PCLINK.SYS support?

[Roydea6]

PCLINK:

DIR PCL:*,* does not like, but DIR PCL:*.EXE of C*.COM works ok I read and wrote to and from the mounted folder okay

PCL:filename.com works also.

[flashjazzcat]

DIR PCL:*,* does not like...

What about PCL: without any filemask (should default to "*.*")?

 

Anyway I just set it up here and it's absolutely brilliant - probably the most useful advancement this software's seen in a long time. "DIR PCL:*.*" and "DIR PCL:" are working here OK, although I'm using the SDX 4.48 beta toolkit disk.

Edited May 8, 2016 by flashjazzcat

[Roydea6]

pclink is beginning to work even better now that I have dropped the /S parameter from my config.sys .... I have noticed that the program drag slot 'A' to slot 'B' still responds to DIR PCL: but not to DIR PCLB: until I close and reopen RespeQt and do a COLD boot. Also I was looking at the BACKUP.BAT from the SDXtoolkit and realized that I can have 15 pclink assignments and not effect the hard drive access. Unlike having SIO assignments that conflict with partition slots...

[TheMontezuma]

I have noticed that the program drag slot 'A' to slot 'B' still responds to DIR PCL: but not to DIR PCLB: until I close and reopen RespeQt and do a COLD boot.

 

Thanks for reporting. I forgot about "drag & drop" for PCLINK (I will fix it later today).

[Roydea6]

Also this PCLINK doesn't show long file names and skips them as in not displayed to screen.

[flashjazzcat]

SDX only supports 8.3 filenames, so I imagine the server deliberately filters them out (presumably it displays the short alias, or generates one?).

[TheMontezuma]

SDX only supports 8.3 filenames, so I imagine the server deliberately filters them out

 

Yes, PCLINK only works with files matching SDX file name scheme (8.3).

[TheMontezuma]

The attached Windows binaries support "eject" and "drag&drop" for PCLINKs.

I don't know the how the PCLINK.SYS driver is implemented (if there is any cache on the ATARI side).

According to the protocol description, the warm start causes to re-initialize the PCLINKs on the RespeQt side (ATARI sends the "INIT" PCLINK command).

 

RespeQt-PCLINK2.zip

[drac030]

The driver does not do any caching. The microbuffers are in use as usual for any file i/o, but that should not do any harm to anything.

[Roydea6]

I just now competed a backup using my Atari 800XL connected to ReseQT pclink version to my DROPBOX folder. I used the BACKUP.BAT file found in the SDX toolkit. Just slightly modified for my Partitions..

 

[Roydea6]

UPDATE:

any CON.XXX files did not copy, and suggest that windows based computers need the CON.XXX files not be in the copy /br path.

I had to run the batch file 3 times to get all partitions copied because of the ACK would abort current batch copy.

[TheMontezuma]

Now I recall that there are also other special file names under Windows:

 

"PRN", "AUX", "CON", "NUL"

 

The above names are not valid file names...

I remember doing a workaround for it in the NVC tool (I was just appending '_' to these names).

 

@rdea6

Is the "abort current batch copy" issue related to the CON.XXX problem?

[drac030]

It is kind of funny how Microsoft does not seem to be able (or care?) to solve this problem. Just notice that SpartaDOS X also has such "special files", but this does not make any trouble with naming files: simply "CON" is a file and "CON:" is a device and that is all.

Edited May 22, 2016 by drac030

[phaeron]

Now I recall that there are also other special file names under Windows:

 

"PRN", "AUX", "CON", "NUL"

 

The above names are not valid file names...

 

Also COM1-COM9, LPT1-LPT9, and any extension combined with these names.

 

In Altirra I prefix with $ since _ is a valid name character in SDX.

[TheMontezuma]

I don't have a workaround for Windows yet ready (and it will take a few days more, because I'm taking one week holidays now), but I just wanted to let you know that I won't let it as it is

[Roydea6]

@rdea6

Is the "abort current batch copy" issue related to the CON.XXX problem?

No not the con problem, but the power saving feature on Windows and screen saver would kick in after 30 Min and USB would stop also. This is cause of abort current batch copy. I just need to remember to change power settings to be longer before doing a large copy project.

[GoodByteXL]

No not the con problem, but the power saving feature on Windows and screen saver would kick in after 30 Min and USB would stop also.

Set Altirra appropriately and let it run parallel to avoid this. No need to change the power settings.

[phaeron]

Set Altirra appropriately and let it run parallel to avoid this. No need to change the power settings.

 

This is only going to work if you also attach a controller and tie the stick with a rubber band, because otherwise Altirra doesn't suppress power saving mode. It would work, but is a bit of a goofy way to fix this issue.

[GoodByteXL]

 

This is only going to work if you also attach a controller and tie the stick with a rubber band, because otherwise Altirra doesn't suppress power saving mode. It would work, but is a bit of a goofy way to fix this issue.

I am doing exactly what I described for quite some years to prevent Windows 7 from kicking in the screen saver and later on powering down the machine. There was a setting somewhere to decide if Altirra should pause or not when its window is not the active one. Disable the pause option and let Altirra run. An endless demo or the demo mode of any game is enough to keep Windows 7 awake.

 

As a side effect it might as well stabilize the SIO transfers from RespeQt/AspeQt with some PC machines.

Edited June 4, 2016 by GoodByteXL

[flashjazzcat]

I'm puzzled: what does a demo or game do to the persistence of the emulated machine (presumably without any simulated user input via keyboard or controllers) which sitting at - say - the DOS 2.5 menu does not, since the 6502 is 100 per cent busy even when the OS is waiting for a keystroke?

[phaeron]

Sound. Altirra's audio engine has a DC filter, so if the emulated computer isn't playing sound, the audio signal will eventually go to zero, which can then be detected by the kernel mixer. Whether or not this actually prevents the screen saver or sleep, however, is not guaranteed and likely OS version and driver specific. The OS is particularly aggressive about activating the screen saver if a password is set. Altirra only directly nudges the system when detecting controller input; otherwise, the system staying awake is up to OS heuristics. RespeQt should call SetThreadExecutionState() or PowerCreateRequest() to keep the system running.

[flashjazzcat]

Ack... never even considered audio. Thanks!

[_The Doctor__]

this kicks pc mirrors arse! Happiness and Joy!

Edited June 4, 2016 by _The Doctor__

[TheMontezuma]

 

Also COM1-COM9, LPT1-LPT9, and any extension combined with these names.

 

In Altirra I prefix with $ since _ is a valid name character in SDX.

 

I was not aware about the PCLINK support in Altirra. Cool

I configured the emulator, did some testing and looked at the source code (2.71).

It looks, that you took '!' as a prefix for the invalid file names, didn't you?

I would like to follow your approach, so users could use the same folder (with subfolders) and access it via PCLINK from the Altirra or from a real ATARI.

[phaeron]

 

I was not aware about the PCLINK support in Altirra. Cool

I configured the emulator, did some testing and looked at the source code (2.71).

It looks, that you took '!' as a prefix for the invalid file names, didn't you?

I would like to follow your approach, so users could use the same folder (with subfolders) and access it via PCLINK from the Altirra or from a real ATARI.

 

Well... the H: device uses $ while PCL: uses !. Don't remember offhand why the two schemes are different, and I should probably change one of them. The host device code can do long name mangling, though, while the PCLink code cannot.