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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: Everblue on January 12, 2007, 03:32:21 PM

Title: Chip mem question
Post by: Everblue on January 12, 2007, 03:32:21 PM
I have an A4000 setup with HDD etc., and I am having an annoying problem with chipmem, most of the time there is not enough chipmem to run certain games - for example when i open a busy drawer and close it again, some chipmem 'disappears'.

1. Is there a way to 'flush' stuff which is in memory and is not in use any more?

2. Is there a way to 'patch'  some fastmem as CHIP?

Thanks guys!
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: McVenco on January 12, 2007, 03:36:31 PM
1. If you change the line "LoadWB" into "LoadWB debug" in your startup-sequence, you will have an option "flushlibs" in your WB menu. It will get rid of any libraries in memory that are not in use. There's also another option, but I don't remember what it's called, only that the WB hangs when used :-)

2. Not as far as I know...
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: AmiDude on January 12, 2007, 03:45:32 PM
You can also open a shell and type the following command:
"avail flush"
The flush option frees memory by removing all unused
libs, devices, fonts and catalogs.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: keropi on January 12, 2007, 04:11:34 PM
If u wanna have ~2MB free chipmem all the time, I suggest you install a graphics card on your amiga...
not only u will use wb in high resolutions and color, it will be way faster too!
plus u get to use a better normal VGA monitor...
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Everblue on January 12, 2007, 04:19:51 PM
How do games look on a TFT monitor via Picasso IV, or a scandoubler/flicker fixer?
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: keropi on January 12, 2007, 04:31:01 PM
games (like whdload ones) use the amiga chipset directly and not the rtg card. so u need a scandoubler too (picassoIV has one onboard) and they look great!
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Everblue on January 12, 2007, 04:46:54 PM
I was wondering if games on a TFT (with scandoubler) would look blurred as it would not be at a native resolution, or I am wrong?
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Steady on January 12, 2007, 05:15:03 PM
Quote

McVenco wrote:
There's also another option, but I don't remember what it's called, only that the WB hangs when used :-)


FYI, the Workbench appears to hang because the 'other' option starts the ROM debugger (ROM Wack or SAD). This stops multitasking and all interaction is done via the serial port at 9600 baud. If you have a terminal or computer running a terminal program attached you can control the Amiga from there. When you exit the debugger from the terminal, the Amiga will continue on as normal if possible.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: LoadWB on January 12, 2007, 05:16:05 PM
Not really.  I have a Dell 1901 and a 2001, and both look just fine with SD/FF'd games.  Although the image is not exactly center on the screen.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Piru on January 12, 2007, 05:18:42 PM
@Steady

Speaking of SAD, I haven't seen any control program for it, so it could be a bit tricky to use (or exit). ROM Wack used ascii commands at least...
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Steady on January 12, 2007, 05:28:08 PM
@ Piru

Hmmm... sounds like a bit of a pain. I never attempted to use SAD, so I hadn't realised that. I guess C= had plans of a pretty interface on the client side, but it never happened.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: A4000_Mad on January 12, 2007, 05:54:23 PM
@ Everblue

I used to have the same problem with not having enough chip ram to run games, especially if I had opened up drawers which are inside drawers, as ram is used to display all their icons of course.

My solution was to put all the icons which start my games and utils onto a great program called 'ToolsDaemon'. You can then start anything with a simple right click of the mouse and scroll up to a menu at the top of the screen. No need to even open up a partition or a drawer  :-)

(Yeah I know this doesn't show off any intelligence  :lol: )


A4000 Mad
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Vulture on January 12, 2007, 06:42:46 PM
you have installed fblit, haven't you? if not, you should. That won't fix the problem you described (avail flush and loadwb -debug will tho), but it'll give you much more chip to start with by putting many stuff in the fast RAM with the nice side-effect of speeding up your system because of that.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: derringer3 on January 12, 2007, 06:56:51 PM
If you use os3.9 try workbench in prefs. You can set the images load in other mem. (Fast memory) Of course you need fast mem.
So you can save chip mem
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: AmigaMance on January 12, 2007, 08:15:51 PM
 Right. Do what Vulture and derringer3 said and it's also a good idea to install SystemPatch right after FBlit. This will save you many KBs of chip ram.
 If you have OS3.5 you can use the WBCtrl command with the right arguments instead of workbench prefs.

Quote
2. Is there a way to 'patch' some fastmem as CHIP?

 There are some patches which do something like this but they are hacks and cause problems like loss of sound. MemPatch of MCP is one of them.
Title: Re: Chip mem question
Post by: Everblue on January 12, 2007, 09:38:33 PM
Thanks guys for the many suggestions :) I will try some of them.