Building a MyZ80 Z-System with NZ-COM, ZS-DOS and Backgrounder ii

All necessary files have been imported into ZSYSINST.DSK, a MYZ80-format disk image which you will mount in Step I below. For information purposes, the contents of the disk image are as follows:

USER 0: contents of COMMON.ZIP
USER 1: contents of NZCOM.ZIP.
USER 2: contents of Z3PLUS.ZIP
USER 3: contents of ZSDOS1.ZIP,  ZSDOS2.ZIP,  ZSDOS3.ZIP, and ZSDOS4.ZIP
USER 4: Contents of BGII-134.ZIP, suppl. w/add'ns (esp. LOADBG.COM) from bgii-130.tar.gz.
USER 6: MLOAD25.COM, , and preconfigured SETBG.COM and LOADBGZ.COM.

Note that everything above is already included in ZSYSINST.DSK, so there's no need to download the individual files.

I. Install MYZ80

• Make a directory, we'll call it MYZ80.
• Download MYZ80124.ZIP and unzip its contents into MYZ80/
• Download ZSYSINST.DSK and copy it to MYZ80/.
• Back up A.DSK:
  COPY A.DSK A.BKP
• Start MYZ80:
  MYZ80
• Type the following commands:
  CHGDSK B: ZSYSINST.DSK
  B:COPY B:COPY.COM
  COPY B6:MLOAD25.COM MLOAD.COM

II. Install NZCOM

• type the following commands:
  COPY B1:LPUT.COM
  COPY B1:MKZCM.COM
  COPY B1:NZCOM.*
  COPY B1:TCSELECT.COM
  COPY B1:Z3TCAP.TCP
  TCSELECT nzcom
      Select "Kaypro 4 or 10".
• Other useful files you may want to copy from B1:
  ALIAS.CMD
  ARUNZ.COM
  IF.COM
  JETLDR.COM
  LBREXT.COM
  LDIR.COM
  LX.COM
  SALIAS.COM
  SDZ.COM
  SHOW.COM
  ZEX.COM
  ZEX.RSX (missing from distribution)
  ZF-REV.COM
  ZFILER.CMD

III. Install ZS-DOS

• Type the following commands:
  COPY B3:ZSDOS.ZRL NZDOS.ZRL
  MLOAD NZCOM.COM,B3:NZCOMPAT.HEX
  MKZCM NZCOM
      Set User's Memory Area to 7 records, then (S)ave.
  LPUT NZCOM NZCOM.ZCM
  LPUT NZCOM NZCOM.ENV
  LPUT NZCOM NZDOS.ZRL
  ERA NZCOM.ZCM
  ERA NZCOM.ENV
  ERA NZDOS.ZRL

IV. Install clock driver and datestamping

• NZCOM
  
• B3:SETUPZST
  Answer as follows:
  1 - Generate New Time Stamp Program
  1 - DateStamper (tm) (Note: Opt. 5 results in "Wrong operating system" error, since we're running ZSDOS, not ZDDOS)
  Load as an RSX below the CCP? (Y[N]) : N
  Install in NZ-COM User Space? (Y[N]) : Y
  Location of STAMPS.DAT file [A0:] : B3:[RET]
  Extract Clock from Library ([Y]/N) : N
  Name of User-supplied .REL clock : B5:myz80clk.rel
  Module will load NZ-COM User Space. Change? (Y[N]) : N
  Opening Message: [Any text][RET]
  Name of output file [Default = A0:LDTIM .COM] : [RET]
• LDTIM
• B3:PUTDS -d=a
  Run PUTDS on every disk you wish to initialize for datestamping, changing "a" to the appropriate drive letter.

V. Install Backgrounder ii

NOTE: My copy of BGii v1.34 was missing LOADBG.COM. I have substituted LOADBG.COM from v1.30, which Steven Hirsch was gracious enough to send me, and so far it seems to work with v1.34, though it hasn't been extensively tested. If there's any instability, go with BGii 1.30.

NOTE 2: B6: contains copies of SETBG.COM and LOADBGZ.COM that have been preconfigured for Kaypro 83/84 terminal type and screen driver, swap file on D:, and ^\ as the BGii SUSPEND key. If these settings are OK for you, simply follow the Quick Install below. If you wish different settings, choose the Manual Install instructions.

Quick Install

COPY B4:BG.REL
COPY B4:*.HLP A15:
COPY B6:SETBG.COM
COPY B6:LOADBGZ.COM
PUTBG -d=D

Note that you will need to rerun this command at every cold boot, since the swap file is on a ramdrive.

LOADBGZ.COM

Manual Install

MLOAD LOADBGZ.COM=B4:LOADBG.COM,B3:BGPATCH.HEX
COPY B4:BG.REL
B4:PUTBG -d=a
LOADBGZ
D0:
COPY B4:SETTERM.COM
COPY B4:LOADBG.COM
COPY B4:SETBG.COM
COPY B4:TERMBASE.DAT
SETTERM

Choose option B. Select Kaypro 84 (option 14). N to review. Y to install into utilities. Install into SETBG.COM and LOADBG.COM from drive D. Q to quit. N to "Another terminal?".

SETBG

Answer Y to continue. For Source just press RETURN. Choose Option 1, 1 again, then 2, then answer Y. For source answer D0:. Then select option 3, 3 again, then answer Y. Answer D0: again, then select option 1, option 0, option 2, then option 4. Type the letter of the drive you wish to set as the location of the BG swap file. Then option 7, type the drive/user location you wish for the help files. Then option 0, 0 again, then 2, then 1. Press <RETURN>. Finally, option 0, then 0 again to exit.

MLOAD LOADBGZ.COM=LOADBG.COM,B3:BGPATCH.HEX
A0:
COPY B4:BG.REL
COPY D0:SETBG.COM
COPY D0:LOADBGZ.COM
COPY B4:*.HLP x#:

For "x#:" substitute the location you chose for the .HLP files.

PUTBG -d=X

where X is the swap drive you chose. If you set it to a ramdrive you will need to rerun this command at every boot.

That's it -- you're done! You now have a fully configured NZCOM Z-System disk with ZS-DOS-style datestamping and Backgrounder ii. You'll have hours of fun exploring your system, so hop to it!