Any AMIGA users?

From: Don Maslin <donm_at_cts.com>
Date: Thu Jan 3 23:26:56 2002

On Thu, 3 Jan 2002, Christopher Smith wrote:

> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) [mailto:cisin_at_xenosoft.com]
>
> > IRRELEVANT.
> > The discussion was how to make an Amiga disk using a PC.
> > It can not be done with the stock PC hardware.
> > Somebody said that it could be done with the stock PC, by using Linux.
> > THAT IS WRONG.
>
> Well, you don't have to shout. :) That statement would obviously be incorrect. (I admit that I missed this assertion the first time around) It can _possibly_ be done with a modified peesee, and it can probably be done with a couple of other machines unmodified (but still using linux and the normal floppy drivers).
>
> > The "standard linux floppy disk driver" will operate the
> > Catweasel card?
> > (It is NOT a floppy disk controller in terms of BIOS level
> > interaction.)
>
> I was under the impression that it would drive a catweasel card. I was not aware that the card was significantly different than other (normal peesee) floppy interfaces, though, so perhaps I got the wrong idea from somewhere.
>
> On the other hand, the linux "floppy driver" is, as I understand it, actually a collection of drivers, and the same code-base may actually be used to handle all manner of strange disk/drive setups.
>
> > Or
> > The "standard linux floppy disk driver" will do stuff that is
> > impossible
> > with the PC hardware, without needing the Catweasel?
>
> Obviously not. :) Well, not if you're running linux on "PC hardware." If you're running linux on, for instance, a Macintosh, it will read and write 400 and 800k mac disks, which is impossible on "PC hardware." ;) (Let's not get into that again, though...)
>
> > It WOULD be possible to write a floppy disk driver for Linux
> > that could
> > make use of the Catweasel. But it has, apparently NOT been done, and
> > therefore suggestions of USING that are inappropriate.
>
> True enough, and as I said, I've heard of no special catweasel driver; just that linux would operate the catweasel controller. Since I don't have a catweasel, I can't really verify that.
>
> > > Or ... one could write an amiga filesystem for linux. I actually
> > > wonder why this hasn't been done.
>
> > For use with linux on an Amiga?
>
> No, for use with hard disks, SCSI removable media, and the like, which could likely be transported without trouble.
>
> > Or are you trying to say that writing an amiga filesystem for
> > Linux, would
> > permit a PC running Linux to read and write Amiga disksettes without
> > special hardware?
>
> Well, for all I know, Amiga may have had a 1.44MB format which could work, but that's just a guess, based on the fact that Apple's works fine.
>
> > Could you also write one for NorthStar-DOS? (hard-sectored)
>
> Given a hard sectored drive, I would guess...

I am unaware of such a thing as a hard sectored drive. It is a
controller function.

> (Or what about putting a soft-sector drive in the NorthStar?)

Change the controller card - and the operating system to support it. It
has been done.

> It's a pretty normal format otherwise, right?
>
> > How about one for Apple-DOS? (GCR)
>
> That's more difficult.

Lots!

> > How about one that reads 8" diskettes in a 5.25" drive?
> > (Maybe trimming
> > the edges, and not being able to read some outer tracks :-)
>
> Actually you might be able to get by with it in a high density
> drive, given some way of attaching the disk to the "spindle" of the
> drive, and provided that you didn't really want to keep the disk
> anyway (or possibly the drive!), and if you were willing to write
> mind-numbingly useless special-purpose software. Otherwise, I hear
> that CompatiCard will drive an 8" floppy ;)

As will a conventional AT FDC. Trouble is, most of them won't
read/write single-density (FM). However, some of the XT class clone
controllers with an onboard BIOS and selectable BIOS address will drive
an 8" drive and do both FM and MFM.

                                                 - don
Regards, >
> Chris
>
>
> Christopher Smith, Perl Developer
> Amdocs - Champaign, IL
>
> /usr/bin/perl -e '
> print((~"\x95\xc4\xe3"^"Just Another Perl Hacker.")."\x08!\n");
> '
>
>
Received on Thu Jan 03 2002 - 23:26:56 GMT