[Request] Writable Rom

Yes, rom is read-only memory, but in the real world you would actually be able to reset the rom if you had physical access. I'd like to be able to edit the rom on a per-computer basis. I'm specifically interested in editing things like "rom\programs\shell" so that I can stop a particular computer from loading from disk, or do some other customization.

Although all computers boot from the same ROM, you can modify "bios.lua" inside the ROM-folder from outside of minecraft to do certain tasks differently for different computerIDs or computerLabels. Not really a per-computer basis, but at least it's a solution that works right now. :P/>/>
Also see this thread, where I talk about some ideas of Bios modifications for something similar: http://www.computercraft.info/forums2/index.php?/topic/103-stop-disk-booting

the thing is, I'd like a built-in way, so you could do it on a server

You could modify the bios in such a way that it looks for a special file on every computer's user root directory.
And if it finds such a file it will read in settings from this file which tell the bios what to allow for this computer and what not to allow.
This way any user could e.g. setup this file with something like "diskboot = disabled", store it on their computer and from then on their computer coudln't be booted from disk anymore.

So as long as you're able, willing and have the time to program it, then it's totally possible to do this with ComputerCraft as it is right now.
You could try to convince Dan to make ROMs modifiable on a per-computer basis. But that would somehow render its name obsolete.
I'm not trying to rain on your parade, I just don't think he'll do that, since the ROM in ComputerCraft is supposed to be ROM in its strict sense, e.g. mask ROM.

I think he's making a very good point, because in SMP, you rarely have access to the server to switch ROMs, and there's more than one person to use it as well.

On each computer just create a folder in the root for your programs, simple
edit the startup file to create an alias for each program in there.

But you'll still have CraftOS and all the apis. I'm making mine that way, but a writable ROM would be very helpful.

insted of a writable rom, for the future you may think about setting up a configureable rom, something that will set the rom in place once the computer has been configured and from that point on you will be unable to edit the rom. also a computers bios can be edited to prevent booting from a drive.