In his latest video the YouTuber Neil alias 'RMC' introduces the new feature of the project: Direct access to a disk, inserted into a disk drive of a PC, from the emulator WinUAE.
All documents of Smith's project are available on GitHub under a free license. (dr)
Crowdfunding: Book "Demoscene The AGA years"
Following the successful crowdfunding of the first volume of the history of the demoscene, which can be still acquired, now the international crowdfunding website 'Indiegogo' has started the new campaign for the second volume, covering the years 1994 to 1996. So far almost 15.000 of 18.000 Euro has been donated. (dr)
A-EON beginnt mit Auslieferung des "AAA Bundle"
As user "AmiFrog" tells os4welt.de, he received his "AAA Bundle" yesterday. His photo shows the scope of delivery of the package, additionally the bundle buyers should have received a download link for the "Remix Edition" of the Amiga documentation "Viva Amiga":
The bundle was introduced as part of the "A1222 Plus Early Adopter" campaign - customers of the 115 euro bundle should have the chance to win one of the first A1222 computers sold to end customers. The last status update we know about the production of the A1222 Plus is from September 2020. (cg) (Translation: bb)
1.5: The Vampire V4 is able to boot AmigaOS 3.2, but this requires a special procedure from the user. More information on the support page of the Vampire
4.15: Graphical errors in the palette's settings editor and help subsystem are most likely due to the Indivision AGA MK3 scandoubler. Only a new firmware could solve this.
4.16: If no drives are connected or none are detected when booting the Amiga, the process stops with a black screen. Either connect a drive or floppy drive or switch to the Early Startup Control menu by holding down both mouse buttons.
12.11: When asked if the current Kickstart ROM can also be used to boot older AmigaOS versions, it is pointed out that the system partition must absolutely contain the workbench.library and the icon.library to be extracted from the 'AmigaOS 3.2 Install3.2.adf' image. Further support is not provided here.
Demo: THE CURE for AGA-Amigas
Simone 'saimo' Bevilacqua had produced a demo called 'THE CURE' some time ago, which he released at the 'Solskogen' demo party 2020 and won first place in the oldskool category. Now he has released an update that, among other things, fixes a supposed memory leak.
At the end of 2017, he extracted the graphics engine from one of his other demos to play around with in the time that followed. Among other things, he intended to release a game based on it, but failed: the engine would have been too tiring on the eyes and inappropriate for small or medium graphic elements.
So he concentrated on using the engine in a demo, but beyond that he pursued a higher goal: to send out a message. Amiga users can convince themselves of this in advance by watching the YouTube video on his site. But Simone recommends for the full graphical and acoustical enjoyment to play the demo on an Amiga, which should fulfill the following conditions:
The developer regularly informs about the latest progress on his Patreon page. Last week, for example, he explained his approach and changes to the ocean theme of his game in a short video. For three months he tinkered with the visual design of this level because he was not satisfied with the original version, which, in his opinion, did not contain anything unique or surprising. He came up with the idea of perspective scrolling: that's what he calls a variation of scrolling that applies scrolling at different speeds to different rows of images. This creates the illusion of a camera pulling forward on a 3D structure, he says. This can greatly enhance visual depth, he says. Normally, horizontally scrolling games like "Street Fighter II" are associated with this, but examples on the Amiga would be rare. He still mentions "Lionheart", "Elfmania", "Overkill" and "RESHOOT R". For his latest game he wanted to turn the feature to vertical orientation, which he succeeded in doing after a few attempts. He asks users to tell him what they think about the sample scene and also if they know any other games with vertical scrolling, if any.
In another brief statement, Richard Löwenstein shares that his "pixel artist" Kevin Saunders and he have completed the themes and color scheme for all five sections of the game. Likewise, his the code and implementation of all visual effects for the levels ready. (dr) (Translation: bb)
MorphOS: E-Mail-Program Iris 0.118
Jacek 'jacadcaps' Piszczek's "Iris" is to become the default MorphOS email client in the future. It supports IMAP and can both display and create HTML emails.
Among the new features of version 0.118 is an improved image scaling when reading mails. In addition, the author asks to ensure that in any case a written server name and not an IP address is to be used for the SMTP server, since some servers reject an IP address when establishing an SMTP connection. For feedback to the author, the corresponding MorphZone discussion on the topic can be used. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Fixed an issue where player settings weren't correctly applied when loading pages
Fixed an issue where wrong player settings were used in some code paths
Fixed a problem with quitting Wayfarer
MorphOS 3.15 and 1 GB RAM are required. A processor with at least 1.5 GHz is recommended. For feedback to the author, e-mails to wayfarer at wayfarer.icu or the corresponding MorphZone discussion on the topic can be used in addition to the integrated crash detector. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Finally she has given some conclusions depending on for what you are using your Sam440ep-flex most: For current applications for example she recommends the Radeon HD 7750. In any case she advises to have 128 MB VRAM graphic memory.
(dr) (Translation: dr)
WHDLoad: New installers until 29.05.2021
Using WHDLoad, games, scene demos and intros by cracking groups, which were originally designed to run only from floppy disks, can be installed on harddisk. The following installers have been added until 29.05.2021:
2021-05-25 fixed: Hero Quest (Gremlin) saving character doesn't crash anymore when no expansion disk is available (Info)
2021-05-24 improved: Dimo's Quest (Infernal Bytes/Boeder Software) uses less chip memory, new install script (Info)
2021-05-23 improved: Atomic Robo-Kid (Activision) in-game cheat can be enabled with CUSTOM1, support for second fire button (weapon selection), 68000 quitkey support (Info)
Memory game: MeMO 3.11 (update)
Simone 'saimo' Bevilacqua has released an update of his memory game MeMO. His game is based on the classic memory card game but in his port two payers can simultaneously play for getting the best highscore. MeMO requires a 68020 processor and the ECS graphic chip. The latest update among others provides an improved framework ("which makes the startup and cleanup procedures more robust"), support for joystick in mouse port and a reworked/extended menu.
Update: (06:00, 02.06.21, dr)
Meanwhile version 3.11 is available which fixes a bug introduced with the previous version. (dr) (Translation: dr)
Hyperion: Ben Hermans temporarily relieved from director position
After Timothy de Groote had been delisted as a Hyperion director,
Ben Hermans was entered into the company register as Hyperion's sole manager.
But in contrast to his predecessors, he wasn't listed as a "besturder"
(director): his position is that of a "vaste vertegenwoordiger" (permanent
representative) of the actual director - a company named "Ben Hermans BV".
That company "Ben Hermans BV" now is the subject of a compulsory dissolution: According to
Belgium's legal newsletter, a court appointed a lawyer named Jean Louis de
Chaffoy de Courcelles as an judicial liquidator ("gerechtelijk
vereffenaar") on May 7. As far as we know, this means that this liquidator now also acts as the company's representative in its role as
Hyperion's director.
Ben Hermans still owns the vast majority of Hyperion's shares though - we
assume he will return to his post as a director at some point. We currently
have no information on how this change of management would be achieved though.
In the lawsuit against Cloanto and the Amiga parties a decision regarding the
trial schedule was published
yesterday. The judge grants the motion of the Amiga parties, explaining
that it was the only one properly submitted: Apparently, Hyperion's motion
was transmitted via E-Mail as a Word document by Ben Hermans himself, which
is not accepted court procedure. According to the judge, the reason given by
Ben Hermans was that he was unable to reach the company's US lawyer.
We approached Mr. Hermans and asked for a statement regarding the Ben Hermans
BV issue. Mr. Hermans told us he can't really comment on this, as it's
being handled by his lawyer currently. He gave us the following statement:
"There is no issue of 'insolvency', there was failure to file the yearly
account for 2019 in time due to the accountancy firm not having the time
to complete this in time apparently due to the COVID restrictions
including but not limited to 'work from home' restrictions and very
limited staff allowed in offices. It would be inappropriate for me to comment further without approval for
my lawyer." (cg) (Translation: cg)
Amiga Corporation: Statement regarding commercial distribution of AmigaOS 3.2
After the release of AmigaOS
3.2, it was stated that a digital edition might take
a while to arrive, since Hyperion wants to create a window for dealers to
generate some revenue with the CD version.
This Thrusday, an anonymous source supplied a PDF document to
amiga-news.de, allegedly containing a fax from Amiga's lawyer Gordon E. Troy
to Digital River. Digital River is an E-commercie service provider that is
used by Hyperion for digital distribution of AmigaOS 3.1.4 - even if
Amiga's and Cloanto's lawyers managed to
stop that for a while.
In the document, which is dated May 25th, the lawyer justifies why the
distribution of AmigaOS 3.2 violates Amiga's trademarks and copyrights
and explains in which areas the judge presiding the case against Hyperion
already agreed with Amiga's point of view.
Mr. Troy also claims that (quote) "our recent investigation of Hyperion [...]
strongly suggests" that Hyperion "would not be able to honour its indemnification
obligations" and that Digital River might end up being found liable. In conclusion,
he asks the E-commerce provider to take down all Downloads of AmigaOS 3.1.4 and
to not act as a distributor for AmigaOS 3.2 at all.
We approached Mike Battilana (Amiga Corporation, Cloanto), to verify if the
document we recieved is genuine. In repsonse, Mr. Battilana supplied us with an
official statement from Amiga Corporation regarding the distribution of
AmigaOS 3.2:
"Timothy De Groote and I negotiated a settlement agreement that was agreed to
by Ben Hermans in writing on January 20, 2021. (He also represented this to
the Court.) Eleven days later, he reneged.
Under the agreement Ben Hermans reneged on, Amiga Corporation would have
granted Hyperion Entertainment the right (which it currently doesn't have) to
release AmigaOS 3.2. If Hyperion wants to release it as a free update, Amiga
has no objection, but Hyperion can't exceed its rights AND profit from it."
(cg) (Translation: cg)
Plattformer: Alpha-Version 0.1m of 'Super Delivery Boy'
A new alpha version 0.1m (video) of platformer 'Super Delivery Boy' developed with the Scorpion Engine can be downloaded from the developer's website. Among other things, new sound effects and features (red bird) have been added. The first two levels are playable, the rest are for preview purposes only. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Pre-order starts soon: Amiga inspired case in MiniITX format
Stephen Jones had an A3000-inspired case crowdfunded in 2018, reviving the "Checkmate" brand he used thirty years ago for an A500 desktop case. Announced in late summer, the "Checkmate Mini" variant which is significantly smaller and intended for motherboards in the mini-ITX form factor and can also accommodate the "UnAmiga" and "MIster" FPGA emulators using an adapter kit, was successfully crowdfunded by 303 backers to the tune of around 75,000 euros earlier this year.
As the developer Steve Jones told us on request, the 'Mini' is still available until July only for the backers. The general pre-order page is already up, but the links are still hidden until then. The developer has just received detailed documentation on the case in a test version for review.
Pre-orderable, but currently not in stock, is the 'Plus' variant in black or white for around 210 Euros each. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Print/PDF magazine: Komoda & Amiga plus #18 (English/Polich)
"Komoda & Amiga Plus" is dedicated to retro gamers and deals mainly with Commodore's 8-bit computers and Amigas. Among the topics of the current issue 18 (spring/summer) are background reports on 'Outrage' and 'Boss Machine', game reviews on 'Dune 2020' and 'Fury of the Furries' as well as articles on 'Amiga68k on a Raspberry Pi 400' and WinUAE.
The magazine is available in a printed edition including the cover disc for 6.67 euros (plus approx. 5 euros shipping costs), the price for the digital edition is 1.56 euros. (dr) (Translation: bb)
AmigaOS 4: Fractal and Mandelbrot program FlashMandelNG 3.6
Developer Dino Papararo, about whom we published a detailed portrait the other day, has uploaded version 3.6 of his fractal and Mandelbrot program FlashMandelNG to OS4Depot. This version enables graphics card rendering even under 24bit screens. There are also minor optimizations and speed improvements. (dr) (Translation: bb)
AmigaOS 4: MediaVault 1.2.0
MediaVault is an open source desktop application for AmigaOS 4 that can be used to stream online radio stations. An external player like AmigaAmp is needed. It is planned to create egine favorite lists with Mediavault and also to be able to retrieve podcasts. The program needs the oo.library v1.13 and the jansson.library v2.12.1.
The author George 'walkero' Sokianos has now released version 1.2.0, which includes the following changes:
New:
Added Unicode conversion to system charset on radio station names - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Now the application registers properly and can get requests from other apps, like Exchanger - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Now the MediaVault can jump to different screens - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Added better error manipulation when there were API response errors - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Now the size and the position of the window can be saved by the Popup Gadget - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Changes:
Added code to detach the listbrowser before change it's data. That's the way it should be done
Restructured code to reduce the duplicated code in radiofuncs.c. Now, one method is used instead of three separated that had pretty much the same code. Better code, less problems.
A lot of refactoring, removing global variables.
Reduced a lot of duplicated code.
Now the default radio station number increased to 50. The response is also much faster - Thanks to Tuomas Hokka and oo.library 1.13 fixes
Changed the way classes and gadgets are initiallized - Thanks to Daniel "trixie" Jedlicka
Redesign: Amiga-compatible Joypad 'Protopad'
The well-known C64 vendor Protovision has successfully finished a fundraising campaign for the production of new joypads especially designed for the C64, but also compatible with Amiga (we reported). More than 15,000 Euro collected mean that the new paddles including multibutton controllers can be produced.
Now they are thinking about a redesign. The developers write: "After the successful crowdfunding campaign for the Protopad, we worked enthusiastically on the project and made some tweaks to make this pad the best possible. During this time, we realized that we were not satisfied with the controller case we originally intended to use. As a result, we are currently looking into suitable alternatives. This has set us back a bit in our intended schedule." (dr) (Translation: bb)
Preview video: Arcade game "Turbo Tomato"
In "Turbo Tomato" the opponent throws bombs at mutated vegetables. The title is to be released commercially, run on A500 or CD32, and feature one- or two-player modes. The release is planned for June or July. (cg) (Translation: bb)
Arcade port: Tapper, version 05A
"Tapper" (video) is the conversion of the 1983 arcade classic of the same name to the Amiga. The latest pre-release version includes a short menu before the game starts, where the difficulty level can be set. In addition, the player now loses a life if a beer slips past the end of the bar.
(cg) (Translation: bb)
Print magazine: Issue 131 of Amiga Future readable online
The German and English issue 131 (March/April 2018) of the print magazine "Amiga Future" can now be read on the magazine's website in the form of image files of the individual pages. Remaining copies of the magazine as well as a higher resolution PDF version can be purchased from the publisher. (cg) (Translation: bb)
PDF magazine: REV'n'GE 122 (Italian/English)
The REV'n'GE ("Retro Emulator Vision and Game") PDF magazine is available in English translation in addition to the original Italian. The REV'n'GE game reviews compare the conversions of classics between different platforms of the time.
MorphOS: IRC client AmIRC 3.8 / MorphOS IRC support moves to Libera Chat
Nicolas 'Henes' Sallin and Harry 'Piru' Sintonen, who continue AmIRC development, have published an update of the IRC client for MorphOS. Since version 3.6.2, e.g. SSL support has been added and the default server list been updated.
Furthermore, the official IRC support channel of the MorphOS developer team has changed. Due to an internal dispute at the previously used Freenode network following its change of ownership in 2017, the MorphOS support channel has been moved to Libera Chat. Besides this new channel, #morphos at irc.libera.chat, also the old one at Freenode will stay online for now but could be closed down at any time.
Changes since AmIRC 3.6.2:
GUI: Updated default server list
GUI: Added yyyymmdd timestamp feature
DCC: Fixed buffer overflows when resolving IP
Net: Added SSL support. To enable it, add a + before the server port (i.e. /server host +6697), add the UseSSL argument/tooltype or use the GUI. MorphOS only
General: Does not use vapor_toolkit.libray anymore. MorphOS only
X1Boot Manager: Linux boot manager for AmigaOne X1000
Damien 'Hypex' Stewart wrote: "I'm excited to finally release the 'X1Boot Manager' into the X1000 Linux world! The X1Boot Manager is the culmination of a two year research and development project and then some I call the X1Boot Project.
The aim of the X1Boot Project was to prove if:
1. Linux could be booted directly off an X1000 HDD (or SSD.)
2. Linux could be loaded from a standard AmigaBoot menu.
3. Linux could be managed from a Linux boot editor.
Well I'm pleased to say I was successful in all three aims!
The X1Boot Manager allows you to install and manage kernels and a boot menu from one easy interface. It's matched by the X1Boot Loader that will boot Linux kernels. And all this is transparently integrated into your AmigaBoot menu."
You can get detailed installation information and user instructions under the title link.
Download via Google Drive (41kByte).
(dr) (Translation: dr)
Inspired by some comments of our readers, he now has released an update to version 1.01 providing the feature of an online highscore: If you have succeeded in getting in the local highscore, you have to launch the external tool "QRCode". It geberates a QR code containing a link to the highscore website. The QR code is scanned with the mobile phone and you upload your result by confirming the link.
(dr) (Translation: dr)
Lawsuit: Cloanto applies for admittance of Evert Carton as witness
Regarding the lawsuit with Hyperion, Cloanto and the Amiga parties applied to vacate and reset the pre-trial calendar (PDF file). Given the differing motions for a summary judgement by Hyperion and themselves, respectively, and that they do not know which causes of action will go to trial or even whether trial will occur, they would be unable to efficiently prepare for trial within the short time remaining. Also for Hyperion the date set by the court for trial, June 14, would be too early, according to Cloanto and the Amiga parties.
Furthermore they apply to depose Evert Carton, who would have recently come forward with potentially admissible and highly relevant evidence. Carton would have had negotiated the settlement agreement with Amiga Inc. on Hyperion's behalf back in 2009 that is pivot to the current lawsuit (amiga-news.de reported). He was, besides Ben Hermans, one of the two co-founders of Hyperion and a managing partner, being solely responsible for the administrative work since 2003. In 2011 he announced to leave Hyperion.
The lack of a joint stipulation with Hyperion for rescheduling the pre-trial calendar would be caused by the counterparty. Each time the attorneys of Cloanto and the Amiga parties sending a draft for a joint motion, the responses and requests for revisions would have come from Hyperion’s director himself, using his law office e-mail address, instead of Hyperion's attorney of record. Without going the official way, plaintiffs’ attorneys would not have been able to submit a joint document to the court in time. Hyperion's attorney would have confirmed, though, that neither party would be ready for trial on the date set so far.
Regarding the trial itself, based on the motion by Cloanto and the Amiga parties, Hyperion wishes to proceed with an in-person trial by jury. The former instead would be willing to proceed as the court wishes, including a trial by videoconference without a jury, if doing so would expedite resolution of this case. (snx)
WHDLoad: New installers until 22.05.2021
Using WHDLoad, games, scene demos and intros by cracking groups, which were originally designed to run only from floppy disks, can be installed on harddisk. The following installers have been added until 22.05.2021:
2021-05-22 updated: Insects in Space (Hewson) patch reworked, RawDIC imager, 68000 quitkey support, support for second fire button, source code included (Info)
2021-05-21 fixed: Antago (Art of Dreams) DMA wait and audio volume patched in intro, game doesn't lock after a party (Info)
2021-05-19 improved: Purple Saturn Day (Exxos) supports another version, protection better removed, uses less chip memory, 68000 quitkey, manual added, new install script (Info)
2021-05-19 fixed: Lost Patrol (Ocean) handle second protection in NTSC release (Info)
Programming language: FreePascal 3.2.2 for all Amiga systems
Marcus 'ALB42' Sackrow has released version 3.2.2 of the programming language FreePascal for the Amiga. It’s a bug-fix release for 3.2.0 and includes also some bug-fixes for the Amiga systems, especially structures and functions are checked against official SDKs (especially for MorphOS with its latest SDK version). For changes that break compatibility you can check official changes document.
The FreePascal 3.2.2 installer is available for AmigaOS 3.x, AmigaOS 4, AROS (i386 ABIv0, ARM) and MorphOS. Files can be downloaded at the title link, from Aminet or directly from the download area of the official FreePascal server.
A-EON Technology: Commands copy and version for Enhancer Software updated
Within the framework of creating own components of the operating system, called Enhancer Software, A-EON Technology have updated their versions of the Shell commands "copy" (version 46.6 and 54.6, respectively) and "version" (46.10/54.10) for AmigaOS 3.x as well as AmigaOS 4. These can be installed using the Updater software.
Recently, also the official "copy" command for AmigaOS 3.x has been updated just a couple of days ago by the release of AmigaOS 3.2. The respective changes differ, though - for the latter, the option "force" had been added, for overwriting target files.
Changes:
Version
Bugfix: Could exit early when searching for a filename in the path list if a dir with the same name was found in the path
Now also searches filesystem segment lists for vertag strings. This fixes not finding version info from devices that use CrossDOSFilesystem
Some improvements in searching segment lists for version data
Can now get version info for handler-based DOS devices like CON:, RAW:, RAM: and ENV:
Now gets filesystem version info for volume and assign names
ORIGIN option now also reports handlers and their location on disk if version info comes from the file
V54: Bugfix: Getting version info from ELF executables and dos resident segment lists now works
V54: Adjusted the maximum filename, path, volume and device lengths
V54: Enlarged file read buffer
Many other optimizations
Now uses DOS's path list to find filenames that haven't been found in fixed locations like LIBS: or DEVS:; in V54 this fixes the issue of not using the APPDIR: assign
The ORIGIN option now also reports the location of the given filename if no path is used or the FILE option is not used
Copy
Added some missing V54 CLI argument abbreviations to the argument template to avoid compatibility issues
Added quotes to the shown filename in the replace prompt
V54: Enlarged copy buffer size to double that of V46
Print magazine: History of Amiga Future
A couple of days ago, issue 150 of the print magazine Amiga Future has been released. Now an accompanying short article on the magazine's history has been published. Some small campaigns with regard to issue 150 have been and will be collected at the URL http://150.amigafuture.de. (snx)
AmiProv v1.0: Creating an AmigaOS 3 partition with network BootDisk
The Norwegian Amiga user Marius Lauritzen has created a special Network-BootDisk for his A3000 for his own purposes and to prove the feasibility. With this disk he loads various software from Aminet and various other internet sources to finally install AmigaOS 3.1 on an empty hard disk partition.
The BootDisk contains the TCP/IP stack Roadshow, the UHC Tools, DiskImage and Amiga LhA. After Roadshow has been started, a list of required software is first downloaded from Aminet via http and the hard disk installation tool HDInstTools is loaded, unpacked and started. Then the OS3.1 data is downloaded and the operating system is installed on an empty hard disk.
Specifically, an ENV variable contains the URL to the server. If an archive name is then called, the system looks for two things: The archive that contains the program and a custom script that automates the unpacking and installation process. The scripts and the software to be installed, such as MUI or IBrowse, can be placed on a local web server.
According to the author, this concept could be useful for all those who want to do a complete reinstallation of OS3.1 on a real Amiga without having to open the case and create a CF card (with the help of other PCs). (dr)
In WBDock 1.10 which runs under AmigaOS 1.3. the WBStartup feature was added: It can now run all programs from a directory or listed in a text file at startup.
WBDock 2.327 at least requires AmigaOS 3.1. Under AmigaOS 3.5 or later WBDock 2 also supports drag'n'drop of the project files. The last update has removed static ChipRAM allocation.
(dr) (Translation: dr)
Amiga emulator for Mac OS: vAmiga 1.0
The developer Dirk Hoffmann wrote: "After two and a half years of development, I am proud to announce the release of V1.0 of vAmiga. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those who helped me realize the emulator during this long time. Without the valuable advice from coders, testers and other emulator makers, I would never have gotten this far with this project."
vAmiga is an Amiga emulator for Mac-OS computers emulating an A500, A1000 or A2000. The source code is available on Github. The changes since version 1.0 Beta 1:
Fixed the console (RetroShell) which was broken in v1.0 beta 3.
Fixed the hat switch mapping for the Xbox controller.
Added the Magic-NS adapter to list of supported devices.
Improved controller support.
Fixed a bug in the implementation of the STOP instruction (Smarty and the Nasty Gluttons).
Minimum OS requirement has been lowered from macOS 10.15 to macOS 10.14.
Enhanced support for automatic regression testing (scripts can be paused via a new wait command).
amigaXfer 1.1.0: Serial data transfer to the Amiga - without Amiga software
Roc Vallès' amigaXfer transfers single files or whole disk images to the Amiga via serial cable. No additional software is needed on the Amiga since the debugger (which is included in the Kickstart ROM) is being used to take control from the main computer (we reported).
The updated version 1.1.0 is available for all Windows 32-bit systems starting with Windows 7. However, the source code available on GitHub (Python and m68k assembler) can also be implemented for other platforms. Prerequisites for this are Python 3.8+, pyserial and wxpython. The changes at a glance:
SetupDialog
ResetFirst will reboot machine during connection.
Writing floppies is slightly faster in this environment, due to less tasks running.
DosTool not usable in this environment due to dos.library being not yet initialized.
Allows entry via non-critical guru right click.
FloppyTool
BUGFIX: Fixed tool not working at all and instead spitting FCh ioerr on some machines.
Disk2ADF will now retry reads 5 times before giving up.
More user friendly IO error reporting.
BootblockTool
Better error reporting.
BUGFIX: Fixed issue in workaround for WRITE_BYTE SAD bug (kick v39).
Workaround introduced for SAD reboot function ACK bug.
SAD doesn't check TSRE after writing ACK to SERDAT; reboot will interrupt ACK on a fast CPU.
Don't bother waiting for ACK.
Floppyless Bootstrap should now work on all kickstarts.
Tested on kickstart 34/37/39/40/45/46.
Size SetupDialog/RomTool windows to contents.
Cleaned up tool startup/cleanup procedures for all tools.
PiStorm: Video shows current development status
Claude Schwarz' 'PiStorm' connects a Raspberry Pi to the CPU socket in an A500, A1000 or A2000 via an adapter and uses the single-board computer to emulate a fast m68k processor. Unlike the Buffee project where the 68k emulator runs directly on the hardware, PiStorm uses a Linux-based solution (we reported).
In this YouTube video which was published two days ago and already has almost 25,000 views, the YouTuber Neil aka 'RMCRetro' explains the current status of the project and shows an example of commissioning the PiStorm in an A500. We would like to summarize the most important information in short bullet points:
Currently, the setup of the PiStorm is done by using a second PC via WiFi and a remote connection (here via Putty). In the future this setup process will be greatly simplified by writing the required files directly to the SD card.
In the current example, an A500 with a 68020 CPU, 128 MB RAM and Kickstart 1.3 was set up. However it is possible to switch between different ROM versions by simply selecting other Kickstart files so that 2.04 or 3.1 can also be used easily. These configuration sets can be saved separately. Likewise, instead of a 68020, a 68030 or 680040 CPU can be used which does not lead to higher speed but provides additional commands according to the processor. This is important for various games or software for compatibility reasons.
First speed test with SysInfo: When Kick 1.3 was selected, the speed was even slower than that of a 68000 but after switching to Kickstat 3.1 the speed approaches a 68040/25.
Biggest surprise was the hard disk speed: PiStorm 715 MB/s, for comparison a Vampire 4 standalone with 10MB/s.
Most obvious speed gain: Amiga Workbench is loaded within 3 seconds.
Various game tests, among others with "Frontier": No stutters.
With the latest emulator version direct communication between Pi and Amiga is possible. That means: Settings can be made from the Workbench as native program.
An RTG graphics card display is being worked on, keeping in mind that the signal still comes out of the Amiga's RGB port.
The PiStorm team is working on a variant to feed the RGB signal of the Denise graphics chip into the WebCam port of the Pi then mix it with the RTG data and send it all to the HDMI port so that modern monitors can also be connected.
So far, a MorphOS user will present a couple of computers running e.g. the web-browser Wayfarer and the e-mail client Iris. Also Doug Compton will join the show, producer of the weekly "10+ Minutes Amiga Retro Cast". Organized as always by the Sacramento Amiga Computer Club, one of its members will show the AmigaOne X5000 he is beta-testing. (dr) (Translation: snx)
Hyperion: Bug-fixed Installer for AmigaOS 4 released
Hyperion Entertainment has released version 53.12 (10.5.2021) of the Installer, which can be loaded and installed via AmiUpdate within AmigaOS 4. This release fixes a bug which mainly occured during the installation of the recent version of the Enhancer 2 package.
Detailed version notes:
Remove test for GFLG_SELECTED when handling the radio buttons as the state of the flag was indeterminate due to a race with intuitions internal boolGoInactive()
Replace FindRomTag() with equivalent function from C:Version
Mailbox: AmiExpress 5.4.0
AmiExpress 5 is a rewrite of the original mailbox program by Joe Hodge/LightSpeed Technologies written by Darren Coles in Amiga E. Besides various bug fixes, version 5.4.0 now supports the YModem and ZModem protocols. FTP authentication and a shortcut mode have also been implemented. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Turn-based space strategy: Imperium Terranum 2.816
The source code of the round-based space strategy game Imperium Terranum 2 has been ported from Pascal to C for some time and adapted to graphics cards. Since version 2.813 some minor bugs have been fixed and the package size has been reduced further:
bugfix for "pump-up" level crash - error in civilwar routine fixed
binary size reduction due to code optimization (again -1Kb)
fix for water-transport (planets lost their water)
code cleanup + binary reduction of ~2KB
starsystem jump now works correctly
water transport fixed: planets can not exceed 100% water anymore
Games announcements: Chases of Death, Swapped Arts (AGA), JetHuntERS
Developer "Coagulus" (Super Wormy, JetHunt) works on three titles, of which he presents early versions on Youtube: Chases of Death (video) is a conversion of the Spectrum classic Deathchase, Swapped Arts (video) seems to be a puzzle game while the sequel to the H.E.R.O. clone JetHunt called 'JetHuntERS' (video) seems to develop more towards a horizontally scrolling shoot'em up. (cg) (Translation: bb)
Development tool: vasm 1.8k
Three days ago already, Frank Wille has published an update of the modular assembler vasm. The list of changes in the current version can be found at the title link. (snx)
WHDLoad: New installers until 15.05.2021
Using WHDLoad, games, scene demos and intros by cracking groups, which were originally designed to run only from floppy disks, can be installed on harddisk. The following installers have been added until 15.05.2021:
2021-05-15 improved: Voodoo Nightmare (Palace Software) 68000 quitkey, 2nd button/joypad support added, new install script (Info)
2021-05-15 improved: Alien Fish Finger (Skull Army/Davis J. Cruickshank) supports another version, trainer added, new install script (Info)
2021-05-15 improved: Pro Boxing Simulator (Code Masters/Optimus Software) delay for boxer status screens added, trainer added, high score load/save added, 68000 quitkey support, WHDLoad v17+ features used (config), new install script (Info)
2021-05-14 improved: Brides of Dracula (Gonzo Games) new RawDIC imager, 68000 quitkey support, delay for title picture added, WHDLoad v17+ features used (Info)
2021-05-14 improved: Fraction Action (Unicorn Software) copperlist problem fixed, black screen problem (title pictures) fixed (Info)
2021-05-13 updated: Ultimate Golf (Gremlin) patch rewritten, real files used, title music is replayed now, self-modifying code fixed, source code included (Info)
2021-05-12 improved: Sword of Sodan (Discovery Software) imager fixed, another icon added (Info, Image)
2021-05-12 fixed: Black Lamp (Firebird) remove black border on toggle music/sfx (Info)
2021-05-11 improved: Bombuzal (Imageworks) supports another version, buttonwait added, trainer added, 68000 quitkey, manual and icon added (Info)
AmigaRemix: Further files added
AmigaRemix collects remixes of well-known soundtracks of Amiga games. Since our last news-item, the following mp3 files have been added:
Ruff 'N' Tumble - The Fantasy Forest
Obliterator
Macrocosm
Hybris Imploded!
Apidya - Credits
Desert Dream
Fury of the Furries - Title theme
Cream Of The Earth (Nothing Surpasses The Original)
Startfenster "A-FTP"
"A-FTP Server" can be started using a GUI or in background, preferably already at startup by dropping it into the WBStartup. The program requires the MUI Royale plugin.
Update: (05:50, 18.05.21, dr)
Meanwhile an update to version 1.19 is available which fixes bug on startup. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Mitigated a problem with TLS that would often cause crashes when Wayfarer was used alongside Iris
Addressed some potential ffmpeg abort() calls as seen in bugreported crashes
Trims the title lengths the in Tabs menu
MorphOS 3.15 and 1 GB RAM are required. A processor with at least 1.5 GHz is recommended. For feedback to the author, e-mails to wayfarer at wayfarer.icu or the corresponding MorphZone discussion on the topic can be used in addition to the integrated crash detector. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Author George 'walkero' Sokianos aims to extend Mediavault further. In the future it should be possible among other things to create a favorites list and also to retrieve podcasts. The program needs the oo.library v1.11 and the jansson.library v2.12.1. (dr) (Translation: bb)
Hyperion releases AmigaOS 3.2 Press Release: Hyperion Entertainment CVBA is pleased to announce the immediate availability of AmigaOS 3.2 for 68K-based Amigas. AmigaOS 3.2 includes well over 100 new features and dozens of updates to nearly all system components, as well as a battery of bug fixes that will undoubtedly further enhance the user experience.
AmigaOS 3.2 is the result of more than two years of intensive and tireless work by over 60 contributors to this new milestone in AmigaOS history. Hyperion Entertainment CVBA is at a loss for words to express our gratitude to this talented and resilient team for their impressive work ethic.
The most comprehensive version of AmigaOS 3.2 is now available on CD-ROM and includes floppies and Kickstart ROMs for all Amiga models ever produced, allowing customers to install AmigaOS 3.2 on different Amiga types simultaneously.
Purely digital, but then model-specific releases of AmigaOS 3.2 will follow soon.
AmigaOS 3.2 FEATURE LIST SUMMARY
ReAction GUI toolkit integration
Built-in ADF (Amiga disk file image) management
Integrated Help subsystem
Updated Data Type system
Workbench and other user interface improvements
Improved Tools, Utilities and System applications
Enhanced Shell behavior
New and reworked command set
Touched up Preferences
Polished MultiView
Revamped Commodities
Expanded BootMenu
Inclusion and refinement of the AmigaOS 3.1.4 feature set
Flexible delivery media
Many remarkable additions
1. REACTION GUI TOOLKIT INTEGRATION
The incorporation of the ReAction GUI Toolkit not only opens up a plethora of existing applications for AmigaOS 3.2 users, it also ensures much easier portability and cross-development between different versions of AmigaOS
No additional installation required, it just works, even on low-end 68000 systems
A new multi-file text editor called "TextEdit" is included as a show-case
ReAction has its own Preferences editor which lets you set backfilled patterns for ReAction based programs
Fresh and bug fixed Classes backport from AmigaOS 4.x with many exclusive characteristics and brushed up aesthetics
2.BUILT-IN ADF (AMIGA DISK FILE IMAGE) MANAGEMENT
DAControl & trackfile.device provide unprecedented functionality, as they enable users to create, mount, insert and eject ADF files
ADF images are handled just like any physical floppy disk
On "Workbench" you can mount an ADF image by double-clicking on it
ADF handling can be accomplished via Shell through the use of an extensive set of available options
Accessing such mounted ADF disk image files is fast and requires very little memory
Multiple ADF disk images can be mounted at the same time
A shared cache system is available in order to speed up ADF operations
3.INTEGRATED HELP SUBSYSTEM
A complete "Reference Manual" covers all commands and most complex topics
An AmigaGuide based central "Help hub" is available by simply pressing the HELP key
The Help database can be quickly queried from the Shell/CLI
Preferences and many other programs contain Help menu items
In the WBStartup folder, MenuTools adds the "Help" menu item to the "Tools" menu but can be customized to add other Tools as well
4.UPDATED DATA TYPE SYSTEM
New AIFF uncompressed audio data type
New GIF image data type
New WAV audio data type
New JPEG picture data type
New PNG multi-platform image data type
New BMP data type for Windows/OS2 bitmap images
New Icon.datatype enables use of ".info" files as images
New ACBM picture data type (used in AmigaBASIC & SpectraPaint)
The AmigaGuide data type can now display inline images
Text data type with search functionality
Faster and more configurable CDXL and ANIM data types
Sound.datatype manages bit rate samples of 8, 16, 24 and 32 bit
Picture.datatype is now stunningly fast even on low-end 68000 processors
5. AMIGAOS WORKBENCH AND OTHER USER INTERFACE IMPROVEMENTS
Resize windows from any border
Window iconification
Workbench title bar customization
Maximize a window by holding down the SHIFT key and clicking on the window zoom gadget
The [ESC] key quits easy requesters
Scalable "GadTools" user interface adapting to different font sizes
Workbench menu "Open volume"
Menu Window -> Sort Order (Forward or Reverse)
Off-Screen windows is a built-in default that is now configurable
Scrollers and sliders now feature 3D-style embossed knobs and a darker container background
C:Assign incorporated DENIED and DISMOUNT switches
C:Type supports AUTO, TEXTONLY, WIDTH and BUFFER options
C:Reboot restarts your Amiga but waits for any ongoing write operations to prevent validation issues
C:Group and C:Owner commands added for networked environments
C:MD5Sum calculates and compares checksums of files and volumes
C:MountInfo command helps in the creation of MountLists
C:Break and C:ChangeTaskPri NAME handle wildcards options
C:DefIcons identifies files and applies a default icon to them
C:AssignWedge allows users to create or deny an assign on the fly
C:LoadMonDrvs simplifies and quickly starts monitor drivers.
9.TOUCHED UP PREFERENCE EDITORS
Custom printer output device and unit number
WBPattern has layout options for Backdrops, Screens and Windows which include both color and dithering
PointerPrefs has been overhauled to support 40 different pointer types
Font Preferences comes with Shadow and Outline font options
IControl received a massive makeover which introduced new functionality such as Window and screen border aspect ratios customization
10.POLISHED MULTIVIEW
A new "Edit/Paste" menu item opens the contents of clipboard unit 0 (thus complementing "Edit/Copy")
The "About" window now reports the width, height and depth of the currently displayed picture or animation
The names of ARexx scripts for user menus can now be up to 40 characters long and may contain "spaces"
Pressing the [Shift] key while the "Save as..." menu item is selected, forces MultiView to save the displayed document in IFF format
Now lists pattern matching in its ASL requester that, if removed, can also display icons (useful in conjunction with the new icon.datatype)
11.REVAMPED COMMODITIES
"RAWBInfo" is an improved replacement of the icon information tool
"AsyncWB" is an AmigaOS Workbench enhancement Commodity with divers functionality
"AutoPoint" KEEPSTRINGS prevents this Commodity from automatically stealing focus from a window with an active string gadget
"ClickToFront" TOBACK_QUALIFIER selects a qualifier for sending windows back (with a single click)
"ClickToFront" no longer brings Workbench windows to the front when double-clicking on an icon
"NumericPad" allows numeric pad keys to be remapped to the standard keyboard
The "AutoArrangeIcons" Commodity-like set of scripts automates the ordering and snapshot of icons in the active window
12.EXPANDED BOOTMENU
An option to trace the Startup-sequence line by line is now available
The user can disable ROM Module updates by clicking on a gadget
The hardware expansion screen displays expansion board addresses and sizes
A new option to redirect serial port output to a file is available with the "Enable System Log" option
The "Failsafe" boot gadget starts the Amiga in a robust and safe environment to carry out maintenance and troubleshooting tasks
More keyboard shortcuts for the majority of options
Displays AmigaOS Kickstart version numbers
13.INCLUSION AND REFINEMENT OF THE AMIGAOS 3.1.4 FEATURE SET
Support for storage media bigger than 4 GB
Modernized AmigaOS Workbench
DiskDoctor for disk diagnostic and salvage operations
Native support for pipes, softlinks, hardlinks and long filenames
CrossDOS supporting FAT 32 and long filenames
CD-ROM file system that supports Rockridge and Joliet extensions as well as UDF and now also Macintosh HFS
Both FFS (FastFileSystem) and the CD-ROM file system are now smarter, faster, and multi-threaded
Fully reworked and bug-fixed printer drivers
Built-in GlowIcons support as an installable option
More than 2100 icons in GlowIcon style included on the AmigaOS 3.2 CD-ROM
14.FLEXIBLE DELIVERY MEDIA
The distribution AmigaOS 3.2 CD-ROM contains ADF disk images that can be transferred to physical floppy disks or Gotek-type drives
All Modules disks perform as emergency boot disks too
The DiskDoctor disk can help users to quickly get back on their feet when facing disk failures
The AmigaOS 3.2 CD-ROM content can be copied "as is" to an Amiga formatted hard drive and booted right away for installation thanks to the "Amiga Preinstallation Environment" (AmigaPE)
All Amiga model disks and AmigaOS Kickstart ROM set images are available on the AmigaOS 3.2 CD-ROM
Attractive printable labels are available for all your favorite AmigaOS 3.2 storage media variants (AmigaOS 3.2 CD-ROM version only)
Experimental CD-ROM-based Amiga CDTV and Amiga CD32 support
15.MANY REMARKABLE ADDITIONS
Wheel mouse support for scrolling on AmigaOS Workbench windows
IPrefs stacks multiple changes and refreshes the screen only once
IPrefs points out names of blocking windows when refreshing
No more DF0:???? icons as disk.resource now does proper checking
Increased ROM Modules flexibility by loading more modules from disk without requiring an additional reboot for them
