Large hd + Sfs 1.277 = software error at boot?? :(

[kaneelschep]

Hi all.

I have some ok cf's set up. But I wanted more space to basicly just include everything there is in one system.


So I jumped in the large hd support thing.
I did the hd toolbox with sfs 1.277 and standard install idefix like explained on:

http://wiki.classicamiga.com/Install...(4GB_or_larger)
and:
http://wiki.classicamiga.com/How_to_..._within_WinUAE


I can use sfs with <4gb drives like max 4gb cf's. Actually my main working cf is an sfs partition of 1gb. No problem there.

But everytime I put it on a larger drive, it never boots.
Always immediately the red band software error. In winuae 3.6 and on my a4000.
Always make the boot partition first and around 1gb.

Never go over the max cilinders of the drive with the rest partitions.
Even if I only make 1, 1gb partition on the big drives, same issue.


When I put an ffs partition on that same drive, no problem.
Boots fine. No matter how big the hd is. Or the rest of the ffs partitions for that matter.


Am I doing something wrong?


Thanks!

[mech]

On the amiga 4000:
Get sfs 1.279 here:
strohmayer.org/sfs/files/SFS_1.279_68k.lha
Make room on a install3.1 disk,and copy smartfilesystem to L:
Boot the disk and run Hdtoolbox.
Click CHANGE DRIVE TYPE. click DEFINE NEW,then READ Configuration.
check everything(if there is a place to enter identifier,add 0x53465300 there). Save Changes.

Find the cf you want to partition etc. load in the smartfilesystem for the partition and make sure you use the 0x53465300 identifier(or select sfs/00 if its there)..make sure you hit return on each box or the values wont take.
It should show SFS/00 when set right.
Make sure you set max transfer to 0x1fe00 and use a 512 block size for each partition.

Save the partition info and exit hdtoolbox and you should see them pop up on workbench after a reboot.
Use only quick format on workbench to format the partitions.

i just gave a quick rundown above,but you can follow the guide you listed.

[kaneelschep]

Yes, i did that ;-)
I have working sfs partitions :-)
Just the ones on a hd bigger than 4gb result in a software error if i try to boot of em.

[kaneelschep]

Only thing is, i use the 1 277 ;-) didnt find a 1,279 yet.
Its quite confusing with all the version names of sfs you read about ;-)

[kaneelschep]

Sorry! I missed your step where to define the new drive... I never did that. I am trying it now. ;-)

[kaneelschep]

Its not very clear on how to set up the blocks per cilinder on the drive. But i found a site which calculates blocks from gb. And i divided that by the cilinders. Then toolbox gives an error if it is too much. And i used that number it gave me instead. It got close. 74gb instead of 80. I buy that.
Letting toolbox read the disk gives complete wrong numbers anyway so you have to set it yourself.

I partitioned it with the new 1.279 sfs.
Got 1gb, 30gb, 30gb partitions.
Copied my trusty set up boot partition on to the 1gb.

And it boots in winuae...! Nice!
I would really like to know if it was the drive definitions or the new sfs.. So gonna play with that a bit now.
And see if it also boots in the a4000.

[kaneelschep]

I cant find my working amiga mouse :-P
I now only have one that doesnt move up and down.. I thought it was the cable and soldered a whole new one on with new plug. Didnt solve it..
Leds work.

Anyway. Amiga 4000 boots. But big partitions show as ndos. In cli i can read them though. Havent started anything yet cause of the mouse issue and time.

Its not very clear to me.
After using sfs and idefix.
Do i still need something like loadmodule or any scsi.device replacement to use the large partitions?

I have 3.0 rom on my a4000.

[daxb]

Originally Posted by kaneelschep

After using sfs and idefix.
Do i still need something like loadmodule or any scsi.device replacement to use the large partitions?

I have 3.0 rom on my a4000.

You would need a newer scsi.device if you don't use idefix. Idefix patches the scsi.device during boot if installed correct. In the case if you decide to uninstall idefix you would need a newer scsi.device.

Check this: http://www.thomas-rapp.homepage.t-on...e/4gb_faq.html

At the download section you will find "hddreport.lha". Use it to check if everything works as expected.

[mech]

Originally Posted by kaneelschep

I cant find my working amiga mouse :-P
I now only have one that doesnt move up and down.. I thought it was the cable and soldered a whole new one on with new plug. Didnt solve it..
Leds work.

Anyway. Amiga 4000 boots. But big partitions show as ndos. In cli i can read them though. Havent started anything yet cause of the mouse issue and time.

Its not very clear to me.
After using sfs and idefix.
Do i still need something like loadmodule or any scsi.device replacement to use the large partitions?

I have 3.0 rom on my a4000.

Remember os3.0/3.1 needs TD64/NSD to use big partitions. using os3.9 would make your life alot easier however
This was the great thing about Cyberstorm accelerators,they patched using td64 and u had big disk/partition support from the get go.

[kaneelschep]

I thought just installing idefix97 would do it all...
So I have idefix97 and I read that tomas rapp page, but somehow missed the part where I had to edit startup sequence to actually make it work for large drive support..

To make IDEfix work as a solution for the 4GB problem, after it is installed, you have to edit s:startup-sequence and replace C:IDEfix by C:LoadIDE RESET. And you have to install a file system which supports big harddrives. IDEfix supports all three command sets (HD_SCSICMD, TD64 and NSD), so there is no restriction which file system to use.

Why do you actually need to replace C:IDEFIX with C:LOADIDE RESET instead of just adding the last?

At the moment I just want my good old 3.1 for nostalgic reasons
I am thinking of using the 3.9 hdtoolbox though.. Allthough if I' m right amount of blocks and cilinders (all larger drives have 16383 cilinders) is basicly all you need..

[daxb]

Originally Posted by kaneelschep

Why do you actually need to replace C:IDEFIX with C:LOADIDE RESET instead of just adding the last?

Read the IDEfix manual. That should explain the difference. Both IDEfix and LoadIDE should work.

LoadIDE tries to load the driver resident. So after a soft reset the driver doesn't need to load again because it is resident in memory. You may notice a "second" reset after power on or a hard reset.

IDEfix loads the driver each time when it is launched in S-S. In this case if you don't start with S-S the driver is not loaded and you system is potential in danger.

[kaneelschep]

I changed it to loadide reset quiet. And all the partitions mounted correctly.
Also the version scsi.device shows a completely different version. something in the 117.something. didnt do that before. Should have said it all
How to change it is even in the startup sequence between ; ;

I really forgot about amiga and just reading.. The manuals are quite to the point and the commands are never that hard to understand.
I actually figured these kind of things out too when I was 12 in 1992. And then there was no internet.

[kaneelschep]

I just wanted to ad. While reading more, I noticed some flaws.
Creating a huge partition to store things on is no problem.
But installing stuff to a big partition can create problems, cause of the wrong space size.
Better to have a few more smaller partitions below 2gb to install games and programms on.

[daxb]

Originally Posted by kaneelschep

But installing stuff to a big partition can create problems, cause of the wrong space size.
Better to have a few more smaller partitions below 2gb to install games and programms on.

Yes, that is a know problem with some old software. Install to a small partition or Ram: and copy from that to somewhere else should solve the install failure. Make sure that possible made path/assigns need to change later.

[kaneelschep]

I added a few smaller partitions in between to make it easy.
works great!