> Dnia 00-10-06 Aley Keprt pisze: > > > My favourite configuration is a hard drive, which contains all > > Sam files on it, not divided into 800kb segments (virtual > > dskettes). Again NOT divided. > What about real hardware?
I significantly prefer emulation over real hardware. > > Maybe some little DOS can be done in emulator, so it don't > > waste too much memory of "real" Sam, and using a real (i.e. > > PC/Mac) hard drive for files. > > I can offer my idea of "host DOS" access. It is #ED #CF opcode > and function selected by A register. I used something similar in > my ZXVGS installed on Warajevo emulator. From the emulation > level any PC disk can be accessed, like in UAE (Amiga emulator). I don't understand this much. The one thinkg I know is that you don't need that opcode, since there are other possibilities. But of course using the opcode is probably the fastest way how to know when "to do something". I use this in my SAA32 (music player w/Z80 emulation). This is my idea: The "dos" could simulate a very large diskette, so it would be 95% compatible with existing software, including programs, which use asm-access via RST instruction. If you look to Sam-disk format, you can see some points, what could be done. I think about a "diskette" with 255 tracks, 255 sectors, etc. Each file could occupy a single sector, directory & file bodies could share the same space (i.e. whole diskette for directory, whole diskette for file bodies) - this is because you use different functions to load files and read directories. The files would be stored as real files on hard drive to let anyone can access them from hosting OS. > http://nautilus.torch.net.pl/zxland/ZX027WRJ.RAR > (the server sometimes has big time-outs) > > http://www.egroups.com/files/zxvgs/Zx026wrj.zip > (a bit older release, has problems with TR-DOS emulation) > > They require Warajevo 2.51 emulator. > > > > > This could be usable for all programs, which are not protected. > The problem is in file names and probably conversion of them is > needed. Something like DIR$ will cause problems. Sorry, what is DIR$? I think we can do some "tilda-combo" for special characters in filenames (as M$ do in DOS<--Win95), so we can have the same filenames as original DOS. Maybe I am wrong, but I think it would be nice to have the most compatible system with original MasterDos, except the capacity. > However, I'm open for cooperation. > > -- > Yarek. Aley
