OK, so I got these CP/M Disks, now what do I do with them?
     (or the VERY BEGINNER'S STARTING POINT FOR CP/M)
              Bill Juliani  <C128.CPM>  GEnie

 Tonight, as you know, is the first CP/M Help Desk Held in the
FlagShip (625;2).  I want to thank all who have dropped in, and
also a big thanx to DEB and Keith, for allowing me this time.
     THE BIGGEST problem that I have seen is new owners of C-128's
and C-128D's opening up there Digital Research Disks and try to copy
them, as specified in their manuals.  What usually happens is the
user FORMATS the original disk, destroying the contents. <You ask
'did this ever happen to me, a SYSOP?'  Question ignored.>   If this 
has happened to you, do NOT write or read to that disk, and send
it to me, along with a dollar for postage.  I will try to restore the
disk to the original condition, and mail it back to you, using the
dollar  for postage. I can't guarentee that I can restore all  of  the 
info,  but its better than sending in $19.95 to CBM, and  waiting  3-4 
months.

     Tonight, we are going to start at the beginning!!  First we will
boot  the  CP/M  disk, then FORMAT a blank one,  then  copy  the  CP/M 
Systems disk over to the blank disk.                             
Items needed:  128 CP/M SYSTEMS DISK, one disk drive as device #8
(called 'A' drive in CP/M lingo), a C128, monitor, 2 blank disks, and
a copy of this file (items not needed: any knowledge of CP/M!!)
At this time, please open your Term BUFFER to capture this info.

The Digital Disk with the CP/M System on it is titled '128 CP/M
SYSTEM DISK, and just below it CP/M PLUS VERSION 3.0'  above that is
a serial number starting with 622-xxxxxx.  Turn on your 'puter and
drive, have it in 128 mode, and have the 80 column (or 40) monitor
hooked up.  Its also a good idea to disconnect your phone line from
your modem, as an incomming call sometimes messes CP/M up!!
Just slap the CP/M SYSTEM disk in your 1571 (or'81) device #8.  Hit
the reset switch on the C128 and the CP/M disk will boot.  If you see
a message that say, 'No CPM+.SYS hit return to re-try, or.....'
then you have tried the wrong disk.
You will now see the CP/M disk load. It's about 27K long, and the
two CPU's in the C-128 are swapping information.  If everything goes
right, then you will see a date like 6 DEC 85, 8 DEC 85, or 27 MAY 87.
If your date is earlier than these dates, then you should get a newer
version  (or  at least update it with file #796 in Library 34  in  the 
CP/M  RT on GEnie). If you have more than one version, use the  LATEST 
DATE!
Just ignore all that TPA lingo that appears!  Not needed!!!!!
 Now the magical A> will appear.  If it doesn't and you
get garbage, or the 'puter resets, or you see 'break' or whatever,
then your CP/M disk is trashed!  <AARRRGGGHHHHH>

Now hit F3 (the 'Function key #3') and just after the A> prompt, it
will say 'dir' and the disk contents will appear.  See the file 
'FORMAT.COM'?  That's the baby that we are going to use. 
Now type   
 FORMAT<RET> 
   That's it, nuthin else. Use either caps (FORMAT)  or the
little guys like; format.  The opening screen will display after the
FORMAT program has loaded into memory. FORMAT will even tell what
kind of drive it thinks you have (notice I said thinks)!  Remove your
CP/M Plus SYSTEM DISK at this time...............................
TO repeat, take out the CP/M SYSTEMS DISK........................

Put in in the blank disk, ........................................
 Now insert a blank disk into drive 8 (its now called A) and select
from the menu format select C128 double sided, just under where it
says 'Please select disk type to format'. Use the C128 (upper) curser
control keys for other types of format.  This program varies from
issue to issue, but they are about the same. It will not ask you for
a disk name.
 Hitting '$' should  satisfy  that all is in order,
and the program will begin formatting your (hopefully) blank disk.
 After the program is done it will ask you if you want to format
another.  Entering an 'N' will return you to the A> prompt, but lets
go for broke and format another blank disk.  Just type 'Y'!!

Remove the new, just formatted disk, and insert the original 
CP/M SYSTEM disk.  Hit F3 to verify that 'PIP.COM' is on that disk.
We will now use PIP.COM to copy our original CP/M SYSTEM disk to the
just formatted one.    Enter at the A>PIP E:=A:CPM+.SYS  then hit
return.  You can use the delete key for editing this 'command line'.
The program 'PIP' will now load, and instruct you to insert the other
disk, etc.  Follow all of the directions on the screen. The PIP  
program will now call the freshly formatted disk 'E', and will know
when disk 'E' is in the drive.
Note:  for  extra  high IQ users see below, for all the  rest  of  us, 
continue.
  After this file is copied, you will get another A>.  Now type:
A>PIP E:=A:CCP.COM, follow the same directions and this will complete
copying the SYSTEM FILES to the new disk.
Now, again at the A> type:
 A>PIP E:=A:*.*                                    
Make sure that you have your original SYSTEMS disk in your 'A' (or #8)
drive before you type this command, or it will return 'PIP?'.
Again follow the directions, and swap the disks when prompted.
What we are doing is first copying the CPM+.SYS file so that is
auto boots!!  The *.* is a wildcard for all other files.
When your all done, you will have an exact copy of your original
systems  disk. No need to flip the SYSTEMS disk over, its all  on  one 
side!  Now put the original away, in a real safe place.

 You should only use it in an emergency.  Now make a copy of the copy.
That will give you a back-up SYStems disk, and a working copy for us
to fool around with next week.  See why 2 drives are easier?    
If you are lucky enough to have two drives, the pip command is:
PIP B:=A:*.*     B is your destination (#9) disk, and A (#8) is
your source.  Be warned, though, CP/M will NOT boot from device 9!! 
For those lucky enough to have an REU: PIP M:=B:*.*.  Now insert
a blank disk in drive 'A' and type M: (return) This is how you 'log'
onto a different drive, just type a:<RET> or B:<RET>>
 and then PIP A:=M:*.*        Yes, for now you must be 'logged' onto
whatever drive the PIP.COM is in.

Now go out for a coffee while it 'cooks'.
For 2 drives: an '81 disk won't fit in a '71 drive <GRIN>, so unless
you have 2 '71 drives (A and B, or 8 and 9) you must either copy
the files back to A drive, or switch device numbers.  

For those REAL LUCKY users of the '81 drive, that have the extra 19.95
28MAY87 SYSTEMS DISK from Commodore, and are using the '71 as A and
the '81 as B, then just copy the 3 1/2" disk (User Area 1) over to the
1571 drive (A) and bingo!  It boots the 28MAY from the '71!!

We  have  learned  the following:  To  distinguish  between  the  CP/M 
SYSTEMS disk and the BOULDERDASH disk, how to 'pull' a DIR with the F-3 
key (switch Jiffy F key off for this), how to copy disks (one of the most
favorite pass-times in the CP/M world), and of course,
how to boot CP/M from device #8 (A)!

Remember: device 8 is drive A; device 9 is drive B, and the REU is M.

 **  NOTE:   For advanced MENSA Users: just type 'PIP', and at  
the  * prompt
type in your commands:  *B:=A:CCP.COM <RETURN>.

Sorry this took so long, but we need to start somewhere, now back to
Questions and Answers...................................

This was a portion of the GEnie CP/M Help Desk held on Sat. nights,
Page 625;2 FlagShip RTC at 9:00PM eastern.  

 