cnet.device causing problems with WHDLoad

manic23 · 30 April 2016, 15:11

So here is a bit of a head scratcher!

I have an A1200, Better Workbench 4.0, Blizzard 1230, 128 fast ram, D-Link DFE-670TXD PCMCIA Ethernet Card.

I am using the latest version of WHDLoad (18.2) and the cnet.device driver. My Ethernet Stack is Roadshow v1.1.

If I load a WHDLoad game with the cnet.device driver in devs/network then I just get a black screen or the game will run for a second then just freeze. If I remove the cnet,device from devs/netwok, then the games run just fine.

I have tried disabling the network by running NetShutdown. I have even made sure that the line to disable the network in WHDLoad-Startup is active, If I do this then the network does shut down as it should but WHDLoad games still hang. The only way I have found to run games is to remove cnet.device from devs/network and reboot.

Anyone able to help? Many thanks.

tolkien · 30 April 2016, 17:12

Whdload is not compatible with any tcp/ip stack.

manic23 · 30 April 2016, 17:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by tolkien

Whdload is not compatible with any tcp/ip stack.

Well yes and no, it causes issues when the stack is running, but you can stop it from running by editing the WHDLoad-Startup script in S (which I have done) and this usually works fine. All it's doing is running NetShutdown.

thomas · 30 April 2016, 17:52

Does NetShutdown succeed shutting down the network or could it be that it fails and you didn't notice?

manic23 · 30 April 2016, 17:55

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

Does NetShutdown succeed shutting down the network or could it be that it fails and you didn't notice?

Yes it definantly shuts down, as when I open iBrowse, I get the usual error when no network is running.

thomas · 30 April 2016, 18:12

Just some ideas: it might be worth to try avail flush after NetShutdown. And perhaps check with Scout or similar if cnet.device disappeared from memory. CardReset might help, too.

The problem with WHDLoad is not the network, but generally all hardware which causes interrupts which need to be handled by a driver. WHDLoad disables the operating system and thus also the interrrupt handlers. Unhandled interrupts cause the machine to stop working.

So what has to be done before WHDLoad takes over control is 1. to stop the software using the hardware and 2. stop the hardware. NetShutdown does 1. but it's up to the driver (cnet.device) to do 2.

Avail flush tells cnet.device to expunge itself from memory. If it has a mechanism to do this, it will first put the hardware into a state that it no longer creates interrupts.

CardReset directly interfaces the PCMCIA port without knowledge of the driver. It might reset the network card so that it is no longer active. You shouldn't do this while the driver is still active, though.

manic23 · 30 April 2016, 18:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

Just some ideas: it might be worth to try avail flush after NetShutdown. And perhaps check with Scout or similar if cnet.device disappeared from memory. CardReset might help, too.

The problem with WHDLoad is not the network, but generally all hardware which causes interrupts which need to be handled by a driver. WHDLoad disables the operating system and thus also the interrrupt handlers. Unhandled interrupts cause the machine to stop working.

So what has to be done before WHDLoad takes over control is 1. to stop the software using the hardware and 2. stop the hardware. NetShutdown does 1. but it's up to the driver (cnet.device) to do 2.

Avail flush tells cnet.device to expunge itself from memory. If it has a mechanism to do this, it will first put the hardware into a state that it no longer creates interrupts.

CardReset directly interfaces the PCMCIA port without knowledge of the driver. It might reset the network card so that it is no longer active. You shouldn't do this while the driver is still active, though.

Thank you very much for that detailed answer Thomas, I will give that a go as soon as I can and report back.

zipper · 30 April 2016, 19:36

Using Scout or something like you can look if something not desirable is still running.

idrougge · 01 May 2016, 04:27

If you're using AmiTCP, you can try "offline cnet".

manic23 · 01 May 2016, 14:41

I have it working now! Thanks Thomas. Avail Flush did not do anything but CardReset did. I used Scout as you suggested and I could see that CNet.Device was not longer in memory, so happy days.

However...

I now have a problem with getting the network back up after a WHDLoad game stops. I have un-commented the line in WHDLoad-Cleanup, so I have...

AddInterface DEVS:NetInterfaces/(#?.info) Quite

However when I exit a WHDLoad game I get...

The command you specified via ExecuteCleanup
has failed (ReturnCode=10 DosError=205)

Any ideas?

thomas · 01 May 2016, 15:48

Quite is not quite right

Should be Quiet.

manic23 · 01 May 2016, 16:02

Quote:

Originally Posted by thomas

Quite is not quite right

Should be Quiet.

Sorry that was a typo on my part, I do have Quiet

thomas · 01 May 2016, 17:42

And what about Net in AddNetInterface, is this a typo, too?

manic23 · 01 May 2016, 17:49

Amazing! Thanks thomas that worked. I did not put that entry in myself, that's how it's installed, not sure if it is WHDLoad that adds that line or if it is Roadshow, but it was wrong by default!

manic23 · 01 May 2016, 18:26

OK, I figured out that it is the default WHDLoad-Cleanup file that comes with WHDLoad that has the wrong command. I have emailed Bert to let him know. Thank again for all your help.

manic23 · 02 May 2016, 21:06

Just had a reply from Bert saying that he will fix in the next release

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

30 April 2016, 15:11	#1
manic23 Only Amiga! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London / UK Age: 53 Posts: 512	cnet.device causing problems with WHDLoad So here is a bit of a head scratcher! I have an A1200, Better Workbench 4.0, Blizzard 1230, 128 fast ram, D-Link DFE-670TXD PCMCIA Ethernet Card. I am using the latest version of WHDLoad (18.2) and the cnet.device driver. My Ethernet Stack is Roadshow v1.1. If I load a WHDLoad game with the cnet.device driver in devs/network then I just get a black screen or the game will run for a second then just freeze. If I remove the cnet,device from devs/netwok, then the games run just fine. I have tried disabling the network by running NetShutdown. I have even made sure that the line to disable the network in WHDLoad-Startup is active, If I do this then the network does shut down as it should but WHDLoad games still hang. The only way I have found to run games is to remove cnet.device from devs/network and reboot. Anyone able to help? Many thanks. Last edited by manic23; 30 April 2016 at 17:04.

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30 April 2016, 17:12	#2
tolkien AmigaMan Join Date: Oct 2012 Location: Castro Urdiales/Spain Posts: 762	Whdload is not compatible with any tcp/ip stack.

30 April 2016, 17:52	#4
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,009	Does NetShutdown succeed shutting down the network or could it be that it fails and you didn't notice?

30 April 2016, 18:12	#6
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,009	Just some ideas: it might be worth to try avail flush after NetShutdown. And perhaps check with Scout or similar if cnet.device disappeared from memory. CardReset might help, too. The problem with WHDLoad is not the network, but generally all hardware which causes interrupts which need to be handled by a driver. WHDLoad disables the operating system and thus also the interrrupt handlers. Unhandled interrupts cause the machine to stop working. So what has to be done before WHDLoad takes over control is 1. to stop the software using the hardware and 2. stop the hardware. NetShutdown does 1. but it's up to the driver (cnet.device) to do 2. Avail flush tells cnet.device to expunge itself from memory. If it has a mechanism to do this, it will first put the hardware into a state that it no longer creates interrupts. CardReset directly interfaces the PCMCIA port without knowledge of the driver. It might reset the network card so that it is no longer active. You shouldn't do this while the driver is still active, though.

30 April 2016, 19:36	#8
zipper Registered User Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: finland Posts: 1,841	Using Scout or something like you can look if something not desirable is still running.

01 May 2016, 04:27	#9
idrougge Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Stockholm Posts: 4,342	If you're using AmiTCP, you can try "offline cnet".

01 May 2016, 14:41	#10
manic23 Only Amiga! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London / UK Age: 53 Posts: 512	I have it working now! Thanks Thomas. Avail Flush did not do anything but CardReset did. I used Scout as you suggested and I could see that CNet.Device was not longer in memory, so happy days. However... I now have a problem with getting the network back up after a WHDLoad game stops. I have un-commented the line in WHDLoad-Cleanup, so I have... AddInterface DEVS:NetInterfaces/(#?.info) Quite However when I exit a WHDLoad game I get... The command you specified via ExecuteCleanup has failed (ReturnCode=10 DosError=205) Any ideas?

01 May 2016, 15:48	#11
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,009	Quite is not quite right Should be Quiet.

01 May 2016, 17:42	#13
thomas Registered User Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Germany Posts: 7,009	And what about Net in AddNetInterface, is this a typo, too?

01 May 2016, 17:49	#14
manic23 Only Amiga! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London / UK Age: 53 Posts: 512	Amazing! Thanks thomas that worked. I did not put that entry in myself, that's how it's installed, not sure if it is WHDLoad that adds that line or if it is Roadshow, but it was wrong by default!

01 May 2016, 18:26	#15
manic23 Only Amiga! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London / UK Age: 53 Posts: 512	OK, I figured out that it is the default WHDLoad-Cleanup file that comes with WHDLoad that has the wrong command. I have emailed Bert to let him know. Thank again for all your help.

02 May 2016, 21:06	#16
manic23 Only Amiga! Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: London / UK Age: 53 Posts: 512	Just had a reply from Bert saying that he will fix in the next release Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

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