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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
Star Commander "clone" for Linux
Hi there,
I was wondering if anyone would be interested in a Star Commander-like tool for Linux ?
Currently I'm in the process of transfering all my old disks to images, using Star Commander under DOS/Windows on an old PC and then transfering them to my Linux PC using Samba.
This is obviously a bit time-consuming, not to mention the fact I hate Gatesware.
So, I'm thinking about coding a native Linux tool to do the job. But before I start work on such a tool:
I'd like to know how many people (if any) would like to see such a tool (and maybe even help out) ?
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Style
Registered: Jun 2004
Posts: 498 |
Ill say to you the same thing Ive said to everyone who mentions linux and a 1541 :)
What we really need is a filesystem and device driver for the 1541. I want to be able to mount a 1541 disk like any other filesystem, and dd images to/from the dev....
Sure, the font will be broken, short filenames etc etc etc. But it would mean being able to drag files across using your favourite file tool.
Anyway, my 2c.. Good luck with it anyway!
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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
What you're saying sounds similar to Cbm4Linux, a kernel-driver module.
It would indeed be a great thing if one where able to connect a 1541 (using a X(?)-1541 cable) and mount it just like any other FS ("mount /dev/1541 /mnt/1541"!). I have already written an ANSI-C library that can read/write whole d64-images, files in d64-images, manipulate the BAM, etc. etc.
What I need is some more understanding of how the kernel handles (virtual) file systems. Could be worth investigating some time in that..
Any help would ofcourse be great :)
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Nightlord
Account closed
Registered: Jan 2003
Posts: 131 |
is it possible to overcome the critical timing in 10-ms resolution of linux world. or is there an other way |
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MagerValp
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1074 |
Jim Brain's VIP interface has Linux support (I think he's developing it under Linux actually). It's more of a 64HDD-like solution though, where the linux (or windows, or macos) machine appears as a device on the C64. Then you can use a disk copy program on the C64 to create D64s.
As for C libraries for disk images, I've also written one:
http://www.paradroid.net/diskimage/
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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
@Nightlord: I think it should be possible, at least communication on a TALK/LISTEN level works. But I'm far from a Linux guru, I only know low-level IO-programming on the C64/1541..
@MagerValp: Your library looks pretty similair to mine :)
What Jim Brain is doing is more or less the opposite of what I'd like to do. His interface uses the Linux-box as a virtual filesystem, while I'd like to use the 1541 as a virtual file system (a real drive connected to the Linux-box, not images).
I don't suppose Jim Brain's project is open-source? If it is, I would be able to look at the source and see how the IO-part is handled :)
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MagerValp
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 1074 |
Well, you just want to archive disks right? If the copying software runs on the C64 or the PC shouldn't really matter. Either way - cbm4linux does what you want - connect the 1541 to the PC, and read/write disks. VIP allows you to use the PC as a C64 HD, making it possible to copy disks with normal disk copy software.
And yeah, Jim's stuff is open source (GPL, I believe), but it's not released yet.
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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
Ok, so I'll just build a XM-1541 cable then.
Once I've got Cbm4Linux working I can always consider writing a Star Commander-like program, perhaps using libSDL to display the C64-font..
Archiving my disks is my first priority, but I don't want to have to resort to Fisher Price OS'es :)
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Count Zero
Registered: Jan 2003
Posts: 1920 |
Yeah, basically cbm4linux does what you want. It is a little odd to start a DOS Emulator with star commander to work on a few more disks properly though.
I added the common conversion stuff to midnight commander and sometime back even diving into d64 worked more or less reliably. Worked to quickly copy something out of a d64 or so. The scripts utilize c1541 from the vice package though and that one ULTIMATELY SUXX and gets more and more bugs every release. :(
So, linux (and esp. me) would sure appreciate a simple filebrowser that allows proper handling of the c64 filenames and copy from and into a new image without loosing filename properties. You can utilize the cbm4linux routines easily, since they are mostly the ones which star commander runs with anyhow.
Add me up for any tests you need to run :)
l8r
Count Zero/CyberpunX/SCS*TRC |
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Grue
Registered: Dec 2001
Posts: 161 |
I have been using starcommander with dosemu under linux, its very usefull when handling .d64's file copying in / out of images and such tasks.
Images I have transferred to ide64 with c2n232 or on floppy with xa1541 cable using cbm4linux.
I'd love to see native linux utility to handle c64 fileformats, images and such with integrated transferring options including cbmlink, cbm4linux etc. existing transfer applications.
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Compyx
Registered: Jan 2005
Posts: 631 |
Any tips on which cable would be best?
I already have a working XE-1541 cable and a 6-pin male DIN plug, a 25-pin male parallelport plug and a shielded 4-wire cable.
For an XM-1541 I would need to buy 4 diodes, for the XA-1541 I'd have to buy 4 transistors and resistors, which are all pretty common.
The XE-1541 cable can be converted to an XM-1541 cable by swapping two lines, but I'd rather leave that one the way it is now..
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