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Author Topic: Question about NDOS, Trackloaders, BootSectors etc  (Read 1856 times)

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Offline trackah123Topic starter

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Question about NDOS, Trackloaders, BootSectors etc
« on: February 26, 2008, 08:34:11 AM »
Hi Guys.

I have a question about the so called "NDOS" disks (Non-DOS) on Amiga. I never really understood them.

Experimenting with several programs i know it is some sort of custom File System and the Boot Sector (Sector 0 or 40) is used for booting and regonizing that filesystem? i think.

What kind of NDOS Filesystem exists on the Amiga? are these a few. Or did every game-company programmed there own customized File System?

I am almost sure during the development they created it on a standard OFS or FFS AmigaOS Filesystem.. but once they are finished they convert it somehow to this hidden customized NDOS Filesystem, probably to protect it better. I find this very interesting. I think workbench can read those disks if it knows how to regonize and control that filesystem with some sort of library or drive.

Like CrossDos for example it knows how to read FAT filesystem on workbench once you started CrossDos and mount PC0.

In the past i managed it once to convert a game back to OFS so i could read out all files in workbench.. This game was NDOS before.. and even when converting it back it still booted. I only managed to do this once.. I believe i did it with X-Copy Sector 0-40 or Viruscope 1.0 or some sort of Diskblock editor cant remember its been a while.

My intention is nothing related to copying or anything like that. Just to understand and hopefully learn a bit about those NDOS filesystems, bootsectors, trackloaders etc.

I hope anyone here can tell me a bit about it. Because i find this very interesting  :-)
 

Offline trackah123Topic starter

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Re: Question about NDOS, Trackloaders, BootSectors etc
« Reply #1 on: February 26, 2008, 11:39:19 AM »
Interesting thanks.

Do you mean btw with the first 2 sectors are for booting.

You mean cylinder 0 and cylinder 40? (There are 80 cylinder on an amiga disk)
 

Offline trackah123Topic starter

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Re: Question about NDOS, Trackloaders, BootSectors etc
« Reply #2 on: February 26, 2008, 12:43:26 PM »
Any idea what Track 40 does? or should i say Block 880.
 

Offline trackah123Topic starter

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Re: Question about NDOS, Trackloaders, BootSectors etc
« Reply #3 on: February 26, 2008, 03:13:12 PM »
Thanks :)

There is also the same thread i opened on eab.abime.net
Its all very interesting.

http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?p=398139