The Sinclair QL Forum

Andrew wrote: LATER EDIT: It seems that the version from my zip file is the same as described in the manual found here: https://sinclairql.speccy.org/archivo/docs/docs.htm

I won't have time to confirm until this weekend, but it sounds like it needs a ROM, then.

Derek_Stewart wrote: I think there was a image of the ROM, with a modifed boot programme to load the rom and link it into the operating system.

I will keep on searching, as I used to like BCPL.

Interesting solution. I'm definitely going to take a look at how it's done if you find it.

Hi

I have found my BCPL Microdrive cartridge, but it requires the the felt pad replacing.

I will do this and see if I can read the drive.

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi

I have found my BCPL Microdrive cartridge, but it requires the the felt pad replacing.

I will do this and see if I can read the drive.

I went through a move at the beginning of the year and have forgotten to check back in until now. Did you ever get around to checking the drive?

ahw wrote:

Derek_Stewart wrote:Hi

I have found my BCPL Microdrive cartridge, but it requires the the felt pad replacing.

I will do this and see if I can read the drive.

I went through a move at the beginning of the year and have forgotten to check back in until now. Did you ever get around to checking the drive?

HI,

I have visitors till Friday (8/4/22) so will try refelting the microdrive cartridge at the weekend...

Any luck?

Hi,

Here is a OCRed version of the badly scanned PDF manual, the PDF was produced and edited in LibreOffice.

Thanks Derek and everyone on this topic. I tracked it down when I was trying to dump my BCPL cartridge onto a vDrive SD card, but the ED executable was corrupt, and the felt fell off my backup cartridge. Fortunately the ED in the zip file above works OK.

I compiled, linked and ran "Hello world" using my bcpl.mdv on a copy of QLmulator, so at least my MDV image does not need a dongle for that basic operation.

The manual PDF is very helpful, as I mislaid mine, although I still have my copy of my Metacomco Assembler manual.

cheers,

Tim

tjb wrote: ↑Tue May 16, 2023 8:55 pm Thanks Derek and everyone on this topic. I tracked it down when I was trying to dump my BCPL cartridge onto a vDrive SD card, but the ED executable was corrupt, and the felt fell off my backup cartridge. Fortunately the ED in the zip file above works OK.

I compiled, linked and ran "Hello world" using my bcpl.mdv on a copy of QLmulator, so at least my MDV image does not need a dongle for that basic operation.

The manual PDF is very helpful, as I mislaid mine, although I still have my copy of my Metacomco Assembler manual.

cheers,

Tim

Hi Tim,

The Metacomco Assembler manual is available at:viewtopic.php?p=50682#p50682

The manual is OCRed and reformatted the manual from the scanned image PDF, could you compare it against your manual?

Hi Derek,

Sure, I will give it a read through and compare; it is a long time since I wrote any 680x0 assembler, so I need to brush up on it. Actually in 1989/90-ish, I wrote a 68020 assembler for my company; happy days!

cheers,

Tim

Hi,
just for the record, I ran BCPL purely out of the zip provided in this thread on Q-emulator, and no sign of dependency on a dongle.

However, in order to make it run I used the BASIC program provided in this post to restore the headers:
https://dilwyn2.wordpress.com/2017/02/2 ... nt-page-1/

To test it I compiled and ran Example 3, showing a clock, from the manual also provided in this thread.

I am a newcomer to the QL, but I have tried the modern Richards BCPL distribution on Linux. His dual Cintsys/Cintpos system mirrors the original BCPL/Tripos combination of language and operating system, as outlined here:
https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mr10/bcplman.pdf

The fun thing with the MetaComCo version is that BCPL/QDOS mirrors the same setup, including the multitasking, as illustrated by the example with the clock.

There are nice vintage distributions of BCPL for 6502 and Z80 around (BBC Micro and Amstrad), but to me the QL one looks distinctly closer to the original vision due to the underlying operating system. Also it neatly fills the 16-bit gap between the 8-bit and 32-bit versions.

Thanks to the people in this thread for bringing this material to light!

Best regards,
Finn (Norway)