System information

When a file is marked R/O, subsequent attempts to erase or
write into the file produce the following BDOS message at your
screen:
BDOS Err on d: File R/O
lists the drive characteristics of the disk named by d: that is in the range A:, B:,...,P:. The drive
characteristics are listed in the following format:
d: Drive Characteristics
65536: 128 Byte Record Capacity
8192: Kilobyte Drive Capacity
128: 32 Byte Directory Eritries
0: Checked Directory Eritries
1024: Records/Extent
128: Records/BlocK
58: Sectors/TracK
2: Reserved TracKs
where d: is the selected drive, followed by the total record capacity (65536 is an eight-megabyte
drive), followed by the total capacity listed in kilobytes. The directory size is listed next,
followed by the checked entries. The number of checked entries is usualiv identical to the
directory size for removable media, because this mechanism is used to detect changed media
during CP/M operation without an intervening warm start. For fixed media, the number is usually
zero, because the media are not changed without at least a cold or warm start.
The number of records per extent determines the addressing capacity of each directory entry
(1024 times 128 bytes, or 128K in the previous example). The number of records per block
shows the basic allocation size (in the example, 128 records/block times 128 bytes per record, or
16K bytes per block). The listing is then followed by the number of physical sectors per track and
the number of reserved tracks.
1.6 Transient Commands CP/M Operating System Manual
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