Re: Getting started with MicroDrive / ProDos

[schmidtd <schmidtd@my-deja.com>]

On Nov 12, 8:53 pm, savant42 <jbrash...@gmail.com> wrote:
> I just received my MicroDrive for my Apple IIe. I'd like to start
> playing around with it and adding disk images, but I'm afraid I'm a
> bit of a greenling.

It does sound like you're a little confused.  You can't add disk
images directly to a ProDOS volume and expect to be able to use them
in any real way.  Yes, you can copy the files - but a .dsk file is a
binary image of a whole 'nother disk.  So it doesn't work to copy that
to a ProDOS partition.

Also, when you copied the individual files off of the indy.dsk using
CiderPress, you transplanted code that expected the Pascal "operating
system" to be running underneath it.  You booted the IIe with ProDOS,
but then tried to run the Indiana Jones Pascal code... that's not
going to work either.  That's the moral equivalent of running a Mac OS
6 app on Intel OSX.  Well, maybe a TRSDOS app on CP/M.  Yes, they're
just files... but they expect different services and stuff to be
available underneath them.  You'll run into the same problems if you
transplant DOS 3.3 games to your MicroDrive.  Some singe-file games
may actually work; but anything that wants to load up another file or
access the disk will fail.

So the thing to keep in mind is that your MicroDrive device is running
under the auspices of ProDOS.  It can host and run ProDOS files an
applications with aplomb.  If you veer off into other operating
systems, there is danger ahead.  I imagine it is possible, though I
don't know how, to build a Pascal partition; and I'm pretty sure you
can use DOS.MASTER to build some DOS 3.3 compatibility.

Your CF card will be especially good for ProDOS files and
directories.  If you want to dabble with DOS 3.3 and DOS.MASTER, the
docs for that are here:
http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/a2zine/System/DosMaster_docs.txt