Re: .DSK images with 40 tracks?

[steve@dosius.zzn.com (Dosius)]

Holger Picker <pickerh@uni-muenster.de> wrote in message news:<Pine.A41.4.44.0303130010300.140132-100000@zivunix.uni-muenster.de>...
> On 12 Mar 2003, Dosius wrote:
> 
> > Date: 12 Mar 2003 14:09:26 -0800
> > From: Dosius <steve@dosius.zzn.com>
> > Newsgroups: comp.sys.apple2
> > Subject: Re: .DSK images with 40 tracks?
> >
> >
> > I'd like to see an extension (160K DO?), maybe just a file-size check
> > on DSK images to autodetect 40-tracks.
> >
> > -uso.
> >
> 
> Hi Dosius,
> 
> how about introducing 40 track disk images to Dapple][ then? May I suggest
> the following, please:
> i) Implement a flag via the disk menu that allows to switch between a 35 and
> a 40 track disk drive. Let's say it's called drive3540flag.
> ii) Do a simple file size check to determine whether a .dsk (.do, .po) image
> has got 35 ot 40 tracks and set up a second flag accordingly. Let's call this
> one disk3540flag.
> iii) Put in a third flag that gets true whenever the disk drive _writes_ to
> a track > 34. This is to convert a once 35 track disk image to a 40 track
> disk image if necessary. Call this one write40.
> iv) When storing a disk image, check a) the disk3540flag. Is it true, then
> always store as a 40 track disk image. b) Otherwise if 'write40' is set,
> also store the disk as a 40 track disk image. c) If neither is true, it's
> still a good old fashioned .dsk 35 track image as before.
> Perhaps we could see something like this in the next release of Dapple][?

I'll try.  >35 track disks were not uncommon, if even Copy ][+ can do
36 tracks.

> 
> Another thing I'd like to know: Is there a disk format somewhere used by
> emulators which stores a disk as a 80 half-track disk image? (May be
> compared to the .G64-format used by C64 emulators.) 

Hm, not AFAIK... :\  But we can modify NIB to do that, even if we get
512K disk images :\

> The point is: even the
> .nib format does not allow you to store programs that use half tracks as a
> copy protection. A 80 half-track disk image could be used to store almost
> everything ever put on a disk as a file for the emulators. 

I know.  It would be real cool to have a disk format, 80 half tracks
in NIB-6250 format, which could do anything a real disk ][ could do.

> I personally
> would love to see old programs run on emulators as they were meant to run by
> the authors. (Sorry, but I'm not a friend of these "cracker screens" etc.)

Me neither.  Blasted 13370-h4x0rs. :E

> Of course, there would still be the problem of how to get the original disk
> to the PC/Macintosh... I'm afraid, I don't know anything about that. All I
> could do is to take care about an "accurate" disk emulation. Any ideas 
> someone?

I'm still trying to figure that out myself ;)

If you have a IIgs and a Mac, you might be able to image a disk onto
an 800K ProDOS disk, read it on the Mac and transfer it over to a DOS
disk or to the Internet from there.  (I did do some file transfer with
an 800K disk and Bernie ][ back in '99, BTW) :)

> Kindest regards
> 
>   Holger

-uso.
Mata BETONAMU na no?!