CMD file utilities

This package contains programs which work with TRS-80 executable files (i.e. /CMD).

compact

Compact reads a CMD file and analyses the memory areas used by the file. TRS-80 CMD files contain chunks which specify a starting location and up to 256 data bytes to be loaded at that location. Programs were often patched by appending chunks which overlapped previously loaded addresses. The Compact program merges those patches and rewrites the CMD file in address order with the largest possible chunks for contiguous memory addresses.

mdtocim

Mdtocim reads a file containing a raw memory dump (i.e. with no structure) and writes a CMD format file. I used it to turn the Dick Smith Disk/Memory diagnostic program into a /CMD file.

offset

Offset is one of my best TRS-80 programs. To understand its function, first read the description of unoffset below and then return here.

Offset reads an executable file from cassette or disk and modifies the file so that it can be loaded without conflicting with DOS memory areas, and then execute automatically. Offset did this by analysing the memory areas used by the file, and only relocating those areas which were needed by DOS. Then offset would add a small chunk of code which would disable DOS and copy the relocated data to its correct load area, and then execute the program directly.

The advantage of offset over LMOFFSET and other attempts to make cassette-based programs run from disk, is that offset calculated the highest memory address used by the program and moved only the necessary load data into a buffer above that address. So offset worked where other programs did not. Of course it was much more convenient to not have to reboot and issue commands before running the program, too.

unoffset

Newdos/80 included a program called LMOFFSET. The function of LMOFFSET was to enable a cassette-based program to be run from a disk-based system. Cassette-based programs usually loaded at a low memory address (e.g. 0x4200) which was incompatible with DOS, because DOS used up to 0x5200. So LMOFFSET would read a cassette program, change its load addresses to load above the DOS memory area, then append a small chunk of code to be executed. This chunk of code would display a message then require the user to press reset (reboot without DOS) and then type a BASIC command to start execution of the program (which remained in memory).

Needless to say this was pretty yukky. It also didn't work on some programs, depending on what load addresses were used.

Unoffset takes an LMOFFSET-modified CMD file as its input and reorganises the file into its original contents, removing the LMOFFSET module. The output file from unoffset should then be processed by offset.

Download

• trs80-cmd-utils-1.0.tar.gz