Disk Basic v300-5-F.dsk

[jibanes]

Hello,

I have uploaded "Disk Basic v300-5-F.dsk" from my linux laptop to the clone:
stty -F /dev/ttyUSB0 115200
sx -vv Disk\ Basic\ v300-5-F.dsk > /dev/ttyUSB0 < /dev/ttyUSB0

But when I list the contents of this disk from CPM "B:" then "DIR" then "No file" appears, how can I use the contents of this disk?

Cheers!

[AltairClone]

MITS products (BASIC, Altair DOS) use a completely different disk layout and file allocation scheme than used by CP/M. You'll need to boot the BASIC disk you loaded to see its content (see the Disk BASIC demo in the manual for an example). You can also use Altair DOS and see the files on a BASIC disk and vice-versa. However CP/M and BASIC cannot read each other's disks.

There is a CP/M utility written by an end user, MITSCNVT, for copying files from an Altair BASIC disk onto a CP/M disk. I have this program posted in the Yahoo Altair users group in the Altair CP/M folder.

Mike

[jibanes]

thanks, that makes sense.

[virtualaltair]

DISK BASIC v300-5-F interprets a BASIC dialect derived from DEC 10 BASIC and is almost identical to CP/M MBASIC4 and the Microsoft CP/M BASIC Compiler with the /4 switch.

DISK BASIC v300-5-F has faster PRINT USING than older Altair BASIC versions. This might be a 15% improvement for reports with formatted values. In addition string garbage collection is much faster than other Altair BASIC versions. DISK BASIC v300-5-F is the fastest MITS/PERTEC BASIC.

I invite new DISK BASIC v300-5-F users to benchmark the interpreter against CP/M MBASIC4. The major language difference is drive numbers vs. CP/M drive letters. Any benchmark comparison should make available memory the same for DISK BASIC v300-5-F and MBASIC4 programs. The winner is unknown because it is not known if MITS changes made it back to Microsoft.

Note that the Altair Peachtree Accounting uses DISK BASIC v300-5-C with only enhanced PRINT USING. That was to avoid potential liability. MITS broke garbage collection so bad that Bill Gates was hired to consult. DISK BASIC v300-5-F is the result.

The ISAM on DISK BASIC v300-5-? disks is from Pertec Altair accounting. Both DISK BASIC v300-5-F and Pertec ISAM are useful for new Altair software development. The ISAM should work with other BASIC versions with minor changes, if any.

Note that CP/M Peachtree has a different ISAM that may be entry point and parameter compatible, but not file format compatible.

The DISK BASIC v300-5-F ISAM has two versions based on key length

[jibanes]

Tom,

Please educate me.

Disk Basic v300-5-F runs on Altair DOS, and therefore, is incompatible with CPM2.2. I imagine porting applications (such as Kermit) from CPM2.2 to AltairDOS is anything but trivial or quick. As such, one has to chose how to allocate the 3 virtual floppies provided with the AltairClone.

For most users, it may be as such:
A-CPM (and system tools, such as Kermit)
B-Languages (possibly 3: C, Lisp and Basic or something like this, that's my personal choice.)
C-Applications (Spreadsheets, wordstar, etc.)

This leaves little to no room for AltairDOS, without having to upload a new set of floppies. Is there any easy option that I omitted without having to upload floppies?

[virtualaltair]

I'm still learning!

>Disk Basic v300-5-F runs on Altair DOS, and therefore, is incompatible with CPM2.2

Altair BASIC is standalone and does not use an Operating System.

Altair DOS is for ASM Developement. DOS was made obsolete by CP/M. DOS is MITS history, but not as useful as CP/M because of limited software availability. The Altair started desktop computing. CP/M made shareware and portable software popular.

Disk Basic v300-5-F is the last of MITS BASIC Interpreters. The language processor/Interpreter/Compiler should not be confused with the Altair BASIC Lannguge. Altair BASIC is almost identical to the CP/M BASIC interpreted by CP/M MBASIC4. The CP/M BASIC Compiler parses the MBASIC4 language with the /4 compiler switch. The MBASIC5 BASIC Language allows more blanks in the language than the older BASIC. The spaces take memory in an interpreter. Compiled Programs don't add compiled code for spaces. In interpreters, a space is part of the code that is stored in memory to be ignored during execution.

Altair DOS does support a Fortran 66 Compiler written by Paul Allen of MITS/Microsoft.

Disk Basic v300-5-F does not run under DOS or CP/M. A Disk Basic v300-5-F program would require little change to compile on CP/M or even a PC MSDOS Basic Compiler. Parts of the language survived into Window Visual BASIC.


> I imagine porting applications (such as Kermit) from CPM2.2 to Altair DOS is anything but trivial or quick.

Exactly! Altair DOS likely has few users. Fortran may be useful and the MITS MTST Memory Test runs on DOS.

>As such, one has to chose how to allocate the 3 virtual floppies provided with the Altair Clone.

Welcome to floppy disk programming! A typical Altar user might only have two drives. A hard disk version of CP/M runs on an emulator. It may be useful to hold a large set of development tools. Programs developed could be moved to the Clone or an original Altair with smaller disks.

> For most users, it may be as such:
> A-CPM (and system tools, such as Kermit)
> B-Languages (possibly 3: C, Lisp and Basic or something like this, that's my personal choice.)
> C-Applications (Spreadsheets, wordstar, etc.)

This looks good for development. Production might remove tools to make room for data or more applications.


>This leaves little to no room for AltairDOS, without having to upload a new set of floppies.

My Opinion is to forget about DOS except for Fortran and memory testing. DOS is not needed in the CP/M world. DOS, CP/M, and Altair BASIC all use the same System Area on disk, so they are mutually exclusive. They also overlap in memory.

>Is there any easy option that I omitted without having to upload floppies?

I haven't tried it yet, but I expect emulated hard disk CP/M is useful for development. The serial port emulation still needs work.

You can also develop on a different CP/M physical machine with larger drives. The serial ports are still an issue because the IO chip is likely not a Motorola 6850.

[jibanes]

I would gladly have an emulated serial harddrive for the clone, speed isn't really an issue, what would be required on the AltairClone side to be able to connect to one?

[virtualaltair]

Altairclone can answer for the Clone. My suggestion is to use the SIMH Emulator to supplement Clone software development.