Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 column text program to a Videx Videoterm 80 column card (under ProDOS)?

6 posts / 0 new
Last post
Offline
Last seen: 8 years 2 months ago
Joined: Jun 15 2014 - 12:48
Posts: 305
Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 column text program to a Videx Videoterm 80 column card (under ProDOS)?

Hello. Out of curiosity is there a (general) way to redirect the text output of a program that assumes is running on a //e computer with 80 column card in AUX slot to a Videx Videoterm 80 column card on a ][+ machine? I tried the Apple SCSI card partitioning utility that outputs 80 column text for its console output but on a ][+ machine only odd or even columns of text are seen (probably because the program is blindly writing directly to //e text pages in AUX ram too...). The SCSI card itself is running fine on a ][(plus) computer. Is there a general way to hook "BIOS" screen subroutines on a //e and redirect them to videoterm card? What is the method of AppleWorks patching in order to redirect output to videoterm card? Can it be generalized somehow? Thanks.

gsmcten's picture
Offline
Last seen: 5 years 8 months ago
Joined: Oct 4 2005 - 18:52
Posts: 2629
Re: Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 ...

Georgel,

I just want to make sure I'm understanding what you want to do basically:

1. You want to run the 80 column text video output from a IIe through to the video output of a II Plus so it will also show 80 column text
2. You want to do this utilizing a Videoterm 80 column card located in the II Plus.

Question: The Videoterm 80 column card in the II Plus is not working?

Steven Smile

Offline
Last seen: 8 years 2 months ago
Joined: Jun 15 2014 - 12:48
Posts: 305
Re: Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 ...

NO, NO.I want to run a software that has only 80 cols text screen output and intended to run on //e on a ][+ with videoterm 80 columns card. The videoterm card is working but cannot "capture" the output of this particular software. I am not sure if the ROM version of videoterm is important in this case and I even don't know what the ROM version of my videoterm card is? Like AppleWorks is made to run with this Videx card by patching, or?..

Offline
Last seen: 8 years 2 months ago
Joined: Jun 15 2014 - 12:48
Posts: 305
Re: Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 ...

A little reversing showed that apple deliberately did their best to make their scsi card partitioning utility not to work on ][ and ][+ despite the scsi card itself works in these apples and there was nothing useful and new in //e's that this simple piece of software could have made use of. I am glad I am not buying anything contemporary from apple these days. Their marketing policy now is even worse...

Dog Cow's picture
Offline
Last seen: 4 years 10 months ago
Joined: Dec 11 2008 - 16:26
Posts: 554
Re: Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 ...

80-column boards for the original II and the II Plus work differently from those on the IIe Aux slot, so I'd say you'd probably have to patch your program to get it to work on those other systems.

Offline
Last seen: 8 years 2 months ago
Joined: Jun 15 2014 - 12:48
Posts: 305
Re: Is there a way to redirect console output of an 80 ...

I know they are different Wink In hardware. But not in ROM routines API. In fact by using regular apple's own COUT routine the stupid apple's partitioning utility could have been made available to both 80 column systems without a problem. But apple had chosen to get rid of the competition by using deliberately an incompatible programming technique in this case Wink And not only because of things like this many of us switched to PCs once upon a time Wink For good Wink

Log in or register to post comments