QL CP/M

[Ralf R.]

I wish all the best to you, thumbs pressed!

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

After a little reading up on the CP/M-68K system, I seem to be missing a Microdrive to boot into CP/M-68K. Which is verified in the attached article (earlier in this thread:
http://theqlforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=3& ... =10#p11074)

The disks I have are Utility disks and Compiler disks.

Seems a dead end, but in an article in QL User Oct-84 Page 40, indicates that Digitial Reseach had released the CP/M source code, which surprisingly is still available at: http://www.cpm.z80.de/source.html

I have downloaded the CP/M-68K and maybe could be compiled with C68. I think C68 would do a better job then a C Compiler in 1984.

The possible plan would be to recompile a QL CPM-68K system, which can use the disks I have.

The maybe readable by Multi Disk Over or another CP/M system. With the possibility of DP Success CP/M emulator or Sandy Emulator reading the disks on an 80 Track drive.

[Ralf R.]

I read the 2nd PDF and have been astonished about commands like WCOPY, WSTAT, DATAD& etc. in conjunction with the Quest's device name "fdv1_". Does Quest have such an Toolkit? Seems to be the same as on the later QFlp software on the various Disk adapters.

Ok, I read the next one. "CPM_FILES" should be a container like QXL_WIN. But I am sure that one of the two ther CP/M Emulators (was it Success from DP or the from Sandy with Eprom) used it the same way, with the same name...?

[tofro]

Derek,
unfortunately, building CP/M 68k is not just about re-compiling.

The main thing you need to do is implementing the BIOS - Writing routines for basic character in-/output, writing/reading disk sectors, writing/reading serial interfaces and so on. Those routines need to be supplied per machine type and are needed to support the rest of the operating system.

You most probably also need to supply a terminal emulation (i.e. mapping cursor positioning and stuff like scroll/pan, cls to CPM/68k escape sequences.)

This could be simple when those routines would be mapped to QDOS traps, but that means you got two OSs running on the same machine - Which could probably end up in problems because of memory that needs to be reserved for QDOS and protected from CP/M.

Don't want to discourage you, but would expect this is not done on a week-end

Tobias

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

Looks like a lot work,to implement a obsolete system.

Maybe not worth it.

In retrospect, I think the QL is short of good applications software. Maybe best to concentrate on that area.

[Outsoft]

Hi Tim,

Success was the best CP/M emulator I used on a QL.

The Sandy CP/M emulator needed a ROM to work.

I've the Sandy One on ROM but...find NO disk

I will ask it soon to RICH

[Derek_Stewart]

Quest CP/M 68K Boot MDV Cartridge

I have found the Quest CP/M 68K boot micrdrive, it was very cleverly hidden in a case with other microdrives?

See attached photograph

I will make a copy of the microdrive, but the CP/M 68K boot loader needs the OS Module Card in the expansion slot.

The problem now is that the OS Module is dead ended and the disk interfaces I have are also dead ended with no through port expansion. Which is the main reason for not having a working system.

[sdmicro]

There was a review of Quest's CP/M in an issue of QL Technical Review. The author was Michael Jackson (not that one) who wrote quite a lot of stuff for that publication. He purchased the system very cheaply in the old Micro Mart magazine and his conclusion seemed to be that it was not that useful. I wonder if any QLTRs have been scanned into an online archive?

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I have to scan the rest of QLTR I have done upto issue #3, but the OCRing was not good. I have some better software and am redoing the scanning.

The articles that Michael did in QLTR 1, made me subscribe to the QLTR series.

To get the Quest CP/M system up and running is something on the list of things to do. I think a dedicated QL with 3.5" and 5.25" drives, as the CP/M disks are 5.25", maybe a idea to convert them to 3.5".

[sdmicro]

Hi Derek,

Are the QLTR issues you have scanned been uploaded anywhere?

Michael was a good writer and never got too technical. He reviewed a whole batch of accounting software including my own. I also used to like Brian Davies in QLW. His Trouble Shooter column was fair and pulled no punches. He was often critical of suppliers and developers but gave praise where it was due. I wonder what became of him after QLW closed?

Cheers,

Steve.