Commodore Free 28/Commodore_Free_Issue_28_2009_Commodore_Computer_Club.d64/outro part 1a

Text File | 2023-02-26 | 15KB | 472 lines

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CONTINUED FROM OUTRO PART 1

Short Additives

 Or some of the stuff that I said I
would get to and didn't.
 Getting more information: I said
many times that there was a titanic
amount of things written for the C=
PC. Tonnes of that have been cast
aside. But there are collectors out
there, like my users group, who
preserve the information. Many web
sites exist with C= information.
There is even a Commodore web ring.
Yet one has to start at someplace. So
I strongly suggest that you go to
http://www.vcsweb.com as your start.
Rod and Gaelyne are very friendly to
C= users. Plus you can collect not
only files but you have access to C=
mail lists, and therefore the people
that are active in the scene. Who are
much better at helping you than this
old lamer.

 ON-LINE FILES: There are two types
of "online" file sources. One is the
new web and internet. The other is
the older BBS. Files found on these
sources are most probably compressed,
in some form. They should end with an
extension, such as "filename.XXX".
Here the "XXX" represents some form
of compression. There is another
ending, but that is the next section.

 In most of the C= compression files
you will see the following.

 SDA; that file will download for
you. All you need to do is run it,
and have a blank disk ready. The file
will open up onto the blank
<formatted> disk.

 SFX; pretty much the same as above
except that this one will go to any
drive in the stack. While the SDA is
limited to just drive #8.

 LBR; stands for library. Not really
a compression. More on the lines of
putting a collection of files into
one big file. There are many versions
or editions of this one. You need a
tool called "library" to open this
type of file up. I use version 9 most
of the time except for the Centipede
BBS, which is a 128 programme and has
its own library tool.

 LNX; for this level of discussion.
This "lynx" thing is similar to the
above. Although I have been told that
it has some compression. This is an
undocumented statement to me. Again
there is the need for a tool to open
the file. Also there are several
versions to this tool.

 ZIP; Why yes we can do the PK1
version and we can also do the PK2
version. There are tools online for
us to make and dissolve the PK zip.

 CVT; well, now, this isn't a
specific form of compression. But in
your collection of files. Both at
hand now and in the future. You may
see this as an extension. Means
"convert", and is used for Geos
specifically. As the Geos USR file is
not able to be transmitted raw over
the phone lines, or copied with any
thing else but Geos. So storage and
on BBS's etc. The files are
converted. Highest version of convert
that I have is v3.1. Most people I
know use v2.5. Meaning that if you
see a file with this extension. Don't
worry if it won't open up for you at
this time.

 XYZ; no not really a compression or
anything that you will find. What do
I mean by this heading? Well is that
there are other extensions that you
can see on files. Not all of them are
storage compression systems. Here it
is complex and past the scope of this
project to explain fully. First some
extensions are compression. Short
lived or specific to one programme or
source. Let's not ask me how many
disks I destroyed of files from
q-Link that I thought were bad.
Because there was a small amount of
compression used there and I didn't
know about it at the time. All of
them that I have found will require
tools to open them up. I suggest that
if you find these to hang onto them
and ask on a list for assistance.
Could be a treasure hidden on the
disk.

 Second there are some programmes,
like art programmes or example that
add an extension to the name of the
file. Granted that there are some
that also make a prefix to the name
of the file. These files will not run
on their own, they are a part of the
main program. So if they don't run,
they aren't bad. You just need to
find the right program for them to
run.

 IDIOTS; Someplace I have a box into
which I toss disks that have
programmes that won't work. Some of
these I have over time saved from
blanking. Why don't they work? Well
the title of this section explains
the who and not the why. OK the who
is idiots and the why is the fact
that they compressed or other things
to store the program on a save disk.
Really it would have been nice if
they had put the extension on the
file name! You see not all programmes
will do that part for you. Our zip
programs don't, or at least the three
that I have used. I have to name it
"lost cat.zip". Some versions of lnx
and lbr will put the extension in for
you.

 There was a BBS called MudPit it ran
out of Dallas Fort Worth area. I
scored up the hard drive from 2nd
hand. Files where still on the hard
drive, so copied them. Would have
been nice if the Geos files had the
".cvt" at the end. Many of the
preserved GEnie C= areas on web sites
today. Don't have that ".cvt" in the
name. My point is, that if the file
doesn't work. May be that the
extension wasn't put on it. Had some
zip ones that way and it isn't seen
by the program then don't toss or
blank them. Stick them off to the
side and as you grow in understanding
of the C=. You can try to rename the
files with extensions and slowly find
out what they are over time.

 .D64: This is that next section I
mentioned. Most of the files that I
see on web sites and sent to me as
attachments to email. Just happen to
read sort of like "filename.d64". OK
I must add here that I will zip these
when I send them or put them on the
BBS. Yeah that can all be done with a
Commodore. Right then what is a .D64?
Simply it is an electronic image of
the entire side of a 1541 disk.
Bummer is that it is 689 blocks. Not
going to fit on a 1541 disk of 664
blocks. That is why I zip them for my
work.

 These are used for emulators. Wait a
moment, I have to add here that the
file can be reverted back to normal
for a C= PC. OK I have also been told
that a .D64 does help with some copy
protection stuff as well. Anyway, you
can find mega amounts of these online
but from my experience, I always zip
them in my ram because it is easier
for me with the tools at hand to just
run the tool that unzips and reverts
the .D64 into a real 1541. Since the
tool does both at the same time.

 You may also see files that are
listed as .D71 or .D81. These are
image copies of the 1571 double sided
disk, and the 1581 3 1/2" disk
respectfully. These are also too
large to be put on their original
disks. The tools that I scored online
for the C= will also open these up
for you. I have been told that there
is also an image copy of at least the
FD-2000 disk. But that is
undocumented at this time.

 Jiffy Dos: Found through
http://www.cmdrkey.com at the time of
writing. This is a chip that goes
into your C= PC as well as into your
drives, it comes complete with a
small booklet manual. Way too much to
write here on this one. If you can
get it, then do so, if you have it,
you are lucky. Loading from a disk is
fantastically faster. Keys are
shortcut.

For example
F1 will give you the directory of a
disk.
F4 will read on screen a text file.
F2 will present a Basic program on
screen or you.

All your commands for file work start
with the "@" symbol. Scratch as an
example is
open15,8,15,"s0:filename":close15. In
Jiffy Dos it is just @s0:filename.
Yet that error channel of #15 is
still activated. Suffice to say that
it is faster and things are easier
with Jiffy Dos. No going into the
tech stuff on interleave of the disk.
But will say here are a couple of
simple and fast copiers in Jiffy Dos.
Get it, is my suggestion.

 Languages: This entire thing was on
the users manual with the C=64. Where
we spent time with Basic v2. There
are other forms of Basic out there.
As an example the 128 has Basic v7.
Some add on carts will give you Basic
v4. But also I mentioned slightly
that there is Machine Language <ML>
and Assembly <ASM>. These two go
together, from what I have been told.
There are other computer languages
that can be used on the C= PC. Comal,
Cobalt, Fortran and C. This is not an
extensive list of computer languages
for the C=. Only the ones that I have
seen or have in my collection.

 Loading from the disk: There is a
bit more than what I wrote in the
main section.  Your friend is the "*"
in this part. This is not just for
loading a program but for hunting in
a directory for a program. Starting
with the directory, and that loading
with the "$" they really could have
made a specific key for that one Lets
do the trick.

lO"$l*",8
lI

 You will get all the files that
start with l in the directory. Rather
than all the files on the disk.

lO"l*",8
rU

 This will load the first l file on
the disk. Let's hope that it is a
program and not a sequence file

 Works also with more than one
letter. Like lO"lost*",8 or
lO"$lost*",8. First one will load the
first lost anything program on the
disk. Second one will set you up to
see the listing of all the files that
start with lost. Just did that with
my set of lost cat stories.

 128: Not the topic of this series.
Yet if you have one you have a great
PC. This unit not only has the C=64
inside. This unit has 40 column Basic
v7. 80 column Basic v7. This PC also
does several of the CP/M languages.

 Cleaning:
note that if you do this, it is at
your own risk, However saying that it
is a good idea to run you over some
simple tips. Now there have been many
a list, forum and magazine article on
this task. So what I write here is
just the real simple stuff. You need
the swabs and alcohol that I
mentioned in the series, plus a
couple of other items that you may or
may not have.

 Lets do the tape machine first.
Forget the tape head cleaners and
demagnetisers because they are a
waste of money they look like a
cassette and you run it in your
machine. This one I can speak from
years of in the field experience, I
used to repair and service tape
machines for a living! These things
are not worth the plastic they are
made from! What you need to do is
flip open the lid of the tape
machine. Take a look at the black
rubber looking wheel. That wheel
should be black, not a rust coloured
band around the middle. This is the
problem with head cleaner things.
They don't clean this thing called
the pinch roller. First dip your swap
in the alcohol you don't want it
dripping though. Press play and get
the C= to send some power to it with
the load command. You may have to
press that in several times to do the
job. OK when it is running, place the
swab on the right hand side of the
pinch roller. Ah that is from the
perspective of facing the keys. Place
it against the pinch roller and that
metal thing that looks like a needle,
called the capstan. Do this from he
right side. If you do it from the
left it will try to; and probably
will tear off things from the swab.
You want all that brown oxide stuff
off the roller. So it may take some
time. That brown stuff is oxide from
the tape. Has a great deal of fun in
making the tape wind around the pinch
roller and the capstan. Or what is
called "eating the tape".

 Got that done and now it is the head
cleaning time. No power for this one.
Just press the key so the heads come
into view.  New swab of course. Wet
it and now it is time to do the
heads. Actually every metal looking
thing that you see, where the tape
would make contact. But the heads are
the most important at this time. That
main one is the silvery looking
little box. Well most of the time it
looks that way. There are a couple of
dark spots on it. Ah these you are
not going to remove.  as they are the
part that actually puts the
information on the tape, and reads
it. But you may find what look like
scratches that is really crud from
dirty tapes. Bottom line is that you
want that to be as shiny as possible.
Here is a question of techniques.
Some say you should move the swab in
the direction of the tape flow.
Others say that you should go up and
down. Personally I do both for the
movements of the cleaning swab. OK
there is one other thing in there.
Should be to the left of the head.
Maybe black in colour. This is the
erase head. Just sends out a pulse to
erase the tape when you are
recording. This too needs cleaning.
Do it the same way. Oh yeah when the
swab is dirty, toss it in a safe
place from kids, pets and your smoke.

 Demagnetizing time:
remember science class in school?
Where you took a magnet and ran the
screw driver over it to magnetise it?
Well the principle is the same for
the tape machine. Tape is magnetic,
the head is metal. You use the
machine; you build up a magnetic
layer, called gauss, this happens as
the tape moves over the head. Well my
head demagnetiser has to be plugged
into the wall socket in order to
create enough of a field to remove
the gauss. Don't see how a small
spinning magnet in a cassette case
can do the same. Anyway, if you still
have one of these tools. Then you
already know how to use it. Most
readers will not have this tool.
Hobbyists, electronic stores and if
you can find one, a repairman. Most
probably do have the tool. You will
need to go see these sources for a
demag. If they just let you use the
tool. Here are the guidelines. Take
off your watch first. You can
magnetise your watch. Keep the device
away from all magnetic things. Like
the box of disks, the monitor etc.
After plugging it in, press the on
button (if it has one) slowly bring
it to the heads and move it up and
down. If it is real bad you will hear
a humming noise. Do the same to every
metal part that is exposed to the
tape. Do not touch the device to the
metal though. When you feel it is
right, slowly pull away to arms
length and turn off the device. FWIW:
in audio work, if your tape sounds
muffled. You need to demag your
system. I used to get $20 for a
clean, test and demagnetized of tape
machines. Save yourself bread and do
it yourself.

 Disk Drive guys:
Well it is a bit easier for you.
There are disk drive cleaners. A
simple disk that has a semi abrasive
cloth inside. Place the alcohol on it
and run it around 30 seconds in the
machine. I tell it to validate on the
computer and just keep hitting that
line again and again. Now the
cleaning disks have a chart for
number of uses. Not that I ever paid
attention to it. Had a girl friend
that knew of a fabric at the local
fabric shop. That was the same
roughish gauze stuff. She cut it to
fit and inserted that into the
sleeve. Works fine for me. But lost
what it was called and the
girlfriend. However at the time of
writing, you can still get them from
Radio Shack, the cleaning disk I mean
not the girlfriends! 5 1/4" cleaners
as well as 3 1/2". There are also
online places to buy them. I'll do
cleaning of the keyboard and a few
other things in the 2nd part of the
outro.

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