mean you can do an
>>> > 'install' on a newly formatted disk without obtaining a license or not?
>>>
>>> Of course you can.  What you can't do is to sell or (strictly) give that disk
>>> to the public.
>Sorry, but it won't work.  A boot disk needs the L directory handlers and
>disk-validator.  Probably also needs quite a bit of what's in DEVS:.
A boot disk doesn't need any of that stuff to boot. PROGRAMS on the other hand
may wish to have some of this stuff. But if your program is self contained then
I've got the program for you!

At the end of this article you will find a program I wrote to answer the question
of "Can I install or can I not install". It does it by supplying a new install
program that puts non-infringing but 100% compatible boot code on the disk. So
A
now you can install and thumb yer nose at C-A Inc.! :-) I think it's a sad state
when we have to sink to cloning to get around silly BS like this. The new boot
code is the same size as the C-A original but executes a few cycles slower.

On the bright side you can modify this program to install anything that will
fit in the 1024 byte boot section on a floppy! Been hankering to make a copy
protected auto-boot disk? Here's yer shot. Want to load stuff and set it up
rather than come in and tear out stuff THEN setup? Use this and get in there
BEFORE stuff gets setup! :) (Like change the CLI for a shell without playing
head games I think...) Give your product a startup screen just like on a Mac!
The uses are endless. On a more practical note, if your program requires
something from the workbench disk (disk based library, SER:, PAR: etc) then
modify this program to put a bootblock on your disk that tells the user your
disk isn't bootable. This beats having the user think the disk is busted!

This program is hardwired for DF0:, BUT unlike INSTALL it doesn't copy 1000
bytes of non-zero'd ram to yer disk. You'd be amazed at what you find in those
bootblocks out there! I found several lines of MY source code on one of my
floppy boot disks(!) So I consider this program more 'secure' than install.

Scott Turner

L5 Computing, the home of Merlin, Arthur, Excalibur and the CRAM.
GEnie: JST | UUCP: stride!l5comp!scotty | 12311 Maplewood Ave; Edmonds WA 98020
If Motorola had wanted us to use BPTR's they'd have built in shifts on A regs
[ BCPL? Just say *NO*! ] (I don't smoke, send flames to /dev/null)