Re: Diskette formatting explained

From: silverdr_at_wfmh.org.pl
Date: Wed, 14 Nov 2018 22:39:22 +0100
Message-Id: <A7EE968B-2FF6-48F3-B144-872EDDDDEDCE@wfmh.org.pl>
> On 2018-11-14, at 20:47, Spiro Trikaliotis <ml-cbmhackers@trikaliotis.net> wrote:
> 
>> I remember reading some good time ago a text about formatting floppy
>> (in a 1541), how it can be done faster without losing the reliability
>> of the format and what the typical "fast format" programs were doing
>> wrong so that diskettes formatted by them were not reliably holding
>> the format. I believe it about "proper" track length/gaps
>> calculations, among other things in good detail. Does that ring a
>> bell, where could I have read this? Or maybe someone with good
>> knowledge on the subject could explain it here?
> 
> I am not sure what you are speaking about,

About a text (article?) explaining the formatting process in detail, adding explanations on "non-verifying" fast-formatters and why using them may lead to problems not only due to lack of verification but also what they mostly did wrong, that lead to unreliabilities. These are high level topics that I recall from there.

> but many details can be found
> in this thread:
> 
> http://www.softwolves.com/arkiv/cbm-hackers/10/10348.html
> 
> Especially this one might be of interest:
> 
> http://www.softwolves.com/arkiv/cbm-hackers/10/10421.html

Heh, yes - we discussed some of those over a decade ago... but what I recall was a text dedicated to the subject(s).

Explaining how the process goes in stages, what needs to be looked after and how to speed up the original DOS formatting process without losing reliability.

Sure, I can disassemble some reliable fast formatting routines (like DolphinDOS for example) but that's a different thing than knowing/understanding upfront why some things were/needed to be done one way or another.

-- 
SD! - http://e4aws.silverdr.com/
Received on 2018-11-14 23:00:07

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