How to use a newer 68040.library on a BPPC?

[AmigaMance]

  Hi.
 My BPPC is flashed with the last non-Grex version flash file and the resident 68040.library is version 46.7 (2.3.00).
 I have found a newer version of this library, 46.13 Friday 5 October 2001, and i want to use it.
 So, afaik i have to use the BPPCFix040 module of BlizKick to flush the resident 68040.library. The problem is that when i use this module, blizkick resets my Amiga, as usual but when the system boots it freezes at the execution of the first command in the startup-sequence. (No matter which one it is) I have also tried the BPPCFix command with the 040 argument, with the same results.
 Could someone tell me what am i doing wrong?

[x56h34]

You are basically doing everything wrong.

The 68040.library needs to be placed in your SYS:LIBS folder, and that's it. There is no built-in library in the flashrom of your PPC card, other than ppc.library PowerUP kernel, for which you need to use BPPCFix module of BlizKick, if you'd like to disable it so that you could use WarpUP kernel.

For 68k stuff, simply place your wanted 68040.library revision into SYS:LIBS and you are all set.

[Boot_WB]

Yes, the 68k libraries are resident in the flashrom of the bppc.

Silly question: have you set the option in the PPC startup menu to remap the rom to ram?

I have had this problem when using blizkick with bppc.  I also got an error when trying to start blizkick from the command line (regardless of whether the kickstart ROM is set to remap in the start menu).

I don't know how to solve it, except by removing blizkick from the startup sequence, and just using "BPPCFIX INSTALL 040" as the first line of the startup sequence.  Since setpatch resets your miggy anyway after installing there's no need for he extra reset command.

If you want to use other blizkick modules this won't help you i'm afraid.

[AmigaMance]

The 68040.library needs to be placed in your SYS:LIBS folder, and that's it. There is no built-in library in the flashrom of your PPC card

 What?! :-?
Of course there is a resident 680x0.library in the flashrom of the BPPC. Do the following expiriment and you'll see:
 Remove all the 680x0 from your Libs: directory. Switch off your Amiga for 10 seconds and then switch it on.
 Your Amiga will boot as would normally do and when the workbench loads, open a shell and write: version 68040.library (or 68060.library, depending on your CPU)
 You will see that the library is there and running.

For 68k stuff, simply place your wanted 68040.library revision into SYS:LIBS and you are all set.

 Wrong. Now, put a specific version of a 680x0.library in your Libs: and the reboot. Do a version check. Is it loaded/initiated? No! The resident version is always get loaded, instead.
 That's why things like the BPPCFix040 and the "BPPCFix 040" command exists. The problem is that when i try to use them my system freezes.

[x56h34]

@AmigaMance:

I've never heard of that before. AFAIK, every 68k 040+ accelerator loads the 68k libraries from SYS:LIBS, and not internally.

[x56h34]

BlizKick guide indeed mentions built-in 68k libraries and using BPPCFix040 if you want to disable them, however I've never had to use anything at all in order for the SYS:LIBS libraries to take effect. Basically, what ever I've dumped into SYS:LIBS folder would take priority.

Strange. :-?

[djbase]

@ x56h34

The BPPC is a bit different in this case. All other cards I know don't store the library in flash.

[AmigaMance]

@Boot_WB

Silly question: have you set the option in the PPC startup menu to remap the rom to ram?

 No, don't worry. ;-)

don't know how to solve it, except by removing blizkick from the startup sequence, and just using "BPPCFIX INSTALL 040" as the first line of the startup sequence. Since setpatch resets your miggy anyway after installing there's no need for he extra reset command.

 I did what you said above, but my Amiga freezes exactly in the same way that it does with blizkick AND the BPPCFix040 module. I tried to put the command before and after the setpatch. Nothing..

[Mad-Matt]

If I can just add that you cant just install any 040 library.  It has to be from phase5 to work propery on the blizzard boards.  If its commodores own or for the Apollo cards, it will cause the effect you describe

Also you can use blizkick to remove the flash version by using the bppcfix040 module as part of the blizzkick command line.  Then setpatch will load the version stored in libs: folder as apposed to the one that would already be resident in memory without bppcfix.

[Boot_WB]

AmigaMance wrote:
@Boot_WB

Silly question: have you set the option in the PPC startup menu to remap the rom to ram?

 No, don't worry. ;-)

AFAIK you must have set the BPPC to remap the rom to ram to use blizkick.  Blizkick then patches the rom image (which now lies in ram), and all calls to rom functions are redirected to the memory address to which this image has been mapped (in my hazy understanding of blizkick).

Further silly questions: do you have the bppcfix and/or blizkick commands in your c: directory?  If not then calling them in your startup-sequence will probably crash the sequence.

Have you tried removing the 'QUIET' option from the setpatch line?  The debugging information can be quite useful in determining where in the startup sequence your system is freezing.

Also, if you are using SETPATCH NOROMUPDATES "scsi.device" make sure the NOROMUPDATES is in capitals.  

Don't know why BPPCFIX INSTALL 040 would cause your system to hang though.

[Piru]

@AmigaMance

BlizzardPPC 680x0.library is actually meant to be placed to the flashrom. To be able to load it off the disk you can use either load040lib to load it manually with a commandline in startup-sequence or patch the 68040.library with  BPPCFixFix to allow it to be loaded off the disk.

[AmigaMance]

@Boot_WB

AFAIK you must have set the BPPC to remap the rom to ram to use blizkick. Blizkick then patches the rom image

 No, you have it wrong. Blizkick remaps the ROM to RAM, among other things. There is no need to be done twice.
 Anyway, i THINK that i found a solution thanks to Piru.


@Piru
 I know about the BPPCFixFix command and i did try to patch the library, but it gives me the message "bppcfixfix: could not patch file". I don't know why. Perhaps you do.
 I tried the load040lib as you suggested and i got a very limited success. I will explain:
 The library gets loaded successfully ONLY if i use the BPPCFix command AND remove blizkick from the S-S !

a) If i try to use blizkick with the BPPCFix040 module, instead of the BPPCFix command, i get a #80000004 system failure window from load040lib
b) If i try to run blizkick even without the BPPCFix040 module, in conjuction with the BPPCFix command, i get the same system failure...

 So, in conclusion, the only way to use a newer 68040.library is to remove blizkick. :-(
 From the tests that i did, it's the one that causes the failure and i don't think i want to do that, because it is a good piece of software.
 Perhaps you have another suggestion?

[Piru]

@AmigaMance

Damn, it looks like either BPPCFIx module isn't working or the 040 BPPC has some real issues without the 68040 lib. Curiously BPPC with 060 had no such problems without the 060 lib.

So if you're already using the latest BlizKick from my home page, I'm afraid it won't work... (esp since I no longer have my A1200 set up to allow any real work on it).

[AmigaMance]

Yes, i'm using the latest. Oh well, thanks anyway.

Edit:

Damn, it looks like either BPPCFIx module isn't working

That can't be the case as the system failure occurs even if i use blizkick without the module. The BPPCFix040, you mean.

[Piru]

@AmigaMance

"Not working" as in "unable to disable the flash based 68040.library", in which case it would be identical to leaving the module out.

Either that or there are some serious issues with BPPC 040 without the 68040.library to set up the caches, mmu tables etc.