Apple // Emulator Disk Images

[Dwight K. Elvey]

Hi
 Formatting of disk is a little bit of black magic
to most programmers. There is little information on things
like the exact gap sizes used for different formats. Also,
formating usually requires knowledge of the hardware actually
used while simply writing preformatted sectors can usually
be handled through simple system calls.
 If formatting the disk with the system is trivial, I see
no reason to go through the extra process of doing so in
the code. While if the program is intended to bootstrap the
system with disk of unknown condition, formatting is a must.
I've done both ways for my home stuff.
 Of course, if it is to be released to others, one should
include a readme or help printout that states the need of
a preformatted disk.
Dwight

>From: "Gordon Tulloch" <gtulloch at shaw.ca>
>
>Indeed, one would expect that a disk image utility would write the whole 
formatted image on the disk and be done with it. 
>
>I had all sorts of problems writing disk images on the target platform that I 
thought were communications related, which disappeared when I formatted the 
disks. Interestingly, CP/M images seem to write just fine on DOS formatted disks 
so go figure.
>
>Regards,
>  Gord
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: Vintage Computer Festival <vcf at siconic.com>
>Date: Monday, April 25, 2005 8:11 pm
>Subject: Re: Apple // Emulator Disk Images
>
>> On Mon, 25 Apr 2005 gordt at gordtulloch.com wrote:
>> 
>> > I would assume you need to format the floppies with the 
>> appropriate format
>> > (DOS or ProDOS depending on what you're writing) - I need to do 
>> so on my
>> > IIGS with DSK2FILE so I presume you'd need to do so on the Mac...
>> 
>> This is a disk image tool so it doesn't matter what OS you use to 
>> formatthe disk, just as long as the disk is formatted.
>> 
>> If indeed DSK2FILE requires the disk to be pre-formatted as you 
>> say then
>> that's probably what was causing the troubles Zane was having.  
>> Lame lame
>> lame.  Some people shouldn't be allowed to write software.
>> 
>> -- 
>> 
>> Sellam Ismail                                        Vintage 
>> Computer Festival
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>
>