**Need Setup HELP** with Classic Amiga 2000 HARD DISK (Bridgeboard)

[wbrejnia]

QUICK UPDATE:

- I played with Low Level Formatting (Dynamic Parameters) on RLL Hard drive based on some reading, and it appears the RLL Drive is stable (MBR is picking up on Every boot so far )
- Still doesn't boot C: drive (could be other underlying reasons)  Autoboot??
- I don't trust things quite enough to start loading up software.

- I also played with the (Amiga df2: )HARD file setup that I have working to boot the BB-8088-PC
- Found out that plugging in Western Digital Controller doesn't change things. (still boots)
- BUT as soon as RLL drive is plugged into Controller (Active or NO-Active Partition) the AutoBoot disables on the Amiga (thus Hard File Booting stops working)

- I played with Aread/Awrite & Jlink (not working) but I am using old downloaded versions (Downloaded most current version and will try)

- I have a chance to see if the Bridgeboard PC will boot via the Lo-Tech ISA/IDE-Compact-Flasg-Adapter.
- The IDE to SD Card arrived today
   ---> http://www.ebay.ca/itm/231881879210?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT
- The IDE connector converter (Large-to-Small) arrived today
   ---> https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?Item=9SIA66K2043381&cm_re=StarTech_BRACKET25_Adapter_Kit_to_Mount_2.5%22_HDD_in_3.5%22_Drive_Bay-_-11-993-005-_-Product

[wbrejnia]

First Try will be 486 for ISA/SD-Card (Combo)

I have everything I need to try it out.
I was impressed that the seller included the Ribbon Cable (not shown in the Ebay Ad)

- Have to figure out 486 BIOS (Custom, or NO BIOS)
- Have to figure out how to Image, or will pure FDISK work?

We'll see. (This is a little bit of Mix-matched Technology).  Proper Compact Flash Adapter on the way.

[wbrejnia]

Darkage,

MANY thanks for E-Packet Idea.

I ordered a fish tank thing Dec 2016.
It never came (7 weeks waiting)  Two weeks ago I contacted Seller. They gave me refund (Package Lost)
I asked for replacement but this time E-Packet.
They agreed (Free Shipping).
It shipped Last Thursday, and Arrived TODAY (5 days from China-to-Canada)!!! INCREDIBLE!!

Many thanks!!!

[EugeneNine]

I'm trying to get DOS6.2 working !  But I guess it is safer with no network.

There is a network add on and tcp/ip stack for dos.  IIRC it was part of the NTserver resource kit.
I had it working way back in the 90's

[darkage]

Darkage,

MANY thanks for E-Packet Idea.

I ordered a fish tank thing Dec 2016.
It never came (7 weeks waiting)  Two weeks ago I contacted Seller. They gave me refund (Package Lost)
I asked for replacement but this time E-Packet.
They agreed (Free Shipping).
It shipped Last Thursday, and Arrived TODAY (5 days from China-to-Canada)!!! INCREDIBLE!!

Many thanks!!!

 NP, I couldnt believe it myself when I read up about it.      Now its my preferred delivery method from china.

[wbrejnia]

There is a network add on and tcp/ip stack for dos.  IIRC it was part of the NTserver resource kit.
I had it working way back in the 90's

As if I need more challenges (for Bridgeboard 8088 PC).  Thanks for the information anyway.

[wbrejnia]

Darkage,

MANY thanks for E-Packet Idea.

I ordered a fish tank thing Dec 2016.
It never came (7 weeks waiting)  Two weeks ago I contacted Seller. They gave me refund (Package Lost)
I asked for replacement but this time E-Packet.
They agreed (Free Shipping).
It shipped Last Thursday, and Arrived TODAY (5 days from China-to-Canada)!!! INCREDIBLE!!

Many thanks!!!

Never mind that point.
I contacted seller to thank him, but when I opened box, the quantity was wrong.  Turns out this is Old Nov 3rd, 2016 Order (Finally came)
New E-packet replacement is still on the way.

[darkage]

Never mind that point.
I contacted seller to thank him, but when I opened box, the quantity was wrong.  Turns out this is Old Nov 3rd, 2016 Order (Finally came)
New E-packet replacement is still on the way.

ha!  d'oh!

[wbrejnia]

Tests coming up.......

I don't want to just go ahead an pop things into the Amiga and hope things works.  Since if the don't I'll be left wondering.

So a few tests in 486 should help set the baseline and make sure I got connections properly done.

If this mix of ISA-IDE-Compact-Flash-SDcard doesn't work, my only hope will be the True IDE-CompactFlash-Adapter, which should arrive this week.

[wbrejnia]

[486] [BIOS-Enabled] :  [IDE] -> [IDE-SDcard-Adapter -> 8GB-SD] Working like a charm (486 Screaming Fast for Disk IO)

- I couldn't risk Frying anything, so I checked the cabling pinouts (twice)
- Checked that the StarTech 2.5" to 3.5" Power connections were proper

- First Boot to BIOS picked up the 8 GB SD card
- But after BIOS exit. The system Hung, Power reboots failed.

Finally figured out the boot sequence was (C: B:) in BIOS, so was trying to boot C: Linux [Since SD card was re-used from RaspBerry PI)
Flipped BIOS to boot (A: Floppy) first that FIXED.

Some issues with Partitioning.  Couldn't modify or remove partition.

Then I did a "fdisk /mbr", that put a MBR with a Partition Cover Whole 8GB SD Card.  (Still not modifiable)

Then I noticed in FDISK the Option to REMOVE NON-DOS Partition.
-Remove the 8 GB Partition.
-Created new Partition 32 MB (ACTIVE) with DOS 6.2 [Max possible was 500MB or so]
-Formatted /s  ( ***** LIGHTNING SPEED, never seen a DOS format so fast **** )))
-Rebooted with NO Floppy in Drive.

It booted to DOS6.2.

RAN a few Dos Disk Tools on the SDcard(C: Drive).
Couldn't help laughing out loud seeing them scream on the 486, compared to IDE, or RLL drives (that I watched before).

** Moving on, to Replacing 486 BIOS, with  Lo-Tech-Adapter  on the same 486 **

[wbrejnia]

Things went well with the 486 Adapter testings.
 Everything working perfectly.

Need just one more lucky break, testing in the Amiga.

[wbrejnia]

NO LUCK.  Lo-Tech IDE adapter didn't work in Amiga 8088.

I contacted Lo-Tech support, they gave me another ROM to try.
The ROM is for TANDY laptop with a tweak to get around a problem with Initialization.  Learning how to Flash it on to adapter.

This has nothing to do with the IDE-adapter.  It's working in 486.
This is to do with the ISA side on 8088 (possibly).  INITIALIZATION.

The whole issue is about OPTION ROMs, which this card needs to have 8088 BIOS initialize.  If the 8088 Bridgboard PC BIOS doesn't search for OPTION ROMs, then (another Patch to ROM) may be needed.

However I can't see the 8088 PC not searching for OPTION ROMs since it does support the Western Digital Controller, and other cards that were supported on the 8 bit ISA bus side.

[wbrejnia]

Starting to move forwards toward finishing project.

The XTE ISA Patch never worked, hoping for another that will work

What's interesting, is the Hard Drive is working perfect (Other than auto booting).   After many reboots, it mount on the 8088 6.2 Dos each time.  
That RLL parameter (Precomposition 128), low level format may have done the job to wake up old Magenetic Material.

So I trust the RLL drive to start installing the final DOS applications, and will install Windows 1.2 for fun.

Need some help on a couple of annoying items.

1) Is there some Video parameter config somewhere.  When I use different workbench disks, the Workbench border moves around, a bit off the Amiga Monitor screen.  The mechanical controls on the monitor help for left and right, but not up down.

2)  This one is annoying.  I know about the keyboard file maps, peeks at them.   But when I go into PC 8088 Emulation.   My "\" doesn't work.  It works on the amiga side.    Hard to copy files on the DOS side without that working.   Is there a good tool to fix this?

3) What is really weird, but not the end of the world, is I've downloaded all current libraries and SW.

Alink, Aread, Atime, etc Doesn't work (I run Adisk, and Jdisk.sys)

When I run Alink now it produce the multi Line message, and hangs.  Before it just hung.

[Pat the Cat]

Need some help on a couple of annoying items.

1) Is there some Video parameter config somewhere.  When I use different workbench disks, the Workbench border moves around, a bit off the Amiga Monitor screen.  The mechanical controls on the monitor help for left and right, but not up down.

Not sure if supported on WB 1.2, but on Amiga Prefs there should be an Overscan tool, to tweak display position and area. Its exasperating problem dealing with pre WB2.0 Amigas booting off different floppies from different people - because monitors all setup individually.

Much easier when you are just booting from one WB system partition on  HD.

2)  This one is annoying.  I know about the keyboard file maps, peeks at them.   But when I go into PC 8088 Emulation.   My "\" doesn't work.  It works on the amiga side.    Hard to copy files on the DOS side without that working.   Is there a good tool to fix this?

Amiga keyboards come in two basic styles - the American style with big Return and Left Shift keys, and the International style with extra keys to the right of Left Shift and to the left of the Return key. These are hardware mapped to key positions 2B and 30.

However, Bridgeboard keyboard driver probably assumes American keymap, so key should be remapped to a different place, as American Bridgeboard users would not have had the "/" key in the same place.

Check around, you might have to hack a keymap file, but more likely if you select USA keymap, the key will be mapped to a different key and will become available.

3) What is really weird, but not the end of the world, is I've downloaded all current libraries and SW.

Alink, Aread, Atime, etc Doesn't work (I run Adisk, and Jdisk.sys)

When I run Alink now it produce the multi Line message, and hangs.  Before it just hung.

No idea on that front. I assumed you would be happy enough to just dump the data from the RLL drive on an IDE hard drive. Which it looks to me like you can do, by using the 486...

... on the other hand, if you do get the SD card booting on the Bridgeboard with all Amigaside access too, would be a sweet system.

Perhaps you need to put DOS 3 on the SD card rather than 6.2? Strikes me that a lot of issues could be avoided if that can be accomplished.

[wbrejnia]

Amiga keyboards come in two basic styles - the American style with big Return and Left Shift keys, and the International style with extra keys to the right of Left Shift and to the left of the Return key. These are hardware mapped to key positions 2B and 30.

However, Bridgeboard keyboard driver probably assumes American keymap, so key should be remapped to a different place, as American Bridgeboard users would not have had the "/" key in the same place.

Check around, you might have to hack a keymap file, but more likely if you select USA keymap, the key will be mapped to a different key and will become available.

Yes, I was going to try to hack they keyboard map file.  It appears to be documented within.  If I want to try International how/where do I switch it.

No idea on that front. I assumed you would be happy enough to just dump  the data from the RLL drive on an IDE hard drive. Which it looks to me  like you can do, by using the 486...

... on the other hand, if you do get the SD card booting on the  Bridgeboard with all Amigaside access too, would be a sweet system.

Perhaps you need to put DOS 3 on the SD card rather than 6.2? Strikes me  that a lot of issues could be avoided if that can be accomplished.

Interesting that you should mention this.  In the back of my mind, and in the past I have always been thinking two things.
 Switch back C: drive to DOS3.1, and thus switch back to a LOWER FAT version of MBR. The BIOS on the AMIGA-BB could be confused with DOS6.2 MBR/FAT.
I bet that BIOS was written, while DOS6.1 wasn't around. (But it didn't boot in the 486, but I never tried since I got RLL drive stable [must try again])
Will try DOS3.1 anyway, and if it works Amazing.  
And as you say, if I get that Adapter to work (not given up yet), it will be icing on the cake (Mission accomplished)

BTW. Pat, nice to hear from you again.  Was thinking you took a Vacation of something.

[Pat the Cat]

Yes, I was going to try to hack they keyboard map file.  It appears to be documented within.  If I want to try International how/where do I switch it.

IIRC keymaps are kept on Extras disk on 1.2.

Amiga cannot tell what sort of keyboard is plugged in, User has to select from Preferences. Usually list is kept in devs/keymaps folder I think... Been a long time since I set one on a 1.2 Amiga.

So USA keyboard and keymap is "generic". Should work all Amigas.

In theory should also work on all applications. Obvously this last point not always true, as programmers often use the 2 extra keys in their software, not realizing some Amigas don't have them).

I've been having a lot of internet issues, very slow connection, horrible OS Linux issue I think. Was like 200 times slower than normal.