copying files with Amiga Explorer

ruthven · Newcomer Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Age: 32 Posts: 12

I've been building my Amiga games collection by transferring .ADFs to disk with Amiga Explorer. But there are several application programs that I'd like to transfer as well that I can only find in .LHA format. I tried sending an .LHA file to the Amiga using this same method--it didn't unpack the contents of the .LHA file on the disk like an .ADF... but it did seem to write the file to the disk, though I could not find any files on the disk when I opened it in Workbench. I then tried extracting the files out of the .LHA archive on my PC, and then sending those to the Amiga with the Explorer. Again, the Amiga's drive lit up and the PC showed that files were being transferred to the drive. But after when I opened the disk in Workbench, there were still no files showing on the disk... but there was less free space available--so I'm thinking something must have gotten written to the disk, though I'm not sure why I can't see the files.

So I guess I have two main questions: first off, is it even possible to transfer individual files (or any kind of file other than .ADF for that matter) to the Amiga using Amiga Explorer/null modem cable? And if so, any ideas as to why I couldn't see the files I transferred, even though they are taking up space on the disk?--I'm guessing that maybe I need a "proper" file manager/directory commander program to see certain files... or perhaps the files have been written as MSDOS files and I can't see them on the Amiga without a special utility (like CrossDos)... (?)

mikey2002kent · Posted: Tue Apr 24, 2012 2:45 pm Post subject:

Right click in the folder with the missing files and go up to the menu and select "show all files" and they will probably appear, workbench hides most files unless they are actual folders are programs. Smile

With regards to LHA files, I use the Amigakit ADF Transfer software and that can make disks from either ADF'S or LHA's
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ruthven · Newcomer Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Age: 32 Posts: 12

Hmmm... I tried last night but couldn't find the menu option you're talking about. I still can't see/access those individual files sent over with Amiga Explorer. I should probably mention that I'm using Workbench 1.2 on an old A500. I couldn't find any option to "show all files" under any of the menus when right clicking up top (when the disk icon was selected). Is this something that is set in "preferences" in Workbench?

You are right that Workbench is hiding these files though. I got a handy file managing program last night called Disk Master, and this program will show all of the individual files (.LHA, etc.) that I transferred. So I know that the files are being written properly--I just need to be able to see them in Workbench so I can access them.

Maybe I need to execute these files from the CLI... (first I need to learn how to use the CLI/Shell)

desiv · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 1:37 am Post subject:

Yes, WB 1.2/1.3 doesn't show those files and there's no option to see them.

You can see them with the shell/CLI.

cd df1:directory
dir

etc...
(And file ending in .info is the icon. No .info file, no icon.)

cd / to go back a directory.

Also, you can get a File Manager, like CLIMate or Directory Master (There was probably a DirOpus for 1.2??) that makes that much easier also..

desiv

ruthven · Newcomer Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Age: 32 Posts: 12

Thanks--that really clears things up! Thanks for the example syntax as well where I'm such a newb. I was finally able to see/access those files! Smile

Also thanks for recommending CLImate--it certainly simplified moving individual files around, more so than Disk Master.

desiv · Posted: Thu Apr 26, 2012 3:25 pm Post subject:

One thing about decompressing on the PC, you can loose some attributes...
What does that mean?
I have no idea, I just heard someone say it once..

Laughing

Kidding..

Your files have attributes, for permissions, like READ, WRITE, etc..

Well, the Amiga filesystem has a few attributes that the PC doesn't. (PURE for instance, so a command can be run "resident")

It's generally best to decompress them on the Amiga to be safe...

desiv

ruthven · Newcomer Joined: 26 Mar 2010 Age: 32 Posts: 12

Thanks, good to know. Actually, I was expecting that to be the case initially--just so happened that the program I decompressed on the PC did in fact run on the Amiga once transferred, so I figured I wasn't losing anything by decompressing on the PC. Not a general rule of thumb after all.

I haven't actually tried decompressing anything on the Amiga yet. I don't have an external disk drive, just the one that's built in and I'm wondering if that's going to be a problem. I imagine I'm going to have to extract the contents of .LHA files to the RAM disk and from there move the files back to a blank floppy. But I only have the standard 512k RAM. I'm wondering if this is going to be a problem when decompressing large .LHAs--ones that contain the entire contents of a disk. Perhaps I can extract only select files at a time, move them to a disk, then continue where I left off until all files have been extracted/written... (?)

I'll give it a try later when I get out of work.