Hombre Project - PC to Amiga

[ppill]

This is what you see when you boot Hombre_v1.01_FLP.

The top bar is a little gauge program kindly programmed by Leffmann.

From the left it shows:
Track position for DF0:
Track position for DF1:
Free space on DF0: (in kbytes)
Free space on DF1: (in kbytes)
Free space on FAT1: (in kbytes)
Free total mem (in bytes)

The first thing you want to do is change the overscan settings to have the screen centered. From the menu (right-mouse button) choose System>Preferences. When the program loads you can adjust the position by dragging the square in the box. When finished click on Save.

The next thing is the keymap... the default one loaded in startup-sequence is for a German layout. If you've got a different one choose the correct one from the Keymap menu. To make it permanent type 'dme s:startup-sequence' in shell and change the setmap entry to suit you (the names of the keymaps are in the square brackets in the menu entries). When finished press F10.

If you plan to read Amiga formatted floppy discs in DF1: use 'dme s:hombre-startup' and uncomment the 'addbuffers df1: 25' line. F10 to save and exit.

You're good to go.

You need at least two floppies for this test. PC FAT 720kb and an OFS Amiga 880kb.

On the PC on the command line use 'format a: /t:80 /n:9' to get a 720kb Fat32 floppy (tape over the extra hole when using HD disks)

On the Amiga choose Floppy>Format disk in DF0: or press F4 or SHIFT+F4 (this formats a disk in DF1:). Follow the instructions and you'll be set.

You can press HELP for all the shortcuts and aliases.

Now for the tests:

From the floppy menu choose.


"Mount FAT1:"
"Mount FLAT:"
"Copy UnDMS to RAM:"
"Initialize FUnZip"

When ready, copy the file test.dms from the archive to the PC floppy. Place it in the external drive. Place a blank Amiga floppy in the internal drive and issue this command:

xdms fat1:test.dms

Press enter then wait.

Do the same for test.zip but this time the command is:

xadz fat1:test.zip

you can follow the progress by looking at the '0:' indicator on the top bar when it reaches 79 the file has been transfered.

After that choose adf2df1 form the Floppy menu (rebooting Hombre first might be a good idea to free up RAM:), follow the instructions and press Enter when prompted. (first you need to copy the test.adf.001 file to the PC floppy and later test.adf.002)

If after any of these operations the PC floppy becomes corrupted let me know.

Here's the link to the archive...

All works for me now (both on real hardware and under emulation) but please take the time if you can to check it on your setup. Thanks!

[ppill]

So here it is, latest version (1.01) of Hombre. Lots of new features in this one.

The major change is the addition of ProNet that lets you access Amiga's drives via WinUAE running on your PC (sort of like DNet from the previous version but works with later kickstart revisions. I've been using it with the ClassicWB P96 pack which has ProNet pre-installed).

Also support for two drive systems has been extended (pick the ADF for you; 1d/2d, 1 drive/2 drives).

PAL and NTSC versions included.

Hombre is intended to work on models with the 1.3 version of kickstart (most notably the A500). I can't guarantee it'll work with later ones. You really got better options with models like the A600 or A1200.

Hombre is a software package to make your life easier when trying to transfers files to older Amiga models like the A500/A1000/A2000.

Here's a list of features:

Floppy:

- FAT16/32 720kb PC floppies support with long file names

- scripts for floppy based transfers completely re-written; no need to remove spaces from ADF's filenames and no 30 characters file name limit; you can use those TOSEC ADFs without any hassle, just make sure you split them in half ; scripts to utilize the external drives also included; with the external drive floppy drive transfers are a piece of cake.

- DMS and ADZ (gzipped/zipped ADF) support tweaked; great for two drive systems; if the compressed disk image fits onto a 720kb you're good to go; decompression is quite fast so you pretty much get the same speed compared to normal "chopped" ADF transfers because less disk swapping is involved; really only for 2 drive systems; it might work on single drive systems in the minimal mode but is not worth the hassle; use the adf2df0 script and chopped uncompressed ADFs instead; believe me it's better and faster that way

- FixDisk is back; undelete, repair, check tool.

- SuperDuper; the fastest diskcopy program around (for one drive systems I suggest getting an ADF of X-Copy from the fab X-Copy shrine website and using that for formatting/copying large amounts of disks.

- BadFormat; cli-based format command with many verification/check options to make sure the floppy disk you're about to transfer those ADFs is in order.

- HackDisk; trackdisk.device replacement; faster, safer; too bad it screws up the track position display in gauge and TD utilities.

- TurboDisk; simple disk-cache program that just works; works best with 2 drive systems.

- FSDirs; a patch that speeds disk listings; less grunts and a lot faster access to files/directories; it has a nasty bug that confuses the system when recursively copying files (like in 'cp df0: ram: all').

- rawread; extended ADFs.

- tracktool; ADF tool for writing and reading disks; used in scripts.

- CheckDisk; check for bootblock viruses.

- NoClick patch included

Serial:

- transwarp; 19200 bauds PC>Amiga, 115200 bauds Amiga>PC; works both with windows (ADF Sender Terminal) and Linux (good old dd and /dev/ttySx).

- ZModem transfers supported at 19200 bauds both ways; any platform/os with a serial port and a terminal program will do.

- twinexpress; fastest serial transfer program around; too bad it requires DOS.

- DNET; lets you access a folder on your PC as a local drive and vice-versa (via NET: device); share your mouse and keyboard between the two computers; WinUAE required.

- ProNet; like DNet; access Amiga's drives in WinUAE. Works great with ClassicWB; writing ADF directly to disk on the remote (Amiga) machine also is possible (copyhead and flat-handler needed)

Parallel:

- Paradise; the best way to transfer ADFs/files really; you can copy files, write/read ADFs directly to/from disks at whooping speeds ; Windows 95/98 (can be made WinXP compatible using the UserPort driver).

- apccomm; like Paradise but for Linux; doesn't support direct disk access, too bad

System:

- ZShell; the do-all Shell replacement; plenty of in-built commands, pull-down menus, aliases, command line editing; TAB file name completion and plenty more.

- PPrefs; Preferences program

- TurboTopaz; speeds up text scrolling and topaz.font replacement; 5 different fonts included.

- KeyMaps for different layouts

- DMouse; great for working with many windows; autofocus, click2front, window switching, cursor blanker and much, much more.

- FKeys; window/screen switching utility using keyboard shortcuts.

- KeyMenu; access and browse pull-down menus using the keyboard; brilliant little patch.

- DME; text editor with plenty of features.

- SnoopDos and a screen grabber (PictSaver) are also included.

- Gauge; written by Leffman especially for the Hombre package; displays different information about the system (drive head position, free space on disks, free memory, time and date); highly configurable.

- recoverable RAM disks (like RAD); you can even boot from one if you wish and have enough memory.

- press left-mouse button at start-up for a minimal mode (more memory)

Read the docs, press Help to see a list of aliases.

The first thing you want to do is change the overscan settings to have the screen centered. From the menu (right-mouse button) choose System>Preferences. When the program loads you can adjust the position by dragging the square in the box. Also adjust the mouse speed to suit your needs. When finished click on Save.

The next thing is the keymap... the default one loaded in startup-sequence is for a US layout. If you've got a different one choose the correct one from the Keymap menu. To make it permanent type 'ed s:startup-sequence' in shell and change the setmap entry to suit you (the names of the keymaps are in the square brackets in the menu entries). When finished press F10.

Future:

- remote mode version for Hombre (like in the previous version but better)

- VDisk version of Hombre that let's you boot from a RAD like device. Set's up a bootable virtual disk (fast mem also supported), copies the needed files for different methods of transfer (floppy, serial, parallel) and away you go. The internal drive is free and all software is sitting nicely in memory.

Enjoy! Spead the word AND the disk!

I'll write up a quick guide how to get the best out of Hombre later tonight (especially how to set up ProNet since it's a really cool, new feature, it's like a poor man's version of Cloanto's Amiga Explorer)

This is probably the last version of Hombre (the remote and vdisk flavours will come as seperate ADFs). It's been fun but I'd like to concentrate on other Amiga projects I started like ComFy.

[prowler]

Thanks, ppill! Great work once again!

[ppill]

Thanks prowler

ProNet setup:

Amiga:

Simply choose ProNet from the Serial menu entry.

PC:

Make sure to disable FIFO buffers in the advanced settings of your serial port. Hardware Manager > Your port > Advanced settings.

In WinUAE's ClassicWB config under I/O ports choose your serial port and make sure you tick the RTS/CTS option.



Modify the devs:ProNet/.config file to look like this:

serial artser.device 0 19200 3WIRE

Download artser.device and copyhead from aminet.

Copy artser.device to devs: and copyhead to c:

To mount a remote amiga drive type ina shell window:

pronet-start remote_df0 df0 ;to mount the internal drive

It's pronet-start local_name remote_name, no double colons!

A disk icon should appear and you can access it almost like any other drive (not all dos packets are supported, check the pronet manual for more details).

To access the RAM: disk on the remote machine you have to mount a RAD like device since pronet hangs if you simply type:

pronet-start remote_ram ram

You've got a couple to choose from. In most cases VD0: should work ('mount vd0:' in hombre shell). If that fails use VR0: or VR1: instead.

;Amiga Shell
mount vd0: ;or
mount vr0: ;or
mount vr1:

;Amiga Shell (Winuae)
pronet-start remote_ram vd0 ;or
pronet-start remote_ram vr0 ;or
pronet-start remote_ram vr1

To transfer ADFs directly to/from disk, mount FLAT: in Hombre, in WinUAE's shell mount it ('pronet-start flat flat') and use the copyhead command like this:

copyhead disk.adf flat:df0 901120 ;to write an adf to a disk in the internal drive
copyhead disk.adf flat:df1 901120 ;to write an adf to a disk in the external one
copyhead flat:df0 ram:disk.adf 901120 ;to convert a disk in the internal drive to an adf in ram: in WinUAE, etc.

That's it.

[Leffmann]

Cool Let me know how Gauge works out, I don't mind supporting it if anything comes up that needs tweaking or fixing.

[ppill]

Originally Posted by Leffmann

Cool Let me know how Gauge works out, I don't mind supporting it if anything comes up that needs tweaking or fixing.

It works great, no problems whatsoever

Edit: Well, there is one thing... but it's not gauge's fault. Hackdisk.device (trackdisk.device replacement) causes the track display to show gibberish. The same goes for TD (trackdisplay). If you like you might look into it but really it's not a big deal.

[Leffmann]

I'll take a look.

[ppill]

Originally Posted by Leffmann

I'll take a look.

Tack

[Leffmann]

I was in Poland in 1992, and I would've answered you back in Polish but the only thing I still remember is how to order ice cream

I've sent you a message with a new version of the gauge.

[Shoonay]

Awesome stuff as always Zbyszek!

Originally Posted by Leffmann

[...] the only thing I still remember is how to order ice cream

The meaning of the "ice cream ordering" phrase changed drastically since then, so better watch your words...

[ppill]

Originally Posted by Shoonay

Awesome stuff as always Zbyszek!

Thanks Shoonay... or should I say Janusz

[Leffmann]

Originally Posted by Shoonay

The meaning of the "ice cream ordering" phrase changed drastically since then, so better watch your words...

Glad you told me, I could've gotten myself into a strange situation on the next visit otherwise

[MazinKaesar]

Nice utiliy compilation, thank you. I posted it on amiganews.it

[ppill]

Originally Posted by MazinKaesar

Nice utiliy compilation, thank you. I posted it on amiganews.it

Thanks for sharing

[AmigaDave]

Originally Posted by MazinKaesar

Nice utiliy compilation, thank you. I posted it on amiganews.it

Great to see people still creating utilities like this for AmigaOS1.3 (or any version of AmigaOS for that matter).

[hgrob]

Greetings...

I read somewhere in this thread that it (once) was possible to attain these tools on disk
- Is it still possible? I think some of these could be useful in getting more out of my A1000 with KS 1.3.

Great initiative bro!

[ppill]

Originally Posted by hgrob

Greetings...

I read somewhere in this thread that it (once) was possible to attain these tools on disk
- Is it still possible? I think some of these could be useful in getting more out of my A1000 with KS 1.3.

Great initiative bro!

Thanks. I'm sure there are people in Denmark willing to send you a Hombre disk if you don't have a way to transfer the adf yourself.

[1time]

Great work!

This is just the sort of disk i have been looking for.

Keep it up!

[hgrob]

Originally Posted by ppill

Thanks. I'm sure there are people in Denmark willing to send you a Hombre disk if you don't have a way to transfer the adf yourself.

Yeah, if i knew some friendly Danish Amigans...
But next payday I will get the gear to make my A600 pc friendly...
So I will have to wait a bit.

Or, maybe I could make an old trade deal for your stuff Vs. some of
what I do (music)... if you may be interested ?

Still, great to see that there still are some out there making stuff like
this for the classic amigas

[Skope]

ppill, I'm loving the Hombre-project!