Networking in Pico

Hi,

Can anyone recommend a good guide (either online or in print) to setting up ethernet networking on RISC OS Pico?

Thanks,

Ben

I’m not sure the networking modules are in Pico! (not at a RO machine to check)

The easiest way is probably to start with full RISC OS and change the boot sequence to start BASIC at the end.

So does it work modularly? If I can reconfigure things to include the networking module and then configure it via *commands, that would be preferable.

I’m rather loathe to load a lot of unnecessary stuff and then drop into BASIC. I’m in it for the Pico experience, and also I don’t want to give my kids access to a GUI. :-)

So does it work modularly?

That’s very much a hallmark of RISC OS.

H. Mod. at the OS command line lists the modules. Essentially the OS is a collection of them and extending the OS usually involves writing another. Even the GUI is one of those extensions.

With current machines having so much memory the only advantage of Pico over the full OS install is the amount of “disc” space taken (for disc read USB stick, SD card etc.)
Try a full OS install and then hit Ctrl-F12 and type BASIC in the window and you’re in familiar Pico territory (sort of)

So does it work modularly?

Yes. But that’s not the question. The question is, ever since RISC OS 5, it has had networking built in. So where might you find a compatible Internet module (and Resolver, and MBufManager, and whatever hardware driver is required)?

It’s far easier to start with a full RISC OS and remove stuff you don’t want, than to start with a partial and try adding things.

I’m rather loathe to load a lot of unnecessary stuff and then drop into BASIC.

It’s part of the standard ROM image. Which is about 5MB (uncompressed) as opposed to whatever Pico is. In terms of load time, it’s not going to make any appreciable difference.
I don’t think Pico does outline fonts either, so if you want pretty…?

I’m in it for the Pico experience, and also I don’t want to give my kids access to a GUI.

Off the top of my head…

*Configure NoBoot
*Unplug Desktop

Ought to boot to command line with nothing started/loaded. You may need to configure the Language so it doesn’t try to do something weird – I’m not at my computer right now…

If you upgrade the ROM image, don’t forget to *RMReInit Desktop beforehand. This is in case the module order changes (Unplug remembers by number) you don’t end up with the wrong (and perhaps important) module left dormant.

In short: Making RISC OS like Pico, easy. Making Pico like RISC OS, hard.

To make full blown RISC OS boot into BASIC follow these steps (all from memory, untested, use at own risk, etc!):

Press Ctrl-F12 to bring up a CLI window. Type “Modules” and find BASIC in the list. Note down what module number it is. Then enter:

Configure Language X – where X is the number of the BASIC module
Configure NoBoot
Opt 4 0
Unplug BootFX – not completely necessary, but gets rid of the splash screen

To reverse that and go back to a full boot:

Configure Language Y – where Y is the number of the Desktop module
Configure Boot
Opt 4 2
RMReinit BootFX

However that still leaves you with the problem that no boot sequence has been run to setup the networking. Someone else will have to come along and tell you what commands you need for that because I can’t remember!

The easiest way is possibly to use the full version and ensure that networking is working, unplug BootFX, and modify !Boot.Utils.Bootrun like this:

--- Share::PiDisc.$.!Boot.Utils.BootRun 2018-05-31 09:21:38.0 +0100
+++ Share::PiDisc.$.BootRun     2018-05-31 09:24:28.0 +0100
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 Set Alias$@LoadType_FFB BASIC -quit %%*0
 Set Alias$@LoadType_FFC /%%*0
 
-/<Boot$Dir>.Utils.HOn
+|/<Boot$Dir>.Utils.HOn
 
 /<Boot$Dir>.Utils.SetChoices
 BootObey Choices:Boot.PreDesktop
@@ -61,4 +61,5 @@
 
 FX 247 1
 FX 229 0
-/Choices:Boot.Desktop
+|/Choices:Boot.Desktop
+BASIC

ie make the lines /<Boot$Dir>.Utils.HOn and /Choices:Boot.Desktop into comments and add BASIC at the end.