Aztec C 3.6a Disk 3 with Read Errors

[djukon]

Hi,

Aztec C 3.6a Disk 3 (TOSEC) has read errors on some of the example source code files. Does anyone have a clean copy?

Thanks.

[prowler]

Hi djukon, and welcome to EAB.

I'm probably going to wish I hadn't started this in a few days, but I don't have a clean copy, so I've been having a go at fixing this disk for you.

As you have discovered, disk 3 of the Aztec C 3.6a set in TOSEC has a number of checksum errors which prevent some of the example source code files being read properly. However, the other three disks in the set appear to be undamaged.

Eight files are affected: yaboing.c in the examples folder, vt100.c in the examples/vt100 subfolder, and comm2.c, shell.doc, sub.c, main.c, comm1.c and readme.205m in the examples/shell subfolder.

Most of the errors are quite trivial, and I have been able to get the files to read satisfactorily just by fixing the damaged sector checksums. I have not checked the sources to discover the cause of the errors, however.

In two cases the errors are more serious, unfortunately:

main.c has irreversible data corruption at the end of one sector midway through the file, and

comm1.c has a trivial checksum error in one sector, but another sector contains the same data as one of readme.205m's sectors.

In the next few minutes, I shall upload to The Zone a version of Aztec C 3.6a disk 3 with the checksum errors fixed. This will allow all the files to be copied from the disk to facilitate the installation process. The two files noted above will contain serious errors; the others will contain less serious errors which may still prevent their compilation, however.

I shall map all the sectors on this disk in an effort to discover the reason for the inclusion of irrelevant data in the comm1.c file. I have completed about 25% of this process so far.

It may be impossible to fix this disk completely unless someone comes forward with replacement files for the damaged ones, but I will certainly try.

In the meantime, the disk image I am about to upload to The Zone will at least allow the Aztec C v3.6a compiler software to be installed to your hard drive.

The damaged files are those listed below:

yaboing.c   14295 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:03:34
vt100.c      8817 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:02:11
comm2.c      6803 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:00:40
shell.doc   21457 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:00:59
sub.c       10571 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:04
main.c       2543 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:08
comm1.c     23742 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:22
readme.205m  5431 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:32

The WIP1 disk image is in The Zone for you.

[gilgamesh]

There is a ver 5.0 for Amiga and a ver 3.6b cross compiler to m68k at http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/compilers.htm

I hope that helps somehow.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

There is a ver 5.0 for Amiga and a ver 3.6b cross compiler to m68k at http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/compilers.htm

I hope that helps somehow.

I have already looked at the Aztec C v5.0a disks in vain for suitable replacements for the damaged files, but missed the v3.6b cross compiler. Actually, that might be the better choice. I'll go and grab it now. Thanks for your help.

[djukon]

Originally Posted by prowler

Hi djukon, and welcome to EAB.

Thanks prowler .

Originally Posted by prowler

I'm probably going to wish I hadn't started this in a few days, but I don't have a clean copy, so I've been having a go at fixing this disk for you.

This is just one more episode to add to the endless praise given to EAB that I've read so far.

Originally Posted by prowler

The WIP1 disk image is in The Zone for you.

Got it. Just copied all files to the hard drive successfully.

Originally Posted by gilgamesh

There is a ver 5.0 for Amiga and a ver 3.6b cross compiler to m68k at http://www.aztecmuseum.ca/compilers.htm

I hope that helps somehow.

gilgamesh, thanks for pointing that out.

prowler, thank you so much for your efforts.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by djukon

Thanks prowler .

This is just one more episode to add to the endless praise given to EAB that I've read so far.

Just copied all files to the hard drive successfully.

prowler, thank you so much for your efforts.

Thanks for your kind words, djukon.

Also, it's good to know that the installation process completed successfully, because I had not checked that.

I have this evening uploaded a WIP2 version of the disk to the Zone for you. Five of the eight damaged files have been fixed and those checksums restored.

You can now repair the yaboing.c, vt100.c, comm2.c, shell.doc and sub.c files on your hard drive by overwriting them with those from this disk.

The main.c, comm1.c and readme.205m files remain damaged, and these will certainly be more difficult to fix, but it will help when I have completed mapping the disk sectors and file chains.

[djukon]

Originally Posted by prowler

Also, it's good to know that the installation process completed successfully, because I had not checked that.

There is an installation process? This version doesn't appear to have an install to hard drive script. I've simply copied the files via the copy command, and this coming week I would manually configure paths and other environment variables. Is there another way I'm missing?

My objective is to get a feel to how development in C was made around 1989-1991 on the Amiga. To start out I'll be using Abacus' book Amiga C for Advanced Programmers which uses Aztec C 3.4. I just happened to stumble on 3.6's disk 3 errors while at it.

Originally Posted by prowler

I have this evening uploaded a WIP2 version of the disk to the Zone for you. Five of the eight damaged files have been fixed and those checksums restored.

Got it and updated the files. Thank you.

Originally Posted by prowler

The main.c, comm1.c and readme.205m files remain damaged, and these will certainly be more difficult to fix, but it will help when I have completed mapping the disk sectors and file chains.

Thanks again, prowler.

[aragon]

Hi,

I still have a clean archive of the 3.6a disks somewhere in my library.
If you can wait for a few days, I will have a look next weekend when I return home.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by aragon

Hi,

I still have a clean archive of the 3.6a disks somewhere in my library.
If you can wait for a few days, I will have a look next weekend when I return home.

That's great news, aragon! We'll look forward to see what you can find.

Meanwhile, I'll continue trying to repair the damaged TOSEC disk 3. If you do have a clean copy, it will be interesting to see how close I got.

@djukon,

This evening I have uploaded a WIP3 version of the disk image.

Now, only the main.c and comm1.c files are damaged and there is only one bad checksum.

The readme.205m file wasn't damaged; the checksum error was caused by damage beyond the EOF.

There is a discontinuity in the comm1.c file, the last 4K or so of which shares the same data as the readme.205m file, but they are not cross-linked; the data blocks are actually duplicated! Sadly, I am certain that these will have overwritten the original blocks!

The main.c file has some irreversible corruption, which will be quite impossible to repair, unless there is an undamaged copy of the affected data block elsewhere on the disk.

It's possible that no further progress can be made on this. I will not know until I have completed mapping the sectors and file chains, maybe tomorrow.

[djukon]

Originally Posted by aragon

Hi,

I still have a clean archive of the 3.6a disks somewhere in my library.

Great news indeed, aragon!

Originally Posted by aragon

If you can wait for a few days, I will have a look next weekend when I return home.

Sure, no problem. Thank you .

Originally Posted by prowler

This evening I have uploaded a WIP3 version of the disk image.

Got it and tried it, works as usual.

Originally Posted by prowler

It's possible that no further progress can be made on this. I will not know until I have completed mapping the sectors and file chains, maybe tomorrow.

All right, prowler, no hurry though. And if you could point to a couple of resources that teach you how to do this kind of work, I'd highly appreciate it, as I might be able to help out next time I or someone else stumbles on a disk image with a similar issue.

Thanks.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by djukon

There is an installation process? This version doesn't appear to have an install to hard drive script. I've simply copied the files via the copy command, and this coming week I would manually configure paths and other environment variables. Is there another way I'm missing?

Sorry, I missed your earlier post after getting the good news from aragon.

As I said, I didn't check the installation process. Actually, I neglected even to check for the existence of an installation process; I just assumed there would be one.

So don't worry; if you haven't found a hard drive installation feature, then I'm sorry if I misled you.

Originally Posted by djukon

All right, prowler, no hurry though. And if you could point to a couple of resources that teach you how to do this kind of work, I'd highly appreciate it, as I might be able to help out next time I or someone else stumbles on a disk image with a similar issue.

Thanks.

I have a number of favourite tools I use for jobs like this, all freely available.

I'll compile a list for you with some links to download them and I'll point to some threads which will give you an idea of the possibilities.

[djukon]

Originally Posted by prowler

if you haven't found a hard drive installation feature, then I'm sorry if I misled you.

Don't worry about it .

Originally Posted by prowler

I have a number of favourite tools I use for jobs like this, all freely available.

I'll compile a list for you with some links to download them and I'll point to some threads which will give you an idea of the possibilities.

Thank you prowler, it doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just enough to help me separate the wheat from the chaff, and get on my way to RTFMing.

IMHO, when learning about something that is not mainstream anymore, it is much more effective with a few crucial pointers from someone with the experience, than spend a week just web searching aimlessly.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by djukon

Thank you prowler, it doesn't need to be anything fancy. Just enough to help me separate the wheat from the chaff, and get on my way to RTFMing.

IMHO, when learning about something that is not mainstream anymore, it is much more effective with a few crucial pointers from someone with the experience, then spend a week just web searching aimlessly.

That sounds like a plan. I knew nothing when I encountered my first damaged disk. I decided to have a go at fixing it and since then I've notched up many more successes than failures. There is some useful information online, especially relating to Amiga floppy disks, and a few very capable if not very well documented tools avaliable as well.

I'll sort you out some links when I've finished with this disk.

I've now mapped just over half the blocks and file chains of the Aztec C v3.6a Disk 3 WIP3 image. No problems so far, but no free blocks either.

On the other hand, I haven't reached the damaged area of the disk yet.

[prowler]

Okay, I've finished mapping the blocks and file chains of this disk image and I have some bad news.

Due to one or more bad blocks on the original Aztec C v3.6 disk 3 used to make the image, Track 56, Side 0 contains a duplicate of the data from Track 55, Side 0, i.e. Disk Blocks 1232-1242 contain the same data as Disk Blocks 1210-1220.

The consequence of this is that in the examples/shell subfolder, the last nine data blocks of comm1.c and the second and third data blocks of run.c have been replaced with copies of the last nine data blocks of readme.205m and the second and third data blocks of rawconsole.c, respectively.

This cannot be repaired without either a good copy of the data from Track 56, Side 0 of an original disk or good copies of the comm1.c and run.c files.

In addition, part of the main.c file's third data block (Disk Block 1283) is irreversibly corrupted. This cannot be repaired without either a good copy of the file or a good copy from Track 58, Side 0 of an original disk.

The disk has 38 blocks free, and all those blocks are clear.

Therefore, there are three unrecoverably damaged files on the WIP3 disk image in the Zone:

main.c      2543 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:08
comm1.c    23742 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:22
run.c       2014 ----rwed 16-Feb-87 14:01:26

@aragon,

Your Aztec C v3.6 archive now becomes more sought after.

[NathanTolbert]

I wish I had seen this earlier. I have the real disks and books for 3.6a, and 5.0 sitting in the other room. 5.0 has never been opened! I know 3.6a works because I used the instructions to make copies of the source disks to use for programming and compiling. In the event that they are needed. Please let me know and I will go about getting them imaged, if someone will tell me what type of image program to use.

[prowler]

Hi Nathan,

It would be very welcome if you could image those disks and upload them for us, please.

I know that aragon has promised to look for his 3.6a archive over the weekend, but the more contributions we have, the better.

The 3.6a TOSEC disk 3 image was evidently produced without any regard to error checking, and this makes it preferable that we check the others in the set as well.

The program I use on Workbench to image Amiga floppy disks is TSGui v2.5b14 from EAB member Thomas Rapp's Downloads Page!

Thanks for your offer of help with this.

[NathanTolbert]

Okay I will download this program and get it over to my A4000 to image the disks this weekend probably. I haven't ever loaded anything to this website, so how do I do that?

[Lonewolf10]

Well, there are multiple ways to do that. If you are a member of The Zone (link at top of page), then you can upload straight to that (never done it that way myself yet).

Alternatively, click on "Go Advanced" near the bottom of the screen. On the new screen that appears there will be a "Manage Attachments" button underneath the message box. Click on it and use the newly opened window to select and upload file to the EAB forum server. Close the small window, and click on submit message to confirm.
Your file will now be attached to your message in this thread.


Regards,
Lonewolf10

[prowler]

Originally Posted by NathanTolbert

Okay I will download this program and get it over to my A4000 to image the disks this weekend probably. I haven't ever loaded anything to this website, so how do I do that?

Great!

You will need access to The Zone. You can get that now and have a look there.

Scroll down to the bottom of the page, select a file to upload, add your comment and then hit the Upload button. It's as easy as that!

Then repeat for as many files as you wish to upload. I suggest you place the images relating to each set in a zip file before uploading.

Thanks again for you help!

Edit1: Beaten to the post by Lonewolf10!

Edit2: @Nathan: Even if your disks have read errors and the .adf images are not complete, they will still be useful, so please upload them anyway.

[djukon]

Originally Posted by NathanTolbert

I have the real disks and books for 3.6a, and 5.0 sitting in the other room.

Outstanding news, Nathan .

Originally Posted by prowler

Okay, I've finished mapping the blocks and file chains of this disk image and I have some bad news.
[...]
Therefore, there are three unrecoverably damaged files on the WIP3 disk image in the Zone

Great job anyway recovering what you could. Let's now wait and see if aragon's or Nathan's copies are still correct.