Re: Disk Image Server Software?

[mjmahon@aol.com (Michael J. Mahon)]

Glenn Jones replied:

>"Michael J. Mahon" <mjmahon@aol.com> wrote in message
>20030405051254.23212.00000235@mb-cu.aol.com">news:20030405051254.23212.00000235@mb-cu.aol.com...
>> Glenn Jones asked:
>>
>> >Apple II Oasis allows a Apple II computer to connect to a PC and access
disk
>> >images like they were local ProDOS drives.
>>
>> Yes--a very useful capability.
>>
>> >Is there any software that would go the other way and let an emulator
>> >running on a PC access Apple drives? That could be accomodated over
>> >custom slot hardware/serial/parallel/LocalTalk/Ethernet IP whatever?
>>
>> That would involve writing another Disk ][ emulator that, instead of getting
>> nibbles from a disk image file, communicated with a real Apple II and asked
>> it to get the nibbles from a real Disk ][.  (It is necessary for the real
Apple II
>> to access the Disk ][, since its correct functioning is a critical real-time
>> control problem that cannot be overlapped with communication with the PC).
>
>Agreed, handling that at low a level would make it the most compatible...
>
>I tend to think of things these days in terms ot PRODOS and GS/OS where
>there is some oppertunity to implement a solution without doing handstands
>(as in with DOS 3.3). The idea is to provide an emulator or an Internal SOC
>(systemon a chip) with the capability of using native apple II disk devices
>(and other cards perhaps). The idea is a general expansion on how the
>Applicard communicated with the Apple II in a symbotic relationship....I was
>trying to extend that idea across multiple communications methods.... this
>all requires the ability to implement device drivers under the controling OS
>.....
>
>Still working the idea at a hi level......I need a PRODOS refresher (it has
>been about 15 years since I have spent quality time at the level
>required.....:o)

If you are willing to have the emulator access an attached Apple II-
Disk ][ combo as a block-level device, with no low-level access, then
this should be no more complex on the PC side than emulating an
Apple hard disk with a PC disk file.  Of course, this means that one
of the primary reasons for wanting to attach to a real Disk ][, using
copy-protected disks, would not work.

If you are using ProDOS, then the Oasis PC-server solution is a
fine one.  You can do anything you could do with a real Apple //e
(because you are doing it on a real Apple //e  ;-) and access disk
image files on the PC.  Unless you really need a IIgs, that does
everything that you want, right?

If you do need the IIgs, then you need someone to write a GSOS
driver for a pseudo-disk on a serially-connected PC.  There is,
unfortunately, no OS-independent solution.

-michael

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