Help with dual boot 1.3 / 3.1

[Ral-Clan]

Hi!

I have an Amiga 500 with a kickstart switcher inside (KS1.3 / KS3.1).

It also has a sidecar with hard drive.

I've created two boot partitions on the hard drive under Workbench 3.1.  I was hoping to make a system where I could choose to boot either into WB 1.3 or 3.1 for compatibility with different software.
The firsts partition on the drive is the 3.1 partition, the second is the 1.3 partition.

The WB3.1 partition works great - I can boot in WB3.1.  I also installed all the WB1.3 software onto the second partition, and from the early startup menu I can disable the 3.1 partition....then the Amiga boots into Workbench 1.3 ---- BUT ---- it's still using the 3.1 ROMs.

If I kickstart-switch to the 1.3 ROM, there of course is no early startup menu - so I can't disable the 3.1 partition and therefore force the Amiga to boot from the 1.3 partition.

I can't think of a way to make a dual boot system work the way I want it to.

I'd prefer not to have to softkick into 1.3 - as my machine doesn't have a lot of memory and since I have a real KS1.3 chip in there I'd rather use it.

Does anyone have any suggestions for making a dual booting system?

PS: do I need to format the 1.3 partition with OFS rather than the FFS that's on there (I used 3.1's hard drive toolbox to format set up the 1.3 partition).

Thanks!

[Gilloo]

Please, have a look at this
http://aminet.net/package/driver/other/anaiis_boot

You can't boot in 1.3 with 3.1 commands, but you can boot 3.1 with 1.3 commands then reassign some directories.
Don't format the 1.3 in OFS. 1.3 manages also FFS. Both systems can remain on the same partition.

[Ral-Clan]

Please, have a look at this
http://aminet.net/package/driver/other/anaiis_boot

You can't boot in 1.3 with 3.1 commands, but you can boot 3.1 with 1.3 commands then reassign some directories.
Don't format the 1.3 in OFS. 1.3 manages also FFS. Both systems can remain on the same partition.

I don't quite see how anaiis is relevant - it requires a subway and a USB drive, which a stock A500 doesn't have.

[JimS]

I used to do this on my 1000 between 1.3 and 2.x. The trick is to use a version command on one of the libraries from the ROM in your startup-sequence. If it's the 3.x version, then you re-assign everything to the 3.x partition. Otherwise you just go ahead and continue into 1.3. I can't find my old 1000 startup disk right now, or I'd post the correct syntax.

[Ral-Clan]

I used to do this on my 1000 between 1.3 and 2.x. The trick is to use a version command on one of the libraries from the ROM in your startup-sequence. If it's the 3.x version, then you re-assign everything to the 3.x partition. Otherwise you just go ahead and continue into 1.3. I can't find my old 1000 startup disk right now, or I'd post the correct syntax.

That would be interesting.  I've never seen that approach before.  I would be interested in seeing the startup-sequence!

It didn't even dawn on me that it was possible to re-direct the boot partition DURING boot!

[Matt_H]

That would be interesting.  I've never seen that approach before.  I would be interested in seeing the startup-sequence!

It didn't even dawn on me that it was possible to re-direct the boot partition DURING boot!

I don't recall the exact syntax either, but you'd put something like this at the very top of your 3.1 startup-sequence:

Code: [Select]

version exec.library 40   ;checking if we're in 3.1
If warn        ;meaning we're not in 3.1. This might actually be an 'if not warn' - can't remember the exact command
    ;reassign the system to your 1.3 partition and boot
    assign sys: wb13:
    assign c: wb13:c
    assign libs: wb13:libs
    assign l: wb13:l
    assign devs: wb13:devs
    assign s: wb13:s
    execute s:startup-sequence
    endcli
endif
;3.1 startup continues as normal below

I know I'm forgetting a few system directories - make sure to reassign those, too! One caveat is that your 1.3 system will boot up with the 3.1 color palette. At least, that's how it was back when I did this on my 500.

[Ral-Clan]

I tried the following approach.

Set my WB3.1 partition to priority 0
Set my WB1.3 partition to priority 1

So, when my A500 is kickstart-switched to 3.1 ROMs, I can just choose to boot from the WB3.1 partition in the early startup menu.

But, when I kickstart-switch my Amiga to 1.3 ROMs, it should try to boot from the 1.3 partition (since it has the higher priority).

At least, that's the theory.

What actually happen is this:

- Kickstart switch my A500 to use the 1.3 ROMs on the internal KS-switcher
- Turn on Amiga
- Amiga looks for floppy - detects no floppy
- Amiga tries hard drive
- immediately red power light flashes - GURU

So...I am like "what the heck"!  The Supra 500XP hard drive manual says this hardware should work with WB1.3.

Will it at least boot from the WB1.3 floppy and show me the hard drive partitions?

- I shut off the system.
- put a WB1.3 floppy in the drive.
- turn on the system
- Amiga looks in the floppy drive, sees the WB1.3 disk and starts to boot from it (yay! No GURU so far).
- Amiga shows me a window that says "PLEASE INSERT VOLUME LIBS:"
- me puzzled.

I don't get why what's happening is happening.  The Amiga suddenly can't even boot off the 1.3 floppy when it's using 1.3 ROMs and the Supra500XP sidecar is attached.

NOTE: if I shut the hard drive off inside the sidecar (you can do this with an external switch) the A500 will boot off the 1.3 Workbench floppy no problem and even recognize the expansion RAM on the sidecar.
Weird.

Can the 1.3 ROM recognize priority settings on SCSI partitions?  Maybe not?

[Ral-Clan]

I wonder if it's because the 1.3 partition was formatted with International mode ON. THAT MIGHT MESS THINGS UP for Wb1.3 ROMs.

[Matt_H]

Could be. Also make sure FFS is in your RDB. I dont think it's in ROM in 1.3

[Gilloo]

I don't quite see how anaiis is relevant - it requires a subway and a USB drive, which a stock A500 doesn't have.

See the s:startup-sequence before telling insanities...

Both systems must reside in the same FSS partition... If you want to experiment other things you're welcome, but it is hard to make it easy. 1.3 commands, modified startup sequence, reassign things when you have tested the rom version is a good solution.

[Ral-Clan]

Could be. Also make sure FFS is in your RDB. I dont think it's in ROM in 1.3

Eeek!  How do I do this?  

HdToolBox / Partition Drive / Click on partition / Advanced / etc. etc.?

[Ral-Clan]

See the s:startup-sequence before telling insanities...

Both systems must reside in the same FSS partition... If you want to experiment other things you're welcome, but it is hard to make it easy. 1.3 commands, modified startup sequence, reassign things when you have tested the rom version is a good solution.

Yeah,

The only problem is that If I'm using a shared partition, I have to shut International Mode OFF for compatibility with 1.3 - which means I have reformat all my partitions - ugh.

[zipper]

I think ReOrg can do it on the fly for under 4 GB partitions.

[Ral-Clan]

I think ReOrg can do it on the fly for under 4 GB partitions.

Really?  You mean it can reformat a drive and re-enstate the files that were there in the first place?

[zipper]

I think it just modifies the filesystem - I once went from FFS-DC to FFS without touching the files. But a backup is always recommended.