Help finding the latest CPM3 files and source code.

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Hi Folks,

I would like to get CPM3 running on an older Zilog EZ80F910300ZCOG Development Board.

I completed Compact Flash drivers for the board and have a dual CF drive that plugs-n-plays.

I've got what I'd call a CFBios ready and I'd like to marry that to CPM3.

Can you point me to the most up to date location for CPM3 files and documentation?

I've been following the s100computers.com website for several months and its a good read.

Is there any CPM3 assembler source code like Jean-Michel Howland (Vegeneering) did in 2004 ?

Thank you
Wutzi

[Udo Munk]

I've rebuild CP/M 3 completely on z80pack from the sources at
http://www.cpm.z80.de/source.html

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

On Saturday, December 29, 2018 at 2:11:43 AM UTC-5, Udo Munk wrote:
> I've rebuild CP/M 3 completely on z80pack from the sources at
> http://www.cpm.z80.de/source.html

Hi Udo,

Thanks for the reply.
Can you elaborate on what source you used? How does one handle the plm files?

Thank you.

[Udo Munk]

> Can you elaborate on what source you used? How does one handle the plm files?

The developers build are the latest DRI sources with almost all bug fixes applied
plus Y2K fixes and a few other things.

For the PLM sources a late release of the Intel PLM compiler is needed, for running
under CP/M an Intel ISIS emulator is needed too. For z80pack I have build disk
images with all tools and scripts to build everything from the sources, see here:
https://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/z80pack/doc_cpm3_src.html

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Hi Udo,

Thanks for the info. I've been reading up. I seem to have a "cockpit" problem. I don't know if its with the "PATH" command or what. This is the error message I get with the z80pack simulator.

FrontPanel Simulator v2.0 Copyright (C) 2007-2008 by John Kichury
Windows version Copyright (C) 2014 by Stefano Bodrato
readFile: could not open file conf/panel.conf
fp_init: error initializing the panel
frontpanel error

Any thoughts?

[Udo Munk]

On Sunday, December 30, 2018 at 12:53:42 AM UTC+1, wutzi...@gmail.com wrote:
> Thanks for the info. I've been reading up. I seem to have a "cockpit" problem.
> I don't know if its with the "PATH" command or what. This is the error message
> I get with the z80pack simulator.

$PATH is an environment variable that defines the search path for executables.
If you put executables into $HOME/bin you might need to append it to $PATH
like this:
PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
export PATH

> FrontPanel Simulator v2.0 Copyright (C) 2007-2008 by John Kichury
> Windows version Copyright (C) 2014 by Stefano Bodrato
> readFile: could not open file conf/panel.conf
> fp_init: error initializing the panel
> frontpanel error

The cpmsim machine used to build the DRI OS's is headless and doesn't
need the front panel library.

Looks like you try to execute one of the machines with front panel, but
it can't find it configuration files. Run these machines in the directory
for the machine. e.g. /home/me/z80pack/altairsim, that includes the
directory conf with the configuration files.

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Hello Udo,

Still having difficulties. I read several other posts so I want to mention that my system is Windows 10 64b.

I tried changing paths and I still get error initializing the panel (front panel error).

I don't know how to start up the headless machine. I tried every batch file and they all try starting the front panel.

Suggestion?

Lastly, What is the process that for integrate their BIOS into the "Recompiling CP/M 3 from the sources" how to?

Thank you.

[Udo Munk]

> Still having difficulties. I read several other posts so I want to mention that my system
> is Windows 10 64b.
>
> I tried changing paths and I still get error initializing the panel (front panel error).
>
> I don't know how to start up the headless machine. I tried every batch file and they
> all try starting the front panel.
>
> Suggestion?

I guess you downloaded the old Windows version from 2014? This was a test for
building a native Windows version of the frontapanel machines only, which has
issues that couldn't be solved.

You need to install Cygwin on your Windows system and add C compiler and
make utility. Then get the latest source release from Github:
https://github.com/udo-munk/z80pack/tree/dev

Change into the unzipped directory z80pack-dev/cpmsim/srcsim
and build the machine with the command make.
Change into the directory z80pack-dev/cpmsim/srctools
and build the tools with the command make.
Create directory $HOME/bin and install the tools there
with command make install.
Add $HOME/bin to the PATH variable
export PATH=$PATH:$HOME/bin
Make this permanent by adding the line into the file
$HOME/.profile

Now you are able to run any DRI OS with the cpmsim emulation.

> Lastly, What is the process that for integrate their BIOS into the "Recompiling CP/M 3
> from the sources" how to?

The disk images include submit scripts that build CP/M 3 of course with my BIOS
for the cpmsim machine. You need to change the submit file, so that it uses your
own BIOS for some other target machine.

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Hello Udo,

I have several additional questions.

1). Does the Windows 10 support for Linux environments (and BASH shell) supersede the need to install Cygwin ?

2). If not, will the Cygwin "minimal base package" installation provide me with the C compiler and Make utility?

3). Exactly where does the $HOME/bin directory get created?

4). In a prior email you directed me to this link: https://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/z80pack/doc_cpm3_src.html Where I downloaded cpm3src.tgz. It had build scrips to make CPM3. Is that still the procedure to build CPM3 or does the material I downloaded today from your Github link of last night change everything? Please advise what is the process for building CPM3.

Thank you.

[Udo Munk]

> 1). Does the Windows 10 support for Linux environments (and BASH shell) supersede
> the need to install Cygwin ?

So far I have not tried this and I got no reports from others about this.

> 2). If not, will the Cygwin "minimal base package" installation provide me
> with the C compiler and Make utility?

No, in the graphical installer you need to select gcc and make additional to
the base installation.

> 3). Exactly where does the $HOME/bin directory get created?

Everything inside cygwin is relative to / as under UNIX. So if you install
cygwin as c:cygwin the users home directory is c:cygwin/username/home.

> 4). In a prior email you directed me to this link:
> https://www.autometer.de/unix4fun/z80pack/doc_cpm3_src.html Where I downloaded
> cpm3src.tgz. It had build scrips to make CPM3. Is that still the procedure to build CPM3
> or does the material I downloaded today from your Github link of last night change everything?
> Please advise what is the process for building CPM3.

Doesn't change anything. After you installed z80pack and build the cpmsim machine
just follow the instructions for building CP/M 3.

[dott.Piergiorgio]

Open source tools is always preferable to m$-made tools....

> 2). If not, will the Cygwin "minimal base package" installation provide me with the C compiler and Make utility?
>
> 3). Exactly where does the $HOME/bin directory get created?

in a true *nix system, the home root of the user, that is, /home/<username>

Best regards from Italy,
dott. Piergiorgio.

[Richard Deane]

The Linux subsystem on windows 10 should support the non-graphic cpm builds in z80-pack, but will not out-of-the-box support any graphics (e.g. frontpanels).
Richard

[Udo Munk]

On Thursday, January 3, 2019 at 6:33:46 PM UTC+1, Richard Deane wrote:

> The Linux subsystem on windows 10 should support the non-graphic cpm builds in
> z80-pack, but will not out-of-the-box support any graphics (e.g. frontpanels).

Same with Cygiwn, for any graphics like front panel, graphic consoles or Tektronix
graphic terminal also Cygwin/X is needed.

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Richard, Udo and Dott,
Thanks for the Cygwin insights. I'm new to it.
Wutz

[Udo Munk]

For building all z80pack machines with all and any features on Windows 10
install the Cygwin base installation and then add this packages:

gcc-core
gcc-objc++
gcc-fortran (optional for Intel 8080 assembler and PL/M compiler)
libGL-devel
libGLU-devel
libjpeg-devel
make
unzip
xinit
xlaunch

Then just build the machines as explained in doc/README-frontpanel.txt. Works all the
same as on UNIX POSIX systems, this Cygwin stuff is quite good nowadays.

In some Heise magazine I read that the Linux subsystem for Windows is far behind Cygwin,
so I haven't tried it yet. Microsoft's promises about a POSIX compatible environment have a
very bad record, so far their stuff just was a waste of time compared to third party solutions.
But maybe this time is different, time will tell :)

[wutzi...@gmail.com]

Hello,

An update and request for additional help.

I took a detour and have not yet worked with the z80pack environment.

I spend some time reading up on CPM3 builds on the S100 Computers website and reading over parts of the CPM3 System Guide. I found the altairz80.exe simulator on the S100 Computers site, looked at the code and tried the tools.

I also wrote my Character I/O, Disk I/O, Memory Selects, Drive Table and Move modules that represent my hardware.

I've tried to build a CPM3 system but my gut says its not right.

I believe one of my issues is that I do not have an untouched base of CPM3 software to work from. So please point me to a source I can trust.

My hardware has an integrated debug monitor which can load a boot sector to bring CPM3 up, or it can load multiple sectors and tracks if needed to bring in the CCP and more.

I started to write a LDRBIOS & CPMLDR but I wasn't sure that the CPMLDR.ASM file I found was a good skeletal example.

Any advice would be appreciated. Also is there a windows based app that can open and read the xxx.dsk files in the z80pack and altairz80 environments?

Thank you.

[Udo Munk]

On Saturday, January 19, 2019 at 1:57:09 AM UTC+1, wutzi...@gmail.com wrote:

> I've tried to build a CPM3 system but my gut says its not right.
>
> I believe one of my issues is that I do not have an untouched base of CPM3 software
> to work from. So please point me to a source I can trust.

This is why I have build all the DRI OS's from sources on the z80pack machines.
Makes sure to have a good source base and the build OS's can be tried and tested
on the virtual machines.

> Any advice would be appreciated. Also is there a windows based app that can
> open and read the xxx.dsk files in the z80pack and altairz80 environments?

cpmtools. As far as I know there is a native Windows port, which I never used,
I've build the tools from sources under Cygwin.

[Richard Deane]

There is a useful Windows based CPMTOOLS gui at this link: http://star.gmobb.jp/koji/cgi/wiki.cgi?action=ATTACH&page=CpmtoolsGUI&file=CPMTG%5FENG%5F20180903%2Ezip

The gui is simple to use though somewhat rough visually, some of which I expect is due to it's primary language being Japanese, though the link is to an English version.

Just put the diskdefs file in the same folder as the gui tool before running it.