RPCEmu on Linux, adding a second HardDisk

Thanks for reading this… I’m struggling to get my RPCEmu set up the same way on my Linux Laptop, as was on my old Mac with VirtualRPC.

Currently I’m trying to add a second HardDisk, which I like to appear on the taskbar. When I add a second HardDisk using !Boot in RISC OS 4.39 Adjust, I get the comment “has it been formatted?” With the Boot of RISC OS 5.28 there is no tool to add a second HardDisc.

(Do I actually need to format a directory on my host machine, or is this just RISC OS thinking its a real machine?)

My question, how am I suppose to add a second HardDisk to RPCEmu version 0.9.4.

Thanks, Steve RM

My question, how am I suppose to add a second HardDisk to RPCEmu version 0.9.4

You could create a symbolic link to your additional directory (or a NAS etc) in a directory in the base HOSTFS directory (or subdirectory)
If you do that in a subdirectory labelled SymLinks you could setup access to a local directory or any share across your local net.

You need to place hard disc images in the RPCEmu directory

https://www.marutan.net/rpcemu/manual/#hdf

Download a blank disc image, e.g. https://www.marutan.net/rpcemu/cgi/download.php?sFName=blankdiscs/Blank1024Eplus.zip and name it hd5.hdf

I was under the impression that hard disks do not work with RPCemu and RO5 : https://www.marutan.net/rpcemu/ro5.html

Probably right there, but I thought that they did on RO4?

As far as I can see IDEDisc4, hd4.hdf, works with OS4.39 on RPCEmu 0.9.4 on Debian 12. Drive 5, however, is having none of it and fails with disc error 2.

There is a clue in the manual

Up to two IDE hard disc files can be used (only one if a CD-ROM is used).

In rpc.cfg set cdrom_enabled=0 and HardDisc5 appears. Tested in OS4.39 and OS4.02.

Thanks for the response guys! It’s much appreciated.
I could try the Simlink idea because I want to be able to see my Linux HD from the “Home” directory up. Only, I like it to be a second disc on the taskbar. That would feel more natural. So I think the combination of a HardDisc Image and within that a Simlink to the “Home” directory of my Linux host machine. The down side would be I need to click om the HardDisc 5 and within that disc I would see the directory (the Simlink) to the Linux “Home” Directory and click again.

I do not see a way to have the Simlink directly placed on the Taskbar … Or maybe… If I ware to tuck the Simlink inside a program…. that I could startup using boot (…?)

I need to sleep on this.

I do not see a way to have the Simlink directly placed on the Taskbar

That would probably be where TinyDir will help.

Thanks Steve. Indeed this seems a simple solution. Now I need to try to understand how to use this for my purpose. I.m a rubbish programmer so this simple program has me spooked. It will take me some time to get my head around this. I use TinyDirs once and again. Mmm I found the bit of syntax that I think I need to “borrow”…

Yes, I have the icon of my (still empty) program on the Iconbare… even on the correct/right side. Now I need to find a way to pass on a click-action to the SymLink inside.

Anny more of these simple wonderful Ideas? anyone?

Now I need to find a way to pass on a click-action to the SymLink inside.

I’m not sure I understand, haven’t you picked out the specific symlink?
It sounds like you’re creating an AddTinyDir for the directory the symlink(s) sit in, rather than the path and leafname of the symlink
e.g. for a symbolic link sitting in the symlinks directory on the boot drive, the command string saved by saving the Pinboard would be:

X AddTinyDir Boot:^.symlinks.UNCMoet

where UNCMoet is the name of the symbolic link to a UNC path description of my NAS (big storage, like the big cat he was.)

I’m not certain that I understand. Maybe when I explain what I have maid so far.

I opened a directory and called it !LunuxHD. Within that directory I placed a simple !Sprite icon a !Boot a !Run and a directory called SymLinkDir, in which I need to place the real Symlink made in Linux terminal. Now I hope to fiend the write code, so that when the program is clicked up on, that click is passed on to what ever is placed in the SymLinkDir.

(The Symlink will point to the root of the Linux HardDisk so I can see the entire Linux HardDisc in my RPCEmulator )

Seems over-complicated.

1. Create a SymlinkDir in your emulator boot drive e.g. $.symlinkdir
2. From Linux create a symlink myroot in the emulator $.symlinkdir directory that points to your Linux root directory
3. Boot your emulator and do AddTinyDir $.symlinkdir.myroot
4. Check that the TinyDir icon on the iconbar opens your Linux root directory when double-clicked

If all is well right click on the desktop and save the Pinboard (if you look at the saved Pinboard file there will be a line like this:

X AddTinyDir Boot:^.SymLinkDir.myroot

I opened a directory and called it !LunuxHD. Within that directory I placed a simple !Sprite icon a !Boot a !Run and a directory called SymLinkDir, in which I need to place the real Symlink made in Linux terminal. Now I hope to fiend the write code, so that when the program is clicked up on, that click is passed on to what ever is placed in the SymLinkDir.

To what end? The RISC OS side can’t see the SymLinks as SymLinks; they’re just folders. Unless you’re doing something way over complicated, there’s no need to treat them specially on the RISC OS side.

Just put them in your HostFS root directory, and follow them from the RISC OS side like any other directory.

steve@ullscarf:~/RPCEmu/RISC OS 5/hostfs$ ls -lh
total 52K
drwxrwxr-x 10 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  AcornC.C++
drwxrwxr-x  8 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  Apps
drwxrwxr-x 16 steve steve 4.0K Apr 26  2020 '!Boot'
lrwxrwxrwx  1 steve steve   23 Jul 16  2017  Development -> /home/steve/Development
drwxrwxr-x 11 steve steve 4.0K Apr 26  2020  Diversions
drwxrwxr-x  6 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  Documents
lrwxrwxrwx  1 steve steve   21 Nov 17  2021  Downloads -> /home/steve/Downloads
lrwxrwxrwx  1 steve steve   18 Jul 16  2017  Filestore -> /remote/filestore/
lrwxrwxrwx  1 steve steve   25 Oct 24  2020  GitMigration -> /home/steve/GitMigration/
drwxr-xr-x  4 steve steve 4.0K Jul 16  2017  Network
drwxrwxr-x  5 steve steve 4.0K Apr 26  2020  Printing
drwxrwxr-x  4 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  Programming
drwxrwxr-x  7 steve steve 4.0K Jul 16  2017  Public
lrwxrwxrwx  1 steve steve   19 Apr 15  2018  RISCOS -> /home/steve/RISCOS/
drwxrwxr-x  4 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  Sources
drwxrwxr-x 20 steve steve 4.0K May 23  2020  ThirdParty
drwxrwxr-x  3 steve steve 4.0K Jul 16  2017  Transient
drwxrwxr-x 13 steve steve 4.0K Apr 28  2020  Utilities
steve@ullscarf:~/RPCEmu/RISC OS 5/hostfs$

Just put them in your HostFS root directory

The positioning of symlinks in a directory comes from me, I think, and I do it to keep the root directory clutter to a minimum.
People are free to place as much as they like in the root, just as people are free to put files on the desktop in MS Windows.

3. Boot your emulator and do AddTinyDir $.symlinkdir.myroot

I do not understand the “do AddTinyDir $.symlinkdir.myroot”… Where do I do this? in a task window or command line? And will this still make my Home directory appear on the Iconbar?

Here’s what I would do:

1. In a Linux terminal: ln -s / /opt/rpcemu/hostfs/Host
2. In an RPCEmu taskwindow: AddTinyDir $.Host

This would create the symlink to the Linux root in my RPCEmu’s root and the TinyDir icon on the iconbar (my primary RPCEmu lives in /opt/rpcemu, obviously).

I actually did 1 years ago and never bothered with 2, because I don’t need more icons on the iconbar…

Only, I like it to be a second disc on the taskbar.

Since I had nothing better to do¹, and I thought it wouldn’t be too hard, I’ve lashed together a very quick program to add fake discs to your iconbar which simply *Filer_OpenDir a location on one of the local filing systems when clicked on.

https://www.stevefryatt.org.uk/scrap/symdiscs001.zip

It’s very much a quick bodge from some existing code that I had lying around, but it should work. You’ll need to edit the BASIC file to configure it (I said it was lashed together): there’s details in the ReadMe — come back here if it’s not clear what to do.

If you look back up the thread, you can see my HostFS layout and where some of the symlinks are. Here’s it RPCEmu side, with “discs” on the iconbar for RISCOS and Downloads – plus the changes made to the BASIC program to make it happen.

If it’s useful, I can probably be persuaded to finesse it a bit – not least because it might be useful when I’m using RPCEmu, too…

PS. I’ve not even registered the name for this, so if it is useful, there may be some changes as I make it “legit”.

¹ Not entirely true…

So far so good!

At present I have a symlink to the Home directory of my Linux disk and a symlink to a directory named “Pool” which is situated between RPCEmu 4.39 an RPCEmu 5.28. The “Pool” directory is also the download directory for FireFox. Finally a “USB” directory that contains four Symlinks which points to USB pendrives (ony the pendrive which is in the USB socket is sown, the other links do not show for a reason still unknown to me. It seems that broken symlinks do not show-up. If I rename the Symlink using Linux it does always show-up…)

I do need to take a good look at the program of Steve Fryatt because it may have more advantidgis than my own which is based upon hinds and tips of the above writers.

Disadvantages of my current setup are ;
- I need to double click on the disc icon to open the directory (normally this takes a single click)
- I need to refresh the window to delete the icon from an unplugged pendrive.
- Deleting a symlink using Linux deletes the link, nothing else. Deleting the same symlink using RISC OS, deletes EVERYTHING that link points to!!! If that is you home directory well….

Thanks for all the help! Steve RM

I think I’m going to stick with the program of Steve Fryatt. Clicking once instead off twice to open a Harddisk feels more natural. Again thanks for all the help guys!