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Amigakit Hardware => A600GS & A1200NG => Topic started by: Lordberti on August 11, 2025, 06:45:40 PM

Title: Problems with HDF
Post by: Lordberti on August 11, 2025, 06:45:40 PM
Hello, what makes more sense — installing a system as a directory, or rather working with HDFs and e.g., PFS3? Which is the faster and more compatible option?
It would also be nice to be able to create an HDF, for example 4 GB for the Workbench and 64 GB for the Work partition. What’s the best way to do this?

The HDFs I previously used on the Raspberry Pi with DietPi and Amiberry are all not bootable on the A1200NG.

Maybe one of the testers with YouTube channels could pick this up sometime and make a well-explained, easy-to-follow video: creating an HDF, setting up PFS or SFS, and integrating it into the A1200NG.
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: F0LLETT on August 12, 2025, 09:09:08 AM
If I recall, for 1200NG, you need a non-RDB HDF?
Not really played around with HDF as yet.
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: Lordberti on August 17, 2025, 01:26:28 AM
Hi, there are a few things I really don’t get: Why don’t HDFs with RDB work? On other systems with PC/Mac Amiberry or WinUAE they do just fine. Also, why is there no option to create an HDF directly from the menu? That really needs to be added.
So far I haven’t been able to create a bootable HDF at all. Whenever I make an empty HDF in WinUAE — for example without an RDB — booting from the Installer 3.2 disk makes the mouse stop working. Overall, HDF handling just behaves really oddly.
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: E5150 on August 17, 2025, 02:31:50 PM
Hi, there are a few things I really don’t get: Why don’t HDFs with RDB work? On other systems with PC/Mac Amiberry or WinUAE they do just fine. Also, why is there no option to create an HDF directly from the menu? That really needs to be added.
So far I haven’t been able to create a bootable HDF at all. Whenever I make an empty HDF in WinUAE — for example without an RDB — booting from the Installer 3.2 disk makes the mouse stop working. Overall, HDF handling just behaves really oddly.

I am playing around with HDF and custom systems quite a lot on A600GS. The only way to make it work is to create NON-RDB HDF in WinUAE or Amiberry and then import them to the custom system. I made couple of them in various sizes (500mb, 1GB, 8GB, 16GB...), named them i.e. 1GB_EMPTY_HDF.hdf and copy them over to the flash drive. Then I import desired one to the custom system and install OS and use them for WORK. Remeber you don't need to make new one each time in emulator just keep them on your flash drive because custom system copies the selected empty HDF to your A600GS/1200NG. I have many custom systems working and please let me know if you need any help. cheers
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: Lordberti on August 18, 2025, 08:43:20 PM
I just tried it with an HDF without RDB – that works, the hard drive shows up and can be formatted. But what doesn’t work now, or at least I don’t know how it’s supposed to work without HDToolbox, is how to format it with PFS3. That only seems to work with RDB HDFs.
Right now the whole situation feels half-baked – proper RDB support like in WinUAE, Amiberry, or FS-UAE is really needed. Still, thanks a lot for taking the time to help me with my issue.
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: F0LLETT on August 19, 2025, 12:33:40 AM
I just tried it with an HDF without RDB – that works, the hard drive shows up and can be formatted. But what doesn’t work now, or at least I don’t know how it’s supposed to work without HDToolbox, is how to format it with PFS3. That only seems to work with RDB HDFs.
Right now the whole situation feels half-baked – proper RDB support like in WinUAE, Amiberry, or FS-UAE is really needed. Still, thanks a lot for taking the time to help me with my issue.

It is using Amiberry. If your using non RDB, its not a big issue, just means you are using uaehf.device.
Whats it formatting as at present?
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: F0LLETT on August 19, 2025, 04:06:17 PM
I just tried it with an HDF without RDB – that works, the hard drive shows up and can be formatted. But what doesn’t work now, or at least I don’t know how it’s supposed to work without HDToolbox, is how to format it with PFS3. That only seems to work with RDB HDFs.
Right now the whole situation feels half-baked – proper RDB support like in WinUAE, Amiberry, or FS-UAE is really needed. Still, thanks a lot for taking the time to help me with my issue.

Have you tried setting up custom system. Apparently your able to select full RDB there.
I have not tried this myself. Maybe someone else can confirm?
Title: Re: Problems with HDF
Post by: Lordberti on August 19, 2025, 11:14:36 PM
At the moment it apparently only works with CF cards, where there are no issues. With HDF files, however, the necessary support is missing – specifically the HDF handling with RDB support. There is no checkbox for that, and it would also be nice to have a direct option in the menu to create them, with or without RDB.