#Beginners help
16 messages in this thread
I'm having trouble using the .lzh file converter. I d/l the file lha138.run
and was told to go to the cli command and run it but I have to boot with my WB
disk and then insert the disk with the lha138.run file on it. I type in the
lha file name at the cli prompt after I have inserted the disk with the file on
it , but I keep getting prompted to insert my WB disk and then I get the error
message of file not found. I've tried specifying the disk label and then the
file but cli insists I put my WB disk in and then searches for the lha file on
it. I have only the internal drive at this time.
Any help would be appreciated. Thanks
Copy lha138.run to your RAM: disk, CD to RAM: and extract it there. Then copy
the resulting file to your Workbench disk.
Steve
Steve:
thanks for the reply, I'll try it. Is there any life over in the
S12/hardware issues ? I left msg #194695 Serial to Parallel, but haven't heard
anything helpwise.
Also, is there any kind of help file that discusses the methods to
converting the different compressed files and what they stand for ? Or any
beginners help files ? I've looked but haven't found any.
Rich,
Quite a while ago, Steve wrote a program, ARCHLP.EXE, that explained the
various compression programs being used at that time. It tells about ARC, ZOO,
and I think some others. For a long time, though, we have used LHA here more
than everything else combined, and it's been ages since I saw a file come in
here in any other format than LHA. So – if you get LHA138.RUN, decompress it
and put the LHA file in your c: directory, you should be well set to unpack
most of the things in our libraries.
—Betty
Betty:
"…get LHA138,run, decompress it and put the LHA file in your c:
directory…."
Well, Betty, I did d/l LHA138.RUN and I tried decompressing it via a
method suggested by someone else. I tried copying LHA138 to RAM: and opening a
'Shell' and then running the program. Then copying the decompressed results
back to disk. Well, it didn't work quite as planned. For one, I'm new at this
Amiga stuff and my manuals are all still in my household goods shipment
(military move), so I have no idea what I'm doing and I keep getting, albeit ,
GOOD advice, I have no idea of what I'm doing or what to do in my case of
having only one disk drive-the internal that comes w/ my A500. So, "..put
the…file in…c: directory" simply won't work. Betty, I'm seriously out in
left field here with the Amiga. I have ordered another external 3.5" floppy
drive due in anyday. Do I need to wait until then to continue my fruitless
endeavors or can I make progress with just the internal drive I have ?
I succesfully copied the LHA…run to RAM: but when I try opening a CLI
window and I type "run ram:lha138.run" (I believe it was), the Amiga starts to
spit out some text in the CLI window but then locks up and keeps repeating "
Yes/No/or Skip All"
Any suggestions?? Thank you very much for your response.!!
you were doing fine up to the yes/no/skip all.
at this point type no.
Now you have a file in RAM called just LHA (not lha138.run)
Copy the Lha file to the c:directory of your workbench disk.
Be sure you are using a copy of workbench and not the original disks.
Hope this helps.
. RAL *Amiga was my first* // //
. What I cannot do alone We can do together \\// \\//
Ral:
>…doing fine up to the yes/no/skip all. at this point type no.
That's just the thing, I can't type anything – the message y/n/s a just
keeps scrolling in the CLI window and the Amiga doesn't accept any input. And,
yes, I'm using a copy of WB.
No real idea what would cause that, it's acting like your carrige return is
stuck. try a >ctrl c< key combination and see if that stops the scrolling.
or a >ctrl q<.
The only other thing I might suggest is downloading again and trying to
reinstall it.
. RAL *Amiga was my first* // //
. What I cannot do alone We can do together \\// \\//
Rich,
It can be done with a single drive, but is harder. First of all, does your
Workbench have enough room for another program on it? To find out, from a CLI
or shell, type:
INFO DF0:
The Amiga will tell you how much space is used and how much is free there. You
will need about 58000 bytes for the LHA program, but your command will give you
the empty space in blocks, so you'd need about 120 blocks free. If you have
that much we can proceed:
COPY the LHA file back to RAM:
Then, type these commands:
CD RAM: (makes RAM: your current directory.)
LHA138.RUN (unpacks the program)
DIR (tells you what programs were unpacked from the above file.)
COPY LHA DF0:C (copies the working part to your Workbench command directory.)
If you don't have enough room on the Workbench to put it there you need to make
a copy of your Workbench before starting the above procedure, making sure its
name is WorkBench or WB – not "copy of Workbench." Then, you can delete some
things that you don't really need while unpacking files. The fonts are good
candidates for deletion here:
DELETE DF0:FONTS/#? ALL
but be SURE you are working with a COPY of your Workbench – not your master!
Then, label this Workbench as one for archiving or de-archiving, and boot
with it when you want to unpack or pack things. And copy LHA to it, as above.
After this, if you boot with the Archiving Workbench, LHA will be a part of
your command set, and you can use it to unpack by copying the archive to RAM:,
and then:
MAKEDIR RAM:FILENAME (makes a directory in which to store your new program)
CD RAM:FILENAME (make the new directory your current one)
LHA x RAM:FILENAME.LHA (unpacks the program into the directory you made.)
DIR (to see what files are available in your new directory)
Then, use any editor to read any text files, README files, xxx.DOC files, etc.
Be sure to copy your new program to a disk before rebooting your machine.
—Betty
Betty:
You're a Saint! Thanks for the help – I'll try it ASAP!! I like your
method of explaining things. Thanks, again!!
You are always welcome, Rich. Ask whenever you need help.
—Betty
Betty:
I tried exactly what you advised and it worked like a charm! My only
problem was when I tried dearc'ing the A64 package – my A500 advised me that
there wasn't enough room in RAM: to hold the ARC'd and DeARC'd product both,
and I can't figure out how to decompress the A64 in ram to a disk and not to
ram. I may have to wait 'til my second drive arrives before that, huh.
Betty, again, thanks alot!! P.S. Any way of clearing RAM: once it's
full ?
Rich,
> Betty, again, thanks alot!! P.S. Any way of clearing RAM: once it's
full ?
I'm not Betty, but perhaps I can help. RAM is a dynamic device. This means
that it is only as large as the files that are in there. This means that even
if there's nothing more than the Disk.info file in there, it'll still say it's
full when you run info. As for any other files you may have there, if you want
to keep them, simply copy them to a disk and delete them from Ram:.
Skimming through the Redwoods on AutoPilot
Asha
Asha:
Thanks for helping. I am still wondering why the decompressing program
– LHA – gives me a RAM: full error when I try to decomp' the A64 program.
Again, I must have the original Arc'd version _and_ try to decompress it in
RAM, unless? Maybe you know of a way to decompress the ARC'd version that
resides in RAM: to decompress to my disk drive. (Keep in mind I have only my
internal 3.5") ??
You can unpack a file from RAM: to a floppy, but you need to know a bit more
first.
Begin by making a ram: disk directory called C:
MAKEDIR RAM:C
Then, copy into it the commands you are going to need for the job:
COPY C:LHA RAM:C
COPY C:CD RAM:C
COPY C:DIR RAM:C
COPY C:COPY RAM:C
Now, tell your Amiga to look in Ram:c for commands before it asks for the
Workbench to be put into the drive again:
PATH ADD RAM:C
Now, format a disk named C64. Then, copy your C64.LHA archive to ram: and
Then type:
CD C64: (make the new disk your current directory)
LHA RAM:C64.LHA (it always unpacks to the current directory)
and if you want, you can type DIR to see the list of files.
Making a ram: disk can save you lots of disk swapping when you have only one
drive. Pick out the commands you are most likely to need and put them there at
the beginning of your session. It can even be added to your user-startup so it
will be done automatically. Just be careful that you don't take up TOO much of
your RAM: with commands.
—Betty
Betty:
Ma'am, I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart! Seriously, I
_do_ thank you for all your help. I'll try your advice first chance.
One more question though, Asha helped me with it a bit, but, I need to
know if there's a specific way to clear the RAM of certain files or info with a
command in CLI. And, speaking of CLI, how do I exit out of CLI ? I don't have
a little square exit icon at the top left corner of my CLI window to click on,
and I've tried all the commands I can think of, like: exit, quit, x, q, stop,
end, etc.
Bother you a little more ??