prindle@nadc.arpa (02/10/87)
The C128 CP/M utility FORMAT.COM distributed with early 128s only did three formats - all were GCR, all formated both sides of the disk (on a 1571), and two of them marked the disk as single sided in track 18, sector 0. The GCR portion of the C1571 DOS just doesn't have an option to only format one side. The only way to get a true "flippy" CP/M diskette formatted is to force the drive into 1541 (aka "oh-so-slow") mode (send U0>M0 to the command channel), then boot up (from a single sided system disk) and ask FORMAT to do one of the single sided formats. The CP/M diskettes distributed by Commodore are "flippy" and not double sided because some masochist may be trying to run CP/M with only a 1541 drive. The newer FORMAT.COM (which I assume is being distributed with 128s now, and on the new CP/M release, 8 Dec 85) will do the above 3, plus format a number of MFM formats. I got my copy off of either GENIE or COMPUSERVE, I can't remem- ber which, a long time ago. I will upload it to SIMTEL20 (where the rest of the 6/8 Dec 85 updated CP/M software resides) with Commodore's permission. Frank Prindle Prindle@NADC.arpa
jdb@ncsc.arpa (02/10/87)
I got my C128 this past Christmas which had the 8 Dec 1985 release (at least thats the date returned with no date set), but the FORMAT that came with it only has a menu for 128-double, 128-single, and 64-single formats. I can comfirm that 128-single also zaps 'side-2' on a 1571. I tried to make a 'flippy' for a friend with 128 stuff on one side and CP/M on the other. I did the 128 side first, then went to CP/M and formatted what I thought was the 'other side'. Luckily, I then went back to 128 mode to print the directory (which I had forgotten to do) and 128 DOS was somewhat confused by the disk. Anyway, sounds like Commodore is still distributing the '2 1/2 option' FORMAT.COM. Maybe the version from GENIE and/or COMPUSERVE is an 'enhanced' version. David Brown jdb@ncsc