help with user-startup script

[Condor-2-4-2]

Hello,

I often have problems with the user-startup functionality under AmigaOS3.1 (running in WinUAE 4.9.0).

I want to run games automatically after the workbench is loaded with a script file called "START". I placed that file in the drive where the game executable is in - in my case on DH2:. Next I added the following lines at the end of the s:user-startup file to execute START (see attachment):

IF EXISTS DH2:START
  Execute DH2:START
EndIF

I also made the START file executable and defined it as script (see attachment).

As an example I want to autostart the game "AirForce Commander". So I copied all files from game floppy disk directly to DH2: (in the game documentation copy to hd is also suggested). The game executable is "afc". On the game floppy disk there is also an s:startup-sequence with the line "afc" in it, so that the game can run automatically from floppy. So I entered afc in my START script.

To ensure that my WinUAE settings were correct I first started the game manually from the workbench cli with the command "afc". And the game worked without problems.

Now I went on to autostart. I did a workbench reset, but only an AmigaDOS message "afc: unknown command" appeared and as it were closed I got back to workbench. So I tried to execute START manually by adding C:IconX to it's icon information, double clicked it - and the game started!

In a second attempt I changed the START script content to

CD DH2:
afc

and did a reset again. This time no error message appeared. Instead the screen turned black, the WinUAE hd indicator showed read access for a few seconds and after that nothing further happend.

Now I'm a bit confused. I have other games which I can autostart with a START script the same way as described above. And then there are games like this one where I got such starting issues. I also don't understand why I can run the START script manually but not via user-startup, although the same command is used here (afc).

And why did my second attempt with a changed START script result in a different starting behaviour? What is the difference between the script with only "afc" and "afc" with an additional line "CD DH2:" before?

At last I added a run command to the script

CD DH2:
run afc

which finally started the game but with massive graphical errors. So run command seems to start the game in another different way as afc without run.

I guess these issues must have something to do with start order in the s:u-s and s:s-s files (see attachment). But I'm missing the deeper knowledge about an Amiga system. Can someone help me to understand and create a working execution method?


Thank you in advance!

Greetings,

Condor-2-4-2

[AMIGASYSTEM]

It would be better to start the game without using Startup-sequence or user-startup, but start the Amiga directly with the game, this will improve the quality and it will also be faster to run it.

To do this you would need a Multi Menu where you can choose whether to start a game or the operating system.


I used to use this many years ago on my CD32 HD:

[ Show youtube player ]

[Condor-2-4-2]

Hello AMIGASYSTEM,

thank you for your reply!

I have organized all my amiga games in Launchbox. In this frontend for each game there is an executable icon. By double clicking it the specific WinUAE config file will be loaded and executes the game.

In my case each amiga game has it's own folder under Windows with the WinUAE config in it. When the config is loaded it will mount the specific game folder and loads it with a general WB hdf file. On the workbench hdf itself I have no games installed.

So I think that your method with a menu within the workbench is not usable for me.

I also want the option to change the general WB hdf file for testing purposes whithout changing my config files (and I have hundreds). All my WinUAE config files reffering to that one WB file.

Kind regards,

Condor-2-4-2

[AMIGASYSTEM]

My method was used with the Amiga Real where you usually had one HD with multiple Partitions.

Partition DH0 -> Operating System
DH1 Partition -> Games Folder with subfolders for every single game

My method should work even with more than one HardFile/Directory Win, important to type for each game the right path.

Many old games don't work well if run from Workbench, from a clean boot they will work much better.