Sam the Little Spaceman

[Martin_Head]

OK , I have had a look at the MDIConvert SuperBASIC program. It does fail with a 'Unexpected data in header" error.

This was due to the program not knowing about Qemulator MDUMP2 image files. I have done a fix in MDIConvert3_bas

MDIConvert3.zip

(7.56 KiB) Downloaded 111 times

I then ran the program in Qemulator (JS ROM) and converted the .mdv image into a _mdi image

littlsam_mdi.zip

(43.04 KiB) Downloaded 106 times

It was painfully slow, Took 1 and a half hours in Qemulator. But only a couple of seconds in QPC2

Note the Mdv*Dump at the start, That makes it a Qemulator MDUMP image, So you need option 4

[Martin_Head]

I decided to see if I could run the game from the MDI driver in Qemulator.
So I set Qemulator to 128K mode, and used the ROM version of the MDI driver.

[Martin_Head]

And it only worked!

Here's the MDI ROM

MDIdriver_rom.zip

(5.08 KiB) Downloaded 107 times

[nikosdoykas]

and with 128k ql..... damn////

[Chr$]

Image14.png

And it only worked!

Here's the MDI ROM
MDIdriver_rom.zip

Good work Martin. I did notice the mdump header while I've been generating them recently - should have put 2 and 2 together.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

On my QL Tetroid Trump Card with CF interface, Minvera v1.98, with Toolkit 2 enabled, I tried to convert the "Littlsam.mdv" file to MDI format, using the CONVERT2_MDI command.

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_littlsam.mdv" TO "win1_littlesam_mdi"

the command fails and gives a NOT FOUND error message.

But on QPC2 running SMSQ/E v3.36 the same command works.

I copied the converted MDI file on floppy disk to the Trump Card QL, which mounted the MDI file with the MOUNT_MDI command

MOUNT_MDI 1,"win1_littlesam_mdi"
MDI_USE "MDV"

Typing LRUN "mdv1_boot"

Gives the game error message 128K message, so I did a RES_128 to cut the ram to 128K, the boot file returned the error OUT OF MEMORY

The next step, is to extract the Littlesam game files from the MDI file to a floppy disk and map the FLP device as MDV with FLP_USE MDV

So lrun mdv1_boot would load off the floppt disk.

Or maybe WIN_USE MDV may work, it all depends on the amount ram used and if the WIN device is loaded after the Ram cut.

I have not tried this yet, I will report tomorrow.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I copied all the Littlesam files to a blank floppy disk, did a RES_128

Which cut the memory to 128K on the Trump Card, entering FLP_USE 'MDV' gives access to the floppy drive device FLP as a Microdrive Device MDV

Entering LRUN mdv1_boot loaded the the first screen to Little sam with the music playing, than it crashed.

This maybe down to Minerva being the ROM in the QL, I will try with JS Roms and see if that works.

Another option is to use a QL Floppy Interface with 0K.

[nikosdoykas]

many thinks that written for 128 k ql has the same problem.......
maybe if we sent with net the files to a 128k ql the sam will work

[Martin_Head]

Hi,

On my QL Tetroid Trump Card with CF interface, Minvera v1.98, with Toolkit 2 enabled, I tried to convert the "Littlsam.mdv" file to MDI format, using the CONVERT2_MDI command.

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_littlsam.mdv" TO "win1_littlesam_mdi"

the command fails and gives a NOT FOUND error message.

But on QPC2 running SMSQ/E v3.36 the same command works.

I don't know why it fails on TC/Minerva. I will have a look when I can find some time, or remember.

After waiting 1 and a half hours for the SuperBASIC conversion program to run. (I wonder if compiling would help?) I tried to use the CONVERT2_MDI command in Qemulator. It crashed Qemulator. Not so much the emulated QL, but Qemulator itself. It threw up an error message. But I could not be bothered to try it again.

When I tested the created image file on Qemulator. I thought memory would be a problem, as the game wants 128K. That's why I used the ROM version of the MDI driver, and no TK2 to keep the RAM usage as low as possible. That's why I was so surprised when it worked.

[Andrew]

Hi,

On my QL Tetroid Trump Card with CF interface, Minvera v1.98, with Toolkit 2 enabled, I tried to convert the "Littlsam.mdv" file to MDI format, using the CONVERT2_MDI command.

CONVERT2_MDI "win1_littlsam.mdv" TO "win1_littlesam_mdi"

the command fails and gives a NOT FOUND error message.

But on QPC2 running SMSQ/E v3.36 the same command works.

I believe it fails because of the dot in win1_littlsam.mdv. QL doesn't like dots in filename and gives a NOT FOUND error message.
QPC2 is automatically changing the dot to underscore and that is why it works.