MESS media handling - Revision history

Mizapf: /* Upgrading to new CHD format */

2012-04-08T12:19:26Z

Upgrading to new CHD format

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:19, 8 April 2012
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	== Upgrading to new CHD format ==		== Upgrading to new CHD format ==

	Use the CHDMAN tool to upgrade your hard disk image. CHDMAN usage has changed several times in the past; currently you use the following ~~way~~:		Use the CHDMAN tool to upgrade your hard disk image. CHDMAN usage has changed several times in the past; currently (0.145) you use the following line:

	chdman copy -i inputfile.hd -o outputfile.hd -c none		chdman copy -i inputfile.hd -o outputfile.hd -c none

Mizapf at 12:12, 8 April 2012

2012-04-08T12:12:06Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:12, 8 April 2012
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	Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.		Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.

			== Upgrading to new CHD format ==

			Use the CHDMAN tool to upgrade your hard disk image. CHDMAN usage has changed several times in the past; currently you use the following way:

			chdman copy -i inputfile.hd -o outputfile.hd -c none

			where the '''-i''' switch is used to declare the existing input image, the '''-o''' switch has the name of the newly created file, and the '''-c''' switch must have '''none''' as argument to prevent CHDMAN from compressing the image. Only read-only images can be compressed, and a hard disk is usually read-write.

	== IDE disk handling ==		== IDE disk handling ==

Mizapf at 16:02, 4 March 2012

2012-03-04T16:02:14Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 16:02, 4 March 2012
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	=== Using your TI and Geneve hard drive in MESS ===		== Using your TI and Geneve hard drive in MESS ==
	If you are using a SCSI hard drive on your ASCSI or WHT controller, you can easily hook that drive ''as is'' to a SCSI controller of your PC. Using Linux, you can get a sector dump from the /dev/sda device (or similar) by using the ''dd'' command. Note that you do not have partitions, so you cannot access the drive by a file system driver. Within Windows, you need a tool to directly access the contents of the drive; Explorer won't do.		If you are using a SCSI hard drive on your ASCSI or WHT controller, you can easily hook that drive ''as is'' to a SCSI controller of your PC. Using Linux, you can get a sector dump from the /dev/sda device (or similar) by using the ''dd'' command. Note that you do not have partitions, so you cannot access the drive by a file system driver. Within Windows, you need a tool to directly access the contents of the drive; Explorer won't do.

	If you want to use a SCSI hard drive image in MESS, you cannot simply use your sector dump that you got from your original drive; you have to convert it. We have some [[MESS HD Preparation\|instructions]] how to achieve this.		If you want to use a SCSI hard drive image in MESS, you cannot simply use your sector dump that you got from your original drive; you have to convert it. We have some [[MESS HD Preparation\|instructions]] how to achieve this.

	=== Formatting disks ===		== Formatting disks ==

	MESS requires floppy image files, that is, the contents of the whole disk must be stored in a single file. There are two supported formats, the [[Sector Dump Format]] and the [[Track Dump Format]]. There are two ways to get a blank new image file:		MESS requires floppy image files, that is, the contents of the whole disk must be stored in a single file. There are two supported formats, the [[Sector Dump Format]] and the [[Track Dump Format]]. There are two ways to get a blank new image file:
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	Note that in versions 0.137 and earlier, the HFDC controller cannot format a disk (because the emulation of the SMC HFC9234 chip lacks formatting support), causing the emulator to crash.		Note that in versions 0.137 and earlier, the HFDC controller cannot format a disk (because the emulation of the SMC HFC9234 chip lacks formatting support), causing the emulator to crash.

	=== Setting up a blank hard disk ===		== Setting up a blank hard disk ==

	'''CHDMAN version 0.144 and earlier:'''		'''CHDMAN version 0.144 and earlier:'''
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	Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.		Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.

			== IDE disk handling ==

			Still not verified to run properly, but two things:

			* Ensure that the hard disk is formatted with 512 byte sectors (not 256 like the MFM drives!)
			* When the IDE card is plugged in, it uses -hard1 as its drive; the HFDC gets -hard2, -hard3, and -hard4 for WDS1-3.

	[[Category:MESS]]		[[Category:MESS]]

Mizapf: /* Setting up a blank hard disk */

2012-02-20T20:18:30Z

Setting up a blank hard disk

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:18, 20 February 2012
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	=== Setting up a blank hard disk ===		=== Setting up a blank hard disk ===

			'''CHDMAN version 0.144 and earlier:'''

	Here is an example for a 20 MiB empty disk. With chdman, create a blank image at first.		Here is an example for a 20 MiB empty disk. With chdman, create a blank image at first.

	chdman -createblankhd newblank.hd 615 4 32 256		chdman -createblankhd newblank.hd 615 4 32 256

			'''CHDMAN version 0.145 and newer:'''

			chdman createhd --chs 615,4,32 -ss 256 -o newblank.hd

	The data given in the arguments are cylinders, heads, sectors per track, and sector size. Remember these values.		The data given in the arguments are cylinders, heads, sectors per track, and sector size. Remember these values.

Mizapf at 17:33, 20 October 2011

2011-10-20T17:33:01Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:33, 20 October 2011
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	Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.		Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.

			[[Category:MESS]]

Mizapf at 21:26, 9 May 2011

2011-05-09T21:26:22Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:26, 9 May 2011
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	Note that in versions 0.137 and earlier, the HFDC controller cannot format a disk (because the emulation of the SMC HFC9234 chip lacks formatting support), causing the emulator to crash.		Note that in versions 0.137 and earlier, the HFDC controller cannot format a disk (because the emulation of the SMC HFC9234 chip lacks formatting support), causing the emulator to crash.

			=== Setting up a blank hard disk ===

			Here is an example for a 20 MiB empty disk. With chdman, create a blank image at first.

			chdman -createblankhd newblank.hd 615 4 32 256

			The data given in the arguments are cylinders, heads, sectors per track, and sector size. Remember these values.

			Now we use Myarc Disk Manager V to format the hard disk. There are disk images somewhere.

			mess64 ti99_4a -cart1 editor_assembler.rpk -flop1 mdm150.dsk -hard1 newblank.hd

			Enter [[Editor/Assembler]], Option 5, load DSK1.MDM5. When MDM has completed loading it presents a screen for the setting of date and time. You can exit this screen.

			Select Utility->Format->Hard, enter 1 as hard drive number

			Type in a label for the hard disk behind WDS1., like MYHARD

			Use the geometry data from ''createblankhd'' - this is important, other values will make formatting fail! Use your values for other sizes. You can get the values
			with chdman -info.

			Sectors = 32
			Heads = 4
			Cylinders = 615
			Reserved sectors = 2048
			Write precomp = 464
			Reduced write current = 464
			Retry = 8
			Interlace = 3
			Step = 1

			Enter the magic word "FORMAT" to initiate formatting. Watch formatting cylinder 0...1...2...3... 614

			Exit

			Sometimes I experience display issues with MDM; the screen does not update with new content. Try BACK (FCTN-9) in that case. Blindly, type C(atalog), H(arddisk), 1 (drive number). You should get an empty disk display.

			Exit, Quit, Y, and we are done.

Mizapf at 18:47, 12 August 2010

2010-08-12T18:47:29Z

New page

=== Using your TI and Geneve hard drive in MESS ===
If you are using a SCSI hard drive on your ASCSI or WHT controller, you can easily hook that drive ''as is'' to a SCSI controller of your PC. Using Linux, you can get a sector dump from the /dev/sda device (or similar) by using the ''dd'' command. Note that you do not have partitions, so you cannot access the drive by a file system driver. Within Windows, you need a tool to directly access the contents of the drive; Explorer won't do.

If you want to use a SCSI hard drive image in MESS, you cannot simply use your sector dump that you got from your original drive; you have to convert it. We have some [[MESS HD Preparation|instructions]] how to achieve this.

=== Formatting disks ===

MESS requires floppy image files, that is, the contents of the whole disk must be stored in a single file. There are two supported formats, the [[Sector Dump Format]] and the [[Track Dump Format]]. There are two ways to get a blank new image file:

* Use '''imgtool''' to create a SDF-formatted blank disk.
* Create an empty file and use the emulation to format the file, just as if you formatted a blank disk.

For the second option you just need a file of the appropriate size. Using Linux you can easily create such an empty file:
dd if=/dev/zero of=my_image.dsk count=<number of bytes> bs=1

For sector dumps, an SSSD disk has 92160 bytes; a DSDD disk has 368640. For track dump images, an SSSD disk has 130120 bytes, while the DSDD disk has 549760 bytes. Once you chose the size you have to use the matching format.

Note that in versions 0.137 and earlier, the HFDC controller cannot format a disk (because the emulation of the SMC HFC9234 chip lacks formatting support), causing the emulator to crash.