Running Wordstar for CP/M On A Commodore 128

Running WordStar 3.3 for CP/M On A Commodore 128D!

Proof in the 8-bit pudding!

So, no joke, I’m composing this post on a Commodore 128D, circa 1987, using WordStar, with the 128D running in its (little-used) CP/M mode.

One of the ways in which I find the Commodore 128 an amazing and interesting machine is that it natively runs three separate operating systems right from the internal hardware: Commodore Basic 2.0 (i.e. Commodore 64 mode), Commodore Basic 7.0 (128 mode), and, thanks to a built-in additional Z80 processor, CP/M mode. If this doesn’t seem unique to you, imagine a modern computer that could instantly boot into, say, Android, MacOS, or Windows–not drawing the software from a multi-boot hard drive, but rather from ROMs on the system board. That’s pretty cool for 1987, not to mention 2021.

As cool as the 128’s CP/M mode was and is, it wasn’t much used back in the day. Commodore was hoping, with its final entry into 8-bit computing, to capture more of the lucrative business market, and CP/M as an operating system, though in its waning days, was still one of the most popular OS’es with one of the largest libraries of business- oriented software. With the 128D’s more professional look (next to the standard 128) and built-in 1571 floppy drive, it was also considerably less expensive than an IBM PC of the period. Commodore must have thought CP/M a safe bet. Unfortunately it was not to be, and the CP/M mode remained little utilized by users.

However, especially if one is interested in using a Commodore 128 for real, daily writing, getting CP/M and Wordstar up and running thereupon offers some distinct advantages in the present:

A fully-functional word processor that rivals some modern ones in many ways, running natively on the 128.
Files are easy to convert to a format readable on modern PC’s, whether Word or plain text format.
Takes full advantage of 80 column mode
Takes advantage of a lesser-used but interesting function of the 128D
Be even nerdier than George R.R. Martin!
Naturally distraction-free.
Natural security, since the machine mostly remains unconnected to any sources for potential hacks or attacks.
Simple and mostly intuitive.
Geared for writing, unlike most text editors.
Favored by many writers even today
Friggin’ cool nostalgia factor
An additional option for getting your words out, to add to options like modern PC, typewriter, pen and paper, coffee shop–just one of those little tricks where changing the venue can help the words come sometimes.
Addition of a monochrome monitor, especially amber, is easy on the eyes.

What I Used

There can be other options for equipment and software setups to make this work. I wanted to make it so that I was doing everything “natively” as much as possible, making concessions to newer tech only where absolutely necessary.

Key Concept

The most important thing to realize here is that while the C128 in CP/M mode is compatible with any CP/M software, things get dicier when it comes to disk formats. In CP/M mode, the 128 will not read standard C128/64 disks. 1571 disk drives, however, are capable of reading the MFM-type CP/M disks. The trick is to download/transfer your CP/M files onto a standard Commodore 128 disk, then use an on-board utility that runs in C128 mode to copy the files from a C128 to an CP/M, MFM-formatted disk. Then one can boot into CP/M mode and use the files.

Hardware

Commodore 128D-CR (built-in 1571 floppy disk drive)
External 1571 floppy disk drive
Zenith Data Systems amber monochrome monitor (purchased on ebay for around $75)
Commodore4Ever wifi modem, which one can purchase for a reasonable cost on ebay
Modern PC for downloading some archival software
Original Commodore 128 CP/M boot and system disk.
Several 5.25” floppy disks
Lots of patience (hopefully this guide will make the process easier for others)

Software

Commodore 128 system/boot disk
CGTerm, running on a linux machine (for transferring files via the wifi modem) Get it here, along with some advice for installing on LInux
Crosslink 2.1b: program for transferring files from Commodore to CP/M (MFM formatted disks. Downloaded via the wifi modem from the Particles BBS (particlesbbs.dyndns.org:6400)
CCGMS2020 for connecting to BBS for the above software Get it here, or via your favorite BBS
Copy of Wordstar 3.3 for CP/M M-80 (be sure NOT use use an M-86 version). Get it here
Desterm for transferring files from 128 to PC and vice-versa (of course CCGMS will work for this as well). Get Desterm

Steps

Preparation

Set up the hardware, including wifi modem according to instructions.
Use the CP/M disk to boot 128 into CP/M mode.
Use the CP/M “Format” command to create a CP/M formatted data diskette. FORMAT–>Choose a different Drive–>Drive B–>Commodore 128 Double-sided
Download Wordstar 3.3 from above source, unzip.
Using CGTerm + the terminal program of your choice on the 128, transfer the files INSTALL.COM, WSU.COM, WSOVLY1.OVR, and WSMSGS.OVR to a standard Commodore diskette.
Use Crosslink 2.1b to copy those files from the commodore to your CP/M formatted disk (Crosslink is pretty intuitive, but let me know in the comments if you’d like help with this procedure).

Installation

Boot the 128 into CP/M mode and insert the CP/M formatted disk into the external 1571.
In CP/M type b: to switch to the external drive
type “install”
This will run the installer program for Wordstar. The important thing is to choose the “Lear/Siegler” option when prompted to choose a terminal type. This will ensure that the menus, etc. display properly.
Follow the prompts for the rest of the installation process.

Running:

Just boot into CP/M, choose the disk onto which you installed Wordstar, and type “WS”
A Wordstar 3.3 Manual can be found here

Transferring

Use Crosslink, reversing the procedure above, to transfer your Wordstar file back to a regular commodore diskette. Be sure to use “PRG ASCII” as your target file type.
Using your terminal program and CGTerm,transfer the WS file to your PC.

Once the file is physically on your PC, there are several options:

View the file using the DOS version of Wordstar in DOSBox
If you have Word and Windows, you can download a Wordstar converter for Word from Misrosoft
If you would like to convert your WS file into a simple plain text file, a good option is [this simple perl script]

Enjoy writing in 8-Bit CP/M bliss!

The Unvarnished Geek