Opening CP/M files (.asm/.bas)

From: Ernest <ernestls_at_home.com>
Date: Fri Apr 28 11:27:56 2000

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
[mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of allisonp
Sent: Thursday, April 27, 2000 3:55 PM
To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
Subject: Re: Opening CP/M files (.asm/.bas)


>Cp/M was a cross-platform operating system with several layers to provide
>support for any platform for which the base functions of CP/M were
>compiled. In other words, if your machine boots cp/m then you can run the
>vast majority of CP/M programs. Some you won't. A good example of a
>situation in which a program cannot run is if it takes advantage of
>non-standard system calls to access the video subsystem. There are quite
>a few of these programs but most are commercial such as CPT system
>accounting, spreadsheet and word processing. The CPT had a very custom
>full-page physical display.


Well thats only true if unique BIOS calls or direct IO was done. If you
used the
standard BDOS calls then compatability was assured save for sillyness like
terminal control sequences.

The worst offenders for this were the modem programs as they needed speed
and CPM could but often didn't have interrupt driven IO or IOBYTE
implemented.

>Probably the most important setting in CP/M is your terminal settings.
>CP/M software will run on anything but does have to be informed as to what
>termninal type (ie ADM3a, Soroc, Televideo, Etcetera) in order to operate
>correctly. --


Often taken care of in the install program.

Yeah, that could be my problem but then again, I can't say. I am doing some
systematic experimentation, and getting my feet wet on working with the
assembler, etc.. I guess that the main reason that I'm going to all this
trouble is because there isn't much software that will work for an Apple II
with Z80 softcard. The disk format is the problem -lots of software but I
can't get it transferred to my Apple CP/M disks because I don't have any
communication software to do it with.

However, I was wondering, would it be possible to hand copy (type) an
existing CP/M comm program to a Apple formatted floppy. I'm not sure of how
the addressing is handled by the Z80 card but my logic is that if most CP/M
programs will run on my Z80 card, would a generic CP/M comm program run
also. I'm guessing "no" but if anyone has any thoughts on it, please let me
know.

Thanks.

Ernest
Received on Fri Apr 28 2000 - 11:27:56 BST