#Cross-DOS
3 messages in this thread
Ronald, with interest I picked up your reply with info about cross-dos. Not
sounding like the computer moron that i am, would you please take me through it
blow by blow. I have a need to transfer some graphic files from toaster to dos.
I have double clicked the devs drawer and then double clicked dosdrivers. It
gave me another window with icon called PIPE. NOW WHAT?
I'm fairly handy with the ibm, but very shaky with amiga.
The way I understand, from cross dos, i should be able to format a disk to dos,
and then copy a file from amiga format to dos format, so that my ibm can read
it. Again, wouldyou please take me step by step to do that. I'm in a middle of
a major video project using the toaster, and hate to do something that would
crash my amiga. I just could not afford the down time. I have a schedule to
finish by end of dec, and have already over 400 hours of work.
thanks, george
Ok, assumming you have either AmigaDOS 2.1 or 3.0, you should find some
info on CrossDOS in section 7 of the Workbench Users Guide.
—
Check the DOSDRIVERS drawer located inside the STORAGE drawer. You should
find some optional device drivers. Two of these are "PC0". and "PC1".
Either double click on these for immediate mounting, or move them to the
DOSDRIVERS drawer located in DEVS for mounting on the next re-boot.
PC0, will mount the DF0, as DSDD 720K floppy drive. The PC1 will mount
the DF1 drive as a 720K floppy drive.
At this point CrossDOS is automated, and the user shouldn't worry about
it.
The the two floppy drives will be BOTH DF0/PC0 & DF1/PC1, at the SAME
time. The DF0/DF1 will list MS-DOS disks as unreadable, while the
PC0/PC1 will lists the AmigaDOS disks as unreadable. However, both sides
still read disks in their own format (MS-DOS or AmigaDOS.)
After mounting a PC0, put a blank or unformatted floppy disk in the DF0
drive "unit". Enter this line from a CLI/SHELL:
FORMAT DRIVE PC0: NAME BUNNY.EXT NOICONS
These will use the Amiga's FORMAT command. The DRIVE switch signals it to
format the disk in "PC0:" The PC-DOS 720K filesystem is automatically
selected for PC0 & PC1. The NAME switch allows a user selected name for
the disk (otherwise it is named "Empty". I chose BUNNY.EXT, but anything
legal under PC-DOS is usable. The NOICONS switch prevents the Amiga
system from placing a "trashcan" file on the disk.
—
A disk formatted with PC-DOS, or any PC DSDD formatted disk should appear
on the Workbench with a "faked" disk icon.
For each disk, an icon will appear on the Workbench.
The icon will be either a "symbolic" icon that allows you to access the
disk for formating from the Workbench, or if already AmigaDOS formated a
real or "fake" icon to access the disk. If in PC-DOS format, their will
be two icons, one is for formatingthe disk under DF0, the other for
accessing the PC0.
All directory utilities, (CLI commands, and GUI interfaces) should be able
to list the files on PC0 & PC1, and allow moving or copying of files to &
from them.
—
There is also a CrossDOS commodity file in the Commodities drawer under
TOOLS. This program allows filtering of text, and text translation for
each separate PCx mounted device.
If you use Syquest cartridges on both systems AMIGA & IBM, there is way to
mount the IBM formated Syquest cartridges from CrossDOS.
If you have a A3000 or A4000 with the CBM dual-speed HiDensity drive,
CrossDOS will detect HiD disks and format them to 14.4K PC disks.
—
The real trick is getting use to a floppy "UNIT", being two separate
drives under CrossDOS (one AmigaDOS, the other PC-DOS.)
Ron.
– ap'ing with AP. (Eagles may fly, but weasels aren't sucked
into jet engines.)
George,
you're almost halfway there. Actually, the first thing to do is double
click on your Storage drawer, then DosDrivers. In there, you will find
some icons marked PC0, PC1, etc. PC0 turns the DF0: drive into a
combination Amiga/PC drive, PC1 does the same for DF1:, etc. You'll need
to drag the icons of choice over to the DosDrivers drawer in the Devs
drawer. Once you have them there either double-click on each icon to
mount them, or reboot and they will be there. (Page 4-14 Workbench 2.1)
To format disks as PC disks, insert a blank floppy, and click on the
icon that has PC0:?????, PC:????, etc. and select Format Disk from the
Icons menu. (Page 7-6 Workbench 2.1 Manual).
I hope this helps.
Brian
bjbart@watserv.ucr.edu