cpmtools (MacOS)

TynH · 17:13, 06 July 23

Bit confused here: I've just tried cpmtools for the first time and don't seem to get along with it. Every PCW disk image which isn't empty just reads as gibberish:

Working with other CP/M images appears to work but if I specify -f AMSTRAD cpmtools complains: "Amstrad superblock not present" whereas -f PCW just results in "unknown format".
Any ideas?

GeoffB17 · 20:30, 06 July 23

What were you trying to do?

What sort of image was it.

The data in an image file is normally binary, if you try to display it as ascii then, yes, you will get garbage!

a .DSK image has text at the start of the file, this does not? If the image is a GoTek image, they can be HFE files and they could be different. If you attach the image you were trying to read, that might give some clues.

As far as the images are concerned, 'AMSTRAD' could be for a CPC, but there are different types of PCW images.

Lots more info would be a help.

Geoff

TynH · 22:19, 06 July 23

I was mainly trying to transfer software from PCW dsk images to new images for another machine (Agon Light 2).
The one posted above is actually Protext (A Side) as downloaded from CPC Power. The ones I use on my Gotek drive are very much the same though.
If I run cpmtools on one of my newly created cpm images however I can clearly see all the files within:

cpmls cpmc.dsk
0:
address.mss
advintro
affixtab.spl
cpm.lrn
dictnary.spl
editme1.mss
editme2.mss
editme3.mss
filer.mss
lawdict.spl
lesson0
lesson1
lesson2
lesson3
lesson4
lesson5
lesson6
meddict.spl
menu.com
pf.com
read.me

GeoffB17 · 22:42, 06 July 23

That listing seems OK.

The reference to PCW raises the question, which PCW format? There's the A: drive (SSSD) 40 track, and the B: disk which is DSDD. Within cpmtools may all have different names - I use the 22DISK system and all these different formats have different names and if you use the wrong format then trying to access the disk doesn't work.

Sounds like you're NOT using the HFE image type?

If the Protext system was from a CPC-Power mag then this may be a CPC image, not a PCW one. The REAL PCW can read a REAL CPC disk OK and I think that the Joyce PCW emulator can read a CPC image, but this may not be the same for other variations?

Oh, I've got a copy of Protext on a PCW disk, don't know which version. Not heard of an Argon Light 2, don't know if 22DISK knows about it?

Geoff

JohnElliott · 23:06, 06 July 23

Did you compile cpmtools with libdsk support? If not it won't be able to look inside a .DSK file.

TynH · 23:21, 06 July 23

Quote from: JohnElliott on 23:06, 06 July 23Did you compile cpmtools with libdsk support? If not it won't be able to look inside a .DSK file.

That's a very good question, got it from Mac Ports: https://ports.macports.org/port/cpmtools/details/

The Protext image is specifically for the PCW so not the CPC version, also tried images I did myself which are always for the A drive. Not even sure if the Gotek emulator supports DD format B drive specs (even though I should know since I installed a B-Drive Gotek as well). What puzzles me is, why cpmtools is perfectly capable of reading other .dsk images, just not the PCW ones.
In the past I used a tool on for RISC OS which handled everything as transparent filer operations, i.e. you simply drag and drop whatever content you want to or from the disk image which opens just like a regular folder. Far superior to cpmtools I'm afraid!

edit: oh and I posted about the same problem a while ago
https://www.cpcwiki.eu/forum/nc100-nc200-pcw-pda600/file-transfer/

Well CPMFS certainly worked great but I haven't got a RISC OS machine set up here and I'd generally prefer moving to a more modern solution that doesn't depend on 30year old unsupported software written for an obscure operating system. Even if it did everything better... *sigh*.

GeoffB17 · 23:29, 06 July 23

Looked up about Argon Light 2. No mention of it supporting CP/M. If you can get ProText over (onto the micro SD card ?) what will you do with it there? How will it run there?

No problem to get the files over, but the ProText .COM is a CP/M prog which will need access to a CP/M system via the correct interface (BDOS calls) to operate.

Geoff

TynH · 23:40, 06 July 23

Nah it runs CP/M 2.2 already:

Still a bit buggy though but looking very promising indeed.
Regarding Protext I'm however unsure to which extent it's tailored to the PCW specifically. I don't think you can easily modify it for other CP/M systems.

SkulleateR · 23:43, 06 July 23

Quote from: GeoffB17 on 23:29, 06 July 23Looked up about Argon Light 2. No mention of it supporting CP/M. If you can get ProText over (onto the micro SD card ?) what will you do with it there? How will it run there?

No problem to get the files over, but the ProText .COM is a CP/M prog which will need access to a CP/M system via the correct interface (BDOS calls) to operate.

Geoff

https://github.com/nihirash/Agon-CPM2.2

GeoffB17 · 23:56, 06 July 23

So, seems it does support CP/M 2.2 - but not 3? Built into the MOS

I don't think ProText uses much more than standard CP/M, either re CP/M or the PCW.

BUT, it may well need the 90 col screen, and it uses a two part screen for the document on the top, and the command section under so may well need the 32 lines?

You could always try WordStar, which is a totally generic CP/M system with a full install process, so you can config just about anything?

I could send you the files in a zip so you can copy onto the SD card and try PT. and/or WS as well?

Geoff

TynH · 00:15, 07 July 23

90 columns could be a problem, so far it's looking more like 80. 32 Lines however isn't an issue, haven't figured it out yet but it's somewhere around 50 lines.
I did play around with WordStar but it's not a great experience and some keys don't work either, including some command combinations, even though every key seems to work just fine using the rather minimalistic "te".
Nano works fine as well but that runs from MOS, not CP/M which btw isn't part of the operating system rather something you can load later. Most activity is directed towards BBC BASIC and probably games in the future (not sure about that) but the Agon would make a fine cp/m machine I think. Since DR "open sourced" their old war horse there has been some renewed interest including modern recreations:
https://forum.vcfed.org/index.php?threads%2Fintroducing-lokios-a-new-version-of-cp-m-written-from-scratch-compatible-with-cp-m2-2-programs.1242138%2F

So who knows?

GeoffB17 · 00:25, 07 July 23

Done another quick check re PT. There is a full CONFIG program, with options re editing, printing, the spell checker and various general things, so maybe you can modify all the important things. Reference to making a specifically PCW version, or one for the CPC6128 (which would need a normal (80x24) screen size). So prob no major problem. I've got PT v 2.23 by the way.

Geoff

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