Short:    QL clone (binaries and documentation)
Type:     misc/emu
Uploader: msw@blackpool.ac.uk
Author:   Rainer Kowallik & Mark J Swift
Version:  3.24
Replaces: misc/emu/QDOS4amiga1.lha
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|_|  |_||_|  |_||_| \____/ |_|  |_|       \___/\/|____/  \____/ |____/

S O F T W A R E   Q D O S   E M U L A T O R   F O R   T H E   A M I G A


VERSION 3.24 ARCHIVE CONTENTS

'QDOS4amiga1.lha'  QL clone v3.24 (binaries and documentation)

'QDOS4amiga2.lha'  QL clone v3.24 (assembly source)

'QDOS4amiga3.lha'  QL clone v3.24 (QDOS utilities disk)
                   Mount the QLfilesystem, then copy the files from
                   this archive onto a QDOS format disk.


AMIGA-QDOS v3.24 FEATURES

*  FASTER than the original QL
*  LOADS/SAVES to QL floppy disks
*  Hard disk support via QubIDE ROM
*  SOUND supported in full (all possible convolutions of BEEP)
*  SYSTEM VARIABLES movable (even into FAST RAM).
*  2ND-SCREEN fully usable (like MINERVA ROM)
*  SCREEN modes 4 and 8 BOTH supported
*  KEYBOARD history from standard <ALT><ENTER> combination
*  ALL known machines supported A500, A500+, A600, A1200, A4000 etc
*  FOR COMPATIBILITY, data and instruction caches can be enabled/disabled
*  QDOS utilties disk included with release
*  FILESYSTEM for reading and writing QDOS disks from AmigaDOS
*  BASED ON a JS ROM with many JS ROM bug fixes.
*  SOURCE included


WHAT'S NEW IN VERSION 3.24

*  QDOS ROM relocatable into FAST RAM
*  Hard disk support via QubIDE ROM
*  some bug fixes


QUICK OVERVIEW

This is a major reworking of Rainer Kowallik's QL emulator for the
Amiga. Most of the new features have been added by Mark J Swift
(e-mail: msw@blackpool.ac.uk) - Rainer is no-longer involved in
the project. The release includes full assembler source and a QDOS
utilities disk. Also included is a filesystem by Francis N Swift for
handling QDOS disks from the Amiga side.


QL FILESYSTEM

The QL filesystem is a handler written by F N Swift that allows
transparent access to QDOS (QL) disks. The file system requires a device
driver that can read and write PC style sectors, such as mfm.device or
messydisk.device.

The QL filesystem makes it possible to insert a QL disk into an Amiga
drive and use it like any other disk. Files can be renamed, deleted or
copied to and from QL disks, file dates can be set, disks can be relabled
and so on...

Please read QLfilesystem.doc for more information.


THE SINCLAIR QL...

      ,--------------------------------------------/|/|/|/|/|/|/|/|/|/|/|
     / /_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_/ /                     /|
    / /_//__//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_/ / /                     / /
   / /_//____//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//_//____/ /                     / /
  / /_//__//_//_//_________________//_//_//__/ /_____________________/ /
 /_'__________________________________________/|__.======  .====== __|/
|_____________________________________________:======================/
  |________________________________________________________________|/

The Sinclair QL is a black slab-like computer based around Motorola's
68008 micro-processor. The QL was launched as the follow-up to the
ZX Spectrum, aimed at the business market rather than the games market
and was supplied with wordprocessor, spreadsheet, database and charting
programs. It features a fully multi-tasking operating system (QDOS)
and a very good built-in BASIC. The QL failed to achieve the mass-market
appeal of its predecessor, but nevertheless attracted a large dedicated
user base... which is still going strong.


INSTALLING THE EMULATOR

1. Create a directory on your destination volume for the Amiga-QDOS
   binaries and documentation.

2. Make an assignment to this directory as "QLBOOT:". Consider making
   the same assignment in your start-up sequence.

3. Copy the contents of the archive QDOS4amiga1.lha to QLBOOT:

4. Move the contents of 'c','devs' and 'l' to the relevant system
   directories and remove them from QLBOOT:.


MOUNTING THE QDOS FILESYSTEM

   Under WB1.3 mountlst.ql should be placed in devs: and fd.device
   should be available. Type 'MOUNT QL0: from devs:mountlst.ql' in a
   Shell or add the command to your start-up device and REBOOT.

   Under WB2, make sure that you have at least MOUNT 40.4 and
   SETPATCH 40.16 installed and install as in WB3 below. Otherwise,
   install as in WB1.3.

   Under WB3 copy the provided QL0 and QL1 definition files to
   devs:dosdrivers. Check that your start-up sequence contains the
   command 'MOUNT Devs/dosdrivers/~(#?.info)', then REBOOT.


RECREATING THE QDOS UTILITIES DISK

1. Mount the QLfilesystem.

2. Copy QDOS4amiga3.lha to RAM:

3. Double-click on the 'QLdisk.unLHA' script icon.
   Insert a blank disk into DF0: at the appropriate moment... then wait.
   Rename the resultant QDOS (QL) disk as 'QLutils:'

   Alternatively you may launch 'QLdisk.unlha' with QDOS4amiga3.lha
   SHIFT-selected. This way the archive need not be copied to RAM:


STARTING THE EMULATOR

1. Double-click on the 'Start_QDOS_UK' icon.

2. At the F1/F2 prompt, insert QLutils: into DF0: and press F1.