Problem with WHDLoad Hunter...

[Steve]

Not sure if this is the right place to put WHDLoad problems but here goes. I've installed Hunter (WHDLoad version of course) to my original unexpanded Amiga 1200 hard drive but I'm having problems with it.

When I tried to run the thing it came up with an error saying it wanted the xpkmaster.library v4+ so I copied this file to my Libs directory on the harddrive. I now get a new error:

Error XpkUnpack on file "disk.1"
'Can't find required XPK library'.

then it goes on to say this:

File "Disk.1" is compressed using XPK but not preloaded.
Detected in function 'resload_DiskLoad'.

I've got a feeling I'm missing some more XPK files.

[CodyJarrett]

You should install XPK properly, rather than just the library:

http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/aminet/ut...k/xpk_User.lha
http://wuarchive.wustl.edu/aminet/ut...pk_User.readme

The Hunter images are packed, so the other option is to unpack them before running the game.

[Steve]

Ok, I'll do a proper install. Thanks Cody.

[Steve]

I've just installed the XPK package you directed me to. The good news is I don't recieve the first error message now. The bad news is that I'm still getting the second error message.

My conclusion is that it's unpacking the files to RAM. I only have the bog-standard 2MB so I guess it's running out of space in which to unpack the files, which is when the error appears. Looks like it's time to get some fast RAM.

[haynor]

It's better to decompress disks images before using. Use XFD for that for example or XPK.

[Steve]

Originally posted by haynor
It's better to decompress disks images before using. Use XFD for that for example or XPK.

How would I go about doing this? Is it anything like unpacking an LZX file?

[CodyJarrett]

XPK (which you downloaded and installed earlier) should have put a command called 'xUp' (xUnpack) into your C directory.

Use it!

[Steve]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
XPK (which you downloaded and installed earlier) should have put a command called 'xUp' (xUnpack) into your C directory.

Excellent, thanks. That's the program I was looking for. I unpacked the files successfully and the game works perfectly.

I find it very odd that the guy bothered to pack the files in the first place. It looks like they were already heavily packed to start with.

Both disks which have been packed using XPK come to a total of 314460 bytes.

When they are unpacked they both come to a total of 321220 bytes. He's hardly saving any space at all. Why did he bother?

[CodyJarrett]

Who did you get the install from?

The files probably came from the official Xmas WHDLoad CDs - all the images are packed on these CDs, rather than being done selectively.

[Steve]

Originally posted by CodyJarrett
Who did you get the install from?

The files probably came from the official Xmas WHDLoad CDs - all the images are packed on these CDs, rather than being done selectively.

Oh that explains it then. They did come from the Xmas CD.

[Codetapper]

Originally posted by Steve
I find it very odd that the guy bothered to pack the files in the first place. It looks like they were already heavily packed to start with.

Both disks which have been packed using XPK come to a total of 314460 bytes.

When they are unpacked they both come to a total of 321220 bytes. He's hardly saving any space at all. Why did he bother?

If you actually checked you would see the second packed file is also XPK packed and unpacks to 814,080 bytes, a saving of almost 500k.

Bert is not an idiot you know - anyone that wrote such a brilliant program like WHDLoad would not go around packing thousands of files for 10k savings at a time...

[Galahad/FLT]

I would imagine that he being not stupid, doesn't actually pack them by hand, simply sets up the required parameters for the packer and it packs all files in all directories whilst he goes to the pub or something. Or did you think he packed each file singley?

[Steve]

Originally posted by Codetapper
If you actually checked you would see the second packed file is also XPK packed and unpacks to 814,080 bytes, a saving of almost 500k.

Bert is not an idiot you know - anyone that wrote such a brilliant program like WHDLoad would not go around packing thousands of files for 10k savings at a time...

Actually I did check afterwards and found out for myself that it had been packed twice. I just couldn't be bothered to post my findings.

I realised it had been packed twice because when I came to run the game again, after I'd already unpacked it once, it brought up the same error message. I then unpacked it again and it worked. It was very well compressed.