help needed, just set up amiga 1200

[Munchkin]

First of all, lha is an archive extension. All filex are compressed with the program lha.

lha.run is a self extracting archive that you need to run, after that you have to copy the file lha to your C folder.

After that you can extract all those lha files to wherever you want them extracted like this in a cli window.

lha x filename.lha whereveryouwantit

to extract to ram you type like this:

lha x filename.lha ram:

idefix is probably an lha archive that you first need to extract like this and then run the install-script that's a part of the extracted files.

After that you should reboot and try to mount the CD. If the CD driver isn't automatically installed in devs:dosdrivers you can try to type

Mount CD0:

in a cli window.

[Munchkin]

The lha.run is selfextracting. You don't need a tool to extract it with.

Copy it to your ram-disk.

Open a shell (cli) window

in that type:

CD ram:  (press enter)

after that you type:

lha.run  (press enter)

now the file should extract itself.

you will see a few files extract.

Then you type like this:

Copy lha_68020 C:lha (press enter)

Now you should have lha installed so you can extract the other files.

[Munchkin]

This is Amiga in a nutshell. There are programs you can use to extract files through mouseclicks but not by default, that's something you need to download and install. Personally I prefer the original console way.

Shell is a console window so to speak. You open one by clicking on the Shell icon that you find in the System folder on your workbench partition.

in there you type those things.

[Munchkin]

I don't know what you expected really. But you picked up a 15 year old computer with a 15 year old operating system and compare it with the ease you have in windows that's 10 years newer0.

You need some patience, you can learn how to work with it. It just works in a different way.

I, and others here, will try our best to help you get started as much as we can.

[Munchkin]

There is rar and there is zip. Winrar and winzip are just shells/guis for those. When AmigaOS3.1 was new there weren't any of those for windows either, or they were just around the corner.

That's what I'm saying. Use a windows environment from 1992 and you will feel the same kind of frustration as you are now. That's what you have to compare with.

lha will work if you copy it to the right place, name it correctly and use it as it's supposed to.

It has to be in your C directory on your boot partition. It has to be named lha and nothing else. Then you have to be in the same folder as the file you want to extract or give a full path to it for it to work.

Then you have to give the correct arguments for it. If you just enter lha filename.lha nothing will happen except you'll see the list of commands. To extract you have to give the x argument. Syntax is as follows:

> lha x path:to/file.lha path:to/extraced

If you have changed directory (cd) to where the lha file is and you want to extract it in the same location you just type

> lha x file.lha

That's the simplest way.


I wonder if you got it right after you ran the selfextracting lha.run.

When you run that file it will extract these files:

lha_68020
lha_68040
lha_68k
lha_68k.readme

They should be in the same folder as you had the lha.run.

Depending on what CPU you want you need to copy one of them to your C

For a 1200 the safest bet is the lha_68020 file. That needs to be copied to C and renamed to just lha. This can be done easiest with typing this:

> copy lha_68020 C:lha

This copies the file lha_68020 to C and gives it the name lha in one go.

After that you should be able to extract any lha file no matter where you are on your harddrive. Just remember that both the compressed file and all the extracted files will still be there unless you do it in your ram disk since that will be cleared when you reboot. Extracting losts of files just anywhere on your harddrive will clog your file system up and make it difficult to read so keep that in mind. I always extract to ram: because of this.

Take that suggestion and download DirectoryOpus. It's a great file handling program but it's the same there, you need to exctract it before installing and it will need to have lha in C as well to work properly. It doesn't have lha built into it like winrar does for example.

Using an Amiga has a bit of a learning curve for someone who's used to a windows xp system or a mac system for that matter. There are some subtle differences, differences that I myself think are advantages. Probably because I'm used to them. I'm so used to using shell/console that I often do things in a DOS window when I'm in XP. Just feel more comfortable like that.

You will get everything working and you will learn, you just need some patience.

[Munchkin]

Sounds to me like you didn't rename/copy the right file that was unpacked when you ran lha.run

Try to type this:

> list C:lha

and tell us what size the lha file has

These are the files unpacked from the self extracting lha.run. You can see what sizes the different executables should be. I suggested you copy the lha_68020 and if you did the result of your list should then be 91512 bytes. If it's not then you have copied the wrong file.

Code: [Select]

lha_68k.readme                    1815 ----rw-d 13-Mar-06 23:33:18
lha_68k                          94020 ----rwed 13-Mar-06 22:25:20
lha_68040                        87296 ----rwed 19-Okt-05 13:16:50
lha_68020                        91512 ----rwed 13-Mar-06 22:26:14
LhA.guide                       108619 ----rw-d 13-Mar-06 22:58:50l

[Munchkin]

No. You don't need the readme in C: It's of no importance at all.

So, you have the files extracted in C but you haven't renamed any of them to lha? You just copied the files as they were?

Can you type this:

list C:lha#?

copy and paste the result here

[Munchkin]

No.. you need to type it all, list as well

> list c:lha#?

[Munchkin]

Ok.. it seems like you have the correct file then, as well as the others that you don't need but that can be fixed later.

So, you have the lha, it's the right size. You didn't list what protection bits they reported though.

For protect to actually change anything you need to add a + so try this:

> protect c:lha +rwed

after that just on your prompt type:

> lha

now you shouldn't get the "not executable"


And don't give up, you'll get the hang of it!

[Munchkin]

If the harddrive works, the os boots and you can do other things then it's working. Hence should lha work as well so the problem is something else.

Now it seems like you have the file correctly and the only option is that the protection bits are wrong so try what I last suggested and see what happens.


protect C:lha +rwed

[Munchkin]

Then try this...

> delete c:lha

> rename c:lha_68020 lha


and try again with

> lha

to see what happens

[Munchkin]

Yes, that's ok since you will rename another one that will take it's place. I wonder if that file was damaged somehow so try this.

[Munchkin]

I don't see what he means either. If you have internet and a cd drive working on your 1200 it's a lot easier to install and configure everything directly on your 1200.

I guess what he means is to take the harddrive, connect it to your PC, run uae and boot from that HD into workbench and do all the installations and after that move the harddrive back to your 1200.

But to me thats like going over the river to get water and then back if you have the 1200 ready for internet access and a working cd.

[Munchkin]

Like I said before. You're not making a fair comparison.

You should compare what you have now with Windows 3.1 because that's what was avaliable on the PC back then. Sit down and work with that and you will feel exactly the same like you do now.

But, it's also two completely different systems and they are designed to work in different ways so even an up to date amiga will feel different to work with.

Honestly, it would be more fair to compare with linux in the way that it works. In linux you still need to do quite a few things in a shell to make things work. It's just a difference in design and depending on what you're more used to you'll feel more comfortable using.

I still think windows is extremely badly designed basically since it more or less have all system files thrown into one directory. To me the catalog structure that Amiga OS has feels more logical and easier to grasp. But that's my personal opinion.

My point is, if you just give yourself time and experiment enough you will learn how it works, how it's built and as you do you'll feel that you are in control and know what you're doing.

And the fact is, a computer never does anything unless it's been told to do it no matter what system you have.

[Munchkin]

It's been a while since I installed 3.9 but I'm pretty sure you don't need to boot from the CD to install.

All you need to do is get the CD-rom working in your current 3.1 installation, put the 3.9 CD in and start the installation from there. You have an option to create an emergency disc during the installation.