How do I create a menu disc

[mimo]

I know, stupid question and I did used to know how to do this honestly, time has not been kind to my few remaining brain cells!

I want to make menu loading games discs on a real 1050.

Drive is standard and I have SIO2PC and APE.

 

Thanks for your help

[Tickled_Pink]

Find a Rob C Menu Maker, Howfen DOS or Multiboot menu ATR. Is that what you're after? You then use those to create new menu disks. I can try digging some out if you like.

[Rybags]

Get your favourite menu that uses a normal DOS format, file management will be so much easier.

 

Make a copy of it, delete all the game files. You should then have a template disk image, keep it and populate copies of it to make new game menu disks.

[mimo]

Get your favourite menu that uses a normal DOS format, file management will be so much easier.

 

Make a copy of it, delete all the game files. You should then have a template disk image, keep it and populate copies of it to make new game menu disks.

Any pointers on which menus use DOS format?

[+therealbountybob]

I used to use DOS 2.x, Multiboot and Rob.C menus but for all the stuff I've transferred to my 1050 using APE I have used MyDOS4.53 (formatted the disks using the Enhanced format option (1027 sectors) and then used MyPicoDOS (myinitb.com) for the menu system... I used MyDOS as I think this supports the PC's APE mirrored drive better than DOS 2.x (there is an old thread somewhere)... had great success with this; only a couple of games that wouldn't load e.g. Highway Duel... ok with most basic games too unless they are multi-part or need DOS for saving high-scores etc

[carmel_andrews]

from what i recall, just get yourself your fave rob c menu maker (or m-boot/m boot xl...howfendos)

 

in atari800win plus, make yourself a blank atr (or several) either 1050 or dbl density should be ok

 

load up your fave menu maker prog

 

once the menu maker prog is in memory, take out the disk (i think it is alt 0) then stick in one of your plain/blank ATR's and select the 'write menu to drive' and follow the on screen prompts

 

I think you can do it that way, unless i am wrong

[+therealbountybob]

I used to use DOS 2.x, Multiboot and Rob.C menus but for all the stuff I've transferred to my 1050 using APE I have used MyDOS4.53 (formatted the disks using the Enhanced format option (1027 sectors) and then used MyPicoDOS (myinitb.com) for the menu system... I used MyDOS as I think this supports the PC's APE mirrored drive better than DOS 2.x (there is an old thread somewhere)... had great success with this; only a couple of games that wouldn't load e.g. Highway Duel... ok with most basic games too unless they are multi-part or need DOS for saving high-scores etc

Zipped ATR attached (Single Density) MyDOS4.53 ATR with MyPICODos files (press 0 to exit to DOS) or use option 3 for MyPICODos's myinitb.com

MYDOS453withMYPICODOSutilites.zip

[mimo]

I used to use DOS 2.x, Multiboot and Rob.C menus but for all the stuff I've transferred to my 1050 using APE I have used MyDOS4.53 (formatted the disks using the Enhanced format option (1027 sectors) and then used MyPicoDOS (myinitb.com) for the menu system... I used MyDOS as I think this supports the PC's APE mirrored drive better than DOS 2.x (there is an old thread somewhere)... had great success with this; only a couple of games that wouldn't load e.g. Highway Duel... ok with most basic games too unless they are multi-part or need DOS for saving high-scores etc

Zipped ATR attached (Single Density) MyDOS4.53 ATR with MyPICODos files (press 0 to exit to DOS) or use option 3 for MyPICODos's myinitb.com

Thanks, I have got as far as getting the disc initialized, but how do I create/edit the file names so I can boot from it?

I have worked out how to get one file name created, and I can load that, but how do I enter multiple choices?

[+rdemming]

MyPicoDOS is interesting because it supports MyDOS subdirectories and long descriptions for the files in the menu.

 

Robert

[Thorsten Günther]

Personally, I always liked the NDos Converter best optically (plain Gr.0 with black background, full program names(!) and using none of the free sectors), but used the Speed Init off the Speedy Systemdiskette later due to it's use of the Speedy's warp-speed mode.

 

For large, esp. MyDOS, ATRs I also recommend MyPicoDOS.

 

 

Thorsten

[+therealbountybob]

I used to use DOS 2.x, Multiboot and Rob.C menus but for all the stuff I've transferred to my 1050 using APE I have used MyDOS4.53 (formatted the disks using the Enhanced format option (1027 sectors) and then used MyPicoDOS (myinitb.com) for the menu system... I used MyDOS as I think this supports the PC's APE mirrored drive better than DOS 2.x (there is an old thread somewhere)... had great success with this; only a couple of games that wouldn't load e.g. Highway Duel, Asteraxis 2K... ok with most basic games too unless they are multi-part or need DOS for saving high-scores etc

Zipped ATR attached (Single Density) MyDOS4.53 ATR with MyPICODos files (press 0 to exit to DOS) or use option 3 for MyPICODos's myinitb.com

Some more info for reference:

• From APE 'load' drive 2 as the ATR Image above
  
• From the Atari use your favourite disk copier (I use MYCopyR 2.1) and copy the APE drive (D2) to a real 1050 disk (D1) (use this way to also copy any ATR/'boot' games)
  
• Boot this disk from the Atari; from DOS (looks similar to DOS 2.5's menu) format another real disk using option I then select 'A' for enhanced (dual) density (I use this on a straight 1050) giving you 1027 sectors.
  
• Don't bother writing DOS files.
  
• Set APE to 'mirror' the folder where the XEX/COM files you have downloaded are.
  
• From MYDOS select 'c' and copy the files D2:filename.xex,D1: or D2:*.xex,D1: (long filenames will have an underscore in them so I rename them but not necessary as myPICODos lets you give them 20+ character descriptions)
  
• Leave 33 secors free (31 for MyPICODos and 2 for the .txt file with the descriptions I think!)
  
• When you have finished all your copying, load the myinitb.com file and press option 1 to initialise each disk.
  
• Then press option 2 to create a name file and you are prompted to give each file a name, the disk a title and sort alpabetically and then save:
  
• Press return at the D: prompt assuming drive 1 has your new disk
  
• Enter the long filenames (ensure you do not type into the next line, press return after each one!)
  
• Enter disk title
  
• Write long names to disk Y/N (you can backout here if you screw up!)
  
• It will let you amend names previously entered and seems to be happy if you remove a file without updating it.
  
• If you choose to exit from myinitb.com make sure you have the mydos disk in the drive as it tries to return to mydos!
  
  • Obervations:
    

  [*]Have found you cannot copy files down that start with a numeric e.g. 3d24game.xex, so rename them on the PC end first (a3d24game.xex).d24game.xex).

  [*]You can run the MyPICOdos initialiser or create name files in any order at any time and retain the contents of your disk.

  [*]If you amend a disk you need to repeat option 2 to update the menu list.

[a8isa1]

I used to use DOS 2.x, Multiboot and Rob.C menus but for all the stuff I've transferred to my 1050 using APE I have used MyDOS4.53 (formatted the disks using the Enhanced format option (1027 sectors) and then used MyPicoDOS (myinitb.com) for the menu system... I used MyDOS as I think this supports the PC's APE mirrored drive better than DOS 2.x (there is an old thread somewhere)... had great success with this; only a couple of games that wouldn't load e.g. Highway Duel... ok with most basic games too unless they are multi-part or need DOS for saving high-scores etc

Zipped ATR attached (Single Density) MyDOS4.53 ATR with MyPICODos files (press 0 to exit to DOS) or use option 3 for MyPICODos's myinitb.com

Thanks, I have got as far as getting the disc initialized, but how do I create/edit the file names so I can boot from it?

I have worked out how to get one file name created, and I can load that, but how do I enter multiple choices?

All you need to do is boot MyDOS and copy your games to a your working MyPicoDOS disk. The menu will reflect the additions.

 

- Steve