Using the PIL-Box with the Portable Plus

[rprosperi]

(06-05-2014 11:22 PM)Dave Frederickson Wrote:  Actually the PP is usually a controller. On the PC side of the PIL-Box, ILPer acts as a printer and a tape drive when used with the PP. The PP can be configured as a device like when two PP's are connected together on the loop.

FDIO can create a 9114 compatible disk from a LIF image, like the ones on the MoHPC FTP site, or create a LIF image from a 9114 compatible disk. I've been unsuccessful imaging PP format disks using FDIO. HPDir will transfer only text files to/from LIF images. It was developed for the 9845 and doesn't understand 41/71/75 file types.

What binary files on the PC would you want to copy to a LIF image? If you're thinking of copying a large number of binary files between LIF images, I don't have a solution. Joe Horn's collection of LEX files was compiled into a single LIF image, I confess, one file at a time using Emu71. If there was a way to automate the process, perhaps using a batch file, I wish I'd thought of it.

Regarding DOS utilities for the PP, the Portable Paper Subscribers Disks are scheduled to be delivered tomorrow. Look for them, soon.

Dave

Thanks for further clarifying the PP thing, using ILPer as a 'peripheral'. My Pil-Box finally arrived last night, so I will have this running later today, at last with 71B, 41C and 75C. Woohoo!

So it seems the earlier conclusion is correct, there is no way to easily exchange arbitrary files between Windows storage and LIF archives.

Yes, I'm trying to manage sets of files (BASIC programs, LEX files, Forth source (text), etc.). An example is to create and maintain a LIF volume with my current set of 'normally loaded' files. I can then test with impunity and not care about Memory Lost as it's quick and easy to rebuild. I just need to make a BASIC script to reload everything from the image (if only there was wildcard support, or even a built-in Backup command. BTW, my theory is HP created the Backup/Restore capability on the 48 series as a lesson learned from doing it manually on the 71B - likely Bill playing with Forth...)

Also, like you, I hope to contribute to Joe's growing collection of useful LEX files, and guess I don't have your patience (!!) to do this individually via EMU71 (which BTW, thank you for! - a perfect example of why one wants to do this).