RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 I have an ancient .DSK file of a program I wrote back in the early '80s for a typesetting company I worked for. It's a word processor that was used for offline keyboarding. It runs perfectly in Classic99 and js99, but now that I've purchased a real TI-99/4A, I'd like to convert it to a .BIN file so I can use it with the FinalGROM99. I've searched all over and can't find a way to do this. WRDSMITH.DSK Does anyone have any idea how to convert this to .BIN? Thanks! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Asmusr Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 The standard tools do not support programs that need to load from disk on the fly. You can convert a set of E/A#5 files to bin, or you can dump the memory to bin from Classic99, but anything beyond that probably requires changes to the code. If you describe how the files are loaded (which files are loading which?), it will help to answer you question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 The convertor method also requires 32K to run the .BIN file... Module Creator 2.0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 2 hours ago, RykGroff said: I have an ancient .DSK file of a program I wrote back in the early '80s for a typesetting company I worked for. It's a word processor that was used for offline keyboarding. It runs perfectly in Classic99 and js99, but now that I've purchased a real TI-99/4A, I'd like to convert it to a .BIN file so I can use it with the FinalGROM99. I've searched all over and can't find a way to do this. WRDSMITH.DSK 254.14 kB · 7 downloads Does anyone have any idea how to convert this to .BIN? Thanks! DISKS can not be loaded in finalgrom. It is for cartridge binaries only. https://www.arcadeshopper.com/wp/ti-99-4a-faq-disk-drives/ DISKS require a disk controller, nanopeb or TIPI to use on your console. You are using that in classic99. just emulation of a disk controller, the closest thing to classic99 on a REAL TI is TIPI You may be able to convert a assembly program to cartridge format, but likely it will just be a 32k program like before requiring memory expansion. The instructions are in classic99's manual or you can use the modulemaker if you can get your program to EA option 5 format Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 1 hour ago, HOME AUTOMATION said: The convertor method also requires 32K to run the .BIN file... Module Creator 2.0 I got the error "File doesn't have the correct V9T9 program file header." It did create a .BIN file, though, but it's mostly empty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 12 minutes ago, arcadeshopper said: DISKS can not be loaded in finalgrom. It is for cartridge binaries only. Hmmmm. I see people converting all kinds of other formats to and from .DSK, so I thought I'd ask if this was possible. Guess I need to invest in a NanoPEB or CF7? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Hmmmm. I see people converting all kinds of other formats to and from .DSK, so I thought I'd ask if this was possible. Guess I need to invest in a NanoPEB or CF7?Considering they're pretty much discontinued we haven't seen them around in a while you're probably better off getting a TIPIYou're not converting disks they're converting Assembly language programs and compiling extended basic programs to assembly programs. Then converting those ea option 5 programs to cartridge binaries using a cartridge converter which we just discussed previously.Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 I got the error "File doesn't have the correct V9T9 program file header." It did create a .BIN file, though, but it's mostly empty.That means the file needs to be converted to be the v9t9 format.. if you use TIdir there's a conversion tool to convert files to that format. Sent from my LM-V600 using Tapatalk 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Ok I looked at this disk.. It looks like mostly extended basic programs with assembly routines.. no way to make that a cartridge.. run it from disk or a tipi.. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 18 minutes ago, arcadeshopper said: That means the file needs to be converted to be the v9t9 format.. if you use TIdir there's a conversion tool to convert files to that format. Well, I think I'm just going to have to give up on this. Using TIdir, I selected the .DSK file, which was shown to be a PC99 file. I then selected "convert to V9T9" and it said it couldn't convert a PC99 file because it was already in that format. Nothing else produced a file that Module Creator could work with. I'll just have to be happy with running it in Classic99 until I get some kind of disk ability. Thanks for the quick replies anyway, everybody! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 17 minutes ago, arcadeshopper said: Ok I looked at this disk.. It looks like mostly extended basic programs with assembly routines.. no way to make that a cartridge.. run it from disk or a tipi.. Greg Thanks, Greg! Now it's coming back to me a little. I do remember linking to some assembly snippets and possibly some things from Forth. It was 40 years ago and I have trouble remembering what I did yesterday! Ha! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 (edited) 2 hours ago, RykGroff said: I then selected "convert to V9T9" and it said it couldn't convert a PC99 file because it was already in that format. This message can seem misleading... First create a new directory(Commands). Open the new directory in the right pane. Select your .DSK, file in the left pane. Choose Convert PC99-DSK IMAGE to V9T9-DSK image(Tools). Edited October 28, 2021 by HOME AUTOMATION 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fritz442 Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Here it is in V9T9 90k. WRDSMITH.DSK 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+arcadeshopper Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 35 minutes ago, HOME AUTOMATION said: This message can seem misleading... First create a new directory(Commands). Open the new directory in the right pane. Select your .DSK, file in the left pane. Choose Convert PC99-DSK IMAGE to V9T9-DSK image(Tools). again.. this isn't an EA5 program.. its extended basic with lots of files.. It won't convert to a module, no matter what you do to the files 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oddemann Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 Well, where is the user manual for your program? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+9640News Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 3 hours ago, RykGroff said: Hmmmm. I see people converting all kinds of other formats to and from .DSK, so I thought I'd ask if this was possible. Guess I need to invest in a NanoPEB or CF7? Go with a Raspberry PI and a TIPI. You will be much happier. And if you do not have a PEBox and memory expansion, add a SAMS. Then, you will be ready for just about anything that comes along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+mizapf Posted October 28, 2021 Share Posted October 28, 2021 And for the possible case that the original poster really wants to use a FinalGROM and not a TIPI? Maybe we should not always try to urge people to a single solution. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 2 hours ago, HOME AUTOMATION said: First create a new directory(Commands). Open the new directory in the right pane. Select your .DSK, file in the left pane. Choose Convert PC99-DSK IMAGE to V9T9-DSK image(Tools). Thank you, Stargunner! I'll give that a try tomorrow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 28, 2021 Author Share Posted October 28, 2021 1 hour ago, oddemann said: Well, where is the user manual for your program? Ha! We had some very novice users back then. Most had never used a computer before. The WordSmith program (and the TI-99/4A) was soon replaced with WordStar on an IBM PC. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 29, 2021 Author Share Posted October 29, 2021 16 hours ago, arcadeshopper said: First create a new directory(Commands). Open the new directory in the right pane. Select your .DSK, file in the left pane. Choose Convert PC99-DSK IMAGE to V9T9-DSK image(Tools). Thank you! Thank you, Quadrunner (and sorry for getting your name wrong before)! This did the trick! Well, not that it created a .BIN file, but it did extract all the XB and text parts, so I can finally see the program I created 40 years ago. I just might get it to run again when I add a TIPI to my system (thanks for the recommendations, EVERYONE!). I'm indebted to a lot of people in this forum who share their advice and knowledge, making it easier for me to get back into this crazy hobby again. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 29, 2021 Author Share Posted October 29, 2021 17 hours ago, Fritz442 said: Here it is in V9T9 90k. WRDSMITH.DSK 90 kB · 5 downloads Thank you, Combat Commando! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HOME AUTOMATION Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 1 hour ago, RykGroff said: Thank you! Thank you, Quadrunner (and sorry for getting your name wrong before)! Yes, Quadrunner, has a good head on his shoulders?, and comes up with some excellent quotes at times! Speaking candidly, the rest of us are relative doufs. ...So, don't let it get to you too much. -HA. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wierd_w Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 How byzantine is this XB program? Would it be possible to make it into a single XB program file with lots of subroutines instead? If so, it might be convinced to go through the compiler, and thus be able to be made into a module? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Lee Stewart Posted October 29, 2021 Share Posted October 29, 2021 1 hour ago, RykGroff said: Thank you, Combat Commando! At the risk of being a RPITA, “Combat Commando”, “Stargunner”, “River Patroller”, “Quadrunner”, etc. are rank descriptions based on number of posts. Each poster’s name or handle appears as the first word in the post header. Mine, for instance, is my name, “Lee Stewart”. ? ...lee 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RykGroff Posted October 29, 2021 Author Share Posted October 29, 2021 Just now, Lee Stewart said: At the risk of being a RPITA, “Combat Commando”, “Stargunner”, “River Patroller”, “Quadrunner”, etc. are rank descriptions based on number of posts. Each poster’s name or handle appears as the first word in the post header. Mine, for instance, is my name, “Lee Stewart”. ? ...lee Oh, geez! I'm old AND a newbie! Thanks for the heads-up! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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