#: 9869 S2/Tutorials 19-Mar-91 23:55:46 Sb: MFF1 to MFF0 help! Fm: PaulSeniura 76476,464 To: all I have a little bit of good news, if it holds up! Someone has bothered to help us make a Std MIDI File format converter based on the program he wrote for CP/M on the Commodore Adam computers, written in "Small C" with some assembler for speed and efficiency (I wonder why :-). He's on CIS and I'll be checking once in a while for something in my in-basket. They've had such a program for some time it turns out. Everyone else seems to be keeping it a secret, cuz I have asked 'til I'm blue in the face (*not* a reflection of the blue OS9 window I am logged on with! :-). Well, being the "realist" that I am -- "realistically pessemistic" -- I'm still going to prepare myself to reinvent the wheel ONCE AGAIN . I am uploading another article that requires all the expertises anyone here can muster-up. The help I need is OS9-specific and not really MIDI-specific at all. I'm thinking we can spawn subtasks that'd run copies of the same subroutine, passing back SMF chunks of MIDI info inside the Format-1 tracks to the main task for deciding how to sort the tracks together into a CMF output file. I'm going to attempt a text drawing of what I mean and upload it. If you can help me, please download it. It'll probably be too big to fit in a forum message for CIS but maybe on Delphi it'd fit, eh? I'll put it up on both, so don't think you're seeing double! Again it'll be for personal use only and I again will thank you beforehand for your trouble in helping me! I guess I'll call this article something like MF1TO0.ART for "MIDIfile Format-1 to -0 Article". Please look for it. I do hope the CP/M C sources will do the job, but just in case it doesn't, this article will tell enough of what we'd like to attempt to do. Kinda new territory here. If we can get this done, the *only* thing we have left to gripe about is that we can't undo LHARC'd files, and some other formats like SIT, ZOO, etc., to get access to SMFs around the world. -- Thx, Paul Seniura. #: 9897 S2/Tutorials 22-Mar-91 16:56:34 Sb: #DISK DRIVES Fm: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 To: HELLO PROFILE Hi, I have recently obtained Level-2, Multi-Vue, and the Rainbow Guide to Level 2. I've had problems with acessing the otherside of my disks. Q. How does one overcome this problem? I am using the Disto Mini-Controller 1. In config; "The 40 and 80 cylinders", what does it mean and how is it possible? Many thanks. . . There are 2 Replies. #: 9919 S2/Tutorials 23-Mar-91 22:47:26 Sb: #9911-DISK DRIVES Fm: Bob Palmer 74646,2156 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 (X) Assuming of course that you have double sided disk drives and that all wires in the cable (and pins in the connectors) are in place then all you need to do is build a boot disk with the descriptors for 40 track double sided disks. You do not have 80 track capable drives if you have been running RSDOS on them. Here I have 2 40 track and 1 80 track 2 siders. The 80 track is a 5 1/4 some days and a 3 1/2 on others. Have not gotten around to making one or the other permanent and the 3 1/2 will probably see very little use until I move to OSK. For downloading - no problem in OS9 or RSDOS or even MSDOS so long as you have the software to swap files from one format to another. Several programs here to do that. Bob P. #: 9935 S2/Tutorials 24-Mar-91 11:54:28 Sb: #9911-DISK DRIVES Fm: Pete Lyall 76703,4230 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 (X) FRank - Depends... if you have an OS9 terminal program that will download (such as Sterm or Xcom9), then you're miles ahead. If you only have RS-DOS stuff, then you can use a program called DOSOR9 in DL10 to get it from RSDOS disk to OS9 disk. Additionally, you may need the 'ar.doc' and 'ar09.bin' files in DL9. These allow os9 'ar'chives to be decompressed and unpacked. Pete #: 9933 S2/Tutorials 24-Mar-91 11:13:27 Sb: #Hard Drives Fm: Brother Jeremy, CSJW 76477,142 To: All Can anyone reccomend a hard drive to use with the DISTO SC-2 and 4-in-1 board? I often see adds for Seagate 225N HD's. Would this work as is, or do I still need a seperate controller. I believe that the N seri es have embedded controllers. Anyone who is using such a setup, I would like to hear from you. (Boy that is terrible grammar) I would like to buy a hard drive at Rainbowfest next month. I would like to have a 40track double-sided floppy with a hard drive, if that makes any differece. I have DISTO's 4-in-1 board in my supercontroller 2. Could anyone recommend a Hard Disk (scsi compatable)? Would an Seagate 225N with controller work? Or do I have to have a seperate controller. I hope to be able to buy one at Rainbowfest next month, so any vendors out there or people with hardware to sell, plesa There is 1 Reply. #: 9934 S2/Tutorials 24-Mar-91 11:53:37 Sb: #9933-#Hard Drives Fm: James Jones 76257,562 To: Brother Jeremy, CSJW 76477,142 (X) Well...after looking around, and asking folks, I've settled on getting one of the Quantum 105 Mbyte 3.5" SCSI drives. Embedded controller, tiny little thing (only 1" high), 15 ms average seek time, and $385 according to an ad in the latest *Computer Shopper*. (No doubt closer to $400 with shipping etc.) That's what I hope to install on my MM/1 when it arrives. There is 1 Reply. #: 9948 S2/Tutorials 24-Mar-91 16:40:59 Sb: #9934-Hard Drives Fm: Brother Jeremy, CSJW 76477,142 To: James Jones 76257,562 (X) Thank you for your response. I will start looking through the adds. I would still like to hear what others are using. In fact I would like to see a hardware survey of all users. For example: I have a COCO 3 with Disto 512k, Multi-Pak, SC-2, 4-in-1 board, 2 FD-501 drives, 1200 baud modem CM-8 monitor, and over 700 floppies of programs. #: 10054 S2/Tutorials 30-Mar-91 07:32:31 Sb: #DISK DRIVES Fm: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 To: PETE LYALL 76703,4230 (X) Hi Pete, Thanks for your reply. As for OS9 Term programs, I can't beleive I might someday have to give-up my present program "V-Term". I hope something in OS9 can atleast match it. I have lots of time before I get ready for that. I'm still a preschooler in OS9. I downloaded your suggested disk drives program from the library but can run it. I must need to get into ar.doc (and/or?) ar09.bin and DOSOR9. This will take time. I wanted to let you know that I'm still pluggin away. Thanks and have a nice Easter. There is 1 Reply. #: 10064 S2/Tutorials 30-Mar-91 21:55:55 Sb: #10054-DISK DRIVES Fm: Pete Lyall 76703,4230 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 (X) FRank - Glad you're still plugging. If you can give us specific symptoms, we can probably lend a hand.... Pete #: 10055 S2/Tutorials 30-Mar-91 07:39:26 Sb: DISK DRIVES Fm: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 To: BOB PALMER 74264,237 Hi Bob, I kinda thought that I should choose 40 track. I want to let you know, I'm sooooo new to OS9 that I might be considered a preschooler. You've got your work cut out for you. Before I start, what is OSK? Now, after reconfig, I formatted a disk in /d1, all went well, showed number of sectors in a strange format and showed much free space avail under the FREE command. Went to format /d3 and get Error msg #221, Format /devname , etc. Found in book to call /d3 (/d1 2), like calling it drive 1.5. Am I right so far? Anyway get Error #207. If I try to reformat /d1, get Error #207. Must be rewrite protect, for both sides?? Does this mean Drive 3 was formatted along with Drive 1. I just love getting in over my head!! Also, I can't open Help file or Error msg. file. I'm sure everyone but me knows. Well, what do you think. HAVE A NICE EASTER BOB. Thanks - - #: 10125 S2/Tutorials 05-Apr-91 19:50:10 Sb: DISK DRIVES Fm: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 To: PETE LYALL 76703,4230 (X) TO: PETE LYALL 76703,4230 PETE; WE DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT I CANNOT ACCESS THE FLIP SIDE OF MY FLOPPIES. YOU SAID TO DOWNLOAD DMODE.AR, WHICH I DID. I TAKE IT FROM YOUR MESG. DTD. 24 MAR, THAT I NEED TO GRAB DOSOR9 FROM DL10 WHICH I WILL DO NOW. BOB PALMER SUGGESTED THAT I RE-CONFIG AND CHOOSE 40 TRACK. I DID. I GET ERROR MSG. 221 "FORMAT /DEVNAME . WHEN I TRY TO FORMAT THE FLIP AS IN /D3 OF /D1. MY QUESTION NOW IS, WITH 40 TRACK, DURING , IS BOTH SIDES AUTOMATICALLY FORMATTED FROM THE COMMAND ??? CATCH YOU LATER - FRANK #: 10138 S2/Tutorials 06-Apr-91 20:46:32 Sb: #10055-DISK DRIVES Fm: Bob Palmer 74646,2156 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 Now I am lost too. You say"went to format /d3 and got error msg "221." The error translates as MODULE NOT FOUND. If you were to do an MDIR I suspect that you will not find a module by the name od D3. This means that you do not have a descriptor for a drive called /d3. (normall - ooh - butcher job of editing. (normally /d3 is the fourth drive ie /d0 /d1 /d2 /d3 and unless you want to become a hardware guru stsy away from trying to have more than 3 double dided drives ) Remember - you can only format drives for which the computer has a descriptor in your system right now you have probably got /d0 /d1 and /dd yes? /dd is usually an alter ego for /d0 but can be the hard disk or anything else. what do the descriptors you have contain? they must correspond to the physical hardware - ie if /d0 is single sided then the descriptor has to say so if /d1 is double sided likewise. Please remember - double sided OS9 disks are NOT like under RSDOS - there is ONLY ONE DISK. ie /d1 being double sided 40 tracks will have 1440 sectors (decimal) arranged alternately fron one side to the other on the diskette. The drive can read and write and format single sided diskettes (to format you first use dmode)9 to read or write just stuff it in. Does this make sense to you? re error and help - in the /d0 SYS directory do you have the files ERRMSG and HELPMSG? do you have the commands error and help in your commands directory? What happens when you type error 221 ? #: 10149 S2/Tutorials 07-Apr-91 09:13:07 Sb: #10055-DISK DRIVES Fm: Bill Dickhaus 70325,523 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 Frank, To add a couple of things to Bob's reply: Error 207 means there's not enough free memory to run the format command. Do you have a bunch of utilities loaded? How much RAM do you have in your CoCo? Format will only format the drive specified on the command line. Bill #: 10647 S2/Tutorials 11-May-91 19:32:17 Sb: #DISK DRIVES Fm: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 To: BOB PALMER 74646,2156 (X) Hi Bob; I'm still around, however, I just don't have enough time to devote to the nuts & bolts department. I do get much use from this thing in part-time bis. records & billings + many other projects. My "config" as it stands to date: have installed 40 track on my disk as pointed out. I have ddd0 35s, /d0 40d, /d1, /d2. Guess I don't need /d2 do I? And ddd0 40d, I think. Tell me, how does one get 80d? Pipe, P, w-w7, Mon r, full commands. I just finished make dir-sys to copy in helpmsg & errormsg, seems to work. I'm anx to get it done right so I can reconfig Multivue. How can I make the baud rate "06" permanent. I've tried the xmode procedure as outlined in the manual which works until I reboot. R. Shack's sales have been a bonis. I picked up desk mate, print shop, some others for $5. ea. This has helped me much. Thanks for the much needed help so far. BYE FRANK There is 1 Reply. #: 10652 S2/Tutorials 12-May-91 00:23:45 Sb: #10647-DISK DRIVES Fm: Bob Palmer 74646,2156 To: FRANK PRUZENSKI 76264,237 (X) You should probably make your /dd reflect whichever disk you want it to be. Normally for a two drive system that would make /dd be the same as /d0 so that would be 40 track ds. No you do not need /d2 unless you have three separate drives. You can build your own 80 track drive by editing an existing descriptor to fit (the number of tracks becomes whatever 80 is in hex) and also setting the track density to 96 per inch. Read through the system manual. If you have trouble I can give you a typical - seems to mee that there was an 80 track descriptor - no I apologize - that came with my SARDIS no halt controller. One elast thing - after doing an XMODE to change the baud rate you will need to do a COBBLER to write out the bootfile in its new flavour. Then the speed will stay as you have set it. Easy yes? Bob.