Bootstrapping a CP/M system to usability :)

From: Doc Shipley <doc_at_mdrconsult.com>
Date: Thu Jul 18 13:47:00 2002

On Thu, 18 Jul 2002, Fred Cisin (XenoSoft) wrote:

> On Thu, 18 Jul 2002, Doc Shipley wrote:
> > So let me get this straight. I have a 128D, with an external 1541.
> > Assuming that the 6-pin DIN male-male cable that came with it is right,
> > I can format a DSDD floppy in the 1541, and read files from a 360k DOS
> > floppy to the Commodore-formatted disk.
>
> NO.

  Argh. I am _not_ communicating clearly today. Sorry.

  The big picture is, I couldn't pass up a C128D at Goodwill. Keyboard,
1084S display, 1541 and cable, a 1571 diagnostics floppy and a 1541
diags was all ~17. That's the entire extent of my Commodore posessions
(aside from a bare-naked A1000) and roughly the extent of my knowledge.
Learning CP/M is one of the goals. Micros are still a complete mystery
to me.
  The main reason this thread was interesting is that it sounds like a
way to get some useful s/w running on the 128 without having to trouble
someone to ship me physical media.

> > I can format a DSDD floppy in the 1541,
>
> You could use DSDD floppies that were intended for PC use as BLANKS to be
> reformatted SSGCR in the 1541 for Com use.

  That was the intent, yes.

> The 1541 is SINGLE SIDED and GCR.
> The "360K DOS floppy" is DOUBLE SIDED and MFM.
>
> You can NOT "read files from a 360K DOS floppy" in a 1541.
> There is no usable overlap between what can be read or written with the
> 1541 and what can be read or written with the PC disk controller.
>
> Instead, you should look for a 1571, which is capable of doing MFM.

  Yes. In my original query, I did say that this is all [theoretically]
happening on a C128, with built-in 1571. Read files from 360k DOS
SSDD-formatted floppy *in the 1571*, write them to a SS GCR floppy in
the external 1541.

> With appropriate additional software, it could read or write DOS
> diskettes, or read or write a SHORT LIST of MFM CP/M formats (including
> Kaypro and Osborne DD), which the PC can read and write with appropriate
> additional software.

  The other-CP/M format idea sounds better, I just didn't know the 1571
would read them when I asked originally.
  I have 22disk, and can/will do all that on the PC side. What software
do I need on the C128 side?

> Or do a serial transfer or connect a Comm drive to a PC, using X1541
> cable or a IEEE488 board.
>
> > In my googling for the pinout of the above-mentioned cable, I came
> > across some plans & software to attach a 1541 drive to a PCs parallel
> > port. Has anybody tried it?
>
> Sorry, I haven't used X1541, but I have heard that it can be made to work.

  Couple of others have said that they use it. After I know everything
works attached to the C128, I will probably try it.
  But my original concern still stands. I'm not at all sure that the
6-pin DIN cable I got is correct. Do you have the pinout handy? Or a
URL bookmarked? I admit I got tired of Google on about page 6 of hits.

        Doc
Received on Thu Jul 18 2002 - 13:47:00 BST