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LocoScript Question

Started by ComSoft6128, 14:23, 24 November 17

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ComSoft6128

Does anyone know the size of the main LocoScript file on disc?


Cheers,


Peter

tjohnson

which version and what is the file called?

ComSoft6128

Thanks for the reply.


I don't have access to the disc at the moment but it would be the main program file for LocoScript V1 only.


Cheers,


Peter

GeoffB17

#3
Yes, the structure of LocoScript is quite unlike the alternative CP/M system.

There is a *.EMS file, like CP/M, which might be considered the 'main' file, and the various different versions will have slightly different sizes for this file, generally, getting larger as the system develops.

However, there are a number of 'main', but subsidiary, files, like MATRIX, and others, esp as we get into things like LOCOMAIL, LOCOSPELL and LOCOFILE.   How you might count these, I'm not sure.

I would say that the .EMS (or later .EMT ?) would be the 'main' file, as this is the one that loads first, but like the JxxCPM3 file for CP/M, the size will vary through the various different versions.

Oh, what do you mean by Locoscript V1?   Are you referring to version 1.? (there were various changes to version 1) or are you referring to version V as in 5, which may have been a VERY late (PC only ?) version?

Geoff

ComSoft6128

Geoff,
Thank you for your detailed reply.
I am referring to the 1st version of LocoScript that came with the PCW8256 back in 85. So yes it would be the EMS file.


Cheers,


Peter

GeoffB17

Aha...

Right, I've checked a disk for the VERY early LocoScript 1.1, which will be going back to the original (I think the VERY first version I had was something like 1.05, but that got an early upgrade, or rather 'fix').

The .EMS file on that disk is J11LOCO.EMS, and it's 43k (on a 170k disk, it would show as 44k on a 720k disk).

Later on, under version 2 (i.e. J216LOCO.EMS) the size of the .EMS reduced slightly, to 41k, but there were far more *.JOY add-on modules.

Geoff

ComSoft6128

Thanks Geoff,


I have recently found the LocoScript disc + a disc of CPM software. Most of the CPM software is only a few K in size (utilities etc) and that made me wonder about how large a full program would be in comparison.
Back in the late eighties/early nineties I used MEX and I think that was quite small.
I will have a look at these this Sunday.


Regards,


Peter



GeoffB17

Yes, most of the CP/M utilities are fairly small.

BUT, the LocoScript file is a total boot/system , that provides a complete OS replacement, everything.   You have to re-boot the system to swap back and forth between Loco and CP/M!   The MEX prog you mentioned was prob a CP/M prog, so it would be a LOT smaller.

Just for the record, I think that the first version of Loco I had was 1.04, not 1.05.   I got my PCW back in late 1985, within a day or two of the machine being available.   But it became clear that there was a 'bug' in my version of Loco, I wrote to Amstrad about it, and I fairly quickly got an ugrade to the system, which got me 1.2 I think of Locoscript.   There may have been another version inbetween??

Anyway, the new one had the problem fixed.   Wasn't anything too serious.  If I tried to save the doc when I was right at the bottom of the page, but nothing on the next page, then the system locked up.

However, when I started using the Joyce emulator, at which time my PCW was not working due to failed disk drive, I found some boot disk images and the version of Loco on them was I think 1.1

Best of luck with yours.

Geoff

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