Another CAPS update...

[fiath]

Finally it is finished... (phew)

CAPS, the Classic Amiga Preservation Society, has had another huge update.

o Site completely redesigned
o Huge WIP including list of current protections known and an example format descriptor!
o List of all the games dumped in the last couple of months

Visit us here.

You heard it here first guys.

[RetroMan]

Originally posted by fiath
You heard it here first guys.

Nice But I would prefer to hear the news, that you open your files for public access first Anyway, keep up the good work !

[Big-Byte]

After reading all about how the guy who wrote 'Abandoned Places II' got ripped off by the software companies at the time I suddenly dont feel any guilt over all the games I didnt buy but played anyway (And to think I carried that guilt around with me for over 10 years now.
)

[fiath]

Originally posted by RetroMan

Nice But I would prefer to hear the news, that you open your files for public access first Anyway, keep up the good work !

I know your just partly joking but the reason why we were so public so early (actually - it is really the only reason) is because we wanted to make sure we can handle every type of copy protection ever used on floppy disks - we could not do this without having the disks in the first place!

So basically, the reason is that we needed to go public is to get people to contribute - dump their disks etc.

We have actually completed this phase of the project, but what is the point in going "under cover" again? Being as free with our developments as we are (1) gets more people to contribute (2) keeps the people that have contributed happy about their contribution.

We *will* preserve every game ever commercially produced under the Amiga platform! (well, if not - we can have a damn good try)

Anyway, I will shut up now

Update: Oh, actually not quite yet. The files as they are, are basically useless to anybody but us. We need to analyse, check and convert them to a "release" format first. This release format has not yet been defined....

Anyway, I will really shut up now - or until another post anyway

[Drake1009]

Still sound like an interesting project. I think maybe this has been answered before. But can you check if there were errors on the disk that shouldn't be there in the format you get? Is there a list of what you already have, and will the dumping program work on an A1200 with a harddisk?

[fiath]

Originally posted by Drake1009
Still sound like an interesting project. I think maybe this has been answered before.

Not sure, my memory doesn't go back that far if it was anyway...

But can you check if there were errors on the disk that shouldn't be there in the format you get?

Yes absolutely! This was one of our main goals. Describing a format already gives us some sort of noddy integrity check - the fact that all the described data elements are present on the disk. But the main verification comes from two things:

1) See all those lovely CRC alorgithms supported? We use the disk format's (or maybe the mastering machine's) own integrity checks to verify the data.

There are (stupid loaders) of many games we have seen do not actually use this information!

2) Density variations can tell us if the disk was written on commercial mastering hardware, or on (for example) an Amiga. This is how know when a disk has been modified after the original mastering.

In this way, we can tell 100% (okay, probably 99.99% just in case we make a mistake - but most of this is done automatically so unlikely - but anyhow - it would be easily fixed) if a game is correct to how it was originally mastered or not.

Is there a list of what you already have,

Everything dumped (should be) listed on the Games page on the site. However not all of these have been "analysed" so many my have been modified / have errors / virus etc. and so will not be "released".

As for a alphabetical list of what is correct - well that is coming. But it may take a little while yet - basically when we have time to do it! (we have 1000's of images now, most are checked - I just need the time to write up the results of the known ones)

and will the dumping program work on an A1200 with a harddisk?

It certainly will. However if you want to use your hard disk you need 6-8Mb of RAM - if this is not the case - you will have to dump directly to another computer (using PC2Amiga or similar) - and that only requires a standard A1200...

[Drake1009]

Your FAQ link to the PC2Amiga page is broken, or the site is down, or maybe the DNS server I'm stuck with is being annoying again.

How hard is it to get hold of a cable like the one I'll need to connect to the Amiga? (Take into consideration that the most advanced hardware knowledge I have is trying to put a spring back and soldering a wire to a broken joystick)

Games I have which aren't listed on your games page are Colossus chess X, Aunt artic adventure, Major motion, Turbo trax, California games II.

Maybe these are broken though, I've never gotten any of them to run on my A1200, and haven't tried on my A500. I'll try to see if I can find time to check into them later.

[fiath]

Hmm, okay thanks. I will have a look at it tomorow.

The cable you need is either:

1) null modem serial cable (sloooow - probably take 15-25 mins to do a disk - so only advisable if you only have a couple to dump.

2) null modem parallel cable, or more commonly known as a "4-wire laplink" cable, or an "Interlink" cable.

Your right, I don't think we have any of those games. If you dump them - we will be able to tell if you if they have any errors - if that is easier for you...

[RCK]

nice update

ps: some of your french sentences are funny
(hell, I suppose my english too )

[fiath]

Are they??

Do you mean, funny "haha!, lol" or funny "bad grammer" ?

I wouldn't know though - I can't read it! I guess we have to trust our translators quite a bit on that one! But it was written by a french guy!

[fiath]

Originally posted by Drake1009
Your FAQ link to the PC2Amiga page is broken, or the site is down, or maybe the DNS server I'm stuck with is being annoying again.

Your right, it was wrong. I guess that happened when Aminet changed their frontend. Anyway, it is fixed now.

Thanks for that!

[RCK]

I have seen one or more little faults & sentence style prb (I think)
if I have time, I'll read it more carefuly & report mistakes

[fiath]

Yeah, that would be great. Thanks!

[RCK]

fr-index.shtml

- Bienvenu á Caps! » Bienvenu à Caps!
- Bienvenu á la Classic » Bienvenu à la Classic
- du support sur lequel ils reposent et ces classiques Amiga, une grosse partie de l'histoire du jeu vidéo, risquent d'être perdus à tout jamais dans le futur. » du support sur lequel ils reposent. Une grande partie de l'histoire du jeu vidéo risque d'être perdue à tout jamais.
- sur la contribution de la » sur les contributions de la
- ainsi qu la FAQ » ainsi que la FAQ
- N'hésitez pas à nous contacter si après avoir lu toute la documentation présente sur ce site, vous avez encore des questions ou un besoin d'informations plus précises. » N'hésitez pas à nous contacter, si après avoir lu toutes les documentations présente sur ce site, vous avez encore des questions ou un besoin d'informations quelconque.

fr-intro.shtml

- télécharger d'internet » télécharger sur internet
- des animations, les intros, les sequences de fin, » des animations, des intros, des séquences de fin,
- Quelques logiciels sont injouables, dus à des bugs dans les versions crackées, ceci étant du à la course au premier qui piraterait tel ou tel jeu avant les autres groupes pirates. » Certain logiciels sont injouables, dus à des bugs dans les versions crackées (la course au premier groupe pirate qui arriverait à les cracker faisant rage).
- pirate qui à cracké la protection. » pirate qui a cracké le jeu.
- Vous pouvez cheter » Vous pouvez acheter
- utilisant les bases de la portection » utilisant les bases de la protection
- paraitement conscients » parfaitement conscients

enough !

[fiath]

Thanks RCK!

When I get a minute, I will put them in...

Much appreciated!