Command line tool to create different types of .dsk files. (c) 2008-2015 Retroworks.
A .dsk file is an image of a diskette that can be used in multiple emulators of machines such as Amstrad CPC or Spectrum +3, which used disks based on CPM formats.
dskgen is used as a command line tool, so it will receive parameters that determine the type of diskette the image represents, and its contents.
The .dsk file this tool generates follows the Extended DSK specification, which can be found here: http://cpctech.cpc-live.com/docs/extdsk.html
-o, --outputFileName
(Optional) Output file name. Default value is disk.dsk.
-b
(Optional) Specifies the file that contains boot code por |CPM booting. Only valid for SYSTEM or CUSTOM disk types. Default value is empty.
-c, --catalog ARG
(Optional) Catalog type. Valid values are: NONE, RAW or CPM.
NONE: No catalog is added. This can be used if sectors will be read in raw mode, or if the first file to add contains CATART data (as the first file will be written on the first available track).CPM: A standard CPM 2.2 catalog is created. This catalog is the oneAMSDOSunderstands.RAW: A catalog is created inRAWmode (see spec below). This catalog is not understood by the OS. The catalog is created in the first available track (depends on the disk type), and its first sector.
-f, --files ARG1[;ARGn]
(Optional) Specifies the files to insert. Each file is specified as path,header,fileType,loadAddr,exeAddr, and is separated from the rest using a semicolon.
path: (Mandatory) Source file path.header: (Optional) The header to add. Valid values areNONEorAMSDOS. If the header value isAMSDOS, the following values might be specified.fileType: (Optional) The file type. Valid values arebas,bin,binp,scr,asc, or empty.bas: Basic file.bin: Binary file.binp: Binary protected file.scr: Screen dump file.asc: ASCII file.
loadAddr: (Optional) The file loading address. Default value is0x0.exeAddr: (Optional) The memory location where execution will start when the file is loaded. Default value is0x0. If no file is specified, an empty dsk will be created.
Example:-f file1.bin,AMSDOS,0x100,0x500;file2.scr,NONE
-s, --sides
Specifies the number of sides of the disk. Default value is 2.
-t, --type
Disk type. Valid values are SYSTEM, DATA, IBM and CUSTOM. See disk formats here: http://www.seasip.info/Cpm/amsform.html
--initialSector
Specifies the initial sector per track. Default value is 0xC1. Only valid for CUSTOM disks.
--initialTrack
Specifies the initial track for data (except boot file). Default value is 0. Only valid for CUSTOM disks.
--sectors
Specifies the number of sectors per track in the disk. Default value is 9. Only valid for CUSTOM disks.
--tracks
Specifies the number of tracks in the disk. Default value is 80. Only valid for CUSTOM disks.
--config <configFile>
Configuration file with all options and files specified in JSON format. All other values are ignored, only the json is used.
--help
Help. Show usage.
The JSON format is as follows:
{
"sides": NumSides,
"catalog": "none|cpm|raw",
"diskType": "system|data|ibm|custom",
"boot": "<boot file path>",
"files": [
{
"path": "<file path>",
"header": "none|amsdos",
"amsdosType": "bas|bin|binp|scr|asc|",
"loadAddress": <load address in integer>,
"executionAddress": <execution address in integer>
} (, { ... } )*
]
Header Entries
(16 bytes) (8 bytes each)
Header:
- Catalog ID: 8 fixed bytes: 0xE5, 0x52, 0x41, 0x57, 0x20, 0x43, 0x41, 0x54 (or 0xE5 + "RAW CAT")
- Disk ID: 6 bytes.
- Number of catalog entries: 2 bytes. Entries First entry is at offset 16.
- Byte 0: Padding (0xE5)
- Byte 1: Disc Side
- Byte 2: Initial Track
- Byte 3: Initial Sector
- Bytes 4-5: File length in bytes.
- Bytes 6-7: Unused.
dskgen -o disk.dsk -c RAW -t SYSTEM -h NONE --files fileSpec1[;fileSpec2;fileSpecN]
dskgen -o disk.dsk --config cfg.json
cfg.json contents:
{
"sides": 2,
"catalog": "cpm",
"diskType": "data",
"boot": null,
"files": [
{
"path": "samplefile.bin",
"header": "amsdos",
"amsdosType": "bin",
"loadAddress": 256,
"executionAddress": 1451
}
]
}
In order to fully customize the disk layout, you must use json based configuration, specifying a "diskParams" value. The "diskParams" value must contain the parameters specified here:
http://www.seasip.info/Cpm/amsform.html
The parameters to specify are:
spt: Number of 128-byte records per trackbsh: Block shift. 3 => 1k, 4 => 2k, 5 => 4k....blm: Block mask. 7 => 1k, 0Fh => 2k, 1Fh => 4k...exm: Extent maskdsm: (number of blocks on the disc)-1drm: (number of directory entries)-1al0: Directory allocation bitmap, first byteal1: Directory allocation bitmap, second bytecks: Checksum vector size, 0 or 8000h for a fixed disc. Number of directory entries/4, rounded up.off: Offset, number of reserved tracksfsn: First sector numbersectorsPerTrack: Number of sectors per track,gapRW: Read/write gap,gapF: Format gap,fillerByte: Byte considered as "empty",sectSizeInRecords: Sector size in recors size (a record is 128 bytes).
Example:
{
"sides": 1,
"catalog": "none",
"diskType": "custom",
"boot": "boot.bin",
"diskParams" : {
"spt": 36,
"bsh": 3,
"blm": 7,
"exm": 0,
"dsm": 179,
"drm": 63,
"al0": 0,
"al1": 192,
"cks": 16,
"off": 0,
"fsn": 65,
"sectorsPerTrack": 9,
"gapRW": 42,
"gapF": 82,
"fillerByte": 233,
"sectSizeInRecords": 4
},
"files": [
{ "path": "program.bin" }
]
}
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