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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: Brian on April 09, 2017, 05:22:37 PM

Title: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: Brian on April 09, 2017, 05:22:37 PM
Is it possible to make a 512K 3.9 Kickstart ROM for my A600 without removing workbench.library using 3.9 romupdate, boingbag update files and better but smaller 3rd party alternatives?

I know A600 can do 1MB ROM's but that's not an option for my project and although the loss of the workbench.library wouldn't be the end of the world it would be nice if the ROM could be complete. :D
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: utri007 on April 09, 2017, 06:12:54 PM
I'm 99% sure that is not possible. I have 1mb kickstart and I'm very happy with it.

Leaving workbench library out, is way to potential "lethal problems", if you hard drive gets broke and you can't find a floppy with workbench.library.

Updated scsi.device and filesystems on rom is very nice to have. Prety much every hard drive I have tried works now.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: kolla on April 09, 2017, 06:55:56 PM
Why do you want it in ROM?

If you have OS3.9, I presume you have a hard drive? You can load workbench.library and icon.library to be boot resident from hard drive using LoadModule, and after that they will be there even if you boot from floppy, till you either remove them or power off.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: amiadudeorwat on April 09, 2017, 07:42:03 PM
You don't need to loadresident or loadmodule icon.library or workbench.library under 3.9.  If you need to boot an old game that tries to start workbench to launch it, you could be boned, but you could always softkick for those scenarios.  

None of this matters for whdload however.

In answer to the original question, no I don't think you can fit 3.9 in 512kb unless you find special resourced versions of everything that trims every last byte possible, but then I don't think you could fit workbench 45.132 in there too.  Easier to just leave out workbench.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: kolla on April 09, 2017, 08:10:00 PM
Quote from: amiadudeorwat;824381
You don't need to loadresident or loadmodule icon.library or workbench.library under 3.9.  If you need to boot an old game that tries to start workbench to launch it, you could be boned, but you could always softkick for those scenarios.


Well, if you have an A600 accelerator card that allows softkicking, I know my Apollo 630 is not easily softkicked.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: psxphill on April 09, 2017, 08:44:00 PM
Quote from: kolla;824382
Well, if you have an A600 accelerator card that allows softkicking, I know my Apollo 630 is not easily softkicked.


mkick should work as long as you have fast ram. Whether it will cope with 1mb custom roms is another matter, but it should be possible in theory.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: kolla on April 09, 2017, 09:11:51 PM
Quote from: psxphill;824383
mkick should work as long as you have fast ram. Whether it will cope with 1mb custom roms is another matter, but it should be possible in theory.

Nope, mkick does not work, and I only use 512kB kickstarts.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: utri007 on April 09, 2017, 09:57:36 PM
With 1mb kickstart there is only two options for softkick.

RemApollo and MuLibs, both requires MMU.

CPU command with fastrom switch works also, but it can lead problems.
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: kolla on April 09, 2017, 09:59:31 PM
Even RemApollo doesn't work with the Apollo 630 :)
(and yes, this 030 has MMU, I used it for OpenBSD once upon a time)
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: Brian on April 09, 2017, 10:49:13 PM
Quote from: kolla;824379
Why do you want it in ROM?

If you have OS3.9, I presume you have a hard drive? You can load workbench.library and icon.library to be boot resident from hard drive using LoadModule, and after that they will be there even if you boot from floppy, till you either remove them or power off.


It would just be nice to have it in ROM that's all, I never liked the idea of systemcritical files not being in ROM when 99% of the software assumes it is.

I'm setting up a multiboot A600 that boots into WB1.3, WB2.1, OS3.1 and OS3.9 but right now I have to do it manually since I can't just go on ROM version check alone... since all OS'es have their own partition it's no big issue having wb.lib on disk for 3.9 and since I can always switch OS in case a disk don't work propperly without wb.lib it's not critical, just a nice thing to have if possible. ;)
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: kolla on April 09, 2017, 11:20:37 PM
I'm curious - how do you switch kickstarts?
Title: Re: 512K 3.9 ROM, how?
Post by: Brian on April 10, 2017, 08:33:49 AM
Quote from: kolla;824390
I'm curious - how do you switch kickstarts?


Currently have a triple ROM switch but it's a thing I need to work out, not sure exactly how yet. The easy solution would be to combine the switch I have with another dual ROM switch to get a 4'th ROM position. But I'm thinking of neater solutions, maybe make a 1MB ROM switch and have 2 ROM's in each chip or use a dual ROM switch together with piggybacking ROM's.