Cody's WHDLoad FAQ
 

Here's a first draft of a WHDLoad FAQ that I've written for the EAB. Any suggestions or additions?


What is WHDLoad?

WHDLoad is a tool which allows you to run Amiga games from your hard disk.


What is the URL of the WHDLoad homepage?

www.whdload.de


What are the main advantages of WHDLoad?

1. Games load quickly from hard disk.
2. All games have a quit option to return to Workbench.
3. The games are fixed to work on modern machines.
4. No more bothering with ADFs or floppies or disk swapping.
5. You are running the original game, not a pirate version.
6. The games are patched to pass any copy protection.
7. Hiscores or save games can be sent to the hard disk.
8. Bugs or annoying features are fixed.
9. Over 1000 games are currently supported with installs.
10. Game compatibility with emulators is often improved


What are the components of a WHDLoad install?

WHDLoad - the tool itself. This is a command, which usually resides in the C directory.
Slave - compiled 68000 assembler code. This has been written specifically for a certain game and can call functions provided by WHDLoad.
Disk image/files - actual game files. Either one or more disk images (default filenames are disk.1, disk.2 etc.) or game files copied from the disks (in a 'data' dir).
Icon - although not necessary, an icon is an easy way to call WHDLoad with a tooltype which will specify the slave.
Installer - standard Workbench installer. Automates the process of setting the game up on the hard disk, ready to run.
Readme - explains features of the install etc.


What is the difference between disk images and data files?

If the original game is non-DOS, then a complete dump of the disk will be used in the form of a disk image. If the game is DOS, then the files will be placed in a subdirectory, usually called 'data'. However, for some non-DOS disks, the patcher of the game will extract the files to hard disk, knowing that they are stored in a custom format on the original disk.


Who is involved with WHDLoad?

Bert Jahn is the author of WHDLoad itself and also writes some installers. Dedicated patchers such as Bored Seal only write installers.


What is the process of installing and running a game with WHDLoad?

Make sure that the standard 'installer' tool is available - download it at http://www.aminet.net/aminet/dirs/am...aller-43_3.lha

Download the actual WHDLoad archive from the homepage. Extract the LZX/LHA archive and run the installer, which will place all the WHDLoad files in relevant directories.

Download the specific patch for your game from the homepage and extract the LHA archive. Run the patch installer.

Follow the on-screen instructions, specify where the game is to be installed and insert the original disks when prompted.

Navigate to the directory when you installed the game and double-click the icon to run the game.


Why are the game files not available on the WHDLoad website?

Putting copyrighted games on the website would endanger WHDLoad itself. It is primarily designed for use by owners of original games.


Can I use cracked games with WHDLoad?

Many crack images will work, although it is not guaranteed. Patchers like Codetapper design their installs to work with cracks sometimes.


How much is WHDLoad?

As of version 18.2, WHDLoad is now free. A donation may be made to support the project: http://www.whdload.de/reg.html

Previously, there was a one-time payment of 20 Euros, £15 or $20 to register WHDLoad. This went to Bert Jahn to help run the website and continue development of WHDLoad. The patchers write slaves for free (and usually as a hobby or interest).


Why should I pay for WHDLoad? Other emulation projects are free.

WHDLoad is a shareware program, designed to run on real Amigas. It isn't about emulators.


Where can I get game files to use with WHDLoad?

Try Codetapper's Action Web Headquarters ( http://action.reversers.net/ ) or ask at the English Amiga Board ( abime.net ).


Why don't the WHDLoad patchers fix the games which don't work with emulators?

WHDLoad is designed to work on real Amigas and the patchers don't have time to work around emulator bugs, which may be fixed in a future emulator version. Often the compatibility of game with an emulator is improved, due to the fixing of non-standard features of the game or the removal of a badly-coded disk routine.


What is JST?

JST is a similar system to WHDLoad, but has now been discontinued (see the old homepage at http://jffabre.free.fr/amiga/patches.html ). The author, Jean-François Fabre now writes WHDLoad patches.


I got an error 'DOS-Error #205 (object not found) on reading "devs:kickstarts/kick34005.a500"' when running a game under WHDLoad.

The specific game uses KickEmu and requires an A500 kickstart image and an associated .rtb file. The kickstart image must be located in the directory "Devs:Kickstarts" and must be named "kick34005.A500". The image can be extracted from an A500 with tools like "GrabKick" or similar which can be found on Aminet. If the image is the wrong version or altered in any way, WHDLoad will quit with an appropriate error message.

Additionally the file "kick34005.A500.RTB" must be installed in the same directory as the kickstart image. It can be found in the archive "util/boot/skick343.lha" on Aminet.


What is KickEmu?

Some games use a lot of operating system calls to the Amiga ROM, which can't be accessed directly within WHDLoad. A patcher can emulate the calls in the slave, or else use KickEmu and WHDLoad functions which allow access to a ROM image in FAST RAM (and therefore requires 512K more RAM to run the slave).


The game disk images are big. Can they be compressed?

Yes, install the user version of the tool XPK and compress the images (for example, using the MASH compression algorithm).


What is CAPS / SPS?

CAPS is the Classic Amiga Preservation Society - http://www.caps-project.org/ (Now known as SPS - The Software Preservation Society - http://www.softpres.org/) and aims to rescue Amiga games in a different way than WHDLoad. CAPS dumps original disks for preservation as they are, including protection, while WHDLoad removes protection and aims to run the games off a hard disk.


How to make WHDload install with .IPF?

N.B you will need RawDIC 4.0 for this so, first make sure you have the latest version of Whdload installed and then download:

• TrackWarp from: http://www.whdload.de/whdload/TrackWarp14.lha
• ipflib_amigaos-m68k.lha from: http://www.softpres.org/?id=download

Copy capsimage.device to Devs:

Copy trackwarp.library to Libs:

Proceed as if you were going to install from disk.

When RawDIC appears and asks for disk 1, click the Select file button in the middle.

Select the first .IPF file.

Click Start.

Repeat the above operation if/when asked for the next disk. Done

Very good:great

Only suggestion I can think of is, have a link to installer?

The links to the WHDLoad archive might change, so I'll just leave a link to the webpage.

I am on about the latest C:Installer file, which is needed for the install scripts to work found on BTTR and aminet.:p

Doh! Done!

Very good FAQ for those how don't know how to get WHDLoad to run. Seems to be complete.

Re: Cody's WHDLoad FAQ
 

Two things I'd consider:
1. Maybe the other patchers might feel chuffed if they see Codetapper singled out as an example patcher, so maybe there should be no 'example' patcher, just for balance?

2. I'd probably remove the 'boxed' part of that last paragraph.


Beyond that, an excellent (and much needed) guide that I can see we will be directing people towards quite a lot. Good job, Cody!

Sounds fine. Though I'd add a troubleshooting thingie in there too.

Okay, I've made some more changes. I've changed Codetapper to Bored Seal as an example patcher.

What if Codetapper feels chuffed that... [SNIP!] OK, you got him in there with the Action link. :cheese

One more thing: link to the CAPS page maybe? I realize it's not really WHD-related, but it's more complete that way.

Don't worry, Codetapper himself suggested the change to Bored Seal!

Link to CAPS done.

Although I realise that WHDLoad is geared towards Amiga users (rather than emulator WINUAE users), maybe a small add-on to the FAQ for newbies wanting to know how to install/run this utility via WinUAE would be helpful.
(ie:unpacking from the PC & putting it onto a WinUAE harddisk).

So I have to use whdload AND kickemu !! to load games for a500 kickstart ?

i have a A1200 kick3.1 OS 3.9

Yes and no. You simply have to run the game and have an appropriate kickstart file available. WHDLoad does all of the system setup for you.

Very nice Cody !!!!

Wouldnt like to whip me up a html page for the DVD would ya ?
Perhaps something with a link to the "Hall Of Light" and maybe a few others would be cool.

I think you should add the chipnocache option infos, for ppc users...

how about this one-

q. "I'm rubbish at pc/ amiga technical stuff- how do I install whdload WITH EASE"
a. "use one of the custom workbench installs, such as Classicwb, and it all comes preinstalled" :-)

Shouldn't this be removed now that we have WIKI??:blased

Installer link broken
 

That link doesn't work. But if you change the "uk" to "www", then it does work.

Thanks, fixed!