ADF -> "real Amiga": Do I need a HDD?

I´m newbie so please help me. Do I need a hard disk drive for my Amiga if i want to convert adf-files to amiga disks?

[Calen]

I wouldnt say its impossible but it for sure could be alot of hassle if it is.

I dunno how you would even get the adfs over to the amiga if you have no hard drive for it but here is a wild idea (bearing in mind its 3am here :-) )

If you had a few megs of spare fast mem..you could load wb from disk..and put the adf image in ram and then get whatever utility you need of aminet and convert it back and and it should write it to a blank disk in its original form. Im just wondering how you will fit the image onto 1 single floppy as the Adfs do come in 900k sizes??  this i'm not clear on.

Anyway you could use a program called split and join which basically would spread the image over 2 floppies which you then could join in up in ram.

Im just rough guessing on all this as im not sure it would work or something i would want to attempt without a HD,  plus as said you will need some free fast memory to possibly even attempt it.

Im guessing  you could link your PC? to the amiga and use it in some way to to get the images over to Amiga Ram then do it, perhaps others have done this in some way  or could help ya more on it...
This way would be easier and make alot more sence, the other is madness :-)

GL

I don´t have hdd and I think getting one is quite impossible. Can I do this with some emulator? Or should I just try to find a hd?

[Calen]

Finding a hard drive for your Amiga and getting net access for it would sure make it alot less complicated. You could link the Amiga and PC together also if you dont have the a modem for your Amiga.
 I'm not very sure but i dont think the floppy drives in PC's can read or write in Amiga format.

http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=378

david.plunkett told that files can be transferred from pc to amiga by using CrossDos. So it won´t be the problem. The real problem is that i can´t store adfs anywhere without hd. If some one knows how to do this without hd, PLZ tell me!!!

what is the format that adf-files should be converted to?

[Calen]

I think you need TransADF which you can get of Aminet
Load WB from floppy and link your PC and Amiga together in how you read up on...copy over the ADF image into the Amiga ram disk and the use the utility for converting em back to Amiga format.

what is the format that adf-files should be converted to?

It should put the games back onto floppy in there usally original non-dos state ready to boot

Have some blank disks at the ready.

Gnite.

Thanks! I have to try that

[pioneer]

CrossDOS is limited to 720kb which isn't big enough to hold an ADF file. I'd say it would be easier to find a (used) HD interface card and a used hard drive (which people are getting rid of because they're too little). I don't know much about networks, but I managed to cobble one together using a Bridgeboard, Windows for Workgroups, and an old ethernet card. This is using stuff I've had for years. Now I can transfer about any size file between my Amiga and PC. It's clumsy but workable.

[Ilwrath]

We've discussed this on here, before...  Basically, theoretically it *CAN* be done, but it might not be the easiest thing you could do, for sure.  Honestly, I think you'd be best off purchasing a Catweasel for PC.  

My take on it from a previous post outlines some of the many pitfals of trying to do it with only a PC and a stock A500....

So, CrossDos doesn´t help and i can´t get a hd. Would two floppy disk drives be any help? I could get one..

[Piru]

> CrossDOS is limited to 720kb which isn't big
> enough to hold an ADF file.

You can split the ADF on pc and transfer the two parts to amiga ram disk, then:

1.Ram Disk:> join part_a part_b to full.adf

Now you can write the ADF to amiga disk using your favorite ADF-writer.
Obviously this requires few megabytes of continuous memory.

I've developed a software that read the parts directly off the pc disks and write directly to amiga tracks, but obviously you need to get the image written to amiga disk somehow before it can be used (ask your local amiga user to do it).
This program works Kickstart 1.2+ and requires either two floppy drives or 1MB chipmem.

Contact me on IRC (ircnet or arcnet) if you want the disk image (adf and dms available).

[whabang]

You can do the following:

1) Pack the ADF on the PC using a program like RAR ( use an older version of WinRAR as the miggy version of UNRAR isn't very compatible ).

2) Put the RAR file on a 720k floppy.

3)Create a custom Workbench disk for your miggy, remove all uneccesary commands and programs.

4) Copy *insert your favourite ADF to disk program here* and unRAR to the custom floppy.

5) Boot from the custom floppy.

6) Insert the floppy with the RAR file on, run Cross-DOS, and unpack the RAR-file onto the RAM-disk.

7) Write the ADF stored on your RAM-drive onto a floppy

Re-boot and play your game!  :-D

[Piru]

> 2) Put the RAR file on a 720k floppy.

Obviously this only works if the ADF get compressed enough so that it fit the disk. Some games and demos use compression themselves and then RAR can't compress it enough.

Can I use a pc hd with my Amiga? Can I do this adf->amiga disk-thing with do floppy drives?