The Sinclair QL Forum

hi!
after all these decades im still a ql noob
for starting im looking for:
- a good emulator (for gnu/linux specially), that could emulate unexpanded 128k ql fine (for now i only tried mame/mess)
- an mdv file manager (command line or gui based), that we could create new mdv files, format, and copy into, extract and delete files - and also mdv file specification (so we could create such tool if it doesnt exist yet)
- pdfs of original manuals
- good repository of mdv files
thanks in advance!

Everything you look for is here: http://www.dilwyn.me.uk/
A good emulator for the unexpanded QL is QEmulator, but it has only Windows and MacOS versions. Zesarux works under Linux, but I have not used it (I do not use Linux)
QPC2 is the best emulator for expanded SMSQE machine

Andrew wrote:QPC2 is the best emulator for expanded SMSQE machine

And it works under Linux if you use Wine. I know of two people here using it in Linux, Derek and me. We are both on Linux Mint. I'm on 20.2 Uma, 64 bit.

Cheers,
Norm.

NormanDunbar wrote:

Andrew wrote:QPC2 is the best emulator for expanded SMSQE machine

And it works under Linux if you use Wine. I know of two people here using it in Linux, Derek and me. We are both on Linux Mint. I'm on 20.2 Uma, 64 bit.

Cheers,
Norm.

It also works nicely on Ubuntu 20.04 here (even if used scarcely only in favor of MacOS 10 and Parallels)

Hi,

I use Linux Mint 19.3 x64, as I tried updating to Mint 20.3, but there were major issues with some other applications not working very well. Under mint 19.3 all works fine.

I use:

QPC2, SMSQmulator: runs under Wine and uses SMSQ/E
Q-emulator (Registered); runs under Wine, uses any QL operating system
sQLux: Linux C compiled to give Linux application, runs QDOS, Minerva, ram 128K to 8192K

QL Tools can give a command line option for manipulation of floppy disk images, but not MDV images. Maybe this could be added.

I personally use the QL application extension MDI which allows mounting of MDV images in a QDOS environment and work will all emulators including sQLux, which is the newest QL emulator

There are three virtual drives for the QL, MDV, FLP and QLX.win. The floppy images that I've used were created using dd to copy the floppy to a single file. I've not dealt with MDV images. Since we are talking about emulators there, why not just use QXL.win files and use MDV and FLP images as read only and copy your data to a QXL.win file and keep everything there. QXL.win files are far more tested with the emulators than FLP and MDV images (I'm talking across all emulators).

Tim

nitrofurano wrote: an mdv file manager (command line or gui based), that we could create new mdv files, format, and copy into, extract and delete files - and also mdv file specification (so we could create such tool if it doesnt exist yet)

There are three Microdrive image formats. The Qemulator mdump, Qlay, and the above mentioned MDI.

The MDI driver includes the facilities to create MDI image files and convert between the other two formats.

If you want to use copy protected Microdrive images, then the QXL route may not work for you. Note also that the MDI driver can give the same problem.

If you want to create floppy disk images. There is also the FDI, and FDI2 drivers that can produce DD,HD, and ED image files.

Hi,

I use and include MDI and FDI in the software package I supply with all Q68 computers.

MDI and FDI work in all QL emulators, I that do not support a MDV device driver, including the new sQLux emulator.

Pity sQLux coumd access the MDV device directly, which be really good.

Derek_Stewart wrote:
Pity sQLux coumd access the MDV device directly, which be really good.

Patches always welcome for that feature.