Tiny Launcher 1.0 Released

[gibs]

Definitely! That's the main goal.
Just activate de RAD so you'll have the 2MB for running your games and you can create de database altrought real-time scanning is not that long on the CD:

-on a stock CD32 (2MB, NOFAST RAM, And BOOT CD).
Time to boot (include indivision AGA init) : 15 sec
Time to scan 177 games : 3 sec
Time to scan 272 demos : 6 sec

[torturedutopian]

Thanks for v 1.8.2 Gibs !

Noticed a problem though : TL doesn't seem to stop the module playback when a game is started. As I have very little memory at the moment, for instance, Battle Squadron has to interrupt itself to access the disk, so it "resumes" multitasking and I can hear bits of the TL module that is still being played during those disks accesses.

I guess it also consumes memory while the game is working, then.

Cheers !

[gibs]

I have just tried with the Kickstart 3.1 (of course no rad) and the music is stopped.
I will try with a 3.9 that comes from Cosmos.

Where did your kickstart comes from ?

Use the RAD to save the max of memory, the Amiga is reset.

[olesio]

Gibs: under WinUAE with 3.1 kickstart when I start WHDLoad Sensible World of Soccer I also hear music for a while when gamename.slave screen disapear. I did not tested under my Amiga with 3.0 kickstart yet because I thought you also discovered this issue and fix it.

[gibs]

This is how it run for me :

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...%2007%2029.mov

[torturedutopian]

gibs : well, that makes sense : the problem I refer to happens when you don't have enough RAM to preload the entire game in memory -- for instance in my case, I have a 2 MB A1200 but I only have about 1.4 MB left when booting without startup sequence and less that 1.1 MB under TinyLauncher, probably because of my SFS caches.

So in other words : if you don't have enough ram to preload, the game is interrupted for disk accesses (which is normal). When it happens, I can hear the music from TinyLauncher being played. (which reveals it wasn't freed : so memory is wasted apparently)

In your video there is no interruption, thus the multitasking is not resumed, so you don't hear the MOD being played by TinyLauncher.

This bug might be a problem even if you have enough FAST memory, because it might still consume some CHIP memory while a game is being run.

Thanks again !

[torturedutopian]

Gibs : just out of curiosity, may I know why you chose to use AMOS instead of, for instance, Blitz Basic 2 which supports AGA and still is more or less developed through AmiBlitz ? (I'm planning to code something using Blitz, probably -- I only know C + SDL ATM).

[olesio]

Gibs: sorry I testes again, that was probable high some CPU usage before because now under WinUAE everything is fine. Sorry for fake bug. Under WinUAE with Amiga 1200 with 4 MB config everything is fine. So probable on real Amigas it also will be.

[Lobotomika]

Originally Posted by gibs

Also if someone want to purpose a gfx for the demo menu, so Lobotomika won't call it uglylauncher again ^^

Lol sorry, didn't mean to upset you :)

OK two minor issues with sysconfig:

1
It's possible to type in a nonexisting directory in the A1200 demo field upon launching tinylauncher once. Following attempts produce the intended error message. Not sure about other fields. Mod field seems fine.

2
If you have a path already typed in and replace it with a shorter path, the excessive characters are still displayed once you press enter and return to sysconfig after typing. IE: when old path is DH1:A1200Demo and you replace it with DH1:Demo, it'll say DH1:Demo0Demo Works fine and is fixed upon restart.

[mombasajoe]

Originally Posted by gibs

Definitely! That's the main goal.
Just activate de RAD so you'll have the 2MB for running your games and you can create de database altrought real-time scanning is not that long on the CD:

-on a stock CD32 (2MB, NOFAST RAM, And BOOT CD).

So I´ve built a CD for my CD32. It unfortunately doesn´t work. There is nothing in the startup-sequence but tinylauncher.

Problem one:
I don´t know what tinylauncher really needs. It seems to need c:Assign. Are any more files which are needed on the CD (except of WHDLoad, DEVS:Kickstarts and the games)?

Problem two:
The launcher starts and I select a game. The launcher says that it will load the game, resets and loads the launcher again (RAD is switched to "engaged").

[olesio]

Do you load WHDLoad game? Is it WHDLoad in C: also key file in L: or S: and required kickstart images in DEVS:Kickstarts? Try to run wHDLoad with parameters data=path_to_your_game/data and slave=filename.slave with PRELOAD parameter from CLI and see what happend. Also you can try to download WHDLoadCD32 and rename it to WHDLoad if you use CD32. Maybe Gibs or someone other help you better because I never own real CD32 and for this console I only made example ISO image using APC74's polish language tutorial and MakeCD to prepare ISO Image under WinUAE. Please download and look at: http://olesio.eu/4konsolex.iso - this image contain two games but in correct way you can also do CD image with MakeCD for your CD32. And ofcourse if you use CD32 kind: WHDLoadCD32 - you do not need key file, but ofcourse this kind of WHDLoad version will work only on real CD32 or emulated mode under WinUAE. Good luck.

[gibs]

@mombasajoe

I haven't tested with the RAD on the CD32 yet so you've probably found an issue.

You need: mount, cd, execute.
When the Amiga is reset, what the the script do is:

CD PARTITIONNAME:PATH_OF_THE_GAME
WHDLOAD .SLAVE PRELOAD

Maybe for the CD32 it's better to have CD0: instead of the partition name (???)
Well I think I need to burn a CDROM to check what happen on there...

@Lobotomika

Thanks, going to check that.
If you were trying to find a way to get out of the loop in the sysconfig panel here are some commands : 'exit' 'quit' 'escape' '!q' 'esc'

@torturedutopian

Because I was using it in the past

[mombasajoe]

Originally Posted by olesio

Do you load WHDLoad game?

Yes.

Originally Posted by olesio

Is it WHDLoad in C:

Yes, a renamed WHDLOADCD32

Originally Posted by olesio

and required kickstart images in DEVS:Kickstarts?

Yes.

Originally Posted by olesio

but ofcourse this kind of WHDLoad version will work only on real CD32 or emulated mode under WinUAE. Good luck.

That´s the problem: I´ve built another CD that works on WinUAE but not on the real thing.

Originally Posted by olesio

A Please download and look at: http://olesio.eu/4konsolex.iso - this image contain two games

I will have a look on it. Thank you.


EDIT:

I just have soldered a connector A500 Keyboard -> CD32 AUX. Now I am able to do further tests (I´ve had no keybord before)

1. I start my CD on my CD32
2. Tiny launcher starts
3. I select a game (manhattan dealers)
4. the launcher says "loading"
5. CD32 resets
6. tiny launcher starts again
7. I press "R"
8. The launcher quits with a "Disk is write protected" error
9. In DOS I "cd" to the folder where the game is located
10. I type "whdload manhattandealers.slave preload"
11. The game starts like it should

???

[gibs]

There's is a problem after (5)

At (7), it tries to save your choice in the config file on disk.

Until I found the issue, stop burning CDROM or don't burn with the RAD activated.

[mombasajoe]

Oh..I´ve just forgot to mention that I really like your launcher especially because the navigation and the booting time are that fast! Really great Idea and work

[gibs]

Thanks

Well I don't have any CDROM to test and I can't make WINUAE boot my old ISO (I don't know why as it works on the CD32)

So here is a beta if you can test under WINUAE (With CD32 Kickstart roms) your ISO.

You should hear 2 sounds before the RESET:
like this> http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/TinyLauncher/Sound.m4a

The first means the RAM disk is there, the seconds the RAD disk is there.
(As after the reset it reboots and doesn't seems boot on the RAD disk (because you're back in TL) this is the only way to know

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...her183beta.exe
This beta has Lobotomika's bugs corrected.

[mombasajoe]

I´ve burned a CD with the new version. I hear both sounds but after the reset the cd32 behaves like described above.

[gibs]

Cool info.

In the Sysconfig, when you put your paths, did you put your 'PartitionName:Path' or 'DH0:Path' ?

[mombasajoe]

Originally Posted by gibs

Maybe for the CD32 it's better to have CD0: instead of the partition name (???)

The label of the CD is "DH0", the path in sysconfig is "CD0:games".

EDIT:

I´v e also tried DH0:Games....same result

[gibs]

Ok, stop burning CDs until I find a solution.
You can burn one without RAD activated, it will work.

Can you try this thing with one of the CD you have burnt.
As you said you have heard the 2 sounds, just when TL write the name of the GAME before the fade out, open the tray of the CDROM. After the reset it should boot from the RAD. If it ask for CD0, close the tray and tell me what happen then...it should not work I think.

---

Just to keep you updated
I worked all the day on this issue
Now I have another version of TL that should work.

'Should' because I have no CD to test.
But here is what I've done.

I have added the key 'B' tell to TL that the games are on a CD (CD0
You'll see the status of this option in the infodesk.

As I have no CDROM ATM, I tried with the SX-1 (games on a CD)
I succeed to boot with the RAD and launch a game which was on the CD.

Just a little problem, the priority seems to be : 1/CD 2/RAD (Which is weird)
So if there's a bootable CD...
But I'll check without the SX-1 as soon as I have a CDROM

If you want to try, first look at my video: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...r/IMG_4058.mp4
The last version : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...her183beta.exe
(Delete S:TinyLauncher/TinySys.db before runing it)

My Sysconfig look like:
ECS -> CD0:GAMES (To display games on the CDROM)

To do this I have assigned a directory under emulation:
Assign CD0: DATA:TEST
Then I have created a directory 'Games' in CD0: