trying to figure what dos version to use with compute! disks

[bradhig1]

When I start this disk and some others it says to insert a prodos disk but doesn't tell me what version.  When I boot with prodos 3.3 and type catalog I get a jumble of characters.  How do I figure out what version of Dos or Prodos to use?

Compute! Apple Programs Mar-May 1987 ProDOS.DSK

[nick3092]

You are confusing ProDOS and DOS.  There is no ProDOS 3.3, but there is a DOS 3.3.  My guess is you are booting using a DOS 3.3 boot disk, and then trying to catalog a ProDOS formatted disk.  A disk can be formatted with a ProDOS filesystem, but not be bootable.

 

Looking at this disk image in CiderPress, that is the case.  The Compute! disk is formatted for ProDOS file system, but it has no ProDOS installed on the filesystem.  It is simply just a data disk in ProDOS format.  Since there is no "PRODOS" on the disk, it cannot boot.  You need to boot first with a disk that has a file called "PRODOS", and then some other "system" file.  The simplest would be a disk with "PRODOS" and "BASIC.SYSTEM" on it.  It will boot straight to BASIC the way you are probably used to a DOS 3.3 disk doing.

 

You can go to https://prodos8.com/ and download a ProDOS version 2.4.2 disk.  It will boot to a menu, select BASIC.SYSTEM and hit enter.  It will drop you to BASIC.  Then you can swap in and read this Compute! disk.  Note that in ProDOS, CAT is usually preferred over CATALOG when in 40 col mode.

Edited April 4, 2023 by nick3092