I am looking for the following (i'm willing to pay for legit original disk(s) + manual + code), as described in PIPMAG4 :
Format Executive v4.0 - A Review
by
Brad Harris
Copyright 1989 by Brad Harris
See the file COPYRITE.NOT
for more information.
Anyone who uses a Commodore 128 in both native mode and CP/M
mode, who also has access to other format CP/M disks, and also uses an
IBM-compatible computer has a problem; how to get files from one disk
format to another.
FORMAT EXECUTIVE will read, write, and format 158 different types
of disks, both in 5.25 and 3.5 inch sizes, in native Commodore, CP/M,
and MS-DOS, with CP/M as the middle ground.
FORMAT EXECUTIVE runs on the Commodore 128 with at least one 1571
disk drive or on the 128D, in CP/M mode. It is compatible with 1541,
1571, and 1581 drives, and with any RAM expander. It is also
compatible with JIFFY.DOS. It is supplied on a single-sided 1541 CP/M
disk.
The package consists of three main programs, plus four utility
programs, one help file, and two text files. The first program (or
module, as they are called in the manual) is FE.COM. This is where
the disk formats to be used are installed, and also where disks are
formatted. Up to 16 different formats may be installed at one time.
You have the option of patching them into the BIOS in RAM only, or to
also copy them directly into the CPM+.SYS file on disk so that they
are available whenever CP/M is booted. Any CP/M formats selected are
available at any time. Native-mode Commodore disks and MS-DOS disks
require the use of one of the other two modules, FE-CBM.COM, or FE-
IBM.COM.
You can also remove any formats that you won't be using. For
example, if the only Kaypro disks you use are double-sided, you can
remove the single-sided format and eliminate the bother of having to
choose one or the other every time you put a Kaypro disk in the drive.
The included utilities are: FIX1581.COM, a program which allows
older 1581s to read foreign disk formats; LF.COM, which adds or
removes line feeds in text files for proper transfer between native
Commodore and CP/M or MS-DOS; C1571.COM, which turns off the verify-
after-write on the 1571 drive to speed up disk access; and CONF.COM
and its help file, which enables you to set a number of system
parameters. Also included is a sample PROFILE.SUB file (something
like AUTOEXEC.BAT in the MS-DOS world) and a file called CHART.FMT,
which shows all the disk formats supported.
The disk on which FORMAT EXECUTIVE comes is not copy protected.
You are, in fact, encouraged to make both a working copy, and a
backup. Instead, when first run, you are presented with a code. You
look this up in a book that comes with the package, and enter a
counter-code to access the program. This need only be done once each
time the computer is booted. The codes are in very small print, in a
light blue ink that is invisible to copying machines. Unfortunately,
if you are farsighted and have short arms, or if you routinely type by
the light of the monitor, it is also invisible to you.
This isn't the easiest program in the world to use. In this day
and age, even a CP/M program has no excuse for being this unfriendly.
The user interface could be much better. The first few times you run
it, it is necessary to have the manual close at hand. On the other
hand, this program WORKS! And yes, I'm shouting!
After a few false starts, I was able to copy a 92K MS-DOS .ARC
file from a Kaypro disk to a C64 disk in a 1571 drive in just a couple
of minutes. Then I copied it to a 128 CP/M disk, then to a 720K 3.5
inch MS-DOS disk, then I extracted the archive. Perfect! And fast?
Forget it! I've never seen anything faster on a Commodore, even
between two 1571s. And this was with both file translation and
different disk formats!
This is an extremely useful addition to the software library of
anyone who has to deal with a variety of disk formats on a 128.
Although the package could be easier to use, it does exactly what is
claimed for it. I highly recommend it.
FORMAT EXECUTIVE is available from:
POWERSOFT, INC.
P.O. BOX 7333
Bradenton, FL 34210
$59.95 plus $3.50 shipping and handling.
Florida residents add $3.00 sales tax.
COD add $3.00
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PIPMAG4 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
PIPMAG4 is Copyrighted in its entirety by Brad Harris for
the protection of the author's articles contained within
this Online Publication. This in no way supersedes
Copyright by the original authors. Distribution and
electronic transmittal is encouraged for individual or
private use and is encouraged for Non-Profit BBSs'. Written
permision to copy or otherwise distribute portions of
PIPMAG4 may be obtained through the individual author, or
through Brad Harris.
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