Amithlon Setup Guide

[SnkBitten]

Originally Posted by tero

The standard HD Toolbox can't use type 76 partitions as rdb drives as amithlon does. I read somewhere that there are a few modifications.

Amithlon doesn't need type 76 partitions. It needs a hard drive OR it needs a type 76 partition on a drive you share with your PC. There are no tweaks that I'm aware of for HDToolBox as it uses the same one installed during your OS installation. I have zero type 76 partitions on my physical Amithlon system, just a DOS formatted boot drive and an AmigaOS formatted drive that Amithlon boots AmigaOS from.

[tero]

I didn't say it need them, it can. But can the standard HDTollbox use x76 partitions? if not then it is modified.

It's been a while i used Amithlon. Maybe my memories are playing tricks on me but i remember reading something about using the Amithlon HDToolbox when using another Workbench.

[SnkBitten]

It's not HDToolBox for the Type 76 partition, it's the Linux kernel underneath presenting it to AmigaOS as a drive. You have to create that Type 76 partition through other means as Amithlon and AmigaOS can't create it.

[tero]

Ah, you're right. My memories are totally messed up.

[Falke_34]

Originally Posted by SnkBitten

Did you change the scsi device in the icon for HDToolBox? I just fired my Amithlon 3.1.4 configuration up and I can see my drives.

SCSI_DEVICE_NAME=amithlon.device instead of scsi.device.

HDToolBox in Amithlon works on hard drives as well. I have a boot DOS drive and the a second drive just for Amithlon. It was a bare drive completely partitioned and formatted by HDToolBox.

HDToolBox is the same in Amithlon as whatever AmigaOS version you are running. I have 3.1, 3.9 and 3.1.4 boot partitions and various modified kickstarts for Amithlon on my DOS boot drive (in multiple smallird.gz files) and I call the associated "small" file with loadlin to load the version of Kickstart/OS I want (using the both mouse buttons on boot to select the booting partition).

Thanks, this is working! Perfect

[mikk]

Originally Posted by Falke_34

AmigaOS 3.1.4 working with Amithlon
- used the A2000/A500/A600 Kickrom (A1200 Kickfile works too)
- battclock and battmem changed to the old Amithlon Files - all other 4.1.4 Files
- HD Toolbox from 3.1.4 not working

How did you get that? I get AmigaOS 3.1.4 working on Amithlon only by installing it over 3.9. Did you do a clean installation?

[SnkBitten]

I did it by installing 3.1.4 in WinUAE, compressing the content (.lha) and then extracting that to a partition on my Amithlon system. I then copied the relevant Amithlon files over and modified the startup sequence to handle the Amithlon specifics.

I modified the kickstart (shape.rom) and placed it in the smallird.gz file so it boots with all the updated modules. You also have to use the Amithlon modules as stated above (battmem and battclock). I put this information up on my blog about a year ago.

https://amithlonblog.snkbitten.com/a...amigaos-3-1-4/

[mikk]

Originally Posted by SnkBitten

I then copied the relevant Amithlon files over and modified the startup sequence to handle the Amithlon specifics.

Do you remember which files did you copy and how did you modify the startup sequence?

[SnkBitten]

Originally Posted by mikk

Do you remember which files did you copy and how did you modify the startup sequence?

I'll take a look and see. I need to do a write up for it anyway and I plan to update my Amithlon installation guides during the Christmas holidays.

[SnkBitten]

For startup-sequence:

; $VER: Startup-Sequence_HardDrive 45.4 (28.5.2018)
; Startup-Sequence for hard drive systems
Path >NIL: C:AmithlonC ADD
Setconfig >NIL: rebootifchanged
Setconfig >NIL: keyboardmap fff|0x77|
Setconfig >NIL: keyboardmap fff|0xf7|

AmithlonSetup

Stack 65536
Amithlon_key HaageKey >NIL:

C:SetPatch QUIET
C:CPU CHECKINSTALL

C:Version >NIL:
;C:AddBuffers >NIL: DF0: 15
FailAt 21

C:MakeDir RAM:T RAM:Clipboards RAM:ENV RAM:ENV/Sys
C:Copy >NIL: ENVARC: RAM:ENV ALL NOREQ

Resident >NIL: C:Assign PURE
Resident >NIL: C:Execute PURE

Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV
Assign >NIL: T: RAM:T
Assign >NIL: CLIPS: RAM:Clipboards
Assign >NIL: REXX: S:
Assign >NIL: PRINTERS: DEVS:Printers
Assign >NIL: KEYMAPS: DEVS:Keymaps
Assign >NIL: LOCALE: SYS:Locale
Assign >NIL: LIBS: SYS:Classes ADD
Assign >NIL: HELP: LOCALE:Help DEFER

BindDrivers

C:LoadMonDrvs

SetEnv Language "english"
SetEnv Workbench $Workbench
SetEnv Kickstart $Kickstart
UnSet Workbench
UnSet Kickstart

C:AddDataTypes REFRESH QUIET
C:IPrefs
C:ConClip

Path >NIL: RAM: C: SYS:Utilities SYS:Rexxc SYS:System S: SYS:Prefs SYS:WBStartup SYS:Tools SYS:Tools/Commodities

IF EXISTS S:User-Startup
Execute S:User-Startup
EndIF

Resident Execute REMOVE
Resident Assign REMOVE

C:LoadWB
EndCLI >NIL:

For a list of files.....just copy the c:AmithlonC folder as well as s:amithlon_patches folder from a configured Amithlon system to your 3.1.4 installed partition. If you are using kern3.10 drivers you'll have to copy those or drivers for kernel4 if you are using it (provided you have hardware that needs drivers.....Nic or Audio).

That should get you moving in the right direction. My normal boot is 3.9 + 3.1.4 overlayed for Amithlon. I have another partition that is 3.1 and another that is 3.1.4. I boot and hold both mouse buttons and select the partition I want to boot while disabling the normal boot partition, etc....

[mikk]

Thank you very much. I had to do other things to get a fully working system (at least on VirtualBox, I'll try later on real hardware):

-I didn't use WinUAE at all (it works perfectly for me with games, but I don't like it when it comes to AmigaOS), but I created an ISO containing the 3.1.4 ADFs and ImageMount, and installed 3.1.4 on a separate partition inside VirtualBox from the installed 3.9 system mounting the ADFs as floppies;
-At first, the system was complaining about a CPU-specific library, so I copied 68040.library from the 3.9 Libs: directory;
-Then the screen resolution was really low and I couldn't open any folder, so I copied Picasso96API.library and the Picasso96 folder from the 3.9 Libs, powerfb from Devs:Monitors, Picasso96Settings from Devs and the Picasso96 folder from Prefs:Env-Archive, and LoadMonDrvs from C;
-Then, the system booted correctly and I reinstalled Picasso96 from the installer;
-To get USB working I installed PowerPCI, Poseidon 3.8 and 4.4 and ArakAttack as your guide explains (for ArakAttack I used the 3.9 Installer from the Utilities folder because the 3.1.4 installer is not compatible);
-For Audio, I installed the AHI package you linked in your guide, but I also had to copy openpci.library from the 3.9 Libs: and AHI and AudioMode folders from the 3.9 Devs;
-For Network, I couldn't use Genesis because it complains about resource.library even if I copy it from 3.9 Libs (is it based on ReAction?), so I used the Roadshow Demo following again your guide, and I had also to copy the Devs:Networks folder and amithlon1_com.device and amithlon1_com.elf from 3.9.
-For CD-Roms I copied over to 3.1.4 the CD0 file from the Devs:dosDrivers folder of the amithlon_hd disk (the disk that is mounted when you do "loadlin @amithlon"), instead of the 3.9 version that I couldn't make to work, copied L:CacheCDFS and Prefs:CacheCDFS, deleted Storage:dosDrivers/CD0 and added C:Mount >NIL: DEVS:dosDrivers/~(#?.info) after BindDrivers in the startup-sequence you posted here;
-Every time the system was complaining about copying on an existing file, I selected "Skip all" to keep the 3.1.4 version.

Now I have a (mostly) working and clean Amithlon 3.1.4 system on VirtualBox, but I'm not sure it will work correctly on real hardware; I look forward to your updated guide!

[cloverskull]

What version of virtualbox are you using, and what's your host OS? I find that recent versions of virtualbox broke something with tcp/ip and some guest OSes, DOS and Amithlon being two of them.

[mikk]

I'm using VirtualBox 6.0.14 on Windows 10 x64, I've attached a snapshot of my configuration. There are some issues with this version:

-For some reason, the FreeDOS livecd used by SnkBitten in his guide doesn't work if is selected "FreeDOS LiveCD Only" in the second boot menu, you have to select the HIMEM or HIMEM + EMM386 option;
-xfdisk works in a very bad resolution, but is still usable;
-You have to add "nosleep" or "crusoe" at the end of small and amithlon files;
-In AmigaOS there are only 8 bit screen modes with 256 colors (Edit: not true, as the next post shows)

[SnkBitten]

I'm using 6.0.14 and have 32bit color and no issues with Freedos running as described in my guide.

Make sure you install the AmithlonUpdate131.lha in the order of patching as described.

You may as well drop your video card memory down as well, Amithlon will only be able to use 16 MB of it but will map the entire amount into Amiga addressable space, reducing your available ram. I set mine to 32 MB even though that's double the usable amount. Also you'll just want OHCI for USB as it won't recognize USB 2.0.

I have't had network functioning for a while now after updating to a newer version at the time of Virtualbox a year or so ago. No update after has made it better and I don't recall the version I was using prior to it not working.

[mikk]

You're right, I tried to reinstall from scratch an I got 32 bit color, maybe I made some mistakes before.
For the network, try to set the virtual card as bridged with your phisical card, as my configuration shows.

[SnkBitten]

Yeah, I'm bridged. It pops up in my router but doesn't seem to get out or to any device on my network.

Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using Tapatalk

[SnkBitten]

Interesting.....I can ping my NAS box as well as ping web sites. AWeb is just not loading any sites. I haven't installed IBrowse yet. If I remember my earlier attempts I couldn't even ping any sites (Amithlon in Virtualbox).

[SnkBitten]

Installed Roadshow and we're online

Nice to have Amithlon Virtualbox online again!

[Methanoid]

Originally Posted by SnkBitten

I'll take a look and see. I need to do a write up for it anyway and I plan to update my Amithlon installation guides during the Christmas holidays.

Oh great news. Will/do they include virtual machines also?

[SnkBitten]

Originally Posted by Methanoid

Oh great news. Will/do they include virtual machines also?

The guides were actually written while installing in Virtualbox but I will be adding specific instructions on Virtualbox setup. I went through installing Amithlon following my guides a few weeks ago and found myself jumping around the guides and some blog posts I had made and realized I need to make the install process flow better and contain more details in some areas.