Difficulties extracting zip / adf files to DOM

[Nutter]

I'm having no end of difficulties trying to get software on to my A3000 (with IDE). Just a reminder that I'm new to Acorn stuff so explain stuff in simple terms please.

I've downloaded some games from the internet in zip format.
I copied them to a floppy disk on a PC and transferred them to the A3000.
I drag the zip file to the sparkplug icon at on the icon bar and a new window opens with "Name of game.adf" in it.
I drag this icon to a directory on my IDE DOM.
The I drag the DOM icon to the BeebArc icon in the icon bar.
A window opens with some choices (I pick / guess :0 and ADFS)
I get a new (empty directory) with the game name on it.

Please help!

[IanS]

Can you be a bit more specific, which files are you trying to extract (if of dubious source, attach rather than link to website).

Is beebarc the one from http://mdfs.net/Apps/DiskTools/ (not something I've ever used)

You must have transfered beebarc ok, so the problem is just with the games?

If it's an Arc floppy disk image, it's unlikely to be single sided, all Arc floppies were double sided.

[Nutter]

Hi Ian,

I downloaded Nebulus and Paradroid2000 (attached) from http://acorn.revivalteam.de/?site=Downloads

I am using a DS/DD floppy I had from my Commodore computers formatted as DOS 720K on the A3000.

Your link to BeebArc is the one I used.

Additional info:

When I copy the game.adf file from the "sparkplug window" to the DOM, it shows as filetype "Data FFD" and size 819200 with WR/wr access.

[IanS]

I can't get beebarc to do anything useful with that file either.

DImager from viewtopic.php?t=3673#p31457 allowed me to extract it to a floppy (bit tedious), but it does work.
Many games want to run from floppy anyway (paradroid still looked in drive 0 when copied onto the hard disc).
(That disc also has the icon virus on it, fairly harmless but annoying).

I'll give beebarc another go.

[Nutter]

Thanks Ian. All I want to do is download games and play them, but it's proving a bit difficult. Not being knowledgeable on this platform doesn't really help

I'm willing to give it a go - but finding a step-by-step process is near impossible.

[IanS]

If all you want to do is play games from adf files, then a gotek may be a better option, as I understand it it will read adf's directly from a USB stick.

[jgharston]

I drag this icon to a directory on my IDE DOM.

Wot's an IDE DOM?

The I drag the DOM icon to the BeebArc icon in the icon bar.

The file linked to in a later message contains a 32-bit ADFS disk image (&800-byte directories, labelled 'Nick', floppies typically 800K or 1600K). BeebArc can only extract 8-bit ADFS images (&500-byte directories, labelled 'Hugo', floppies typically 640K), the hint's in the name, BeebArc.

[sirbod]

Please help!

If you have 4MB RAM, use ADFFS to mount the floppy images.

Download officially released games from JASPP as well, of which Nebulus is one JASPP own the rights too.

[vanpeebles]

I drag this icon to a directory on my IDE DOM.

Wot's an IDE DOM?

The I drag the DOM icon to the BeebArc icon in the icon bar.

The file linked to in a later message contains a 32-bit ADFS disk image (&800-byte directories, labelled 'Nick', floppies typically 800K or 1600K). BeebArc can only extract 8-bit ADFS images (&500-byte directories, labelled 'Hugo', floppies typically 640K), the hint's in the name, BeebArc.

Disk On Module I'd guess

[Nutter]

If you have 4MB RAM, use ADFFS to mount the floppy images.

Download officially released games from JASPP as well, of which Nebulus is one JASPP own the rights too.

Only got 2 MB RAM unfortunately but thanks.

[Nutter]

If all you want to do is play games from adf files, then a gotek may be a better option, as I understand it it will read adf's directly from a USB stick.

I had considered a Gotek but I what I should've said was "All I want to do for now is download games and play them". So I'm sure I will need a floppy drive in the near future.

[IanS]

The file linked to in a later message contains a 32-bit ADFS disk image (&800-byte directories, labelled 'Nick', floppies typically 800K or 1600K). BeebArc can only extract 8-bit ADFS images (&500-byte directories, labelled 'Hugo', floppies typically 640K), the hint's in the name, BeebArc.

How odd, it looks like you recommended it for Arc disks on a previous thread - viewtopic.php?t=3673#p31472

[Nutter]

I only downloaded it after searching on these forums for something to extract from adf files. Thought I was doing my bit... searching instead of asking questions all the time

So if BeebArc is not suitable, I'll have to get looking for something else.

[danielj]

Fear not Nutter - pedantry sometimes appears. Asking is the right thing to do, and none of us are psychic (most of us are silly). BeebArc is indeed mentioned as something that can cope with archimedes disc images in many places. Alas I'm not sure how to use it. I really do recommend the gotek route - the only reason you'd need a real drive is to use real discs. The gotek will do absolutely everything a real drive will do and the arc won't notice the difference. If you absolutely need to use a real floppy, you can always swap them over? I very rarely find myself using real discs these days, it must be said...

d.

[Nutter]

I think I might well go down that route danielj.

I'll check out ebay etc to see if any for sale. For the time being I'll struggle on... every day's a school day as the man says.

[danielj]

Just get a standard one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232081793751

We can walk you through flashing it and pimping it!

You'll also need a USB A-A cable:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261435344163



d.

[hubersn]

I'm having no end of difficulties trying to get software on to my A3000 (with IDE). Just a reminder that I'm new to Acorn stuff so explain stuff in simple terms please.

Problem is: it is not simple...

One route might be:

• use an emulator on a PC like RPCEmu or RedSquirrel to "mount" the .adf
• pack all files from the virtual floppy via a packer like !InfoZip into a ZIP
• transfer an UnZipper to your A3000 via DD DOS floppy (use self-extracting SparkPlug)
• transfer the ZIP to your A3000 via DD DOS floppy and extract it there with SparkPlug to your A3000 IDE

Problem: if it is a game that runs only from floppy and not from harddisc, you have won nothing.

There are variants of this route - step 1 and 2 could be integrated into my forthcoming FilecoreImageReader tool. Transfer of the ZIP to the A3000 could also be done via nullmodem and terminal software.

Another route:

• find an old PC with a "real" floppy disc
• use OmniFlop to write .adf to a real DD disc

Another route:

• upgrade your A3000 to 4 MiB
• transfer .adf zipped on a DD DOS floppy to your A3000
• mount .adf via ADFFS

Another route:

• use an RPi and a USB-IDE converter to connect your DOM to the RPi
• use ADFFS to mount the .adf on the RPi and write content to your DOM
• put DOM back into A3000

Note that this could be a problem depending on the USB-IDE adapter - I had various combinations that did not work for unknown reasons.

Take your pick

Have fun
hubersn

[Nutter]

Some excellent information there hubersn!

I am in a queue for an upcoming 4MB board on the buy/sell forum here but I'm not sure how long that will be in production / testing.

Using omniflop and a real floppy will probably be my 1st choice. The RPi would be my 2nd choice as I'd have to set it up with RISC OS etc.

Thanks for that very helpful post, it was the kind of info I was looking for.

[Nutter]

Just get a standard one:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/232081793751

We can walk you through flashing it and pimping it!

You'll also need a USB A-A cable:
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/261435344163

@danielj for some weird reason that seller doesn't post to N Ireland from China so I've found one from another seller and made an offer on it.

Thanks for your help.