Acorn Archimedes Software Preservation

[Tom Walker]

I don't think RISCiX will work on an A3010 - it only supports the IO chips in the older Archimedes machines (A3x0,A4xx,A3000,A540, and Rxxx), and only supports two hard disc controllers, neither of which will fit an A3010.

I'd be interested to see RISCiX, but if it's just an archive then it may not be possible to use - it needs a different partition format to ADFS. If it's a set of backup discs (which apparently were possible to make) or a hard disc image then it would be useable, pending emulation of the required hard disc controllers (both of which I recently acquired - so this is more feasible than in the past).

Originally Posted by MarkYoungIW

Out of interest Tom, I had seen nothing about using .fdi for Archie dumps, could you explain this as if this works, it could be another way of dumping it?

You can see what was done by looking in the WIP section of the Arculator site. I've got 200-odd FDI dumps that were made in 2006, that were never released. I wouldn't recommend using it now, as the new (mandated by licensing) FDI support is much less reliable than what was in Arculator pre v0.9a.

As a backup format I'd heavily recommend using extended ADFs via rawread on the Amiga. I can release the tools to convert these images to APD, which are useable in the next version of Arculator (which I can make available to dumpers as well).

[Kyon]

Yeah guys we want also modified or cracked or hacked acorn disks

[Interceptor]

if i modify an acorn sensible soccer disk, do you want a copy?

if i modify another one in a different way, do you want a copy?

[MarkYoungIW]

@Tom,
So, not to try and excite Kyon, but if I used rawread to create an adf on amiga of say for instance 'Sensible Soccer' and made it into ADP, would it run on Arculator? Just trying to understand how well the image is created.

I am still for the IPF standard as like I said before, we know that IPF's are the real item not 'modified or hacked or cracked acorn discs!!'

The hacking, cracking and modifying that seems to fly round this discussion was not really the aim, the aim was really preservation in the best possible form, and then the means to use the preserved images, in whatever way is seen fit by the owners of these images.

Little bit concerned though if there are no actual Archimedes IPFs yet, and Cyclone20 isnt ready yet, so dont really know how to proceed.

Cyclone20 was ideal in the fact that I was quite happy to build one and send it to whoever wished to image discs for SPS, so that they never had to send there discs anywhere.

Hmm.........what to do!!!

[Kyon]

would you give this copies Interceptor ? i know ipfs best but now have nothing thats more bad

[Interceptor]

Originally Posted by MarkYoungIW

@Tom,
So, not to try and excite Kyon, but if I used rawread to create an adf on amiga of say for instance 'Sensible Soccer' and made it into ADP, would it run on Arculator? Just trying to understand how well the image is created.

I am still for the IPF standard as like I said before, we know that IPF's are the real item not 'modified or hacked or cracked acorn discs!!'

The hacking, cracking and modifying that seems to fly round this discussion was not really the aim, the aim was really preservation in the best possible form, and then the means to use the preserved images, in whatever way is seen fit by the owners of these images.

Little bit concerned though if there are no actual Archimedes IPFs yet, and Cyclone20 isnt ready yet, so dont really know how to proceed.

Cyclone20 was ideal in the fact that I was quite happy to build one and send it to whoever wished to image discs for SPS, so that they never had to send there discs anywhere.

Hmm.........what to do!!!

no IPFs yet: they are coming, we're busy with all MFM formats, acorn is just one of them.
dumping: they can be dumped perfectly well on an amiga, thats what we've used so far, cyclone 20 is not an SPS project, we're waiting on it too bu not dependant on it at all for acorn stuff. we can make IPFs now, but there is more to preservation than that.

IPF wont solve the general availablility of working but non perfect disks, never has, never will. we are a preservation effort not a disk imaging effort, just happens the result is a disk image of sorts

IPF = game preserved, anything else (thus far) means simply "disk image available".

Email sent to Tom earlier today.

[Tom Walker]

Originally Posted by MarkYoungIW

@Tom,
So, not to try and excite Kyon, but if I used rawread to create an adf on amiga of say for instance 'Sensible Soccer' and made it into ADP, would it run on Arculator? Just trying to understand how well the image is created.

Yes, well not the current available version of Arculator, but the next version (I could send a beta if needed). Though you would have to use rawread to get at least two images of the disc, as I've discovered that it occasionally makes random bit errors when reading Arc discs.

Not sure why Kyon wants the Archimedes version of Sensi anyway, it's a bit mediocre.

Originally Posted by MarkYoungIW

I am still for the IPF standard as like I said before, we know that IPF's are the real item not 'modified or hacked or cracked acorn discs!!'

Absolutely, all I'm saying here is along the lines of 'don't put all your eggs in one basket'.

Originally Posted by MarkYoungIW

Little bit concerned though if there are no actual Archimedes IPFs yet, and Cyclone20 isnt ready yet, so dont really know how to proceed.

From what I can gather from Interceptor's email, final IPF support for Arc discs is a little way off anyway, partly hence my suggestion for a 'backup' format.

[prowler]

I have uploaded a directory listing of RISCiX files I have available for upload. If anyone is interested, I'll archive them and upload to the Qube RiscOS server when Charlie gets back from holiday. That would seem to be the best place for these files.

[prowler]

Hi All,

I have uploaded my RISCiX archive to the Qube RiscOS Server.
http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=44011
More details here:
http://eab.abime.net/showpost.php?p=554728&postcount=91

First, give Charlie a chance to move the files from my uploads folder.

Originally Posted by gulliver

Hi, i have a compressed file, like 170MB of an image of a Riscix install. By the way, also remember there are other unix flavours for Archimedes machines, like Minix and NetBSD. On Acorn´s FTP you can also download a riscix boot floppy, somewhere.

Good luck!

PS: If you really insist and no one else has it, I may upload the file for preservation purposes!

The RISCiX.tar.gz file in my uploads is probably the same file you are referring to. It also decompresses to a 170MB RISCiX install filesystem.

prowler

[MarkYoungIW]

So, the plan of action is then........

Dump to .adp and for .ipf as well, so given C20 isnt ready yet, I guess this process should be done with an Amiga 1200, so I will endevour to get a suitable one which I can then send to people with discs to dump.

Will await for instructions from Tom as to how to create his .apd format which will soon be supported by arculator.

[Charlie]

Hi chaps,
I REALLY ought to pay more attention.

@Tom:
My fondest welcome to the EAB, I hope you enjoy your stay here!
If you have any suggestions for the Qube RiscOS server please feel free to make them.
I'm most interested in your .adp format, I'm sure many others would say the same. All the best with your development and thanks so much for Arcuator.

@Prowler:
Thanks very much for the upload of this rather rare material, much appreciated. Hopefully it's now easier to find for any who are interested...
...FWIW: I believe one needs something similar to an R140, R225, or R260 for the install to work or drivers will be a problem...
...probably means an A440/1 for an R140-alike or an A540 (with some luck) for an R260-alike if it's not an original R-system.

@MarkYoungIW:
Keep up the good work old chap.

[prowler]

Originally Posted by Charlie

@Prowler:
Thanks very much for the upload of this rather rare material, much appreciated. Hopefully it's now easier to find for any who are interested...
...FWIW: I believe one needs something similar to an R140, R225, or R260 for the install to work or drivers will be a problem...
...probably means an A440/1 for an R140-alike or an A540 (with some luck) for an R260-alike if it's not an original R-system.

Hi Charlie,

Thanks for hosting these files. I'm glad you've been able to make some sense of them.

[vexation]

This thread has really given me hope. I used a range of Archimedes machines from age 6-12 and have really fond memories of some of the games.. I've kept an eye out over the years and have repurchased the few I've seen on eBay in the past (Stunt Racer 2000 was the main i wanted) but a few games have literally dropped off the face of the Earth.

Notably anything by Eterna software (who were my favourite Archimedes specific designers/publishers)
Ballarena
Legend Of The Lost Temple
Cartoon Line Pt.1
They were all copy protected (although copies could be made using the really popular Amiga diskcopier at the time which I've completely forgotten the name of) - I was devastated when I found that an attic leak had destroyed practically everything and my father chucked it all out with asking me

Besides that (and thankfully others have already mentioned) there are a few 4th Dimension games that I've never managed to track down. Pandora's Box, Enter The Realm etc.. looks like others have those disks tho so all is not lost!!

Anyways, it's great to see threads like this and other people wanting to preserve software. Has made me a happy chappy indeed.

[Kyon]

me too i am very excited . i hope i will have sensible soccer

[starlord]

I have one of the rarest archimedes games out there available for you, should you wish.

Perhaps some of you have heard of aldebaran?

I once made a disk image of it long ago.

I'm also the proud owner of a starfighter 3000 other worlds CD and a shoot-em up collection CD (which include nevryon and technodream) from APDL, but as these are still commercial, better to wait. However, they are secure.

[vexation]

Originally Posted by starlord

Perhaps some of you have heard of aldebaran?

Frustratingly the name rings all sorts of bells but I can't remember what it looks like for the life of me. Especially annoying because I know I spent a fair amount of playing it.

Wait... was that the one that was supposed to be the Elite killer? If so I quite literally just laughed out loud - I don't think I'd ever been so dissapointed with a game. My brother loved it tho.

[starlord]

Yes, it does have a few elite elements, but it's mostly reminiscent because of it's main plot: an alien asteroid doomsday weapon named algor is threatening your star aldebaran and you must direct your research in order to destroy it before aldebaran can turn supernova.

[Kyon]

sensi soccer acorn version so soon yay

[vexation]

Originally Posted by starlord

Yes, it does have a few elite elements, but it's mostly reminiscent because of it's main plot: an alien asteroid doomsday weapon named algor is threatening your star aldebaran and you must direct your research in order to destroy it before aldebaran can turn supernova.

Hmm, not the game I was thinking of then. I was thinking of the one that literally played like Elite and was hyped for years and years. It was supposed to be so complicated that it required (or you could use) 2 players to control the ship, it had a galaxy 8 times the size of Elites etc etc.

Aldebaran. Damn it.. it's on the tip of my memory. Google doesn't seem to have any screenshots either.

[Tom Walker]

Originally Posted by starlord

I have one of the rarest archimedes games out there available for you, should you wish.

Perhaps some of you have heard of aldebaran?

I've got it. It's not very rare though. Also it's completely unprotected!

Something like the A5000 version of Sim City 2000 is rare (RiscPC+A5000 sales were less than 1000, and most of those were RiscPC).