Writing .XEX files to disk?

[PlayingTheAngel]

Hi all,

 

I'm not sure whether this topic has been up before but I was wondering how I can convert a .XEX file to .ATR so that I can use Prosystem Software and write .ATR's to a Disk on 1050 with the SIO2PC Interface. I have tried using 'MakeATR' software for PC but when I've created an ATR and written to disk, the games haven't worked. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

Rachel

[Rybags]

Xex files need either a Dos booted or suitable menu program to load them, or built in loader such as the one IDE +2 has.

 

Sio2SD, APE, Aspeqt all have the ability to mount/load an Xex file without need to have it inside an Atr image.

 

If you want your Xex files inside an image, a good idea can be to make large images (up to 16M) and put hundreds of such files in them.

You need a menu/loader that can cope with large image sizes though, IIRC MyPicoDos should handle that.

[russg]

Hi all,

 

I'm not sure whether this topic has been up before but I was wondering how I can convert a .XEX file to .ATR so that I can use Prosystem Software and write .ATR's to a Disk on 1050 with the SIO2PC Interface. I have tried using 'MakeATR' software for PC but when I've created an ATR and written to disk, the games haven't worked. Any help on this would be appreciated.

 

Rachel

You need either a menu loader disk atr or a DOS booting disk to load and run an .XEX file.

A lot of .XEX games won't load from a DOS (DOS 2.5, MyDOS 4.53, SpartaDOS 3.2g eg.) they step on the DOS code.

A menu boot loader .ATR will load and run just about any .XEX/.COM/.OBJ. Just hold OPTION when booting to disable BASIC.

Use PC makeatr to put your .XEX on the menudisk. Then you can use APE or ASPEQT to write the menu disk .atr to a real floppy.

MENUDISK.zip

[HiassofT]

If you are not afraid of command line tools use dir2atr from my "Atari tools for win32" package

http://www.horus.com/~hias/atari/#tools-win32

 

This'll allow you to create bootable ATRs, including MyPicoDos, from a bunch of files in a directory in a single step.

 

First copy your files (COM, EXE, XEX, BAS) to a directory, let's say d:\myfiles.

 

Then run dir2atr with the following parameters to create an enhanced density (stock 1050 compatible) ATR image d:\mydisk.atr:

dir2atr -P -b MyPicoDos405 1040 d:\mydisk.atr d:\myfiles

To create a double density 180k ATR image (you need an upgraded 1050 with a happy, speedy, us-doubler etc enhancement or a XF551) use these options:

dir2atr -P -b MyPicoDos405 -d 720 d:\mydisk.atr d:\myfiles

If you omit the number of sectors (720 / 1040) dir2atr will auto-calculate the number of required sectors and allow you to create up to 16MB ATRs, but obviously you won't be able to write these to real floppy disks, you can only use these images with SIO2PC/SIO2SD etc. Check out the README.txt in the ZIP file for more information.

 

so long,

 

Hias

[tjlazer]

Use ATRUtil and inject the XEX files in a boot menu disk like was posted above. Remember, XEX files are just binary files. (.COM, .EXE, .BIN on Atari)

Edited March 14, 2015 by tjlazer

[pavros]

Hi Rachel,

 

Here are another ATR images that would allow you to load XEX files.

AutorunFirstXex_90SD_blank.zip

ChaosLoader_90SD_blank.zip

[matosimi]

I use atadim tool by Raster for such tasks: http://raster.infos.cz/atari/forpc/atadim.htm

 

I take plain dos2.5 atr, open it in atadim (drag ATR and drop it on atadim.exe)... then I import xex files to that atr and then finally I save it.