Custom Kickstart questions

[nogginthenog]

Hi All, A4000 user here.

I've always wanted to burn a custom OS3.9 Kickstart and I now have in my hands a GQ-4x4 burner with an adapter for 27C400 EPROMs. I can read my 40.70 ROM OK.

While I wait for my EPROMs to arrive from China I thought I'd prepare a OS3.9 ROM with RomSplitter/Remus to test with WinUAE. I don't have a Romy so I'm limited to a 512K ROM.

I have some questions!

1. I need to exclude gameport_keyboard_40.1 because it conflicts with input_40.1. Remus reports 'Duplicate Resident'. Why is this?
2. What exactly is bonus_40.1(A4000)? Do I just include this in the ROM or do I need to use the Remus 'bonus' option? Remus docs don't mention this. I suppose I could disassemble it.
3. I don't use FFS. Can I exclude filesystem_45.16?
4. Bootmenu increased from 13,596Kb (40.5) to 19,408Kb (44.7). I never noticed any changes in the bootmenu. Any ideas?

[emufan]

Originally Posted by nogginthenog

1. I need to exclude gameport_keyboard_40.1 because it conflicts with input_40.1. Remus reports 'Duplicate Resident'. Why is this?

when splitting the 40.70 rom you get a request for an input 40.1 patch.
if i get that right, i would say gameport_keyboard_40.1 replaces input 40.1
so just remove input 40.1 from the module list of the new rom.

[idrougge]

3. If the same filesystem is used for booting from floppies, you certainly need it.
4. OS3.9 BB2 bootmenu has some major improvements. It works on 31 kHz screens (press ctrl-alt-delete-backspace when in the menu) and can be activated from keyboard (press HELP when the machine boots).

[nogginthenog]

Originally Posted by emufan

when splitting the 40.70 rom you get a request for an input 40.1 patch.
if i get that right, i would say gameport_keyboard_40.1 replaces input 40.1
so just remove input 40.1 from the module list of the new rom.

Ah yes, thanks! I totally forgot about that.

Patch found for input_40.1
Optional
Removes input.device from input_40.1 module
(contains input, gameport & keyboard devices)

Saves some space if adding input.device v50 to ROM.
File will be saved as gameport_keyboard_40.1

Looks like input.device v50 is provided by Poseidon, so I don't think I need this option.

[nogginthenog]

Originally Posted by idrougge

3. If the same filesystem is used for booting from floppies, you certainly need it.
4. OS3.9 BB2 bootmenu has some major improvements. It works on 31 kHz screens (press ctrl-alt-delete-backspace when in the menu) and can be activated from keyboard (press HELP when the machine boots).

Who uses floppies :-) I get an instant guru without this anyway.
Forgot floppies need OFS.

I never knew about the bootmenu changes.

Thanks!

[nogginthenog]

For future reference bonus_40.1(A4000) tests for 'Static Column Dynamic RAM' and sets some Ramsey flags if found.

[idrougge]

Must be great for those two A4000 owners who own static column SIMMs.

[grelbfarlk]

Originally Posted by idrougge

Must be great for those two A4000 owners who own static column SIMMs.

These exist? Well off to ebay.

[trixster]

What are static column simms?

[grelbfarlk]

There were two types of memory you could use in an A3000, Static Column or Page mode. The SC RAM was supposed to be a little bit faster as it supported burst mode. In the A3000 you just had rows of sockets to plug the actual chips into, it didn't use SIMMs, though a few RAM socket to SIMM adapters were created so you could use normal 72-pin SIMMs. On the A4000 you just have SIMM slots so you just used 72-pin SIMMs of the page mode type. I had never heard of static column SIMMs until today and I had never thought to look.

But it is mostly pointless since unless you have an Accelerator that supports burst to motherboard RAM it won't do anything for you and the onboard RAM of an accelerator is going to be much faster anyway. The A3640 does not support burst to motherboard memory.

[nogginthenog]

On the plus side I now have an extra 312 bytes of ROM to play with :-)
BTW, a 'friend' checked the leaked OS source to determine what bonus_40.1(A4000) does.