MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET (10/11/90)
Okay here's my situation,
I want to know if it is possible to download programs for the ST
using an IBM XT. Both using a 3.5 drive. Would I have to Format disks on my
ST and then try to download onto them using the XT or wouldn't it matter or
is it even possible to pull this off? Thanks for any help that I get.
My situation is that I am in North Dakota with NO ST BBS support and I have a
friend down in Milwaukee that has quite a few ST BBS's to choose from and what
I'd like him to do is to download some of this stuff for me. Problem is that
he has no ST. He has an IBM XT with a 3.5 drive. Can he in any way download
stuff for me using his XT???
Thanks,
Thomasdejesus@rex.cs.tulane.edu (Francisco Xavier Dejesus) (10/11/90)
In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: >Okay here's my situation, > I want to know if it is possible to download programs for the ST >using an IBM XT. Both using a 3.5 drive. Would I have to Format disks on my >ST and then try to download onto them using the XT or wouldn't it matter or >is it even possible to pull this off? Thanks for any help that I get. No problem. Just have your frind format the disks with his XT (make sure he formats them _double_ density -> 720K, assuming you have a DS drive). The ST can read any IBM-formatted 3.5 disk except the high density ones. If you have a modem for your ST and have ftp access you can get a lot of good PD/Shareware software that way. If so (or if you're not sure) read the monthly posting of 'frequently asked questions' here or contact me by e-mail directly and I'll try to help... -- ___ / _______________________________ - Francisco X DeJesus |- / \/ \\ ' / /\ dejesus@comus.cs.tulane.edu \\__________________________ / ak662@cleveland.freenet.edu ////////////////////////////
swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) (10/11/90)
In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: >he has no ST. He has an IBM XT with a 3.5 drive. Can he in any way download >stuff for me using his XT??? > Thanks, The Atari can understand the IBM format but I believe the IBM won't understand the Atari format. There are two possible solutions: 1. Format the disks on your Atari using a PS/2 format utility. (There is at least one of these and possibly more than one available on the net.) 2. Format the disks on the IBM. When you do this you MUST make sure that you are formatting in the low density (~720K) instead of the high density (~1.4meg). This is done by specifying a couple of flags in the format command (see the DOS manual for details). I have used both of these solutions and can say that they both work. For solution 1 I use a utility called `ps2form' which I got from the network. For solution 2 I have done it from a PS/2 model 30 and from a SparcStation 1+ running a DOS emulator. (I've never tried it from an XT but I don't see why it wouldn't work.) -- Steven W. Klassen University of Waterloo
lawrence@techpub3.isc-br.com (Lawrence Kelley) (10/12/90)
In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: He has an IBM XT with a 3.5 drive. Can he in any way download >stuff for me using his XT??? Your ST can read a disk that was formated on the PC as long as it's not high density (1.4M) which it probably isn't since it's an XT. The PC can read a disk formated on the ST only if you've used a formater that puts the DOS boot sector on the disk. DCFormat will do this for you. -- **************************************************************************** The opinions expressed herein are purely fictional. Any resemblence to real opinions, mine or anyone else's is strictly coincendental.
billm@CSUFresno.EDU (Bill Mills) (10/12/90)
In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: >Okay here's my situation, > I want to know if it is possible to download programs for the ST >using an IBM XT. Both using a 3.5 drive. Would I have to Format disks on my >ST and then try to download onto them using the XT or wouldn't it matter or [Stuff deleted] > Thanks, > > Thomas Yep, it's no problem, I do it all the time. Just format the 3.5" floppies on the IBM (or format them on the ST and add an IBM boot sector with the appropriate boot-sector-adding software). If his IBM has a 1.44 Meg (high density) 3.5" drive, make sure he formats the floppies to 720K (double density). Then download the files just like any other IBM file. I have access to IBM's at work with ethernet connections, so I download very quickly there, and then take the disks home to my ST and I'm ready to go. Hope this helps. Be seeing you... -Bill Mills -- =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Disclaimer: These comments are my own, and I doubt that anyone else would want to claim them anyhow. Bill Mills --------------------------------------------------------------------------
mboen@nixdorf.de (Martin Boening) (10/12/90)
In <1990Oct11.135121.26348@watdragon.waterloo.edu> swklassen@rose.uwaterloo.ca (Steven W. Klassen) writes: >In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: >>he has no ST. He has an IBM XT with a 3.5 drive. Can he in any way download >>stuff for me using his XT??? >> Thanks, >The Atari can understand the IBM format but I believe the IBM won't >understand the Atari format. There are two possible solutions: After reading this, something form MY experiences: I have a Mega ST with TOS1.4 now. When I format a disk from the desktop all our PCs, XT's and AT's and whatnot IBM clones can read that disk and write on it. If I copy ST files onto the disk as well, the PC can read those so I can downlowd stuff to our UNIX machines that way. The other way around also works: Formatting disks on the IBM clone (using format b: /t:80 /n:9 because otherwise the drive usually tries HD format) and copying files from our UNIX machines onto them allows me to take home stuff which the Atari reads without problems. Gist of the matter: I don't need to use ANY conversion programs and get by with the standard utilities supplied by the operating systems. Where's your problem. If you have an orlder TOS, you will run into problems trying to read ST formatted disks on a PC. I never had problems reading PC formatted disks on my ST, even back in the TOS1.2 days! Maybe this helps you, maybe it doesn't. Just take it as information. So long, Martin Disclaimer: did I just say anything? -- Email: in the USA -> mboening.pad@nixdorf.com outside USA -> mboening.pad@nixdorf.de Paper Mail: Martin Boening, Nixdorf Computer AG, SNI STO SI 355, Pontanusstr. 55, 4790 Paderborn, W.-Germany (Phone: +49 5251 146155)
rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew) (10/12/90)
> Your ST can read a disk that was formated on the PC as long as it's not > high density (1.4M) which it probably isn't since it's an XT. The PC > can read a disk formated on the ST only if you've used a formater that > puts the DOS boot sector on the disk. DCFormat will do this for you. I've only had experience with HP 3-1/2" disk drives in HP Vectras, so this may not apply to all PC clones, but... The Vectra can read ST-formatted disks just fine. You don't need to have the DOS boot sector on the disk. In fact, when I've used FORMAT /S to format disks on a Vectra, my ST can't read them. Nor do I need to use DCFormat on the ST; the default formatter works fine (TOS 1.0 or 1.4). Some people have had trouble reading ST disks on their Vectras, because they forget to install the device driver that comes with the 3-1/2" drive. The device driver allows the Vectra to read and write a multitude of "near"-MSDOS-formatted disks without any problem. (The device driver is only necessary for the newer HP 3-1/2" drives. The old "classic" drives read/write to the ST disks without it.) I've traded the Vectra for a workstation, so this information is only current as of August 10 (last time I flopped disks on a Vectra). I mention it here because of the possibility that other high-class clones (e.g. Compaq) may have the same mileage. Then again, the Vectra may be a truly unique machine ... :-) Regards Ray Depew HP Colorado IC Division rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com ----------
rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew) (10/12/90)
Forgot to mention that, on MSDOS machines, FORMAT /S puts the boot sector on disk; just plain FORMATW doesn't. Regards Ray Depew HP Colorado IC Division rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com
rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew) (10/13/90)
One other note: HP used to sell (not any more) an external HPIB 3-1/2" disk drive for MSDOS machines. This drive worked flawlessy, on *anybody's* near-DOS disk. The product has since been discontinued (I know, I know, but I don't work for marketing...) and the few remaining inside HP are guarded by shotguns and Dobermans. Everybody liked them. If you have one, hang on to it forever. Regards Ray Depew HP Colorado IC Division rrd@hpfitst1.hp.com
psurge@cs.utexas.edu (Troy Carpenter) (10/13/90)
In article <1990Oct11.203905.12547@CSUFresno.EDU>, billm@CSUFresno.EDU (Bill Mills) writes: > In article <4757MV010320@NDSUVM1> MV010320@NDSUVM1.BITNET writes: > >Okay here's my situation, > > I want to know if it is possible to download programs for the ST > >using an IBM XT. Both using a 3.5 drive. Would I have to Format disks on my > >ST and then try to download onto them using the XT or wouldn't it matter or > [Stuff deleted] > > Thanks, > > > > Thomas > Yep, it's no problem, I do it all the time. Just format the 3.5" > floppies on the IBM (or format them on the ST and add an IBM boot sector > with the appropriate boot-sector-adding software). If his IBM has a > 1.44 Meg (high density) 3.5" drive, make sure he formats the floppies to > 720K (double density). Then download the files just like any other IBM > file. I have access to IBM's at work with ethernet connections, so I > download very quickly there, and then take the disks home to my ST and > I'm ready to go. Hope this helps. > Be seeing you... > -Bill Mills > Actually this way is easy compared to how I do it...just try to follow this: First, I ftp from a site, say terminator, to my account. Takes very little time (ftp is FAST). Then I ftp from my account to one of the MacSE's here in the lab...all our macs are connected to the Internet via a K-box. From the mac SE, I put the file onto a disk. I take the disk to one of our Mac II's, where I format a disk 720K MS-DOS style. Then using Appleshare I move the Mac format ST file to a MS-dos disk, which I can take home and put in my st. This sounds like a lot, but it will take me less than 10 mins to get any size file up to 700K, where it would take me mucho longer to Kermit the file. Now my only problem is how to get the 756K arc'ed file of TEX to my computer... Point: Yes you will have no problem downloading atari stuff to the IBM... Troy Carpenter Department of Computer Sciences THE University of Texas, Austin psurge@cs.utexas.edu "You're so open minded that your brain leaked out" - Steve Taylor *>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> The best thing in life costs exactly that <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<*
iho@cac.washington.edu (Il Oh) (10/14/90)
In article <7340002@hpfcso.HP.COM> rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew) writes: >Forgot to mention that, on MSDOS machines, FORMAT /S puts the boot sector on >disk; just plain FORMATW doesn't. > Ummm... Plain FORMAT puts the boot sector on the disk. FORMAT /S puts the DOS boot files on the disk to turn it into a "system" disk. il -- a clever .sig file
ALBERT_DAYES@bdt.UUCP (10/14/90)
There is a new product called PowerDrive by a Company in Utah that changes your floppy disk controller to a newer Western DIgital controller and allows one to hook up 5.25 (1.2meg) and 3.5inch (1.44meg) floppies to the Atari ST. Just review recently in ST INFORMER magazine ... the 1.44 drives are completely downward compatible with all software including copy protected software ... the only thing that was not working is SPECTRE-GCR in the MAC mode ... but Dave Small is working on that too ... so it may be only a matter of time.
ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu (L.J.Dickey) (10/15/90)
>In article <1990Oct11.203905.12547@CSUFresno.EDU>, billm@CSUFresno.EDU (Bill Mills) writes: > >Now my only problem is how to get the 756K arc'ed file of TEX to my computer... > I use "UUE" or ("uuencode" with "split") to split up a big program. The ST is fine for putting things back together. With Gulam, I can use cat, for instance. Or, I can name the files appropriately, and UUD to put things back together.
brian@Eyring.COM (Brian Cooper) (10/15/90)
In article <1990Oct12.232344.13037@hayes.ims.alaska.edu> fsdmb3@acad3.fai.alaska.edu (David M. Braun) writes: >>Now my only problem is how to get the 756K arc'ed file of TEX to my computer. > ^^^^ > >Yes, how do you do this? > > --if it is an ARC file you can just unArc it and split it up into smaller >archives, but what if it is an LZH archive!! I've got the file on an IBM hard >drive, how do I get it to my ST? Can I split up the file and put it on two >disks? -if so, how? Is there an UN-LZH program for the IBM (I don't think so). There is indeed an LZH program for the IBM. The one I have is called LHARC.EXE and is version 1.00 by Haruyasu Yoshizaki. I got this one over a year ago off the internet -- I think -- and believe that it is available from SIMTEL. I have found it works just fine with my Atari LZH files. P.S. I think this version of LHARC first showed up on GENIE, if that helps.
rrd@hpfcso.HP.COM (Ray Depew) (10/16/90)
>>Forgot to mention that .... > Ummm... Plain FORMAT puts the boot sector on the disk. FORMAT /S puts the DOS boot files on the disk to turn it into a "system" disk. Oops. I stand corrected. (BTW, It's not FORMATW. That's a little spelling error vi added for me.) Ray --