ScuzzBlog: Diaries July 2017
Entry 31st July 2017: Post: 1
My Goodness
Someone actually asked me a question on Amiga Org about setting up their
5.25" drive....
My response ..... [ If this doesn't look right when I mail it then
blame it on Amiga Org formatting. ]
To read a PC disk the first thing you need is the CrossDOSFileSystem in
your l [ L ] drawer. This is kinda chicken and egg depending on the way
you currently get PC stuff off the web onto your computer. CrossDOS I
assume is available from Aminet. The File System came free with loads of
Amiga cover disks. Thing is you can activate the normal DF0 so that it
can read DD disks and if you have an old PC with a floppy you can format
them so they are the lower 880kb size and not the 1.4MB size drive.
Older PCs had two options to format floppies. They can format HD disks
so they are the lower capacity suitable for the Amiga.
In the Storage drawer on your Amiga there is a PC0 tool which has an
associated info file. Most Amiga files come in two parts. The icon that
you see is the info file. Without it the tool is not visible on the
Workbench normally. The info file or project is the one that has the
Unit Number that activates the drive 1 or Unit=1 that I spoke of. As
PC0: it is currently set to Unit=0. You can check this by simply
highlighting the PC0: from the open drawer in Storage and from the Amiga
menu simply click info and you will see an icon (project) window open.
I am not sure how much you know but a simple text editor can open all
files on your computer. So with a text editor you can open the PC0 in
your Storage DOSDrivers and edit the mount file as I gave you and save
it to your DEVS:DOSDrivers drawer as renamed PC1:
Like I say the tool activates the CrossDOSFileSystem in your L drawer
and you need to get a copy in that drawer some how. The great thing is
that once you have CrossDOS you can insert an 880KB formatted disk from
any PC and it will read what is on there.
A good text editor is CED [ CygnusEd ] but there are many. I also use
DOPus IV which came free with CUAmiga disk 100. I'm pretty sure you can
download the disk from somewhere. DOPus is a file manager. Most cover
disks are on the web and they can be downloaded as ADF files. With an
ADF file transferred to your computer you can use a tool like ADFBlitzer
to create Amiga floppy disks. I guess you know that though. Having cover
disks with CrossDOS , SysInfo, SnoopDOS, CED, DOpus are very useful when
setting up your Amiga.
The info file is easy to edit. Simply highlight the file in your
DEVS:DOSDrivers drawer and then from the Amiga menu simply click info
and like magic you will see the icon info box and you can edit the Unit
number in there and save. If the icon is not there for some reason copy
across the one from your STORAGE: DOSDrivers PC0 and rename it. As I
say I use DOpus for all this.
If you make sure you keep a copy of everything before you start messing
about it shoudn't be a problem. Probably better to simply copy the PC0
to your DEVS: DOSDrivers first cus it will then bring with it the Info file.
Info files are great because they also carry the image which makes them
great for editing and copying so you can make all your own icons. I use
a tool called IconCopy but then I am OS3.0 and 3.1 for the most part and
use old icons.
Remember cover disks are a great source of information and tools and
they are littered all over the internet. You may already have a Text
Editor and know how to use it so sorry if I'm telling you how to suck
eggs. OS3.9 comes with a text editor.
That's a start anyway. Have a play. Setting up the system with CrossDOS
is your first task. Don't forget to leave a PC0: in the Devs:DOSdrivers
drawer or your DF0: wont read PC disks . The rear drive port is DF1: and
relates to PC1: So when your done you should have a PC1: and PC0: in the
Devs:DOSDrivers drawer.
These will automatically be mounted when you boot your machine. If you
don't want that to happen simply put them in another drawer of your
making and then click them to activate them when you want to read PC
disks. If you click the icon after its been mounted the computer simply
advises that the drive is already mounted.
By the way.. 8 and 3 ... eight and three .. there are ways to get around
PC file names but if you work in DOS mode it probably is going to help
you with your 5.25" drive when its working. DOS file names 8 and 3
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/8.3_filename
It's why all my web pages are saved as HTM and not HTML. Files on your
PC disk will be modified when read by the Amiga. Trouble is the same
file name like AmigaWorkbench disk 1 and AmigaWorkbench disk 2 will
probably look like Amig~01 and Amig~02 and so making them difficult to
work out what they are. Depends on your OS. But be mindful of the issues
between PC disks and Amiga file names. CDs are easier to read and ZIPS
OK when set up using the FAT system. But that's another story.
Better go. Have fun.
...... Too much. Probably. Bloody 3 in the morning again and I still
have two Amigas running here. Maybe three. Time to power down.
scuzz
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