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Apple II FAQs File Utilities
The comp.sys.apple2 Usenet newsgroup Apple II FAQs originate from
the Ground Apple II archive, 1997-2000. Administrator: Steve Nelson
Csa2 FAQs-on-Ground ref: Csa2FLUTILS.txt rev022 1 January 2000
File Utilities
001- What are "binscii" files and how are they used?
002- What are .SHK files and how do I use them?
003- How do I get ShrinkIt or GS-ShrinkIt going on my Apple II?
004- How do I deal with the $00 type Apple II files I get on my Mac?
005- Can I create .ZIP files on my Apple II?
006- What are DSK, 2MG, ... disk image files and how do I use them?
007- Where can I get ShrinkIt, binscii, DSK2FILE, ASIMOV, etc.?
008- I have downloaded files in "gz" format? How do I use them?
009- Which programs can change ProDOS filetype?
010- What is Copy II Plus and where can I get it?
011- How do I use Copy II Plus to create and convert IMG files?
012- How do I write protect an emulator disk image?
From: Rubywand
001- What are "binscii" files and how are they used?
The term "binscii" comes from combining "binary" with "ASCII". A file in
binscii form has been changed so that it can be transmitted as text to/from net
servers and services which do not handle pure binary transfers.
Today, practically all servers can handle pure binary transfers; so,
binscii is no longer in popular use. However, quite a few old A2 files are
still in binscii form and binscii is used for files uploaded to
comp.binaries.apple2.
To convert binscii'd files to their un-biniscii'd form, you can use a
program named "BINSCII" or, on a GS, the New Desk Accessory named "GScii".
These programs can, also, create binscii files.
Note: Binscii is in no way related to Binary II. Binscii changes the entire
file into Text. Binary II is just a small block of bytes tacked onto the front
of a file, mainly to identify the file's filetype.
----------------------------
002- What are ShrinkIt (.SHK) files and how do I use them?
ShrinkIt files are the Apple II world's answer to .ZIP files in PC-ville.
An .SHK file is a file which contains one or more files which are almost always
in compressed form. Usually, they are produced by GS-ShrinkIt (also called
"GSHK" or "ShrinkIt-GS") or the Balloon NDA, or by 8-bit ShrinkIt. Some .SHK
files are produced by Macs; these may not always be compatible with A2 ShrinkIt
programs.
An .SHK file can be unshrinked by ShrinkIt even if it shows up on the
Apple II with a TXT or BIN filetype and even if the name does not end with
".SHK" or ".shk". If a ShrinkIt file does not show up as available for
unshrinking, you can toggle an "All files" option to see the file and then
select it. If an .SHK file has a Binary II header, ShrinkIt will automatically
remove it and assign the correct filetype. (Of course, this will usually be
SHK.)
Other kinds of ShrinkIt files include .SEA and .SDK. An Apple II .SEA
file is a IIgs executable self-extracting archive-- i.e. you can click it on
the GS Finder and it will unShrink. There are also Mac .SEA files and these are
not GS-compatible.
A ShrinkIt whole-disk archive is an .SHK file which is usually labeled
".SDK" to show that it is a Shrinked diskette. An .SDK file can archive a 3.5"
diskette (both sides) or 5.25" diskette (one side). Most are archives of 5.25"
DOS 3.3 diskettes produced by 8-bit ShrinkIt.
A whole-disk ShrinkIt archive retains all data bytes on a diskette,
including files, Catalog/Directory sectors, empty tracks, and DOS if present.
An .sdk file of a DOS 3.3 5.25" disk created by 8-bit ShrinkIt also preserves
volume number-- important for some games and utilities which depend upon volume
numbers to identify disks. (5.25" whole-disk archives created by GS-ShrinkIt do
not preseve volume number.)
8-bit/IIe ShrinkIt can be used to fully unshrink any Apple II .SHK file
_except_ .SHK files which contain files with GS/OS resource forks and .SEA
files. For this reason, 8-bit ShrinkIt should not be used to unshrink .SHK file
archives containing GS programs unless you know that none of the contained
files has a resource fork.
GS-ShrinkIt can handle nearly all kinds of Apple II .SHK and .SDK files.
It will not handle shrinked 5.25" DOS 3.3 .SDK files created by 8-bit ShrinkIt.
In fact, most users automatically use 8-bit ShrinkIt to create and unshrink
.SDK files of old 5.25" wares. (Balloon does not currently support whole-disk
archives.)
Naturally, things are somewhat more crowded on 64K Apple II's. On these
machines, the functions are separated. SHRINK creates .SHK files and UNSHRINK
unshrinks them.
On a PC, the utility Nulib (v3.24) lets you view contents and unshrink
most kinds of .SHK files. (There is a handy option to unshrink and convert
Apple II text files to PC text format.) It will not unshrink IIgs files with
resource forks.
Here is a simple one-line batch (text) file program for easily viewing the
contents of .shk files you download to a PC (just double-click on the file
name):
c:\nulib\nulib v %1 |more
The above is for Nulib.exe located in folder c:\nulib . Save the text as
nulibv.bat in c:\nulib and tell Windows to use c:\nulib\nulibv.bat as the
'application to perform action' for doing an Open. (You do this by selecting
View--Options in the My Computer window and editing the file type info for .shk
files.)
Nulib can also convert 5.25" .SDK files into .PO (ProDOS order) disk
images which can be used by Apple II emulators. This works for .SDK files
produced by 8-bit ShrinkIt but not for those produced by GS-ShrinkIt.
The unshrinking process is very speedy and the size of a compressed
ShrinkIt file is, often, around half that of the original files it contains.
This makes .SHK files very handy for archiving your software. And, since a
ShrinkIt file also preserves filetype information of contained files, ShrinkIt
has become the preferred format for uploading and storing Apple II files on the
internet.
----------------------------
003- How do I get ShrinkIt or GS-ShrinkIt going on my Apple II?
Getting GS-ShrinkIt v1.1
If you do not already have Balloon or an earlier version of GS-ShrinkIt,
there are several ways to get GS-ShrinkIt going once a file is downloaded and
transferred to your IIgs. Here are the two easiest ways:
A. The Self-Extracting (.sea) version
A IIgs .sea file is a IIgs application which self-extracts the file
contents when executed from the usual Finder desktop display. Since the file
gshk.sea will, most likely, arrive as a Text type file, you will need to change
the file's filetype to $B3 (S16) before it can be executed.
Several utilities can change ProDOS filetype. If you do not have one, you
can download tchange.bin and follow the directions* in tchange_info.txt to get
it going on your Apple II.
You can find GS-ShrinkIt in an .SEA file (e.g. gshk.sea) and tchange.bin
on several archive sites. One is Ground at
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/useful.stuff/.
B. The Shrinked Disk (.sdk) version
GSUTILS.sdk is a shrinked whole-disk file which can be unshrinked to 800k
3.5" diskette using 8-bit ShrinkIt (or GS-ShrinkIt). If booted, this diskette
starts a bare-bones System 6.0.1 and launches GS-ShrinkIt.
Besides GS-ShrinkIt, also on the disk (in .SHK files) are the ZLINK
shareware telecom utility and ASIMOV for converting .dsk files. Coolwriter (for
reading Text) is on the disk as a non-shrinked file. All of these can be copied
to hard disk or to other diskettes.
GSUTILS.sdk is available on Ground in the useful.stuff/ folder mentioned
above. If you need 8-bit ShrinkIt, the self-extracting version can be found on
the Texas II Appleworks site (see below) or in Ground's useful.stuff/ folder.
Getting SHRINK and UNSHRINK (for 64k Apples)
SHRINK and UNSHRINK permit 64k Apple II users to work with .SHK files.
These files are usually maintained in non-shrinked form. You can find them at
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/SHRINKITandGSHK/.
To get these utilities going on your Apple II, download SHRINK, UNSHRINK,
and SHRINK2PLUS.TXT. Once the files are transferred to your Apple II, follow
the directions* in SHRINK2PLUS.TXT.
*Note: If you download an Apple II file to a PC and transfer to a Mac and get
filetype $00 ("Unknown"), the process described in the directions will not
work when the $00 file is moved to your Apple II. One solution is a Mac utility
to set filetype to $04 (TXT). See ProTYPE info in the next Q&A below.
----------------------------
Getting 8-bit ShrinkIt
From: Beverly Cadieux
The easiest way to get the current (3.4) version of 8-bit ShrinkIt going
is via the self-extracting archive, SHRINK.EXE.
o- Download the file, (transfer to your Apple II if necessary,) and get into
AppleSoft BASIC (run BASIC.SYSTEM and get to the AppleSoft "]" prompt).
o- Be sure to set the ProDOS PREFIX to the location of SHRINK.EXE on your Apple
II. For example, if it is in the main directory of volume HD1, you would enter
PREFIX /HD1
o- Now, enter -SHRINK.EXE (that's a dash, then the file name):
-SHRINK.EXE
Shrinkit will self-extract, along with a documentation file. (ShrinkIt
v3.4 consists of two files. One is a small start file which may be named
"Shrinkit.System", "ShrinkitST.sys", or something similar. The other is the
main program file which must be named "Shrinkit".)
You can find SHRINK.EXE on the Texas II Appleworks site at
http://members.aol.com/A2MG/dl.html and in Ground's useful.stuff/ folder.
____________________________
From: Randy Shackelford
004- How do I deal with the $00 type Apple II files I get on my Mac?
Some II users like to download Apple II files to a PC and transfer them to
a Mac for eventual transfer to Apple II ProDOS diskettes. Unfortuantely, under
most circumstances, PC Exchange writes files onto ProDOS disks as extended
typeless ($00) files which are difficult to work with on the Apple II.
What you need is to get hold of a Mac application named "ProTYPE". You
drag 'n drop the files on ProTYPE, then copy 'em to the floppy. The files will
work then.
You can find ProTYPE on Ground at ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/Mac/ .
____________________________
From: Rubywand
005- Can I create .ZIP files on my Apple II?
The GS can unZIP .ZIP files via PMPunZip; but, at present, there is no
Apple II utility for creating modern .ZIP files.
----------------------------
From: Supertimer
Tony Marques wrote Angel, the fastest unzipping utility for the Apple II.
It can create zip files, but only one file per archive.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
006- What are DSK, PO, DO, NIB and 2MG "disk image" files and
how do I use them?
A "disk image" is a file containing every data byte on a diskette-- i.e.
Catalog tracks, files, DOS (if present) etc.. Apple II emulators running on a
PC, Mac, etc. treat disk image files like diskettes. Disk image files are also
a handy way to archive Apple II disks on hard disk and to maintain wares on ftp
and other download sites.
There are several disk image formats. DSK (usually .dsk) files are disk
image files used by popular Apple II emulators like AppleWin to run A2 wares on
the PC or Mac. Usually, they are images of Apple 5.25" game, utility, etc.
diskettes. A standard 5.25" DSK file is 143,360 bytes in length:
1 side x 35 Tracks/side x 16 Sectors/Trk x 256 Bytes/Sec = 143,360 Bytes.
DSK files of 800k 3.5" disks are much less common.
On Ftp sites, DSK files are usually in a ZIPped form to conserve space.
For example, on the Asimov site, narfgames.dsk.gz is a DSK file of the
narfgames disk which has been g-zip compressed. On a PC, WinZIP will unZIP
g-zipped DSK files into uncompressed form.
Once you have a true (uncompressed) DSK file it can be converted to actual
diskette form on an Apple II. You can use DSK2FILE or (GS-only) ASIMOV. If a
5.25" .dsk disk image file is transferred to your Apple II using ADT (or
ADTgs), it is automatically converted and written to 5.25" diskette.
Most 5.25" DSK (.DSK and .DO) files are of a DOS 3.3 or some related DOS
disk. The target diskette should be INITed for DOS 3.3. (or, it can be
formatted using Copy II Plus, etc.) and you should use the default DSK2FILE or
ASIMOV "DOS 3.3 Order" setting. If a disk image file has a .PO suffix, use the
DSK2FILE or ASIMOV "ProDOS Order" setting.
Note: In most cases it is okay to use either a DOS 3.3 or ProDOS formatted
diskette as the target (and; the target disk does not need to be empty of any
files). However, ProDOS formatting uses a default Volume Number of 1, which is
different from the DOS 3.3 default of 254. Since ProDOS stuff does not care
about Volume numbering and DOS 3.3 stuff may, the target disk should generally
be one INITed with the default Volume Number-- e.g. INIT HELLO .
Here is a quickie step-by-step guide for getting a 5.25" DSK disk image
file into useable form:
1. Download the file in binary mode from an ftp archive site via ftp:// ...
2. If file length is not 143,360, use WinZIP or equivalent to unZip it.
3. Transfer the DSK file to your GS via Mac diskette or a NULL modem transfer.
One way or another, the file needs to end up on a ProDOS diskette or ProDOS
hard disk volume on the GS.
4. If you are using DSK2FILE, jot down the complete path name of the DSK file
(e.g. /RAM5/NARFGAMES.DSK ) because DSK2FILE will ask you to type it in.
5. Insert the formatted 5.25" target diskette into Drive 1 (Slot 6). This
diskette needs to be 16-sector formatted. Plain DOS 3.3 formatting with the
default Volume number is, generally, best and easiest. (You can boot a DOS 3.3
or Prontodos disk and do an INIT HELLO to format a 5.25" diskette.)
6. Start DSK2FILE or ASIMOV. Normally, you will accept the defaults (5.25", DOS
3.3 order). If you know the DSK is a ProDOS image in ProDOS order-- like the
file name ends with ".PO", select "ProDOS Order". (ProDOS disk images are,
fairly often, in DOS order to make them more universally transferable.)
7. Select the "Image file ---> Diskette" option, follow prompts, and you should
end up with a good diskette. (If everything seemed to go well but the disk does
not work, try repeating the process using the other "Order" option.)
DSK2FILE and ASIMOV can, also, create disk image (.dsk or .po) files.
Similarly, using ADT to transfer a 5.25" disk automatically creates a .dsk disk
image on the PC. The source disk can be for a game, etc. so long as the
diskette is not copy protected.
Note: DOS 3.3 products which depend upon Volume numbering to identify diskettes
will normally not work in disk image form on an Apple II emulator because
Volume number information is embedded in non-data parts of a disk and is not
included in a standard .dsk disk image file.
Some copy protected diskettes can be converted to another kind of disk
image called "NIB" using Saltine's Super Transcopy. SST incorporates Copy II
Plus routines to attempt to produce a nibblized disk image of a 5.25" diskette.
If successful, you have a .nib file which can be used like a diskette on some
popular Apple II emulators. The standard length of a .nib file is 232,960
bytes.
Today, more and more IIgs software is being converted to 2MG disk image
format used on XGS IIgs emulators. You can use DSK2FILE v5.5 to convert .2mg
files back to diskette form as well as for creating .2mg files from 800k
diskettes.
----------------------------
From: lachlan_arnott
On a Mac, you can use MacGzip to unZIP g-zipped (.gz) DSK files into
uncompressed form.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
007- Where can I get ShrinkIt, Shrink (64k), Unshrink (64k),
GS-ShrinkIt, binscii, GScii, BISCIT, TCHANGE, DSK2FILE, ASIMOV,
PMPunZip, Angel, FileManager, 2qwk!, GZPK, Copy II Plus,
NuLib, Balloon, DskIn & DskOut, and ProTYPE?
You can download
ShrinkIt v3.4 or later ("8-bit ShrinkIt") at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/useful.stuff/ as binscii file
and self-extracting archive
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/SHRINKITandGSHK/
http://members.aol.com/A2MG/dl.html as self-extracting archive
Shrink (v2.1) for 64k Apple II's at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/SHRINKITandGSHK/
http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/Utilities/ in .zip
Unshrink (v2.1) for 64k Apple II's at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/SHRINKITandGSHK/
http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/Utilities/ in .zip
GS-ShrinkIt ("ShrinkIt-GS", "GSHK") at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/useful.stuff/ as .sea, .sdk,
and binscii
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/SHRINKITandGSHK/
as .sea
GScii NDA at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple16/System/Ndas/
BISCIT ("BSC-It") at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/useful.stuff/
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
TCHANGE at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/useful.stuff/
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
DSK2FILE (v4.x or later for a 128k //e or later Apple II;
version 3 or earlier for 64k Apple II's) at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/DSK2FILE/
v3, v4.3, v5.5, v5.6
ftp://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Utilities/DSK2FILE/
v3, v4.3, v5.5, v5.6
http://www.geocities.com/oneelkruns/index.html
current version (e.g. v5.6)
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/Emulators/ v5.5 and v5.6
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple8/Utils/ v2.1
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/utility/
early version as EXEC-able Text file
ASIMOV at ...
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/utility/disk_utils/
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/Emulators/
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
PMPunZip at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple16/Com/Utils/
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
Angel at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/apple8/Pgms/ as .shk
ftp://ftp.uni-kl.de/pub/apple2/archivers/ as .bsq
FileManager NDA at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple16/System/Ndas/
2qwk! at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple8/Com/
GZPK at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/2/apple2/apple8/Com/
Copy II Plus (various versions) at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
as ShrinkIt .sdk files
ftp://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Utilities/ as ShrinkIt .sdk files
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/utility/disk_utils/
as ShrinkIt & disk images
Nulib at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/ v3.24 in .zip
ftp://apple2.caltech.edu/pub/apple2/ARCHIVERS/ v3.24
as ibmnulib.zip
http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/Utilities/ v3.24 in .zip
Balloon v2.0 at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
ftp://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Utilities/
DskIn & DskOut at ...
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/ as .zip file
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/utility/ as .zip files
http://www.grin.net/~cturley/USA2WUG/Utilities/ as .zip file
ProTYPE for Macs at ...
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/Mac/
You can also obtain several of the above in collections on a ShrinkIt .sdk
whole-disk file, emulator .dsk disk image, and/or emulator .nib disk image:
TNILUTIL (.sdk, .dsk, .nib) bootable DOS 3.3
DOS 3.3 version of Copy II Plus Disk Muncher fast copier
Beagle's Program Writer Joystick checker/adjuster
Graphics viewer plus a few other programs
PDUTIL (.sdk, .dsk, .nib) bootable ProDOS v1.9
ProDOS/DOS Copy II Plus utilities Beagle's Program Writer
Block Warden block editor Graphics viewer
plus a few other programs
PDSHRINKITS (.sdk, .dsk) bootable ProDOS v1.9
8-bit ShrinkIt v3.4 (128k) 8-bit Shrink v2.1 for 64k
8-bit Unshrink v2.1 for 64k Type Changer
BINSCII w. docs plus a few other programs
PDTCOM (.sdk, .dsk) bootable ProDOS v1.9
DSK2FILE (v5.5) UU decode w. docs
Comm System 8 telecom utility plus a few other programs
ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/useful.stuff/Disks/
ftp://tarnover.dyndns.org/cabi/Utilities/
and ... Applications/Telcom/
ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/
and ... Applications/Telcom/
----------------------------
008- I have downloaded a bunch of files for the Apple II
lately that are in a format called GZ. I understand it
is some variation of Zip but I don't have a translator for
it on my GS. Does anyone know where I can find one?
Files downloaded from Asimov, mod files, and some others are, often, in GZ
"g-zipped" format and usually have the .gz file name extension (like
narfgame.dsk.gz). If you download the files to a PC, you can use the Windows
version of PKZip (WinZIP) to unzip the file.
Usually, once unzipped, an Asimov GZ image file will end up as a 143,360
byte DSK file. The file may be moved to your Apple via NULL modem and converted
to Apple-readable diskette form using DSK2FILE or (GS-only) ASIMOV.
If you download a GZ file directly to your Apple you can use a program
named "GZPK" v2 to convert it from gzip form to a zip format which can be
unzipped via PMPUnzip 2.0 or Angel. A GZ file from the Asimov site should end
up as a DSK file.
----------------------------
From: Byron Desnoyers Winmill
On a Macintosh, the same job (as WinZIP on a PC) can be accomplished with
the StuffIt Expander and the DropStuff Expander Pack. These can be found on
most Macintosh related ftp sites, including Link Everything Online at
http://www.leo.org/pub/comp/os/macintosh/leo/compressconvert/index.html
____________________________
From: Slick
009- Which programs can change ProDOS filetype?
I prefer More Info or Disk Witch, myself. I'll go through a list of stuff
on my hard drive to manipulate filetypes:
DAs:
Alter (NDA)
Conchshell (CDA)
Disk Witch (CDA)
File Manager (NDA)
File Info2 (NDA)
File Info Edit (NDA)
Super Info II (NDA)
Utilities CDA (CDA), not very good
Finder Extras:
More Info
GS/OS Applications
Instant Access
File Passage
ProDOS 8
FAZ II (File Attribute Zap II)
----------------------------
From: Boris Guenter
File-A-Trix by Karl Bunker should do the job. Best of all, the latest (and
last) version 1.1.1 of this program is freeware.
Since I had a few troubles with the latest version, I have made both version
1.1 and 1.1.1 available in the gs/utils/files folder on ftp.uni-kl.de
Try them both and find out which version works best for you.
----------------------------
From: Tony Ward
I also prefer File-A-Trix. It performs a wide variety of functions including
copy, move, delete, rename, catalog, make new folder, set file attributes
(lock, unlock, filetype, auxtype), find file, format (floppy only), view text,
Teach and AWP files. Best of all, it's a CDA that works from GS/OS and ProDOS
8, although there are some restrictions under P8 (ie. no HFS disk access, no
viewing forked Teach files, etc.)
----------------------------
From: Gareth Jones
I use either File-A-Trix, Change-A-File 4.20, or Deliverance (part of the
Salvation Utilities).
----------------------------
From: Rubywand
Some programs which can be used to change filetype are ...
Jeff Hartkoph's File Manager- a GS NDA which lets you change Type, Auxtype,
Date, and Access attributes. It is handy for modifying several files in quick
succession.
Paul Parkhurst's PMPunZip- a GS application which includes an option for
changing Type, Auxtype, and Access attributes. (In the File menu click on
Modify File Attributes.)
Glen Bredon's ProSel (ProDOS 8 utilities)
Roger Wagner's Filetype Changer- a vintage BASIC utility which lets you change
just the Type. A BRUN-able .BIN version is on Ground. (This is good enough for
getting the GS-ShrinkIt .SEA file's filetype set correctly so that it can
self-extract.)
----------------------------
From: Beverly Cadieux
And a biggie - AppleWorks v5.1-> File Activities, Change File Type.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
010- What is Copy II Plus and where can I get it?
Copy II Plus is the best general purpose utility for copying disks and
managing files on DOS 3.3 and ProDOS diskettes. Good versions which handle both
DOS 3.3 and ProDOS files are 7.x - 8.x.
Note: Versions 9.x require at least a 128k Enhanced //e and have a few notable
bugs. Version 9.0's Catalog Sort option can mess up your directory. Neither
version 9.0 nor 9.1 works correctly with the /RAM5 RAM disk. The best added
feature of Version 9.x is being able to compare files.
No version of Copy II Plus will copy files which include a resource part,
usually called a "resource fork". In some cases the copy may seem to be
successful; but, it will be a mess. Only some, relatively new, IIgs files
include a resource fork. No DOS 3.3 files or files intended for access under
ProDOS 8 have resource forks.
The most versatile releases of the utility are, probably, Versions 7.1 and
7.2. They include the capability for creating disk images. The images are not
compatible with popular emulators; but, they are a handy way to archive DOS 3.3
disks on a hard disk.
You can download Copy II Plus in a ShrinkIt shrinked disk (.sdk) file from
the Apple Cabi.net archive at ftp://24.96.48.134:6502/Cabi_Archives/Utilities/.
You can also find the DOS 3.3 and ProDOS versions on Ground in .sdk and
.dsk files at ftp://ground.ecn.uiowa.edu/apple2/useful.stuff/Disks/ .
Asimov maintains more versions of Copy II Plus. Mostly, these are in
Zipped disk image (.dsk.gz) form at
ftp://ftp.apple.asimov.net/pub/apple_II/images/utility/disk_utils/. On a PC,
use WinZip to get a pure .dsk file. To use the .dsk file on an Apple II,
transfer it and use DSK2FILE to convert the .dsk file to a diskette.
____________________________
From: tturner, Rubywand, Greg Buchner, Labelas Enoreth
011- How do I use Copy II Plus to create and convert IMG files?
First, to the best of my knowledge, only versions 6.x and 7.x of Copy II
Plus can create a disk image file (called an "IMG" file). The feature was gone
by version 8, for sure.
To create an IMG file you COPY--> DISK to an over-size target volume.
Versions 6 and 7 will create a type "IMG" file instead of complaining about a
"size mismatch" (which is what other versions of Copy II Plus do). It is fairly
common to end the name of the new IMG file with ".img".
Doing the opposite lets you convert an IMG file back to diskette. That is,
you select the COPY --> DISK option and pick the large volume with the IMG file
as Source and a blank unformatted 5.25" diskette in the Slot 6, Drive 1 drive
as Destination. You pick an IMG file on the Source volume and it is transferred
to the diskette.
Copy II Plus IMG files are not compatible with DSK2FILE or ASIMOV and will
not work on emulators such as AppleWin. Also, not all files ending with ".img"
are Copy II Plus disk image files. I have seen ".img" (and ".image") used for
DiskCopy disk image files.
____________________________
From: Rubywand
012- I'm using an Apple II emulator to play games. The game directions
say the boot disk must have a write protect tab. How do I write
protect a disk image?
You set the .dsk (.po, .nib, etc.) file's attributes so that the file is
Read Only. Under Windows on a PC, you can right-click on the file name, select
Properties, and checkmark "Read-only".
----------------------------
From: Jon Bettencourt
On a Mac, you select the file, go up to File --> Get Info..., and click on
"Locked."