Most popular way to get .prg to "real" VIC?

rhurst · Post by **rhurst** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 8:52 am

Probably not an option for you, but I have had no issues with OpenCBM running under Linux with 1541/1571/1581 drives. I thought that was the only "real" option until I got Jim Brain's uIEC/SD -- why do you think that is unavailable? AFAIK, he's got an active Google Group going and still makes them.

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 9:27 am

Thanks for the suggestions!

Linux is my preferred OS; most of my computers run Debian Stable and I rarely use Windows. When I tried to install OpenCBM on Debian Stable, I immediately ran into a problem where it complained about sgml. Rather than struggle to build it on Debian Stable, or spend a night building a new PC to install Debian Testing or Debian Unstable or Ubuntu on, I decided the fastest thing would be to see if I could get it working in Windows.

Re 64HDD: I didn't know 64HDD could work with a Pentium or better. I don't have DOS, though, nor a boot floppy. I remember making boot floppies with Win9x, but I now only have Win9x on a Toshiba Libretto with no floppy drive. (I don't have any floppy drive on my WinXP computer either, but I'm pretty sure I could do something about that.)

Re OpenCBM: I don't see any option to install a parallel port driver. I see the following options:

-e, --enumpport
re-enumerate the parallel port driver.

-F, --forcent4
force the NT4 driver on a Win 2000, XP, or newer systems (NOT RECOMMENDED!). This option is only available on i386 architectures; AMD64 and iA64 do not support it.

Re uIEC: The links I've seen suggest that it's supposed to be available on eBay. However, Jim Brain's eBay store doesn't seem to exist anymore (or at least, not through the links I found), and doing an eBay search on uIEC comes up empty. I don't see it on any listing in eBay's Commodore retrocomputing listings either. However, I'm a complete eBay newbie...maybe I just don't know where to look.

There are a lot of ideas here, and I'm sure there's a solution.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 10:25 am

^
Jim Brain of this very forum you should PM him. When I bought mine the way to order was by emailing him. Unfortunately, I don't have his mail address any longer.

BTW: Here is the link to his profile. It contains his email as well.

http://tinyurl.com/myx5da

carlsson · Post by **carlsson** » Fri Aug 21, 2009 5:08 pm

Back to OpenCBM, I may have referred to the command line syntax "instcbm --lock=yes". At least I remember that was what made the difference in my case.

rhurst · Post by **rhurst** » Sat Aug 22, 2009 7:41 am

I immediately ran into a problem where it complained about sgml.

On Red Hat Fedora, I forget precisely what I did to get around this (either edited its makefile or viewed its configure --help to find a disable option), but you can build OpenCBM without its documentation -- thus getting rid of the silly requirement and complete the make without sgml (yet another markup language).

Here's my review of Jim Brain's Geek toy: uIEC/SD with his email.

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 11:01 am

The C64TPC is another nice and cheap alternative that i've found around the web and you may buy it on ebay too.

Even if it is developed for the C64, it works also for C16/C128 and Vic-20.

Btw just Windows Xp (Vista?) is supported at the moment, no linux

IsaacKuo · Post by **IsaacKuo** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:08 pm

Thanks for the tip! I had read on YouTube comments that C64TPC didn't necessarily work on all hardware--the same story as all other devices, it seems.

I had to take a break from this because it was just getting too frustrating. I really don't like the idea of sinking more money into solutions which may or may not work.

Since my last report, I've had a lot of "fun" trying to mess with OpenCBM settings in Windows (no effect, including the "instcbm --lock=yes" option), and trying to build OpenCBM on Debian (both with and without the documentation).

From my research, it looks like someone has successfully installed OpenCBM in Ubuntu, but following those directions fails because I don't know how to install the latest patches from Sourceforge. If I skip that step, then it fails because I don't have the kernel source installed (there's apparently a patch which checks for this).

Obviously, SOMEONE has successfully installed OpenCBM, but I have no luck.

I have not yet tried any DOS based solutions, because I do not have DOS. I have read conflicting reports of whether FreeDOS can work or whether it's an exercise in massive futile frustration.

Obviously, I'd like a solution which will actually work, without lots and lots of frustration and without uncertainty over whether it will work with my PC hardware.

BTW, I also have a Commodore 128, if it's easier to get something to work with that. (The Commodore 128 is C64 compatible, although I suppose if I have to tell you that then you probably can't help me out.)

I also have an Amiga 500 and an Amiga 1200.

It may seem silly to go PC->Amiga->C128->1541, or whatever, but at least Amiga hardware is consistent. It's not like PC hardware where there are zillions of variations of hardware and you have to be lucky for it to work.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 12:25 pm

Seriously, you should consider the uIEC. It WILL work. Not with 100% of PRGs, granted, but at least 99% of stuff will load. It's really not that expensive, especially when you consider the sheer convenience of the thing.

I have bought a few disk drives and tried all the stuff your trying I then bought a 1541 Ultimate and it took forever to arrive (nobody's fault I hasten to add!). So, I bought a uIEC to tide me over as I was getting frustrated to hell and back. I have never regretted it. I use it way more often than the 1541 Ultimate on my Vic as it is so simple and quick and pretty much always loads whatever I try.

PS: Jim Brain is my dad!

Bacon · Post by **Bacon** » Thu Aug 27, 2009 11:34 pm

Pedro Lambrini wrote:Seriously, you should consider the uIEC. It WILL work. Not with 100% of PRGs, granted, but at least 99% of stuff will load.

Why wouldn't uIEC work with all PRGs? They're just binary files so there should never be a problem with those. What won't work is some multi file programs on D64s where a custom fastloader not supported by the uIEC firmware is used, and they don't exist for the VIC 20 anyway afaik.

Mike · Post by **Mike** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 1:03 am

Bacon wrote:custom fastloader [...] they don't exist for the VIC 20 anyway afaik

I know at least of Compute's TurboDisk, and Hypra-System by Markt&Technik. The last one is present on Mega-Cart, and also supports fast-save, but is PAL only.

nbla000 · Post by **nbla000** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 3:15 am

I think he intended programs with integrated fastloader, common on C64 but not on Vic-20 with the exception of some demo like the VIMM II, these programs do not work with uIEC btw all prg without integrated fastloader should work on uIEC.

Btw even if you cannot load prg with integrated fastloader using the uIEC, you may Fast-Load programs without integrated fastloader using the Diddl's vic-20 porting of the SJ-Load routines.

I've developed a special Mega-Cart patch based on SJ-Load routines that include this feature both with EasyLoad or simply from the Vic prompt with a SYS call.

Carlsson tested it successfully on uIEC, now I will test it on Jiffy-Dos drives and then I will publish it.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 10:20 am

Indeed, that's what I meant. I know primarily most of these images are in D64 format but I thought it was worth mentioning that not everything works. It would be Sods Law that after all the hype the guy goes and buys a uIEC sticks on a copy VIMM and it doesn't work! I was just trying to be honest and came across as vague - sorry!

tlr · Post by **tlr** » Fri Aug 28, 2009 12:02 pm

For development I use my recently released tinyrs.
See this thread.

Bacon · Post by **Bacon** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 12:26 am

Mike wrote:
Bacon wrote:custom fastloader [...] they don't exist for the VIC 20 anyway afaik
I know at least of Compute's TurboDisk, and Hypra-System by Markt&Technik. The last one is present on Mega-Cart, and also supports fast-save, but is PAL only.

Oh, I know fastloaders exist on the VIC. What I meant was that multi-loading programs with built-in custom fastloaders don't exist on the VIC. Of course I forgot about demos like VIMM

So I'd modify Pedro's 99% to 99.99% or so.

Pedro Lambrini · Post by **Pedro Lambrini** » Sat Aug 29, 2009 4:44 am

Okay. 99.99%.