RAD: drive tutorial?

[Photon]

I'd like to decompress .adfs to a RAD: drive, rather than using WHDload, as I don't have an accelerator on my A600.

I do have the Russian 8MB expansion, and I should have almost 2MB chipmem free (it's boxed atm, but surely that's possible?).

The new version of EasyADF is able to decompress to RAD:, and so I should think it's possible to boot from RAD:, if it uses standard AmigaDOS formatted tracks?

I did a quick search, and the only thread I could find was unanswered.

Would be uber cool if someone shared their advice on this -- what devices/files I need and how to set it up, basically.

Full specs: Stock A600, 8MB switchable expansion, CF as IDE-harddisk, kick 3.1, OS 3.1.

[eLowar]

I've used RAD: to boot on my A500 many many moons ago, so it's definitely possible. As I recall setting it up was very easy too, but I have no recollection whatsoever of how it went or where I got that information. I suppose I must've read it in the A500 user manual (seeing how I didn't have all that many information sources back then).

[amigakit.com]

In EasyADF click on 'Transfer ADF to Floppy..' button then select RAD: as the drive and finally click WRITE DISK.

EasyADF will automatically setup RAD: and attempt to image the ADF to RAD:

[Retro1234]

Your A600 -8mb should be the perfect setup for WHDload you dont need an accelerator.
Happy Gaming old skool demo dude

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Photon

The new version of EasyADF is able to decompress to RAD:, and so I should think it's possible to boot from RAD:, if it uses standard AmigaDOS formatted tracks?

Yes, it's the way it works.

Would be uber cool if someone shared their advice on this -- what devices/files I need and how to set it up, basically.

Full specs: Stock A600, 8MB switchable expansion, CF as IDE-harddisk, kick 3.1, OS 3.1.

As you have OS3.1 installed, mounting RAD: drive works like mounting any other device on AmigaOS. It should work by writing in shell "mount rad:". Or configure any other program/script to do it. Or double click RAD from Storage/DOSDrivers drawer.

There's also way to make RAD to use fastmem instead of chipmem, but can't remember how now... probably just by editing its mountfile in dosdrivers...

Once you've mounted it, you can write any files to it or unpack disk images to it. Some examples of writing disk images: "dms write archive.dms to rad:", "transadf drive rad: file archive.adf write" etc etc.

I've been using RAD: for installing disk based programs on my Amigas always. MUCH faster than using real disks. For example when installing multi disk application, you first unpack disk1 to rad:, start installer, when it asks next disk unpack next disk to rad: etc. Of course if you want to make it even prettier, then you could use some virtual floppy devices on HD instead of rad:. Then you can unpack all disk images at once to multiple virtual floppy drives and install/run programs without "disk changes". FMS is one of those kind of devices... can be found from aminet.

And when you want to remove rad: drive, use "remrad" or "remrad force" command, or turn off the amiga for 20 secs or so.

[Photon]

Ah, I'm using TransDisk for ADFs currently and saw no option for rad:, and also knowing that "a friend did it in 1989 on an A500" doesn't mean there couldn't be some heads-up I should know about on 3.1.

A600 is by the soldering bench atm, will try a boot from rad in a bit.

I always beat around the bush, the goal with this is to remove the DF0: drive to save weight and make room to sink in the touchpad'n'stuff on my A600 portable project.


Does, say, the average game ADF with say, a Rob Northen loader really boot and run fine? Or only the ones using trackdisk.device or somesuch?

[jPV]

Originally Posted by Photon

Does, say, the average game ADF with say, a Rob Northen loader really boot and run fine? Or only the ones using trackdisk.device or somesuch?

Uhm... I don't think so, I think that there must be valid filesystem on it to be usable...

[Retro1234]

I edited track 40 of Rad: and it worked so it can hold a NDOS disk but if anyone can confirm I dont think the bootblock can be Fully edited
and games that wont run from other drives other than df0: wont work anyway.

[Photon]

Originally Posted by jPV

Uhm... I don't think so, I think that there must be valid filesystem on it to be usable...

OK, let's beat even less about the bush. Speculate if you will that I have a Giana Sisters adf from TOSEC. I don't think the cracker used trackdisk.device to load the game. If he did, let's select another game where the cracker used a Rob Northen loader, and the tracks are still standard AmigaDOS tracks. After all, it's .adf files. Can I get rid of my DF0: and still play a game once in a while??

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Photon

If he did, let's select another game where the cracker used a Rob Northen loader, and the tracks are still standard AmigaDOS tracks. After all, it's .adf files. Can I get rid of my DF0: and still play a game once in a while??

Won't work as the trackloader accesses the drive directly. You will have to patch the game to make it run from RAD:

[Photon]

Well, I suspected as much, of course. And that trackmos with non-trackdisk.device loaders will also fail. It would take a heap of patch code in any ramdisk device to make RAD a generic "ADF-booter".

So, next step would be to find out why WHDload gives me so much trouble on my A600, and try to fix it. I was told a lot of the slaves were made for 68020 and up, and that's why the vast majority won't start or bug out or run slowly.

I'll investigate when I have time, if someone has an A600 with perfect WHDload games, please let me know so I know it's possible

I still would need to lose the drive, I think, to fit my mods. Depends on whether I think it's OK to have the PicoPSU outside, the touchpad seems to fit fine without removing the drive, but I'd like a joystick/pad in there as well. If I have to sacrifice the odd game/trackmo, that's fine.

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Photon

So, next step would be to find out why WHDload gives me so much trouble on my A600, and try to fix it. I was told a lot of the slaves were made for 68020 and up, and that's why the vast majority won't start or bug out or run slowly.

And I can just repeat what I said on IRC: This is not true. Almost all WHD slaves should run on 68000 machines. Slow downs are possible on 68000 if the patcher didn't check the CPU and applied blitter patches etc. However, that the majority of the slaves were made for 68020+ (I understand that as: they will only run on 68020+ machines) is simply not true.

[Photon]

Well, I'm passing on information given to me. And as I said, I will investigate at least the failure rate, I don't doubt your veracity so there should be something I must do beyond the standard install procedure and some config changes.

I will not, however, consider an OCS/ECS game that runs at full/half framerate perfectly from disk, and running with slowdowns in WHDload, as a working game.

Still would be nice to hear from A600 owners that are happy with their WHDload and what they fiddled with to make it great

[StingRay]

Originally Posted by Photon

I will not, however, consider an OCS/ECS game that runs at full/half framerate perfectly from disk, and running with slowdowns in WHDload, as a working game.

That I can perfectly understand, that is, if you're still speaking about 68000 here. In that case you should write a bug report so the slave can be updated for 68000. I usually skip any 680x0 patches on 68000 machines as they are not needed.

[Photon]

Yup, will try some stuff when I've done some CF card performance tests.