$Id: README,v 1.1 2001/12/30 17:16:54 nurgle Exp $

README for dsktools Version 0.1.0
=================================

Introduction
------------

Thanks for downloading dsktools. ;-)

dsktools is a set of tools for reading and writing DSK and EDSK images to real
floppy disks for use with the Amstrad/Schneider CPC range of homecomputers.
The main target platform for dsktools is GNU/Linux.

Current State
-------------

dskwrite is able to write images in standard formats (SYSTEM,DATA) as well as
some special formats with unusual sector numbering and sector sizes and
deleted data (untested).

dskread is less advanced than dskwrite. It only supports disk formats with 9
sectors per track. SYSTEM and DATA format work fine, but other formats are
toally untested.

There are no options for selecting the drive, side, etc. yet. Only the first
side of the floppy disk in /dev/fd0 is used.

Compiling and Installing
------------------------

Just type in "make".
Optionally copy the resulting binaries "dskread" and "dskwrite" to some
directory in your PATH, /usr/local/bin for example.

Usage
-----

Straight-forward, really.

./dskread <filename>

will read the disk in drive /dev/fd0 and dump the contents into a DSK image
file.

./dskwrite <filename>

will read the contents of a DSK image file and write it to a floppy disk in
drive /dev/fd0.

Future
------

Future versions of dskwrite will handle different copy protection schemes,
faithfully reproducing the original disk from the image. I hope to get this
support as complete as it is in CPDWrite under DOS. I will also implement some
command line options to make dsktools more flexible and user friendly.

