Archiving Software

[Tony Duell]

> 
> Date: Sat, 17 Dec 2005 00:20:19 +0000 (GMT)
> From: ard at p850ug1.demon.co.uk (Tony Duell)
> Subject: Re: Archiving Software
> 
> <snip>
> >> ImageDisk seems like a definite step in the right direction - it's certainly 
> >> done a brilliant job when I've tried it.
> 
> >It's a pity the source code hasn't been released. I really don't like 
> >using programs that I've not read through...
> 
> Ahh, there's just no pleasing some people... ;-)

I don't normally moan about this. I do one of three things : 

1) Find an alternative program with source available.

2) Write a program to do the job (and if I distribute it, it will be 
open-source)

3) Do the job ome other way entirely (maybe not even using a computer).

Most (if not all) of us here realise the value of proper technical 
documentation, schematics, source listings, etc. It therefore surpises me 
that people write programs to support classic computers and _don't_ 
release the source code. Ditto for stuff for amateur radio (which 
according to my license is for 'self training in wireless telegraphy', 
it's a lot easier to learn about how something works if you have the 
sourc code for the programs involved....


> 
> 1 - I have some hard-sectored disks for my Vector MZ; how do I archive those?
> 


The PC disk hardware plain can't read or write those AFAIK. You would 
have to use the Vector's disk controller, and transfer the bits to a PC, 
e.g. via a serial port. You can then store them on the PC. 
	
> 2 - Assuming I do, how do I or you recreate them?

You would have to do the same thing in reverse -- transfer the data to a 
real Vevtor, then write to disk. If there is no way to enter a program on 
the Vector, and you have no bootable disk for it at all, this could be 
'interesting' (one way would be to provide a ROM image that replaces the 
bootstrap ROM of the Vector, you would have to program that into an 
EPROM. plug it into the machine, that program could then load the data 
from the PC and put it onto disk. Once you've made a bootable disk that 
way, put the original ROM back in the Vector and boot it.

> 
> 3 - I have a SSSD 8" CP/M Visicalc distribution disk; how do I send it to you in a 
> 	way that you can re-create a 5" disk for your SystemX (especially if you only 
> 	have one serial port)?


The CP/M filesystem is well documented. If you made a raw image of this 
disk (e.g. with Imagedisk), you could run another program on a PC to 
extract individual files from it. You could then put those files together 
again to make a disk image for whatever machine you want. 

> 
> 4 - I have a version of Cromix+ for Cromemco on DSDD 8" disks, consisting
> 	of one bootable disk and a tar file spanning three more disks; again,
> 	what do I put on my site or email you so that you can install it on your
> 	System 1 with only a 5" FDD?


Nasty! Presumably a program on the bootable disk (which reads in the tar 
file and unpacks it) differs between the 8" and 5.25" versions. I think I 
would suggest findin an 8" drive :-)

> 
> 5 - And just to round out the list, I have a copy of Unix for the Cromemco, which
> 	is on one bootable 5" disk and a tar file on a DC600 tape. What do I do
> 	with that (serious replies only pls :)?

Image thr disk e.g. with Imagedisk, define (or find) some way to archive 
the tape data in a way that the tape can be recreated from it (preserving 
things like block sizes).

I think the important thing is to preserve tbe data in such a way that 
_at least_ the original media can be recreated from it. Converting it for 
other versions of the machine (or other machines) is a secondary problem.

-tony