Rod Pulsar
Posts 2 04 Nov 2016 16:01
| Hi folks, Owner of a Vampire 600v2 and waiting for the FPU option, I started to mess around Emulation and transpose my A1260 configs to the A600v2 with latest Gold Core. This post will be about PC-Task, and before anyone Trolls, no it's not really useful, but we do this because we can, not necessarily because we need to ;) What do you need : ------------------- - An Amiga 600 with a Vampire v2, and a Gold Core (it works with other configs of course, but basically : the more power, the more Emulation speed) - PC-Task 4.4 : EXTERNAL LINK - Some good knowledge or memories of DOS environment - A DOS Hardfile. Here is a preinstalled DOS6.22 Virtual Disk, on the EAB Zone : EXTERNAL LINK STEP 0 : Firmware and OS Versions ---------------------------------- - Personnally I used a basic Classic Workbench on the Amiga 600, because I'm lazy, and I didn't want to install again all needed files in the OS (lha, DOpus, libraries, etc). - Your Vampire v2 must have latest Core and SAGA drivers installed. - For information my workbench is in SAGA 640x480 60Hz 8bit 16 colors. Kickstart 45.20, Workbench 40.42 STEP 1 : Installation ---------------------- - Extract and Install PC-Task 4.4 as you would install any Amiga program, it's pretty straightforward, just click next, next, next :) STEP 2 : PC-Task configuration basics -------------------------------------- - Now you'll need to create a partition or a hardfile when configuring PC-Task : if you want to avoid a LOT of trouble, please use the DOS6.22 link above. Download it, copy it on your Amiga, then use your favorite lzx unpacker or the "Arc Ext" option in DOpus. - Put this 7Mb hardfile into any Amiga partition. IMPORTANT : Name it exactly like this : Hardfile0 (no extension) STEP 3 : Preparing PC-Task --------------------------- - Edit the Icon information of "PC-Task_Dynamic" : rem both lines BIOSFILE and CPUID adding ; in front of them. (The guy uploading the file has left his own configuration). Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK - Launch PC-Task_Dynamic. - In the config screen on the left you'll see HardDrive C, put the full link to your Hardfile0 Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK -> On my screenshot, both my hardfiles are in data:ISOBANK/Voludos/HardfileX (data: is the name of my DH4: partition) - Hardfile0 will be the Boot partition C: and I created a Hardfile1 that will be my D: STEP 3,5 : I want to create a Hardfile myself ! ------------------------------------------------ - To DIY and create your Hardfile, just select Create HardDiskFile, enter a name and a size. Please do not create Hardfiles bigger than 1024Mb (in fact you can go up to 2048, but I had some serious problems with sizes bigger than 1024. However 1024 is big already for old DOS progs). Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK - Your created Hardfile will be in the PC-Task installation folder. So if you want it elsewhere, move it. - Launch PC-Task, you will be on C: prompt. Type FDISK. IMPORTANT : Change Current Fixed Disk Drive (5) ! Then in the list select 2. Press enter. - Press 1 (Create DOS partition). Press 1 (Create Primary DOS partition). Press Y (max avail size). Press ESC. Press ESC again. DOS will reboot. - Once again on C: prompt : type "Format D:". Press Y. Enter. Give a name to the partition et voilà. - Back on C: prompt, if you type D: you will now move the prompt to the second Hardfile partition. STEP 4 : Misc setup. --------------------- - The configuration of bottom right window is easy : let conventional memory @640, extended memory a bit under 16Mb (15360 here), min leave @400. Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK STEP 5 : Preparing Video Output modes. --------------------------------------- - This part is simple, but took me ages to understand. In fact when you launch a DOS prog, PC-Task will process a Video Mode input and redirect it into an output doable on your Amiga. So basically you are going to configure each possible DOS input and redirect it to any corresponding Amiga output. - TOP RIGHT Window : Select HUGE, VGA Graphic Adapter, select mouse, no sound (sound is only PC speakers in PC-Task), FPU is greyed for now ;) Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK - Click on the Advanced Video Options. TOP LEFT a reference number (or letter) for the PC Mode. If you keep clicking on "Up Mode", you will see that there are 23 different modes, between CGA, EGA, VGA, SVGA, 320*200 to 1280*1024, 2 to 256 colors (256 colors max = 8 bits max). Each of these modes represent one mode that can be used by any DOS program, so you will have to link each of them to an Amiga mode. To do so, Always select "Screen", Set Mode, choose the mode (read below), then Up Mode and do the same for each 23 of them. Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK I used a very easy way to do so : - Each mode having a Resolution starting by 320*X, I choosed the SAGA 4:3 320*240 8bits mode. - Each mode having a Resolution starting by 640*X, I choosed the SAGA 4:3 640*480 8bits mode. - All higher modes, I choosed same 8bits mode. Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Other screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Other Other Screenshot: EXTERNAL LINK Then click OK and SAVE CONFIGURATION. STEP 6 : Autoexec.bat and Config.sys ------------------------------------- - As most of you know (or not), PC DOS couldn't start correctly without these two important files. Here are both my file contents : - Use "edit config.sys" or "edit autoexec.bat" to modify the files. Don't forget to save after modification. CONFIG.SYS Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Notes : - Testmem:off is important, otherwise starting DOS will take ages. - Country must use codes relative to where you live and what keyboard you use (french here). Use this form : EXTERNAL LINK AUTOEXEC.BAT Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Notes : - Once again : Fr KB on this screenshot. Replace accordingly. - PCTMouse.exe is inside the MSDOSUtils folder of PC-Task4. - At any moment you can quit PC-Task using the following command : pctquit - At any moment you can quit PC-Task doing RIGHT AMIGA + SUPPR STEP 7 : Transferring files from AMIGA partition to PC partition ----------------------------------------------------------------- - IMPORTANT : First be sure that the file hardfile.device is in your DEVS: folder. If not, get it here : EXTERNAL LINK - Go into the PC-Task4 installation folder and double-click "PCTCrossmount" : it will mount and make accessible your Hardfile0 and Hardfile1 (if you configured them in this order in PC-Task) as TCC: and TDC: in your Workbench. Of course both are respectively C: and D: - In Shell or in DOpus, acess each of them writing TCC: or TDC: Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK STEP 8 : What to test now ? ---------------------------- - Now you will need progs to run. Some people install Windows 3.1 or Windows 95, personnaly I try to find early DOS Adventure or RPG games that might run fine. A good one to try for a start, is Bard's Tale 3 for example (you can even use PC speaker sound checking it in PC-Task launch setup). - Get it (of course you have it @home) simply copy the BT3 folder from your comp to your Amiga, then from the Workbench to your PC-Task D: partition using TDC: as seen above. - Launch PC-Task, once in C: prompt, type D:, then "cd BT3", then "Thief" Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK - Game is perfectly playable. Enjoy, and please test a lot of other games, and share which ones do work ! :) Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK Screenshot : EXTERNAL LINK I tried BAT, BAT2, Lands of Lore (crashes after Intro), EOB3 (crashes after Intro). Vampire FPU will probably improve stability too ? :)
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