CP/M system disks?..... oh, for a format. ;)

[leibnitz27]

Would anyone be able to advise on what mechanism I could use to format a CF2 in my 6128 in the absence of the original systems discs?


( I've been haunting ebay, but they just don't come up that often  )

I have a horrible feeling I'll need to bootstrap something via a wav file -> tape - (hey, if that's what it takes!) , but can't really find what I'm looking for anywhere!


Thanks in advance.......

[Bryce]

Just sent you a PM....

Bryce.

[TFM]

Get a MegaFlash and within a DOS ROM ;-)
Then use !FORMAT,0 for drive A.

[leibnitz27]

Hey, that looks cool - my etching skills aren't up to snuff to follow the instructions (and I don't want to blow up my only 6128!), wonder if Bryce has any in 'stock'.... (wanders off to PM )

[Gryzor]

I'm a bit perplexed, isn't the original question about how to format a disk without CP/M? Didn't I just repost two programs that do the business, a few days ago?

[AMSDOS]

I'm a bit perplexed, isn't the original question about how to format a disk without CP/M? Didn't I just repost two programs that do the business, a few days ago?

CP/M is too good to be just a Formatting Program and there's Type-ins galore which will Format a Disc Faster. 8D

[Bryce]

I'm sending him a set of CPM disks so that he can enjoy ALL the advantages of CPM, not just the format command

Bryce.

[Gryzor]

So there's more? Imagine that... on the other hand, it always seemed to me two disks are way too many for just Diskit!

[Bryce]

So there's more? Imagine that... on the other hand, it always seemed to me two disks are way too many for just Diskit!

CP/M User will be sending you hate mail for that comment

Bryce.

[leibnitz27]

I'm a bit perplexed, isn't the original question about how to format a disk without CP/M? Didn't I just repost two programs that do the business, a few days ago?

Hey The only one I found was this... which I guess isn't what you mean?

Programming:A simple disc formatter using BDOS functions - CPCWiki

I'm still bootstrapping my way up the technology curve, and haven't got an assembler yet.... *G* (or a SD reader / 3.5" FDD, etc.... slowly slowly!)

Cheers

[Bryce]

No he actually meant this:

DDI-1 new belt installed, but after one succes, always read-fail

Bryce.

[leibnitz27]

No he actually meant this:

DDI-1 new belt installed, but after one succes, always read-fail

Bryce.

Heh - in fairness I could be forgiven for missing that one in my searching   Maybe someone could add it to the handy code snippets in the main cpc-wiki?

(I'm chickening out of editing wiki content until I've lurked more! *G*G*)

[Gryzor]

This would be possible and nice, if we had a "handy code snippets" page

[leibnitz27]

This would be possible and nice, if we had a "handy code snippets" page

hehe - I thought that was what this Source Codes - CPCWiki was!

[TFM]

... and haven't got an assembler yet.... *G* (or a SD reader / 3.5" FDD, etc.... slowly slowly!)

Cheers

Well, in the MegaFlash you will have space for the MAXAM assembler ROM and the PROTEXT Text Editor ROM. 

[AMSDOS]

CP/M User will be sending you hate mail for that comment

Bryce.

Not at all. I'm a bit confused and frustrated with it at the moment too.

[Gryzor]

hehe - I thought that was what this Source Codes - CPCWiki was!

Mmm that one is for code snippets I would think, but I'll add them to the Type-Ins section maybe! Thanks for pointing that out!

Not at all. I'm a bit confused and frustrated with it at the moment too.

You know I'm joking

[AMSDOS]

You know I'm joking

It's okay if you weren't, I'm just frustrated with CP/M 2.2 at the moment.


I don't understand why it's unfriendly as a Single Disc Based operating system, perhaps it because it detects a second disc drive and goes "Ah Ha you have a 2nd Disc Drive, I'm going to hog up drive A:" or something like that.


But CP/M 2.2 is occupying so much memory and has the Screen Memory (&C000 to &FFFF) tied up as BIOS ROM, I don't know how that works, though it explains the problems I had earlier. Not to mention "PAGE 0" which Occupy's "0 to &100", CCP "&9700 to &9F06",BDOS "&9F06 to &AD00",BIOS JUMPBLOCK "&AD00 to &AD33", FIRMWARE AND BIOS VARIABLES "&AD33 to &BE80", BIOS EXTENDED JUMPBLOCK "&BE80 to &BEC0" & the BIOS STACK "&BEC0 to &C000". I'm confused as to why CP/M 2.2 whinges if I don't keep the System Disc in Drive A.  Anyone know?

[TFM]

If your cp/m 2.2 is too small, then use the cp/m 2.2 from Dobbertin. It provides 63 K TPA. (Yes, you need a 128 KB CPC for that).


Oh, and you have to keep the system disc in the drive, because after a program ends, the cp/m will reload the ccp from disc.

[Gryzor]

63K TPA? Wow. Wasn't the original offering 48KB? I thought that was large enough for its day - as a matter of fact one of its selling points, on the CPC...

[TFM]

The regular CP/M 2.2 has around 40 KB TPA IIRC (16 KB is always used for V-RAM and the OS needs some space).
When Dobbertin invented their memory expansion, then they did care about full software support for CP/M 2.2, Plus and AMS-OS. So that's kind a nice system.
However I must admit that there are very few programs, which refuse to run unter the 63 K TPA system (mainly bad written programs).

[Gryzor]

Yes, my 48KB was of course out of the question, meant to say 42-43. Still, from what I remember, a high figure at the time.

[AMSDOS]

Hi Guys,


I'm not familiar with the Dobbertin version of CP/M 2.2, so I'm unsure what extra's are besides the extra TPA it has. The TPA isn't the problem, I'm just a bit puzzled why CP/M has so much memory allocated to it (as I outlined earlier), but fails when it's System disc isn't in the drive. I just don't know how a 464+DD1 Disc Drive copes if you need to load a program from another disc, it's usually at this stage when CP/M gives me the error with the CTRL+C Disc Change.
[/size]
[/size]The other problems I've got is while my routines are more innovative in CP/M, there system specific routines which goes against what CP/M programs are. Consequently the feedback I get is "Does this use GSX?", which makes it an awkward situation given the environment I've been using seems to be orientated towards the System, e.g. Dr. Logo in CP/M 2.2 relies on Firmware.

[MaV]

I just don't know how a 464+DD1 Disc Drive copes if you need to load a program from another disc, it's usually at this stage when CP/M gives me the error with the CTRL+C Disc Change.

There's no easy way to cope with that except to format all discs for CP/M 2.2 usage as system discs, I guess (without the accompanying files.)
To allow for more memory, CP/M 2.2 overwrites the CCP in memory (Command Console Processor) when a program is loaded, since you don't need the CCP as long as you work with the program. The CCP is loaded again from the CP/M tracks after the program is finished. There's probably more reasons ... that's the one I can remember.

CP/M+ had CCP loaded inside the system bank. Whenever it needed CCP, it was copied into program memory. That solved the problem you mentioned.

The other problems I've got is while my routines are more innovative in CP/M, there system specific routines which goes against what CP/M programs are. Consequently the feedback I get is "Does this use GSX?", which makes it an awkward situation given the environment I've been using seems to be orientated towards the System, e.g. Dr. Logo in CP/M 2.2 relies on Firmware.

My guess is, every CP/M system had a couple of files that were specific to the hardware in question. The Amstrad system discs contain a few like the format program and - as you said - Dr. Logo.

BTW, GSX is CP/M+ and CP/M-86 only. Unless someone has ported GSX to CP/M 2.2, there is no way you can do graphics without being system specific.

[Gryzor]

I thought these 'special' programs were essentially drivers?