A number of noob questions - sorry!!

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roninfourseven
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by roninfourseven »

Ok, so I have been able to dump 3 carts with the Beta version, so my next step is to try and successfully extract and use the later version of mdump kindly provided by Derek in an emulated QL environment and make sure that works too, and then look at what I need to do next with the created images in order to use them with my vDrive.

I knew a good nights sleep would help :)


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dilwyn
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by dilwyn »

roninfourseven wrote:
roninfourseven wrote:
stephen_usher wrote:How did you get the program onto the QL. It sounds as if it may not have the "Resource Fork", as it would be called on the Mac, half of the file, only the "Data Fork". The RF holds meta data such as the file type and the stack size etc.
Noob error I think, I unzipped the files on PC :(
Actually, I've gone back over my steps, and I didn't unzip them on the PC, I simply used the Windows installer for Q-Emulator which is am MSI installer and puts the files in a folder in the windows file structure.
I then used wxqt2 to copy the files to a QL formatted disk from their location, so if the files were broken, they were broken before.
Ah, that explains it.
Nothing is broken, just not fully understanding how QL file headers work on different systems.

The files will have executable file header in a QemuLator folder, but it is different to standard QL file headers. It's explained in QemuLator manual, basically because Windoze doesn't understand QL executable file headers, emulators such as this one add it to the start or end of a file, making the file a few tens of bytes longer. Thus the file exists in the QemuLator environment in a modified state which plain old QDOS does not understand.

Wxqt2 then copies this "altered" file without knowing what it is (it was written well before these modified executables came along). In an ideal world, Wxqt2 would know about these modified executables and undo them when copying to a QDOS environment. It's not a case of anything being broken, just that they need to be in the right format for the chosen media.

The clue is when trying to EXEC or EX a supposedly executable file and you get the error "Bad parameter" which is the closest QDOS gets to saying "Eh, this file has no executable header". In other words, blindly copying a file of this nature turns it into a file without a header. In other words, a data file just as though it was a text file or a BASIC program.

The easiest way to strip off the modifications to original QL executables is simply to copy them to a QDOS format medium using the emulator itself, e.g. point a QemuLator folder to that holding the QemuLator format executable, then COPY the file TO ramdisk or QDOS format floppy. Let's imagine that QemuLator drive 1 points to a Windows folder containing mdump_task:

COPY win1_mdump_task TO ram1_MDUMP_task

would then make the emulator realise it has to 'strip' the modifications off the file 'automatically' while copying. The one part I'm not sure about is whether the unregistered emulator has ramdiscs or not, although it would also work with QDOS format floppy discs.

It's quite easy if you have knowledge of BASIC and the format to write a program to strip off the modified part and resave the file in original format, but why bother when the emulator can do it for you. If you read Appendix II of the QemuLator manual it explains the file format change. Also, Section 7.2 of the manual explains about the QLToWin_exe and WinToQL_exe programs which can convert between QDOS and QemuLator formats.

Hope this helps, I appreciate it's not exactly the simplest of concepts for a new user to try to follow.


roninfourseven
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by roninfourseven »

dilwyn wrote: Ah, that explains it.
Nothing is broken, just not fully understanding how QL file headers work on different systems.

Hope this helps, I appreciate it's not exactly the simplest of concepts for a new user to try to follow.
Thanks Dilwyn, I very much appreciate you taking the time to explain the situation.

I'm not sure I can do what's needed with the unregistered version of Q-Emulator so I've just purchased the registered version which will hopefully get me more of the way down the road.


Derek_Stewart
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

Sorry for uploading an old version of mDump, but it was supplied with Qemulator v3.3.1

But I have updated myself with Simone's version of mDump2

To remove the emulator QDOS file header, Qemulator does automatically when copying from PC file system to a QDOS file system, for registered users.

Or SMSQmulator could use its SFA device that does the same thing for free. Just need Java installed.


Regards,

Derek
roninfourseven
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by roninfourseven »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Sorry for uploading an old version of mDump, but it was supplied with Qemulator v3.3.1

But I have updated myself with Simone's version of mDump2

To remove the emulator QDOS file header, Qemulator does automatically when copying from PC file system to a QDOS file system, for registered users.

Or SMSQmulator could use its SFA device that does the same thing for free. Just need Java installed.
No worries and thanks again. I'm just waiting on my reg code, it'll be useful to have Q-Emulator anyway, and I'll take a look at SMSQmulator too.


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Andrew
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by Andrew »

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Sorry for uploading an old version of mDump, but it was supplied with Qemulator v3.3.1

But I have updated myself with Simone's version of mDump2
where can I download mdump2 ?


roninfourseven
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by roninfourseven »

Andrew wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Sorry for uploading an old version of mDump, but it was supplied with Qemulator v3.3.1

But I have updated myself with Simone's version of mDump2
where can I download mdump2 ?
I only know of it coming with Q-Emulator, the version on Simone Voltolini's site is the Beta version. Once I get my reg code I will check it out properly.

Others may have other links though.


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M68008
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by M68008 »

Andrew wrote: where can I download mdump2 ?
http://www.terdina.net/ql/soft/mdump_task

The file has a Q-emuLator-style header: To run it on a QL, use either Q-emuLator or QPC to copy it to a floppy or image.


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M68008
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by M68008 »

Derek_Stewart wrote: To remove the emulator QDOS file header, Qemulator does automatically when copying from PC file system to a QDOS file system, for registered users.
Registered users can access a wider variety of file containers (QXL.WIN, ZIP, etc.). For the ones supported by the unregistered version (including PC file system and physical floppy disks), both the registered and unregistered versions transparently perform the same header conversions.


roninfourseven
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Re: A number of noob questions - sorry!!

Post by roninfourseven »

Andrew wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi,

Sorry for uploading an old version of mDump, but it was supplied with Qemulator v3.3.1

But I have updated myself with Simone's version of mDump2
where can I download mdump2 ?
It's definitely v2.0.1 that comes with Q-Emulator, but If I've read all the posts correctly you'll need to convert it by removing the headers before use on a real QL.

I need to test the process tomorrow having run mdump_task through the qltowin_exe utility in QL-Emulator, for which I've just bought a license.


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