!Teletext Teletext+ patch

 

!Teletext v1.57 and later use the Teletext+ module (with permission) so the patch software is no longer required. It is left as an interesting little exercise in module pokage. :-)

Why might you need this?

The Teletext+ patch basically 'hacks' the Octopus Systems Teletext+ module to work with my Teletext software.

If you have a standard teletext receiver, ie: the cream/brown 'metal box', then you do not need to do this as the supplied driver module will work.

However, if you have a RiscTV podule with the teletext upgrade, then you should be able to get my software working with it by 'borrowing' the Octopus Systems Teletext+ driver module.

 

Installing the patch

Open the file !Teletext.!Run, within my Teletext application.
Nine lines down, you will see: 
|%WimpSlot -min 64k -max 64k
|%Run <Teletext$Dir>.TTX+patch
Simply 'uncomment' these lines (remove the '|' character from the start) and save the file.

Before you run my Teletext application, you must ensure that both !Teletext+ and !RiscTV have been 'seen'. Open the directories containing these applications, if they have not already been 'booted'.

Then, simply run my Teletext application as normal.

 

What TTX+patch actually does

  1. If not already loaded, the Teletext+ module is loaded.
  2. The Teletext+ module is extracted from the module area.
  3. The SWI chunk is altered. Teletext+ uses a different SWI chunk to the older Teletext module, even though the SWIs provided are the same (for the most part).
  4. The module is renamed 'Teletext', and given version number 2.99 RM with today's date. This is to distinguish it from any other version (such as that supplied within my Teletext application).
  5. The modified Teletext (RM) module is pushed back into the module area.
  6. If RiscTV is present, the module is instructed to use the RiscTV interface, else it remains with the 'older hardware' interface.
The TTX+patch program is supplied in source form, with comments.

The modified Teletext+ module, which becomes Teletext (RM) 2.99, is never saved to disc. It is simply extracted, patched, and reloaded.
You can, if you wish, RMSave the module inside my Teletext application, and remove the 'TTX+patch' call, if you would like to use RiscTV, but don't fancy booting the Teletext+ software just to do so.
NEVER attempt to save the patched module back into Teletext+. It will not work.

Important:

Please note that this is a 'theoretical' patch. I do not have Teletext+, nor do I have RiscTV (shame!). I have been informed that it does work, but I've not tested it myself.

One thing to be aware of, though, is apparently the Octopus Teletext+ software can 'talk' to the RiscTV software, so both are aware of things like who is changing channels, and when. My software does not do this. If somebody would like to tell me how it can, I'll be happy to implement it.

Copyright issues

The addition of my initials 'RM' to the Teletext+ version string should be seen as NOTHING other than a marker that 'this is a hacked version for use with my software'. Any other interpretation is nothing more than incorrect opinion.
I do not know Paul Skirrow's licence conditions. He may have said that it is not permissable to modify the driver module supplied with his software. Whether you do so or not is between him and your conscience.
No decompiling occured for this patch to be written. It simply reads the standard module offsets, and writes new information into those locations.
Return to !Teletext index
Copyright © 2003 Richard Murray