Installing WB3.1 and set it to boot on a bootable PCMCIA + CF Card

[MarZ]

Hi, after solving my hardware questions thanks to this forum and its kind members, now I have few software questions. I think that what I am asking is FAQ, but I neither found replies in the FAQ or in the tutorials of this forum. I think my question should inspire someone to write a tutorial about it!
 
I have bought the PCMCIA + CF card. I was thinking if it is possible to install WB in it and boot from it, given that CC0 is one of the booting opton in the A1200 bootup menu. I am waiting also the CF-IDE adapter but I can't wait now that I already have the PCMCIA. Installing WB on the Card via PCMCIa, would that mean I cant transfer files on it to the pC?
 
 
Can you kindly instruct how this is achieved and for the sake of oother fellows the critical setup steps that are needed (Eg. set max transfer rate in HDtoolbox).
 
I would appreciate a fast reply so tomorrow I could wipe my eyes with excitment when I see the Amiga installed on HD and running some games after 11 years.
 
If such tutorials exist,, then simple provide me the link.
 
You may answer this in the tutorial section - it would be a great and well-referred to link.
 
Regards
Stephen

[mfilos]

Booting from CF to PCMCIA adapter doesn't work!
The only way to boot a PCMCIA, is with an 2MB/4MB PCMCIA Flash prepared as Disk instead of RAM.
Unless you make a special floppy disk that loads compactflash.device, mounts CF0 etc... and then reboots. That way it will work.

Your best bet is to get the CF to IDE adapter that works like a charm as a real hard drive and just use CF to PCMCIA for your daily transfers with your PC/MAC.

[MarZ]

I see thanks, very much! So I will use the PCMCIA only to transfer files and disk images as originally planned !
 
Actually I bought the CF-IDE adapter too, but it is still on the way to Malta, so in the meantime, I tried to install a bootable WB3.1 via PCMCIA. As yuo are saying, I have to forget it and wait.

[tokyoracer]

Sorry to drag this topic back up but this has actually got me thinking.
Obviously you can't boot thru PCMCIA via a CF card unless as mfilos said, you make some sort of weird custom boot disk. However, is it possible to do this via a custom made Kickstart ROM? It would certainly be a cheaper alternative to an Overdrive.

[Gulliver]

@tokyoracer

If you got the advanced assembler programming skills you can do it. It wont be easy, as no one has done it yet

It would be really cool though.

You will have to create several rom modules, eg: create the cfd.device, and mount the proper mountlist and include the corresponding filesystem support there.

I hope someone some day accomplishes this...

[tokyoracer]

@tokyoracer

If you got the advanced assembler programming skills you can do it. It wont be easy, as no one has done it yet

It would be really cool though.

You will have to create several rom modules, eg: create the cfd.device, and mount the proper mountlist and include the corresponding filesystem support there.

I hope someone some day accomplishes this...

I certainly wouldn't be able to do it but it was a thought more then anything else. Thanks for the response though, good to know it is technically doable.

[Thomas]

You would need to make compactflash.device "romable" and you would need to expand it to automatically mount Amiga partitions upon startup.

Nothing impossible, but a lot of know-how needed. Especially the part of loading custom file systems from the RDB is not documented in the RKRM or anywhere else I looked.

And of course you would need to get the source code of compactflash.device from the author. If he does not agree you would need to rewrite it from scratch which means that you also have to learn about the ATA protocol and how to access the PCMCIA port.

[Gulliver]

Great news, I am very happy, I cannot keep it to myself:

Two great Amiga coders have been working on getting CF/PCMCIA boot. There is still some road ahead but an internal test version seems to be next door.

Please dont ask any more questions, I dont want you or me to put pressure on these cool guys. It is just to let you know that there is light at the end of the tunnel...

I am so happy

[mfilos]

Awesome news there Gulliver my friend. Cheers for letting us know