[comp.sys.apple2] 5.0.4 format REVEALED and a poll

toddpw@yvonne.caltech.edu (Todd P. Whitesel) (12/25/90)

Ok, I've got the 5.0.4 disks unpacked and working. Here's how they were packed:

	Apple DiskCopy (whose format is published, I have a copy)
	StuffIt on the DiskCopy file
	BinHex on the StuffIt archive.

This is why NOBODY without a Mac can actually unpack these things -- no port
of DiskCopy exists for unix or the II yet. The reason I could unpack these
things is because there are publicly available macs here at 'tech (actually
this one was my roommate's but that's not the point).

Actually DiskCopy is a really simple format ... I think I'll put off Lord
High Giffer for another evening and write a cheap diskcopy unpacker in BASIC!!
HA HA HA !! MERRY CHRISTMAS APPLE!! PPHHPPTT!!

Anyway, I want to take a poll and find out how many people have access to the
5.0.4 disks but not access to Apple DiskCopy. Mail me.

Todd Whitesel
toddpw @ tybalt.caltech.edu

zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM (Sameer Parekh) (12/27/90)

	Now that the System Disks are available FTP, would it be legal to
post 'em to binaries.?

-- 
zane@ddsw1.MCS.COM

EWINGRA@CTRVX1.VANDERBILT.EDU ("IN%"INFO-APPLE@APPLE.COM" 19-DE") (12/27/90)

Actually, most people, especially in the developer community do not
use DiskCopy to read Diskcopy files.  SOmebody wrote an interesting
hack that's on the System 7.0beta disk that's a cdev.  It allows you
to *mount* a diskcopy file as if it were a real disk...pretty neat, 
I think.  I'm not sure that you'll be able to easily write a program
that reads the Diskcopy format (at least the Mac format) since I think
that the file pretty closely mimics HFS.  But since others has written
HFS->GS/OS translators, this shouldn't be impossible.  Since Diskcopy
files can be in Apple ][ format, (or even Lisa), I think that a reade
for the Apple ][ world would be a worthwhile project.

--Rick Ewing
  Vandebilt University

ART100@PSUVM.PSU.EDU ("Andy Tefft 725-1344", 814) (12/30/90)

It would be nice if the prodos 8 system software were up there
as well...