How to make a QXLwin container?

[Wicksy]

Hi, I need to learn in due course how to make QXLwin containers for a future Q68.

I have Qemulator, but I've been told I have use QPC2 to make one. I prefer Qemulator as I've been getting used to it.
Am not finding QPC2 too easy to use as yet. I read the latest manual, which says it only covers so much.

I have 3 containers I've downloaded, which I suppose I could add to?
Also I can't work how to open stuff on these as yet, not as easy as the zip files off the website.

[qbits]

Hi Wicksy,
This is a direct copy from Dilywn's QL blog

QLWARZ 02
February 11, 2020 · by dilwyn2
Per Witte has released version 02 of his QLWARZ utility to stretch, refresh, or defragment a hard drive on QPC2. As there is no way to extend a QXL.WIN filing container, this program takes the next best approach and formats a new one with a different capacity and copies directories and files over to the new QXL.WIN.

Version 02 now supports 20 character medium names. The reason this requires an update is that, after many years, some versions of SMSQ/E (eg SMSQmulator) now do the right thing and take the length count word into consideration, meaning that in most cases you are no longer limited to a 10 character medium name.

Per explains in the readme file with the software that some BASIC commands may still truncate the 20 character names to 10 characters, as they ignore the word length count (e.g. DMEDIUM_NAME$ and STAT), as well as QPAC2 Files menu, although he hopes that these will be updated in due course.

Download QLWARZ v02 from http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/utils/index.html

Hope that helps
QBITS

[Wicksy]

Thanks Qbits.

The link is no longer there, but it will be in the new site somewhere.

[dilwyn]

Thanks Qbits.

The link is no longer there, but it will be in the new site somewhere.

How long is it now since my website moved?????
Try https://dilwyn.theqlforum.com/utils/index.html instead.

And QBits can't spell my name either Good job his QL programming skills are infinitely better than his Welsh names!!!

[dilwyn]

Hi, I need to learn in due course how to make QXLwin containers for a future Q68.

I have Qemulator, but I've been told I have use QPC2 to make one. I prefer Qemulator as I've been getting used to it.
Am not finding QPC2 too easy to use as yet. I read the latest manual, which says it only covers so much.

I have 3 containers I've downloaded, which I suppose I could add to?
I can't work how to open stuff on this as yet also, not as easy as the zip files off the website.

Basically, anything that can make a QXL.WIN container file will make a suitable file. Just rename it to the names the Q68 manual suggests (important for the operating system files "container" especially), before copying it to the freshly formatted SDHC card, e.g. copy it over in Windows when it's ready.

The most important thing is that the .WIN file should be the first files copied to a freshly formatted FAT32 SDHC card, so that there is NO fragmentation of the file, which almost certainly would happen if there have been any other files on it since formatting. Q68's filings system doesn't allow the .WIN files to be fragmented at all.

Personally I use QPC2 to prepare the .WIN files then copy them over to the Q68's SD cards using Windows. QemuLator's manual says you can't use even the registered version to *create* .WIN files, although the registered version can save and load files to/from them.

In case you haven't used QXL.WIN files before, they were originally invented for the old QXL card from Miracle Systems, which was used in older PCs with an ISA slot. Originally, they had to be called QXL.WIN, then later systems allowed them to have more variety of filenames, e.g. the Q68 prefers QLWA.WIN which identifies them as unfragmented Q68 container files. They are basically "containers". One huge file on a host operating system's hard drive, such as Windows or Linux. Inside this exists a QL-type filing system with the drives called WIN1_, WIN2_ etc. So every time you save something to a WIN drive, it ends up in this giant container system, a QL hard disk inside a large Windows file if you like. Standard QLs can't read them or make them without special software.

In case you haven't got hands on the manual yet, get copies of the Q68 manuals as PDF files from https://dilwyn.theqlforum.com/q68/index.html

Hope that helps a little in advance of getting your hands on a Q68 .

[qbits]

Sorry Dilwyn all figure and thumbs my hand all seized up after mixing and laying a concrete base for my daughter’s shed.
Not really an excuse, Diolch am farcio fy ngherdyn, byddaf yn ceisio gwneud yn well y tro nesaf

QBITS

[pjw]

Hi Wicksy,
This is a direct copy from Dilywn's QL blog

QLWARZ 02
<>

Sorry, but QWARZ only works with QPC2 which Wicksy didnt get on with. (He should keep trying, though, its well worth it!)
QXLtools et al, also from Dilwyn's, might be a better fit although it may be far more fiddly to get them working..

[dilwyn]

Sorry Dilwyn all figure and thumbs my hand all seized up after mixing and laying a concrete base for my daughter’s shed.
Not really an excuse, Diolch am farcio fy ngherdyn, byddaf yn ceisio gwneud yn well y tro nesaf

QBITS

Ha ha, nice one, Qbits

Hope your hand improves quickly. I had a similar problem recently with one hand after some difficult DIY outside the house, so I think I might know what you're going through.

[Derek_Stewart]

Hi,

I would not use an external programme to produce a QLWA container file, aka. QXL.WIN file.

QPC2, SMSQmulator, Q68, can produce QLWA files.


Ususlly there is a Format protection on the fotmatting of new QLWA files, which is detsiled in thd manual for the platform being used. For example WIN_FORMAT which is a format protection flag.

The QLWA appeared on the QXL to use QL container files in a FAT16 envoirnment, which whrn Windows advanced became FAT32, the NTFS.

But it seems the QLWA container format pre-dates the QXL on the Atari ST QL emulator, where a Atari partition was formatted in the QLWA similiar format.

What QLWA actually means, I naver not found an explanation, maybe it is QL Winchester Array... only wild quess.

[janbredenbeek]

I remember the Miracle Winny already used the QLWA format. You could open something like 'win1_*D2d' and read the raw sectors.

The 'A' could refer to a version code. Floppy images either use 'QL5A' (for DD) or 'QL5B' (for HD and ED).