software format

[walter_J64bit]

I like using XEX/COM/OBJ files, I can do more with them pop on a dos disk or use a game dos menu instead having an auto boot disk with just one game.

Edited October 25, 2007 by walter_J64bit

[Rybags]

Binary executables, naturally.

 

Even back in the day, if a game disk could be converted to a binary file, I'd go to the trouble to do so.

 

I even wrote my own freezer program which I used to copy some games like Elektraglide and Leaderboard into binaries.

 

I think with the modern prevalence towards upgrades of HDDs and Flash memory interfaces, it becomes even more important - binary type (XEX) files tend to be more device independant than having to play about with ATR images and the like.

[carmel_andrews]

Slight prob with straight binary files....they are only any good for games that don't require any additional data to be loaded (i.e like gauntlet, winter olympics, zork series etc)

 

Unless ofcourse you do what Homesoft did with gauntlet and stick it on a menu disk and have the additional files loaded as 'linked' data files, like using the original game disk (i.e you load the game and allow it to load in the additional level data)

 

i'd be curios to know how homesoft managed to hack both gauntlet and winter olympics to menu anyways...who up to doing a compressed version of the zork series, dallas quest , Dark crystal on something like homesoft or a non dos menu like howfen

[MEtalGuy66]

I like it when people mail me stuff on a 360K XF551 5.25" floppy disk.

 

Thats my favorite format.

[Marius]

binaries are really perfect for large partitions.

 

I have one partition filled with demo's and games. All in categories (like shoot-'m-ups, platform, logical/puzzel etc)

 

That is the reason why I don't like that large image routine in the MyIDE OS. I almost never use bootdisks (images).

 

Marius

[+CharlieChaplin]

Hmm,

I guess it is impossible to convert *every* program into a single-load file... or at least it is quite a lot of hard work to do that...

 

---

 

In the past, when I had disk drives beyond 180kbytes (360k, 720k, 1440k), I always wanted to have all programs as files, so I could load them from a DOS or Gamedos in the highest density the drive supported. Later, when I had harddisks (and harddisk-interfaces) that had partitions up to 16 MB I still wanted to have all programs in file format...

 

But after a while I learned a) not every program was available in file format, b) 90k bootdisks normally do not load from high density disks or partitions and c) even files were sometimes impossible to load under DD (256 bytes per sector) or they were hanging on certain DOS or Gamedos versions - which did not support DD (nor subdirs, etc.)... So, I always had to keep some programs on the good old 5,25" Atari disks and could not convert everything to 3,5" disk or harddisk...

 

Allthough I still have two complete Atari XL systems (two 800XL computers, two 1050 "Speedy" floppies, two 1010 tape-recorders; the 3,5" disk drives and harddisks have all been sold), I nowadays work with ATR`s and XFD`s via SIO2PC and APE. And err, now it does not matter very much to me, if the ATR / XFD contains one file, many files (with DOS or Gamedos) or just one bootdisk... Nowadays the most important thing to me is, that the disk is bootable and works fine with my original XL computers... The two 1050 floppies are only used from time to time, to throw in a 5,25" disk magazine (like Abbuc magazine) or to copy something for a friend... The future ?!? Maybe I will use SIO2USB or SIO2SD instead of SIO2PC, I will see... -Andreas Koch.

[+remowilliams]

For preferred, none of the above. I use .atx images whenever I can. I like experiencing the whole unmolested game as it existed on the original (often copy protected) disk. No hacks, cracks, packs, rips or pirate loaders for me whenever possible thanks. Failing that it's ATR.

[a8maestro]

Mostly, I prefer EXE, COM, SYS, and OBJ. Files.

 

When compressing, I use .ARC usually, sometimes .ZIP.

 

When compressing boot/whole disks, .DCM. Its failing is you don't know the format of the source.

 

Rick D.

[Shannon]

.atx images? I thought the people who made those were keeping them to themselves? Or am I thinking of a different system? Anyways which emu supports that file format and where can I get 'em?

 

Gimme, gimme, gimme..

[Wrathchild]

Gimme, gimme, gimme..

Not exactly a closed community

http://www.atarimania.com/vapi.php?MENU=8&RUB=VAPI

[eru]

I will start with saying that I really like the XEX extension for EXE, COM and OBJ files that one often finds on Atari sites. It allows it to execute these files on emulators without problems. It would be nice if the entire community agreed on that - then we could make e.g. Atari DOSes execute them without providing an explicit extension.

 

Having that, I definitely prefer XEX over ATR, as it is just more flexible. Also, it allows to quickly analyze a file, like where it loads and so on.

Putting XEX on ATR just to make it ATR does not make much sense for me, except maybe for SIO2PC.

Of course, often XEX is not good enough, and then ATR or variations of it are the preferred option.

And as for CAS, it's for real maniacs

[+Philsan]

I like XEX but for SIO2PC and for some multiload programs we have to use ATR so I voted for ATR.

[+remowilliams]

.atx images? I thought the people who made those were keeping them to themselves? Or am I thinking of a different system?

You might be thinking of the Amiga CAPS effort. Which is a whole 'nother story

 

Not exactly a closed community

http://www.atarimania.com/vapi.php?MENU=8&RUB=VAPI

Yup, thank god for Ijor and Atarimania!

Edited October 27, 2007 by remowilliams

[Shannon]

Yeah it was CAPS I was thinking of, and thanks for the links guys.

[oesii]

I definitely prefer .xex/executables because I can use APE's PC mirror and have hundreds of games ready to go in folders and subfolders. I'm too lazy to load one game at a time.

[Shannon]

oh ok cool. I didn't realize that Atarmania was involved in this project. Too bad there is no source for the spec, then I could beg x-port to add it to his xbox emulator when he finally gets around to it.

 

Looks like they have a ways to go on that list there, but nice to see someone doing it. That's what I always liked about Atarimania. They are doing it right and avoiding the lousy tosec route which is just plane insane.

 

I plan on working on an Atarimania config and settings setup for the xbox emu if x-port ever manages to fix the sound (which is just horrible).

[Gury]

I prefer ATR disk image, more specifically, Atari DOS disk format with sizes 90K and 127K. 90K is most used standard, from the beginning, when 810 disk drives were introduced. Its successor was 1050 disk drive, which works with both formats (stock drive without Happy upgrade). 90K is enough space for binary executable files, additional info, help, resources like graphics and music, etc. So my vote goes for ATR format.

[carmel_andrews]

Is there a way of getting a800win+ to remember the last binary exec. (i.e xex,exe,com etc) you loaded after you've coldstarted the emulated machine, i find it a little wierd that it only remembers the last atr/xfd type file

 

perhaps some nice peep out there has a nice little hack for this emu..