How to install something on HD?

[S. Campbell]

Can anyone help me with this? I've been struggling all day and got nowhere.

I have a copy of Pinball Brain Damage (five ADFs), which will only run from HD. I want to install it in WinUAE (0.991). I have a 100MB hardfile set up and formatted. I also have a Workbench ADF (1.3.2).

When I boot up with Workbench in DF0: and the Pinball Brain Damage boot disk (disk 5) in DF0:, it shows up as "Boot Disk", containing a single file called "INSTALL". (Sounds promising, right?) Clicking on that brings up an "IconX" window which has a little think and then says "Must be in a command file" and fails.

If I go to "Execute command" and type "INSTALL DH0:" or "INSTALL [DH0:]" or anything else I can think of that might conceivably be the install instruction, I get a "Failed returncode 20" or something equally helpful.

If I boot up without Workbench and with the Pinball BD boot disk in DF0:, I just get dumped to the classic useless Amiga CLI prompt.

I downloaded a "WHDLoad" file for it, but it makes about as much sense to me as trigonometry to a drunk weasel.

Now I remember why AP used to unfailingly espouse its total loathing of Workbench and the Amiga's operating system in general at every possible opportunity. I really fucking hope Commodore go bust 10 years ago.

Can anyone, using words of one syllable or fewer, tell me exactly what I have to do to get this Godforsaken game running? Any help much appreciated.

[Amiga1992]

Well, Workbench 1.3.2 is not the right one to do this kind of stuff, more with a game that more is for AGA Amigas! :P I don't know what Workbench you got in your hardfile, you said it's "setup and formatted" but fail to give any further details.

Get an A1200 AGA config going with Workbench 3.0 and all and try again. The program surely fails because it tried to run with an iconx version as old as God himself. Also this kind of stuff needs you to boot from the drive where you will install at, not the game disk.

Failed returncode 20 is file not tounf I think. typing "install dh0:" at the Execute Command box would try to install a bootblock in dho though, not the thing to do!!! (it won't do it anyway)... you should go to the cli, switch to the drive (typing: "df0:") and type "execute install", maybe that works, but then again, as I said, probably not with the Workbench you are running.

Originally Posted by S. Campbell

Now I remember why AP used to unfailingly espouse its total loathing of Workbench and the Amiga's operating system in general at every possible opportunity. I really fucking hope Commodore go bust 10 years ago.

The Os is grand, you just need to learn how to properly use it :P

[Codetapper]

Originally Posted by S. Campbell

I have a copy of Pinball Brain Damage (five ADFs), which will only run from HD. I want to install it in WinUAE (0.991). I have a 100MB hardfile set up and formatted. I also have a Workbench ADF (1.3.2).

First read the FAQ which has lots of articles about setting up and installing games on hard drive.

When I boot up with Workbench in DF0: and the Pinball Brain Damage boot disk (disk 5) in DF0:, it shows up as "Boot Disk", containing a single file called "INSTALL". (Sounds promising, right?) Clicking on that brings up an "IconX" window which has a little think and then says "Must be in a command file" and fails.

Your hard drive has not been setup correctly. If it had, commands like IconX would be installed in C: and would work.

If I go to "Execute command" and type "INSTALL DH0:" or "INSTALL [DH0:]" or anything else I can think of that might conceivably be the install instruction, I get a "Failed returncode 20" or something equally helpful.

Just guessing, but changing to the directory containing the file and typing "execute install" would probably work if you don't have IconX. The file install sounds like a script, not a program.

I downloaded a "WHDLoad" file for it, but it makes about as much sense to me as trigonometry to a drunk weasel.

There is no use blaming WHDLoad because you cannot setup your Workbench correctly! Once you have workbench installed, all you have to do is double click a few icons - even Amiga Power journalists should be able to do that

Now I remember why AP used to unfailingly espouse its total loathing of Workbench and the Amiga's operating system in general at every possible opportunity.

This for me highlights one of the problems people had with Amiga Power. Because you guys were paid just to play games all day, you never tinkered with your Amigas and learnt about Workbench, the CLI etc unlike the rest of us and the Amiga Format guys. In fact, I remember somebody actually saying that "none of the Amiga Power team owns an Amiga", like that was supposed to make your loyal readers happy! And because of that, any game that came on quite a few disks seemed to get abused because "nobody owns a hard drive" (eg. Hare Raising Havoc review).

Can anyone, using words of one syllable or fewer, tell me exactly what I have to do to get this Godforsaken game running? Any help much appreciated.

Piece of cake, read the FAQ under the section Getting Started with Amiga/Amiga Emulation and try one of the preconfigured systems such as Classic WB - by Bloodwych

Originally Posted by Codetapper

There is no use blaming WHDLoad because you cannot setup your Workbench correctly!

I wouldn't assume the original poster had a real amiga. It doesn't sound like he's fully aware of what emulating a computer like amiga involves. Just how logical is to boot a hard drive system from a floppy? I'm not even mentioning the version mismatch. Sheesh and kebab.

Basically the harddisc installer needs a file called reqtools.library in the libs folder in Workbench.

This is what I did to get the installer running.

1. I set up a 30mb hardfile then booted Workbench v3.1 from adf. (Workbench v3.0 probably works as well).

2. Formatted the 30mb hardfile then copied the contents of the Workbench adf to the hardfile. (use the Shell in the System folder in Workbench and type "copy all to dh0:" without the quotes. This is so the hardfile can boot workbench without the adf. I doubt the Pinball Damage installer would work with it).

3. Quit WinUAE then downloaded the file "reqtools.library" from a web site.
(happened to be in this file http://www.zoo.co.uk/~z0001275/a2z.lha, first one i came across). Extracted the file in Winrar to a folder. Ran WinUAE again and added the Windows folder with the reqtools.library file as a hardfile using the "Add directory" in Hard Drives options.

4. Booted the 25mb hardfile with Workbench on and used the Shell to copy the "reqtools.library" from the hardfile it was on (the Windows folder) to the "libs" folder in the 25mb Workbench hardfile (basic shell knowledge needed again).

5. Reset WinUAE again and booted the 25mb Workbench hardfile. Inserted the boot disk of Pinball Damage. Ran the installer, works.

BTW, it's an AGA game, so a A1200 config is required.

Hope this makes sense and is easy to follow.
I'll get slated now for not doing things right. But it works.
PS.
I love Emulation Zone in PCZ.

[S. Campbell]

Thanks for the replies. It had occurred to me that I should have Workbench installed on the HD, but with the version I had there was no visible means of doing that.

There shall now be a short, or possibly very long, delay while I try to find a copy of WB3.1 on a string of snooty "PIRACY IS TERRORISM!!!!!" Amiga sites.

And Mark Ramshaw and I always owned Amigas. After we left maybe nobody did. Amiga Power was about games, not hardware evangelism.

[S. Campbell]

Originally Posted by Unregistered

(basic shell knowledge needed again)

CLANG CLANG CLANG ALERT ALERT ALERT!

[S. Campbell]

Well, thanks to eMule, Unregistered Guest's tips and some inspired guesswork, I've finally got the game installed, loaded and running. Cheers for that.

Now, if only the stupid piece of crap would recognise the "Start Game" button (all the other buttons? Fine. The one that actually makes the game go? Sorry, mush, no can do) I'd be away...

[Amiga1992]

Originally Posted by S. Campbell

There shall now be a short, or possibly very long, delay while I try to find a copy of WB3.1 on a string of snooty "PIRACY IS TERRORISM!!!!!" Amiga sites.

It should be easier than one thinks, actually.
*hint hint*

[Codetapper]

Originally Posted by S. Campbell

Now, if only the stupid piece of crap would recognise the "Start Game" button (all the other buttons? Fine. The one that actually makes the game go? Sorry, mush, no can do) I'd be away...

In that case I suggest you use the WHDLoad install. The WHDLoad team fixes bugs in the games so they work better than the original game did.