Amiga.org

Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 08:44:39 AM

Title: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 08:44:39 AM
Hello!

This is my first post here and I hope this is the right forum for this subject :-)

I would like to program a couple of EPROMs for my A4000T with a custom 3.9 Kickstart, since now I have been using a "3.5" ROM (made with an Exec patch found on the net) for a while but would like to have in ROM the very latest updates from the AmigaOS ROM Update file.

So, does it exist a piece of software which, given a base Kickstart ROM file (in my case, the A4000T's 40.70), can extract from it the various parts (e.g. devices), then let you substitute them with new code (e.g. newer Exec and devices), finally assembling a file which can be programmed into ROM?

I hope my English is quite understandable, thank you!
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: alexh on November 20, 2006, 08:53:03 AM
Search for ROMSplit and Remus
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: keropi on November 20, 2006, 09:05:49 AM
maybe it is time to consider a KickFlashOS4.
1MB of flash, store there your own KS, a single reboot amiga. it is cool.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: McVenco on November 20, 2006, 09:39:26 AM
Quote
I would like to program a couple of EPROMs for my A4000T with a custom 3.9 Kickstart, since now I have been using a "3.5" ROM (made with an Exec patch found on the net) for a while but would like to have in ROM the very latest updates from the AmigaOS ROM Update file.


Check THIS thread (http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=22929), there are some people who have made their own 3.9 ROMs. Maybe they can help you out.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 10:12:11 AM
In particular check my post dated 2006/6/16 11:04. It details exactly how to do it.

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 10:32:24 AM
Well I just built a 1 MB ROM file using Remus, now I am going to burn it into a couple of 27C400s, I hope it will work fine :-) In case of success I would produce a 3.9 for my A1200 too!
Otherwise I will have a look at that thread, thank you guys!
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 10:35:38 AM
Is the A4000s Kickstart ROM 1MB in size?

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 10:44:04 AM
Quote
motorollin wrote:
Is the A4000s Kickstart ROM 1MB in size?


No it is 512 KB however there should be provision for 1 MB ROM code. At least, I hope so... This is because on the A600 the ROM socket has two more pins, for using larger ROMs, so maybe the A4000 can, too.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 10:47:14 AM
So does the A1200, but it won't use it. The extra 512K will be ignored.

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: TjLaZer on November 20, 2006, 11:46:23 AM
I have a question.  How are BlizKick modules added to a ROM? Just add them in with that ROM tool?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 12:48:35 PM
Yes you just select the module in the right pane of Remus and add it to the ROM image, just the same as a component of a ROM image.

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 12:59:34 PM
Quote
motorollin wrote:
So does the A1200, but it won't use it. The extra 512K will be ignored.


I thought I managed to get a 512 KB 3.9 working on my A1200, (much better for "debug" than the A4000T, one doesn't have to mess with the CPU board). I say I tought because I get the insert disk screen, yes, but if I start to load a floppy then it reboots with "Software failure" :-(
Same if I connect an hard disk...

Will also try with 1 MB, but it is a pity if it doesn't work :-(
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 01:29:19 PM
The only way to get more than 512KB in your Kickstart ROM is if you use exec from the CD32 ROM (which does have a 1MB ROM). As for the hanging problem, what does your ROM image contain, and what did you try to run? Did you follow my instructions exactly, including the operations in WinHex and the swap byte operation before burning the chips?

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 03:58:54 PM
Quote
motorollin wrote:
The only way to get more than 512KB in your Kickstart ROM is if you use exec from the CD32 ROM (which does have a 1MB ROM).


Interesting... Who knows if AmigaOS ROM Update contains an updated version of the CD32 Exec too?

Quote
As for the hanging problem, what does your ROM image contain, and what did you try to run? Did you follow my instructions exactly, including the operations in WinHex and the swap byte operation before burning the chips?


Well I had actually missed the "shell", which is a required component :-) As for the operations, I do them under DOS with the utilities of my burner.
Now I have a 512 KB 3.9 ROM containing all the A1200-related updates from OS 3.9 Boing Bag 2, less the workbench.library loaded from hard disk thanks to FindWB from A4000T ROM, plus some BlizKick fix.

Next step, the A4000T release  8-)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 05:08:12 PM
Quote
fiat1100d wrote:
Interesting... Who knows if AmigaOS ROM Update contains an updated version of the CD32 Exec too?

I don't know. Just open the ROMUpdate in Remus and it will show all the different versions of exec and which architecture they are designed for. If there's not a CD32 specific version and you really must have a 1MB ROM, then you will have to use the 3.1 version of CD32 exec.

Quote
fiat1100d wrote:
Well I had actually missed the "shell", which is a required component :-) As for the operations, I do them under DOS with the utilities of my burner.

Ahhh, that would explain it :-)

Quote
fiat1100d wrote:
Now I have a 512 KB 3.9 ROM containing all the A1200-related updates from OS 3.9 Boing Bag 2, less the workbench.library loaded from hard disk thanks to FindWB from A4000T ROM, plus some BlizKick fix.

Congratulations :-)

Quote
fiat1100d wrote:
Next step, the A4000T release  8-)

I would be interested to hear how you get on with this, since I will hopefully be changing my A1200 for an A4000D fairly soon. Are the chips the same?

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 20, 2006, 05:18:29 PM
Quote

motorollin wrote:
The only way to get more than 512KB in your Kickstart ROM is if you use exec from the CD32 ROM (which does have a 1MB ROM).


Have you had any success with a 1MB ROM yet?

BTW, a couple of things I've found out with regards to Remus.
1. Don't add the LocalFast Blizkick module, it doesn't work from inside the ROM
2. The CD32 exec doesn't display a guru on reset, it just restarts as if nothing happened. I've done a patch to modify all other exec's to allow a 1MB ROM to work, I'll stick it on the site later if anyone's interested.

Oh well, back to messing about with CDTV and CD32 extended ROMS  :headwall:
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 05:46:22 PM
@Doobrey
I haven't tried it yet. The thought of dismantling my tower, removing/erasing/reflashing/replacing the ROMs, then rebuilding the tower is too scary to even think about at the moment. The one thing I've learned about Amigas over the years is that if they're working, don't mess with them :-) Mind you, I suppose I could BlizKick the 1MB ROM to test it. Hmmm......

I would definitely be interested in the patch to allow 1MB ROM using the A1200's exec, as I don't have a CD32 to rip the ROM from. If you upload it, let me know please :-)

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Craven1200 on November 20, 2006, 05:54:01 PM
would it be possible to add the  ata3.driver from the fastata package to a rom image ?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: jj on November 20, 2006, 05:56:24 PM
that is spooky, was just replying to ask that very question
craven
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Craven1200 on November 20, 2006, 06:03:40 PM
great minds ...... ;)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: motorollin on November 20, 2006, 06:03:50 PM
I don't think so. That driver is an executable programme, not a ROM module. It might be possible to modify the driver so it is BlizKick-able, which would mean you could insert it in to a ROM image. But I don't think it will work in its present form.

--
moto
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 06:21:18 PM
Quote
motorollin wrote:
I would be interested to hear how you get on with this, since I will hopefully be changing my A1200 for an A4000D fairly soon. Are the chips the same?


Ok it works on A4000T too. Yes the chips are the same, I use 27C400 EPROMs, filled with two copies of the ROM...

Quote
Doobrey wrote:
2. The CD32 exec doesn't display a guru on reset, it just restarts as if nothing happened. I've done a patch to modify all other exec's to allow a 1MB ROM to work, I'll stick it on the site later if anyone's interested.


I would be very interested, since in that way I could have everything in ROM without having to load from hard disk, plus some more storage space in case I install new hardware with ROMmable drivers :-)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 20, 2006, 07:19:29 PM
Quote

Craven1200 wrote:
would it be possible to add the  ata3.driver from the fastata package to a rom image ?


I don't have a fastata/powerflyer, but if the driver is anything like the one for their 4xEIDE'99 interface,  not easily done  :-(

For a start, it's not 'rommable' code, it'll only run in RAM (easy enough to write a wrapper to copy it from ROM to RAM and start it though)
But IIRC, it loads a prefs file from ENV: ,that'll require a bit of patching to bundle the driver and prefs file together and make the driver take its settings from there..
But that'll probably incur the wrath of Elbox
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 20, 2006, 07:34:13 PM
Quote

motorollin wrote:
I would definitely be interested in the patch to allow 1MB ROM using the A1200's exec, as I don't have a CD32 to rip the ROM from. If you upload it, let me know please :-)


OK, just uploaded it to the usual place (http://www.doobreynet.co.uk/beta/index.html).
Just add the patch to the buildlist, it only tweaks exec and so doesn't take any space up in the ROM, and works with all v40+v45 execs (and Piru's exec44b4 too)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 20, 2006, 07:50:14 PM
Thank you, will try as soon as I can, and hopefully 1 MB ROM will work, that would be VERY nice! :-D
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: alexh on November 21, 2006, 12:43:25 AM
Doobrey we appreciate everything you've done for this area. I have made my ROMS but I cannot get the chips out of my board without a chip-pulling tool (Normally I use a screwdriver, but they are stuck in so damn tight and I dont want to fubar my new A4k-CR)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: J-Golden on November 21, 2006, 02:05:56 AM
I don't have the means or the know how to make these beasts, but I really want one in my A4000T!!!


Is it leagal to sell a set to me?  If so, I would really be interested...
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: TjLaZer on November 21, 2006, 04:52:57 AM
So what kind of ROMs have you guys made?  I was playing around last night and got it working but had to remove workbench.library.  Is that a big deal?  When I tried it in WinUAE I had to remove MCP and it nagged there was no wb.lib!
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 21, 2006, 09:59:14 AM
Well yesterday evening I tried making a 1 MB ROM for the A1200 and it didn't work, got a black screen :-(

As for no workbench.library, it was standard with A4000T (space was needed for the built-in A4091 device) so its ROM has a small component called FindWB which is supposed to look for workbench.library in the LIBS drawer. With newer Amiga OS, however, an updated workbench.library is loaded so the one built into ROM is not required really.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: jj on November 21, 2006, 11:50:37 AM
@ doobrey

Yeah we had better not play around with the ata3 driver, or it will probable cause some code to wipe are harddrive or summon demons or somehting of that ilk
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 21, 2006, 02:57:52 PM
Ok, maybe I made a working combo of 512 KB Kickstart plus 512 KB Extended ROM, at least, WinUAE does load it and if I boot with no startup-sequence, well, the workbench.library I put into the Extended ROM is correctly seen (I removed the one from LIBS drawer of course).

Now if I want to try burning the files into EPROM, which one should be first, the KS code or Extended code?
As for the bases, I left F80000 for KS and used E00000 for Extended, is this right?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: TjLaZer on November 21, 2006, 03:14:25 PM
Should we be putting the FindWB in our ROMs?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 21, 2006, 05:26:25 PM
Quote

fiat1100d wrote:
Now if I want to try burning the files into EPROM, which one should be first, the KS code or Extended code?
As for the bases, I left F80000 for KS and used E00000 for Extended, is this right?


Yup, the addresses are correct.
The extended rom should be the first 512k, and then the standard rom added after that.
The extended rom must also have the example romheader added as the first module (this just makes the CPU start the code in the 'normal' ROM first, which then adds anything found in the 'extended' part)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 21, 2006, 05:35:04 PM
Quote

TjLaZer wrote:
Should we be putting the FindWB in our ROMs?


I've been without workbench.library or FindWB in ROM for the last couple of years without any problems. But the usual 'Your mileage may vary' disclaimer applies
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 21, 2006, 05:52:52 PM
Quote
Doobrey wrote:
The extended rom must also have the example romheader added as the first module (this just makes the CPU start the code in the 'normal' ROM first, which then adds anything found in the 'extended' part)


Hi! If I try to add "romheader", the Remus gives me an error which says "No resident found." :-(

It is the one into the others drawer, am I right?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 21, 2006, 07:05:41 PM
Ooops :evil:
It's fixed in the latest beta http://www.doobreynet.co.uk/beta/Remus_1-rc7.lha (http://www.doobreynet.co.uk/beta/Remus_1-rc7.lha)  (just copy all the files over the originals.)
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 21, 2006, 08:40:07 PM
Tried and Remus doesn't start anymore :-?
Does it need some additional component? My software setup is quite basic... I noticed there is an icon tooltype

XVS=YES

Will eventually have a look with SnoopDOS.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 21, 2006, 11:23:41 PM
Ooops #2
 I'd added some stuff that uses popupmenu.library.I just checked the code and saw a comment reminding myself to add an error message before exiting :roll:
 
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: lopos on November 22, 2006, 11:23:46 AM
Quote

Doobrey wrote:
Quote

motorollin wrote:
I would definitely be interested in the patch to allow 1MB ROM using the A1200's exec, as I don't have a CD32 to rip the ROM from. If you upload it, let me know please :-)


OK, just uploaded it to the usual place (http://www.doobreynet.co.uk/beta/index.html).
Just add the patch to the buildlist, it only tweaks exec and so doesn't take any space up in the ROM, and works with all v40+v45 execs (and Piru's exec44b4 too)


Where do I put the 1MegRom BK Patch? :-? Do I put it in the Remus Patches drawer? :-?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: AmiGeezer on November 22, 2006, 01:16:44 PM
Quote

alexh wrote:
Normally I use a screwdriver, but they are stuck in so damn tight and I dont want to fubar my new A4k-CR)


One thing you could try is to thread a plastic 'cable tie' under the chip lengthways, fasten it around the top and then you've got a nice handle to pull that pulls both ends of the chips at the same time. I've never done this myself but I've seen it done.

Cheers,
Matt
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: alexh on November 22, 2006, 02:46:26 PM
I've ordered a DIL extractor tool.

I want to play around a bit making 512k ROMS and 1Meg ones so I will probably get a ZIF socket to put in the sockets on the motherboard.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 24, 2006, 03:52:59 PM
Quote
Doobrey wrote:
Ooops #2
 I'd added some stuff that uses popupmenu.library.I just checked the code and saw a comment reminding myself to add an error message before exiting :roll:


It seems that wbstart.library is needed too. Now I managed to get that latest beta working, will try burning ROMs during the weekend.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 25, 2006, 09:12:17 AM
Ok! Managed to get the extended part of ROM working! :-D
However for having it recognized I had to disable MAPROM feature on my Blizzard 1230-IV. If I left it enabled, the system would boot from Kickstart 3.9 but won't see the extended part containing workbench.library

I noticed that software like SysInfo still reports the Kickstart ROM as 512 KB.

Do you know if it is possible to add in ROM a keymap? It would be nice for me to have the Italian keymap also when not executing Startup-Sequence.
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Doobrey on November 26, 2006, 07:51:59 PM
Quote

fiat1100d wrote:
Ok! Managed to get the extended part of ROM working! :-D

:banana: Wooohooo, first confirmed working 1MB ROM

Quote

Do you know if it is possible to add in ROM a keymap? It would be nice for me to have the Italian keymap also when not executing Startup-Sequence.


Yup, I wrote a little tool that takes a keymap file, and outputs a resident file that you can load into Remus/Blizkick MakeDefaultKeyMap.lha (http://www.doobreynet.co.uk/beta/MakeDefaultKeyMap.lha)  ..usual caveats about beta software apply :roll:
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on November 26, 2006, 09:47:10 PM
Of course I will have to do some more tests before confirming the 3.9 ROM as the one I will use for my Amigas as the final one :-)

Will try the keymap program, thank you!
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Johan Samuelsson on December 10, 2007, 07:10:35 AM
This thread rocks so much!
I just bought the needed gear to roll my own roms, is it possible to have my a1200 boot from compact flash? If so, what is needed? How? Has anyone tried it?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: Johan Samuelsson on December 26, 2007, 11:14:47 PM
I am having trouble making a 1mb rom.
blizkick says couldn't kick file 'devs:blah.rom'!
i have disabled the maprom thingie on my blizzard060.
i have added the romheader patch right after exec.
i have also added the 1mb blizkick module.

could someone write a small step by step guide?
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: fiat1100d on April 14, 2008, 10:15:03 AM
Hello,

I resume this thread after more than a year... Meanwhile, I solved some problems I had with my EPROM burner, finished part of the University... And now I am here again for completing the final 3.9 ROMs for my systems :-)

Does anyone know if the "ROMUpdate" module from Boing Bag 2 is really required for a 3.9 ROM to be complete? I mean, I tested on my A1200 a ROM without it and, deleting "AmigaOS ROM Update", it boots just fine, but by displaying the contents of that modules it shows the text

ROM Update Expansion Fix

and that there is no expansion.library updated module (it still is version 40.2 from 1993), I wonder if ROMUpdate does  anything useful other than, as I suppose, letting setpatch know that the "AmigaOS ROM Update" has been loaded.

Thanks!
Title: Re: Software for building custom Kickstart
Post by: DoogUK on March 02, 2009, 05:59:07 PM
Having a go at this myself...i've succesfuly built the 512k 44.57 (3.9) rom but cannot get the 1rc7 version of remus running to build the 1mb rom.