Release TinyLauncher Run Amiga WHDLoad Games


Oh, just forgot:


In case you find some games that don't work in the TinyLauncher setup but do work when using WHDLoad from your Workbench setup, let me know which ones.


I'll look into them then.
 
I have to take a look at all this soon. So far I used my own primitive launch-menu-system for this.


ED, can you give an example of one or a few games that do not run from a HDdir? I am curious about this for usage not related to tinylauncher, too.


If HDfiles really are the better option, then I personally would like to see amiga-filesystem-support compiled into the kernel as module (I guess it is not so far). Then you could simply loop-mount the HDfile and access your amiga-data that way. Just a proposal.
 
I have to take a look at all this soon. So far I used my own primitive launch-menu-system for this.


ED, can you give an example of one or a few games that do not run from a HDdir? I am curious about this for usage not related to tinylauncher, too.

Not sure which ones, just read that there are some games that have chars in their names that don't work correctly from a directory.

If HDfiles really are the better option, then I personally would like to see amiga-filesystem-support compiled into the kernel as module (I guess it is not so far). Then you could simply loop-mount the HDfile and access your amiga-data that way. Just a proposal.

There's amiga filesystem support for kernels? :eek:
 
If you use "make menuconfig" for configuring your kernel, then you can find it in:


File systems ---> Miscellaneous filesystems ---> Amiga FFS file system support (EXPERIMENTAL)



Code:
  │ CONFIG_AFFS_FS:                                                                                         │  

  │                                                                                                         │  

  │ The Fast File System (FFS) is the common file system used on hard                                       │  

  │ disks by Amiga(tm) systems since AmigaOS Version 1.3 (34.20).  Say Y                                    │  

  │ if you want to be able to read and write files from and to an Amiga                                     │  

  │ FFS partition on your hard drive.  Amiga floppies however cannot be                                     │  

  │ read with this driver due to an incompatibility of the floppy                                           │  

  │ controller used in an Amiga and the standard floppy controller in                                       │  

  │ PCs and workstations. Read <file:Documentation/filesystems/affs.txt>                                    │  

  │ and <file:fs/affs/Changes>.                                                                             │  

  │                                                                                                         │  

  │ With this driver you can also mount disk files used by Bernd                                            │  

  │ Schmidt's Un*X Amiga Emulator                                                                           │  

  │ (<http://www.freiburg.linux.de/~uae/>).                                                                 │  

  │ If you want to do this, you will also need to say Y or M to "Loop                                       │  

  │ device support", above.                                                                                 │  

  │                                                                                                         │  

  │ To compile this file system support as a module, choose M here: the                                     │  

  │ module will be called affs.  If unsure, say N.                                                          │  

  │                                                                                                         │  

  │ Symbol: AFFS_FS [=m]                                                                                    │  

  │ Type  : tristate                                                                                        │  

  │ Prompt: Amiga FFS file system support (EXPERIMENTAL)                                                    │  

  │   Defined at fs/affs/Kconfig:1                                                                          │  

  │   Depends on: MISC_FILESYSTEMS [=y] && BLOCK [=y] && EXPERIMENTAL [=y]                                  │  

  │   Location:                                                                                             │  

  │     -> File systems                                                                                     │  

  │       -> Miscellaneous filesystems (MISC_FILESYSTEMS [=y])                                              │


I'm surprised to see that it's still experimental. It exists since many years.
 
ah I give up with this...


in winuae all I get is [loading] then either garbled black and white screen, reboot and guru.. or a straight guru..


I fixed the import of games...


I use my hardfile in uae4all and it doesn`t boot.. says a non dos disk HD0 ( with a wb screen in the background )


:(
 
This is the error I got when I tried to use a hdfile size greater than 1000 MB
 
Oh.. I made an 880mb one.. Maybe I sold just got for a 200mb one...


Thanks :) . I'll try that..


Still doesn't get away from the fact that all the games I tried In Winuae errored :(
 
Just use the preconfigured HDF from ED - it's 1000 MB and works fine (zipped it's only 12 MB).


With the WHDLoad-archive as HD dir and the HDF you can even setup everything on Pandora in uae4all.
 
Ok... I`ve got further with Ed`s hd file


Now.. all the ones I`ve tried ECS... give me a red flashing screen..


and bodyblowsAGA is at a green screen and locked up the Pandora :(


This is what I have in Devs/Kickstarts on the roof of the hdf


Kick40068.a1200


Kick40068.a4000


Kick33180.a500


Kick34005.a500


Kick33180.a500.rtb


Kick34005.a500.rtb


Kick40068.a1200.rtb


Kick40068.a4000.rtb
 
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Now I've tried more games, I've quite a few that dint play nice with Tinylauncher, but I must double check and see how they play normally, I'll have to compile a list!
 
I put them in Devs/kickstarts if I remember correctly?


When I set up a hdf using ClassicWB Lite, a certain amount of rtb files were installed into that directory. I just took the appropriate kick start files and renamed them to match the rtb file names?
 
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Well I tried this out and want to say thanks to ED for putting this package together.


Cannon Fodder is so much better as a HDD installed game!


I do want to ask though, it seems to take a while to load a game - is this purely because I currently don't have a WHDLoad key?


EDIT: As a sidenote, I used my netbook in Win7 to setup the files using WinUAE... and it stutters more than the Pandora o_O
 
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A sidenote that I wanted to mention about some games possibly not working with HDdirs instead of HDfiles: I could imagine that the problems with special characters in the directories/files are related to HDdirs with Amiga-emulators on Windows. Linux might work better/flawless. Related to tinylauncher there is still the problem that it doesn't support HDdirs, though.
 
I do want to ask though, it seems to take a while to load a game - is this purely because I currently don't have a WHDLoad key?

The delay that is caused by a non-registred WHDLoad is the one that occurs when the blue WHDLoad-start-screen appears. Everything before that is caused by the Workbench-setup or - afterwards - by the game.
 
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I put them in Devs/kickstarts if I remember correctly?


When I set up a hdf using ClassicWB Lite, a certain amount of rtb files were installed into that directory. I just took the appropriate kick start files and renamed them to match the rtb file names?

Yes. AFAIR most files (PAT/RTB) are copied by the WHDLoad installation to that directory. And you copy the kickstart-roms in the same folder and rename them correctly. For example "kick40068.A1200" (no file-extension at the end) for the Amiga1200-kickstart Kickstart v3.1 rev 40.68.
 
I am finding that a lot of games don't seem to work for me, but I must try them under a HD Dir and see do they work on there. Maybe the Pandora Amiga doesn't quite like the WHDload files I throw at it! ;)
 
Hello,


I managed to get tiny launcher up and working, and I must say if I can get all the games I like working on it will be the best thing since sliced bread...and I like bread! A couple of questions for the community if you please.


Firstly here's the one's I've got working and those which I haven't got working (plenty more to test obviously!). This is using 8mb Fast Ram


Speedball 2 OK


Super cars 2 OK


5th gear OK


Alien breed OK


BIP OK


Wings of fury NO


Wings OK


Dune 2 NO


Gods OK


Magic Pockets OK


IK+ OK


It came from the desert NO (goes to grey workbench screen, HD light and SD light flashing a lot but nothing happens)


Persian Gulf Inferno NO (goes to grey workbench screen, HD light and SD light flashing a lot but nothing happens)


Xenon 2 OK


Moonstone NO (crashed after starting sequence)


Full Contact OK


Syndicate NO


Golden Axe OK


Questions:


How to exit back to the tiny launcher menu. I read it was [R] and Q. What key is [R] as I can't get it to work?


It was mentioned that if you want to add some more games it skips those that are already present so doesn't take as long to copy from WHDLoad to hard file. I'm not seeing this, it seems to be taking the same amount of time. Do I need to only have the new games in the WHDload folder or can I just add the new games to all the existing games int he WHDload folder and it knows to only transfer the ones not present to the hardfile? Hope that makes sense.


When you start a game in tiny launcher there seems to be about a twenty second delay before the HD light springs into action and the game starts to load. What is this delay and is there anyway to beat it, as it seems to lose a lot of the benefit of the HD access?


Thanks


Mark
 
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