A collection of small Acorn BBC Master Compact related projects

This is a small collection of Acorn BBC Master Compact projects mainly in C language I made to train myself.

List of all the contained submodules

$ git submodule--helper list
160000 60a151e8c43dc850d12057a73770f49b79883116 0       cc65

Important discussion where I found this submodule repository and some of the information in this README.md on how to compile and run the sources.

Built Windows snapshot
Credits 8bit-Dude.

How to build cc65

git submodule update --init -- cc65
cd cc65
make

How to compile an Acorn BBC Master Compact source example

Assuming that the executable is called DUMP and the source dump.c:

$ cd small_C_projects
$ ../compile.sh dump.c DUMP
cl65 V2.15
Copiling dump.c into DUMP

How to run the executable on the Master Compact example

Assuming that the executable is called DUMP:

Put the executable inside an .adl or .ssd floppy image using something like Beeb Image or MkImg from mdfs's DiskTools
Set the 'Load' and 'Execution' addres of the executable to '00000E00'
Load the diskette into the machine or the image into the emulator and run

> MODE 7
> *MOUNT n
> *RUN DUMP

where n can be 0 to 3 depending which floppy drive we use, or after step 1 load the diskette into the machine or the image into the emulator and run

> MODE 7
> *MOUNT n
> *LOAD DUMP E00
> CALL &E00

A !BOOT file can be also created to automatically run what listed above with SHIFT + BREAK. See here how to make !BOOT.
In short:

> *OPT 4,3
> *BUILD !BOOT
MODE 7
*RUN DUMP

Press ESCAPE

Useful floppy drive usage stuff

Load DFS ROM image from the Master Compact Welcome disk to read DFS formatted floppies

> *INSERT 7
> *SRLOAD $.Library.DFSimage 8000 7Q
> CH."CONVERT"

Mount and manage files on flopy drive n on ADFS/DFS:

> *ADFS (or *DFS)
> *MOUNT n (or *DRIVE n on DFS)
> *.
> SAVE "file_name"
> *.
> *DELETE file_name

Where n can be 0 to 3 depending on how many floppy drives we have in our system. A maximum of four floppy drives can be installed as the Shugart interface standard specifies.

When mounting floppy drive n and running *CAT $, *CAT, *. $ or *. with a non specified drive number, they will list what's on the currently mounted drive. If no drives are mounted, the same commands will automatically mount drive 0 on ADFS, so unless using drive 1, 2 or 3, the *MOUNT n command can be avoided if the intention is to mount and list drive 0.

If using drives n > 0, the drive number must be specified and so the commands *CAT :n.$, *CAT :n, *. :n.$ or *. :n will list and mount drives n > 0 as well. These commands can be also used to specifically list and mount floppy drive n even when drive n1 != n is currently mounted.

The *MOUNT n command is basically only used to specify which drive should be accessed when not specified in the *CAT :n.$, *CAT :n, *. :n.$, *. :n or ADFS commands in general, otherwise the last mounted drive, even through a non *MOUNT n command, will be used.

Unspecified floppy drive directory listing

*CAT $, *CAT, *. $ or *.

Specific floppy drive n directory listing

*CAT :n.$, *CAT :n, *. :n.$ or *. :n

Pathnames representation in Acorn BBC format

Assuming a pathname A:\dir1\dir2\file in DOS format, in the Acorn BBC format it will be represented as $.dir1.dir2.file if drive 0 is mounted or :n.$.dir1.dir2.file with n = 0. A and B floppy drives in DOS can be seen as drive 0 and 1 in the Acorn BBC. The third and fourth floppy drives (drive number 2 and 3 in the Acorn BBC) where supposed to be external drives in the original IBM PC. That's why the internal floppy drive connector cable of the PC architecture has a twist and allows only two drives to be connected.

To navigate through the directories the *DIR directory_name command can be used.

DanCasterIt/acorn_bbc_master_compact_projects