Creating a 31 Khz Bootable Stoarge 3.0/3.1 Disk

[redblade]

Hi.

I recently got my hand on a Amiga 1200 for a few days, it also come with a 23 pin Amiga Video to VGA out with no sync hardware included so I decided to make a 31Khz boot disk.

This post will tell you how to modify your Storage 3.0/3.1 disk so that it is a bootable 31Khz disk for those of us who use VGA Screens that don't sync down to 15Khz (Note you will not be able to play 15Khz Games/Demoes). I used a standard Amiga 1200 for this so a single floppy disk Amiga 1200 with 2MB CHIP RAM only.

We will be using the Storage3.1 Disk because it is 42% free (505k Free) and it has the Monitors already on the disk. What we will be doing to this disk is installing the bootblock to make it bootable and copying extra files to the disk to get it up and running to workbench 3.1.

This will work with the Commodore Amiga 3.0/3.1 as the Cloanto Amiga Forever has extra files on the disk. I think they put on updated installer binaries to the disk, both 68000 and 68020 versions.

From here on 3.1 means both 3.0 or 3.1

I accept no responsibility if something goes wrong at your end.

1. Make a backup copy of your Storage 3.1 disk, we will from now on only be working with the copy of Storage 3.1 so put the origional in a safe place.
2. Reboot your Amiga with Workbench 3.1 in drive 0 (df0).
3. After Workbench 3.1 has finished loaded, eject the disk and insert Storage 3.1 into drive 0 (df0)
4. Open the Monitors directory, and run (double click)
VGAOnly
DblNTSC
Multiscan

This is needed to be done so that when you run screen mode later on the DblNTSC and Multiscan screen modes can be selected and saved
5. After they have finished loading remove Storage3.1 and Insert the Install3.1 Disk into drive 0 (df0
6. Double Click RAM: to open the window and Double Click Install3.1: to open the window.
7. With the Install3.1: disk window selected, Go Menu -> Window -> Show ->All Files

8. Copy from Install3.1: the Devs, Libs, Prefs, S, System folders (directories) to the RAM Disk.

9. Remove the Install3.1 disk and insert the Extras3.1 disk
10. Copy the Prefs/Screen Mode Application (Icon) to the RAM Disk.
11. Remove the Extras3.1 disk and insert the Workbench3.1 disk.
12. Hit Right Amiga+E for Execute Command, or Right Click Menu and go Workbench -> Execute Command
13. Type -> Newcli
14. At the cli prompt do the following: the double "" quotation marks means copy to the local directory.

makedir ram:C
copy c:Install ram:
cd ram:C
copy c:SetPatch ""
copy c:Copy ""
copy c:Version ""
copy c:AddBuffers ""
copy c:MakeDir ""
copy c:Assign ""
copy c:BindDrivers ""
copy c:AddBuffers ""
copy c:IPrefs ""
copy c:LoadWB ""

13. now we will edit the s/startup-sequence file to load the monitors on bootup. Workbench 3.1 should still be in the Drive. The file is attached to this post (rename startup-sequence.txt to startup-sequence)
run ed ram:s/startup-sequence

This is what you want it to look like

; $VER: Startup-Sequence_Storage31Khz_LD 40.1 (1.1.20)

C:SetPatch >NIL:
C:Version >NIL:
C:AddBuffers >NIL: DF0: 15
FailAt 21

C:MakeDir RAM:T
C:Copy ENVARC: RAM:ENV QUIET ALL NOREQ

C:Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV
C:Assign >NIL: T:   RAM:T

C:BindDrivers

IF EXISTS SYS:Monitors
   SYS:Monitors/VGAOnly
   SYS:Monitors/DblNTSC
   SYS:Monitors/Multiscan
EndIF
C:IPrefs
C:LoadWB
EndCLI >NIL:

14. Now do Esc followed by Sa (or just choose Save from the menu). This will save the file ram:S/Startup-Sequence
Now do Esc followed by q to quit or just select quit from the menu to exit Ed

Close CLI by clicking close gadget or doing Ctrl+\ (Backslash)

15. Now run the RAM:Screenmode application, it will load the libraries of the Workbench3.1 disk.

Now select the Screenmode you want, I use DblNTSC because it looks better on my LCD screen, but we will select Multiscan here because it is over 31khz with VGAOnly running. Yes I know it shows 29.22khz

16. Right once Multiscan is selected Right Click Menu-> Save As
For Drawer (Directory) go Ram:Prefs/Env-Archive/Sys/
For File go screenmode.prefs
Click OK
screenmode should now be saved.

Click Cancel to leave ScreenMode (In case you are doing this on a 15Khz screen that can not multi sync).
17. Remove Workbench 3.1 disk and Insert Storage3.1 disk again.
18. Open Storage3.1 Disk Window.
19. Copy from the Ram Disk Window, the follwing directories to the Storage 3.1 Disk Window (Use and hold down shift to copy more than one file at once).
C, Devs, Libs, Prefs, Libs, S, System


>> Once that has finished go Execute Command Either do Right Amiga+E or do Right Mouse Click -> Menu -> Workbench -> Execute Command

for the command do

ram:Install df0:

This will make the disk bootable, once this has finished. Write protect the copy and reboot the Amiga and it should boot into a 31khz VGA Friendly Screen.

You can carry on insert the Install3.1 Disk and install from that if you want to. Just remember to copy the Workbench:Storage/Monitors/ VGAOnly, DblNTSC, Multiscan to Workbenchevs/Monitors/ and copy the Storage3.1/Prefs/Env-Archive/Sys/ScreenMode.prefs to the Workbench:Prefs/Env-Archive/Sys/

I hope this helps some one. Why Commodore didn't release a bootable 31khz Storage 3.1 disk back in 92/93 is beyond me, especially as it doesn't take up too much extra room. The safe guess is not enough people using it. Any way here is a link to some guy getting his ass chewed out online in 1992 for saying not to get a A4000 as it does not have VGA support straight out of the box like the Amiga 3000 does

Happy New Year 2020 every one.

[Muadib]

Great guide!
Thanks and a Happy New Year to you, too!

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Hewitson]

Nice guide. I don't believe the modifications to the s-s are necessary though, couldn't you just put the Monitor drivers in Devs:Monitors?

[Firestone]

I remember having a patch in startup-sequence making it possible to see Early startup and no startup-sequence shell. Think it was this one? : http://aminet.net/package/util/boot/bootctrl

Anyway, nice guide! Thanks!

[daxb]

Hmm... why so complicated? The only thing you need is the (31kHz) monitor driver and the screenmode.prefs that use it. This on a boot disk is enough. You can also use this: https://wiki.amigaos.net/wiki/AmigaO...nce#ScreenMode

[redblade]

Originally Posted by Hewitson

Nice guide. I don't believe the modifications to the s-s are necessary though, couldn't you just put the Monitor drivers in Devs:Monitors?

I can't remember how much storage space was on the Extras3.1: disk (I think that is where the Devs: folder is on boot?!? That's why I just left it on the storage disk and copied over the other files to the storage disk.

Originally Posted by Firestone

I remember having a patch in startup-sequence making it possible to see Early startup and no startup-sequence shell. Think it was this one? : http://aminet.net/package/util/boot/bootctrl

Anyway, nice guide! Thanks!

Thanks for that, I've got that on my hard drive now. I botched up my startup-sequence and was looking at the "out of range" message on the LCD screen, not fun.

Originally Posted by daxb

Hmm... why so complicated? The only thing you need is the (31kHz) monitor driver and the screenmode.prefs that use it. This on a boot disk is enough. You can also use this: https://wiki.amigaos.net/wiki/AmigaO...nce#ScreenMode

Hi daxb: This tutorial was mainly for new retro users and maybe a hint to amiga forever to perhaps provide 31khz support on the Support 3.1 disk that they sell to Amiga users as an option.
I think you still need to use c:Iprefs, and typing blind and hoping for works is not that much fun.

off topic. The two applications that do not work in 31khz mode are Prefs/pointer and Multiview. But this can be fixed by pressing left amiga+m, and then dragging the workbench screen down so you can see and edit the pointer screen in the back.

Multiview is quite annoying as it tries to change the screen mode to what the IFF picture is but I'm sure that can be changed by a software patch.

[Hewitson]

Originally Posted by redblade

I can't remember how much storage space was on the Extras3.1: disk (I think that is where the Devs: folder is on boot?!? That's why I just left it on the storage disk and copied over the other files to the storage disk.

Not sure I understand what you're saying here.

The monitor drivers are currently in Storage3.1:Monitors. Simply moving them to Storage3.1evs/Monitors means that they'll automatically be loaded on boot, removing the need to modify the s-s to load them manually.

Also if you'd used the Install disk and removed HDToolBox and a few other unnecessary files it would have been considerably less work than copying all that stuff to and from disks

[daxb]

Originally Posted by redblade

I think you still need to use c:Iprefs, and typing blind and hoping for works is not that much fun.

But IPrefs is launched from your boot floppy disk startup-sequence. No need to manually type something. I haven't tested it but maybe "screenmode <path/to/screenmode.prefs> USE" in S-S works too.

[patrik]

+1 for http://aminet.net/package/util/boot/bootctrl it makes the 31kHz mode resident, so any system friendly disk can then be booted into vga mode.

[redblade]

Originally Posted by Hewitson

Not sure I understand what you're saying here.

The monitor drivers are currently in Storage3.1:Monitors. Simply moving them to Storage3.1evs/Monitors means that they'll automatically be loaded on boot, removing the need to modify the s-s to load them manually.

Also if you'd used the Install disk and removed HDToolBox and a few other unnecessary files it would have been considerably less work than copying all that stuff to and from disks

I think that there is a line in the startup-sequence that checks to see if the directory exists and then to list all the files and execute them. It doesn't do that by default.

Originally Posted by daxb

But IPrefs is launched from your boot floppy disk startup-sequence. No need to manually type something. I haven't tested it but maybe "screenmode <path/to/screenmode.prefs> USE" in S-S works too.

But if you want to carry on with the install, maybe it needs those files and assigns !?
[/QUOTE]

[daxb]

Sorry, what do you mean?