HstWB Installer - Making preinstalled HDF legal for sharing

[cyberhead97]

It's been a while since my last post and I want to let people know what's going on.

I have been quite active and my main focus has been to support Amiga OS 3.9 and with it more tweaks was needed, so here's a list of the features that next release will include:
- Installation of Amiga OS 3.9 from either cd-drive or iso mounted through WinUAE supported by both install and self install modes. For self install mode it will fallback to mount iso through Amiga system using filedisk.device and AmiCDFS. This is to support installation from Amiga OS 3.9 iso from OS39DIR: directory added in emulator, if emulator doesn't have support for cd-drive emulation. In it's current state I don't know how to make it work properly on a real amiga as there's are many different cd-rom drive solutions Amiga and it will be hard to support them all, therefore Amiga OS 3.9 installation is only possible through an emulator.
- Installation of Boing Bags 1-4. HstWB Installer will detect presence of boing bag lha files in OS39DIR: directory added in emulator.
- Automated detection of Workbench 3.1 adf from WORKBENCHDIR: for self install mode. This prevents the manual need for inserting Workbench 3.1 disk in any floppy device and thereby improving speed of installation through an emulator. It will fallback to floppy devices, if WORKBENCHDIR: doesn't contain a valid Workbench 3.1 adf file.
- Added ClassicWB 3.9 package.
- Added Picasso96 package.
- Verified self install works in both WinUAE and FS-UAE.
- Running HstWB Installer in install or self install modes will now build configuration files for both WinUAE and FS-UAE with powershell install script that changes paths for harddrives and kickstart rom files to be system specific making self install images easy to install and use. It also adds adf files as swappable floppies in FS-UAE from detected workbench directory containing adf files for Workbench 3.1. A python version of install scripts will be created as well to support Mac/Linux environments running self install images.

I will soon release new BETA versions of self install images with Amiga OS 3.9 support for anyone to test. Then I need to update the documentation, but the self install images has good guides build-in just by running the self install images.

I also want better support for Vampire accelerator cards and plan to make a Vampire-Support-Package, that automatically installs Saga drivers and relevant programs (RiVA etc.) to use Vampire card to its fullest.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

I would avoid leaving WB3.1, better WB3.0 to avoid small incompatibilities, Well too install 3.9 directly from CD-Rom.

[cyberhead97]

Is it better/recommended to install Amiga OS 3.9 on top of Workbench 3.1?

I have no experience with Amiga OS 3.9 and a complete newbie in that area, so just asking to make HstWB Installer build a better Amiga OS 3.9 installation. I can easily make an option that allows installation of both, first Workbench 3.1 then Amiga OS 3.9 if available.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

WB3.1+OS3.5+OS3.9 or WB3.0+OS3.5+OS3.9 (In my opinion the best choice)

[Retrofan]

Originally Posted by AMIGASYSTEM

WB3.1+OS3.5+OS3.9 or WB3.0+OS3.5+OS3.9 (In my opinion the best choice)

Why do you need OS3.5 in the middle of the installation?

And why do you prefer to install it over OS3.0 instead of OS3.1?

[cyberhead97]

All right, it will make the support to install Amiga OS 3.9 over Workbench 3.1.

Actually, the Amiga OS 3.9 install script I have created does the same as running the installer from Amiga OS 3.9 cd selecting full installation over wb3.0/3.1 or empty hd. This installation process first copies AmigaOS3.5 files and then AmigaOS3.9 files from cd-rom to hard disk and I have replicated the same process by examining the installer.

I guess you would only install OS3.9 over WB3.0, if that's the only Workbench one would have at hand. I would personally go for WB3.1+(OS3.5 indirectly installed)+OS3.9.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

Originally Posted by Retrofan

Why do you need OS3.5 in the middle of the installation?

If you install 3.1+3.9 you can find icons without color, see scrennshot

OS3.5 upgrade 3.0/3.1
OS3.9 Is upgrade 3.5

And why do you prefer to install it over OS3.0 instead of OS3.1?

I feel a cleaner update.


Screenshot Install 3.1+3.9 / Install 3.1+3.5+3.9

[cyberhead97]

Hmm interesting, there seems to be a visual difference with the colors of icons. I just tried 3.1+3.9 using my installer and I get same result as your first screenshot.

Then I noticed you have AmigaOS3.9 drawer open in your screenshots where icons has the better colors. Examining icons on the Amiga OS 3.9 cd in drawer "AmigaOS3.9:OS-VERSION3.9/Workbench3.5" looks the same as your second screenshot, which indicates that the Amiga OS 3.9 cd has and does install these icons with high colors. But during the installation of Amiga OS 3.9 something must touches/patches them resulting in low colors.

Looking at the installer script the only part that does anything with icons, is a tool called "IconPos" located at "AmigaOS3.9:OS-VERSION3.9/INSTALL-TOOLS/ICONPOS" and modifying this gave following result with attached screenshots:

1. Screenshot 1: Install 3.1+3.9, IconPos used all icons. All icons have low colors.
2. Screenshot 2: Install 3.1+3.9, IconPos partly used for 3 icons. Icons Prefs, Prefs->Fonts and Prefs->Locale touched by IconPos and has low colors, but rest have high colors.
3. Screenshot 3: Install 3.1+3.9, IconPos removed. All icons have high colors.

I'm not sure what IconPos does, but from it's name it sounds like a tool reposition icons within a drawer.

Removing use of IconPos seems to achieve same result as installing 3.1+3.5+3.9, which makes me believe that installation of OS3.5 is irrelevant and that IconPos is incorrectly used even by Amiga OS 3.9 own installer.

[fgh]

Great work, keep it up!
I'd make sure the unofficial boing bags 3-4 are optional, as many people prefer to stop at BB2.
But making the whole install as easy to use as possible is even more important, so I'd even consider defaulting to BB2 and just include BB3-4 install instead.

[cyberhead97]

Originally Posted by fgh

Great work, keep it up!
I'd make sure the unofficial boing bags 3-4 are optional, as many people prefer to stop at BB2.
But making the whole install as easy to use as possible is even more important, so I'd even consider defaulting to BB2 and just include BB3-4 install instead.

Thanks, I'm getting deeper and deeper into the Workbench dungeon .

Boing bags are optional. They are detected from mounted OS39DIR directory and HstWB Installer will only install the ones that are present:

• Empty OS39DIR = no boing bags are installed.
• BoingBag39-1.lha in OS39DIR = install boing bags 1.
• BoingBag39-1.lha + BoingBag39-2.lha in OS39DIR = install boing bags 1 and boing bags 2.
• BoingBag39-2.lha in OS39DIR = no boing bags are installed as boing bags 1 doesn't exist and boing bags must be installed in the correct order 1, 2, 3, 4.

[AMIGASYSTEM]

If it may be interesting, there is also the way to install it OS3.9 Directly from the CD Os3.9 without using it WB3.0/3.1 and OS3.5, HERE find a nice tutorial by Thomas.

[cyberhead97]

Time for an update.

I'm actively working on the next version of HstWB Installer on a day to day basis and thought I was close to a release a few weeks ago... but then feature creep and bug fixing happened.

Here's an overview of new features:

1. Reduced Windows start menu entries, so there is only 1: HstWB Installer. This will start a launcher.
2. A new launcher is introduced to give better and simplified access to HstWB Installer and it's functions, help and support files. Arrow keys and return allows easy and fast navigation in the launcher.
3. Added a Topaz truetype font for both launcher and powershell windows to give HstWB Installer a more Amiga like look and feel.
4. Updated HstWB Installer to use both FS-UAE and WinUAE. A configure emulator menu will list auto-detected emulators and an option to select custom emulator .exe file, if HstWB Installer doesn't detect emulators as default locations.
5. Removed installation of Boing Bags 3 & 4 through HstWB Installer. It's still possible to manually install Boing Bags 3 & 4 without HstWB Installer, if these are preferred.
6. Added user package installation as a simple way of installing files like EAB WHDLoad Packs. This works in both install and self install mode, where self install mode requires an UAE emulator with USERPACKAGESDIR directory added containing a directory per user package. It's only requires a "_installdir" in each user package directory to notify HstWB Installer where the user package should be installed, eg. it could contain "DH1:WHDLoad/Games".
7. Lot of small improvements and bug fixes.

The only new feature left now is getting package installation to automatically add package dependencies, eg. when adding HstWB package it will also add BetterWB package.

I have added a few teaser screenshots, so you can see what some of the new features look like.

[cyberhead97]

I'm getting closer to a beta release.

The feature to automatically select package dependencies is implemented and works for both install and self install mode. It should help users to install e.g. both BetterWB and HstWB, if HstWB package is selected.

Meanwhile I have been working on Amiga OS 3.9 support and other updates, EAB WHDLoad Packs 3.0 has been released. I really want the next release to support this, so I have started running scripts to update and build new AGS2 and iGame menus for EAB WHDLoad Packs 3.0, which will result in EAB WHDLoad Games/Demos OCS/AGA Menu packages v3.0.0.

The support for user packages comes with a preconfigured installation of EAB WHDLoad Packs 3.0 demos, games, games aga and games that must be unpack on amiga. With a self install image, it is very easy to install these packs. It only required that users download, extract EAB WHDLoad Packs them selves and copies the extracted folders to a user packages directory with same naming of directories. The self install process will then detect these user packages and install them as part of the installation process.

To speed up the beta release I will make a video, showing how to use the new features instead of everyone having to wait for me to write documentation, which will be the finalizing part of the release.

[ppill]

Great project!

I had a look at the scripts and how it handles fms: and adf files (using diskwiz). One neat trick is to simply copy the adf file as unit0 to fms:

copy workbench3.1.adf as fms:unit0

and use

diskchange ff0:

to initiate it. Same thing applies to other units of fms.device.

[cyberhead97]

Nice, why didn't I think of that. It makes changing adf's much easier with fms.

In the upcoming beta release, I have replaced fms and diskwiz with xadmaster. This seems faster when I need to scan multiple adf's, listing adf content and checking if certain files exist.

[Daedalus]

I've installed OS 3.9 directly over a clean 3.1 install countless times, and never had any issues with icon colours. I think the problem might be that people are installing with a 3.0 or 3.1 icon library resident, which will cause IconPos to save the icon as an old-style image when it modifies its position. This is one of the reasons 3.9 is supposed to be installed when booted from the emergency floppy, even when you have a 3.1 install with working CD-ROM support.

[cyberhead97]

That makes perfect sense as I’m currently installing/copying Amiga OS 3.9 in Workbench 3.1 context. I should make my installer boot a patched emergency boot that installs Amiga OS 3.9 so it’s done in a proper OS 3.9 context

[cyberhead97]

I'm making progress updating EAB WHDLoad menu packages to support latest EAB WHDLoad Packs v3.0. At the moment I'm running tests with Games AGA and OCS menu packages to make sure they work as expected.

To aid users I have added a remove game WHDLoads menu, which allows selection and removal of unwanted languages and hardware versions, e.g. removing DE, CZ language and CDTV hardware versions. I have attached a screenshot of the first prototype, which is being tested.

After all menu packages is updated, I will look into using a patched OS 3.9 emergency boot to install OS 3.9 instead of the current Workbench 3.1 method. I don't expect this to take more than a few days to change.

I'm getting closer a beta release and I only have 1 other planned update, which is add a simple python version of a powershell install UAE config script. It updates paths to Kickstart roms and HDF files/dirs in UAE configs and installs UAE config files for both WinUAE and FS-UAE, if installed.

[cyberhead97]

I managed to update Amiga OS 3.9 installation to first install and use emergency boot from Amiga OS 3.9 CD and this does fix the previous issue with IconPos degrading the colors.

So Daedalus you're right. Icons now looks as expected and I have attached a screenshot of the result.

It took way longer than expected to fix the last few things I had planned, but now they are all complete.

This means I have updated the menu packages to support EAB WHDLoad Packs v3.0. There's menu items for all games and demos including the unpack on amiga ones.

Both HstWB Installer and self install images comes with user packages prepared for installing EAB WHDLoad Packs v3.0 by simply downloading and extracting it into a set of directories. In HstWB Installer and during self install user packages can be selected and installed as part of building an image. I'm also planning a small update to build user package installation mode, so EAB WHDLoad Packs v3.0 can be installed in an existing setup without having to create a new image.

To simplify configure and install the images build by HstWB Installer, I have created Install UAE Config scripts in both Powershell and Python for cross platform Windows, Mac OS X and Linux support. These scripts install and patches WinUAE and FS-UAE configuration files by first patching the directory path to HDF files and mapped directories to current location and install configuration files in WinUAE and FS-UAE's default configuration directory. A readme about these scripts have been written, which describes what it does in detail and how to run it on Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It includes .cmd, .command and .desktop files, so it can easily be run from Windows Explorer, Mac OS X Finder and Ubuntu Files. Shell .sh scripts are also included for more advanced users.

Now it about time to make a beta release and record a youtube video to show how to use a self image to installing eg. Amiga OS 3.9 and ClassicWB 3.9.

[pixSCN]

Fantastic work! I've been using my HDF file on my MiST for quite some time now. But looks like it's time to update it/make a new one with the WHDLoad 3.0 packs.