[Coco] OS-9 Pascal P-code Interpreters

[Joel Ewy]

On 08/30/2015 11:15 AM, John W. Linville wrote:
> On Fri, Aug 28, 2015 at 10:27:00PM -0500, Joel Ewy wrote:
>> On 08/24/2015 04:44 PM, John W. Linville wrote:
>>> On Thu, Aug 20, 2015 at 02:49:40PM -0500, Joel Ewy wrote:
>>>> Hey, does anybody know if the OS-9 Pascal P-code interpreters are compatible
>>>> with other, UCSD-style P-code interpreters, such as the one for the Apple
>>>> II, CP/M, or the original IBM PC?  For a possible future exhibit of classic
>>>> computers at a local maker space, I would like to try running a P-code
>>>> program on a variety of vintage platforms, and I'd very much like the CoCo
>>>> to be one of them.
>>> I've had this same question myself -- I think I've even asked it here.
>>> Alas, I don't recall any meaningful answer.
>>>
>>> I reckon that someone needs to do a little ground work, transferring
>>> files from the Apple II (or other) P-system and trying them out on
>>> the CoCo.  I suspect that person will also need to create some sort
>>> of utility to add the "P-code" OS-9 module headers to the programs
>>> as well.
>>>
>>> Hopefully someone is bored enough to try it and let us know! ;-)
>>>
>>> John
>> For as big a deal as was made about P-code compatibility I've found
>> remarkably little in the vintage documentation I've come up with on the
>> Internet about actually moving P-code between platforms.  I did read
>> something in some Osborne UCSD Pascal docs about UCSD "Universal" disk
>> format and moving P-code programs from it to Osborne double-density disks.
>> I've got 3 Osbornes and several Apple 2 systems.  Maybe I can try it between
>> them first, just to see if I can get it to work in environments that are
>> advertised as UCSD P-systems (assuming one of my Osbornes has double density
>> drives, which may not be the case) and if I get that to work, try to put
>> OS-9 Pascal into the mix.
> If you haven't already seen it, this might be of interest:
>
> 	http://ucsd-psystem-vm.sourceforge.net/
Yeah, I'd seen that, but haven't delved too deeply in it yet.  I guess 
the UCSD P-System File System project might partially answer the 
question -- perhaps there is a cross-platform file system for UCSD Pascal.

JCE
>
> I wouldn't be surprised if the OS-9 p-code is the same.  But, I
> wouldn't really be surprised if it was different either... :-)
>
> Good luck!
>
> John