WinUAE 0.8.21R1 OUT

[Toni Wilen]

WinUAE 0.8.21R1 is out!
http://www.winuae.net/

Expect stupid last-minute bugs or something...

[oldpx]

Congratulations!!!
New site is cool as well :D

My first impressions if you'd like to hear:
My 3.1 and 3.5 systems are slowed down significantly. It's probably because of picasso screen modes but it's so slow that I can't even run the screenmode program, it seems to lock up attempting to list the contents of the prefs dir. That's the issue with and without JIT. I also recieve workbench errors during bootup (looks like magiccolors is attempted to be run five times over and over. It's in my wbstartup dir) and wbpattern cannot load the window&workbench wallpapers at all, fails with an error.

My plain 3.1 setup boots normally. I don't use any extra features, not even a wallpaper with that.

Good luck and thanks again

[jmmijo]

I'm heading on over now :)

[Djay]

a couple questions

is this an official release?

why do i get weird scanlines, when scanlines are off, tested in windows mode only?

is a fairly fast machine, needed for movie creation (good feature,btw), if anyone gets this to run well, can they pls do State of the Art demo, thanx
;)

keep up the kool work!

[Toni Wilen]

My 3.1 and 3.5 systems are slowed down significantly

Check your CPU settings. It is possible your CPU settings are not what you expect (especially CPU speed selection)

[oldpx]

You're right my cpu speed was set to "match a500 speed". That's the way it was since I set up my workbench a few releases ago and didn't seem to effect anything, so it does now.

I set it to fastest possible. Now it boots faster but locks down within a minute. Other problems also continue. Sorry I really would like to say better things :sad

[RetroMan]

I cannot even start it (Windows ME) :( It doesn´t show up the GUI, however the task itself is running in the background :(

[Toni Wilen]

More suggestions:

Any change if you delete configurations/default.uae? (if you have
it)

Run it with -console parameter ("winuae.exe -console") Any strange messages?

It seems UAE 0821's new filesystem code isn't 100% stable yet. (but it works perfectly on my pc..)

Also note that sound buffer size is not comparable to old versions. 3 or bigger is probably needed for good sound quality.

[RetroMan]

Ok, at last I can start it with killing the default.uae but it is slow as hell (I have checked the settings, CPU is 040 and Fastest Possible Speed) and every time I try to open a directory/harddrive the emulator resets :( I will try a clean 3.1 install later on, maybe thats the problem ....

[oldpx]

When I boot with no startup and run loadwb, I encounter no slowdown as datatypes, prefs, startup-sequence and user-startup aren't loaded this way. It also doesn't crash but the errors are still there. Deleting default.uae didn't change anything for I never used it anyway. I'm alien to console but I'm sure I don't get any unusual messages. I'm using iff files as backgrounds, can an incompatible iff datatype be the reason of wbpattern problem?

[Toni Wilen]

Can someone run commands in startup-sequence/user-startup and WBStartup manually until system crashes? This bug must be found quickly.

New filesystem code has one big difference, old code handled "illegal" filenames very differently than new. Old simply failed to open file if filename was "illegal", new supports all "illegal" filenames (it stores "illegal" filenames in a special file _UAEFSDB.___) but code that detects when file name is "illegal" is different. This may cause problems with "semi-illegal" filenames.

I guess some program that gets run when system starts stores config data in a file that has "semi-illegal" name (new filesystem code tries to read it from _UAEFSDB.___ = file not found)

[oldpx]

I doubt I can detect the problem this way. A crash does not happen. It loads the startup files, then wbstartup and displays errors about wbpattern prefs and wbstartup programs and then workbench locks up. The application itself doesn't crash. By entering the lines one by one I don't think I can sense when the problem is triggered. Maybe someone else.

[Ian]

Just tested it and ......

Whoohooo!!

Changing the settings ...... on the fly!!!!:great

A great release Toni:)

But being a two bit whore, I wish to request something;)

Would it be possible to put a fps counter in full screen mode as well as windowed mode??

Thanks, your efforts have paid off:cheese

[Fred the Fop]

Well, I am testing it with my WinUAE HD 3.1 WB setup, and it won't come on, just WB 3.1 bootup screen. The other WINUAE versions in the folder work, not this. What could be causing this?

[jmmijo]

I initially started with a 32MB RTG frame buffer, it ran very slow. I then went back and set the RTG to 0 and only used the 2MB CHIP and 32MB Z3-Fast. It's running very smooth now. This is with kickstart 3.1 and WB 3.1 on a newly created 1GB HDF. I also installed Dopus 5.5 and Zak Mckraken to test it out. Zak seems to run very smoothely and the sound is right on. I do see some scanline artifcacts however, but they are outside the normal 800 x 600 screen size.

I'll mess around some more and see what happens.

EDIT: Well no go, seems the HD Toolbox can read the drive info but because it's so large it gives you back a minus amount on the HD size :( Messing around with the Heads and Cylinders does help but will most likely fail as these larger HD's use the EXT13 BIOS options only available in the newer PC mobo's or separate controller cards like those from Promise and Adaptec.

Perhaps the latest 3.9 OS has an updated Toolbox to handle this?!?

[Paul]

Wow! I think this is the best version yet! Well Done!

To get my adf demos of State of the Art and Technological Death to work, I had to set the cpu settings to 68000 and tick More Compatible and no JIT this worked perfectly with no choppy sound and hardly no graphic problems;)

[Djay]

a bit like the famous 08.08.R8 version, then Paul ;)

[Djay]

why does it do this, (HELP, please)

i've had to crop the image slightly, to manage to get it on EAB, with no loss of quality.

[Djay]

and if anyone has a bullet proof, config yet could they please upload to the zone, thanx in advance!!!

[§ane]

@Djay: Avoid using Correct aspect ratio with scanlines.

[Paul]

Here is my default config I have if it helps

[Ian]

Make sure scan lines are switched off (I use double lines) and also correct aspect ratio.

I have no problems with my config's from the previous versions (apart from the CPU speed setting), if you still have problems I'll upload my three configs, and then you can check if it's system related or something;)

[Djay]

but, i'm not using scanlines! ahhhh, help, i need to get this to work!:sad :sad :sad :sad :sad :sad

[Paul]

Turn off Low-Res if on, and use 640x480 or 800x600 screen mode.

When I tick Low-Res I get the same result.

[Djay]

fixed with double line mode!

[Ian]

Try Paul's config (Remember to change your Kickstart location's) and if you still have a problem post your system details so we can try and help Toni find out what the problem is:)

I'll upload my config too, try this:)

It work without the problems your having on my system.

Athlon XP1800
Abit KR7a
512 mb
Geforce 3 ti500
Soundblaster Audigy Platinum (Not that this one should matter;))
Winblows XP


Problem fixed while I was typing my reply, bugger;)

[Djay]

i still get choppy sound on...

P2 350
256mb ram
32meg Geforce 2
1024 player SB card

* the ability to change more settings in the F12 menu is great feature
:thumbs_up :thumbs_up :thumbs_up

[Ian]

Mess with the sound buffer:)

Set it at the highest (7) and reduce it until the sound is fine;)

The sound code is different from previous version's and the buffer actually does something;)

I set mine at 2, with your system try it a little higher and see if it does the job.

I remember with my other system (366 celeron, 64mb) I had to run it at 640x480 with scanlines to get resonable sound. Using double line mode is far more processor hungry than using scanlines AFAIK.

Edit: Damn spelling's;)

[Djay]

@Ian, thanx for your ideas

I tried increasing sound buffer and reducing quality, but no change.

I don't want to use scanlines, so i'll have to buy a new system next week


:) :) :) :) :) :)

[Paul]

Just tried setting sound to 7 and it crashes back to the desktop evey time on my system. 6 works o.k. though.

[Ian]

Just tested that Paul, same thing here.

Bug in the sound code maybe??

What sound card you got Paul?

Could it be something to do with soundblaster cards??

Could someone who doesn't have a soundblaster card try this please? Between us all, we'll get to the bottom of this;)

[putridflesh]

Great release Exile AGA seems to work which is a nice change
but I have a problem I created a hardfile/harddisk in winuae
formated it in workbench then installed workbench to it so I could run some old software progs on winuae.
Winuae boots to workbench now but it seems to randomly lock-up usually when copying files to the harddisk file in winuae, the
workin timer icon appears when I attempt to copy files from a floppy to the hard disk file and then eventually windows informs me that the program has stopped responding? Any one have a problem similar to this? :confused

[Toni Wilen]

Bernd confirmed that new filesystem code has some problems. (Burseg: thanks for the test case)

[Paul]

What sound card you got Paul?

@Ian

I have a Creative Soundblaster Live 5.1 card

[Paul]

Has anyone tried using 800x600 screen mode?

I can't get the screen to center right and the graphics corrupt round the border edge. :confused

Also I can't get State of the Art demo to run like it did yesterday.

DOH. Hang on I ran it in 8.8r9, I need to rename my start menu shortcuts.

[Paul]

Right managed to get the State of the Art demo working in the new Winuae but the colours seem wrong.

Here is a pic from 8.8r9

[Paul]

Here is a pic from 0.8.21r1 at near the same spot.

[TikTok]

Yep, the first screenshot is definitely how the colours should look. I also get the extra garbage outside the screen area in 800x600 btw.

[Ian]

Look the same as you first picture on my system, so it ain't a emulator problem.

Thing I think you should check for in your config:

68000 cpu slow but more compatabile mode and match A500 speed.

OCS chipset & fast coppers.

Kick start 1.3

Could be because I'm using the bug fixed skid row version too.

Edit: Just checked the other version and that works fine too:)

Let me know if you,

A: Want my config

B: Want my version of the demo

or C: Both;)

[XoreX]

I have same sound problems like Paul, sound is terrible and choppy. Here my config:

Athlon 1400
Abit A7A266
768 mb
Geforce 2 GTS 64mb
Soundblaster Live!
Winblows XP

This should be more then enough to run every emu. I did all above but no change. Only thing not mentioned is that when I press F12 the sound gets perfect but when I return to game it gets choppy again.

I tested Lotus Trilogy, Thomas Tank Pinball and some others but always the same problem.

Somebody solved this?

[Djay]

anyone used the video clip feature yet, if so was the performance good!

[Ian]

Erm, yes to the first bit of your question and no to the second bit:sad

I get 14 frames a second when trying to use it (Maybe it's because I'm doing 100% quality and cd quality sound) but surely a XP1800 is fast enough to do something like full speed recording. I have recorded something and the results where very good, but I AM NOT sitting through a load of jerky crap for very little gain.

I would love to know which Codec is the best to use though;)

[oldpx]

Cinepak codec maybe a good one to start with.

[Ian]

Yeah, that's the one I've been using.

It's slow as hell, I'm not talking about full screen here, just 356x256 in a window. Should be faster than 14 fps shouldn't it??

[oldpx]

video capturing is not an easy task even if you have a decent system, especially when you are running WinUAE and capturing the screen together. However I would expect to a get a bit better performance.

[Paul]

Originally posted by Ian
Look the same as you first picture on my system, so it ain't a emulator problem.

Thing I think you should check for in your config:

68000 cpu slow but more compatabile mode and match A500 speed.

OCS chipset & fast coppers.

Kick start 1.3

Could be because I'm using the bug fixed skid row version too.

Edit: Just checked the other version and that works fine too:)


Changed my config from
Full ECS, fastest possible, but maintain chipset timing, 68000 slow more compatible and fast coppers KS1.3

To
OCS, match A500 speed, 68000 slow more compatible and fast coppers, KS 1.3

This made it work perfectly. Strange. Although, I have been having problems with my PC! The whole computer kept freezing every 30 seconds. After a battle and a defragment, seems ok now.:confused

Thanks Ian!:)

[7-Zark-7]

I'm not quite sure how to rank this latest WinUAE yet. Like Paul, I've got choppy sound issues using a Sound Blaster Live DE 5.1 (Local varient of the SB Live! 5.1 card,probably the same.).
Given I'm running on a Celeron 900, Asus M/B using based on the Intel 815EP chipset,Win 98 (Original), Geforce 3 Ti200 at 800x600x16bit it's a little surprising,(Latest chipset drivers installed & DirectX 8.1)

So far, setting the sound buffer to 4 seems to produce the "best" results. Things get worse at 1-3 settings.The weird thing is, sometimes the sound will be okay but will suddenly get quite choppy,pressing F12 & returning to the game sometimes makes it better other times,not.

I haven't had any luck with Typhoon Thompson, Rainbow Islands, Wizkid,Heimdall 2 or Murder,(using Kickstart 1.3).
But (ahem!) Hollywood Strip Poker Pro from Reline finally works! At long last I can (sort of!) enjoy Chris Huelsbeck's great music & poor digitized models like I used to years ago!! So a big pat on the back for that Toni!:D

Things are defintely back on track with WinUAE,just a few buggettes, but better than any release since 08.8r8 for a Win 9x system,good job!

[Paul]

@7-Zark-7

Have you tried winuae at 640x480x16bit Correct aspect ratio instead of 800x600x16bit. As this makes the sound work better for me.

[CodyJarrett]

7-Zark-7 - can you post your config for Hollywood Poker Pro?

[7-Zark-7]

Sure thing,Cody!
I just had to do a reinstall tonight,so I've only tested this to boot up. But Last night I was actually playing it. But I've got two version's of this game the "Hollywood poker" varient had some glitches on the main title screen,(where you choose your opponent), I have an old copy I had for years that works perfectly,I'll go to upload it for ya!