Re: Is GS/OS 6.0.1 MS-DOS FST available?

[dempson@atlantis.actrix.gen.nz (David Empson)]

In article <3pirbr$o4t@newsbf02.news.aol.com>,
Netco King <netcoking@aol.com> wrote:
> I have a question regarding GS/OS 6.0.1.  Is there a MS-DOS FST available
> for GS/OS 6.0.1 which will allow the reading and writing of MS-DOS
> double-density diskettes?

No.  The MS-DOS FST supplied with System 6.0.1 can read MS-DOS disks,
but not write to them.  You require a disk drive that is physically
compatible with the disk you want to read (e.g. a SuperDrive,
Floptical, BlueDisk with PC 3.5" drive, etc.)

Peter Watson wrote a set of shareware utilities that can also write to
MS-DOS disks, given compatible hardware.

> Can Apple 3.5" 800K drives (non-UniDisk, of course) physically read
> MS-DOS 720K diskettes, or are the drives incapable of this task?

Yes and no.  Under normal circumstances, no.  With special hardware,
such as PC Transporter, yes, but only when the PCT is running in PC
mode, and there are limitations (speed, and formatting an MS-DOS disk
may result in a disk which cannot be read by a real PC).  When the PCT
is running as an Apple II disk controller, it can only access GCR
disks (800k Apple format) in the 3.5" drive.

> BTW, I don't have the 6 setup disks for GS/OS, so if _there_is_ a MS-DOS
> FST on one of them, please specify which disk it is.  Thanks for any info.

You should use the Installer to install anything from the five-disk
System 6.0.1 install set.  I've never paid much attention to which
disk any individual component is on.  The MS-DOS FST is probably on
SystemTools1 or SystemTools2.

-- 
David Empson
dempson@actrix.gen.nz
Snail mail: P.O. Box 27-103, Wellington, New Zealand