WinFellow 0.5.3 (build 1002) released

[carfesh]

We are proud to announce the release of a new WinFellow version. Compared to version 0.5.2 there are a number of changes in this build, with the most significant ones being:
New features:

• support for high DPI configurations, also when used together with Amiga Forever 2016
• support for the original Amiga 1000 boot process from Kickstart disk boot; configure the A1000 bootstrap ROM like any other ROM image for the feature to be automatically enabled
• support for keyboard-initiated reset - press Ctrl+Left Windows+Right Windows or Ctrl+Left Windows+Context Menu (as not all keyboards have a right Windows key) to initiate a reboot within an emulated session
• support for extended ROM images; this gives the ability to use the AROS boot ROM
• support for screenshots, clipping editor/live preview and scanlines in Amiga Forever

Changed functionality:

• WinFellow is now compiled using Visual Studio 2015
• the default configuration contains 512kB chip/bogo memory now and has the real-time clock active (Amiga 500 with A-501 expansion)
• the default configuration is now windowed and has LEDs active
• chip memory mirroring has been implemented for OCS chipsets; the change was required for compatibility reasons, as some titles rely on it
  • because of this change, chip memory is now limited to 512kB when an OCS blitter has been configured; if you need to use more, please use the ECS Agnus blitter in your display configuration (it is an actual limitation of the OCS chipset)
• 2x mode in Amiga Forever now scales via DirectX instead of the internal draw modules (design change was necessary to enable live preview in 2x mode)

Bug fixes:

• implemented bogo memory mirroring for ECS chipset with 512kB chip/bogo memory (required by the demo Move any Mountain)
• fix for CIA timer logic (fixes the game Atomix)
• fixes for several CPU instructions:
  • ’020 bit-field instructions were re-implemented (fix for Lotus Esprit Turbo Challenge 96k)
  • ASL instruction’s overflow detection was improved
  • MULU flag check improved
• escape key special handling in Amiga Forever improved (some titles would not detect an escape key press before)

Please see the included file ChangeLog.txt for a full list of changes, including minor bug fixes which are not listed above.

Downloads can be found here.

[AnnaWu]

The new version was tested on WinXP 32-bit or this OS is no more supported?

1.) Any Kickstart file could not be loaded.
2.) I get a crash (screenshot attached) if I exit/quit the emulator.

No problems with the previous version (0.5.2 r986).

[Schlachtwerk]

Nice to see, WinFellow is still Alive. I think it was dead.

[PortuguesePilot]

Many thanks for the continuing of Fellow! In my old Pentium@90MHz days, it was my preferred emulator. Nice to see it still going. Keep it up!

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by AnnaWu

The new version was tested on WinXP 32-bit or this OS is no more supported?

1.) Any Kickstart file could not be loaded.
2.) I get a crash (screenshot attached) if I exit/quit the emulator.

No problems with the previous version (0.5.2 r986).

I can confirm the same problem! (WinXP SP3)

p.s.
Just wondering, what is the purpose of this emulator, besides the already excellent WinUAE, if not longer be able to work on older/weaker PCs, really?!

[carfesh]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

Just wondering, what is the purpose of this emulator, besides the already excellent WinUAE, if not longer be able to work on older/weaker PCs, really?!

I totally get that we need to fix this, and thanks to the both of you for reporting this - you did not need to pull the WinUAE comparison for us to look at it. We did not break WinXP support on purpose, after some testing it seems to be related to a compiler bug using the stat function, which we are using.

https://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Fo...lstudiogeneral

I don't have an immediate solution, I'll have to evaluate some options. The quickest might be that I switch the project back to Visual Studio 2013. Let me take a look at this and come back with a solution. For the time being, I'm afraid you'll have to go back to using the old version, sorry about that.

I don't want to start any heated discussion, but you are aware that WinXP is severely outdated by now?

[Belgarath]

Originally Posted by carfesh

I don't want to start any heated discussion, but you are aware that WinXP is severely outdated by now?

So are Amigas....

<runs>

[AnnaWu]

Originally Posted by carfesh

... you are aware that WinXP is severely outdated by now?

Counter-question:

You are aware that "WinFellow User Guide.pdf" (WinFellow_alpha_v0.5.3.1002.zip) outdated by now too?

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by carfesh

I don't want to start any heated discussion, but you are aware that WinXP is severely outdated by now?

https://redmondmag.com/articles/2015...usage.aspx?m=2

P.s.
ok, nobody talking about competing with winuae, but honestly, today, to which audience is in fact intended this emulator!?

[Shoonay]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

https://redmondmag.com/articles/2015...usage.aspx?m=2

Half a year is a long time, W10 came out since then and it already has ~27% among Steam users for example vs 3% for XP.

[carfesh]

Originally Posted by amilo3438

ok, nobody talking about competing with winuae, but honestly, today, to which audience is in fact intended this emulator!?

There's no such thing as an intended audience - we're not trying to tell anyone what to use; if you like the emulator, use it. If you don't, then don't, it's as simple as that. That choice is up to you as a user!

The market share for WinXP is going down continually. We still target WinXP so that anyone still using XP can use it, that choice is also up to you. I just hope that you make your choice while being aware of the risks of using unmaintained and unsupported software productively.

I personally no longer use Windows XP, which is why this error was able to slip through in testing. These things can happen in any software, and as I already acknowledged, we are working on fixing this!

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by Shoonay

Half a year is a long time, W10 came out since then and it already has ~27% among Steam users for example vs 3% for XP.

"...among Steam users..." Hmm, yeah probably...

But if you read the comments on the mentioned link you can see what users have said abort the topic.

Edit:
Here is another link (Oktober 2015):
https://www.netmarketshare.com/opera...&qptimeframe=Y

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by carfesh

There's no such thing as an intended audience - we're not trying to tell anyone what to use; if you like the emulator, use it. If you don't, then don't, it's as simple as that. That choice is up to you as a user!

Ok then, I could agree in one think: "That choice is up to you as a user!".

[carfesh]

Ok, so I have uploaded a new build to SourceForge, it has build number 1004; it may take some time to upload to other SourceForge servers.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/fel...Fellow/v0.5.3/

Can you please verify if that build solves the issue for you? It has undergone only very limited testing.

It now was built using Visual Studio 2013 Update 5, which for me seems to resolve the issues. I will continue some tests on my own before writing a formal announcement.

[AnnaWu]

Originally Posted by carfesh

Ok, so I have uploaded a new build to SourceForge, it has build number 1004; it may take some time to upload to other SourceForge servers.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/fel...Fellow/v0.5.3/

Can you please verify if that build solves the issue for you? It has undergone only very limited testing.

It now was built using Visual Studio 2013 Update 5, which for me seems to resolve the issues. I will continue some tests on my own before writing a formal announcement.

Looks good for me.
Thanks for the new compiled version and updated user guide. : )

[carfesh]

Originally Posted by AnnaWu

Looks good for me.
Thanks for the new compiled version and updated user guide. : )

Thanks for the feedback, glad to hear and see it's working! The user guide really only just shortly did not match the facts - but glad to hear it's ok now; it was was not our intention to stop supporting WinXP.

[amilo3438]

Originally Posted by carfesh

Ok, so I have uploaded a new build to SourceForge, it has build number 1004; it may take some time to upload to other SourceForge servers.

https://sourceforge.net/projects/fel...Fellow/v0.5.3/

Can you please verify if that build solves the issue for you? It has undergone only very limited testing.

It now was built using Visual Studio 2013 Update 5, which for me seems to resolve the issues. I will continue some tests on my own before writing a formal announcement.

This one seems fine on my WinXP SP3! (thanks)

p.s.
If I have time maybe do a little more of the test!
Otherwise, I have always regarded this excellent emulator for users with lower PC configurations. (I would like to keep it that way in the future.)

[AnnaWu]

Originally Posted by carfesh

Thanks for the feedback, glad to hear and see it's working! The user guide really only just shortly did not match the facts - but glad to hear it's ok now; it was was not our intention to stop supporting WinXP.

You was talking about the Amiga Forever 2016.
Do you know the approximate release date of the Cloanto Amiga Forever 2016?

[carfesh]

Originally Posted by AnnaWu

Do you know the approximate release date of the Cloanto Amiga Forever 2016?

I can only ensure that WinFellow will work as well as possible alongside it, which is what I hope this release ensures. Support for higher DPI configurations is a major topic in there, which is why changes to WinFellow were necessary to support that.

I cannot tell you exactly when they are going to release it, that is entirely up to Cloanto; should we identify issues in testing, it is even possible that I have to perform further changes to WinFellow.

Until yesterday testing was going along well, so I don't think it's going to be very long, but WinFellow is only one part of it..

[AnnaWu]

Understand.
Anyway, I hope Cloanto will add some prototype Kickstart ROMs like "Velvet" for the A1000.