Conference hydra::amiga_v1

    
    In case any CrossDos users are interested, I have some patch files
    that Consultron provided to PLINK to allow all CrossDos users to update
    their disks to all the latest versions.  The patches are freely
    distributable, and will only work on commercial version of CrossDos.
    
    The patches bring the total package up to rev 3.06C.
    
    If there's any interest, I'll upload them.
    
    Ed.

    Ed,
    	I'd like to get ahold of the pattch files for crossdos. I have
    used the program with 720k formated 3 1/2 disks,but have had no
    chance to use a 5 1/4 disk.All in all I think that Crossdos is a
    good investment for anyone who has to read,write,or format MsDos
    disks.Just another example of how flexible the amiga can be. People
    seem amazed that you can access the MsDos files, but then they have
    a hard time with compatability within there own product line.
    								bill

    Re: .0, .1 
    
    The DFx:BAD part with the 1020 is probably due to the fact that
    the drive logic part (the stuff that's on my Take5 schematic) is
    powered by the Amiga and not the drives power supply. As soon as
    warranty runs out, I'd rewire that thing. ;-)
    
    Yup, I'd like to see the CrossDos patches posted. While I don't
    have the commercial version yet, a fellow Software Brewery member
    and other DECies in this region are still at 3.04 or something like
    that...
    
    Regards,
    
    <CB>

    
    OK, I'll upload them tonight.
    
    Ed.
    
    
    
    

    Re <<< Note 3298.0 by LEDS::ACCIARDI >>>
    
>   ProWrite offers two options for saving ASCII files:
>   
>   1) Line feeds after every paragraph
>   2) Line feeds after every line
>   
>   I tried saving files with option (1) and noticed that when loading the
>   ASCII file into ED, the line spacing was correct, but the input lines
>   were being truncated.
    
    ED is probably doing the truncation -- not ProWrite.  This is the
    option you'd use if you were sending the text to a desktop publishing
    program or something else smart enough to do its own line wrapping.
    
>   When saving with option (2), the lines are not truncated, but there is
>   now a double space between paragraphs instead of a single space.
    
    Check the "Space Before" switch on the Paragraph menu.  Try turning it
    OFF before printing (I think it's "ON" in the profile that's shipped
    with the product).

    
    Thanks Bill, I hadn't thought of the 'SPACE BEFORE' option... I'll try
    that tonight.
    
    I believe that MS-DOS systems need a hard carriage return to denote
    line length, whereas the Amiga simply uses a linefeed.
    
    Ed.

RE: .3

Christian,

Are you sure about this? I have implemented the circuit and it seems that
having it unpowered, but connected to the bus will cause the same problem
Ed is seeing. The unpowered logic pulls the _RDY line low which makes the 
config logic see all 1's when it is looking for drives. This makes the Amiga
think all drives areit 880K 3.5". Of course, when powered up the right thing
happens and drives are properly configured.

I think an appropriate fix would be to have a DPST switch to replace the
existing power switch. The power wiring is left as an exersise to the noter,
but remember - power is only on 1 pole. 

The other pole is for the _RDY line. It connects to one contact. The same 
contact connects to the pass-through connector. The other contact of that 
pole connects to the _RDY line for the circuit board. This way the _rdy 
line is disconnected from the drive logic when the drive is powered off.

This could also cause problems for other lines that would be driven by the 
floppy logic via open collector (e.g. Data out) though I think all works well
with just the _RDY line switched.

	Thanks,
		-SES

    
    The CrossDos updates are now available at TAPE""::USER2:[UPLOAD]
    
    CDP306C.lzh contains the patches to the mfm.device and the
    MSDOSFileSystem.
    
    CDU306C.lzh contains new versions of the utilities programs.
      ^
      |
      |
       -- note the difference!
    
    
    I really appreciate the idea of electronic updates, and told the
    publisher so when I filled out the registration card.  If you DO buy
    CrossDos (or any software, for that matter) always try to nudge them
    with a little positive feedback when they do nice things like this.
    
    Ed.

    
    .5> Check the "Space Before" switch on the Paragraph menu.  Try turning it
    .5> OFF before printing (I think it's "ON" in the profile that's shipped
    
    I tried this option, but all this switch does is insert a linefeed
    every time the RETURN key is pressed.  This saves the typist from
    having to hit RETURN twice after every paragraph.
    
    Ed.
    

A couple of words because of the great service I got from Consultron.

- they send the mail in first class air mail. That makes a big
  difference compared to the habbit that some other companies seem
  to have ( actually the difference is 2 weeks )
- I have phoned them once to get help in using CrossDos. They
  did fix my problem.
- and the biggest surprise was today. I received an  update (v3.07).
  From the letter I can see that reason for sending this update had
  been my registration card. I put there that I have problems with
  TDPATCH . And the guys send me an update !!! That is great!
  And I suppose the potential market up here is not so huge.

pekka

< Note 3298.10 by EEMELI::HEISKANEN "maasta se pienikin ponnistaa" >
                                 -< nice work >-

> and the biggest surprise was today. I received an  update (v3.07).

They are pretty good about support. They post patches on all the major
BBS's. Guess we'll see 3.07 soon. V3.06 was posted a couple weeks ago.

Now, if they could only read 1.44 Mbyte floppies.

    Re: .11
    
    Well, I sure hope that the "1.44MB" remark was an ironic/humorous
    remark, Paul. Otherwise I'd be in the unfriendly role of "educating"
    my fellow DEC Amiga owners again. ;-)
    
    FYI, the reason that the current Amiga generation can't read high
    density floppies lies in the Agnus. It's in the (more or less) fat
    Lady, where the decoding takes place and it just can't handle this
    format. 
    Maybe a future machine or Agnus will be able to do so.
    
    Regards,
    
    <CB>

    re .11:
    Its been a while, has 3.07 shown up on the major BBS's?
    
    I sent in my registration card for CrossDos long ago and have yet to
    hear anything from them (update or otherwise).
    
    regards,
    dennis

    I got a note from them asking me to return my original floppy for
    updating.  I got it back yesterday, in the same mailer that I sent
    them, with Y3.7 or something like that written on it.  The new version
    recommends that you run the TDpatch even if you have more than one
    drive, so I now do.
        John Sauter