10.Feb.2024
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Blog: Well-known Secrets of AmigaDOS
As Carl Svenssons writes in his blog entry "Well-known Secrets of AmigaDOS", most consumer models of the Amiga series were shipped with heavily watered-down documentation. The Amiga 500 was an exception to this rule, but owners of later machines - such as the A1200 - may not have received any documentation for the command line portion of AmigaOS at all.
Furthermore, the normal end user had no access to the official developer documentation. His present essay is dedicated to hidden or even completely undocumented or unfinished features of AmigaDOS versions 2 and 3. (dr)
[News message: 10. Feb. 2024, 15:15] [Comments: 0]
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10.Feb.2024
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Terrain models: World Construction Set 2.031 (Emerald-Berta), AmigaOS 3 and AROS
As can be read in the history of the development of their software products, Gary Huber of Questar Productions recognized the potential of the graphics capabilities of the personal computers of the time in the late 1980s and began researching and developing software for his Amiga computer to combine 3D terrain data and landscape/vegetation information into a computer-generated synthetic 3D view with colored trees (coniferous and deciduous), ground cover patterns, sky and haze.
Other software companies had developed similar software for the Amiga, including VistaPro from Virtual Reality Labs and the "Scenery Generator" (later "Scenery Animator") from Naturalgfx and Panorama. All included a basic method of automatically placing one or more types of vegetation based on local terrain criteria, usually using elevation and slope. However, none of the available commercial tools could handle large, detailed regions, making them unusable for commercial and industrial terrain mapping.
In 1992, Huber began developing algorithms and programs to meet the requirements he had predicted. Originally written in an advanced BASIC language and later rewritten in C for speed reasons. Chris Hanson joined Questar and Huber and helped develop the user interface, language conversion, optimization and graphics. The result, announced in August 1994, was World Construction Set 1 (WCS) for the Amiga with a host of advanced features (and a name inspired by the popular Electronic Arts audio tool of the time, "Deluxe Music Construction Set"). WCS V1 extended the land cover and vegetation placement techniques of earlier software to include the placement of so-called "ecosystems".
WCS V2 (video) for the Amiga was released in late 1995, followed by a Windows version in January 1996. Version 2 introduced oceans with waves and reflections, DEM buildings, realistic looking clouds, sun and moon, better vegetation and OpenGL support.
Both versions 1.25 and 2.04 are available as packed ADF files on the 3DNature.com website. The corresponding source files were published on GitHub some nine years ago. Alexander Fritsch began working on the source files containing the penultimate version 2.03 ("Emerald") in 2017. As he tells us, the project first had to be made gcc-compatible. The aim of his new compilation using Bebbo's gcc was and is to achieve the highest possible speed. This required very extensive tests with various compiler options and lengthy test calculations on a real Amiga, always under the same boundary conditions. As Bebbo also continued to work on gcc, it had to be tested again and again to see whether a new compiler version with new optimizations would bring a speed advantage. Since WCS as a complex program is also a test case for the compiler itself, Alexander reports, WCS also revealed errors in the compiler over time, especially with various optimizations and floating point calculations.
As a result, the new version of WCS now available on Aminet on a 25MHz 68040 Amiga only needs 4 hours instead of 5 hours for a "Canyon Sunset" example image. A nice result that would not have been possible without Bebbo's work, as Alexander says, and his gcc. An AROS version is also included in the archive. (dr)
[News message: 10. Feb. 2024, 15:03] [Comments: 0]
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10.Feb.2024
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Podcast: The Retro Hour talked to Matthew Leaman (AmigaKit)
The podcast The Retro Hour spoke to Matthew Leaman, Managing Director of AmigaKit, about his latest project, the A600GS gaming computer, among other things. (dr)
[News message: 10. Feb. 2024, 14:36] [Comments: 0]
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10.Feb.2024
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Linux: Stable long-term kernel 5.10.208 for AmigaOne X1000/X5000
Parallel to the current kernels (amiga-news.de reported), Christian 'xeno74' Zigotzky also provides the latest version of the stable long-term kernel for the AmigaOne X1000 and X5000. It is suitable for old Linux distributions that do not work with the latest kernels, such as Ubuntu 10.04, or if users have problems with the latest kernels. PowerPC-relevant changes:
- powerpc: update ppc_save_regs to save current r1 in pt_reg
- powerpc/ftrace: Fix stack teardown in ftrace_no_trace
- powerpc/ftrace: Create a dummy stackframe to fix stack unwind
- powerpc: Don't clobber f0/vs0 during fp|altivec register save
- powerpc/perf: Fix disabling BHRB and instruction sampling
- powerpc/pseries: fix potential memory leak in init_cpu_associativity()
- powerpc/imc-pmu: Use the correct spinlock initializer
- powerpc/xive: Fix endian conversion size
- powerpc/40x: Remove stale PTE_ATOMIC_UPDATES macro
- powerpc/mm: Fix boot crash with FLATMEM
- powerpc/64e: Fix wrong test in __ptep_test_and_clear_young()
- powerpc/8xx: Fix pte_access_permitted() for PAGE_NONE
- powerpc/watchpoints: Disable preemption in thread_change_pc()
- powerpc/perf/hv-24x7: Update domain value check
- powerpc/pseries: fix possible memory leak in ibmebus_bus_init()
- powerpc/iommu: Fix notifiers being shared by PCI and VIO buses
- powerpc: Don't include lppaca.h in paca.h
- powerpc/perf: Convert fsl_emb notifier to state machine callbacks
- powerpc/fadump: reset dump area size if fadump memory reserve fails
- powerpc/kasan: Disable KCOV in KASAN code
- powerpc/rtas_flash: allow user copy to flash block cache objects
- powerpc/mm/altmap: Fix altmap boundary check
- drm/radeon: possible buffer overflow
- drm/radeon: Use RMW accessors for changing LNKCT
- drm/radeon: Fix integer overflow in radeon_cs_parser_init
- Support for Microsoft devices that are not fully compliant with HID standard (CONFIG_HID_MICROSOFT=y)
Download: linux-image-5.10.208-X1000_X5000.tar.gz (71,5 MB) (dr)
[News message: 10. Feb. 2024, 07:34] [Comments: 0]
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09.Feb.2024
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AmigaOS 4: AmiUpdate V2.53 (update 2)
AmiUpdate, the update programme for system components and programmes, was first updated to version 2.50 on 04/02/2024 and then, after some problems, to version 2.51. The changes:
AmiUpdate 2.50
- The http transfer routines did not consider a filename with spaces in it. All filenames
are now run through an encoder prior to the HTTP request being sent. This fixes issues like
the MUI update failing to download.
- update.library 53.19: Added more internal vectors.
- RebootDeamon 2.4:
- Reworked the source to avoid some duplication of code.
- Changed the timer.device handling to avoid memory leaks.
- Removed the pointless cancel button from the countdown requester.
- If update.library could not be loaded, it tried to open an intuition
requester for notification, but intuition had not been opened yet!
AmiUpdate 2.51
- Some internal changes, but nothing functional (unless I added some bugs, of course).
- It seems the http request headers did NOT include the version info in the User-Agent
field, which the server uses. I could have sworn it was included ages ago!
- Added better logging in the case of [405] errors.
- The status bar will now show correctly if no servers are selected.
- RebootDeamon 2.5: Seems there was a long standing bug which just popped up, which could lead to a crash
dealing with the time requests.
Update: (11.02.2024, 14:18, dr)
Meanwhile the author Simon Archer has released version 2.52, which currently cannot be downloaded from the program itself, but from "Downloads" under the title link. Many users had reported problems when they used the program iconified in the background. This now should be fixed. Changes:
- Unfortunately, trying to keep compatibility with OS 4.0 led to problems with the docky part
of application.library, as it always opens V2 of the library interface. As the program is
using the old V1 tags, this threw up an error reported by multiple users. As it is highly
unlikely anyone is still using 4.0, it should not be a problem a huge problem. My aplologies
to any 4.0 users, but now is the time to upgrade!.
- As the ongoing saga with connections to "amiupdate.net" is still ongoing, despite my best
efforts to resolve it, I have now added a simple NSLookup to AmiUpdate in order to put rest
to this issue once and for all. Accesses to "amiupdate.net" and "wwww.amiupdate.net" are now
registered on "my" lookup server and are now redirected to the correct place without any
intervention from the great wide internet.
Update 2: (13.02.2024, 22:01, dr)
And once again AmiUpdate has been updated, now to version 2.53. Users had tried to search for updates from within the prefs program, which caused errors. However, the new AmiUpdate V2.53 only updates the update prefs to version 53.17. The final version 53.18 can then be accessed via a separate update of the prefs program. (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 18:17] [Comments: 4 - 13. Feb. 2024, 17:48]
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09.Feb.2024
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Demoparty: Lovebyte 2024
This year's edition of the Lovebyte demo party will take place on Discord and Twitch from Friday to Sunday. In addition to various intro competitions, seminars, intro shows and many other events are also planned (timetable). (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 12:46] [Comments: 0]
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09.Feb.2024
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Text adventure: The Ghosts of Blackwood Manor 1.2
Stefan Vogt has released another update to his text adventure with graphics, "The Ghosts of Blackwood Manor" (amiga-news.de reported). It contains minor bug fixes and improvements as well as a comprehensive hint system in the game that does not spoil anything. (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 11:50] [Comments: 0]
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09.Feb.2024
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Blog: Modding the Amiga boot hand
Alexander Grupe recently discovered the Amiga start screen redesigned by AndroidArts on X and wondered whether the standard screen designed by Sheryl Knowles could actually be changed or replaced. In a current article on his website heckmeck! he shows that it works and how it works. (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 10:12] [Comments: 0]
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09.Feb.2024
Krzysztof 'deadwood' Śmiechowicz
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AROS x86: Update of ABI-v0 developer branch and Odyssey Web Browser
Press release: This new version 20220318-1 of AROS ABIv0 for 32-bit systems introduces updates to a few libraries as well as multiple bugixes. If you are a developer, please take note of switch to new C library and update your SDK installation. The download of binary packages and full changelog is available on GitHub.
Additionally, with this release the list of recommended hardware has been extended with two inexpensive motherboards: ASUS P8Z68V LX and Gigabyte GA-MA770T UD3P.
As a reminder, the above list includes hardware that is well supported, easily obtainable second hand, cheap and will be re-tested for each future release to maintain compatibility.
And to make things ever better, Odyssey Web Browser for 32-bit x86 AROS has also been refreshed. It was last released in 2016 and this new version 1.26 brings re-compilation with newer SDK and a number of bugfixes. It requires this release of AROS base system to work.
If you enjoy AROS and would like to get in touch with wider AROS community, be sure to visit new AROS community forum. (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 09:04] [Comments: 0]
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09.Feb.2024
mithrendal
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Amiga emulator: vAmigaWeb runs on Apple Vision Pro
vAmigaWeb is an Amiga emulator for the web browser or a Progressive Web App (PWA) based on the Amiga emulator vAmiga for MacOS.
In a blog entry, the developer 'mithendal' has now published images that show that and how his emulator works with the Apple Vision Pro. (dr)
[News message: 09. Feb. 2024, 06:34] [Comments: 0]
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08.Feb.2024
MorphZone
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MorphOS: Web browser Wayfarer 7.3
Jacek 'jacadcaps' Piszczek has released version 7.3 of his web browser Wayfarer for MorphOS. Wayfarer now is based on the latest WebKit engine WebKitGTK 2.42.5, which was released three days ago. (dr)
[News message: 08. Feb. 2024, 22:55] [Comments: 0]
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08.Feb.2024
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Creating Amiga Reaction GUIs: ReBuild v1.0.0
In mid-November, we introduced Darren 'dmcoles' Cole's "ReBuild" in detail, which is intended to make it possible to create graphical user interfaces for ReAction, the evolution of ClassAct. After numerous beta versions, he has now released version 1.0.0.
Download: Rebuild1.0.0.lha (158 KB) (dr)
[News message: 08. Feb. 2024, 22:03] [Comments: 0]
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08.Feb.2024
heckmeck!
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Font: Topaz as TrueType font
When the Amiga 500 was launched in 1987, it had a complete graphical user interface, the Workbench. Many of the resources required for Workbench were stored in ROM, including the default user interface font, a monospaced, 8x8px font called Topaz. It's high contrast, consistently designed and quite compact. However, the problem is that it is a bitmap font with only one font size, and most modern operating systems only use TrueType and OpenType fonts with scaling. The original font also only supports the Latin-1 character set and therefore no non-Latin writing systems or common terminal characters such as boxes or blocks. Screwtape's "Topaz Unicode Project" attempts to solve these two problems.
(dr)
[News message: 08. Feb. 2024, 21:38] [Comments: 0]
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08.Feb.2024
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3D Printing: Amiga case for Pi 400
NamicDesigns' has provided a 3D self-printing case based on the Amiga for the Pi 400 with "Amig400". (dr)
[News message: 08. Feb. 2024, 06:35] [Comments: 0]
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08.Feb.2024
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AROS/MorphOS: Music program ProTrekkr V2.6.4 (update)
ProTrekkr is a tracker program combining a software synthesizer together with a traditional samples tracker which can (mainly) be used to create electronic music (like psytrance, trance goa, hard acid, IDM, chip, techno, jungle, etc.) targeting small sized intros, demos or games. Now version 2.6.4 was released for AROS and MorphOS (and FreeBSD and Windows) which offers a slightly reworked manual as well as minor windows adaptions.
Download: ptk_v2.6.4_aros.zip (23 MB) (dr)
[News message: 08. Feb. 2024, 06:32] [Comments: 1 - 09. Feb. 2024, 21:56]
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07.Feb.2024
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Video: Upgrading a A2000 to 2MB Chip RAM and ECS
In his latest video, Robert Smith shows how he not only added 1MB of Chip RAM to his Amiga 2000, but also completed the upgrade to a full ECS system. (dr)
[News message: 07. Feb. 2024, 09:10] [Comments: 0]
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07.Feb.2024
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AROS: Tutorial for working under Windows
Andrzej 'retrofaza' Subocz has published a tutorial on how to work and develop with AROS under Windows using WSL2 under the title link. (dr)
[News message: 07. Feb. 2024, 08:39] [Comments: 0]
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06.Feb.2024
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Video tutorial: Writing a simple IFF ILBM reader for DOS
John Bintz has been a software developer for over 20 years and runs the website The Industrious Rabbit. Originally to share his experiences as a developer with others, but more recently to explore some of the more unusual areas of technology and find ways to explain them in an interesting and entertaining way. In a new post he now explains how to write a simple DOS program on a Windows PC to read the IFF-ILBM image format commonly used on the Amiga. (dr)
[News message: 06. Feb. 2024, 22:10] [Comments: 0]
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06.Feb.2024
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Video tutorial: Screen commands in AMOS
In another part of his series of short tutorials on AMOS Pro, retro and Amiga fan 'Yawning Angel' looks at the commands available for using screens in AMOS programs. As always, the source file for the programme shown in the video can be downloaded free of charge from his website. (dr)
[News message: 06. Feb. 2024, 22:01] [Comments: 0]
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06.Feb.2024
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Aracde classic: "Donkey Kong"
Jean-Francois 'jotd' Fabre has ported another game to the Amiga: this time Nintendo's aracade classic Donkey Kong. The game is running on a Amiga 500 (YouTube video). (dr)
[News message: 06. Feb. 2024, 06:24] [Comments: 0]
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06.Feb.2024
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SCSI-SD adapter: ZuluSCSI firmware v2024.02.06
ZuluSCSI is a new generation of file-based SCSI hard disk and CD-ROM drive emulators (review of an user). ZuluSCSI emulates a SCSI-I or SCSI-2 hard disk using an SD memory card (amiga-news.de reported). Changes of version 2024.02.06:
- RP2040: Fix watchdog timeout
- Fix setting type with default SCSI strings
- Fix IMGx=filename ignoring device type
- Add X68000 quirk for odd 0x00 CBD opcode
- Siemens EWSD patch for ZuluSCSI
(dr)
[News message: 06. Feb. 2024, 06:13] [Comments: 0]
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