SMSQ/E Beguiners Guide

[papanillu]

Hello;

I'm an old QL user, but totally new to SMSQ/E

I got a Q68 some time ago, but I haven't used it until now.
I would like to make some thing with the Q68 and SMSQ/E but, I haven't find a "Beguiners guide to SMSQ/E"
I want to build my own card, with the apps I like, but I havent find the way.

It seems, that I need to copy the Q86.SMSQ.WIN to the SD card, and it will boot, but haven't found the way to add/modify the content of this file, or how to add more .win files and how to modify these .win files......

Any reference for an introduction text of this will be very apreciated.

Thanks

[Chr$]

The SMSQ/E guide for the Q68 is here:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/q68/Q68-SMSQE.pdf

Put the .win file on the SD card (in the partition that contains the other .win files) and basically use the WIN_DRIVE command to give it a WINx_ number. To put files into a .win container, either copy them onto the SD card FAT drive and then copy them to a .win file (associated with WIN_DRIVE) within SMSQ/E on the Q68 or use a utility or emulator to put them into the .win file from you usual modern computer.

Have a look at the main default boot file that comes on the pre-installed SD that Derek provides with it, that defines various WIN_DRIVE's depending on what you want to boot and is useful to see how it works.

It is all a bit tricky to start but you'll get the hang of it.

[Tinyfpga]

I am in the same boat as "papanillu". I also bought a Q68 and have been faffing around with it ever since. Sadly I have to say that I
find this activity actually enjoyable.

I have the advantage of having been an SMS2 user, so I set up my Q68 to "look and feel" like an SMS2 system which was relatively easy to use and came with a, "friendly", user manual.

I could also do with a beginner's guide to SMSQ/E and the Q68. Something like the original QL beginners guide. It is noteable
that there are retro computer Youtube channels such as "The 8 bit guy" who extol the virtues 1980's computers because they came with a printed manual.

As an example of how things have "improved" in thirty years I bought a BBC Microbit. The Microbit and all its wonderful attachments and kits is aimed at young school children. Over a million have been manufactured and it is backed by the likes of ARM and Microsoft and yet there is no downloadable children's (beginner's I assume) guide on the official web site.

For Microbit manuals, books and guides you have to search the web. A bit like for SMSQ/E except that it is mostly on the marvelous Dilwyn Jones site. Like me you will probably only understand a small fraction of the vast amount of stuff he has collected.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

The description of the location of a QWA container file, also known as QXL.WIN file is not quite correct.

As stated in the manual, the SD Card must have the first partition created as FAT32, where SMSQ/E and any QWA or QUBide container file are held.

Addition partition can be created as FAT or FAT16 where the partition is restricted to 255Mb and filenames are 8+3 DOS filename convention.

What I do to create an Q68 SD Card from new, is to format with SD Card with the SD Association SC Card Utility,included in the FAT partition of the Q68 Distribution SD Card.

Create a FAT32 patition of half the capacity of the SD Card i.e. 2Gb of 4Gb Card, then any anount of FAT16 partitions, usually 2 for my needs.

Copy the QWA file to the FAT32 partition, which must be named: QLWA.WIN for WIN1

Copy the SMSQ/E QWA container file: Q68_SMSQ.WIN

The Q68 SD Card should now be bootable.

Insert the SD Card into the Q68 Slot 1, nearest to the Power Switch, switch on, the Q68 will boot up.

If it does not, you have made a mistake. Re-read the manual, examine the Q68 Distribution SD Card.

The SMSQ/E file can be loaded as a ROM file by copying the file: Q68_RAM.SYS

The problem with this is that you can not configure the SMSQ/E system while the Q68 is running, using the Q68_SMSQ.WIN,

typing: LRUN win8_boot

Will load up Menuconfig to config the SMSQ/E operating system, which the defaults become used on the next reboot.

The SMSQ/E documentation is very fragmented, maybe I will have time to collate the documentation in a single document, rather like the job I did foe the SMSQ/E Reference manual.

[papanillu]

For sure my question is too obious but
Maybe Windows and OS/X corrupted my mind, so......

Ok, My Idea is to buid my own SMSQ/E card with the latest version.
following Derek's instrucctions, I formatted a new card and build the partitions,
if I copy the files from the original card, Its Ok, so the procedure seems to be fine.

Now I want to start building mine,
Format the card and create the partitions,
Lets copy the QLWA.WIN File, oh, where can I get this file?
I look for it in the binaries zip from the wlenerz site, but I cannot fint it.
How should I get, or build this file?

Thanks

[Derek_Stewart]

Lets copy the QLWA.WIN File, oh, where can I get this file?
I look for it in the binaries zip from the wlenerz site, but I cannot fint it.
How should I get, or build this file?

Thanks

The file called QLWA.WIN is QWA container file renamed.

For example, the QWA container file for QL/E is called QLE.WIN

If you copy this file from the "THE DISTRIBUTION" QLE directory to a hard drive and rename it to QLWA.WIN, then copy the file to to the FAT32 partition on thre SD Card.

The Q68_SMSQ.WIN file is also required to boot up the Q68.

SMSQ/E documentation is mainly available on Dilywn's web site, he wrote a nice book about SMSQ/E see:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/ebooks/smsqe/SMSQE_A4.pdf

[dilwyn]

SMSQ/E documentation is mainly available on Dilywn's web site, he wrote a nice book about SMSQ/E see:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/ebooks/smsqe/SMSQE_A4.pdf

To be fair, I didn't write most of it. I was given permission to use the original SBASIC docs and I merely reformatted it and added the more recent stuff which was added to SBASIC.

You can read it online too http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/docs/ebooks/smsqe/SMSQE_A4.htm although I *think* (not sure without going to check) that the online version is maybe one generation behind the PDFs and eBook files.

[papanillu]

I'm sorry,
But after reading the guide, and the posts here I'm unable to find how to buid my own card.
I tried what is explained in the readme of the distribution, but it stops with an error, and there's no way to do anything.
Also I haven't found the way to edit the contents of a .win file.

So, I'll forget to use SMS for a time.

Thanks for your efforts, but I said before, maybe windows has corrupter mi brain.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I have read the QL/E readme file.

What you have do is:

Create a FAT32 partition on the SD Card.


From THE DISTRIBUTION directory:

Copy the QL/E file: QLE/QLE.WIN to the FAT32 partition

Copy the file: QLE/Q68/Q68_RAM.SYS to the FAT32 partition

The SMSQ/E file: Q68_RAM.SYS is configured to load QLE.WIN from the SD Card.

Try this and do not get too worried if you do not get it right.

I can give you a SD CARD image or supply an SD CARD eith QL/E, Black Phoenix, or whatever configuration required. Send me a PM if you want to tske advantage of this.

[papanillu]

This is what I did.
and it hangs when activating the network card.
I don't know how, but finally i removed the networj¡k init and now, it boots.
So this is Ok, ¿or not? because this is part of I wanted.

I have a card with a more or less the last smsq/e running, but without knoing what I0ve done.

Derek, I'll PM you to take the advanteadge you offered me before sending my Q68 back to you to be upgraded.

Thanks