Dumb OS/8 question

[BitWiz]

I haven't used OS/8 in depth in almost 50 years. My memory is a little foggy, so please forgive the dumb question.

I have done the following:

.R RXCOPY
*RXA1:/D

.R RXCOPY
*RXA1:/R

.ZERO RXA1:
ZERO! Are you sure?
Yes

.DIR RXA1:
Bad directory

Why am I getting Bad Directory? I can't remember what I need to do to put a directory on the diskette.

Interesting piece of information: The DEC labled diskettes don't format double density very well, like most sectors bad but when formatted single density there are only a few bad sectors. I'm using some unknown brand blue diskettes and they format double density no problem with zero bad sectors.

Thank for the help,

Mike

 

[tradde]

Sorry, I am not sure what you are trying to do. Did you boot from a floppy? If not would not the first floppy be RXA0:? Or do you have two?

 

[BitWiz]

I am booting off of Serial disk and trying to create working floppies. With the goal of eventually booting from RXA0. I'm using RXA1 for testing formatting and writing disks.

 

[vrs42]

Why am I getting Bad Directory? I can't remember what I need to do to put a directory on the diskette.

I don't know anything about RXCOPY, though I suppose I should look it up.

AFAIK, all you should need is "ZERO RXA1:".

Are we sure you are using the RX02 non-system handler? I believe any RX01 handler will scribble on anything inserted in an RX02 drive. Even when just trying to read the directory. (So what you are seeing is just what I'd expect in that case.)

 

[BitWiz]

I don't know anything about RXCOPY, though I suppose I should look it up.

AFAIK, all you should need is "ZERO RXA1:".

Are we sure you are using the RX02 non-system handler? I believe any RX01 handler will scribble on anything inserted in an RX02 drive. Even when just trying to read the directory. (So what you are seeing is just what I'd expect in that case.)

Just for fun I tried single and double density with the RX02 set for RX01 emulation and for full RX02 operation. Nothing worked.

Since RXCOPY RXA1:/R (read all sectors) passes without an error I think there is some kind of driver error in the RX drivers built into the standard SerailDisk build (I removed the delete of them from runbuild).

 

[daver2]

Just asking (and answering I think) my own questions...

Which version of OS/8 and RXCOPY are you using?

The document I have indicates that the only valid switches are:


There could be a later version of course. Is the /D the switch for double density?

The ZERO should do the job (as Vince has already stated) irrespective of what you did previously.

Dave

 

[BitWiz]

 

[daver2]

Ta.

Dave

 

[BitWiz]

Ta.

Dave

.
.VERSION
OS/8 - KBM V3T - CCL V3E

.RES/E

194 FILES IN 3082 BLOCKS USING 5 SEGMENTS
110 FREE BLOCKS

# NAME TYPE MODE SIZ BLK KIND U V ENT USER
01 SYS 64 RWF SYS 0 I 07
02 DSK 64 RWF SYS 0 I 07
03 BAT BAT R 16 B 00
04 TTY TTY RW 17+ KL8E E 176
05 RXA0 RX02 RWF 988 20+ 32
06 RXA1 RX02 RWF 988 20+ 36
07 DTA0 TD8E RWF 737 21+ TD8 0 D 10
10 T4 64 RWF SYS 0 I 07
11 TDA0 64 RWF SYS 1 I 56
12 T5 64 RWF 22 I 54
13 TDA1 64 RWF 22 I 53
14 RFB0 64 RWF 22 I 52
15 TDA2 64 RWF 22 I 51
16 RFB1 64 RWF 22 I 50
17 TDA3 64 RWF 22 I 47

FREE DEVICE SLOTS: NONE, FREE BLOCK SLOTS: 03
OS/8 V3T


.

All of the type 64 drivers are SerialDisk devices.

It looks like the drivers are RX02.