[Coco] format memory (was) Gotek floppy emulator

[Gene Heskett]

On Monday 15 February 2016 16:57:06 Bill Pierce via Coco wrote:

> I use 3.3.0 extensively with a large bootfile on Vcc with /d0-/d3, /h0
> (emudsk), /x0-/x8 (yes 8), and /r0 (96k), with CoWin AND CoVDG and
> full DW4 vport/vprint/vterm support as well as pipes. My Coco 3 is the
> same but with EmuDsk being replaced by RBSuper IDE drivers. I can
> format drives with no problem (Coco 3 or VCC), even when I'm running
> other programs in other windows, but if I run the scripts in the
> "nitros9/6x09L2/scripts", format will fail. I actually had to make a
> stripped down boot without all my "extras" to get the scripts to run.
> I think that problem is the scripts load too much in memory at one
> time and even most "normal" bootfiles will not have enough system ram.
> It has nothing to do with "total machine ram" as I run VCC in 6309
> with 2 meg, and my Coco3 has 6809 and 1 meg, it's the system ram (64k)
> that holds the entire system AND a copy of each program (or script)
> loaded. So the real problem is in the size of the bootfile.
>
>
>
>
> Bill Pierce
> "Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way
> to slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull
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>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Tormod Volden <lists.tormod at gmail.com>
> To: CoCoList for Color Computer Enthusiasts <coco at maltedmedia.com>
> Sent: Mon, Feb 15, 2016 3:52 pm
> Subject: Re: [Coco] Gotek floppy emulator
>
> On Mon, Feb 15, 2016 at 2:19 AM, Steven Hirsch wrote:> On Sun, 14 Feb
> 2016, Gene Heskett wrote:>>> The bare DD drive, attached to the coco
> with a cable adapter CAN do this,>> IF you can make the format command
> work. But format even in the>> nitros9-v3.3.0 release, has been a 100%
> crash and burn for me for several>> years.  So my mb scripts have been
> re-written to clean up an already>> formatted DD disk before os9gen is
> invoked.  This includes making a>> directory entry for track 34, and
> deleting it to clear the FAT, thereby>> allowing os9gen to rewrite
> track 34, otherwise it silently fails to do so.>>> That's really odd
> behavior.  I'm running version 3.2,9 and format works> fine.Does
> anyone else than Gene have trouble with the format command? Canthis be
> reproduced in VCC?Tormod-- Coco mailing
> listCoco at maltedmedia.comhttps://pairlist5.pair.net/mailman/listinfo/co
>co

I cannot format a disk from a fresh reboot. I may hear the drive step 2 
to 4 times, but then it stops and I see flickering dashes in the video, 
as its crashed.  And it quite often takes several taps on the reset 
button if very quick cadence before it will again do a cold boot.  Wash, 
rinse and repeat.  And my normal boot has at least 11k of ram free, but 
for some reason, is not contiguous, but in 2 pieces. The gap I believe 
is the space between the end of the bootfile in memory, and the 
beginning of the 8k block with shell & some other utils to mostly fill 
an 8k block. The biggest piece has more than enough room for the 6144 
byte track buffer.

I am half tempted to go see if I can make format use only the bigger 
piece of memory as  my vfy can easily modify that in the executables 
header.  If I have any good luck, I'll report back.

Cheers, Gene Heskett
-- 
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 soap, ballot, jury, and ammo. Please use in that order."
-Ed Howdershelt (Author)
Genes Web page <http://geneslinuxbox.net:6309/gene>