X-MASS, a mass-storage expansion for all CPC.

[angelcaio]

.

[Audronic]

I have got Parados working with the following Placements:-


Parados        in #5.
AcmeDos      in #4
Roman          in #3
Protext          in #2
FW316 exp   in #1

Parados    |Drive      now works.

Ps :-  |CP interacts with Protext ?
         Protext now in #6

Ray

[TotO]

Sure, ACMEDOS must be placed under AMSDOS or PARADOS to properly work.

[netmercer]

Hi Audronic,
place AMSDOS in#7
ParaDOS in #6
ACMEDOS in #5
This  configuration works fine.

Place PROTEXT below (#4 - #1), then |CP should work for Protext.
|CP for ACMEDOS isn't yet implemented, like Syx already said.

Kind regards
netmercer

[Joseman]

I thought that ACMEdos will work with a SF2 but...

Here are the results of using ACMEdos with a SF2 and a 4gb fat32 hardisk

any idea?

[netmercer]

Hi Joseman,
did you format your drive with the command |FORMAT of ACMEDOS?
Partitioning of harddisks is not supported by ACMEDOS.

Kind regards
netmercer

[Audronic]

Place PROTEXT below (#4 - #1), then |CP should work for Protext.
|CP for ACMEDOS isn't yet implemented, like Syx already said.

Kind regards
netmercer

Thanks for the reassignment info
My point was that |CP Clashes with other existing Firmware, and perhaps that is worth considering.


Ray

[HAL6128]

I thought that ACMEdos will work with a SF2 but...

Here are the results of using ACMEdos with a SF2 and a 4gb fat32 hardisk

any idea?

ACMEDOS is only for FAT16 filesystems.

It's the FAT table printed by the |Dir command. (... the start of a FAT16 Root Directory is differently calculated to FAT32)

You can format your CF card with the internal FORMAT command, if you want to use it with ACMEDOS.

[HAL6128]

OK... SO I think my actual DOM is dead - A bit annoying since I have never actually used it sone I got it back. Windows does not recognise it at all (Well it finds the vendor but no drive information) when connected on a USB -> IDE adaptor my other 128mb DOM is recognised, but this is a 90 degree model that won't fit on the x-mass.


On the CPC I can create folders on the DOM and navigate around them, but I am unable to copy files into those folders either using |cph from a floppy disc or directly from the Minibooster with |GF


I guess the DOM is pooched, unless anyone else has any other ideas.


Craig

The DOM won't be recognized by Windows (better: it is recognized, but not mounted). It works (will be mounted) pretty good with a Linux system. I have only tested it with a native Linux, I don't know if it works when Linux is installed inside a virtual environment like VirtualBox.

[angelcaio]

For my CPC464 with x-mem  and fw3.15, with parados and amsdos switching  in my ddi-1 clone.
Acmedos ,first in Rom  2 and then in  rom 4:

The four options:

ACMEDOS.        PARADOS.        AMSDOS
-------------------------------------------
     ROM 2.                   -                   ROM 7
     ROM 2.               ROM 7.                  -
     ROM 4.                   -                   ROM 7
     ROM 4.               ROM 7.                  -

And the result is always the same:
|C returns ready
CAT return bad command, but The  led of the x-mass  flashes slightly
|DIR freezes  the CPC and must be turn off

But it works ok with Symbos



Enviado desde mi iPad utilizando Tapatalk

[TotO]

X-MASS is a reliable 128MB SLC flash drive acting as mass storage for all CPC. It require to be formated from the CPC.
ACMEDOS is a ROM designed to be AMSDOS friendly and access X-MASS from BASIC.

As SyX explain, he don't have the time to do "more"... So actually:
- Don't expect to see something working if you are not using the stock X-MASS.
- Don't expect to use an other board with this ACMEDOS version.

Thank you for understanding. 

[arnoldemu]

I tried saving a basic and a binary file without giving extension.

Normally with AMSDOS the extension is detected and used, but it seems not with ACMEDOS?

[TotO]

|C returns ready
CAT return bad command, but The  led of the x-mass  flashes slightly
|DIR freezes the CPC and must be turn off

|C access the RAM Drive, not the X-MASS.
Please, use |D or |HD instead.

By the way, the RAM Drive must be disabled with this version.

[TotO]

I tried saving a basic and a binary file without giving extension.
Normally with AMSDOS the extension is detected and used, but it seems not with ACMEDOS?

I'm not sure that is actually supported/mapped properly. Please, SyX?

[HAL6128]

Saving with an auto-extension (like *.bas) is not supported yet, but loading (first *.bas then *.bin).
You have to add the extension manually when saving.

[SyX]

Well, remember the time differences between Brazil and Europe, i just wake up and it looks Hell's broken xDDD

When, time to answer!
@arnoldemu: Happy Birthday lucky guy!!!

@CraigsBar
Remember Craig that you found this bug in the Ram Disc rom and we fixed... and i fixed too for this rom too.

I have tested without problems these two configurations:
* AcmeDOS (5), Parados (6), Amsdos (7)
* AcmeDOS (6), Parados (7)

If Parados uses a lower rom number than AcmeDOS then it doesn't work, because this is a chain of patches; when AcmeDOS receives a |DRIVE without parameters, it will return to the rom that sent that for this rom can handle this; but only Parados can handle this, Amsdos doesn't know and it will be impossible to reach Parados.

With respect to the Symbiface support, i don't have one and because that i can not test in it and my priority is supporting the people that got a X-Mass board, after that, sure i can add support for the Symbi... but not before an 1.0 release, the one that it will include the sources.

OK, i am going to send this answer and go to the next

PS: Ah, very important thing, i am not asking for a Symbi, nobody should think that, neither send me one, because the "lovely" brazilian postal service only took 6 months in bringing my X-Mass prototype and i living now in the second most salinity place in the world, only behind the Dead Sea and my CPCs and old my electronic equipment has been beaten hard by this.   

[HAL6128]

X-MASS is a reliable 128MB SLC flash drive acting as mass storage for all CPC. It require to be formated from the CPC.
ACMEDOS is a ROM designed to be AMSDOS friendly and access X-MASS from BASIC.

As SyX explain, he don't have the time to do "more"... So actually:
- Don't expect to see something working if you are not using the stock X-MASS.
- Don't expect to use an other board with this ACMEDOS version.

Thank you for understanding. 

The X-Mass works very reliable. Otherwise your hardware might be defect, like in my case (expansion port trouble shooting). Thanks I have a second CPC where it works perfect. Or the software you are loading disturbs the built-in firmware rules/boundaries?

The X-Mass is very, very fast. Almost all the games (single files) from CNGSoft will be loaded perfect. Even Symbos - the five files from the Raw-Loader-Disc - will be loaded as fast as the ROMs.

ACMEDOS is a beta and has a lot of ToDos which are recognized and developed in future. The release today reliable and huge step where AMSDOS and ACMEDOS are working very good together.

Keep on working with it and having fun!!!

[SyX]

@Audronic

> I need to have Firmware 3.15 or 3.16 fitted?
Ok, you don't need FW3.1x at all, but if you are using it, remember to update to the last version in the github page.

> 1.- Make a folder where you want to put the files (|MD)
The syntax is the typical CPC RSX:
|MD,"name"

At least, you are in a 464, where you need to do something like:
var$="name":|MD,@var$

> If i cannot get past the First step then please UnRelease this version.
Sorry Ray, if you are having bad luck, but it has been working during the beta tests. A important thing is your CPC is working reliable, it has been a few problems with bad contacts in the expansion bus because our machines are getting older, use the usual tips to clean contacts, ...

[SyX]

@Joseman
> thought that ACMEdos will work with a SF2 but...
Why did you think that?

I never said that, mainly because i have not a Symbi. And because the original X-Mass doesn't need the extra complexity, i am not supporting partitions or bigger drives, everything is hardcoded for the original X-MASS and i can not take the extra ram need for those features or the compatibility will go down even more. Remember that it needs to work in machines with 64 KBs.

Changing the rom to support bigger drives, by autodetecting them or patching the rom for that sizes, it's not a problem; the original code does that and everybody has made a FAT filesystem for Z80 machines, as Prodatron, will told you is not a problem at all.

But our problem is the compatibility with Amsdos and when a game crack is not working in the X-Mass, what is the people going to think?

a) Bad bad bad crack is doing bad things as only initialize rom 7 or only using A drive or not saving the drive used to launch the game or putting the decruncher in HI-Ram where the extra AcmeDOS variables live.

b) This is working perfectly in my 464 with disk drive, THIS ACMEDOS IS PURE SHIT!!!

B! It's going to be B, and then if i want to defend my honor, i will have to crack that game for fixing what silly thing is doing that is only working in a 464 with 0 expansions.

Symbi support is possible, sure, the code will be released and somebody can use it for support that. At the end of the day, it's only a layer of patches to amsdos firmware calls (that is practically the same that all those new CPC mass storage projects using an Arduino/Rapsberry Pi are doing) and the layer to handling the filesystem with only a minimal changes for handling FAT16 and FAT32 tht i can select using assembly directives IFs/DEFs, ...

It could be a LOT better, sure... but my free time has been zero and continue being zero (seriously i should be working in my thesis instead of being here), this project had to be released in X-Mass 2014, not in 2016, when i have been able to release it, surely is too later with all those new alternatives, but this is...

[CraigsBar]

Well, remember the time differences between Brazil and Europe, i just wake up and it looks Hell's broken xDDD

When, time to answer!
@arnoldemu: Happy Birthday lucky guy!!!

@CraigsBar
Remember Craig that you found this bug in the Ram Disc rom and we fixed... and i fixed too for this rom too.

I have tested without problems these two configurations:
* AcmeDOS (5), Parados (6), Amsdos (7)
* AcmeDOS (6), Parados (7)

If Parados uses a lower rom number than AcmeDOS then it doesn't work, because this is a chain of patches; when AcmeDOS receives a |DRIVE without parameters, it will return to the rom that sent that for this rom can handle this; but only Parados can handle this, Amsdos doesn't know and it will be impossible to reach Parados.

With respect to the Symbiface support, i don't have one and because that i can not test in it and my priority is supporting the people that got a X-Mass board, after that, sure i can add support for the Symbi... but not before an 1.0 release, the one that it will include the sources.

OK, i am going to send this answer and go to the next

PS: Ah, very important thing, i am not asking for a Symbi, nobody should think that, neither send me one, because the "lovely" brazilian postal service only took 6 months in bringing my X-Mass prototype and i living now in the second most salinity place in the world, only behind the Dead Sea and my CPCs and old my electronic equipment has been beaten hard by this.

OK, my setup is as follows.

6128+ cart with parados 1.2+ and fw 3.16 so no ram disk.
Basic 1.1

Xmem with acmedos on slot 6, CPM plus in 8 and 9 and fw3.16 ext in slot 1

All other rom slots empty

If you say Acmedos should pass the |drive correctly then I hate to report in my setup this seems incorrect I will redownload Acmedos tonight and try again.

[SyX]

@Audronic
> My point was that |CP Clashes with other existing Firmware, and perhaps that is worth considering.
Which one? Change is easy an painless and i could follow the KDE style and called XP or XCP.

[SyX]

@angelcaio
|C returns ready?!?!?!

The only way of selecting the drive is:
|D
|HD
|DRIVE,"D"
|DRIVE,"HD"

Angel, if you are using FW3.15, upgrade to the 3.16 version in the github, although it does not require FW3.1x at all... although using any firmware except the 464 one has the nice feature that you will skip the excessive use of @ in the parameters.

[angelcaio]

I tried without the ramdisk, with firmware 1.0 (switch 2 of x-mem in cpc  position) and  without parados rom.
At boot, it show the message of the new acme rom.
|hd and |d return ready, but |dir and cat, without parameters, does the same as before... 

[SyX]

@arnoldemu
> I tried saving a basic and a binary file without giving extension.
> Normally with AMSDOS the extension is detected and used, but it seems not with ACMEDOS?
Yes, in AcmeDOS that magic doesn't exist... yet

10 print "Hello!"
save"adele"
It will create a file called ADELE, not ADELE.BAS

And the same with binaries, AcmeDOS will not add the extra .BIN at saving.

Of course, i can put that in the todo list, if you think is important. For me, it wasn't, but i am an strange and difficult guy that loves writing, hehehe.

[SyX]

Thanks for this @Audronic!
> |MD, Test1
This is one fun bug, our brain is wired to do things always in the most usual/easy way and i never would write that line, never; because i always would do the |MD,"Test1
If you do that in the actual version, you will get a new folder and its name is filled with spaces.

Lucky for us, it's an easy fix, and now you will get the lovely error about "        .   " is not a valid name (... ehem file ).

I am uploading a new version to the github (0.6.1B), even if i should wait a few more days, for all the great bugs are going to by found.