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Post by wsoft on Dec 30, 2023 0:16:07 GMT
Seems that the VICE team has finally presented us with functioning ramlink emulation on X128. After doodling around with the settings I was able to get everything working. WsDos works with the ramlink with Ramdos enabled, however you must make a few adjustments in the settings. You'll also need the "ram-tools" program (on the ramlink system disk) in order to create and delete partitions. First you need to delete all of the partitions on the RL starting with the last one (otherwise it takes forever). Once they've been removed, create partition #1 as a DACC partition (2048 blocks). Go to X128 settings under "Cartridges", click on "Ramlink" and make sure that "Ramlink mode" is set to "Direct" (this serves the same purpose as the mode switch on the actual cartridge).
Of course, none of that works without the ramlink's ROM and RAM images. You will have to find the RL image yourself on the web (copyright issues prevent WinVice from including it). I forgot where I got mine but it wasn't hard to find. The RAM image can have any name and you only have to specify where you want to put it.
It's really sweet now that everything is working. One of the things I especially like is how the RL's internal clock uses the actual time on the computer.
The only discrepancy I have found thus far is that when I try to swap the ramlink's device number with "@s-8" the system hangs up.
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Post by wsoft on Dec 31, 2023 10:48:14 GMT
For the record I don't like the idea of talking to myself but if I want to make the Ramlink easy to set up for everyone, I think it would help if I uploaded a copy of the RAMLink system disk- as well as the RL BIOS image that is required to make the RAMLink work at all. If you like working with WsDos then this is a way to understand why I wanted to make my program in the first place after my first Ramlink proved to be a lemon back in 1990/1991. It was the reason I wrote WsDos from the beginning but that's all water under the bridge. Here are the links: drive.google.com/file/d/1qO5NewVr53ZgRVLXtVmSAhWwkP5aFqe2/view?usp=drive_linkdrive.google.com/file/d/1JCZw-J1Dp6Z-bIG0oWmN9MwnLVNhzKRu/view?usp=drive_link One is a link to the RAMLink system disk and the other is a link to the RL BIOS image, both located in my own Google Drive. Sharing has been enabled for both files. R.I.P. Ramlink serial number 000646. |
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Post by wsoft on Jan 1, 2024 12:37:43 GMT
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Post by gsteemso on Jan 1, 2024 22:14:41 GMT
Thanks for posting this stuff. I don't have a RAMlink myself, but I think it's important that big projects like yours be available when people need them, even if you yourself cannot be reached by then.
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Post by wsoft on Jan 2, 2024 9:12:19 GMT
Gteesmo I want to personally apologize to you regarding a past thread. I was drunk. People like me do stupid things sometimes and it was wrong of me to judge you prematurely like I did. I know that you know how many bytes are in a block. I was an ass. I wasn't being clear. I was also going through some very hefty cancer treatments at the time, which made me not only hallucinate but question reality if that makes any sense.
As for the RAMLink, I think it is just as important as it is obsolete. After all, if we want endless data storage then all we have to do in X128 these days is to create a virtual device that reads from the hard drive. For posterity's sake however, if I can show someone else how it was back in the 90's then I think I've done something. Have a happy new year.
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Post by gsteemso on Jan 2, 2024 16:56:36 GMT
No worries! I was a bit surprised at the time, but no harm done. I'm just glad you're still Commodore'ing with us all – cancer is no joke. :¬(
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Post by wsoft on Jan 15, 2024 7:25:28 GMT
As pertaining to track and sector reads, CMD made a program that shows every T/S that any program occupies on a disk. Although unrelated to how fast the size of a program might be ascertained (the other topic), it uses the same technique as the one we previously discussed a few years back. The name of the program is called "follow links" and here is the link: drive.google.com/file/d/10lESyt9ba4FkgbOJoy4ZmMn80W8IATTR/view?usp=drive_link |
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