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#1
Hardware / Re: SedecarTrigde and hard dis...
Last post by Petari - 16-11-2024, 11:00:46I was thinking about how to make this so called GEMdisk drive emulation more compatible with real hard disk work way for Atari ST, emulators. Made little tests: function Get BIOS parameter block (BIOS #7) will return error if is called for non existing real drive - despite sys var for disks has set bit for that logical drive, because there is no MBR (master boot record) and other what goes with real hard disk usage. Sys var is set because otherwise could not open that drive in Desktop.
And there are some games with option for hard disk install - and they use often exactly Get BIOS P.B. to see is there hard disk, and it is called not only by install, but during gameplay to detect is it running from hard disk or floppy - normally install goes to C: . So, that will not work under SidecarT and ACSI2STM gemdrive. And there are other solutions for hard disk detection, install in some games, and all it is about 30 years old.
How to solve this problem ? Simple: do not use such adapters :-) Sure, many will not like it . I was thinking about giving some typical BPB instead error when Get BPB is given for 'GEMdrive' . But it will not solve other checks, and especially not RWABS calls. Now I think that only good and practically complete solution is:
When DIR for Atari is selected on host computer, or on SD card in case of sidecarT or ACSI2STM then just copy all from it to then empty partition on host - what is in image of TOS compatible hard disk, so with MBR, partition with regular FAT, ROOT DIR ... So, there should be at least one such on host storage - and size can be even like 30 MB . That should be enough for 99.9 % of SW. Can be larger ones too, of course - capacity is not problem now.
Under 32 MB size has advantage that can use regular sectors and not large sectors needed for partitions over 32 MB - less RAM usage, simpler driver . And compatible with TOS 1.00-1.02 too.
So, when all is copied, of course with converting possible LFN filenames to 8.3 ones then just boot from that image placed on host storage - what needs of course regular hard disk driver for usual way of TOS work. And that will be pretty good emulation of real work . What will not work is for instance: direct ACSI port access from SW on non ACSI adapters . But I did not see such thing in games.
And yes, same thing can be added to emulators - Steem, Hatari (will they even consider it ?) .
You know that Steem sources are published. Myself did some changes earlier. Now my C knowledge is pretty rusty, and was never big. Of course there is Don Megacool (Steem SSE) too .
And it is not only because my old adapts which manipulate installed drivers (Gamex, before 2012), but for my later systems which increase speed - as wrote: for games with own hard disk installer, and there may be some other cases when 'GEMdrive' is not good enough to run some SW what runs from regular hard disk (system) .
So, I will contact sidecarT author in days. And probably some others. Well, some may think that I just overcomplicate things and want to destroy people's data on computers :-) At least that's how some of 'great' atariage members think, write on that shit place.
Funny thing is that even now, some 20 years since it was made in Steem we can do something new with it ....
#2
Hardware / SedecarTrigde and hard disk ad...
Last post by Petari - 15-11-2024, 19:04:01There is new mass storage (with optional other functions) adapter for Atari ST - SidecarT or SidecarTridge.
And of course, it goes in ST cartridge port. It seems that sells well. I need here to write about it's limitations and why it is not so good for hard disk gaming.
Actually, I wrote it already today for this page:
Hard disk adapted games, page 1
On top of page text .
To add that it can not use existing hard disk drivers, and even if someone would want to write driver for it, so in some way for cartridge port, it will not work with it - as it has own kind of driver, in it's RP2040 .
Part of it's description: "and provide a near-accurate imitation of GEMDOS, thereby rectifying common TOS filesystem bugs." - it admits that is kind of near-accurate imitation . And there is a problem - there is SW what works well only with TOS-es filesystem and usual hard disk driver SW .
There are actually no some serious TOS filesystem bugs. It works pretty reliable, even in older TOS versions. Surely, not with things which appeared many years later (like LFN - long file names) .
Will add just this: there is kind of bug in Dekstop code in versions 1.xx - will crash, show garbage if there is some file with size over 10 MB on drive, in textual mode, as code is not ready for so large numbers. I corrected it in my iTOS, btw. Need to take care about it when works with Steem .
Basically it has same problems as EmuTOS - what was written to fix TOS errors, bugs. But SW is made for original TOS versions, and lot of it just works not under EmuTOS, especially games. So, no SidecarT, no EmuTOS if want to play good old Atari ST(E) games - not with emulators too - with them use regular TOS version - like 1.04, and real hard disk emulation - with hard disk image file.
#3
True preservation, error reports / Re: Special error report
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 03-11-2024, 21:00:02Thanks for the explanation.
#4
True preservation, error reports / Re: Special error report
Last post by Petari - 03-11-2024, 10:42:23So, around 2009, when I released my first version of TOS (1.04) in RAM, only GEMDOS part, for AUTO folder running games DBug fanboy marcer put some of it on his compil. of Atari ST games, without any question, consultation from me. What is incorrect and stupid - there are some details good to know for easier and proper usage. Little later on stupid forum appeared some writes how my game adapts (patches) for hard disk destroyed marcers hard disk partition(s) ... And after that DeBuggers added text on their site where writes things like: "wipe out whole Windows partitions without any sort of recovery" - and that was about my program Floppy Imager (FloImg) :-))) I will say only that everyone who believes it has no clue how computer SW, OS work. And worse, who after such bullshit still respects them is idiot. Yes, we are in world of lies, extreme self propaganda, exaggerated adverts, dirty trick and like.
Worse comes: in 2012 I released my new hard disk supporting system, what called HAGA (hard disk gaming Atari) - it used Amiga WHDload concept, adapted for Atari, and there is support to TOS calling games too - those with AUTO run. That covers about 90% of Atari ST games . What is not covered are GEM/AES using games. But big part of them is startable from hard disk DIR , may need some smaller corrections in code.
And I did lot of hard disk adapts in 2012-13 . There are state saves, of course, easy to start them.
What did DBug ? Instead saying something positive or just remain silent, they announced that will no do more hard disk patches, because I stole ULS code, use it without crediting them, and like ...
Here to add that I made over 400 games until end of 2012 - way more than Dbug and Klaz together . Ah, Klaz - he just left Atari ST scene, without any explanation, and do not answer e-mails, not on forums. I guess that he want not to say anything bad about DBug - while he know that what they talk is pure lie .
Well, such behavior does not help against bad.
And somewhere around 2021 great C.J. wrote at atariage forum (where he is very little active in Atari ST section) that I 'stole ULS code, byte by byte' :-))) Again stoopid lies, what everyone can check (who has some medium computer knowledge) and see what a bullshit is. And btw. how is that I have now support for all ST game types, including those AES/GEM using ones - that's with complete TOS 1.04 in RAM, and that is with state saves too, with TOS version incompatibility problems solved - like game works not under TOS 1.62, 2.06 - it will on such machines, as game runs under 1.04 . And all it still with 1 MB RAM for games running with 512 KB from floppy. Plus, process of adaptation is really fast and not complicated in some 70% cases. That allowed me to reach count of 2000 adapted games . Of curse it, and having more and more experience. Over 2 million downloads, thousands DLs of images with many games - something what DBmorons did not. They just continue with self praising - everything what they did is best, unlike what did rest :-) Not only in game patching - they made best, fastest floppy copy program (for ST) - somewhere in 2021 - as they brag. Well - my, from 1988 is faster and more versatile. And I programmed several disk util programs. Used by many people, and no one reported data loss problems.
If we would live in society where there is real care about truth, fairness, intellectual property and like, some could charge them for such accusations. But what matters is money, big words, never admitting mistake, posing self and so on ....
And all it is just bad for preservation too. For instance I released some less known game adapt, after one French man sent me image . And of course DBmorons wrote that I stole they patch, as only they have floppy image of that game . Sure, they know every my move :-) What about sending image to atarimania and other sites which hosting game images ? No, that is too much for 'greatest crew' on planet.
And here we where we are - still no images of some good games online, mostly because there are some who selling old floppies - like new ones - huh - unpacked, old some 35 years is new :-) And those who won't share it, as they care only about that people use their 'patches' and praise them . And saddest part - there are such . I don't think that we are on football (pardon soccer) match ...
Worse comes: in 2012 I released my new hard disk supporting system, what called HAGA (hard disk gaming Atari) - it used Amiga WHDload concept, adapted for Atari, and there is support to TOS calling games too - those with AUTO run. That covers about 90% of Atari ST games . What is not covered are GEM/AES using games. But big part of them is startable from hard disk DIR , may need some smaller corrections in code.
And I did lot of hard disk adapts in 2012-13 . There are state saves, of course, easy to start them.
What did DBug ? Instead saying something positive or just remain silent, they announced that will no do more hard disk patches, because I stole ULS code, use it without crediting them, and like ...
Here to add that I made over 400 games until end of 2012 - way more than Dbug and Klaz together . Ah, Klaz - he just left Atari ST scene, without any explanation, and do not answer e-mails, not on forums. I guess that he want not to say anything bad about DBug - while he know that what they talk is pure lie .
Well, such behavior does not help against bad.
And somewhere around 2021 great C.J. wrote at atariage forum (where he is very little active in Atari ST section) that I 'stole ULS code, byte by byte' :-))) Again stoopid lies, what everyone can check (who has some medium computer knowledge) and see what a bullshit is. And btw. how is that I have now support for all ST game types, including those AES/GEM using ones - that's with complete TOS 1.04 in RAM, and that is with state saves too, with TOS version incompatibility problems solved - like game works not under TOS 1.62, 2.06 - it will on such machines, as game runs under 1.04 . And all it still with 1 MB RAM for games running with 512 KB from floppy. Plus, process of adaptation is really fast and not complicated in some 70% cases. That allowed me to reach count of 2000 adapted games . Of curse it, and having more and more experience. Over 2 million downloads, thousands DLs of images with many games - something what DBmorons did not. They just continue with self praising - everything what they did is best, unlike what did rest :-) Not only in game patching - they made best, fastest floppy copy program (for ST) - somewhere in 2021 - as they brag. Well - my, from 1988 is faster and more versatile. And I programmed several disk util programs. Used by many people, and no one reported data loss problems.
If we would live in society where there is real care about truth, fairness, intellectual property and like, some could charge them for such accusations. But what matters is money, big words, never admitting mistake, posing self and so on ....
And all it is just bad for preservation too. For instance I released some less known game adapt, after one French man sent me image . And of course DBmorons wrote that I stole they patch, as only they have floppy image of that game . Sure, they know every my move :-) What about sending image to atarimania and other sites which hosting game images ? No, that is too much for 'greatest crew' on planet.
And here we where we are - still no images of some good games online, mostly because there are some who selling old floppies - like new ones - huh - unpacked, old some 35 years is new :-) And those who won't share it, as they care only about that people use their 'patches' and praise them . And saddest part - there are such . I don't think that we are on football (pardon soccer) match ...
#5
True preservation, error reports / Special error report
Last post by Petari - 02-11-2024, 11:47:01 Of course, it is related with Atari ST SW, games preservation, and what bad I will write here stays not only for them, but in more-less part for the other similar crews. And not only that, for many people's behavior .
So, there is a crew called D-Bug, with leader calling self Cyrano Jones (C.J.) - they are actually in some way followers of older (floppy times) crew named Automation - who did plenty of pirate cracks in times when Atari ST games were still copyrighted (not only in words) . Well, they went somewhere around 2005 in so called hard disk patching . And what ? As it is usual with this kind of crews, declared self as best in it .
The 'genius' C.J. developed so called Universal Loading System (ULS) , published it's sources, and offered (+ I would add expected that lot of people will use it) for free. What was happened is that only one man, Klapauzius (Klaz) used it - he released about 50 game hard disk adapts (pardon, patches) witch used ULS system. But not only that - there were TOS function calling ones, for which no any support in so called 'ULS' - he added some special code for that .
And here comes first big bad thing about geniuses - DeBuggers - they wrote about ratio of games using TOS call and those which not use them - like it is 70% of those not using TOS calls, and rest is what use it. It was around 2008 - and even then I was sure that most of it using TOS calls. So, I did some research, looking lot of games, and I wrote at couple places that ratio is pretty much the opposite. Stupid popular forums did not react on it. Anyway, I was in that time in process of learning about TOS, version differences, how disk loading system works and so on ... And realized that for successful game running from hard disk we need TOS in RAM, with some changes which will help in that + extra functions - like state saves, simple exit to Desktop - at pos. as it was at game start, and something really relevant : solving TOS version incompatibility problems (of course ULS did not care about it, as it is universal ! - so, no need to take care about such 'small' details :-) - their universality is over such pity problems :-) ) After this sarcastic mine talk - who is pity here really ?
Then, ULS is actually just Atari ST version of Amiga WHDLoad system - something what great mind C.J. 'forgot' to mention. What is that system ? Simply - use original RAM, OS config state, what was before game start - it is needed because running of floppy games may change complete RAM config a lot, and lot of system variables, TOS related RAM content is just overwritten - because no need for it with custom floppy load code - huh - what I'm talking about ? Of course it is that when TOS is 'killed' there is need for own floppy access code - what will load 'files', data needed for game run. And to add : very early ST games were such - not because their coders hated TOS - it was just that TOS was not completed in 1985 . But things changed in following years - TOS calling was used by most. And in case of some best Atari ST games - like Dungeon Master - and it was one what used something special (will not go in details here) - of course, geniuses of Dbuggers did not do that game . Could continue this list ... Instead it - some remainder about all bullshit they wrote on forums (and not only them, but their funboys) :
To be continued ...
So, there is a crew called D-Bug, with leader calling self Cyrano Jones (C.J.) - they are actually in some way followers of older (floppy times) crew named Automation - who did plenty of pirate cracks in times when Atari ST games were still copyrighted (not only in words) . Well, they went somewhere around 2005 in so called hard disk patching . And what ? As it is usual with this kind of crews, declared self as best in it .
The 'genius' C.J. developed so called Universal Loading System (ULS) , published it's sources, and offered (+ I would add expected that lot of people will use it) for free. What was happened is that only one man, Klapauzius (Klaz) used it - he released about 50 game hard disk adapts (pardon, patches) witch used ULS system. But not only that - there were TOS function calling ones, for which no any support in so called 'ULS' - he added some special code for that .
And here comes first big bad thing about geniuses - DeBuggers - they wrote about ratio of games using TOS call and those which not use them - like it is 70% of those not using TOS calls, and rest is what use it. It was around 2008 - and even then I was sure that most of it using TOS calls. So, I did some research, looking lot of games, and I wrote at couple places that ratio is pretty much the opposite. Stupid popular forums did not react on it. Anyway, I was in that time in process of learning about TOS, version differences, how disk loading system works and so on ... And realized that for successful game running from hard disk we need TOS in RAM, with some changes which will help in that + extra functions - like state saves, simple exit to Desktop - at pos. as it was at game start, and something really relevant : solving TOS version incompatibility problems (of course ULS did not care about it, as it is universal ! - so, no need to take care about such 'small' details :-) - their universality is over such pity problems :-) ) After this sarcastic mine talk - who is pity here really ?
Then, ULS is actually just Atari ST version of Amiga WHDLoad system - something what great mind C.J. 'forgot' to mention. What is that system ? Simply - use original RAM, OS config state, what was before game start - it is needed because running of floppy games may change complete RAM config a lot, and lot of system variables, TOS related RAM content is just overwritten - because no need for it with custom floppy load code - huh - what I'm talking about ? Of course it is that when TOS is 'killed' there is need for own floppy access code - what will load 'files', data needed for game run. And to add : very early ST games were such - not because their coders hated TOS - it was just that TOS was not completed in 1985 . But things changed in following years - TOS calling was used by most. And in case of some best Atari ST games - like Dungeon Master - and it was one what used something special (will not go in details here) - of course, geniuses of Dbuggers did not do that game . Could continue this list ... Instead it - some remainder about all bullshit they wrote on forums (and not only them, but their funboys) :
To be continued ...
#6
News / Re: How to be useless
Last post by Petari - 31-10-2024, 09:22:34AA thread
Just one sentence from it: "I'm surprised that a 32GB card works in your UltraSatan, I was only able to get what I wanted with an old 4GB card.
(edit: it's a 4GB card, not a 2GB one.) "
Typical lack of knowledge - well, how else could it be for people following 'popular' Atari ST forums ?
What is the case is that UltraSatan can handle very large capacity cards too - like 64 GB.
I bought 32 GB card couple years ago, and it worked not with US. Then swapped it with card in my camera (32 GB too), and it worked, new card works in camera. So, what it is about ? New cards are just faster, with faster HW logic - and that may work not well with slower one in UltraSatan (or some other adapter) .
Old different speed logic interfacing problem. Therefore I recommend to people to take care when buying SD cards - not to get some very high speed ones.
And to add : capacity limit of 4 GB is ridiculous. Even TOS can more - 7 GB (1.04 and higher), TOS 4.04 can 14 GB .
Just one sentence from it: "I'm surprised that a 32GB card works in your UltraSatan, I was only able to get what I wanted with an old 4GB card.
(edit: it's a 4GB card, not a 2GB one.) "
Typical lack of knowledge - well, how else could it be for people following 'popular' Atari ST forums ?
What is the case is that UltraSatan can handle very large capacity cards too - like 64 GB.
I bought 32 GB card couple years ago, and it worked not with US. Then swapped it with card in my camera (32 GB too), and it worked, new card works in camera. So, what it is about ? New cards are just faster, with faster HW logic - and that may work not well with slower one in UltraSatan (or some other adapter) .
Old different speed logic interfacing problem. Therefore I recommend to people to take care when buying SD cards - not to get some very high speed ones.
And to add : capacity limit of 4 GB is ridiculous. Even TOS can more - 7 GB (1.04 and higher), TOS 4.04 can 14 GB .
#7
Software / Re: Future Game Adaptions Sugg...
Last post by Petari - 29-10-2024, 15:27:03Gremlins 2 is on do it list. Will see about UMS 1-2 , of course.
#8
Software / Re: Future Game Adaptions Sugg...
Last post by diamondspringwater - 29-10-2024, 13:55:56Can also I suggest, UMS 1&2 and Gremlins 2
#9
Software / Re: New game adaptations
Last post by Petari - 28-10-2024, 11:22:18Alone in Haunted Monastery
Alphabet Mix
Bank Buster - special breakout v.
Belluminator
Better Maths
Blat
Booly
Bosse des Maths
Bridge
Butterfly in the Park
Championship Cricket
Cops n Robbers Too
Decimal Dungeon
Endurance
Erebus
Gettysburg (Atari r.)
Heresie
High Steel - pretty highly complicated floppy code
Hyleilos
Hysula
IBS Pegasus
Jiggsy
Magical Adventure in a Haunted Mansion
Magical Myths
Manoir
Maths Mania
Maxi Bourse International
Nibe
Pengi
Perfect Match
Picker
Primary Maths Course
Professional Tennis Simulator - v2
Red Heat
Seconds Out
Son Shu Shi
Space Shuttle II
Star Trek the Klingon War
World Darts
Alphabet Mix
Bank Buster - special breakout v.
Belluminator
Better Maths
Blat
Booly
Bosse des Maths
Bridge
Butterfly in the Park
Championship Cricket
Cops n Robbers Too
Decimal Dungeon
Endurance
Erebus
Gettysburg (Atari r.)
Heresie
High Steel - pretty highly complicated floppy code
Hyleilos
Hysula
IBS Pegasus
Jiggsy
Magical Adventure in a Haunted Mansion
Magical Myths
Manoir
Maths Mania
Maxi Bourse International
Nibe
Pengi
Perfect Match
Picker
Primary Maths Course
Professional Tennis Simulator - v2
Red Heat
Seconds Out
Son Shu Shi
Space Shuttle II
Star Trek the Klingon War
World Darts
#10
Software / Re: New game adaptations
Last post by Ronald J. Hall - 26-10-2024, 03:46:23Quote from: Petari on 17-10-2024, 17:40:00And something special: Son Shu Shi
Yes, it is good working all levels Son Shu Shi (aka Son Shu Si).
Well, according to fact that still no STX image is available and that Replicants talk about bug fixes, I tend to think that this game might be buggy, and therefore sales were low, maybe was even pulled out from shops.
And to add: pretty hard, so cheats are almost a must. I hope that someone will test/play it to end soon ...
And wrote about it .
I loaded this game up on my STacy in compatibility mode (TOS v1.4, 8mhz) and it started up fine. Graphics are pretty. Sound worked. I only played around on the 1st level but it seemed okay. I did notice (as you mentioned) that I had to press the * key a couple of times to get it to exit to the desktop but it did so cleanly.
Thanks for the adaptation.
