Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 00:50:36 -, omega [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Marcel Kilgus wrote: Thanks, but that's actually not my point. I just wonder why somebody who actually has the knowledge but no prior connection to the QL would want to invest any amount of time in it. For free. Not that I wouldn't be glad if somebody did, just wondering. Good question. First things poped up - challenge, some missing functionality, expensive commercial solution..etc. Now, thinking when you mention no prior connection to the QL - it's even more obvious that pulling someone from outside to start developing new apps / hw for QL without giving him everything he needs is hardly possible. Some of the reasons: - Black QL is useless without expansions - Expansion cards are not being sold, modern QL software requires at least SGC, SMSQ - Expensive software (Qliberator 50UKP, EasyPtr 41.5UKP, QPTR 30UKP..etc) - Lack of documentation or needs to be purchased Well Turbo is a free compiler now which George Gwilt has worked on hard to ensure it can compile Pointer programs - there are tools which mean you don't even need EasyPtr. Several Public Domain sites hold a wealth of tools and even SMSQ/e can be downloaded and compiled from the sources using George Gwilt's own assembler (although I am not certain whether it can be compiled on GWASL - the 68000 version). There is also plenty of low cost second hand software available. I am willing to work with anyone willing to develop new hardware / applications - heck, if someone is looking to program new applications, they could probably twist my arm for some free books, even the SBASIC/SuperBASIC Reference Manual. Now, I don't know why should one start developing for QL. Anybody knows? GC. Regarding QubIDE, I've got the source code and ROM images for anybody interested. It's GPL anyway. The hardware side remains with Nasta, but I'll try to ask him about it. Thanks a lot! Ah - I do have an email here from Nasta about the Ultra Gold Card project: Well, I wish I could give you good news about that project, but I can't. It has basically been mothballed at the same stage it was when last talked about. I have a number of parts ready and a partial design, but at the moment, trying to ressurect it would be VERY difficult financially. not impossible if it was only down to the money, but what makes it so is the complete lack of time. There is, however, a lot of documentation, which couldbe used as a good guide to completing the project. In essence, when last revisited, the GoldFire (that was the project name) spec and documentation was upgraded so that a pair of 68060 CPUs could be used. One was designed as optional, but would have been included in the prototypes, since I have a number of used ones graciously donated by Tony Firshman. These are the 68EC060 version, 66MHz if I recal right. They were to be coupled to a SO-DIMM SDRAM, 256Mb - the type that was used with (now older) laptops. It is still available. This was to be the standard, and also maximum configuration as in the eman time, RAm had become sufficiently cheap. On the IO side, there were the usual floppy and parallel ports (full bidiractional parallel port), but also PC style PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors, as well as 2 fast serial ports. These were all handled by a single Ultra-IO chip, that also comes from the PC world. Extras were to be a PC style sound chip and a Ethernet 10MB/s network chip. A 2M byte flash ROM was intended to hold the system software (SMSQ/E), which would, of course, be upgradeable. All of this was designed and well documented. The part that was documented but was not fully designed was the singe large logic chip that conencts all of this into a usable single-board computer. The reason why it was not done, was that the manufacturer of the logic chip had been through a merger with another company, and as a result ended up changing all their developement software - requiring from me a seizable additional investment to buy it, along with an even bigger investment in time to learn how to use it (it's a different approach and programming 'l;anguage'). To make it worse, the actual logic chip ended up being scrapped by the new company, though, fortunately, there is still a compatible one available. The logic implemented by the chip is quite complex. It involved not only connecting the SDRAM to the twin 68060 (that was actually the simpler task) but also being a 'bridge' betwen the VERY fast world of the 68060 with the comparatively veruy slow world of the QL bus. In order to provide an open path to further peripheral developement (like an Aurora II and Qubide II), it also incorporated a protocol that could use the existing QL bus signals to transparently implement a fully 32-bit data transfer protocol for newer peripherals, while still providing compatibility with the old peripherals, as well as
Re: [ql-users] For sale at Eindhoven show, 24 march 2007
Hello, just to keep informed everybody interested (I try to reply individually too), and closing this thread, maybe. Packages A B eprom have been sold this week-end. I do not have it any more. (It seems to have created a lot of interest, all from people unable to attend the eindhoven show). I therefore won't travel either to eindhoven, even if packages C, D E, as well as monitor are still mine (weight kind of prohibite postage of them). Have an happy new year (chinese new year, that is). ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] For sale at Eindhoven show, 24 march 2007
Dear all, I was looking for years to find a 40 Gb Miracle Hard Disk. Maybe the buyer of package A+B could sell it to me separately. Pls let me know with a PM. Sorry for the pure commercial content of the message. Regards Fabrizio -Original Message- From: Jérôme Grimbert[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 19/02/07 9.33.20 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED][EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [ql-users] For sale at Eindhoven show, 24 march 2007 Hello, just to keep informed everybody interested (I try to reply individually too), and closing this thread, maybe. Packages A B eprom have been sold this week-end. I do not have it any more. (It seems to have created a lot of interest, all from people unable to attend the eindhoven show). I therefore won't travel either to eindhoven, even if packages C, D E, as well as monitor are still mine (weight kind of prohibite postage of them). Have an happy new year (chinese new year, that is). ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm Chiacchiera con i tuoi amici in tempo reale! http://it.yahoo.com/mail_it/foot/*http://it.messenger.yahoo.com ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons
Where do i sign ? [EMAIL PROTECTED] 16 February 2007 09:28 Neil Riley wrote: GoMMC, a RomDisq on steroids but with the opportunity to remove the mem card, excellent. Once again, Id buy one if developed for the QL. How would it sound if a SD/MMC device for SuperGoldCard, Q40 and Q60 had already been prototyped and a free software to access it was already written? Peter ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm *** The contents of this email are confidential to the intended recipient. It may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the addressee, nor may it be copied in any way. If received in error, please contact the company on 01793-715380, then delete it from your system. Please note neither the company nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan attachments (if any) for viruses. No contract may be concluded on behalf of the company by means of email communications. BC Services (UK) Limited (trading as Boxclever), Technology House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9QQ. Registered No. 5290544 England www.boxclever.co.uk *** ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Composite Video Connector
Hi, Does anyone have a spare composite video connector (for the RGB connector) lead for sale? I have a decent monitor which takes a composite video input I'd like to use but athough I do have a soldering iron, I'm having trouble finding the a matching DIN plug :) Thanks Ian. Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
Perhaps QUANTA , Rich, Tony or anyone else for that matter could place a DONATE button on their websites with some form of barometer to show how much we need vs raised etc, a bit like what Blue Peter had back in the 80's when they wanted to save ( town farm / community centre roof / the whale / etc ). A bad idea, I don't think so ! Neil. [EMAIL PROTECTED] 19 February 2007 14:31 My God, this is all to good to be lost for ever. Someone has to take the lead on one or many of these projects or we have to find money to give to Nasta (who, I believe is still the best person to make it work). Also, I offer my help to write the firmware for such a beast. My assembly skills are still quite good. However it would be my first attempt at such a task so help will be welcome! François Le 07-02-19 à 03:17, Rich Mellor a écrit : Ah - I do have an email here from Nasta about the Ultra Gold Card project: Well, I wish I could give you good news about that project, but I can't. It has basically been mothballed at the same stage it was when last talked about. I have a number of parts ready and a partial design, but at the moment, trying to ressurect it would be VERY difficult financially. not impossible if it was only down to the money, but what makes it so is the complete lack of time. There is, however, a lot of documentation, which couldbe used as a good guide to completing the project. In essence, when last revisited, the GoldFire (that was the project name) spec and documentation was upgraded so that a pair of 68060 CPUs could be used. One was designed as optional, but would have been included in the prototypes, since I have a number of used ones graciously donated by Tony Firshman. These are the 68EC060 version, 66MHz if I recal right. They were to be coupled to a SO-DIMM SDRAM, 256Mb - the type that was used with (now older) laptops. It is still available. This was to be the standard, and also maximum configuration as in the eman time, RAm had become sufficiently cheap. On the IO side, there were the usual floppy and parallel ports (full bidiractional parallel port), but also PC style PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors, as well as 2 fast serial ports. These were all handled by a single Ultra-IO chip, that also comes from the PC world. Extras were to be a PC style sound chip and a Ethernet 10MB/s network chip. A 2M byte flash ROM was intended to hold the system software (SMSQ/E), which would, of course, be upgradeable. All of this was designed and well documented. The part that was documented but was not fully designed was the singe large logic chip that conencts all of this into a usable single-board computer. The reason why it was not done, was that the manufacturer of the logic chip had been through a merger with another company, and as a result ended up changing all their developement software - requiring from me a seizable additional investment to buy it, along with an even bigger investment in time to learn how to use it (it's a different approach and programming 'l;anguage'). To make it worse, the actual logic chip ended up being scrapped by the new company, though, fortunately, there is still a compatible one available. The logic implemented by the chip is quite complex. It involved not only connecting the SDRAM to the twin 68060 (that was actually the simpler task) but also being a 'bridge' betwen the VERY fast world of the 68060 with the comparatively veruy slow world of the QL bus. In order to provide an open path to further peripheral developement (like an Aurora II and Qubide II), it also incorporated a protocol that could use the existing QL bus signals to transparently implement a fully 32-bit data transfer protocol for newer peripherals, while still providing compatibility with the old peripherals, as well as improving their performance. I have done a lot of work on this, the protocols and hardware signals are fully documented, but the logic for the logic chip was not designed fully. Finally, the GoldFire also was to include a small on-board switching power supply with very high efficiency, which made it un-necessary to have an extra heatsink (like GC or SGC) as well as adding anability to work in 9V or 5V powered bus systems without any alteration or hardware setup. In fact, the GF would even be able to supply +-12V at a small current for serial ports external to it, and enable the user to build a low power system running off of 5V only. This was fully designed and even tested as a separate module. However, today it could be made cheaper and smaller with theu se f more modern components. GF was a very ambitious project in a situation where the cash available for it's completion was fast dissapearing. Follow-up projects were also in the works, as the GF opened up a lot of new possibility. The road map included 3 key
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
Hi This wasn't by any chance a MACH chip? I still use a PALASM to ABLE conversion program written in SBasic when developing logic for the newer ispLEVER compiler. Malcolm Rich Mellor wrote: The reason why it was not done, was that the manufacturer of the logic chip had been through a merger with another company, and as a result ended up changing all their developement software - requiring from me a seizable additional investment to buy it, along with an even bigger investment in time to learn how to use it (it's a different approach and programming 'l;anguage'). To make it worse, the actual logic chip ended up being scrapped by the new company, though, fortunately, there is still a compatible one available. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
On 19 Feb 2007, at 00:50, omega wrote: - Expensive software (Qliberator 50UKP, EasyPtr 41.5UKP, QPTR 30UKP..etc) I hardly dare mention this - but: For Qlib ... Turbo is freely available (and faster!) For EasyPtr and QPTR. TurboPTR is freely available for S*BASIC programs and CPTR for C George ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Would you believe it ? RomDisq
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Neil Riley wrote: Guys, All this chat of new hardware, new mmc memory expansion etc has upset my RomDisq, It has. over the last hour, breathed it's last breath and died just like that. It's no longer mentioned on the startup screen and i cannot DIR it from any method. I've taken it out and put it back in it's MPLANE slot with no joy. Luckely, Id pretty much kept my WIN1_boot in line with the ROM1_boot and also have a FLP1_ version. Weirdly enough, Id just done a MENUCONFIG of rom1_smsq_gold prior to the failure. has it really reached it's 1,000,000 write limit !!? 100,000. Unlikely. Tony Tebby's write algorithm used all empty space in rotation. To my knowledge, not one RomDisq has died of old age. Perhaps someone can hurry up on that MMC QL card ! I doubt if it has. Clean the contacts (with a rubber) and try again. If still not found, with clean contacts, EX the driver (you copied it to a safe place of course as instructed in the manual!). With the driver loaded, format rom1_full and it should be OK. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF2dQlM3RzOs8+btoRApHXAJ9bIlmZxAmD56ORWVE/XNF5YytreACeKi96 W1krv757MUliOcRexHh1cJQ= =aBoz -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons
On Sat, 2007-02-17 at 15:24 +0100, Bob Spelten wrote: When I searched for the latest version of DBAS I got version 2.13 from the Quanta librarian (Dec 2002) who told me YOU were the one that last tinkered with it. Does this mean you lost your own commented source code? Not guilty! I never had the source-code and wouldn't be able to do much with it if I had. On Fri, 2007-02-16 at 17:47 +, Malcolm Cadman wrote: David, you should raise more issues about the Q60 on this list. No need to wait 2 years again ... :-(. I don't have any Q60 issues any more. When no one could tell me how to get Text87 to run, I got a PC and ran OpenOffice instead. This low-specification, home-built machine runs at 20 time the speed of the Q60, and, apart from a few QL legacy programs, linux gives me everything I want -- for free. As for the Q60, that lives in storage, since no one wanted to buy it. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] win98se
I'm trying to help someone put QLay onto a PC they've bought and need a reminder on what is the largest hard disk Win98SE can format - is it 6GB, 20GB or what? WinXP can of course handle big disks, but from memory I seem to remember than Win98SE can't do NTFS format, for example - this person wants to install a new hard disk before he puts his emulator on and needs advice on what is the largest capacity of hard disk it can format. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] win98se
Hi Dilwyn, Limitation are come from MS-DOS and not really Windows 98 SE. Using FAT16 (If you don't specify in FDISK you want large partition) you can format partition of a size a few less than 4 GB. With cluster size = 64Kb - FAT 16 is 2^16 cluster - Partition size is : 4 GB. After this, you may encounter some BIOS limitation on few machines (if it's very very old). FAT 12 is only used on floppies. The limitation of FAT 12 is for partition up to 256 MB FAT32 (is you said to FDISK you want large partition) is for partition up to ( 2^28 * 4K !! ) = 8 GB. So the limitation is 4 GB in FAT16 with cluster of 64 KB ( not recommended ) And 8 GB in FAT32 with 4K Clusters and up to 32GB. But be carefull a FAT32 partition isn't recoverable with an MS-DOS floppy disk. Jimmy. http://www.jadiam.org -Message d'origine- De : [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] De la part de Dilwyn Jones Envoyé : lundi 19 février 2007 18:25 À : QL Users List Objet : [ql-users] win98se I'm trying to help someone put QLay onto a PC they've bought and need a reminder on what is the largest hard disk Win98SE can format - is it 6GB, 20GB or what? WinXP can of course handle big disks, but from memory I seem to remember than Win98SE can't do NTFS format, for example - this person wants to install a new hard disk before he puts his emulator on and needs advice on what is the largest capacity of hard disk it can format. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Would you believe it ? RomDisq
Tony, I inherited this RomDisq as it came with my Aurora, so I must be excused for not backing up the driver. If you know what the driver is called or if some kind sole can furnish me with a copy, I can try to revive it. Have cleaned up the contacts with no joy. I have to say that it didn't die immediatly. there was a period of about 30 minutes with it playing up ( i wasn't aware what was happening, it was all a bit strange), finally the penny dropped when It started telling me that i was booting from win1_ whereas the previous boot was from rom1_ ( thank goodness for helpful PRINT statements in my boot file!! ) I have dug a very small coffin shaped hole in my garden next to the shed in preparation for the worst. Cheers Neil [EMAIL PROTECTED] 19 February 2007 16:45 -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Neil Riley wrote: Guys, All this chat of new hardware, new mmc memory expansion etc has upset my RomDisq, It has. over the last hour, breathed it's last breath and died just like that. It's no longer mentioned on the startup screen and i cannot DIR it from any method. I've taken it out and put it back in it's MPLANE slot with no joy. Luckely, Id pretty much kept my WIN1_boot in line with the ROM1_boot and also have a FLP1_ version. Weirdly enough, Id just done a MENUCONFIG of rom1_smsq_gold prior to the failure. has it really reached it's 1,000,000 write limit !!? 100,000. Unlikely. Tony Tebby's write algorithm used all empty space in rotation. To my knowledge, not one RomDisq has died of old age. Perhaps someone can hurry up on that MMC QL card ! I doubt if it has. Clean the contacts (with a rubber) and try again. If still not found, with clean contacts, EX the driver (you copied it to a safe place of course as instructed in the manual!). With the driver loaded, format rom1_full and it should be OK. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD8DBQFF2dQlM3RzOs8+btoRApHXAJ9bIlmZxAmD56ORWVE/XNF5YytreACeKi96 W1krv757MUliOcRexHh1cJQ= =aBoz -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm *** The contents of this email are confidential to the intended recipient. It may not be disclosed to or used by anyone other than the addressee, nor may it be copied in any way. If received in error, please contact the company on 01793-715380, then delete it from your system. Please note neither the company nor the sender accepts any responsibility for viruses and it is your responsibility to scan attachments (if any) for viruses. No contract may be concluded on behalf of the company by means of email communications. BC Services (UK) Limited (trading as Boxclever), Technology House, Ampthill Road, Bedford, MK42 9QQ. Registered No. 5290544 England www.boxclever.co.uk *** ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
I send the Qubide source code to Dilwyn for download on his web site. Phil Borman, Ron Dunnett gave permission for the Qubide source to be freely available under the GPL Licence. Derek Marcel Kilgus wrote: Jan Palenicek wrote: Oh well, then we only have to find some of those and we're all good. That should be easy ;-) I didn't say that there are not knowledged people Marcel. You are one of the gurus here and I respect your work and contributions. Thanks, but that's actually not my point. I just wonder why somebody who actually has the knowledge but no prior connection to the QL would want to invest any amount of time in it. For free. Not that I wouldn't be glad if somebody did, just wondering. In other words, I am saying that new people would be more interested in developing QL SW or HW if all the obstacles would disappear. Publishing all available documentation, schematics and source code would make much faster kick off of any new project. QL needs new projects. Well, what exactly would be needed here? The schematics etc. of the GC and SGC boards are unfortunately lost forever, I gather. I am sorry, it is possibly my fault that I am new here and I don't know the people. So, I am the one who want to buid Qubide. Can you give me the direction where can I get the schematics, please? Nasta, the designer, sometimes reads this list. At least he has answered one mail only a month ago ;-) Nasta, are you there? So hardware of that complexity is a pretty old hat. OK, but there are hundred(s) of black-box QL users without such device. But those are probably just happy with what they have and don't intend to expand in any way. At least this is my understanding. Disagree. Maybe you are thinking of your expanded advanced super QL on your desk, but my QL has only sandyQboard. So advancing has different meanings for us. I would be happy with: * Gold Card * Qubide. Fair enough. Unfortunately I don't see any good replacement for the GC. Regarding QubIDE, I've got the source code and ROM images for anybody interested. It's GPL anyway. The hardware side remains with Nasta, but I'll try to ask him about it. It was already pointed that some components in SGC doesn't exist, HW needs to be redesigned, but capable people here doesn't have time. I am proposing to ask general public and transforming this issue into challenge for developers. That might in the best case bring working device in the worst case nothing will happen. As I said, pretty much anything about the GC/SGC design is lost as far as I know. So a redesign is unfortunately not possible, any design would have to be done from scratch. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm -- This email has been verified as Virus free Virus Protection and more available at http://www.plus.net ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
Hi Malcolm, I don't know as this was an extract from Nasta's email. Has anyone written to Stuart? Rich On Mon, 19 Feb 2007 15:48:14 -, Malcolm Lear [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hi This wasn't by any chance a MACH chip? I still use a PALASM to ABLE conversion program written in SBasic when developing logic for the newer ispLEVER compiler. Malcolm Rich Mellor wrote: The reason why it was not done, was that the manufacturer of the logic chip had been through a merger with another company, and as a result ended up changing all their developement software - requiring from me a seizable additional investment to buy it, along with an even bigger investment in time to learn how to use it (it's a different approach and programming 'l;anguage'). To make it worse, the actual logic chip ended up being scrapped by the new company, though, fortunately, there is still a compatible one available. -- Rich Mellor RWAP Services URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk URL:http://www.rwapservices.co.uk ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] win98se
FAT16 has a theoretical limit of 4Gb, although it is recommended that you keep to 2Gb or less because some software does not handle 4Gb correctly. FAT32 has a theoretical limit of about 4TB, but limitations can come from other directions. For instance under Windows XP, Disk Manager will not let you set up or format a partition larger than 200Gb. However if you do it using 3rd party software this limit does not apply - and Windows XP will handle the larger size disks quite happily - I know of a friend who has a 750Gb FAT32 disk. That leaves open the question of what Win98SE can really handle. As at the time that Win98SE was common the larger disk sizes were not around I am not sure that it is clear what is the largest size that can be handled. It really needs someone who is running Win98SE to plug in a large disk and see what is the largest size that FDISK allows you to allocate to a FAT32 partition and that can then be successfully formatted. If no-one knows for certain I could do some tests. Dave -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Dilwyn Jones Sent: 19 February 2007 17:25 To: QL Users List Subject: [ql-users] win98se I'm trying to help someone put QLay onto a PC they've bought and need a reminder on what is the largest hard disk Win98SE can format - is it 6GB, 20GB or what? WinXP can of course handle big disks, but from memory I seem to remember than Win98SE can't do NTFS format, for example - this person wants to install a new hard disk before he puts his emulator on and needs advice on what is the largest capacity of hard disk it can format. -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Would you believe it ? RomDisq
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Neil Riley wrote: Tony, I inherited this RomDisq as it came with my Aurora, so I must be excused for not backing up the driver. If you know what the driver is called or if some kind sole can furnish me with a copy, I can try to revive it. Have cleaned up the contacts with no joy. I have to say that it didn't die immediatly. there was a period of about 30 minutes with it playing up ( i wasn't aware what was happening, it was all a bit strange), finally the penny dropped when It started telling me that i was booting from win1_ whereas the previous boot was from rom1_ ( thank goodness for helpful PRINT statements in my boot file!! ) I have dug a very small coffin shaped hole in my garden next to the shed in preparation for the worst. It is on my website: http://www.firshman.co.uk/ftp/romdisq/romd214.zip This should be unzipped on the QL, and will give the EXECable file. Tony - -- QBBS (QL fido BBS 2:252/67) +44(0)1442-828255 [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://firshman.co.uk Voice: +44(0)1442-828254 Fax: +44(0)1442-828255 Skype: tonyfirshman TF Services, 29 Longfield Road, TRING, Herts, HP23 4DG -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.2 (MingW32) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iD4DBQFF2fDAM3RzOs8+btoRAl9zAJ9+6c2vLDHcyF/v9rfqZ16UiZftRgCXVEcu axYbmTlX9mEMCYU/2pO5qg== =2Vfg -END PGP SIGNATURE- ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] win98se
Limitation are come from MS-DOS and not really Windows 98 SE. Using FAT16 (If you don't specify in FDISK you want large partition) you can format partition of a size a few less than 4 GB. With cluster size = 64Kb - FAT 16 is 2^16 cluster - Partition size is : 4 GB. After this, you may encounter some BIOS limitation on few machines (if it's very very old). FAT 12 is only used on floppies. The limitation of FAT 12 is for partition up to 256 MB FAT32 (is you said to FDISK you want large partition) is for partition up to ( 2^28 * 4K !! ) = 8 GB. So the limitation is 4 GB in FAT16 with cluster of 64 KB ( not recommended ) And 8 GB in FAT32 with 4K Clusters and up to 32GB. But be carefull a FAT32 partition isn't recoverable with an MS-DOS floppy disk. Jimmy. http://www.jadiam.org Ah, I see. Does it allow for, say, a 40GB hard drive to be seen as several smaller partitions by Windows 98SE, say 5 x 8GB partitions? As 40GB drives seem to be the smallest drives around now (looking at eBuyer site anyway) - at 25 pounds very cheap, it seems silly to put a 40GB drive on a Win98SE machine if it will only see a few GB and the rest goes to waste. Sorry to persist in asking, it's a long time since I last used Win98SE in anger! (All this just to help him put QLay on a cheap old PC to give it some life, although it saves it going to landfill and will make a perfectly good QL even if leaves something to be desired as a PC!) -- Dilwyn Jones ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
[ql-users] Comment from the Traditional QUANTA Committee
Over the past few months officers of the QUANTA Committee have monitored the ql-users list (as they do) and, from time to time have discussed its content. They have recently been referred to by a known radical terrorist as traditionalists (Which was what the membership voted for) but that doesn't mean we are sitting on our backsides doing nothing. Someone wanted to know why a number of past members had resigned. I, as Membership Secretary know why a number of them resigned because they politely wrote and informed me of their decision and their reason(s). Others have just refused to reply to my letters while yet others are no longer on this earth and are, therefore, finding it extremely difficult to communicate with us. Generally the families of the deceased don't want constant letters reminding them of their loss and we have to accept this. I am in the process of collecting together the resignations received over the past couple of years in the hopes that those whose membership has lapsed due to an oversight being given one last letter may be persuaded to re-join. Most resignations come from people who just don't respond to the usual Subs Due letter delivered with the last magazine of their paid up membership which means that after a suitable period of time I can write to them for an explanation. 90% send no replies (even when a stamped addressed envelope is enclosed) and the rest might send a terse note that the QL no longer serves their purpose or they have a PC etc. etc. Others have been known to move away without notifying us of their change of address. The first we know of it is that we eventually get a Magazine returned marked Gone Away (usually via Tony Firshman's address because his address is more prominent on the outside back cover than ours.) Needless to say, contact is irrevocably lost. Another thread I've noticed recently has been the suggested need for QUANTA to finance development of this or that bit of Hardware or software or driver or (OK, I'm a layman when it comes to computers - a user, if you like, with some very limited programming knowledge in SuperBASIC, Archive and Visual Basic and I don't profess to know why a SDGC would be any further help to me. Nor a driver for a USB device). My three Aurora QLs (each with SGC, QuBide etc) are adequate for my needs. Accepting the current limitations of my QLs and knowing that I have an alternative in the form of a PC with more software than I can ever hope to get for the QL, has, from time to time, annoyed the purist QLers not least my predecessor as Treasurer when I moved over to Sage Line 50 for the QUANTA Accounts. What my Audited Accounts do tell me is that QUANTA still has an Accumulated Fund of over £12,000 (all will be disclosed in the next issue of QUANTA Magazine) and we have a committee who are prepared to listen to specific requests for loans or grants for QL Development. This has been the situation since I joined the Committee in 2000 (just at the end of a very successful arrangement with D D and their work in supplying Q40/60s). We have extended our offer on a number of occasions but have had no takers to date. Let me repeat, on behalf of the QUANTA Committee, If you have a project which you think would be valuable to the QL fraternity but which needs some development support, PLEASE write to us with as much detail as you can give, including your business plan, to enable us to consider your request. Bye the Bye, don't expect a chat line comment like If QUANTA were to sponsor someone to the tune of $100 US + postage to produce immediate financial support. Come on you guys, tickle the keyboard ivories and ask us properly for what you think you need!! The worst you can expect is for this traditionalist committee to say Not this time. Kindest regards to all, John Gilpin, QUANTA Treasurer Membership Secretary pp QUANTA Committee. ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Hardware and software - new horizons
At 23:01 18/02/2007 -0500, you wrote: David Tubbs wrote: NO I DID NOT ! ! ! ! ! ! At 19:30 15/02/2007 +, you wrote: Then there's the lack of USB and printer support. But just a provocative thought. Have you ever tried to connect a USB only laptop to a parallel printer? PC World don't know the answer to that one, EBAY can get you the answer to this problem :-) Had to go this route for the wife's new lappy, it was cheep reminded me of the Miracle interface for the QL. -- Paul Holmgren 2 57 300-C's in Indy Hoosier Corps L#6 -- No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.441 / Virus Database: 268.18.2/692 - Release Date: 18/02/2007 16:35 ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Composite Video Connector
silvercreekvalley wrote: Hi, Does anyone have a spare composite video connector (for the RGB connector) lead for sale? I have a decent monitor which takes a composite video input I'd like to use but athough I do have a soldering iron, I'm having trouble finding the a matching DIN plug :) I don't unfortunately have a cable to spare but for just composite video you can get away with a standard 5 pin 180 degree Din plug. These are definitely available at maplins (http://www.maplin.co.uk). Hope that helps Phil ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] Composite Video Connector
I have a few new QL DIN plugs but the wiring will depend on the monitor you have. In message [EMAIL PROTECTED], silvercreekvalley [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes Hi, Does anyone have a spare composite video connector (for the RGB connector) lead for sale? I have a decent monitor which takes a composite video input I'd like to use but athough I do have a soldering iron, I'm having trouble finding the a matching DIN plug :) Thanks Ian. Expecting? Get great news right away with email Auto-Check. Try the Yahoo! Mail Beta. http://advision.webevents.yahoo.com/mailbeta/newmail_tools.html ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm -- Roy Wood Q Branch. 20 Locks Hill, Portslade, Sussex.BN41 2LB Tel: +44 (0) 1273 386030fax: +44 (0) 1273 430501 skype : royqbranch web : www.qbranch.demon.co.uk ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
Rich Mellor wrote: Has anyone written to Stuart? My understanding is that he threw everything away. Nasta did once try to get his hands on that stuff. Marcel ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] QL hardware and stuff
This isn't a reply to any specific email that's been sent to the list on this subject more a general comment on my thoughts about the QL 'scene' as it currently stands. My interest in the QL has recently been rekindled. Some years ago I decided that I had the money to invest in a more modern QL system - I couldn't stretch to the likes of a Q40 but did manage to buy a SGC and Aurora. Although my knowledge of the system was extremely rusty I did manage to get it up and running - installed SMSQ and some other software with the intention of developing some software. Unfortuantely, I found it extremely difficult to get information on how to do so without spending a fair amount of money. The pointer environment was (and still is) a complete mystery as far as programming is concerned. I even subscribed to QL Today but found that the articles, though good, either referred to previous articles that I didn't have or assumed a level of knowledge that I didn't know how to gain. The Aurora machine has now been sold on and has a very good new home with Neil Riley. With the recent mention of the lack of available hardware, I considered the possibility of maybe porting SMSQ to the Amiga platform. QDOS Classic is already available for the amiga and works well - though for some reason it will only work on my 68000 machine and not on the faster 68030. My thought was that at least some of the work has already been done by creating the necessary drivers etc for the Amiga hardware - these seem to have been implemented as add on 'roms' for the QDOS environment. Whether something like this would be possible I don't know - I need to download the source for SMSQ and brush up my 680x0 assembly - it seems on the face of it to be feasible though. As for developing programs for the QDOS or SMSQ - where should I start? I still have a black box QL with a gold card, I've managed to resurrect a couple of working DD floppies. I am primarily a C programmer on Unix type systems, getting and installing a working C development environment on a floppy based system probably isn't practical. I don't have available money to invest in hardware or any commercial emulators - a lack of funds was one of the reasons that the Aurora system was sold in the first place. It's also true to be said that any new software development should really be done on a system that can handle the best the QL has to offer, that means a fast CPU and high colour drivers. My black box QL can hardly be said to fall into that category! :-) [Incidentally Neil, if you're reading this, no I don't for one moment regret selling the Aurora to you!] So, the upshot of all this (and sorry for rambling on) is that although I am willing to put some time into developing software for the QL, it seems that I either have to spend a not insubstantial amount of money on either hardware (which isn't necessarily available) or something like QPC. The alternative is to try and port SMSQ to a hardware platform that I already have access to (the Amiga). Although I would love to do this and indeed will have a look to see if I can manage it I suspect that it's a task that is way beyond my capabilities. I think we have to face the fact that the QL is a dying breed - we're not going to get any new hardware due to costs, and new software is only going to be developed by those already developing software. Partly because of the cost of getting a 'modern' QL system and partly because learning how to program such a system seems to be very, very difficult due to a lack of tutorials or available documentation. Once again sorry for the rambling email - I just thought I'd throw in my 2p to an interesting discussion! Phil ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] win98se
Op Mon, 19 Feb 2007 22:04:17 +0100 schreef Dilwyn Jones [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Does it allow for, say, a 40GB hard drive to be seen as several smaller partitions by Windows 98SE, say 5 x 8GB partitions? As 40GB drives seem to be the smallest drives around now (looking at eBuyer site anyway) - at 25 pounds very cheap, it seems silly to put a 40GB drive on a Win98SE machine if it will only see a few GB and the rest goes to waste. Check the site of the disk brand for (free) partitioning software. I have my 200GB Matrox drive partitioned by Maxblast software downloaded from the Matrox site. W98SE has no problem accessing all the partitions, FAT32 from 5 up to 20GB. The only problem is that this software does not obey to the rules that the partition border should be on a cluster border. A Linux installer complained but W98 has no problem with it. For another disk I used Partition Magic but there are probably other (freeware) option available. Bob -- Gemaakt met Opera's revolutionaire e-mailprogramma: http://www.opera.com/mail/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
Re: [ql-users] win98se
Op Tue, 20 Feb 2007 00:23:38 +0100 schreef Bob Spelten [EMAIL PROTECTED]: I have my 200GB Matrox drive partitioned by Maxblast software downloaded from the Matrox site. Sorry, I meant Maxtor. I always confuse the two brands. Bob -- Gemaakt met Opera's revolutionaire e-mailprogramma: http://www.opera.com/mail/ ___ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.q-v-d.demon.co.uk/smsqe.htm
