Most programs that you can purchase for the 2068 when loaded start running and if you try breaking into them they dump, lock up the computer, or will not accept the break command. These programs usually consist of at least three programs in one. The first part consists of a simple loader that tells the computer to load the SCREEN$ and load the machine code program and may have some basic program that intermixes with the machine code program. The first part may be hidden when you break into it by having the BORDER, PAPER, and INK colors all the same. Change the PAPER color if this is so and relist it.
The following procedure works if these three parts are loaded from a simple loader program. Replace the abbreviations below with the file names you find in the loader program.
- MC – machine code program name
- Basic – basic program name
- Screen – screen string program name
- LOAD the program until the SCREEN$ is displayed then BREAK and LIST. This listing will give you the starting address of the machine code (found in the line RAND USR #), the name of the MC, and SCREEN$ programs.
- LOAD the MC program (LOAD “MC” CODE)
- PEEK the MC program, looking for length. This can be done by looking in the MC until you find a long group of 0s (sat 32).
- SAVE “Basic” Line 1
SAVE “Screen” SCREEN$
SAVE “MC”CODE #1, #2
#1 is the starting address from RAND USR
#2 is the length of the machine code routine, determined by subtracting the starting address from the ending address found when you peeked the machine code and found the start of the 0s or by using the top of memory 65535 (ie say start address from RAND USR 42000: 65536-42000=23535, then SAVE “MC” CODE 42000,23535). - After completing the above and VERIFYING each step, press NEW and ENTER. LOAD the program copy you just made and try it out.