CD32Load

[derSammler]

Originally Posted by khph_re

Yes a WHDloadLowMem would be great

WHDLoadCD32 from the WHDLoad package... It's a cut-down version made for the CD32 and other systems with low memory.

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by derSammler

WHDLoadCD32 from the WHDLoad package... It's a cut-down version made for the CD32 and other systems with low memory.

.............

Originally Posted by jotd

Yes, CD32Load was designed for the CD32 at first, but low memory IDE-capable amigas can benefit from it too.

I'd say that A600 2MB + IDE HD/CF is the ideal machine to run games without OS flashes that you would get by using whdload. whdload would allow you to run 512K games only, with possible OS flashes, when CD32Load allows to run 1MB games without OS flashes. The other 1MB is used to preload the current file or disk image.

You'll need a FFS formatted disk 512/1024 bytes per block so the lowlevel hard disk read from Rob Northen works; then you can run almost any ECS whdload game. Saves won't work of course, quit key won't work either as the system is destroyed, but loading & playing is smooth

[khph_re]

WHDLoadCD32 is the same as CD32Load?

doesn't support saving, and says 'only the 68020 CPU is s supported'

Anyway, I'm only half serious, if my Missus gets further into Amiga, she can buy her damn fast ram card.

I've spent well over £200 once you include the A600, Scart cable, compact flash internal and PCMCIA gubbins, mega drive pad etc.

Still setting the bloody thing up, I've not been this memory constipated since the early 90's

Thank god for CD32 load and WinUAE.

[Retro1234]

No its(WHDloadcd32) a very slightly lighter version of WHDload that only runs on CD32.

CD32Load is quite a good compromise in my mind you get to use WHDload games without the OS flashing on an non-expanded machine plus the Mouse and Keyboard emulation.

JST is also a good compromise Kick 1.3 support - Lowmem and HDload

But I guess if you have a fully expanded Amiga just use WHDload......... The Mouse and Keyboard emulation could be a nice addition to WHDload though.

Stuff like Monkey Islands/point and click etc Saving - Just use the built-in install on non expanded machines

[jotd]

whdloadCD32 is pretty useless now that whdload is free. Bert released it without keyfile for people who wanted to make CD compilations when whdload was still shareware. whdload does the same thing as whdloadCD32, only better.

[kremiso]

Originally Posted by jotd

...You'll need a FFS formatted disk 512/1024 bytes per block so the lowlevel hard disk read from Rob Northen works; then you can run almost any ECS whdload game. Saves won't work of course, quit key won't work either as the system is destroyed, but loading & playing is smooth

hi jotd
i think im still stuck at the very begin, having the 'data disk must be 512 bytes' error

i think its related to your quoted text
how to setup correctly that type of disk on winuae?

[jotd]

Okay, I'll try to create a small disk image and get back to you.

[khph_re]

Hi Jotd,
Finally tried to run some WHDload slaves under CD32load, to get some stuff running that wouldn't under WHDload.

Not sure if I'm doing it wrong (replacing default tool with CD32load). All that happens is a window opens (screenshot below):

[jotd]

cd32load doesn't have workbench startup nor reads tooltypes. You have to use a script with iconx.

It's designed for low-end machines with IDE FFS formatted or CD32.

[Retro1234]

Just for a test you could Show All Files, Select the .Slave and add CD32Load Infront.

But some kind of menu like AGS might be better than WB.

Also don't remember the specs but there is a JST version of PD.

[khph_re]

Thanks both,

Retro: i'll give that a try.

Made the mistake of thinking it was a drop in replacement for WHDload.

[jotd]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Just for a test you could Show All Files, Select the .Slave and add CD32Load Infront.

But some kind of menu like AGS might be better than WB.

Also don't remember the specs but there is a JST version of PD.

I would not recommend to use old JST slaves, but rather to use JST to run whdload slaves as it runs 95% of them (CD32load also has a good success ratio but sometimes fails because of CD hardware).

But I would recommend AGS I have written a compilation maker tool for windows to generate AGS scripts from whdload/JST/CD32load game tree if you need it, binary version here https://www.dropbox.com/s/pvj4y5gb1p...maker.zip?dl=0

[khph_re]

Is JST as good with resources as CD32load? As this is for an A600/2MB

AGS is another rabbit hole I've never heard of is it meagre on resources?

I've been spoilt with owning an 030/1200 with plenty fast of RAM for the last 30 odd years...stick a WHDload slave on, and off you pop

Just reading up on how to use iconx

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by jotd

I would not recommend to use old JST slaves, but rather to use JST to run whdload slaves as it runs 95% of them (CD32load also has a good success ratio but sometimes fails because of CD hardware).

But I would recommend AGS I have written a compilation maker tool for windows to generate AGS scripts from whdload/JST/CD32load game tree if you need it, binary version here https://www.dropbox.com/s/pvj4y5gb1p...maker.zip?dl=0

Just curious why you wouldn't recommend them .Obviously i cant argue with the Author

Quite a large majority of installs on my A1200 were JST from when i had little Ram and then gradually got replaced mainly because i got more Ram and a CD32 pad.

[khph_re]

ok, so I created a project icon, default tool: Iconx

the script is: cd32load PinballDreams.slave

In Winuae it crashed back to the insert disk screen.

Not sure if that should have worked or not?

[Retro1234]

In WinUae you would have to use a HDF or VHD etc and FFS format the Drive you cant use a directory.

[jotd]

Do you have a hard disk image & IDE drive set with ATA and real IDE mode? It is tricky to use with WinUAE. WinUAE boots with kind of emulated driver, but CD32load needs real IDE. It works better on a real machine.

It should detect that your hard drive isn't compatible, though. Try with IDEHD option and VERBOSE.

JST needs to preload stuff but typically you could run games like Magic Pockets or Silkworm on A600/2MB without OS flashes. But you can't run big games because JST will take up the memory that whdload uses to backup the OS.

CD32load accesses the disk without the OS, but for that you need either CD32 or IDE HD FFS formatted, and real IDE driver, not just uae device.

[khph_re]

It's using the Compact flash from the A600, so it's a real HDD formatted with FFS. CD32load is in C on DH0:

I'm going to move it back to the A600 and see what happens there.

was the syntax I gave the script correct?

[khph_re]

Thanks for all the help guys, I moved it back to the A600, and booted up from the script smooth as you like first go, none of the graphic artifacts or odd sound displayed by WHD. Crash was obviously an emulator problem only.

Sadly the function keys don't work, but the floppy version is the same on this machine.
I'll look at that tomorrow. This has been a very time consuming Christmas present, should probably have waited and got her a maxi next year

[jotd]

Thanks for all the help guys, I moved it back to the A600, and booted up from the script smooth as you like first go, none of the graphic artifacts or odd sound displayed by WHD. Crash was obviously an emulator problem only.

that's really GREAT! Yes, CD32load can be a bitch to configure on WinUAE because WinUAE is so permissive with hard disks (which is awesome 99% of the time because real hard disks are a pain to configure), and CD32load is not permissive at all (I ripped a debug IDE read routine found on RN CD32 reader and made it work, which is sufficiently lucky!)
The purpose of CD32load is 1) to load more games 2) to avoid the OS flashes that whdload has to perform.

Note that you cannot save any score or savegame. Bye bye adventure games, unless they have passwords.

Sadly the function keys don't work, but the floppy version is the same on this machine.

Can you explain? CD32load doesn't mess with the keyboard. It can send keyboard events from the joypad (unique feature!), but if you have a keyboard it's not really useful.

Answering your question on AGS: AGS won't prevent you from running any game, specially from CD32load. I have created menus for my CD32load CD32 games compilation which use AGS and it's great. Much better than creating all the scripts by hand.