How to mount ADF / ADZ / DMS files using XFS

[Amiga1992]

As it seems access to floppies and working disk drives is an usual problem with Amiga users and it's only getting worse, many people have contributed here with their methods on how to mount disk image files and use that instead for basic tasks like installing Workbench. This is my method and it works for me, am not saying is the best, but it's one more option for you to use (and I usually don't see XFS mentioned much) and is an option that will work on every Amiga.

I use this neat little filesystem for a lot of things, and one of the coolest features it has is a file image device. With this, you can mount disk images as if they were floppies, and install apps, Workbench and others without the need of a single floppy disk or floppy disk drive.

It supports ADF, ADZ and DMS files effortlessly.

As a "side effect", this filesystem also mounts real disks from alien formats (PC, Mac, CP/M, C64) and a lot more.

Advantages of using XFS, to me, are:
- Runs on anything from an A500 to a high end Amiga (68000 supported as well as even WB 1.3)
- Double-click accessibility. You don't have to type a single line of text on a shell (has its own file requester, doesn't even need arguments). Double-click the included device file and you are set.
- Adding devices to use with it is very simple. Just copy one of the included ones over and change in its text the device name. Voilá!
- Setting this up takes like 5 minutes!

I have put it all up on YouTube for people to check out step by step. Here's the link:
[ Show youtube player ]


The tutorial assumes that:
- You know how to transfer files to an Amiga.
- You have the necessary directory managers, LHA unarchivers and other tools used in the tutorial or of similar functionality.
- You know the basics around AmigaOS usage and system structure (like where commands go, where devices go, etc)


Here's a basic description of the process for those who for some reason hate YouTube videos:

1 - Download XFS from Aminet - http://aminet.net/package/disk/misc/xfs
2 - Put this file onto your Amiga somewhere you can find easily.
3 - Extract the contents of the archive to a temporary folder in your hard drive or RAM (I always recommend RAM)
4 - Copy each of the XFS files to their corresponding directories in your system hard drive (the software doesn't come with an installer).
5 - Have an image file ready and transfered to your Amiga too
6 - Double click one of the FILE device icons and select your image file from the requester.
7 - You are done.

Hope this helps out some folks.
Also: first time I ever do a video tutorial so don't slag me too much

[Amiga1992]

I changed some typos in the original video, sorry about that.
I know this helped at least someone who would not even say "thanks", but whatever :P

[Dopuser]

Originally Posted by Akira

6 - Double click one of the FILE device icons and select your image file from the requester.

Why not just to make click over some image file directly and mount it immediately, like demonstrated here: [ Show youtube player ] ?

Generally speaking, what about of idea to make a kind of def tool for various image files instead of using requester there?

[Retrofan]

Dopuser I would love to have those sounds "Are you sure you want to delete this" and the others, using Magellan.
Could you share them, please?

[mark_k]

A handy feature of XFS is the hotkey to change disk images. You press Left Alt + Left Shift + numpad_number to bring up a file requester.

The numeric keypad number you press corresponds to the unit number. So if you have two virtual drives with units 0 and 1 you could change the image in unit 1 with leftAlt+leftShift+num1

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by mark_k

A handy feature of XFS is the hotkey to change disk images. You press Left Alt + Left Shift + numpad_number to bring up a file requester.

The numeric keypad number you press corresponds to the unit number. So if you have two virtual drives with units 0 and 1 you could change the image in unit 1 with leftAlt+leftShift+num1

Mark thanks for that, I did not know that VERY NEAT trick! kind of a problem with people with A600s though, as we have no numpads. Do you know if the shortcut is configurable?

Dopuser: def icons do not work but on later versions of Workbench. This method explained will work even on 1.3. I want to stick to the basics. But yeah you can definitely define a default tool for image files using def icons.

XFS is a really underrated and fantastic filesystem. Really not sure why it is not spread around a lot more!

[mark_k]

Originally Posted by Akira

Mark thanks for that, I did not know that VERY NEAT trick! kind of a problem with people with A600s though, as we have no numpads. Do you know if the shortcut is configurable?

I don't think it is. That isn't mentioned in xfs.guide. Click Usage then file.device. The hotkey is mentioned there but it doesn't say it's changeable.

However you might be able to use a workaround. xfs.guide mentions using the devio command like this:
devio --reset file.device,0

If you use a program which allows you to run a script on pressing a specific key combination (I'm sure there are programs to do that on Aminet), you could put that command in a script and have it run when you press your chosen key combination.

I've been trying to get this to work and I've followed the youtube video step-by-step, however whenever i double click on file0 or file1 etc it doesn't show any file requester.. Then if i doubleclick it again it shows me 'Device FILE0: already mounted!'..

Any idea what i'm doing wrong here?

[thomas]

You need reqtools.library in Libs: to get requesters from XFS.

http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/ReqToolsUsr

Originally Posted by thomas

You need reqtools.library in Libs: to get requesters from XFS.

http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/ReqToolsUsr

Thanks for the suggestion, however I just tried it and it didn't give me any requester either.. Same as before.. Any idea?

[Arnie]

Try my MountADFXFS from here.... post#95
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=67076&page=3

I stand with nitram2k.
It does not bring up the requester.
Anyone know the solution?

[Arnie]

I'll see if I still have MountADFXFS, I'm not sure if I had problems with this as I abandoned it a while ago now.

After spending a weekend on brushing up on the fms, diskimage, xfs, dms, etc. Reformatting my cf card and installing my wb 3.1 again twice from crappy old disks, I learned a lot from what I forgot about my amiga 20 ears ago. :P
So I got it to work. Problems were all user error.

I do have one question though.
How do I assign a fixed place to start of from for file0 and file1?
I want it to always start with an empty disk or something formattable.
I do not know what to assign.
Like for fms you: ASSIGN FMS: PATH so your file UNIT0 is made in that drawer.
what to use for xfs??

:P Yes! I count my time in ears...

[thomas]

Originally Posted by kaneelschep

How do I assign a fixed place to start of from for file0 and file1?

Sometimes RTFM seems to be a good idea. From the "file.device notes" section of xfs.guide:

Disk / file images are by default first looked for in a directory
called devs:file, but you can use the requester to access them
anywhere, even CDROM.

ALSO to enable you to move over from fmsdisk.device, if there is
a file called unit0 in devs:file, and you open file.device unit 0, this
will be automatically selected, and NO requester will appear.

BUT FIRST if there is an environment variable ENV:file.device,0
it will be read first and its contents used as the file name for unit 0.

[Genlock]

Originally Posted by Akira

- Adding devices to use with it is very simple. Just copy one of the included ones over and change in its text the device name. Voilá!
- Setting this up takes like 5 minutes!

Great work i love this! but i have a question!
Could you unmount the device quickly,as i have a folder with dozens of dms files i want to mount one after the other and i dont fancy creating dozens of devices ?


.

[thomas]

Like I said, RTFM seems to be a good idea sometimes. I won't quote the manual again, you can as well read it yourself. IIRC the information you are after is on the same page.

[Genlock]

Cheers Thomas !

(I bet when you went to school, you had all your homework done ontime too )

Hi

i managed to install xfd under winuae kick and wb 1.3 via the manual. i want to use it on my real Amiga 500 later.

FD0: and FD1: are both mounted. but how can i "insert" an .adf in FD0: without the GUI (which does not work under kick 1.3).