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Re: How To Convert Apple II Disk Images Using an 8-bit Apple II Computer
I use Apple Disk Transfer between an Apple IIe and a PC
and it works great using a serial cable. The instructions with
the software describe how to set it up. You don't even need
to make a null modem.
--
--
William R. Strutts - wrstrutts1@home.com - Whatever!
C'est moi! http://www.facelink.com/wrstrutts
Just hacking away...
"Obsbedia2" <obsbedia2@aol.com> wrote in message
20010526220332.13287.00001026@ng-mn1.aol.com">news:20010526220332.13287.00001026@ng-mn1.aol.com...
> ___________________________________________________________
> : | | :
> |O| How To Convert Apple II Disk Images From The Internet |O|
> | | | |
> | | To Run On Real Apple II Computers | |
> |O| |O|
> | | By Using an *&^%$$# iMac and an Apple //E | |
> | | | |
> |O| by Jay Edwards, May 26, 2001 |O|
> :_|_______________________________________________________|_:
>
>
> _The Problem_
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Disk images of Apple II programs are common on the
> internet, but they do not run on real Apple II computers,
> only emmulators.
>
> I'm having my first success with using Disk Images of
> Apple II programs and I'm putting down what I've done for
> my benefit and the possible benefit of others.
>
> _What You'll Need_: A deforking program, a deimaging
> program, and a supply of formatted 5.25" floppy disks.
> I'm using:
>
> Fork Split v0.5
> UNIMAGE.PRO v0.1.
>
> Apple II files on the internet are available in two
> main types. There are ShrinkIt files and Disk Images.
> ShrinkIt files are the standard for Apple II computers, but
> the library for Disk Images is growing all the time because
> of the need of Apple II emmulator users on other platforms.
>
>
> _Why you'll need two programs
> if you use a Macintosh for downloading_:
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> The Macintosh computers do a bad thing. They add a
> resource file to every data file, hence "forked files."
> These forked files are unreadable by the Apple II's 8-bit
> software. Even ShrinkIt can not read them, only identify
> that they are there. Sounds bad, but don't give up--the
> Apple II has a long history of making the impossible possible.
>
> There are a few programs that separate the forked
> files. I'm having success with Fork Split, so I'm going
> to reference it here. Fork Split lets you select the
> forked file that you want and then select where you want
> the Data and Resource files to be written separately to.
>
> There are also programs that convert the Disk Image
> to a regular 5.25" floppy disk. Again, I'm having good
> luck with Unimage.Pro, so that's what I'll be basing my
> procedures on. Unimage.Pro will require that you know
> the pathname of your deforked data file, so write it
> down.
>
> Both programs are fast and easy. I wish that I had
> learned how to do this years ago.
>
> I'm going to suggest keeping the deforked disk
> images of favorite programs in a subdirectory on the hard
> drive. This has two benefits.
>
> _First_, it provides you with a backup of your favorite
> programs in case their floppy disks degrade and become
> unplayable.
>
> _Second_, while having the programs on the hard drive in
> their disk image form necessitates a little time and a
> formatted floppy disk to convert them, it could be a lot
> faster than finding that floppy, depending on how large a
> program library is and how well it's organized.
>
>
> _The Procedure_
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 1. Identify that the program that you want is a Disk
> Image. ShrinkIt program titles often end with ".SHK".
> Disk Images usually end with ".DSK", ".DSK.GZ", or ".ZIP".
> If the file ends with .DSK.GZ or .ZIP, then be sure to
> click on the file after downloading. The file will expand
> to a .DSK file or a folder containing .DSK files.
>
> 2. On a ProDOS, preformatted 3.5" floppy disk, drag the
> .DSK files to the ProDOS disk. I'm using an iMac, which
> doesn't have a floppy drive. I have a third party
> external floppy drive, but doesn't work with 800K disks, so
> I'm using a SuperDrive and card with my Apple //e. Owners
> of real Macintosh computers can use 800K disks just fine.
>
> 3. Insert the 3.5" floppy in the Apple IIe drive and
> launch Fork Split. I like to have a bunch of subdirectories
> ready to accept the Data and Resource files.
> 3a. Select the file to defork.
> 3b. Select the receiving subdirectory.
> 3c. Type in file type. Unless you know the file is a text
> file (.txt) or BASIC (.BAS), I'd suggest choosing BIN
> (Binary) as the file type.
> 3d. OPTIONAL -- Use the file searcher to write down the
> name of the data file. Fork Split adds "D." to the data
> file name, so unless your file name is 14 or 15 characters
> long, you probably already know the file and pathname.
> Longer pathnames will be truncated.
>
> 4. Exit Fork Split and run Unimage.Pro.
> 4a. Type in the data file's pathname.
> 4b. Type in the file type. Same advice as 3c.
> 4c. Insert a preformatted 5.25" floppy disk and press
> Return. You're done! Start enjoying your program!
>
>
> _Improvements_
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> Again, this is only my early successful attempts at
> Disk Image conversion. Other programs may be better, but
> this does work.
>
> There is a program for the Apple IIgs that quickly
> sets up the RAM disk to act as a real disk. It does this
> by setting the RAM to the correct size to convert disk
> images on to it. This should be possible on the 8-bit
> Apple II computers as well. This would eliminate the
> need for floppy disks for one-disk programs and speed up
> the deimaging as well.
>
> ][ Infinitum!
> ___________________________________________________________
> : | | :
> |O| never judge a person until you've |O|
> | | | |
> | | walked a mile in his shoes... | |
> |O| |O|
> | | ...that way, you're a mile away | |
> | | | |
> |O| and you have his shoes |O|
> :_|_______________________________________________________|_:
>
>