[comp.os.cpm] Will C128 CP/M run Uniform software?

H462BATMS@gallua.bitnet (01/29/87)

Hi,
  I want be sure that will C128 CP/M 3.0 Plus run Uniform software for
MS-DOS/CPM translator?? I want know compitable before buy it.
 
Thanx, Tim.

prindle@nadc.arpa (01/29/87)

Due to the design of the C128 BIOS and the 1571 disk drive, I seriously doubt
it will be able to run any generic version of UNIFORM (Fred Bowen, any thoughts
on this?).  But all things are possible, so you should contact the manufacturer
of UNIFORM and flat-out ask them that question.  In any case, I've modified
RDMS233 to enable it to read (read only!) MSDOS format diskettes on the C128
under CP/M+ with a 1571 drive.  I've also written another utility, UNIDRIVE,
which currently allows the C128 CP/M to read or write any of 24 different CP/M
diskette formats (but not MSDOS).  Neither program will "format" a diskette.

The appropriate files on SIMTEL20 are:

	PD:<CPM.C128>RDMS233C.LBR
	PD:<CPM.C128>UNIDRIVE.LBR

Sincerely,
Frank Prindle
Prindle@NADC.arpa

jdb@ncsc.arpa (01/29/87)

I don't have any experience with Uniform, but if it doesn't work on
a C128 I know of two public domain programs which *might* meet your
needs. (don't know Uniform's capabilities).

One is RSMS233C which is available from SIMTEL20 as
pd:<cpm.c128>rdms233c.lbr which runs in cp/m mode and
copies files from MS-DOS to CP/M but not the other way.

Another which is available on some BBSs in this area at least is
Crosslink which runs in 128/80-column mode and copies to/from
C128, CP/M, MS-DOS formats with or without ASCII<->PETASCII<->
Screen code translation. Its major drawback is that it only handles
files up to 45.5K bytes. The'driver' is in Basic with m/l routines
to do the actual read/write stuff.  The m/l is (semi-)documented
with at least the entry points for the various format reads/writes,
translations but not the required parameters. These could be 
divined from the Basic calls but you need a 'pretty printer'
as the writer crammed as many statements/line as possible to keep
the buffer size as large as possible, making it hard to read.
Once that was done, you could write your own to read a little/write a
little to handle larger file sizes.

Sorry I couldn't answer your original question, but these are alternatives
if the answer is 'no'.

david brown