Q68 Software SD Card

Anything QL Software or Programming Related.
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Whopper
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Whopper »

tofro wrote:
Whopper wrote:Derek,

I would love to have access to an online version of the Q68 image file. As I have said, I can build my own image, but would rather have one build by someone who knows what their doing. :oops:
Whopper
Not doing it yourself will probably end you up in never really knowing your way around in SMSQ/E - I think we really recommend you try yourselves.

Tobias
Blast!!!

My fiendish plot has been uncovered.

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Derek_Stewart
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi,

I have migrated my Dropbox data to MEGA. So could make Q68 SD Card images available for download.

Is downloadable SD Card images something that is required.

I can supply a SD Card with SMSQ/E and any software.

What software would be required?


Regards,

Derek
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Dave
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Dave »

I think this would be a good idea. Being able to publish updates quickly seems... desirable.

It is interesting that the Q68 has 2 SD slots. One could be for the OS/software, and the other for personal work space, saved files, etc. I realize there's some complexities due to config files, etc... but it would be nice for you to be able to update people without having to mail out large numbers of SD cards all over the world.

Upload and done!


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Peter
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Peter »

Dave wrote:It is interesting that the Q68 has 2 SD slots.
I saw two card slots mandatory, in case someone wanted to use the Q68 as a stand-alone QL-style computer. In this case, one needs the possibility to copy or backup mass storage from one media to another. Doing this via RAM disk would be uncomfortable for over 16 MB. Also, the Q68 as a QL specific machine, tries to preserve some of the original QL concepts. Which included two mass storage slots, not just one.

I know that most of us actually use the Q68 in combination with a PC. In this case, the second slot is hardly needed, and the board space could be used for something else.

It would be very interesting to know how many users actually cherish the second slot! Also, if the desicion for full size SD cards was the right one.

Feedback welcome!


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Dave
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Dave »

A miniSD will fit in an SDHC slot, but an SDHC won't fit in a miniHD slot. You can always be assured that future physical formats will have a SDHC physical adapter.

Also, your average user now is, what, 55 years? A decent proportion of users are retired, and our hands just aren't as agile as when we were younger.

Also, I have lost a 128GB microSD card around here somewhere. Can't find the damned thing. If it was a full size card, I'd have it by now.


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janbredenbeek
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by janbredenbeek »

Peter wrote: It would be very interesting to know how many users actually cherish the second slot! Also, if the desicion for full size SD cards was the right one.
I use it when booting images of Minerva on a test SD. This way I can access the files on the 'production' SD card in slot 2 without having to copy them over each time I install a new image (which is cumbersome as all files have to be in contiguous sectors so this usually means formatting and copying everything back!).

Jan.


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tofro
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by tofro »

Peter wrote:
I know that most of us actually use the Q68 in combination with a PC. In this case, the second slot is hardly needed, and the board space could be used for something else.

It would be very interesting to know how many users actually cherish the second slot! Also, if the desicion for full size SD cards was the right one.

Feedback welcome!
I find the two slots a welcome luxury, maybe not an absolute necessity - The Q68 found its place on the desk directly next to its older brother, a BBQL with SGC and QL-SD. QL-SD is proof enough that you can live with one drive only, on the Q68 I do, however, like to use the second drive as a transfer drive between PC and QL worlds. Drive 2 thus is the one that normally holds a card that has a FAT12 partition on it.

Looking a bit closer, you might, however, find that on my QLs the original QL-SDs have been replaced with double slot ones from Marcel - Is that proof enough that two card slots are en vogue? (Half of the reasoning behind that replacement were the push-push type of card holders that Marcel uses, though - They feel sooo much more adult than push-pull, I might even replace my Q68 card holders just for the "click" some time)

Two card slots are nice to have for backups, and the second card is generally a welcome place to fool around without the danger of messing up the file system and ending up with a non-bootable card. Marcel's design with stacked card holders uses a lot less PCB real estate, however, and it also somewhat educates you to consider the lower slot as a fixed hard disk you should handle carefully - It's just too inconvenient to change. Not a bad thing, in my opinion.

Tobias

Tobias


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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by QLvsJAGUAR »

Derek_Stewart wrote: An uncompressed SD Card image is: 3.9Gb

Zipped: 420Mb
tar.bz2: 386Mb

So I will use the Zip compression, as I think there maybe issues with people who only use Windows.

I will sort out the access to my Mega Account and post images over the weekend.
Derek, did you ever make the compressed SC Card Image file available for download?


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Derek_Stewart
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Derek_Stewart »

Hi Urs,

I usually use Q68 DISP_MODE 6 or DISP_MODE 4.

It is a pity the support for Mode 4/8 Icons was taken out of QDT, as I would like to use QDT in 1024x768 mode 4.


Regards,

Derek
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Re: Q68 Software SD Card

Post by Derek_Stewart »

QLvsJAGUAR wrote:
Derek_Stewart wrote: An uncompressed SD Card image is: 3.9Gb

Zipped: 420Mb
tar.bz2: 386Mb

So I will use the Zip compression, as I think there maybe issues with people who only use Windows.

I will sort out the access to my Mega Account and post images over the weekend.
Derek, did you ever make the compressed SC Card Image file available for download?
Hi Urs,

I have compressed images of the Q68 Distriubution SD Card, which includes: Q-DOCK, QPAC2, Black Phoenix, QL/E

I try to keep the SD Card updated with all the current free QL software and SMSQ/E operating system.

QL/E and Black Phoenix were proposed to be available as imdividual SD Card Images

I would not use tar.bz2 compression, as most people will struggle with the decompression. Which is a pity as it is the most efficient. I can only share single files on Mega, but that is not a problem.

The reason for not implementing this down-able SD Card image was there was little adverse opinion on users not having the knowledge to create SD Card images and how to write boot files. So I did not do it.


Regards,

Derek
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