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Format command in QDOS

2012-04-10 by Kirk Keyes

Does the format command verify if a disk is formatted with no errors?

Also, is there a link to a QDOS manual out there?

Thanks,
Kirk

Re: Format command in QDOS

2012-04-10 by mederic1111

I think NOT !

I think it directly formats the right hand floppy drive.

source:

http://www.virtual-music.at/webseiten_e/zubehoer/fairlght.htm#fairlightfiles

Formatting of system disks
First youÂ´ll need a formatted disk which may hold the later system. Please follow this procedure:

        Start your CMI with the QDOS disk in the left hand floppy drive

        Insert an empty disk into the right hand floppy drive

        Enter following command: FORMAT (enter)

        The CMI will format the floppy in the right hand drive










--- In Fairlight-CMI@yahoogroups.com, "Kirk Keyes" <Kirk@...> wrote:

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>
> Does the format command verify if a disk is formatted with no errors?
> 
> Also, is there a link to a QDOS manual out there?
> 
> Thanks,
> Kirk
>

Re: [Fairlight-CMI] Format command in QDOS

2012-04-11 by Joe Sleator

> Does the format command verify if a disk is formatted with no errors?

It will fail if the diskette controller chip comes back with an error while formatting, but I don't believe it does an exhaustive check of the sector itself.

MDOS has a "REPAIR" command for checking the media (and fixing it!).

> Also, is there a link to a QDOS manual out there?

There certainly is!

It's a Motorola MDOS manual actually. Same great commands, same great syntax!

QDOS was basically Motorola Exorciser MDOS. When the CMI I was first made, they rebranded MDOS as QDOS for the CMI. They wrote some of their own DOS commands, but many were used as is.

Most QDOS diskettes that Fairlight sent out had subsets of the MDOS system disk contents. Might've been a licensing issue.

So if you have a QDOS system diskette, likely as not you won't find all the commands in the MDOS manual.

There were separate diskettes for CRASMB, the assembler, and the editors, and so forth. Until the III came out all (99%) of the CMI code was in assembler, as there wasn't much space to run in, and there were only 2 6800/6809 processors to do everything except the MIDI.

Enjoy,

Joe

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On Wed, Apr 11, 2012 at 7:58 AM, Kirk Keyes <Kirk@lotus30.com> wrote:

Does the format command verify if a disk is formatted with no errors?

Also, is there a link to a QDOS manual out there?

Thanks,
Kirk