Emax

Floppy disks and Zip disks are actually FAT12.


But the file format of your PC HD would not matter
(FAT 16, 32, NTFS, etc...)
FAT (File Allocation Table) merely keeps track of
where the data is stored and how the drive is
sectioned off into liitle parts (formatted).

The your data when copied from a floppy from HD or HD
to floppy remains intact, it's just stored under a
different file system.
So you should be able to copy the files back and forth
on your PC no problem (data not altered).

The problem is that Windows does not format a DD
floppy in a manner that the Emax OS can understand the
filing system.
The Emax can understand DOS formatted disks.
Why? Because there are minor variations in how a disk
can be formatted.

There are different parameters that can be used when
formatting a disk. Sometimes you have parameter
choices (switches that can be useed) from a command
line (like older versions of DOS), or in windows
little or none. 
Different operating systems also format using
different default parameters, for example: an Atari ST
uses DD floppy disks, but to be able to swap them back
and forth between a Windows machine you need to use
special formatting utilities so that the disks are
compatible with both OS's.

FYI, according to text books, IBM compatible computers
never came with a DD/DS drive. They went straight from
single sided to HD (skipping DD/DS). However, I came
accross an old IBM (model 30?) that did in fact come
from the factory with a DD drive. Old Epson computers
came with DD drives (so if you see any Epsons, you
might want to scavange the drives).

I've haerd of some Unix like utilities that can be run
from Windows, perhaps one of those could be used to
format a DD floppy that's compatible with the Emax OS
(?). Or maybe Linux. Has anyone tried this?

Also...why can't you just format the floppies in the
Emax, and then pop them in to the PC, and then copy
the files over with emx? 


Bob


--- mr julian <jujulilianan@...> wrote:
> From: "milkyemx" <doepfer@...>
> 
> > oki i got some strange faliure on the samples
> anywyay shit!
> > i have to try in dos again then ,no im not gonna
> post more..
> 
> Yeah... the problem with just using a DOS window in
> a modern version of
> windows is it *looks* like it's working..... till
> you actually load up the
> samples on the emax, then sometimes they're missing
> or corrups or it just
> doesn't load properly...... Unfortunately you need a
> proper version of DOS
> running to use EMX properly - ie DOS6...  Speaking
> of which, wasn't somebody
> talking about making a bootable CD with DOS6 on
> it??? That would be nice....
> Of course, then you'd also need an old FAT16 HDD on
> your computer to save
> disk images to.
> 
> oooh.. now I'm thinking of it, a DOS6 CD, with
> drivers for a zip drive and a
> zip cart formatted at FAT16 (if such a thing
> exists!) would really be the
> perfect solution, outside of a modern emax disk
> utility.... how's the
> chicken systems translator EMAX compatability coming
> along?????
> 
> > for a wile srry for all post :(
> >
> hey thats OK!!! asking questions or just talking
> stuff out as you do it is
> how you learn.
> 
> 
> 
> julian
> 
> 
> 
> 



	
		
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