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Setting Up Mounts

Spectranext supports multiple filesystem types that can be mounted to access files over the network. You can mount TNFS (Spectranet File System) servers or HTTP(s) websites as filesystems, allowing you to access remote files directly from your ZX Spectrum.

Supported Filesystem Types​

TNFS (Traditional Network Filesystem)​

TNFS is a network file system protocol designed for 8-bit systems like the ZX Spectrum. It allows you to access files stored on a computer or server over the network with read/write capabilities.

HTTP(s) (Web-Based Filesystem)​

HTTP(s) filesystem allows you to mount HTTPS or HTTP URLs as read-only filesystems, enabling access to files hosted on web servers without requiring a dedicated TNFS server. Use HTTPS for public resources; plain HTTP is mainly useful for local testing.

Mounting Filesystems​

Once your Spectrum is connected to WiFi, you can mount filesystems at any of the 4 available mount points (0-3).

Mount point conventions

Spectranext follows a simple convention: 0 is the default local XFS filesystem, 1 is often reserved for loading Spectranext programs from HTTPS, and 3 is preferred for business and general application mounts (TNFS, HTTP(s) data, external resources). See Filesystem overview: mount points for the full picture.

Spectranext BASIC shorthand

In Spectranext BASIC, %mount "<url>" is a simplified form that mounts the URL into a free slot and switches %fs to that slot automatically.

This shorthand is not available on the original Spectranet. If you want BASIC compatibility with Spectranet, or you want to choose the mount slot explicitly, use the full form %mount <slot>, "<url>". For manual slot selection, slot 3 is usually the best choice for TNFS and HTTP(s) data mounts.

Best practice

Before mounting into a slot, it is best practice to unmount that slot first with %umount <slot>.

Mounting TNFS​

From Spectrum BASIC, mount a TNFS filesystem using the %mount command:

%mount "tnfs://tnfs-server.local/"

Or with just the hostname:

%mount "tnfs-server.local"

Parameter:

  • tnfs://tnfs-server.local/ - TNFS server address

Mounting HTTP(s)​

Mount an HTTP(s) filesystem to access files from a web server:

%mount "https://example.com/files/"

Parameter:

  • https://example.com/files/ - HTTPS URL pointing to a directory, preferred for public resources
  • http://192.168.1.20:8000/files/ - HTTP URL, typically for local testing

The URL should point to a directory on the web server. Files are fetched transparently over HTTP or HTTPS when accessed.

Using Mounted Filesystems​

Once mounted, you can use standard file operations with any mounted filesystem. When you use the simplified %mount "<url>" form, %fs is already switched to that filesystem.

Listing Files​

%cat     ; List files on the newly mounted filesystem

Loading Programs​

%aload "game.tap"  ; Load a program from the newly mounted filesystem

Opening Files​

%fopen #4, "data.bin", "r"    ; Open for reading

Switching Between Mount Points​

Use %fs to switch between mount points:

%fs 0    ; Switch to mount point 0 (default)
%fs 1    ; Switch to mount point 1
%fs 2    ; Switch to mount point 2
%fs 3    ; Switch to mount point 3

Unmounting​

To unmount a filesystem:

%umount 1    ; Unmount mount point 1

If you mounted with the simplified form and need to unmount it later, first check which slot you chose or use the full explicit %mount <slot>, "<url>" form from the start.

If you are about to remount a slot, unmount it first and then issue the new %mount.

Directory Listing Requirements​

TNFS​

TNFS servers typically provide directory listings automatically. No special configuration needed.

HTTP(s)​

For directory browsing to work with HTTP(s) filesystems, the web server must provide an index.txt file in each directory you want to browse. See HTTP(s) Filesystem documentation for details on the index.txt format.

Onboard XFS Filesystem​

In addition to network filesystems (TNFS/HTTP(s)), Spectranext includes an onboard XFS filesystem directly on the cartridge. This provides local storage that doesn't require a network connection. You can upload files directly to the cartridge using the Spectranext Browser or SPX command-line tools, and then access them from Spectrum programs:

%mount "xfs://ram/"

This makes it easy to transfer files from your computer to the cartridge for local access, without needing a network filesystem server. Uploaded files are temporary by default; commit selected files or directories to flash when they should survive power loss.

Next Steps​