Re: Trouble with DOS 3.3 FST under GS OS

[msc1983@mac.com (Matthew Carpenter)]

In article <20020710031803.03370.00000185@mb-md.aol.com>, mjmahon@aol.com
(Michael J. Mahon) wrote:

> Matthew Carpenter replied:
> 
> >In article <20020709193517.01605.00004447@mb-cg.aol.com>, mjmahon@aol.com
> >(Michael J. Mahon) wrote:
> >
> >> Matthew Carpenter wrote:
> >> 
> >> >   I'm not even alowed to format 5.25" disks as DOS 3.3, it's not an
> >> >option in the initialization dialog box.  I've made DOS 3.3 disks before
> >> >my IIGS stopped recognizing DOS 3.3 disks.  None of those disks which I
> >> >myself made the computer format for DOS 3.3 are being recognized.  
> >> >
> >> >   It has been going on now for a short while. I just recently installed a
> >> >program called DOS 3.3 copier so I could load DOS 3.3 programs from my
> >> >proDOS formatted hardisk instead of the 5.25" disks, but since my IIGS
> >> >wont recognize the disks I have no way of copying them or their contents
> >> >to my hard drive.
> >> 
> >> Perhaps you made DOS 3.3 disks by sector copying--that way the OS
> >> has no idea what format they are, and doesn't care.  FILE2DSK (sp?)
> >> and other image-to-disk programs use the same method, so file system
> >> is irrelevant.
> >> 

> This is interesting considering that the GS/OS DOS 3.3 FST is read-only.  ;-)
> 
I could swear I did it... but I guess maybe Im just not remembering things
right for some reason... I know that I have used Asimov II to make some
DOS 3.3 disks and those did mount under GS OS at one time(though they
don't want to now)

> >As far as the DOS 3.3 copier, I can't use it now because it needs to have
> >the DOS 3.3 FST working in order to work, which is not working so it
> >complains about how the disks are of no recognizable format. If GS doesn't
> >see the disks, then it won't either.  
> 
> Certainly the disk has to show up as a device, but many disk copiers
> are simply sector/block copiers that copy the disk exactly to another disk.
> It could even be a CP/M disk.  There is no _low-level_ format difference
> between DOS 3.3, CP/M, and ProDOS disks (except that DOS disks can
> have a non-default "Volume Number"--seldom, but occasionally needed).
> 
Oh well, this copier will not copy the disk(or multiple disks) to a file
unless GS OS can see the disk(s).

> So, usually, you can format a disk for ProDOS, then volume copy a DOS
> or CP/M disk image onto it.
> 
> >This DOS 3.3 copier is supposed to copy the disk to an image file, if a
> >game has multiple disks, it can copy them all into the one file, these
> >file can then be launched off a ProDOS drive by some loader application
> >that came with the copier which would make it so I would not need to pull
> >out my old 5.25" floppies every time I wanted to play one of my DOS 3.3
> >games.
> 
> Interesting.  Since all it needs is a disk image, there is no reason at all
> why it should care about the high-level disk format. Put another way,
> it should never have to read "files" from the disk, only sectors or blocks.
> I haven't used it myself--just noting the apparent inconsistency.
> 
> Of course, when the disk image is used, _then_ DOS 3.3 code (or
> something compatible with it) will be needed to make sense of the
> file system on the disk image--but I would expect this to be established
> by loading the DOS on the image as a function of the image "booter".
> 
hmm... Here is where I found this DOS 3.3 copier/booter software: 

http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/gsezine/GS.WorldView/v1996/Jul/Dos3.3.v2.2.SHK

http://www.apple2.org.za/gswv/gsezine/GS.WorldView/v1996/Jul/Dos3.3v2.2.SHK.INFO.txt
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