Metadata-Version: 2.1
Name: mgtwriteusb
Version: 0.9.0
Summary: Write SAM Coupé disk images to USB floppy drive
Home-page: https://github.com/simonowen/writeusb
Author: Simon Owen
Author-email: simon@simonowen.com
License: MIT
Description: # writeusb
        
        A Python script to write SAM Coupé disk images to a USB floppy drive so they can
        be used on real SAM hardware.
        
        Source disk images should be normal 80/2/10/512 format and in MGT/SAD/EDSK disk
        image containers. SAMDOS/MasterDOS/BDOS and some custom loaders are supported.
        
        ## Background
        
        USB floppy drives are usually limited to 1.44M (18-sector) and 720K (9-sector)
        formats used by PC floppy disks. This is a problem for regular SAM disks, which
        use a 10-sector disk format.
        
        This script re-maps the sectors used by the files on the source disk image so it
        uses only 9 sectors on each track. It also patches the boot loaders on converted
        disks to keep within these limits. Most SAM disks should support conversion.
        
        Please note that this script will NOT help to read existing 10-sector SAM Coupé
        disks. The 10th sector on each track is inaccessible on USB floppy drives.
        
        ## Requirements
        
        - Windows, Linux or macOS
        - USB floppy drive and double-density disks
        - [Python 3.6](https://www.python.org/downloads/) (or later)
        
        ## Installation
        
        To install:
        ```
        python -m pip install mgtwriteusb
        ```
        
        Or to install from local source code:
        ```
        python setup.py install
        ```
        
        ## Command-line Options
        
        ```
        usage: writeusb [-h] [-o OUTPUT] [-n] [-f] [-a] [-s] diskimage
        
        Write SAM disk image to USB floppy drive
        
        positional arguments:
          diskimage
        
        optional arguments:
          -h, --help            show this help message and exit
          -o OUTPUT, --output OUTPUT
                                output to disk image file
          -n, --noverify        don't verify disk after writing
          -f, --force           write even if boot loader is unknown
          -a, --all             write all tracks, not just used tracks
          -s, --sniff           detect boot loader on source image
        ```
        
        ## Examples
        
        Convert `image.dsk` to 9-sector format, write used tracks to the connected USB
        floppy drive, then verify the written data:
        
        ```
        writeusb image.dsk
        ```
        
        Convert `image.dsk` to 9-sector format, save output to disk image `output.img`
        for use with SimCoupe or another disk writing program:
        
        ```
        writeusb image.dsk -o output.img
        ```
        
        ## Troubleshooting
        
        macOS and Linux users may need to run the script under `sudo`, depending on the
        permissions and group ownership of the USB floppy device. Linux users may just
        need to be in the `disk` group, depending on distribution.
        
        Be sure to use real double-density media, which usually has a blue cover. High
        density disks have different magnetic properties, so covering the density hole
        is not a good solution. HD disks are often unreliable after writing (YMMV).
        
        If you're reusing existing SAM disks be aware that some USB floppy drives may
        not recognise the existing 10-sector format. You may have to reformat the disk
        as true 9-sector before it'll work. Under Windows try `format a: /t:80 /s:9`, or
        under Linux try `ufiformat /dev/sdX` (change sdX to the correct device name).
        
        SAMDOS/MasterDOS/BDOS will retry after disk errors but custom loaders may not.
        The MNEMOtech loader used by MNEMOdemo 1 and 2 fails immediately fails with a
        Loading Error so you'll need good quality disks!
        
        Expect disk errors. If in doubt try a different disk!
        
        ## Limitations
        
        Disk images containing custom formats are not supported and will be rejected.
        This prevents original copies of Lemmings, Prince or Persia, and maybe some
        other titles from working.
        
        Reducing from 10 sectors to 9 sectors also reduces the disk capacity. The
        converted disk has 72 directory slots and 702K of free space, rather than 80
        directory slots and 780K on a regular disk. Full disks may need to be split.
        
        Disks storing data outside the normal filesystem structures will be missed by
        the conversion process. This affects the Pac-Man Emulator (v1.4 or earlier).
        
        ----
        
        https://github.com/simonowen/writeusb
        
Keywords: mgt disk sam coupe usb floppy
Platform: UNKNOWN
Classifier: Development Status :: 4 - Beta
Classifier: Topic :: System :: Filesystems
Classifier: Environment :: Console
Classifier: Operating System :: Microsoft :: Windows
Classifier: Operating System :: POSIX :: Linux
Classifier: Operating System :: MacOS
Classifier: Programming Language :: Python :: 3.6
Classifier: License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License
Description-Content-Type: text/markdown
