Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

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Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?
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Hi All,

I need to find a way to get a file into a .dsk image so that I can use it. The file was extracted from a real 5.25"(Dos 3.3?)many years ago using a IIGS (then copied to Prodos 3.5" disk?) and a couple of other tricks on the way to get it to a modern computer.(this wasn't done by me)

I have tried lots of different ways to get it to work.

I have looked at the data in the file and can see it, but can't work out how to extract or change that data to a recognised format.

I am essentially a n00b.

What are my options?

Thanks
Martin

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

What is the file? Is it a program? (Looks like one.) What OS do you want the destination to be? DOS 3.3? ProDOS? If the program loads and saves files (looks like it does) it will matter.

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

Yes it's a program, and it saves and loads(should have mentioned it) It's for the Roland CMU-800 on Apple ][. It's a different version that is knocking about on the web.

I'm using a IIe. I think it would need to be in Dos 3.3?

Thanks for your help
Martin

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

Ok, I got the file inserted on a DOS 3.3 image and made it look like the 2.03 version that is out there. Yours is version 2.10. Send me a PM, and I'll send you the disk image.

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

Put it in a zip and then attach the zip should work.

Does it load up in an emulator?

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

So here's how I built it. I renamed the file to "CMU.BIN" to fool CiderPress a little bit. I had CiderPress build me a new DOS 3.3 image, and then added the CMU.BIN file to it. That kept the binary data where it should be. Then, I modified the file attributes within CiderPress to set the starting address to $0800 (some inspection of the code indicated that was a likely starting point), and it was ready to go. Booting the disk image and creating a little HELLO program tied all the pieces together.

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

Great work. I was experimenting with CiderPress myself but I was just getting it showing the file type as ???$F2 and then the 10 PRINT CHR$ (4);"BRUN CMU.APL" was as far as I was getting with the disk image created, I would just get a next line prompt on loading(I think).

Thanks for the walk-through, I'll copy and paste that somewhere safe for future reference.

Thanks again
Martin

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

I'm having no luck trying this out myself. I must be making a mistake with the Hello program.
Got to learn somehow. Smile

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

I was experimenting with CiderPress myself but I was just getting it showing the file type as ???$F2

Yep, that's because CiderPress didn't understand it was supposed to treat the file as a binary program, and it does bad things when you change the filetype from F2 to BIN. So starting with BIN as a suffix in the real world and then importing (you might want to tick "Use tags and guess type from extension" as well) will make it all make sense once it gets to where it needs to be. Then, right-click on the file in CiderPress, click Edit Attributes, and change "Aux type (hex)" to 0800 and you're done.

and then the 10 PRINT CHR$ (4);"BRUN CMU.APL" was as far as I was getting with the disk image created, I would just get a next line prompt on loading(I think).

That's because the data wasn't properly aligned (part of the problem during import) and the destination address wasn't properly set (the Aux type).

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

I've got it working now. I loaded up the file into my Eprom programmer software and then saved it as a .bin file proper. Then it automatically loaded as a BIN $06 in CiderPress, then just changed the aux type.

Thanks.
I will test it with the hardware now.

Martin

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

This software has now been tested and works great with the hardware, however I have some related questions that I will post here rather then ask elsewhere.

What we have is basically a music sequencer program that stores note information and plays it back.It plays from A to B OK, but if I try to loop anything ,A to B back to A then to B again ad infinitum there is some sloppy timing when the system goes back to bar one( but I have a workaround for this, and I will think about rectifying this problem when I get a little more understanding of what's going on)

My main desire is to expand the memory so that I can have larger compositions, so, what do I need to learn in order to modify the software so that it can support the extra RAM on an 80 column card(I'm guessing is a common add-on) so that I can have larger compositions?

I suppose I need to look up and learn some Apple IIe memory maps (had a quick google yesterday), and play around with assembly (messing around with Merlin-8 2.48 at the moment, is this a goodie?)

Am I dreaming if I think that a few lines of code defining a new memory range is all I would have to do, or are read/write commands for these extra locations also required (amongst other things)?

Implementing this is obviously a long term plan based on how much my head will start hurting when I try to put new things in there.

Any pointers will be welcome and very much appreciated, even those referencing me being delusional.

Thanks
Martin
EDIT: It seems a good place to start is Chapter 4 of the Apple IIe Technical Reference Manual.

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

OK, so I've settled on LISA 2.5 DISASM/65 because I just happened to stumble across a LISA 2.5 user guide on ebay that has a good deal of information about using the disassembler that I couldn't find anywhere on the web. That will give me something interesting to read over the summer.

While I'm here, I would like to ask about my extended 80 column card. My Apple PAL IIe doesn't start up properly with it installed. I either get lines and squiggles here and there or the whole screen is covered in characters. I have tried different MMU((344-0010-B) silkscreen says MMU 343-0010 on mainboard)) and IOU(344-0022A) combinations (I have 3 of each) but they all seem to have similar problems.

Do I have the wrong revision of 80 column card for my machine, or do I have an IOU problem or some other issue?

My 80 column card is 820-0067B 1981 with the missing resistor array RP1. All RAM chips on the 80 column card (M3764-20RS) test good, (I have -20 speed RAM installed on the mainboard too but Apple branded) and the 74LS374 and 74LS245 on the 80 column card also test good.

My IIe is B 627-0264 (White Silkscreen), Apple Computer 820-0073-B (on PCB). I have even tried a different mainboard. My Disk II card and Roland CMU-800 interface work fine as far as I can tell.

Thanks
Martin

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Re: Put non standard file on a DSK. How to do it?

You can use WinRAR to shrink any file into any size and put the files onto 5.25 disks or images of disks.

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