KICKSTART "alternate" versions: How is it Possible?

[CodeHunter]

Hello all,

According to a Wikipedia article on Amiga Kickstart, "With third-party software, it is possible to use an alternate Kickstart to the version stored in the embedded ROM chip. Such software allows a Kickstart version to be loaded from file into RAM - for example Kickstart 1.3 may be loaded in order to run old software incompatible with Kickstart 2.0 or later."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickstart_%28Amiga%29


Questions:

1) Would you let me know what is this software?

I am thinking about using it on my A600HD or A1200, since most .ADF games/demos that I convert to real Amiga floppy diskettes do not work on them. (work perfectly on my newly acquired A500 though)

2) Can I "downgrade" my A600HD, by physically removing its current 2.0 Kickstart ROM chips, and insert 1.3 Kickstart chips instead? (Although I prefer the software method, if it is available according to Wikipedia)

Your comments, insights and posts are appreciated.

[Darrin]

I used to use a program called "Relockick" which loaded in a KS1.3 ROM and also "Degrader" is another option.  Be aware that these programs do not work 100% and take up memory which can cause other issues.

If you have extra memory in your A600/A1200 then look at WHDLoad which works very well.  A 3GB Hard Drive will have more than enough room to store all of your favourite games and the replacement Kickstart ROM files.

I use WHDLoad on my A4000, Minimig, Chameleon64 and FPGA Arcade.

Assuming you have extra RAM, the easiest way to go about using it is to download one of Bloodwych's ClassicWB packs (the "Lite" one should do OK for your A600 or the FULL or OS3.x version for your A1200.  Create your working hard drive, track down and install teh kickstart ROMs into your DEVS/KICKSTARTS draw, download KillaGorilla's pre-packaged game packs and extract them into the GAMES draws... and be prepared for some sleepless nights and overworked wrists.

[digiflip]

or use rom switch

http://amigakit.leamancomputing.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=947

[CodeHunter]

Thanks. I searched for this program with no luck. What is the difference between this one and TUDE?

A link to either of programs is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

UPDATE: I have found a link for relokick 1.4 here:
http://cd.textfiles.com/zoom2/utilities/wb/relokick/

How do I run it? Do I first let my A600HD or A1200 boot into Workbench and then run this small file?

Thanks.

[mpiva]

You could try SoftKick. Also try Degrader, as someone else suggested.

[Darrin]

Thanks. I searched for this program with no luck. What is the difference between this one and TUDE?

A link to either of programs is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

UPDATE: I have found a link for relokick 1.4 here:
http://cd.textfiles.com/zoom2/utilities/wb/relokick/

How do I run it? Do I first let my A600HD or A1200 boot into Workbench and then run this small file?

Thanks.

No idea what TUDE is, and I've never used it.

Relokick is easy.  It should (if it is like mine) take the form of a bootable floppy (or possibly bootable from workbench).  It loads, the Amiga resets and you get the old KS1.3 "insert a floppy" boot screen.

Also consider that some of your ADF files with custom file systems might not be correctly writing back to floppy, so some of those games retrieved from ADF files still might not work.

[CodeHunter]

You could try SoftKick. Also try Degrader, as someone else suggested.

Thanks. But it seems that relokick is a better utility. Could you please provide a link in .ADF format?

Thanks.

UPDATE2:
I found this, but I am not sure if this is the origianl or the "hacked" version:

http://www.pictureinthesky.net/appinfo.php?id=46

Does anyone have a link to 1.3 and 1.4/1.4a in ADF format?

[kamiga]

I've used mkick for YEARS without problems.  If I've ever had a compatibility problem, I've never realized it.

http://ftp://atrey.karlin.mff.cuni.cz/pub/local/mj/amiga/aminet/MKick19.lha

I think this is the file.

I wrote a small startup script that detects when it is running under the older rev and automatically loads the file into RAM, relocates the pointer, and then reboots.  On an HD A500, the whole process takes probably 10 seconds or so.

On subsequently warm restarts, it survives.  On cold starts, mkick must, uhh, kick again.

kamiga

[mpiva]

Could you please provide a link in .ADF format?

:confused: I'm not sure what you're hoping to get a .adf file for. These programs being suggested to you are not disks.

[B00tDisk]

Hello all,

According to a Wikipedia article on Amiga Kickstart, "With third-party software, it is possible to use an alternate Kickstart to the version stored in the embedded ROM chip. Such software allows a Kickstart version to be loaded from file into RAM - for example Kickstart 1.3 may be loaded in order to run old software incompatible with Kickstart 2.0 or later."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kickstart_%28Amiga%29


Questions:

1) Would you let me know what is this software?

I used ReLoKick back in the day.  I wouldn't futz around with putting old ROMs in the "newer" A600, personally.

[Lando]

I never had much use with Relokick back in the day.  Never, ever got SWIV working on my A600 or A1200 for example.  Most of the incompatibilities with games isn't due to the kickstart revision but due to bad code using chipset registers for things on OCS machines which perform differently on ECS/AGA or making assumptions based on A500 which changed when the newer chipsets were released.

[freqmax]

How were these relocated Kickstart created when only an original binary is available. Any jump instruction from the original image would end up in the physical ROMs not the loaded Kickstart. But it seems to work, so I guess I miss something. But what makes it work in this respect ?

[spirantho]

I have a boot disk which boots into TUDE GUI, and also has relokick on it. I can try and dig it out if you like.... TUDE could run most stuff....

[Pentad]

How were these relocated Kickstart created when only an original binary is available. Any jump instruction from the original image would end up in the physical ROMs not the loaded Kickstart. But it seems to work, so I guess I miss something. But what makes it work in this respect ?

A very, very long time ago I worked on one of the first Kickstart relocation programs with Commodore to allow developers to use a new Kickstart for testing.

A 256k Kickstart resides normally at $FC0000.  Kickstart is really a collection of 'modules' that are 'stuck' together.  Each 'module' has a kicktag pointer that tells you the current location, the end location, and the next module's location.  These locations are addresses in HEX.

When normally compiled the addresses are @ $FCXXXX.  However, you can recompile to any address you want but $200000 was normally chosen for that is the start of expansion ram.

The reason this works so well is because the Amiga has only one absolute address at $4.  This allows you to put Kickstart anywhere you want and the OS will run great.  Any programs that are good 'citizens' will also run fine if they don't make hard coded address calls.

Lastly, Carl and RJ were smart enough to reserve Kickstart space to go up to a meg should the need arise.  It would have been interesting to see how that would have progressed if Amiga had continued.

The jump from 256k to 512k was pretty amazing...


Cheers!
-P

[freqmax]

Recompilation requires sources? and jmp $XXXXXX are usually absolute addressed.