Date   : Tue, 18 Jul 2006 18:36:44 +0000
From   : Jules Richardson <julesrichardsonuk@...>
Subject: Re: System DOS / System fileserver?

Ian Wolstenholme wrote:
> If I remember correctly there is a Disc Converter on the BBC B
> welcome disc for making System discs readable under BBC DFS, so
> you might be able to either do the process in reverse on the Beeb
> giving you a System-compatible formatted disc or you might be
> able to throw together your own System disc formatter based on
> the various 8271 BASIC formatters around (such as the JGH one)
> amending it to take into account the differences between System DOS
> and BBC DFS.

Yep, I think I could lash something together if I had to - the System 5 manual 
actually documents the System-era DFS reasonably well, so it's just a case of 
LLF'ing the disks on *something* to the right geometry and writing the 
necessary DFS header.

It'd just be nice to have the original disk with the Acorn formatter, 
compacter and file info utilities on it :-)

The System population doesn't seem to be too healthy - I think I've heard of 
about ten System Ones, then only about 5 or 6 machines from the rest of the 
System line (and no 'official' System Fours) surviving. It's rather surprising 
really - whilst they wouldn't have sold in numbers like the Atom, the boards 
form the 2-5 machines went through a fair few revisions suggesting that they 
enjoyed reasonable success.

cheers

Jules