QIMSI

[ones' complement]

+ VAT ?

[Tesla]

Hi Stephan.
During some attempts to modify the BOOT file of my QISMI micro sd, using QPC2, I corrupted the original QLWA.WIN file . Particularly I really needs the SMSQE file with the dedicated keyboard drive. Can you repost it?
Thank very much.
Marco

[stephen_usher]

I've hit an issue straight away, unfortunately.

Most of the time if my BBQL (JS ROM) + original Trump Card (v1.20 with TKII v2.11) loads a file from the floppy drives before win1_ is accessed then I can't see win1_

This is always true if the machine boots from flp1_boot

Also "format win1_HD1" hangs the system.

I'm guessing that this is not intended behaviour.

P.S. The same behaviour with my Tetroid SGC clone.
P.P.S. The manual should be explicit that if you boot from another device then you HAVE to use WIN_USE every time, not often, always.

[Maskenlos]

Hi Stephen,

Most of the time if my BBQL (JS ROM) + original Trump Card (v1.20 with TKII v2.11) loads a file from the floppy drives before win1_ is accessed then I can't see win1_

This is normal behaviour and has been discussed here as well. You have to use "win_use win" command to redirect win back to win. Should be implemented in your flp boot file. See here https://www.qlforum.co.uk/search.php?ke ... sf=msgonly

Also "format win1_HD1" hangs the system.

Can you kindly show the link to the "format" command in the manual? Thanks!

There are some things happen in the forum which let me always hesitate to continue. One of these things is claim a dysfunction of the QIMSI in the public before sending an Email to Peter or me and ask for advice.

Thanks for your comment here.

Best regards,

Stephan

[stephen_usher]

Sorry, Stephan, it's not at all meant as a criticism merely a "bug report". It's amazing what has been able to be done.

Given that the manual merely states that WIN_USE *may* be required it may be a good idea to update the manual to say that it will always be required. In this way it's obvious and people don't have to hunt down the information the the forum, which they would only know existed if they'd already read it, if that makes sense.

The issue with putting this into a floppy boot file is that there's no way in advance for the program to determin if the QIMSI is plugged in and hence the WIN_USE command exists. If it were to use the command blindly then it will error out. I wonder if there's a way around this.

As for "format", indeed there is no mention in the manual, which means that users will assume that it would work as it would with any other device. I think again the manual should explicitly state that the device doesn't support formatting of a drive image but instead (I guess) that you need to create one using an emulator of some kind.

[dilwyn]

The startup sequence of QIMSI goes through a certain amount of device renaming at boot time, as the QL ROM tries to boot from mdv1_. If you boot from floppy, for example, the WIN device name is left stuck at MDV (IIRC - am not home today). Hence why the WIN_USE 'WIN' command is needed if you've booted from non-WIN devices.

To be fair, people tend to ask here first in the hope that someone can reply to prevent disturbing Stephan and Peter who are probably busy. This is very much the modern trend as influenced by social media etc. People in my village will post on Facebook "What time is the next bus?" rather than just google it or whatever. Even worse on our local Facebook, you'll get half a dozen people ask the same question in a row without checking it's been asked already that day, then you get dozens of people replying with the same answer without checking if they're duplicating what's already been said. Then when somebody points that out, they then get a foul-mouthed rant for pointing it out!!!

[Silvester]

Miracle WIN driver sets up poll routine to check if booted then reverts device name from MDV to WIN.

So no WIN_USE WIN required haven't looked but I guess Tebby FLP drivers do same.

Code: Select all

INIPOL  tst.l     $0100(a6)                     ;SV_FSDEV, first entry
        beq.s     POLINT                        ;if already booted then...
        move.l    $0044(a3),$003E(a3)           ;change driver name from MDV to WIN

[stephen_usher]

Thinking about how to make the "issues" and their work-arounds more apparent without rewriting the manual, maybe a "Troubleshooting Guide" may be a useful addition?

This should be quite quick and easy to do and I could probably put something together if there is a wish that it be done. (I'm trying to be careful not to tread on anyone's toes here, just trying to be helpful.)

[Peter]

P.P.S. The manual should be explicit that if you boot from another device then you HAVE to use WIN_USE every time, not often, always.

The manual can not state that in general, as the behaviour depends on the the other device. Depending on the timing of the "MDV renaming magic" of the other device, the issue might not occur. It is an interaction issue, not a QIMSI bug as such. On the other hand, I don't want a listing of all affected devices in the QIMSI manual.

If you like, you can PM me a short text passage how you prefer this documented in the manual.

As for "format", indeed there is no mention in the manual, which means that users will assume that it would work as it would with any other device. I think again the manual should explicitly state that the device doesn't support formatting of a drive image but instead (I guess) that you need to create one using an emulator of some kind.

You are right, the creation of the container files should be explicitely documented. After ten years of QL-SD, it probably seemed too obvious to me. I'm sorry, but writing documentation already took so much time that I sometimes regret the public release of QIMSI. Writing docs is not my hobby at all.

[Chris_68]

Hi,

First, thank you Peter and Stephan for offering QIMSI to the community. I fully understand if writing manuals for every type of user or type of hardware isn't highest priority. I can admit as new user to QL I didn't realise I couldn't have Toolkit activated at boot, or how to make containers so struggled a bit. With help from fellow forum members it's now sorted.

Additional information could be in a separate topic like "QIMSI for beginners" or actually separate topics " How to do a container file", maybe this is already in the WIKI I don't know. Since i don't have the knowledge to write these topics it's easy for me to say since others has to do it.
What I would like to say with this is, QIMSI and a lot of other projects are great designs and it doesnt have to be the developer that writes the instructions/manuals.

Once again, thank you