Re: prodos utility question

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

Adalbert Goertz <be404@yfn.ysu.edu> wrote:

> When I use a prodos utility like copy2+ to catalog disks
> I get often NOT A PRODOS OR DOS DISK.
> That doesnt say much.

Copy II+ only supports ProDOS and DOS 3.3, so it can't tell you much
more (short of dumping the first few sectors of the disk in raw hex
mode, and tell the user to work it out for themselves).

> Is there a utility which goes one step further and would tell me
> what I have? like Pascal or what?

The latest version of the Apple II System Utilities program, which is
supplied on the Apple II System Disk (NOT the IIgs system disk) and
requires an enhanced IIe, IIc or IIgs can catalog ProDOS, DOS 3.3 and
Pascal disks.  It might even be able to catalog CP/M disks.

There is also a shareware program called CHAMELEON which can copy files
between all four file systems.

Other possibilities:

- It might be a really old 13-sector (DOS 3.2.1 or earlier) DOS disk.
The MUFFIN utility program on a DOS 3.3 system master can copy files
from these disks to a DOS 3.3 disk.

- It might be a self-booting program disk for a game (or occasionally
other types of application), or a data disk of some kind, and doesn't
contain a file system at all.  There is no way to catalog these types of
disk.

- It could be a partially copy-protected DOS 3.3 disk which has moved
the catalog to a different track.  Getting a catalog of such a disk
would require a patched version of DOS 3.3.

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