Monday, December 03, 2018

How to make a CP/M plus boot disk that start some commands at beginning (i.e.: Mallard Basic)

Vamos a preparar una cara de un disco de 3'' en un Amstrad CPC6128 para que al teclear |CPM arranque el sistema operativo y el comando que deseemos.

Lets make a CP/M plus boot disk in a side of a an Amstrad CPC6128 3'' disk, the goal is type |CPM an starts the operating system and the commands that we want.

Format as SYSTEM

IMPORTANT: You must use numerical keyboard in DISCKIT3 assistant, other numeric keys won't work.
  1. Insert CP/M plus disk #1 (better a copy) and type:
    |CPM
  2. Run the software:
    DISCKIT3
  3. Select these options:
    Format > System Format
  4. Keep system disk in A: drive until system tracks are copied, then press a key.
  5. Select unit drive where is the disk to format (if we have more than one).
  6. Confirm than this is the right drive and desired format, then press a key.
  7. DISCKIT ask us if we want to format another disk, in this case we say NO.
  8. Eject all the floppies and exit from DISCKIT3.
  9. Return to CP/M prompt

Copy system to our new floppy disk

  1. Insert again the new floppy but now in A: drive.
  2. Insert system disk in B: drive or switch when system ask you if you have only one.
  3. Copy these files to the new floppy:
    PIP B:=A:C10CPM3.EMS
    PIP B:=A:KEYS.*
    PIP B:=A:SUBMIT.COM
    PIP B:=A:SETKEYS.*
    PIP B:=A:SET24X80.COM
    PIP B:=A:AMSDOS.COM
    PIP B:=A:PIP.COM
  4. Eject both floppies, restart CPC and we insert only the new one in A drive. Check if all runs ok with the command:
    |CPM

Copy Mallard Basic and some example BAS files

In my case I got the executable file of Mallard Basic del PCW with some BAS files, so I need to copy them (now I insert old floppy in B:)
PIP B:=A:BASIC.COM
PIP B:=A:*.BAS 


 Hacer que arranque Basic Mallard al iniciar CP/M 

  1. Exit from CP/M typing AMSDOS
  2. Type this lines from Locomotive Basic IN AMSDOS:
    10 OPENOUT "PROFILE.SUB"
    20 PRINT #9, "BASIC"
    30 CLOSEOUT
  3. Save for future uses and changes:
    SAVE "GENPROF.BAS"
    (remember, this is a Locomotive Basic AMSDOS software, don't try to open with Mallard Basic in CP/M).
  4. Type RUN.
  5. Type |CPM again to check that new floppy works ok.

REMEMBER: Type SYSTEM to exit from Mallard Basic.

The big problem is you can't activate floppy write protection or autorun doesn't work. :(

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