CP/M File Commander is a text-based, dual-pane file manager for retro computers running the CP/M operating system. Inspired by Norton Commander, it replaces the rigid command line with visual, split-screen navigation. Users can copy, move, delete, and view files using simple keyboard shortcuts. It features built-in text and hex viewers and comes in multiple versions optimized for different vintage display layouts.
Generic German version written by Heiko Poppe, the original is in Deutsche. I used Grok to translate and ChatGpt to patch to provide the inverse cursor rather than the stock >filename.mwb< to allow easier identification. It is a bit quirky but a neat addition. Be aware that if you download the original and include the .ini the settings inthe .ini will override the patch.
Quick Hint T - swaps panes.
FileCommander 0.97 on Microbee
============================================================
Heiko Poppe FC 0.97 + Microbee ADM-3A / TVI-912 patch.
COM is 80-column, 24-row. On an 80x25 CRTC row 25 is unused.
0038h=01h so this COM does not load FC.INI. Do not rename it
if you want key X (run and return).
1. Keys baked into this COM (INI 0028h-0035h)
---------------------------------------------
Move Press Byte
Left Ctrl-S or BS 13h / 08h
Right Ctrl-D or Ctrl-L 04h / 0Ch
Up Ctrl-W 17h
Down Ctrl-X or LF 18h / 0Ah
Page up Ctrl-Q 11h
Page down Ctrl-R or Ctrl-U 12h / 15h
Extra pane swap Tab 09h (same job as T)
Do NOT bind Ctrl-Z as Down. FC already uses Ctrl-Z as "end".
Do NOT bind Ctrl-A as Left. Editor uses Ctrl-A as "start".
Selection with inverse OFF is shown as <FILENAME> not a bar.
The block cursor on the 1 Help line is only the CRTC cursor.
2. Main window -- every letter
------------------------------
A -- B --
C Copy D Delete
E -- F --
G -- H Help
I Info J Confirm delete/overwrite (Ja)
K -- L Drive menu (then L / R / U)
M Move N No / cancel confirm
O -- P --
Q Quit R Reload both panes
S -- T Toggle left/right pane
U -- (after L: User) V View
W -- X Run .COM
Y -- Z --
Other main-window keys
Space Tag / untag this file
+ Tag by name mask
- Clear tags
ESC Cancel
1 Help 2 Info
3 View 4 Edit
5 Copy 6 Move
7 -- 8 Delete
9 Drive (Lw
0 Quit
Shift-1 Left pane drive Shift-2 Right pane drive
(Bee may send ! and " instead of Shift-1/2)
3. Same letters in View and Edit
--------------------------------
Key Viewer Editor
A Start of file hex digit / Ctrl-A = start
B Bit 7 (WordStar) / show PCX hex digit
C Clear graphics (VIS3) hex digit
E End of file hex digit
F Find (Ctrl-F = find next) hex digit
G -- Search again
H Hex mode Help
Q Leave Leave
S -- Save
T Text mode --
U Unwrap lines --
W Wrap lines --
Z -- Ctrl-Z = end of buffer
4. Why avoid C D H I L M Q R T V X as extra INI keys
----------------------------------------------------
FC reads one byte. If that byte is both a movement/extra key
and a command, you get a clash (Ctrl-Z jumped to XREF because
FC already treats Ctrl-Z as "go to end of list").
Letter commands use the plain ASCII letter (43h = C).
Ctrl letters are different bytes (^C = 03h), so Ctrl-D as
Right does not fire Delete. Plain D would.
Safe as extra INI keys in the MAIN window:
A B E F G K O P S W Y Z
Taken the moment you open View or Edit:
A E F G S W
Free in main, View and Edit:
K O P Y
5. Drive and pane
-----------------
T Toggle which pane is active
9 or L Drive menu, prompt:
Laufwerk Links / Rechts / User:
then L = left pane, R = right pane, U = user no.
then the drive letter (A..P) or user number
Both panes start on the launch drive (e.g. C0.
6. Screen language in this COM (Table 2)
----------------------------------------
CUP ESC = row+20h col+20h (ADM-3A, binary)
Home 1Eh
Clear 1Ah
CEOL ESC T (TVI-912 erase)
Cursor left 08h
Colour off
USB off
Frame ASCII | + -
If stray T characters appear when a pane redraws, the BIOS
does not implement ESC T. Say so and CEOL can be blanked.
7. How to run
-------------
Copy fc80-bee.com to the CP/M drive you start from.
A>FC80-BEE
Do not rename the file if you use X (run and return).
X steals 300h of TPA; very large programs may not start.
Memory-resident drivers cannot be loaded from inside FC.
8. Built date / package
-----------------------
FC 0.97 build 09.03.2024 19:20 © H.Poppe 2011-2024
Microbee key/screen patch 2026-09-11 Grok
Left ^S Right ^D Up ^W Down ^X or LF
Inverse Cursor 2026-09-15 ChatGpt
Generic German version written by Heiko Poppe, the original is in Deutsche. I used Grok to translate and ChatGpt to patch to provide the inverse cursor rather than the stock >filename.mwb< to allow easier identification. It is a bit quirky but a neat addition. Be aware that if you download the original and include the .ini the settings inthe .ini will override the patch.
Quick Hint T - swaps panes.
FileCommander 0.97 on Microbee
============================================================
Heiko Poppe FC 0.97 + Microbee ADM-3A / TVI-912 patch.
COM is 80-column, 24-row. On an 80x25 CRTC row 25 is unused.
0038h=01h so this COM does not load FC.INI. Do not rename it
if you want key X (run and return).
1. Keys baked into this COM (INI 0028h-0035h)
---------------------------------------------
Move Press Byte
Left Ctrl-S or BS 13h / 08h
Right Ctrl-D or Ctrl-L 04h / 0Ch
Up Ctrl-W 17h
Down Ctrl-X or LF 18h / 0Ah
Page up Ctrl-Q 11h
Page down Ctrl-R or Ctrl-U 12h / 15h
Extra pane swap Tab 09h (same job as T)
Do NOT bind Ctrl-Z as Down. FC already uses Ctrl-Z as "end".
Do NOT bind Ctrl-A as Left. Editor uses Ctrl-A as "start".
Selection with inverse OFF is shown as <FILENAME> not a bar.
The block cursor on the 1 Help line is only the CRTC cursor.
2. Main window -- every letter
------------------------------
A -- B --
C Copy D Delete
E -- F --
G -- H Help
I Info J Confirm delete/overwrite (Ja)
K -- L Drive menu (then L / R / U)
M Move N No / cancel confirm
O -- P --
Q Quit R Reload both panes
S -- T Toggle left/right pane
U -- (after L: User) V View
W -- X Run .COM
Y -- Z --
Other main-window keys
Space Tag / untag this file
+ Tag by name mask
- Clear tags
ESC Cancel
1 Help 2 Info
3 View 4 Edit
5 Copy 6 Move
7 -- 8 Delete
9 Drive (Lw
0 QuitShift-1 Left pane drive Shift-2 Right pane drive
(Bee may send ! and " instead of Shift-1/2)
3. Same letters in View and Edit
--------------------------------
Key Viewer Editor
A Start of file hex digit / Ctrl-A = start
B Bit 7 (WordStar) / show PCX hex digit
C Clear graphics (VIS3) hex digit
E End of file hex digit
F Find (Ctrl-F = find next) hex digit
G -- Search again
H Hex mode Help
Q Leave Leave
S -- Save
T Text mode --
U Unwrap lines --
W Wrap lines --
Z -- Ctrl-Z = end of buffer
4. Why avoid C D H I L M Q R T V X as extra INI keys
----------------------------------------------------
FC reads one byte. If that byte is both a movement/extra key
and a command, you get a clash (Ctrl-Z jumped to XREF because
FC already treats Ctrl-Z as "go to end of list").
Letter commands use the plain ASCII letter (43h = C).
Ctrl letters are different bytes (^C = 03h), so Ctrl-D as
Right does not fire Delete. Plain D would.
Safe as extra INI keys in the MAIN window:
A B E F G K O P S W Y Z
Taken the moment you open View or Edit:
A E F G S W
Free in main, View and Edit:
K O P Y
5. Drive and pane
-----------------
T Toggle which pane is active
9 or L Drive menu, prompt:
Laufwerk Links / Rechts / User:
then L = left pane, R = right pane, U = user no.
then the drive letter (A..P) or user number
Both panes start on the launch drive (e.g. C0
.6. Screen language in this COM (Table 2)
----------------------------------------
CUP ESC = row+20h col+20h (ADM-3A, binary)
Home 1Eh
Clear 1Ah
CEOL ESC T (TVI-912 erase)
Cursor left 08h
Colour off
USB off
Frame ASCII | + -
If stray T characters appear when a pane redraws, the BIOS
does not implement ESC T. Say so and CEOL can be blanked.
7. How to run
-------------
Copy fc80-bee.com to the CP/M drive you start from.
A>FC80-BEE
Do not rename the file if you use X (run and return).
X steals 300h of TPA; very large programs may not start.
Memory-resident drivers cannot be loaded from inside FC.
8. Built date / package
-----------------------
FC 0.97 build 09.03.2024 19:20 © H.Poppe 2011-2024
Microbee key/screen patch 2026-09-11 Grok
Left ^S Right ^D Up ^W Down ^X or LF
Inverse Cursor 2026-09-15 ChatGpt