GST 68K - Utility Microdrive IMAGE

[genetika]

Hi.
I know GST-68K mdv format is not compatible with QDOS.
Someone has an GST-68K utilities-mdv image to use with a QL-Emulator ? ...
Other solutions are welcome ....



Regards!
M.

[tcat]

Hi,

I do not know much about `GST-68K' OS, I found this link providing some info.
Not sure if that helps.

https://sites.google.com/site/ql68kos/

Tomas

[tofro]

The mdv clone programs that are around to create true sector images of microdrives could be of some help here and could maybe be able to create a copy if a bit of luck applies.

As the hardware is pretty much bound to Sinclair specifications, I'd guess the pure physical sector format on a microdrive should/could be identical to the QDOS physical format (That is, a header and 512bytes sectors). It could, however, be (and is very probable) that the map and directory sectors are in different places.

Tobias

[MaxRaf]

The mdv clone programs that are around to create true sector images of microdrives could be of some help here and could maybe be able to create a copy if a bit of luck applies.

As the hardware is pretty much bound to Sinclair specifications, I'd guess the pure physical sector format on a microdrive should/could be identical to the QDOS physical format (That is, a header and 512bytes sectors). It could, however, be (and is very probable) that the map and directory sectors are in different places.

Tobias

Would it be possible to write a dumping program which doesn't rely on the cartridge map and 'blindly' reads all the sectors?
Something similar to what floppy imaging programs do...

Max

[Martin_Head]

Would it be possible to write a dumping program which doesn't rely on the cartridge map and 'blindly' reads all the sectors?
Something similar to what floppy imaging programs do...

Max

This driver http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/utils/MDIdriver107.zip contains a Machine code/Basic program which does a 'blind' read of a QL Microdrive cartridge and creates an image file of the cartridge. I don't know if it could be adapted to read GST-68K Microdrive cartridges.

[MaxRaf]

Thanks Martin,
very interesting!

[ql_freak]

Sorry because I complain!

It is IMHO absolutely useless to try any other other operating system than QDOS (SMS.../Minerva/...) on a QL (QL Compatible).

Even the original QDOS is very rarely used (I'm afraid there are less than 2,000,000 people, who use [have owned] a QDOS compatible operating system).

QDOS on modern systems is now really superb, and there is a lot of stuff (of soft and hardware) of it. So as long as there are no academic reasons to try "strange" operating systems on the QL, DON'T DO IT!

BTW: My new favourite is the Shell from Dilwyn's page:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/shells/sh112.zip

P.s.: My (very old) ls program runs perfectly with shell :-) (e.g.: ls -l)

[tcat]

Hi,

Just trying to understand what use `GST-68K' can nowadays have. It could be fun to explore, perhaps for people having at least two black machines, so one could have ROMs replaced with GST thing.

I remember seeing a YouTube video with `GST-68K' in action running `Psion CHESS'. I wonder if standard QDOS executables can be easily made to run under `GST'?

S*BASIC progs wont's run though, as there is no support by the OS, unless some kind of compatible BASIC interpreter is loaded first.

Tomas

[tcat]

Hi,

Having said that, brings also another idea.
How many s/w titles have ever been released for `GST' OS?

Tomas