Workbench Question

[Ilwrath]

I'm just wondering, since my amiga has kickstart 1.3, am I able to run Workbench 2.x at all? Does the ROM have to match?

Correct that you can not run Workbench 2.x at all.  It checks for the ROM at startup.  The only way around this would be to softkick the 2.x ROM image, which will chew up some of your RAM, provided you have more than 1.5 meg total.  If you have only 1MB RAM, I don't think you can softkick.

As I remember it, for 1.x and 2.x, the major number matters.  
ie,
you can run Workbench 1.3 from a 1.2 ROM.  
or you can run Workbench 2.1 from a 2.04 ROM.  
but you can't run Workbench 2.04 from a 1.3 ROM.
This held true a bit into 3.0 series, as you can run Workbench 3.1 from a 3.0 ROM, as well.

Then it all went wacky with 3.5 requiring a 3.1 rom.  :-P

[Ilwrath]

It's in workbench 2.1 and above.

Correct.  CrossDOS was NOT in Workbench 2.04.

WB2.1 will run on a 2.04 ROM, though.

However, unless you can source the 2.1 workbench and 2.04 ROM very cheaply, it might make more sense to take the plunge all the way to 3.1, just to be current.  Lots of stuff requires at least 3.0 or greater.