Re: Creating .dsk disk images ... and ADT mods

[Rubywand <rubywand@swbell.net>]

Andy writes ...
> 
> ADT (Apple Disk Transfer) from ......... I don't remember
 ....

     Paul Guertin


> creates .dsk files by transferring the disk image data directly from 
> the AII to the PC through a serial port.  I think this is a brilliant
> program, but the problem is that the util is limited to standard format
> disks.  Hope the authour continues his/(her?) fine work.
> 
> Perhaps you might be more up to date on this Ruby?


     Since Paul published the source code for the standard version of ADT, it
is not too difficult to make some changes.

     For instance, ADT could read a source diskette's Volume Number and offer
the option of placing the information in the file name. So, for a diskette
with Volume Number = 238, instead of sending, say, Xgame.dsk to the PC, you
would send Xgamq238.dsk.

     The format rule might be: if the last four characters before the "." in
a filename are a "q" followed by three digits, then, you have a Volume
Number. It would be up to your favorite emulator to use the information and
set Volume Number for the disk image to 238. (I do not know how difficult it
might be to modify popular emulator programs to use the Volume Number info.)

     Similarly, ADT could apply the Volume Number detection rule for .dsk
files moved from PC back to diskette on an Apple II.

     Though simple, this one change in ADT and .dsk naming conventions could
allow swapping in .dsk files for most .nib files currently maintained on
archive sites and make .dsk a significantly more useful archive format.


     Dealing with copy protected diskettes is a 'whole different ball game'.
In order to be sendable by ADT as a .dsk disk image, the copy protected
diskette would need to be converted into a deprotected disk image. Since this
kind of conversion can be fairly complicated to set up, ADT would become a
disk image transfer routine attached to a fairly hefty deprotection utility.

     What this boils down to is that it is a lot easier to handle
deprotection as an entirely separate task via directions from an issue of
Computist or some other source. This allows trying out a deprotected diskette
on your Apple II and being reasonably sure that you have a copy that works
before doing a .dsk transfer to PC.



Rubywand