Date   : Wed, 22 May 1991 04:20:49 GMT
From   : cis.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!bruce!trlluna!titan!pogo!guillaum@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Andrew Guillaume)
Subject: CP/M disk formats (was Re: CPM to DOS exchanger)

In article <Pqm821w163w@austex>, roadhog@austex (Lindsay Haisley) writes:
> There are a couple of good programs set for MSDOS machines which allow
> them to read a >wide< variety of CP/M disk formats.  A pretty good
> program is 22DISK from Sydex. 
(snip,snip)
>   The registered
> version contains support for over 270 different CP/M formats plus the
> ability to add custom formats if you know the disk setup parameters.
(snip,snip) 
> The second option is UniForm -PC from Nicro Solutions - the same folks who
> made the venerable UniForm for CP/M machines throughout the 80's.  Their
> advirtising states that UniForm-PC supports "hundreds of different diskette
> formats", which is probably true.

On a related subject, I thought I might ask a similar question. I have an
Apple //c, with an Applied Engineering card which gives me cp/m capability.
It has a Z80, and the Z80 gets woken up when I boot with a cp/m diskette.
Other members of my family have various other cp/m machines, like a Heathkit
H89, and an Amstrad PCW8512 with a 5.25" disk drive. I've always wanted to be
able to read these other cp/m disk formats (all 5.25" diskettes), but of course
understand that there are problems. Like the H89 disks are hard sectored :-(

Anyway, I was interested in finding out whether there existed a program that
would enable me to read any cp/m disk format from any other machine. Eg, I
would love to be able to read stuff written on a disk formatted on a Kaypro,
or an Osborne, and have the inverse possible, like giving a Kaypro owner one
of my diskettes formatted on the Apple.

I'm not an expert on disk formats, so let me have the full story if this
is/is not possible. And flame me by email if this is the wrong newsgroup
to discuss this topic :-)

> "Everything works if you let it!"

Ooh, I'm only too willing, but it still doesn't :-)

Andrew Guillaume

Internet : a.guillaume@trl.oz.au