The Sinclair QL Forum

Hi,

No DEV in Minerva or QDOS, so download SUB from QL Homepage (Link at top of page) and read docs. You can SUBstitue the the device SUB for WIN3 and rename the SUB device to MDV, then map a directory on the WIN file to MDV1.

I think this is better than DEV in some ways, bu does the same thing

Hello.


Thank you, Derek. I was searching on Ql Homepage, and I found a zip file named “SUB” here:

https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/tk/index.html

It’s 4KB and author is Phil Borman. Is that the right one?


Thanks.

Jože

Barbarpapa1 wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:15 am Hello.


Thank you, Derek. I was searching on Ql Homepage, and I found a zip file named “SUB” here:

https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/tk/index.html

It’s 4KB and author is Phil Borman. Is that the right one?


Thanks.

Jože

That's the one, just unzip the files, which is:

sub_rext : Resident extensions
sub_txt: documentation.

The file sub_rext does not need a QDOS header, so can be unziped anywhere.

Just LRESPR the SUB_REXT file if and setup using the documentation: sub_txt, something like:

SUB_DRV "FLP"
SUB_USE 1,"win1_games_"

enter DIR FLP1_ should give a listing of the directory detailed in the SUB_USE command

Of course the SUB_DRV device can be any valid QL device name

Alos look at PTH, which is a Path search extension, all very flexible.

Hello.

Thank you again, Derek. I’ll try it on this evening.

Kind regards

Jože

Hello, good evening

I’m tinkering with SUB program for two evenings now. I did managed to do something, but the result is not exactly what I want.

Let me describe, what I did.

I’m using the QPC II QL simulator on my PC. I freshly formatted a micro SD (size 8 GB) card with formatting software in FAT32 file system as described in QIMSI manual. Because I don’t know how prepare new WIN container I simply copied the QLWA.WIN from card I got with QIMSI on the new card. In simulator I deleted all the files in WIN container and copied only SUB_REXT file into it. In windows I prepared a directory structure for Psion programs I loaded form Internet and unziped them in appropriate directories. I copied this directories in QPC II simulator into WIN container using Cueshell.

This card I put into QIMSI and It presents itself as WIN1. I can see entire directory structure using DIR WIN1_ command. I loaded and successfully started the SUB program (I even wrote small loader in basic) and typed in as follows:

SUB_DRV WIN1
SUB_USE MDV
SUB_USE 1,abacusmdv (abacusmdv is the name of subdirectory, where the abacus files reside).

Typing DIR MDV1_ now returns the content of abacusmdv subdirectory. Up to here everything is fine, but after trying to run abacus using LRUN MDV1_BOOT I got the “At line 8 bad parameter” message…

What do I do wrong?

Or I’m expecting too much from QIMSI?

Have a nice weekend.

Jože

Hi Joze

I don't recall what appears on Line 8 of the Abacus BOOT program, but that error is typically due to attempting to EXECecute a file that does not have the appropriate Executable file-header.

How did you transfer the Abacus files from their archive in to this WIN image? Likely as not the file header of the main Abacus excitable was corrupted in the process.

There is a very thorough description on Dilwyn's site on how to take care of file headers when transferring QL Executable files between systems - you might want to review that documentation and compare to how you moved the files.over.

Good luck!

the line is
8 EXEC_W mdv1_abacus

use another name for sub_use
eg.
SUB_USE MDQ

hope it helps
Markus

btw
what´s the point starting these programs from mdv ?

Derek_Stewart wrote: ↑Thu Mar 07, 2024 11:30 am Alos look at PTH, which is a Path search extension, all very flexible.

This is IMHO the BEST file utility ever. It's one of the first things I install. Would be a good improvement for QPC2. HISTORY-Device (first implemented by Boris Jakubith, Berlin), Named Pipes (first implementation I know of: Erling Jacobsen) and other goodies, are gracefully already inbuilt.

But Phil has had released three "file drivers", you named SUB, but there is a third one from Phil Borman.

Hello.


Thank you all for your responses, it’s really valuable to me. I’m convinced now, that the trouble is with unzipping the zip files (I downloaded the Psion archive from Dilwyn’s web page). I just unzipped it in windows and then copied them to WIN container on the SD card.

I’ll try it again with consideration of the instructions on Dilwyns page.

And one more question. How do I prepare a new empty WIN container on SD card with QPC II QL simulator?


Wish you all a nice weekend.

Jože

Hi Jože,

no need to do this with QPCII.
Dilwyn made some empty containers available on his page, kindly check:

https://dilwyn.qlforum.co.uk/qimsi/index.html

Regards,

Stephan