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Text File | 1992-07-29 | 11.3 KB | 303 lines

RL. "Lineages/Standard works only on a single 1541 or 1571 disk drive configured as device 8. The program is loaded from that drive, then the data disc must be swapped into the drive. Consequently, it is incompatable with the CMD Ramlink." Isn't there a way to make this program run in RL? This is one of the only genealogy programs left. How about some brain storming?? Mike Mc- ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 108 Fri Jun 19, 1992 C128.JBEE [* Sysop *] at 23:14 EDT Does the "Lineages" program load as a single file, or does it have to load many modules before being set up? ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 109 Sat Jun 20, 1992 HOWIE-CBM at 02:21 EDT Mike, The only idea I can come up with would be to try running Lineages using one of CMD's 1541 or 1571 drive emulators. Not the ones you create with Ram Tools, but rather the modules you run on native mode partitions. As I understand it, they will write directory and other important things at the track/sector to mimic the appropriate drive. I *THINK* (but best to have Doug confirm this) that with these parameters, the entirety of the partition is available. If this is the case, then a large partition might be possible and allow space for the program disk and data. I have no way of knowing if Lineages would work with this emulator, and the only way to find out would be to try it. Did you ask if Quinsept has a Family Roots for the 64? I do know that the Family Roots which runs on the 128 will let you use CMD's Hard Drives. Since RL is so much like a HD, it is likely that it would run direct from there. Howie ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 110 Sat Jun 20, 1992 M.MCCORMIC10 [Mike Mc-] at 06:04 EDT Howie- Lineages "Family Roots" for Commodore is $225.The Standard is $49. JBEE- I think it does have many modules. I though,maybe,that I could run it from RL and switch drives when it needed the disc drive? Mike Mc- ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 111 Sun Jun 21, 1992 C128.JBEE [* Sysop *] at 04:51 EDT Is there any portion of this program in Basic? How about the loader? I can't imagine writing that type of program completely in a low level language. ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 112 Sun Jun 21, 1992 M.MCCORMIC10 [Mike Mc-] at 05:58 EDT JBEE- I don't know what language this program is in.The letter says that because it must be swapped with a data disc it is incompatable with RL.I have a decent genealogy program,but it has bugs. I wrote to the shareware address and my letter was returned.The company was ERO systems.The author was Dennis Davis.I think he is railbird on Q. If anbody wants to play with this program,I would gladly send it to them.I will list the problems. Mike Mc- ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 113 Sun Jun 21, 1992 C128.JBEE [* Sysop *] at 23:41 EDT Load the first program for Quinsets program and type LIST. If you see load"filename",8,1 that loads in the modules you might be able to change the loading process to support Ramlink. ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 114 Mon Jun 22, 1992 M.DULSKI1 [Mark @WIZARD] at 00:58 EDT The 'boot' program looks to be in ml but about 90% of the rest of the modules are in basic. Those would be easy enough to change for 2 drive or Ramlink use I would think. But would it be enough since a small part *is* in ml? ``Mark`` ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 115 Mon Jun 22, 1992 HOWIE-CBM at 02:24 EDT Mike and JBEE, I am not sure about the similarity between Lineages and Family Roots. However, FR is pretty much set-up to be drive specific. Part of its configuration process is defining the drives that FR will use, including track/sector for the directory, etc. FR uses two sequential files for its data, and two paired sequential files for its look-up table that reference the data by track/sector. Depending on the purpose of the disk (program, data, memos or scratch files), there will be other ~data definition' files on the disk. I seem to recall that there is also a ~last access date' file that gets written, but never appears in a directory. Sort of a hidden file, that the program will look for to determine the integrity of data. FR lets you select 1541, 1571, 1581, third party drive, and CMD's HD's, so all the info definition is done without user input. Duplicating data between drives is no prob. An exact copy uses all (including hidden) files. A filecopy requires a re-run of a module to reconstruct the look-up and hidden files. Having said all this, FR must know the drive it is presently running from. In the case of Lineages (and this is only a quess based on their reply to Mike about the need to swap disks), the program may not let you share the four types of files on one disk. The only way to ~swap' disks while using RL would be if Lineages gave access to the drive's command channel when it requests a swap, which from Quinsept's reply, I assume it doesn't. Hmm.... Come to think of it, there may be a way to do this, but it really would be very awkward, and most unelegant, and the user would probably get tired of doing it pretty quick. It would go something like.... (1) Launch the program from an RL partition. (2) Select the module (not sure if Lineages uses Modules as does FR) that you want to run. (3) Escape out of the module to the sys level, and issue RL's CP command. (4) Issue the RUN 1 command, and hope it runs and correctly sees the new partition. As I said very unelegant, and may not even work. I don't think I would like to do this for very long. And, I would certainly see what Quinsept might say as to whether or not this would in fact work before making any buying decisions. In fairness to Quinsept, if their C64 Family Roots version will run from a RL there is little incentive for them to modify Lineages. BTW, much of what I said above about FR refers to the 128's version, from what I understand of it, so here too I strongly recommend getting confirming info direct from Quinsept as to the C64 version. Howie ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 116 Tue Jun 23, 1992 CMD-DOUG at 05:47 EDT I'm sure everyone has been looking for my 2 cents worth, but it looks like the rest of you know as much about it as I, if not more. I tend to concur that (knowing how FR used to be before they modded it for HD use) getting the program to operate from RL might indeed be near impossible. At best, convenience would dictate that you might be able to put one of disks on a 1571 emulation, but all others would need be on floppy, and you would have to perform a device SWAP whenever going to or from the disk located on RL. ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 117 Thu Jul 02, 1992 M.MCCORMIC10 [Mike Mc-] at 05:13 EDT All- I have good news & bad news. The good news is that everything is up and running properly. The bad news is I don't know what I did to correct the problem.I disconnected all the peripherals. Started making the partitions as we discussed,in NORMAL mode and somehow it is alright. It does state during the hardware test,though,that I MIGHT need a ROM upgrade to be fully compatable. Is this for JIFFYDOS? Mike Mc- ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 118 Fri Jul 03, 1992 CMD-DOUG at 07:54 EDT That usually means that you should be using the jumper (you must have an old version of the hardware test - I don't think newer ones print that kind of message). Anyway, it generally is indicating that RAMLink and your computer are not timing together correctly, which can cause a lot of problems. If you are already running with the timing clip in place, then this message can mean that your computer has a defect, though it is often wise to have the RAMLink upgraded to the latest revisions before assuming defects in the computer. (Any RAMLink prior to version I can be upgraded by us for $25.00 plus shipping). ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 119 Sun Jul 05, 1992 D.WADLEIGH [Sadsac] at 22:34 EDT I had a problem with my RAMLink resetting. If I exited a program from a - QUIT- option on a menu, or by using the reset button on RAMLink, then RAMLink would frequently reset to power-up configuration. So, finally I ordered an upgrade RL DOS (1.40 to V2.0) from CMD. Also, got a battery to take care of those little flicks in power that did not seem to hurt the digital clocks or the VCR, but would always reset RAMLink. Well - It's been two weeks and I haven't had to reload RAMLink once. It has been rock solid! Nice! Sadsac -- ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 120 Tue Jul 07, 1992 CMD-DOUG at 23:41 EDT Thanks Sadsac, Yes, 1.40 did have problems with some programs which left certain patterns in memory causing the system to get confused into re-configuring. The problem didn't turn up very much, but for those with specific applications and exiting habits, it proved rather nasty. Glad you got the new version, as it is rock solid in this respect, and is in fact darned hard to MAKE it re-configure without trying to specifically do so. ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 121 Thu Jul 09, 1992 S.CRAIK [Steve] at 22:17 EDT Hi, RE: Ramlink resetting, over, over ,and over again I hadn't had a problem with that but had heard of another that had. Turns out that he has v1.40 ..as I do. But, since I've gotten my second 1581 back and again online. I'd found that this now happens to me. Also, I started to have a barage of directory bashing. Now I did have a 1541 hook in but not on. Hmm? Let me start over again, I have 128d 1581 RAMLink Swiftlink printer and then also had a 1541 in the chain but never on (well hardly ever) And never had the RAMLink or whatever sending the 'puter in to this cronic RESET syndrome. But, when I hooked the second 1581 (in place of the 1541) Well... it started. I've Since taken it out of the chain and haven't had that problem. It may have been something else cause I did do a re-check of all my connections adding one by one back in. However, I did stop before adding the second '81 in again. Sorta chicken I guess. Steve Craik *s ------------ Category 12, Topic 2 Message 122 Fri Jul 10, 1992 HOWIE-CBM at 06:03 EDT Steve, I don't think you may have mentioned it, but if you also had the 1581 on the serial bus, and unpowered, this could be what is doing it. All devices on the bus ought to powered, to avoid conflicts with running software. Since RL/DOS is now at version 2.0, you might consider the newer release too. Sorta reminds me of that ole stand-up comics joke: patient: "Doctor, when I do this (patient does this) I get this awful pain." doctor: "Well then don't do THIS." Ah well... :) Howie P.S. Apparantly some software (under some circumstances) will ~nuke' a RL. Did you see the warning message that Mark posted about running Wizard64 on a C128? ------------ 12 ?