Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Will Senn]

Steve,

This thread reminded me of a distant memory - back in the mid 1990’s I had a 
game... and it ran too fast to be usable - maybe snake on dos :). Anyhow, there 
were several utilities that were available to slow things down. I remember 
using all of them, but have only vague memories of which worked well.

Here’s a list (the only one ringing a bell right now is the AT one:

https://www.vogons.org/viewtopic.php?t=8070

Seems you may have already solved this, but something to put in your pocket.

Will

Sent from my iPhone

> On Apr 21, 2024, at 8:54 AM, Stephen Adolph  wrote:
> 
> hi everyone,
> I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to act 
> as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP based 
> remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).  In 
> addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows 98.
> 
> Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this hardware?
> 
> I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
> I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows 98.
> 
> I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that would 
> give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.
> 
> But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?
> 
> thanks.
> Steve
> 

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[John R. Hogerhuis]

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024, 7:29 AM Joshua O'Keefe 
wrote:

> There's also a backport of Framework 3.5 to Windows 9x here:
> 
>
> Utterly fascinating reverse engineering work done to make this possible —
> originally as a backport of Framework 2.0 to Windows 95 — documented here:
> 
>

Interesting. That option wasn't available at the time but that would let me
get rid of some cruft.

-- John.

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[John R. Hogerhuis]

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024, 9:00 AM Stephen Adolph  wrote:

>
>
> LaddieCon supports 8.2; I have it installed now.  LaddieCon does respond
> to TPDD protocol, but it crashes after it provides directory information.
> Some security complaint, did not record the error messages, but I can do.
>
>
I will be available this afternoon/evening. Sounds like something easily
addressed.

-- John.

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Stephen Adolph]

Kurt,
I was able to download Python 2.5.3 which did install in Windows 98.
But as you suggest, serial port did not seem to be available.
I'll look around.
Steve

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 10:36 AM Kurt McCullum  wrote:

> Steve,
>
> It's a long shot, but if you can get get Python running on Win98 WITH the
> serial port support, then the Python version of mComm might work. Lot's of
> unknows in that suggestion though.
>
> Kurt
>
> On Sun, Apr 21, 2024, at 6:54 AM, Stephen Adolph wrote:
>
> hi everyone,
> I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to
> act as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP
> based remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).
> In addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows
> 98.
>
> Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this
> hardware?
>
> I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
> I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows
> 98.
>
> I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that
> would give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.
>
> But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?
>
> thanks.
> Steve
>
>
>

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Stephen Adolph]

So, yes, desklink did work and seems ok.  So that's good.  works for TS-DOS.
thanks for that reminder!

Ideally, for CP/M use as well, ability to work with 8.3 file names is
useful.
Desklink definitely doesn not like 8.3.

LaddieCon supports 8.2; I have it installed now.  LaddieCon does respond to
TPDD protocol, but it crashes after it provides directory information.
Some security complaint, did not record the error messages, but I can do.

NADSbox is ok with 8.3 file names.
Not sure about Backpack.


Perhaps a python approach would be good, since I could edit the python code
to be 8.3 and 6.2 format tolerant if not already.

I'll give that a try.

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Kurt McCullum]

Steve,
 
It's a long shot, but if you can get get Python running on Win98 WITH the 
serial port support, then the Python version of mComm might work. Lot's of 
unknows in that suggestion though.

Kurt

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024, at 6:54 AM, Stephen Adolph wrote:
> hi everyone,
> I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to act 
> as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP based 
> remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).  In 
> addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows 98.
> 
> Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this hardware?
> 
> I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
> I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows 98.
> 
> I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that would 
> give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.
> 
> But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?
> 
> thanks.
> Steve
> 

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Joshua O'Keefe]

There's also a backport of Framework 3.5 to Windows 9x here:


Utterly fascinating reverse engineering work done to make this possible — 
originally as a backport of Framework 2.0 to Windows 95 — documented here:

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[John R. Hogerhuis]

No time to check it now but there's either a win98 or win32 flag to laddie
command line that made it work on win98. You need to install the .net
framework 2.0 and use the flag. The purpose of the flag is that it makes it
use the win32 serial API directly. The 2.0 framework didn't support serial
port so that was a workaround.

It might fail to run for some other reason but it's supposed to work on
98.

-- John .

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[John R. Hogerhuis]

Desk link should work.

At some point laddiecon did work on windows 98 with some version of .net.
I doubt the current version does but it's possible it could be compiled
against an older framework to make it run if there is an issue.

-- John.


On Sun, Apr 21, 2024, 6:55 AM Stephen Adolph  wrote:

> hi everyone,
> I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to
> act as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP
> based remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).
> In addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows
> 98.
>
> Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this
> hardware?
>
> I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
> I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows
> 98.
>
> I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that
> would give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.
>
> But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?
>
> thanks.
> Steve
>
>

Re: [M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Josh Malone]

I would think you could use a DOS PDD server like DeskLink - assuming the
serial port is present and functional.

http://tandy.wiki/TPDD_server

On Sun, Apr 21, 2024 at 9:55 AM Stephen Adolph  wrote:

> hi everyone,
> I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to
> act as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP
> based remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).
> In addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows
> 98.
>
> Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this
> hardware?
>
> I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
> I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows
> 98.
>
> I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that
> would give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.
>
> But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?
>
> thanks.
> Steve
>
>

[M100] Windows 98 solution for TPDD emulation

[Stephen Adolph]

hi everyone,
I recently went through an activity to build a Pentium 4 based system to
act as a "tweener", giving me a machine that can straddle both ethernet/IP
based remote file storage, and legacy floppy support (5.25, 3.5 floppies).
In addition it runs old programs like Laplink.  This machine uses Windows
98.

Question is - what would be a good way to emulate a TPDD with this hardware?

I don't think Desklink will work; the processor is too fast.
I don't think I can run LaddieAlpha since Mono does not install on Windows
98.

I realize I could dual boot and run a somewhat modern linux, and that would
give me Mono/LaddieAlpha.

But, is there a way to get something running on Windows 98?

thanks.
Steve