Amithlon Setup Guide

Originally Posted by milanca

I added support for VIA CLE266, CastleRock graphic card, for my board. My small contribution. I will provide all the compiled drivers (modules) for the sound, network, etc. If anyone wants to help, to pack things up, maybe create a short readme file for new drivers it will be greatly appreciated. As I said I will upload the new kernel (for testing first) in a couple of days, just to polish it first.

how to use it?
i have to rename it in emubox.gz or what?

however i'd like a support for modern hardware such as mine:

Asus M2V PCI-e
Via KT890/PRO
and cpu dual/quad core with more than 1 GB ram DDR2.

If a day i can launch wigh successull amithlon on my system i can sent you a pci scan result.
But i think, with my 2900XT, dualcore cpu and 2 GB dDR2, i'll see only a black screen

WOW! this is all nuts! I stumbled upon the amithlon project, and subsequently this thread, while digging around for amiga stuff to see what was going on with the scene...yes, i sadly admit that I backslid and let my amiga hardware gather dust in the closet...its out on the desk now. All I had left was my orginal A1000. anyway...since i dont have a newer amiga I used this guide to install amithlon. THANKS!!! I just got the OS installed and workbench configured. I have not started to try getting sound and networking up yet. so far so good though. everything installed perfectly and I have os3.9 running on a dual p3 800 system with a Viper770 32MB AGP graphics card. I am pretty sure the onboard LAN isnt going to work so I am looking around for an NE2000 compatible card. This is great fun!. just wanted to stop in and say hi, and thanks.

[Dreamcast270mhz]

After discussing this with Charlie via PM, we both agreed that my setup:
P3 550 Mhz (slow, but getting new cpu)
Voodoo 3 3000D AGP 16mb
256mb ram

could use warp3d. So, how do you hack the install files, as charlie doesn't know exactly how. I'll compile it into a guide and include the hacked archive.

[Ratte]

Originally Posted by Dreamcast270mhz

After discussing this with Charlie via PM, we both agreed that my setup:
P3 550 Mhz (slow, but getting new cpu)
Voodoo 3 3000D AGP 16mb
256mb ram

could use warp3d. So, how do you hack the install files, as charlie doesn't know exactly how. I'll compile it into a guide and include the hacked archive.

The magic behind this is the prometheus-voodoo driver.
Modify the promtheus-voodoo driver to use the "powerpci.library" ...
Could be done with a fileeditor ...
(prometheus and powerpci are api-compatible)

Does kernel4 have additional network card support? I have not tried to apply it to my system yet.

[Dreamcast270mhz]

I tried kernel4, couldn't get it to boot, kept getting kernel panics, fiddled with all the settings but no luck.

[blitter1]

I am having trouble rebooting the pc after booting to amithlon.
It reaches as far as before the IDE devices listing on the MS-DOS.
I have to power the pc off and on , sometimes twice to boot
again properly. It's an Athlon XP 1,6 Ghz pc.

What am I missing?

[Charlie]

Hi Guys,
Again my apologies for not being about v. much (must find some time).
I'll try out the new kernel soon - honest!

@blitter1:
Thanks for the PM, now let's see....

-I get the feeling you did get Amithlon to HDD-boot on your system, yes? Well done, BTW.
-I also get the feeling your system will boot normally sometimes, but not all the time, correct?
-Is your system Amithlon-only or dual booting?

Regardless if you can get it to boot to Amithlon and MS-DOS (even if only occasionally) that suggests you've got the software side set up well enough...
...therefore at this stage assume a hardware issue:
1) Try the usual run-through of checking all connections are good & tight.
2) If I had to make a bet I suspect the PSU you're using is the cause - it's fairly typical of PC's that they draw a lot of power on boot: So causing boot-issues. But less so when running: So all's fine when it does finally boot-up.

Try unplugging as much stuff as you can (CD-ROMs, etc) and see if is stabilises, or if you have a spare try another PSU.

Does that get you anywhere?

If not, further info please:
-Mobo
-CPU
-Memory
-GFX
-Sound
-Others?
-Peripherals (inc HDDs, CD-ROMS)
->Are they all running within spec? (At least while there's issues)
Also:
How's your HDD(s) laid-out? eg:
|-WinXP, NTFS, Primary-|-AmithlonSYS, Fat32-|-&76 Partition-|
Also
Are partitions Primary or logical?
Also
What Boot-loader? (GRUB??)
If GRUB where are it's system files? (Best living with the Amilthon system files on that Fat32 partition in the above example)
Also
IDE or SATA?

All the best,

[blitter1]

It's a VIA VT8377 Apollo KT400 chipset mobo if any known issues about it.

CPU: Athlon 1600 XP

HD: IDE

It does it only on amithlon. I have backup images with Acronis True Image for single boot and dual boot and it does it on both.

When I connect 2 KVM switches together I get flicker when cpu load happens on amithlon, and when I use the external engine on amigaamp if this can tell something.

With an other PSU it doesn't do it. I can't remember about the boot thingie, I will try it and post back.

But why on amithlon only? Maybe some BIOS specific settings for it?

[blitter1]

I just tried that other psu and the booting is the excact same with it. On single boot as well.

Mobo = Gigabyte GA-7VA

RAM is TwinMoss 400Mhz I think. single 256MB stick or dual stick = same with booting.

HD = Primary yes.

DVD-R = Nec. faults the boot without it as well.

PCI cards = faults the boot with none installed.

AGP gfx = FX 5200.

I have: boingbag2, amithlon update, Gary's kernel 3.10, drivers09 of Gary, contrib3, realtek8139 openpci, latest Amigasys4. As well whatever I find for c:amithlonc I copy it, but the problem persists.

I always name the kernels as emubox.gz and never tweek something else. This might be it. Is it more involved to use specific kernels? I use Gary's unofficial 3.10.

[Charlie]

Hmm, most annoying!

Your system should be ideally suited to Amithlon use.

Right, what else?

Would you post your MENU.LST file?
As a general rule Amithlon either works or is doesn't - any instability issues usually arise once AmigaOS is up...
...you're using Gary's latest creation (good). One issue could be that it requires a bit more working memory that Bernie's kernels did - some changes to the GRUB parameters are needed which may be your issue.

[blitter1]

If the MENU.LST file should have been located at the first primary FAT16 partition, then no, I don't have it.

Is the memory working for Gary's kernel required as well when no GRUB is used? I don't use GRUB. Single boot amithlon.

[blitter1]

As I just saw on google the MENU.LST file is GRUB's. No I don't use GRUB at all.

I am copy pasting something I saw earlier on this thread :

kernel /boot/kernel4 console_level=4 init=/linuxrc root=/dev/ram0 mem=256M vga=769 ramdisk_size=12010 leavepages=8200 cachesize=65536
initrd /boot/bigird.gz

That was the tweeking I was refering about. In which file do those options go?
I could maybe post my options, if on any case my problem can be located on those.

[Charlie]

Ah, I understand - me assuming that you're using GRUB as your boot-loader because I do.

You've posted the boot-options commands I wanted to look @, so...

kernel /boot/kernel4 console_level=4 init=/linuxrc root=/dev/ram0 mem=256M vga=769 ramdisk_size=12010 leavepages=8200 cachesize=65536
initrd /boot/bigird.gz

Looks good to me - curious...
...as your machine doesn't have gobs of RAM the mem=256M is probably not needed. Also console_level=4 is useful for debugging (hopefully) but seeing that boing-ball is, um, prettier: console_level=0

FWIW: once you've got your HD-install set up you can dispense with the 'internal' AmigaOS install by the following:

kernel /boot/kernel4 console_level=0 init=/linuxrc root=/dev/ram0 vga=769 ramdisk_size=2310 leavepages=5200 cachesize=65536
initrd /boot/smallird.gz

...which will save you some memory for AmigaOS into the bargain.

Sadly none of that solves your problem.
-If not GRUB, what boot-loader are you using?
LILO?
HDD arranged as follows?
|-Amithlon Boot partition, Fat16-|-&76 partition-|

As you can get your system up occasionally my preferred theory remains some kind of hardware issue...

...question:
As you've got it booting on console_level=4 (debugging output) have you noticed any errors on boot-up?

[blitter1]

I don't know to which file do these options go to.
I have just seen people on this thread using them, and I posted it back to you
as an example, so you could tell me to wich file it goes to. Is it for GRUB?

If not for GRUB, for which file? Debugging output seems very interesting to what
I am up to.

I don't care about the boing-ball for now, but for my problem to be solved.

I use no bootloader. None. Dedicated amithlon pc.

|-Amithlon Boot partition, Fat16-|-&76 partition-| = yes.

[blitter1]

I have seeked for those options on any files on my FAT16 partitions, and I found some files that use them:

AMITHLON
SMALL
DEGUB
DEBUG2

Which one of those files is the one that my amithlon now uses as a boot file from default?

How can I pause the debug screen if I get to it, so I can read and see what goes wrong?

[blitter1]

Ok, here goes :

I found that my amithlon boots from the file SMALL.
This is using smallird.gz.

I think that Gary's kernel needs bigird.gz instead. Am I correct?

I have no bigird.gz file at all. I have used Jope's floppy amithlon install.

I will try to reinstall amithlon with different option to small (you can) and see what boot file it then creates.

See if the bigird.gz is present on the FAT16 partition. And then try to tweek the boot file's options if needed for debugging.

[Charlie]

Hmm, I'm curious now:

-I didn't know Jope had made a floppy install for Amithlon - you live & learn.

-No bigird.gz file? Hmm, I know you must have sufficient files to get Amithlon running because it has.

The minimum set of files needed to run Amithlon are:
-A boot-loader of some description to kick things off, DOS for you?
-A kernel (Bernie, Gary, milanca) to run the show.
-smallird.gz and/or bigirdgz containing:
the minimum system files to run Amithlon (smallird.gz)
or
system files + minimal AmigaOS install in a RamDisc (bigird.gz)

Then, of course, an &76 partition for your own AmigaOS setup...

Apologies for my slowness, I'm having trouble working out how Amithlon is set up on your machine...
...would you mind listing what files (in what directories) are in your Amithlon-boot partition?

thanks.

P.S.
I wonder if this is a lack of allocated memory for kernel-workings thing - you mentioned replacing the kernel you had with Gary's (probably a good thing) by renaming + substituting. It's possible that the boot parameters need changing to suit (wherever they are) and this hasn't been done...
...does it work any better with the kernel that came with the install you're using?

[blitter1]

No, it doesn't work even with the default amithlon install with the original kernel.

Files of my FAT16 partition, all on root no directories :

AMITHLON
AUTOEXEC.BAT
BIGIRD.GZ
COMMAND.COM
DEBUG
DEBUG2
EMUBOX.GZ
KERNEL.SYS
LOADLIN.EXE
SMALL
SMALLIRD.GZ
TE

From what I have read on the net the AMITHLON file is needed to boot BIGIRD.GZ , while SMALL must be used to boot the SMALLIRD.GZ.

To boot I use SMALL with SMALLIRD.GZ and no ram disk, and the options from my SMALL file are :

emubox.gz init=/linuxrc console_level=4 root=/dev/ram0 initd=smallird.gz vga=769
ramdisk_size=2310 leavepages=5000.

What does the ramdisk_size and the leavepages options do please? I have noticed other users use other values on those plus other extra ones.

[Charlie]

Ah, ha!

Regrouping the files into what I recognise (and what I don't):

No idea:
-------
DEBUG
DEBUG2
TE

MSDOS:
-------
AUTOEXEC.BAT
COMMAND.COM
KERNEL.SYS
LOADLIN.EXE <- kicks the Amithlon Kernel into life

Amithlon:
--------
AMITHLON <-I presume like 'SMALL' but for 'BIGIRD.GZ
SMALL <-Contains boot-params for Amithlon, used by 'LOADLIN.EXE'
EMUBOX.GZ <-The Amithlon Kernel itself
SMALLIRD.GZ <-Amithlon files minus internal minimal AmigaOS install
BIGIRD.GZ <-The whole thing (only really useful when you have issues)

So, you're booting MSDOS which then calls LOADLIN.EXE to boot the Amithlon kernel itself...
...LOADLIN.EXE will be using the contents of 'SMALL' or I presume 'AMITHLON' for boot parameters:

Let's go through those parameters...
emubox.gz init=/linuxrc console_level=4 root=/dev/ram0 initd=smallird.gz vga=769 ramdisk_size=2310 leavepages=5000.
-emubox.gz: The Amithlon Kernel you're using.
-init=/linuxrc: What kind of Kernel you're using.
-console_level=4: How much 'debug' info 0->4 (None->Lots).
-root=/dev/ram0: Where Amithlon keeps it's files - A RAM Disc.
-initd=smallird.gz: The system files Amithlon is to use.
-vga=769: The VESA mode Amithlon uses on boot-up.

Now it starts to get important...
-ramdisk_size=2310: The size of disc required to fit all of Amithon's working files. This tends to be larger with later kernels and much larger with BIGIRD.GZ as there has to be room for the internal AmigaOS install.
-leavepages=5000: Working memory needed by the Kernel itself. Again this tends to be larger for later versions.

So:
If you're using Gary's 3.10 Kernel you need to make sure:
-ramdisk_size=2310
-leavepages=5200
...If booting with SMALLIRD.GZ

and:
-ramdisk_size=12010
-leavepages=8200
...If booting with BIGIRD.GZ

At first sight your 'leavepages=' isn't big enough to stably boot Gary's 3.10 kernel without issues cropping up, change it.

Did that help?
Next:
There are other options that may (or may not!) help get Amithlon going.

-cachesize=65536: Is always worth adding to the end of your parameters line as it gives Amithlon's 68k JIT-compiler more memory to play with - make is faster!

-mem=512M: Is useful if you're running more than 1gb of RAM as this can stop Amithlon working. In your case this shouldn't be an issue as you have 256mb but mem=256M may be worth adding just in case.

Put the following right @ the end:
-video=dovesa: Can be very useful for forcing unsupported cards into VESA mode if they don't do VESA properly themselves.

-video=riva:640x480,flatpanel=1: May help get a nVidia card to do DVI with Amithlon or an unsupported nVidia card to do anything at all!

-video=radeon:640x480,dfp: Same kind of thing for ATi cards.

-video=matrox:vesa:0x11B,dfp video=dovesa: May give you dual-head support with all sorts of cards. More likely will stop Amithlon in it's tracks unless you're really using an old Matrox dual-head card.

There's a few other potentially useful options but I'm afraid I've forgotten them.


And finally:
MSDOS & LoadLin...
Somewhere in those AUTOEXEC.BAT & COMMAND.COM files will be the commands that call LoadLin - it will be worth checking that they are correct.
also:
Those files will be responsible for booting your MSDOS too, I suspect the likely source of your MSDOS issues.

I hope that little lot gets you somewhere.