Help installing CD Rom in A4000T

[amigasociety]

I normally frequent Amigaworld since finding out and getting into Amiga January this year but figured I would start posting here also.  I have this sweet A4000T, new from Soft Hut, that finally is booting.  Long Story on that one you probably read elsewhere about.  For now, I have to get this CD ROM working so I can install OS 3.9 I just purchased new from Soft Hut also.

So, in the last couple days I have the A4000T booting from a 4.3GB IDE Drive.  Running OS 3.1.  Has a new Lite-On CDRW Drive inside and lights up when I boot A4000T, door opens and all that, but no mounting of CDs.  So, since then, been exploring all these CD Rom installers and one killed my install and I had to start over as it would not longer boot from HDD.  I am new so sure it is me but seems so easy to know these things out.

Anyway, here is my current scoop... readi below....

OK, yeh, I am frustrated. .  

Ever have a day that you spend hours doing stuff and nothing works?  Like I am spinning my wheels.  Anyway...

I have acquired via the web various Amiga based CD installer apps. From AmiCDFS to AsimCDFS to IDEFix97, etc... It just seems around every corner something either does not install, has errors, wants some volume I don't have appear, etc...

What appears to be the most promising software is AsimCDFS. Although the SCSI app that is part of that application does not see my new IDE Drive I purchased on at all one scsi.device or 2ndScsi.device, I happen to have an external SCSI NeXT CD Rom that it does see. Cool enough... I figure I will just get that one to work for now. So, I launch the installer and plop, crap hits the fan again. Seems like 1 step forward, 20 steps back. ackkkk!
 

So, installer launches and I can select novice install, then I get this message...

Sorry... an Error has occured!
Aproximately 320K of disk space is needed on your SYS: volume.
You only have -9882K free.
Delete or transfer some files from SYS: volume & try again.

I can't even find a SYS: on my hard drive anyplace. What is this, and how can I have NEGATIVE 9882 free. Is there such a thing? grin.

These are the oddball things that can drive a a person bonkers.  hehehe.

Seems like I am so close and then the installer just stops there and refuses to install as it thinks I need 320k space yet my hard drive has like 4GB of space.

Anyone have a clue on what this means other than I am a goober and can't get it installed.  hehehehe

tj

[tone007]

yet my hard drive has like 4GB of space.

You'll run into alot of that sort of problem using a 4GB partition for your OS.  I generally stick with 500mb-1GB, old installers won't roll over with lower numbers like that.

[amigasociety]

You'll run into alot of that sort of problem using a 4GB partition for your OS.  I generally stick with 500mb-1GB, old installers won't roll over with lower numbers like that.

I was trying to get the HDTools in OS 3.1 floppy to make 3 smaller partitions but it seems only the 1st one would make into a hard drive icon after I partitioned it, formatted it, then installed OS 3.1.  Then it would not boot.  The other 2 partitions were still looking like floppies.

I guess I need to re-explore partitions and how to make 4 1GB size and somehow get the OS to install on one of them and still boot.

tj

[motrucker]

Your main problem is that the filesystem in 3.1 can't handle partitions that large. Trying will bomb the thing - thats a guaranty.
You either need a newer version of File System (FFS) but I forget the version #. OR use an aftermarket file system. IIRC even using smaller partitions on a very large hard drive (above 4 Gb) can cause problems.

Hopefully some one else here can steer you to a thread on this topic. I can't seem to find it right now.

ASIM CDFS is an excellent CD driver package. Although I have heard of problems with v3.10 at times. Even my v3.10 has had problems, forcing me back to my v3.8 disk for a clean install.

Hope this helps a little...

[Tension]

I was trying to get the HDTools in OS 3.1 floppy to make 3 smaller partitions but it seems only the 1st one would make into a hard drive icon after I partitioned it, formatted it, then installed OS 3.1.  Then it would not boot.  The other 2 partitions were still looking like floppies.

I guess I need to re-explore partitions and how to make 4 1GB size and somehow get the OS to install on one of them and still boot.

tj

You need to Check the 'Bootable' button in HDToolbox for the dh0: partition.

[Tension]

Also, dont bother with all that AsimCDFS / IDEfix bullshit.  Use the CD Filesystem that comes with 3.1.

People on here will tell you it is crap.

But it works.

[HammerD]

ASIMCDFS is very good, has a very good installer and SCSI_Inquire program...so I beg to differ