I've been exploring CP/M with an emulator. It seems that I am restricted
to using applications which have been formatted in a specific/particular
format e.g. SIMH AltairZ80 and their .dsk format.

However if I want to use software, say, from retroarchiv.org, how do I
install it in an emulator?

TIA

Paul Richards <paulrichards@iinet.net.au> writes:
> I've been exploring CP/M with an emulator. It seems that I am restricted
> to using applications which have been formatted in a specific/particular
> format e.g. SIMH AltairZ80 and their .dsk format.
>
> However if I want to use software, say, from retroarchiv.org, how do I
> install it in an emulator?
>

One way is to use software like say cpmtools where you would read the
disk-image using the appropriate disk format for the disk image you receive
and then write the files using cpmtools to a disk format that the emulator
can use.

example:

disk -image is IBM 8" in IBM3470 format.

using cpmtools extract file1, file2, file3, etc from the IBM format
disk-image.

using cpmtools write file1, file2,file3, etc to a disk-image in SIMH format.

Jack.

--
My wife says I have two faults:
I don't listen and something else.

cpmtools is certainly one good way to do this. If you are requiring a CP/M
definition that isn't included in cpmtools, have a look at github.

https://github.com/ldkraemer/CPM-Floppy-Definitions

There are a few typo's in the list which I'm trying to get updated, but Github
isn't allowing me to push the update, since I'm new to git.

Also have a look at SAMDISK, and libdsk, as they can do lots of conversions.

https://simonowen.com/samdisk/formats/
https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=112244%5B/url%5D
https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=61888%5B/url%5D
https://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=151313%5B/url%5D

Larry

Here are a couple of url's on the subject.

Reading 254-track SIMH Altair disks using CPMTOOLS?
https://groups.google.com/g/comp.os.cpm/c/SyW9dOA7wpc

Altair 8800 simulator
https://hc-ddr.hucki.net/wiki/doku.php/cpm/altairz80

https://github.com/lipro-cpm4l/cpmtools/blob/cpm4l/cpmtools-2.21/diskdefs
# ALTAIRZ80 SIMH *dsk 8MB Harddisk (Type AZ80 HDSK)
diskdef 8megAltairSIMH
seclen 128
tracks 2048
sectrk 32
blocksize 4096
maxdir 1024
skew 0
boottrk 6
os 2.2
end

# ALTAIRZ80 SIMH *dsk MITS 88-DISK 137 Byte/Sektor
# speedball (copylib) skewtable
diskdef simh
seclen 128
tracks 254
sectrk 32
blocksize 2048
maxdir 256
skew 17
boottrk 6
os 2.2
end

Larry

Perhaps I've misread the original question but I think the answer to installing software from the .zip files in www.retroarchive.org is simpler and not concerned with diskdef details.

The version of SIMH I'm using has drive I: with lots of free space on it and I use it as the transfer drive from/to the Windows directory that has altairz80.exe (\CPM-3 in my case). To load files from www.retroarchive.org onto the I: drive:

1) Under Windows, unzip the package into the \CPM-3 directory.
2) In the CP/M window, switch to drive I:
2) For each of the unzipped files you want to install on CP/M's I: drive, enter the CP/M command "R filename" which transfers it from the Windows directory to the CP/M disk. After the transfer, the Windows copy of the file can be deleted.
3) If you want to save a CP/M file to the Windows directory, there is a corresponding "W filename" command.

On 22/11/2022 8:43 am, Bill McMullen wrote:
> Perhaps I've misread the original question but I think the answer to installing software from the .zip files in www.retroarchive.org is simpler and not concerned with diskdef details.
>
> The version of SIMH I'm using has drive I: with lots of free space on it and I use it as the transfer drive from/to the Windows directory that has altairz80.exe (\CPM-3 in my case). To load files from www.retroarchive.org onto the I: drive:
>
> 1) Under Windows, unzip the package into the \CPM-3 directory.
> 2) In the CP/M window, switch to drive I:
> 2) For each of the unzipped files you want to install on CP/M's I: drive, enter the CP/M command "R filename" which transfers it from the Windows directory to the CP/M disk. After the transfer, the Windows copy of the file can be deleted.
> 3) If you want to save a CP/M file to the Windows directory, there is a corresponding "W filename" command.

Thanks to all who replied. In principle Bill's suggestion seems by far
the easiest - for me at least. However I can 'attach' an I: disk but it
does not persist i.e. when I log off CP/M and then restart
AltairZ80/CP/M and try to log on to I: I get the 'BDOS error' and I: has
disappeared :-(