beneath a steel sky prob (cd32-version via WHDload)

[killergorilla]

I've done some testing with libraries and such and I've checked which libs are needed (on my setup at least) to get BASS CD32 running from HDD.

You must make sure you have the following in libs:

freeanim.library
lowlevel.library
nonvolatile.library

If you don't have all of these the game doesn't load and it turns workbench a funny red colour.

Hope this helps you out.

[pTah]

Originally Posted by killergorilla

I've done some testing with libraries and such and I've checked which libs are needed (on my setup at least) to get BASS CD32 running from HDD.

You must make sure you have the following in libs:

freeanim.library
lowlevel.library
nonvolatile.library

If you don't have all of these the game doesn't load and it turns workbench a funny red colour.

Hope this helps you out.

let's see if this helps. :>
anyway, thx for your help!

edit:
shit, they are already in the libs (of the WB). maybe BASS can't find them? or wrong version of these libs(i used the ones from the BASS-cd)?
as you said there must be something wrong with the libs. you got the same red-coloured-screen as in my case so i assume that either bass cant find them (even they are in the libs:-folder of the WB and the libs:-folder of the game) or they are in a wrong version or corrupted.

dunno, maybe you could send me your version of these libs, please?
last chance will be to try an cd32-emulator on the cd32. if this doesnt help i'll give up.

[killergorilla]

I seem to have missed this reply!

Sorry for the delay, here are my files that work fine here.

[pTah]

thx a lot. i'll try them asap!

edit:
same as before.
only chance is to play the pc-talkie-version via scummvm...

[killergorilla]

very strange... you tried snoopdos?

[pTah]

hey, that's a nice idea!
when i have more time i'll try it!

[killergorilla]

Yeah, I tried it and it came up with a few more .device and .library files than those listed but I presumed they were on ROM as I've had it working fine with only those library files in libs and booting without loading WB.

[pTah]

shit, i dont understand this. after some crashes (even snoopdos crashed) i was able to log the things that happen when starting BASS.
but i dont understand what i see:

______________________________________________

1 steelsky openlib freeanim.library ver 0 Fail
2 steelsky findport startup animation Fail
_______________________________________________

why the hell does bass fail to open this lib ??? it's in libs-dir of the wb. i tried my version of this lib and yours you send me (they are identical / same size).
any hints why bass cant open the lib ??? pls help a poor bass-fan

[pbareges]

maybe you have another version in another prioritized path for LIBS ?

[pTah]

Originally Posted by pbareges

maybe you have another version in another prioritized path for LIBS ?

how can i check whether there is "another prioritized path for LIBS"?

[Lizart]

Hello everyone, has anyone found a solution to the problem by now? BASS behaves the same way with me as with pTaH, redscreen from the CLI and red flickering on the Workbench when starting.

My config:
Cd32 - TF330 64MB

I have also tested the whdload version but with "only" 64MB the speech output stutters every now and then.
You should have at least 100mb ram for it.

So if someone has a solution I would really appreciate that.

[jotd]

it can't be a libs issue since the libs are ROM resident on a CD32 (lowlevel...). Of course, if there's a corrupt version of freeanim.library in LIBS: it would fail to open it.

that's why whdload installs exist, to get rid of OS conflicts. But yes, the speech version needs RAM like you can only find in emulators

Redscreen can be when library is not found, snoopdos is good at finding what's the issue. Unfortunately, the game issues a redscreen for EVERY ERROR it encounters... diagnostic is difficult!

opening libs

	LEA	LAB_0408+1(PC),A1	;00D674: 43FAFD83
	MOVEQ	#0,D0			;00D678: 7000
	MOVEA.L	ABSEXECBASE.W,A6	;00D67A: 2C780004
	JSR	_LVOOpenLibrary(A6)	;(exec.library)
	MOVE.L	D0,FreeanimBase		;00D682: 23C00000D424
	BEQ	fatal_error_red_screen_openlibrary		;00D688: 670002BE
	MOVEA.L	FreeanimBase(PC),A1	;00D68C: 227AFD96
	MOVEA.L	ABSEXECBASE.W,A6	;00D690: 2C780004
	JSR	_LVOCloseLibrary(A6)	;(exec.library)
	LEA	LAB_lowlevel.library(PC),A1		;00D698: 43FAFD70
	MOVEQ	#0,D0			;00D69C: 7000
	MOVEA.L	ABSEXECBASE.W,A6	;00D69E: 2C780004
	JSR	_LVOOpenLibrary(A6)	;(exec.library)
	MOVE.L	D0,LowlevelBase		;00D6A6: 23C00000D428
	BEQ	fatal_error_red_screen_openlibrary		;00D6AC: 6700029A
	LEA	LAB_dos.library(PC),A1		;00D6B0: 43FAFD2A
	MOVEQ	#0,D0			;00D6B4: 7000
	MOVEA.L	ABSEXECBASE.W,A6	;00D6B6: 2C780004
	JSR	_LVOOpenLibrary(A6)	;(exec.library)
	MOVE.L	D0,DosBase		;00D6BE: 23C00000D41C
	BEQ	fatal_error_red_screen_openlibrary		;00D6C4: 67000282
	LEA	LAB_graphics.library(PC),A1		;00D6C8: 43FAFD1E
	MOVEQ	#0,D0			;00D6CC: 7000
	MOVEA.L	ABSEXECBASE.W,A6	;00D6CE: 2C780004
	JSR	_LVOOpenLibrary(A6)	;(exec.library)
	MOVE.L	D0,GfxBase		;00D6D6: 23C00000D420
	BEQ	fatal_error_red_screen_openlibrary		;00D6DC: 6700026A
	MOVEA.L	D0,A0			;00D6E0: 2040

the red screen error is all over the place...

[Lizart]

Hi jotd, thanks for reply i tryed the working libs from killergorilla (he attached them here in this thread) but same problems as before.

[jotd]

the red screen can come from other causes too. If someone can create a hardfile with the problem occuring (red screen) I'll look into it with WinUAE.

before starting the game, it may matter to assign LIBS: to the libs of the CD (libs directory) just in case real libs fail to work... but I doubt it. The libs on the CD are made for non-CD32 users.

[DamienD]

Originally Posted by Lizart

Hello everyone, has anyone found a solution to the problem by now? BASS behaves the same way with me as with pTaH, redscreen from the CLI and red flickering on the Workbench when starting.

My config:
Cd32 - TF330 64MB

I have also tested the whdload version but with "only" 64MB the speech output stutters every now and then.
You should have at least 100mb ram for it.

So if someone has a solution I would really appreciate that.

Heya Lizart,

Can't you just burn / play the original Beneath A Steel Sky [CD32] on your supped up CD32?

It has speech; and only requires the stock 2MB of Chip RAM

Here you go: Beneath a Steel Sky (1994)(Virgin)(M4)[!].zip

Forget WHDLoad for this game on "real" hardware; crazy amounts of RAM

[jotd]

I suspected that a HD installation (by copying CD files) misses some system assigns.

I tried it myself on a A1200 configuration and it works by doing:

assign libs: libs
steelsky

BUT on a CD32 configuration, the same thing DOESN'T WORK! => red screen

There's an issue with (resident) freeanim library all right. Game tries to open it, and it returns 0 => red screen. On a A1200 with disk freeanim, it always succeeds.

bypassing this check makes the game start

Here's the fixed file. Since freeanim doesn't want to load (why???) I recommend to start the startup sequence by a "freeanim" command to free the memory.

steelsky_fix.zip

Oh, another thing that could make it fail: since it didn't boot from CD, the animation is not loaded, so freeanim returns 0, because there's no animation to free. This isn't documented but if I check the sources (that I don't have ) I think I can prove it

from: cdgs\src\freeanimlib\main.asm:

Open:
        save    a2                                      ; Is the library already openned?
        tst.w   LIB_OPENCNT(a6)
        bne     OpenError

        lea     Startup_Animation(pc),a1                ; Find startup animation message port
        exec    FindPort
        tst.l   d0
        beq     OpenError
        move.l  d0,a2

        move.l  #-1,d0                                  ; Allocate message port signal
        exec    AllocSignal
        cmp.b   #-1,d0
        beq     OpenError

        lea     FL_ReplyPort(a6),a1                     ; Find our task
        move.b  d0,MP_SIGBIT(a1)
        sub.l   a1,a1
        exec    FindTask
        lea     FL_ReplyPort(a6),a1
        move.l  d0,MP_SIGTASK(a1)

        move.w  #1,LIB_OPENCNT(a6)                      ; Library is open

        move.l  a2,a0
        lea     FL_Message(a6),a1                       ; Send message to animation task
        exec    PutMsg

        restore a2                                      ; Return library base
        move.l  a6,d0
        rts

OpenError:
        restore a2                                      ; Could not open library
        clr.l   d0
        rts

so we see that if startup animation port isn't found the library cannot be opened... freeanim command ignores it, any call to openlibrary should ignore it, but this particular game does NOT.

enjoy this game from HD without whdload

[retrogamer]

Nice! Is it possible to adapt this feature for Simon The Sorcerer and Darkseed as well?

[Lizart]

Hello community

Mr jotd, thank you so much - this fix works GREAT! i think after 14 years this thread can be closed

@damian, normaly you were right, but my cd32 has problems with cd drive :/ i will send it to alinea computer to fix it, but at first they will get my a4000 with cv64/3d, X-Surf and catweazle #yeah - first recap then configure it new ... to be honest i only have 68040 in it ... but it's still better than a cd32 with tf330 ... i hope that there are never again problems with chipram because of using rtg

if the a4000 is ready the next thing to renew is my cd32 and then my A1000

got a lot to do and a lot of time = thank you corona crisis ...

btw. i am very glad to be member of EAB - i never thought that there is a board with so many helpfull Amiga Users - so cool

all the best,
lizart

[jotd]

of course it can be done... if this is the same issue.

Simon: not the same issue
Darkseed: not the same issue

[Jimmy page]

I'm playing this on retroarch on my android tablet, using p-uae for the cd32. Full speech with no problems.