Os3.9

[alewis]

There doesn't seem to be a dedicated forum for OS questions, so

I have the OS3.9 (original, not the SE version). H&P shipped as a bare CD, no instructions. All the on-disk documentation refers to OS3.5

The internet FAQ has been updated to 3.9, but is still very sketchy on one subject: installation.

Can 3.9 be installed "from scratch" - will the Amiga boot from CD and install from there, or must OS3.9 be installed over an existing setup?

Is KS3.1 & OS3.9 compatible with drives >4gb? Either as one large partition on a drive, or as a partitioned drive (say 500mb DH0: and a 17gb DH1 partitions), using the standard C= filing system?

Are there any gotchas?

[thomas]

H&P shipped as a bare CD, no instructions.

Never heard of such. The CD should ship with a small booklet telling you where to start. Also the CD should have 3.9 docs, not 3.5.

Can 3.9 be installed "from scratch" - will the Amiga boot from CD and install from there, or must OS3.9 be installed over an existing setup?

The Amiga cannot boot from CD. You need a running system with access to the CD-ROM. When you run the installer for the first time, you first create an emergency disk. From then on, you can install OS3.9 from scratch: you boot from the emergency disk which gives you access to the CD. The emergency disk boots into OS3.9, so you can try it out before you install it.

Is KS3.1 & OS3.9 compatible with drives >4gb?

Yes, OS 3.9 comes with everything you need.

Either as one large partition on a drive,

No. Because OS3.9 is software only, the boot partition needs to be accessible by the Kickstart's drivers, i.e. it has to be inside the first 4GB of the drive.

or as a partitioned drive (say 500mb DH0: and a 17gb DH1 partitions),

The rest of the drive can be partitioned as you like. Also other HDDs without boot partitions can be partitioned into one large part. I don't know the actual partion size limit, though. There might be problems with partitions larger than 8GB.

using the standard C= filing system?

Be sure you use the file system which comes with OS3.9 (run HDToolbox after you have booted from the emergency disk). Older versions cannot deal with HDDs bigger than 4GB.

[keropi]

you need a setup with 3.0/3.1 OS that has a cd-rom driver.
then insert the 3.9CD, open the install and choose: CREATE EMERGENCY DISK
after you make that disk, copy to it any additional drivers you may need so your hardware works.
then reboot with the disk and the cd-rom inside the drives
the amiga will boot on 3.9 (from the cd) and then you simply re-open the installation script on the cd and choose: OS3.9 setup over OS 3.0/3.1 or Emplty HD

setup - reboot - done!

[alewis]

Never simple, is it.

My CD (which is original, direct from H&P), does NOT reflect the FAQ. It would appear to be similar to the SE version in content and fixes, but using the same outward appearance as the original (ie, red, and with (c)2000 on it).

Anyway. It seemed to install correctly. BUT

DOpus launches on startup. MagicWB loads. AmiDock tries, but complains it cannot open resource.library v44. Double clicking on any drive does nothing, machine freezes then reboots.

Removing AmiDock from wbstartup has cured the freeze (well, reboot once and I can display DH0 contents!)

Emergency boot - couldnt create. My floppy is old and temperamental. Trying ot find a blank/expendable DD disk was a challenge!

Lol. Now, whats the difference between 3.1 and 3.9??? ;-)

Edit: spoke too soon. Tried to open CD0: to install internet software.. and its frozen! Rebooted, I can open any hard disk, but double clicking on any drawer freezes the Mig

Hmm, Trying to run HDToolBox also complains unable to open resource.library v44 any ideas?

[Flashlab]

Did you format the HD before installing OS3.9?

DOpus and MagicWB are not part of 3.9 AFAIK...

I never "upgraded" an existing installation of 3.0/3.1 but always made sure that OS3.9 was a fresh install. That should work better...

[alewis]

Hmm, managed to remove the resource library issue.

Dopus and MWB I added.

No, didn't part and fomat, did an upgrade install. I'll have to find a way of creating a floppy emergency disk; my df0: is just about dead, so am highly reluctant to go this route, esp given the problems I had trying to get 3.1 on the machine. I don't think I have an IDE drive anymore...!

[thomas]

The resource.library error is probably caused by obsolete ClassAct classes or missing ReAction classes (ReAction, which comes with OS3.9, is the successor of ClassAct and programs requiring ReAction won't work with ClassAct).

Instead of creating an emergency disk, you could try to install OS3.9 again, now that you are running OS3.9. The issue with the installation is that it only works correctly if the system is already running OS3.9. That's why you should boot from the emergency disk first. But it will also work if you are already at OS3.5 or OS3.9.

[alewis]

Except I cant... read above. Can open a drive, but when I click on a drawer or tool, the system either freezes, back screen crashes, or guru's....

[thomas]

What's your configuraton ? Do you have a 68040 or 060 ? If so, did you install the processor libs which came with the accelerator ?

Do you have a customised startup-sequence ? Did you check if the installer replaced it with an OS3.9 version ?

Could you rename user-startup and remove everything from WBStartup and check if it still gurus.

[Angus]

Originally Posted by alewis

Except I cant... read above. Can open a drive, but when I click on a drawer or tool, the system either freezes, back screen crashes, or guru's....

Can you go through your start-up/user-startup and disable everything that isn't essential and see if that prevents the problem? If that works, re-enable them one at a time until the problem is isolated.

You may need to boot with no start up sequence to do this.

[alewis]

@thomas

A4k, warpengine040 with 64mb, C64/3D, X-Surf, 2gb SCSI HD on the Warp.

Stock 3.1 install and startup-sequences, added Dopus 4.x, MUI 2.3, MagicWorkbench, and logimouse (no amiga mouse, so using PC mouse).

Used 68040 library that came with WarpEngine, plus the latest 68040 library.

Removed all customisations, same problems (keyboard driven mouse time!).

However, as far as I can see the startup-sequence is NOT OS3.9, it makes refernce to v40.x which is 3.1.

Have just locaed a working floppy drive, and after much hunting a working floppy disk. Reinstalled 3.1, and am now going to "take off and nuke from orbit" install by formatting DH0: and installing from scratch...

[alewis]

The Final Solution appears to have worked.

Inerestingly enough, the *same* problem occured. However, I think I know the cause; CybergraphX.

The default screen was fine. When I switched to a cgx mode, the problem surfaced again. It might be when using >4 colours (or 8), it might be anymode.

Installing P96 has stabilised the system, but contrary to an earlier post about which driver set is better, I seem to remember using P96 (or Picasso drivers)... and didn't like it. PicassoMode is one of the most illogical pieces of software I've used in ages.

Right, now to get networked...

[Flashlab]

There's also a program called PicassoModeTNG. Works better for me!

[alewis]

Cheers. Will have a gander for that.

Hmm.. OS3.9 looks pretty. Bit slow on an 040 and Cybervision though. Not sure if I prefer that or good old MagicWB.

Anyone using MagicWB under 3.9?

[alewis]

Bit nippier under an '060 ;-)

[PeterK]

@alewis

Hmm.. OS3.9 looks pretty. Bit slow on an 040

Have a look at the Workbench preferences
and set images to "other memory".
And tell me please, if IconBeFast couldn't help you to gain a little speed.
http://de5.aminet.net/util/boot/IconBeFast.lha