Looking for Metacomco Languages

[retro_collector]

Hello everyone!

Looking to buy complete versions of Metacomco Assembler, C and Pascal

Let me know what you have!

Thanks

[NormanDunbar]

I used to have all of those. My microdrives were too old, possibly, to use and my ROMs were lost - somewhere in the Garage. I still can't find them. I sent my microdrives off to the software museum to be preserved as Giorgio has ways and means to read very old very fragile cartridges.

Oh yes, my backup floppies - every one of about 250 in total including originals too - all refused to work. Jammed solid they were. A disaster.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers,
Norm.

[retro_collector]

I used to have all of those. My microdrives were too old, possibly, to use and my ROMs were lost - somewhere in the Garage. I still can't find them. I sent my microdrives off to the software museum to be preserved as Giorgio has ways and means to read very old very fragile cartridges.

Oh yes, my backup floppies - every one of about 250 in total including originals too - all refused to work. Jammed solid they were. A disaster.

Good luck with your search.

Cheers,
Norm.

Sorry to hear that Norm!

Well if you happen to find or come across them please let me know!

Thanks!

Bill

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

If you are struggling to find the Metacomco software, the Prospero Pro Pascal is available for download at:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/language/index.html

Also Assemblers are available; Computer One, GST at:

http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/asm/index.html

You will also find much better tools as well.

[stephen_usher]

Here's a floppy image containing Metacomco C Development Kit

http://www.lingula.org.uk/~steve/downloads/metacomco-c-ql.img

I wrote on the label: "Metacomco C: Compiler, Editor, Linker + Headers"

Of course, to use it you still need the contents of the dongle ROM.

P.S. I also have both the C dongle and a Pascal one, but not the software for that.

The Pascal dongle was fitted on my second QL when I rescued it from the Oxford University Chemistry Department. Strangely the machine had one of the system (JM) ROMs removed but it would work perfectly with the dongle installed.

P.P.S. Using strings(1) on the disk image I discover that Metacomco C is actually the Lattice C compiler!

Code: Select all

Lattice 68000 C Compiler (Phase 1) V3.01
Copyright (C) 1984 Lattice, Inc.


And GST Linker

[retro_collector]

Steve,

Thanks for that. How do I convert the .IMG back to a real floppy on my QL?

Thanks Bill

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I attached the img file to a QPC2 FLP drive and read the files.

If there is a physical floppy drive on the PC, you could copy the files to a floppy disk and transfer to the QL.

But to run the compiler the language rom is required, whiich tnis link to another Fotum thread which has the rom image.

https://qlforum.co.uk/viewtopic.php?t=905#p7284

Why not use C68, which a good established C compiler for the QL.

[stephen_usher]

Steve,

Thanks for that. How do I convert the .IMG back to a real floppy on my QL?

Thanks Bill

Under Linux or macOS you'd use 'dd if=metacomco-c-ql.img of=/dev/whatever-the-floppy-device-is' (when using a root shell).

On a Windows machine you should be able to use rawwrite or similar.

[tcat]

Hi,

Not sure if of any help, I tried to find out about a possible ROM to RAM toolkit conversion here in the subject.
viewtopic.php?f=3&t=1499&hilit=ROM+to+RAM+toolkit+conversion#p12682

You still however need ROM image of respective MetaComco dongles.
Tomas

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I loaded the QLC rom image with SMSQ/E EPROM_LOAD command and the compiler seems to work okay.

That said I still prefer C68...