Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!hao!gatech!mcnc!uvaarpa!virginia!uvacs!edison!mfs
From: mfs@edison.GE.COM (Martin Sant)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm
Subject: Random files problem w/sprites enabled on C64
Message-ID: <1293@edison.GE.COM>
Date: 18 Jan 88 15:35:53 GMT
Organization: General Electric Company, Charlottesville, VA
Lines: 27
Keywords: doing b-p:8,x with sprites enabled hangs up computer

Over the weekend I was pulling out my hair over a strange quirk I
discovered while using random files on my C-64/FSD setup.  I found
that the computer would 'hang-up' if I tried to use the 'b-p:'
command while I had sprites enabled.  I tried to read and write data
to the disk buffer and things would just quit after a random number
of block pointer messages.  (I am using ua: and ub: for the sector
read and writes)  I could regain control using RUN/STOP RESTORE.
After I disabled the sprites, things worked fine.  Can someone out
there in the net ether answer:

1) Why does this happen ?

2) Is it particular to the FSD or does the 1541 do this too ?

3) Random files in general; I can use all of the sectors on the disk
   can't I ?  I don't need to store any 'real' DOS files. Can I write
   over the sectors where the directory, etc. are stored ?  Is there
   a difference between the ua:/ub: and the u1:/u2: commands ?

4) The JIFFY DOS stuff that was mentioned on the net several weeks 
   ago:  Does it work ok with random files ?

   Thanks in advance.
-- 
Mar Tan 
GE Fanuc Automation 
Charlottesville, VA 22901