"Virtual" df0: Solutions ?

fishyfish · 31 August 2012, 11:37

I was hoping someone might be able to suggest some software that will let me mount a "virtual" df0: please?
My floppy drive in my a1200 is partially broken and only reads and there's a few bits of software I sometimes use that need to write to floppy before they'll install to hdd (sound weird, but its true). Additionally there's other software that appears to be hard coded to boot from df0:, so creating a rad disk didnt help me there, nor did VirtualFloppy from aminet (that I could figure at least).

On top of that I'd like to be able to extract the contents of all my coverdiscs, which often use .DMS files.

So, if anyone knows of a simple, "all in one" solution Id appreciate it.
Thanks in advance.

cosmicfrog · 31 August 2012, 12:46

fmsdisk

http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fmsdisk
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fms_20

Amiga1992 · 31 August 2012, 13:23

Personally I use XFS, it's a bit more versatile than FMS since I can mount other filesystems besides Amiga ones:

Http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/xfs

Of course you can't boot frOm these devices, there is no such solution, at least software-based, for Amigas.

thomas · 31 August 2012, 15:11

To replace DF0 by a virtual drive you can put this at the beginning of startup-sequence (instead of addbuffers):

assign df0: dismount

and change the mount name of your virtual drive to DF0.

Amiga1992 · 31 August 2012, 17:06

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

To replace DF0 by a virtual drive you can put this at the beginning of startup-sequence (instead of addbuffers):

assign df0: dismount

and change the mount name of your virtual drive to DF0.

Yes but then DF0 will not be recognized as a trackdisk.device type of gadget. Virtual floppy drives help you with that. You can unpack DMS files to them and mount ADFs as disks, etc.

hooverphonique · 08 September 2012, 17:43

I'm pretty sure I've used an 880K RAD: disk for un-dms'ing in the past..

Dunny · 08 September 2012, 19:55

RAD: can also be used as a boot disk. AFAIK (and it's a long time since I did this!) you can use FMS/XFS to copy a virtual disk image track by track to RAD: and then reboot into that image.

D.

Amiga1992 · 08 September 2012, 20:15

But RAD: is not recognized as a trackdisk device., Many things will not work and if you copy an image to it, if it's NDOS it will NOT work.

hooverphonique · 08 September 2012, 21:50

What do you mean it's not recognized as a "trackdisk device"? That it isn't picked up as a device containing cylinders, heads and sectors?

@fishyfish: Maybe it would be easier to come up with a solution if you mention what some of these "few bits of software" are ;-)

as already mentioned, for un-dms'ing amigados disks, you can use rad: and then copy the files you need from there.
software that is "hardcoded" to use df0: probably uses "trackdisk.device" (which drives the amiga floppy port hardware) or bangs the hardware directly. in the latter case you have no chance in hell to use a virtual drive, in former there might be software packages that intercepts opening "trackdisk.device", but I don't know.

Phantom · 11 September 2012, 20:40

Quote:

Originally Posted by cosmicfrog

fmsdisk

http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fmsdisk
http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fms_20

I used FMSDisk a lot; great tool never had problems with it.

31 August 2012, 11:37	#1
fishyfish Banned Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Australia Posts: 475	"Virtual" df0: Solutions ? I was hoping someone might be able to suggest some software that will let me mount a "virtual" df0: please? My floppy drive in my a1200 is partially broken and only reads and there's a few bits of software I sometimes use that need to write to floppy before they'll install to hdd (sound weird, but its true). Additionally there's other software that appears to be hard coded to boot from df0:, so creating a rad disk didnt help me there, nor did VirtualFloppy from aminet (that I could figure at least). On top of that I'd like to be able to extract the contents of all my coverdiscs, which often use .DMS files. So, if anyone knows of a simple, "all in one" solution Id appreciate it. Thanks in advance.

08 September 2012, 21:50	#9
hooverphonique ex. demoscener "Bigmama" Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Fyn / Denmark Posts: 1,624	What do you mean it's not recognized as a "trackdisk device"? That it isn't picked up as a device containing cylinders, heads and sectors? @fishyfish: Maybe it would be easier to come up with a solution if you mention what some of these "few bits of software" are ;-) as already mentioned, for un-dms'ing amigados disks, you can use rad: and then copy the files you need from there. software that is "hardcoded" to use df0: probably uses "trackdisk.device" (which drives the amiga floppy port hardware) or bangs the hardware directly. in the latter case you have no chance in hell to use a virtual drive, in former there might be software packages that intercepts opening "trackdisk.device", but I don't know. Last edited by hooverphonique; 08 September 2012 at 21:59.

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31 August 2012, 12:46	#2
cosmicfrog The 1 who ribbits Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: leek, Staffs, UK Age: 56 Posts: 3,557	fmsdisk http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fmsdisk http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/fms_20

31 August 2012, 13:23	#3
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	Personally I use XFS, it's a bit more versatile than FMS since I can mount other filesystems besides Amiga ones: Http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/xfs Of course you can't boot frOm these devices, there is no such solution, at least software-based, for Amigas.

31 August 2012, 15:11	#4
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 6,987	To replace DF0 by a virtual drive you can put this at the beginning of startup-sequence (instead of addbuffers): assign df0: dismount and change the mount name of your virtual drive to DF0.

08 September 2012, 17:43	#6
hooverphonique ex. demoscener "Bigmama" Join Date: Jun 2012 Location: Fyn / Denmark Posts: 1,624	I'm pretty sure I've used an 880K RAD: disk for un-dms'ing in the past..

08 September 2012, 19:55	#7
Dunny Registered User Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Scunthorpe/United Kingdom Posts: 1,982	RAD: can also be used as a boot disk. AFAIK (and it's a long time since I did this!) you can use FMS/XFS to copy a virtual disk image track by track to RAD: and then reboot into that image. D.

08 September 2012, 20:15	#8
Amiga1992 Registered User Join Date: May 2001 Location: ? Posts: 19,645	But RAD: is not recognized as a trackdisk device., Many things will not work and if you copy an image to it, if it's NDOS it will NOT work.

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