Trackcopy  (TRACC) - floppy utility for Atari ST computers
  Special versions for machines with not much RAM -  TRACC1M.PRG

Recommended for 1MB machines with hard disks

For what is it good?

Creation of common format (ST, MSA) disk image files from floppies.
 May create image files from all non-copy protected floppies: at double
 - density  single sided (360KB) up to 11 sector/track, double sided, 
 86 tracks (over 930KB). This version can work even with 512KB, but then
must split into 15-20 track segments (depening on free RAM avail.)
Program first reads whole disk or section in RAM, and after it may select further
actions: save as ST image, save as MSA or compressed MSA image.
Or writing content to some other floppy.
Question mark in 'Sector/track' is for detecting sectors on floppies.
Usually is enough to read only couple tracks to see how many 
sectors per track floppy has. After it may need to set detected value,
reading will be much faster. Of course, before saving as image file 
it must be set to some value. Maybe in future I will add STT format
support, where variabile sector layout per tracks is supported.

Reverse operation - writing image file to floppy from ST and MSA images:
load first with "Load ST" (or MSA) image then may select by need write to
A or B drive, with or without format. 
May do ST-MSA and vs. conversion by loading in one and saving in
another format.


With only 1MB RAM and hard disk there is usually some 700KB space 
free (or even less), so can not handle whole DS floppies at once.
It would be good to use hard disk as temporary storage, but this
is just quick mod. of old, for floppy equipped machines made
PRG, requiring 2MB RAM min.

The solution is splitting floppy into parts, and some doing copy
or image saving. Best is to split DS floppy in 2 parts. SS floppies
can copy/image in 1 pass (400KB). So, set begintrack to 0,
endtrack to 39 and click READ (before it set proper sec/track) etc.
When is done do write or save as image. Better is MSA format,
and may even compress. If read that image by clicking LOAD MSA
it will set begin and endtrack as was saved.
This was easy part. Second half of floppy needs to set begintrack to 40,
and endtrack to 79. When you save it, better store begintrack to, somehow.
Write it on paper, or in filename.  Because of MSA format limitations, it
can not hold begintrack. It will be always 0. So, you need to manually
set it to 40 (or what was it by reading) before writing to floppy.

If this bothering sucks to you, there is a solution: use older version,
which works with my own format (DS), which can store all relevant infos,
so begintrack, + sides (A, B or BOTH) ...  TRACC4_2.PRG   .

This program is not for beginners - you need to know little about floppies,
and think while using.




P. Putnik  July 2012.


