Date   : Mon, 05 May 1997 10:21:29 +0100
From   : Robert Schmidt <rsc@...>
Subject: Re: Archive format / Acornsoft ROMs

Martin Main wrote:
> I have now obtained a number of ROM images (from the net) and these are not
> in the archive format i.e. they lack the associated .inf file. I looked in
> these files for other programs I had downloaded and it was not immediately
> obvious what hand coding would be required to transfer the ROM files
> across.

ROM files are not BBC files.  They make just as little sense on a BBC
disk as they do on your PC's hard disk, or possibly even less, as on
your PC, you can at least use the ROMs in a BBC emulator.  An *.inf file
is of no use for a ROM image file.

To use a ROM image file in your BBC, you need to burn an EPROM with the
image, and physically locate the EPROM inside your BBC.
 
> ... In particular, BASIC
> and the OS. What about all the other ROM based software Acornsoft produced?

I was advised by Acorn to withdraw *all* ROM images copyright Acorn (and
even Acornsoft, which is now owned by Superior), and so I did.

> Surely the code used in the Graphics Extension ROM to draw circles has any
> impact in todays mouse driven graphical environments?

That's no reason not to respect their copyright.  As regulars on this
list will be aware of, I'm way past crossing the line and sticking my
neck out in making publicly available loads of games/software
copyrighted by companies that are still alive.  The least *I* can do is
to respect their wishes to withdraw their software from public access.  

--
Robert Schmidt <rsc@...       >
Software Developer / Vingmed Sound tel +47 67124237 fax +47 67124355
Private tel +47 22352293 WWW http://www.nvg.unit.no/~rsc

The law forbids both rich and poor to beg, steal and sleep under
bridges.