[Coco] NitrOS-9 V03.02.00 Released

[David]

Gene,

I'll add some suggestions

On Tue, Dec 09, 2003 at 09:52:37PM -0500, Gene Heskett wrote:
> On Tuesday 09 December 2003 21:15, Boisy Pitre wrote:
> >On Dec 9, 2003, at 8:06 PM, Gene Heskett wrote:
> >> That doesn't float either.  Error 214 in trying to write to a disk
> >> that was just os9format'ed.
> >>
> >> --------------------
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9copy -help
> >> Syntax: os9copy {[<opts>]} <srcfile> {[<...>]} <target> {[<opts>]}
> >> Usage:  copy files
> >> Options:
> >>      -b=size    size of copy buffer in bytes or K-bytes
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9copy
> >> ./nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk /dev/fd0
> >> /root/bin/os9copy: error 214 creating
> >> '/dev/fd0/nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk'
> >
> >Gene, you are using the wrong syntax.  It should be:
> >os9 copy ./nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk /dev/fd0,
> >
> >The comma at the end is important.

I'm not sure that this is the correct usage for "os9 copy", is it?  This
would simply copy the .dsk image to a file on the floppy.  If you have a
.dsk image you wish to put onto a "real" floppy, use dd.

However, as Boisy pointed out, the comma is _extremely_ important.  The
documentation is not really explicit to some of us more foggy-headed
individuals - Boisy had to explain it to me.  The comma specifies that
the name preceding it is an image "file", and that it is to be treated
as an OS9 "image".  However, the device (/dev/fd0) can be treated as an
image just as a file.

> Humm, reformatted it, then:

With fdformat first.  I believe Boisy already mentioned this, but
fdformat will lie to you about the geometry, claiming it's 9(?) SPT
regardless of the true geometry.

One caveat for setfdprm.  I guess you are aware of this, but any
parameters set by setfdprm are lost if you remove the floppy.  If you
remove the floppy and replace it, you need to setfdprm again.

> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9copy 
> ./nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk /dev/fd0,
> 
> (thats all one command line above, word wrap you know) returns 
> instantly with no disk access being done and no error message.  
> Again, splitting the os9 and the copy up with a space like you did:
> 
> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9format /dev/fd0

I believe you would need a comma after /dev/fd0 here, too (maybe not)

> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9 copy 
> ./nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk /dev/fd0,
> bash: /root/bin/os9: No such file or directory
> 
> ???????????????

Is this where your os9 command is?

> >> -----------------
> >> So I rewrote them with dd again:
> >> ----------------
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# dd if=nos96309l2v030200_ds40_1.dsk
> >> of=/dev/fd0 663+0 records in
> >> 663+0 records out
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9format /dev/fd0
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# dd if=nos96309l2v030200_ds40_2.dsk
> >> of=/dev/fd0 313+1 records in
> >> 313+1 records out
> >> -------------
> >> and then ran os9dcheck against the second disk. It munched along
> >> for 10 seconds or so and segfaulted:
> >> -------------------------
> >> [root at coyote nos96309]# /root/bin/os9dcheck /dev/fd0
> >> Volume - 'NitrOS-9/6309 Level 2 Disk 2' in file: (null)
> >> $00B4 bytes in allocation map
> >> 1 sector per cluster
> >> $0005A0 total sectors on media
> >> Sector $000002 is start of root directory file descriptor
> >> Segmentation fault
> >
> >Strange.  I suspect dcheck read bogus data and freaked.
> 
> Yup, all zeros in an fd sector.
> 
> [...]
> 
> > you're doing this on a 720K or 1.44MB 3.5" floppy drive?  I haven't
> > had much luck with the 1.44MB on my Linux box making 720K disks
> > that are readable on a CoCo.

I don't think I've had any problems in this respect.  My /d0 on the coco
is a 3.5 and I have made good boot disks on my Linux box.

> One thing I haven't tried yet is to format it on the coco and bring it 
> back up for the copy op.  I'd be using a 5.25" drive but ATM I'm out 
> of drive power connectors in there, only 2 sets of Y cables in there 
> now.  But I did find another Y set in the basement just now.  The 
> drive is good, works just fine on the coco.  ISTR the one time I had 
> it hooked up, I could only format 512 byte sectors.
> 
> But first I'll format it as a 40 track ds dd on the coco and see if 
> this shi, ah chipset can read it.

This should work, although it would be nice to not have to do this.  I
like things to work as they should - and I believe they will when you
get the syntax straight.  It's a little vague at first.