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  • CBM users groups in he San Jose area? and old CBM disk backup issues.

    From sdn45478@gmail.com@3:770/3 to All on Sunday, November 18, 2018 10:38:11
    Are there any CBM users groups in the San Jose area?
    I used to be a librarian for the 20/64 group and then for 64 More.
    I managed to collect a lot of CBM stuff and write a lot too.
    My old 80's 1541 disks are forgetting their content and I would like to
    find an easy way to save what's left. Unfortunately, I didn't document
    my projects well and have versions all over the place. So far I have
    used SC and a cable on a PC with 1541 to get what I could but wonder if there is software for a PC using DOS that will read a CBM disk on an IBM
    drive and extract files enmass
    directly. I have a dual CBM drive which looks like it uses IBM disk
    drives, so I wonder if the reverse might be true. I would like to
    go over my CBM source with DOS IBM tools to
    expedite the whole process (not to mention slow I.O. for a 1451 or
    1581 drive). I still have my C128 to test things on via serial cable.
    I imagine there are better ways to do this and software I havn't discovered. Any help would be appreciated. I wrote a gizmo that gives 50 lines x 80 columns on the C-128 and some other things that may be useful to others and
    would end up putting them on my website (eventually) www.ml1compiler.org
    Steve

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    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@3:770/3 to sdn45478@gmail.com on Sunday, November 18, 2018 20:43:35
    sdn45478@gmail.com wrote:
    Are there any CBM users groups in the San Jose area?
    I used to be a librarian for the 20/64 group and then for 64 More.
    I managed to collect a lot of CBM stuff and write a lot too.
    My old 80's 1541 disks are forgetting their content and I would like to
    find an easy way to save what's left. Unfortunately, I didn't document
    my projects well and have versions all over the place. So far I have
    used SC and a cable on a PC with 1541 to get what I could but wonder if there is software for a PC using DOS that will read a CBM disk on an IBM
    drive and extract files enmass
    directly. I have a dual CBM drive which looks like it uses IBM disk
    drives, so I wonder if the reverse might be true.

    The drives themselves used with PCs can read CBM format disks,
    however the drive controller chips in PCs can't be set to read
    them. The solution is to use a special programmable drive
    controller device that connects to the drive instead.

    Currently there is the Kyroflux ( https://www.kyroflux.org/ ),
    and before that there was the Catweasel
    ( http://wiki.icomp.de/wiki/Catweasel ). There might be others
    as well. I'm not sure whether they offer a significant speed
    advantage over Star Commander though.

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    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From rbernardo@iglou.com@3:770/3 to sdn4...@gmail.com on Monday, November 19, 2018 22:13:10
    On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 1:38:13 PM UTC-5, sdn4...@gmail.com wrote:

    Are there any CBM users groups in the San Jose area?

    Yes, there is The Other Group of Amigoids. It is an Amiga user group, but
    it also has a strong interest in 8-bit Commodores. The group has monthly meetings in San Jose. See http://togausergroup.org

    Going to the December meeting,
    Robert Bernardo
    Fresno Commodore User Group - http://www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
    Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - http://www.portcommodore.com/sccan

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From sdn45478@gmail.com@3:770/3 to sdn4...@gmail.com on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 10:44:42
    On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 10:38:13 AM UTC-8, sdn4...@gmail.com wrote:
    Are there any CBM users groups in the San Jose area?

    Hi Kev,
    Thanks, I was looking for an IBM software only solution.
    I know that getting a drive and software to simulate a 6502 is a bit
    of a problem. The 1571 will read and write IBM disks as-is and the
    1581 controller is a standard WD controller. All I want to do is read
    and write, no fancy 6052 stuff. Just guessing that if possible then
    by now it might be out there somewhere.
    Steve

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@3:770/3 to sdn45478@gmail.com on Wednesday, November 21, 2018 21:54:39
    sdn45478@gmail.com wrote:
    On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 10:38:13 AM UTC-8, sdn4...@gmail.com wrote:
    Are there any CBM users groups in the San Jose area?

    Hi Kev,
    Thanks, I was looking for an IBM software only solution.
    I know that getting a drive and software to simulate a 6502 is a bit
    of a problem. The 1571 will read and write IBM disks as-is and the
    1581 controller is a standard WD controller. All I want to do is read
    and write, no fancy 6052 stuff. Just guessing that if possible then
    by now it might be out there somewhere.

    The problem is the drive controller chip on the PC motherboard,
    not on the drive. Without using alternative hardware to
    replace that, I don't think it's possible.

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    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From sdn45478@gmail.com@3:770/3 to All on Saturday, November 24, 2018 12:28:01
    On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 10:38:13 AM UTC-8, sdn4...@gmail.com wrote:
    Hi Kev,
    One test would be to use Linux DD (which copies entire file systems)
    to read (maybe) a 1541 disk in a Linux machine. If the result is a valid
    *.D64 file then that would be proof that an IBM can directly read a
    1541 disk. (Whish I didn't recycle so many old PC's). I may be able to
    set a test up with my leftover PC stuff.
    Steve

    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)
  • From Computer Nerd Kev@3:770/3 to sdn45478@gmail.com on Saturday, November 24, 2018 21:10:13
    sdn45478@gmail.com wrote:
    On Sunday, November 18, 2018 at 10:38:13 AM UTC-8, sdn4...@gmail.com wrote: Hi Kev,
    One test would be to use Linux DD (which copies entire file systems)
    to read (maybe) a 1541 disk in a Linux machine. If the result is a valid *.D64 file then that would be proof that an IBM can directly read a
    1541 disk. (Whish I didn't recycle so many old PC's). I may be able to
    set a test up with my leftover PC stuff.

    You can try it, but I don't think it will work. The PC controller will
    use a different method to read the data from the disk, so the data you
    get will be corrupted. It will be reading in the wrong positions, and
    maybe also at the wrong speed.

    Here's an old page describing various approaches to PC - CBM floppy
    transfers: http://www.zimmers.net/anonftp/pub/cbm/crossplatform/transfer/transfer.html#phys-disk

    --
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    --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
    * Origin: Agency HUB, Dunedin - New Zealand | Fido<>Usenet Gateway (3:770/3)