Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

braincell
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by braincell »

I know exactly what you mean , when I got my casduino I found lots of games wouldn't work , I ran into 1 of those earlier with "pedro" which seems to not have a leader at all ( gonna have to try that on my real dragon)

I ended up getting a new set from a site and they are the ones I use on the casduino which have worked quite well with the ones I tried and thats the set I put on my mister sd

I only mention it as I the stop rewind and cloafm again got it too load , was only twice so maybor may not be an issue.

Core generally works very well and it's one I'm sure to spend some time using.

😀
dshadoff
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by dshadoff »

New release of CoCo2 is out, many small updates including the AUDIO ON referenced earlier.
See the note in "Updates and Changelog" for more details.
danielb
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by danielb »

Hi,
The latest version of the Alice core doesn't seem to work with my monitor over HDMI. The previous version worked fine. No other core does this, as far as I am aware.

Tks,

D
Shuffle7
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by Shuffle7 »

As my first computer I’m trying to get coco to work tonight . Combination of run, cload , stop and rewind of tape and choosing which machine to use (dragon32 in this case ) first game to load is leggit from imagine 1983

Thanks so much
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TomGun7
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by TomGun7 »

Is there any way to save to (virtual) tape on the Dragon/CoCo core? And are there any plans for (virtual) disk support (DragonDOS)? I would like to put my real Dragons away, and use the MiSTer as my main Dragon (that’s how well it works, and it’s so easy to bring with me), but that means I must have a way to save to either disk or tape. Anyone who knows?
alanswx
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by alanswx »

TomGun7 wrote: Sat Jul 24, 2021 10:10 pm Is there any way to save to (virtual) tape on the Dragon/CoCo core? And are there any plans for (virtual) disk support (DragonDOS)? I would like to put my real Dragons away, and use the MiSTer as my main Dragon (that’s how well it works, and it’s so easy to bring with me), but that means I must have a way to save to either disk or tape. Anyone who knows?

We were hoping to have a disk cartridge for this system - at least for the CoCo2 side. But we haven't tackled it yet. I am not sure what it would take to make tape read / write. It would be nice to have working disks. We might be able to adapt the disk from the TRS-80 core.
teller
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by teller »

On the latest Coco2 core: When I switch to Dragon32 I only get a green screen. Do I need a specific boot.rom to switch to Dragon 32?
teller
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by teller »

In Disk mode, I'm getting IO ERROR when typing DIR. A .DSK file is inserted. I also tried after a reset, same issue.
akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

teller wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:13 pm On the latest Coco2 core: When I switch to Dragon32 I only get a green screen. Do I need a specific boot.rom to switch to Dragon 32?
This seems to happen only when changing the Cartridge>Disk first, and choosing the Machine later. The other way around it's okay.

But, yes, I also get the I/O error when trying the disks. Hopefully @alansxw or some other dev can have a look at this at some point soon. These cores are maturing slowly, but steadily (Coco3 has just gottten a big update thanks to @shodge).
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by alanswx »

akeley wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 10:20 pm
teller wrote: Tue Jan 25, 2022 8:13 pm On the latest Coco2 core: When I switch to Dragon32 I only get a green screen. Do I need a specific boot.rom to switch to Dragon 32?
This seems to happen only when changing the Cartridge>Disk first, and choosing the Machine later. The other way around it's okay.

But, yes, I also get the I/O error when trying the disks. Hopefully @alansxw or some other dev can have a look at this at some point soon. These cores are maturing slowly, but steadily (Coco3 has just gottten a big update thanks to @shodge).
Which disks are you trying? I was able to get some of them working in dragon. This is a weird dragon rom for a coco disk controller. I don't have a dragon native disk controller working yet - so a bunch of disks don't work.
akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

alanswx wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 12:37 am Which disks are you trying? I was able to get some of them working in dragon. This is a weird dragon rom for a coco disk controller. I don't have a dragon native disk controller working yet - so a bunch of disks don't work.
I couldn't find Dragon .dsk files during my quick browse (only .vdk or some such) so I didn't try the floppy on this side of the core. I was referring to Coco2 itself. I tried some .dsk files from TOSEC and colorcomputerarchive and none have worked (but they do on Coco3 core).
teller
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by teller »

Disks for the Dragon are called .VDK but somehow they can be loaded when choosing from disk menu in this core.
You can find them here: https://archive.worldofdragon.org/brows ... D/DRAGON32
The thing is I only get a green screen when switching from CoCo2 to Dragon 32 or 64, which means maybe that it's because it needs the bios (boot.rom)
for Dragon 32/64 maybe?
akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

teller wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 10:25 am Disks for the Dragon are called .VDK but somehow they can be loaded when choosing from disk menu in this core.
You can find them here: https://archive.worldofdragon.org/brows ... D/DRAGON32
I've tried some of these (changing .vdk to .dsk), but always get the ?IV ERROR. I start the core - change Machine to Dragon 32 - change Cart Slot to Disk (DOS Plus appears) - mount disk - type DIR = IV ERROR

Can you name one disk which works for you from that archive? I'll try it just to make sure. Couple I've tried already: Handicap, Hunchback.
The thing is I only get a green screen when switching from CoCo2 to Dragon 32 or 64, which means maybe that it's because it needs the bios (boot.rom)
for Dragon 32/64 maybe?
On my machine the green screen only happens when I change the Cart Slot. Before that I can flip between Coco2 / Dragon 32 /Dragon 64 freely. I suppose if we needed boot.rom for this core nothing would start at all (also the old version didn't require it). This seems more like a bug...but I don't know really, the devs can clear that one up.

@alanswx: on Coco2 I've tried 3D Brick Away, 3D Space War, Bagitman, Arkanoid, Bedlam and some other ones.
teller
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by teller »

@akeley:

You can't just rename VDK to DSK, because Dragon disks are differently coded.

I have never been able to run any Dragon 32 disk game because I always only get a green screen without text when switching from CoCo2 to Dragon 32.
I was just wondering how you guys do that but find out that disk support doesn't work yet for Dragon.
akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

teller wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 8:00 pm You can't just rename VDK to DSK, because Dragon disks are differently coded.

I have never been able to run any Dragon 32 disk game because I always only get a green screen without text when switching from CoCo2 to Dragon 32.
Ok, but didn't you just say that "Disks for the Dragon are called .VDK but somehow they can be loaded when choosing from disk menu in this core"?
That's why I tried to rename the extension, because otherwise they don't show up.

Also, what happens when you start the core, and go to Machine in OSD, and choose Dragon? Green screen?
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by teller »

Ok, but didn't you just say that "Disks for the Dragon are called .VDK but somehow they can be loaded when choosing from disk menu in this core"?
That's why I tried to rename the extension, because otherwise they don't show up.
-> Sorry that I meant for machine "CoCo2".

Also, what happens when you start the core, and go to Machine in OSD, and choose Dragon? Green screen?
-> yes exactly. I also have tried to set machine to "Dragon 32" and saved the settings. When I rebooted the core, the screen stays simply green.
akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

Ok, I get it, well, I guess we just have to be patient...I'm sure it will all eventually get sorted out.
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by Shuffle7 »

I think I have to get a different rom set as most of the tapes I load will not work but yet some do. I always try to use dragon 32 with the earlier games. The reset and reboot is hit and miss but the original hardware didn’t reset fully unless powered off ? I haven’t been successful in getting a cuthbert game to load as yet ..
Any tips to use cload , cloadm run commands to load tapes?
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by Bunker »

What is the current status of the Dragon 64 core?
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by alanswx »

Bunker wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:49 am What is the current status of the Dragon 64 core?
I think I fixed the 64. I got a tip on what was wrong.
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by EeDee »

alanswx wrote: Mon Jun 27, 2022 11:56 am
Bunker wrote: Sun Jun 12, 2022 7:49 am What is the current status of the Dragon 64 core?
I think I fixed the 64. I got a tip on what was wrong.
Not sure how to ask this but I suppose straight might be best .... So is it fixed?
BlueIn2Red
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by BlueIn2Red »

Shuffle7 wrote: Wed Jan 26, 2022 11:16 pm

I think I have to get a different rom set as most of the tapes I load will not work but yet some do. I always try to use dragon 32 with the earlier games. The reset and reboot is hit and miss but the original hardware didn’t reset fully unless powered off ? I haven’t been successful in getting a cuthbert game to load as yet ..
Any tips to use cload , cloadm run commands to load tapes?

Same question please! It certainly seems possible to load CAS images judging from other posts in this thread, but I can never get anything other than an IO ERROR. I boot in Dragon mode, then attach a CAS image from the OSD menu, then type CLOADM (or CLOAD). What am I doing wrong please?

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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

Did you try tapes from a source different than TOSEC?

BlueIn2Red
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by BlueIn2Red »

I did yes.

akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

Out of 6 random games from Dragon Archive I've just tried 2 work fine, 2 load some segments then hang , and 2 just throw IO/FM errors right away. So yeah, it is pretty hit and miss, but at least some games should work.

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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by dshadoff »

There are a lot of improper cassette images out there - in particular, on TOSEC, and also a lot of the Dragon images.
I've mentioned this before, but it bears mentioning again...

The cassette format includes a lead-in, synchronization and name block, then another lead-in and the payload.
The second lead-in is what is missing from - or dramatically abbreviated in - these images.

If memory serves, it is supposed to be something like 256 bytes in length (all zeroes), taking a little over one second. Somebody has created these images with less than 5 bytes of second lead-in. Perhaps some emulator author somewhere thought these were useless bytes, or that they could save some space... but on real hardware, such images would not be capable of being read, because the BASIC ROM is coded in a way that requires most or all of this second lead-in.

I suppose it might be possible to make a special version of the BASIC ROM which can deal with the shorter second lead-in, but a better idea would be to replace all of these improper images with proper images.

We have seen this sort of thing before with certain hacks and patches for console videogames - where something is made to run on a specific emulator, but won't run on original hardware (or most other emulators). It's very short-sighted of the original developer who made such a thing. And in this case, it appears to have facilitated a whole regime of corrupted images, as I'm sure the cassette images were innocently provided by users who were unaware of the deficiencies introduced by that emulator.

BlueIn2Red
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by BlueIn2Red »

Whatever the original cause, it does weaken the usability of the core for the more "average" user. The chances of somebody creating "correct" images of everything now seem rather low, so a core-side solution would certainly be appreciated.

akeley
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by akeley »

Most of the entries on World Of Dragon have both wav and cas files. It'd be interesting to try to load the wavs via ADC and compare with cas versions, seeing as wav files are usually proper dumps. You can even play them right from this archive, but I don't have a right cable atm to check it out.

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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by Higgy »

I think I got my .cas files from World of Dragon when I was using a CASDuino with my (now gone) Dragon.
I basically download .cas of all the physical tapes I had.
I've not played about with this Core much.

ritzelman
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Re: Coco 2 + Mantra Alice + Dragon 32/64

Unread post by ritzelman »

I am trying to use the Dragon 32v core on mister. Even though I can find the CoCo2 rbf file on the SD card the CoCo2/Dragon does not show up in the menue of cores. Any ideas?

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