16.Oct.2024
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GUI for Greaseweazle Tools: ADFDiskBox v2
Keir Fraser's "Greaseweazle" reads the magnetic layer of the floppy regardless of the format used and stores as much information as possible in a so-called "flux level image" in supercard format (SCP), making it possible to read and write back copy-protected floppies. We have been reporting on FluxMyFluffyFloppy, a GUI for the Greaseweazle Tools, for some time now. In addition to GreaseweazleGUI, there is a third alternative for Windows, ADFDiskBox, which has now been released in version 2.
The author John Brett, who has made the source code of his project available on GitHub, has kindly given us a few explanations about the new version:
Both FluxMyFluffyFloppy and GreaseweazleGUI can handle many floppy formats, while my ADFDiskBox specialises in Amiga DOS floppies. It simplifies Amiga DOS batch read and write operations (for ADF, 82-track ADF, SCP:Amiga DOS and RawSCP).
The programme requires Net Framework 4.8 to run, so it should run on Windows 10 (also runs on the 32-bit version) and Windows 11. The latest version of Greaseweazle Tools must first be downloaded and unpacked before the installer can be executed.
I've been learning C# for a while now and I'm creating this program for learning purposes (which is why the code is a bit messy). When I started, the other programs couldn't handle 82-track Amiga DOS discs or batch mode. Now they can, using the editable diskdefs file. My GUI, on the other hand, uses its own version. I have recently added some more features, such as batch mode for all Amiga formats, which is why I have changed the version number to 2. Now more than one Greaseweazle is supported on the same computer. (dr)
[News message: 16. Oct. 2024, 05:37] [Comments: 0]
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16.Oct.2024
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AmigaOS 4: Tutorial for creating a USB boot stick for the AmigaOne X5000
'McFly' has published two tutorials (available in English and German) in the OS4Depot which should enable users of an AmigaOne X5000 to create a bootable USB stick either from a system backup (OS4Depot link) or with the help of the AmigaOS 4.1 installation CD and using an RX graphics card OS4Depot link).
When asked, the author kindly wrote us the following about how it came about:
Since my X5000 no longer started properly some time ago due to a mistake on my part and the install CD also refused to start, I was looking for solutions to persuade my X5000 to start again ;-)
At the time, a Radeon R7 graphics card was still installed and I found the following devastating information on the Internet, which explained why the installation CD could not be booted:
"The basic RadeonHD driver on the OS4.1 CD does not support models with the Oland Chip set (R7 240/250), thus you cannot boot from the CD."
I therefore created a boot medium using a card reader and CF card. I have documented how I proceeded step by step in a small illustrated tutorial.
A little later I upgraded my computer with a Radeon RX580 graphics card. Because of this I collected all the necessary information on how to create a USB installation stick for AmigaOne X5000/20 with RX graphics card. This graphics card requires separate drivers which are not included on the AmigaOs4.1 install CD. I have also summarised this procedure in an illustrated guide in the hope of being able to give some users a little help. (dr)
[News message: 16. Oct. 2024, 05:01] [Comments: 0]
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15.Oct.2024
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CLI command: sysvars V0.13
The sysvars command creates environment variables with system information in order to make it dependent on these, for example, in the startup sequence, which patches are included. So far there is information on the CPU and FPU, the chipset, the vertical frame rate (PAL/NTSC), Kickstart version and revision, version and revision of bsdsocket.library as well as whether the emulator UAE is used - and if so, in which version.
Version 0.13 provides the following changes:
- Added $VampireType, $VampireCoreRev and VampireClockMult
- Some code cleanup and optimizations
(dr)
[News message: 15. Oct. 2024, 06:00] [Comments: 0]
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15.Oct.2024
(ANF)
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Demis Hassabis: Nobel prize winner with an Amiga background (Update)
Demis Hassabis was recently honoured with the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his outstanding contributions in the field of artificial intelligence. In particular, the development of AlphaGo, which was the first program to beat a professional Go player, and AlphaFold, which enabled revolutionary breakthroughs in protein folding, earned him the Nobel Prize. These achievements mark significant advances in AI research and biomedicine.
Interestingly, Hassabis began his career as a game developer: As teenager he was working for Bullfrog on the AI of the original Amiga game "Populous II". As project manager and lead programmer of "Theme Park", that, among other systems, was also released for the Amiga, and as a key contributor to "Black & White" (not released for the Amiga), he made a creative impact on the gaming world at an early age. The design principles Hassabis learned during this time – balancing complexity and usability, creating immersive worlds – later influenced his approach to developing AI systems. The ability to model and make accessible complex systems, which he honed as a game designer, fed directly into his scientific work. This interdisciplinary connection between game mechanics and AI research shaped his visionary approach to technological challenges.
In addition to Theme Park and Black & White, Hassabis was also involved in games like Republic: The Revolution. His experience in game development helped him to bridge the gap between entertainment and science by finding creative solutions to real scientific problems.
Update: (06:30, 17.10.24, snx)
Addition of Populous II to the news-item, based on an interview from 2016. (nba)
[News message: 15. Oct. 2024, 01:06] [Comments: 0]
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15.Oct.2024
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File system: smbfs 2.22 published for AmigaOS 3 and 4
Olaf Barthel has released the new version 2.22 of the Samba file system smbfs for AmigaOS 3.x and 4.x after a break of almost five years and four months of development (amiga-news.de reported about version 2.1).
smbfs allows Amiga users to access Windows and Linux SMB shares, enabling network drives to be used like local drives. This makes it easier to integrate Amiga systems into modern networks and facilitates file sharing between different platforms.
"This release rolls back the changes contributed by Tygre in version 2.23, which implemented a workaround for dealing with directory and file names which made use of Unicode codepoints that could not be represented on the Amiga using the ISO 8859-1 character set. Tagged as amiga-smbfs 2.23, it was intended as a test in preparation for integrating Tygre's changes." Olaf Barthel continues on the smfbs-page on GitHub: "Sadly, the time to polish this feature never arrived and in the mean time there was no robust amiga-smbfs version to use instead. The amiga-smbfs 2.22 release intends to correct this, for the time being."
The file system in the new version for AmigaOS 3.x (68k) and AmigaOS 4.x (PPC) can be downloaded for free from the GitHub page under the title link. (nba)
[News message: 15. Oct. 2024, 00:48] [Comments: 0]
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14.Oct.2024
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Video: How the diskspare.device stores 984KB on a DD disc
Robert Smith is currently working on an update of DiskFlashback (amiga-news.de reported) and is currently working on support for the diskspare.device (Aminet link), which is a supplement or replacement for the trackdisk.device, which can be used to format discs with 960 KB or 984 KB or, if an HD drive is available, with 1920 KB or 1968 KB. In his latest video, Smith shares his findings and results on how it works. (dr)
[News message: 14. Oct. 2024, 10:58] [Comments: 0]
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14.Oct.2024
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Video series: The Amiga 1000 as a Workstation
In a nine-part journey through time, Thomas Cherryhomes attempts to categorise the Amiga 1000, which was officially launched in USA in 1985, in terms of its practical suitability as a workstation and to compare it with similar products.
At that time the Amiga 1000 was running AmigaOS 1.1, a 256KB expansion and two disk drives. Since, as the author writes, workstations were mainly used for scientific and technical tasks, with the expectation of developing customised software for a specific task, the series ultimately focused on this. The parts published so far:
(dr)
[News message: 14. Oct. 2024, 10:37] [Comments: 0]
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14.Oct.2024
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Print-/PDF magazine: ZZAP! Amiga, issue 18
After Patreon supporters, also the general public can now purchase the September/October issue of the “ZZAP! Amiga” magazine. It consists of 60 color pages in A5 size. A look at the table of contents can be found on Amiga Magazine RACK. (dr)
[News message: 14. Oct. 2024, 09:05] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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Aminet uploads until 12.10.2024
The following files have been added until 12.10.2024 to Aminet:
rse-coolcorkscrew.zip demo/aga 708K 68k Demo from Deadline 2024
SFL-AlteredVision.lha demo/aga 63K 68k AGA 64K Deadline 2024
Artstate-PartyPack25.adf demo/disk 880K 68k Demopack October 2024
Artstate-PartyPack26.adf demo/disk 880K 68k Demopack October 2024
DSR-InsideTheMachine.adf demo/disk 880K 68k 1st at Deadline 2024
saukkopack-31.adf demo/disk 880K 68k Demopack October 2024
spreadpoint-4fx.zip demo/intro 953K 68k 2nd at Deadline 2024
therican.zip demo/intro 32K 68k OCS 32K intro Deadline 2024
ps_tt01.zip demo/sound 3.8M 68k Music-Disk Deadline 2024
HWP_Malibu.lha dev/hwood 638K ALL Scala emulation for Hollywood
GoGoGo.adf game/actio 880K 68k A horizontal scrolling mini-game
Amifish_AROS.lha game/board 4.2M x86 Chess program UCI compatible
Amifish_MorphOS.lha game/board 4.1M MOS Chess program UCI compatible
Amifish_OS4.lha game/board 4.5M OS4 Chess program UCI compatible
AmiArcadia.lha misc/emu 8.7M 68k Signetics-based machines emul...
AmiArcadiaMOS.lha misc/emu 9.1M MOS Signetics-based machines emul...
AmiArcadia-OS4.lha misc/emu 9.3M OS4 Signetics-based machines emul...
AmiVms.lha misc/emu 3.8M 68k Simulates OpenVMS commands
tap2bas.lha misc/emu 22K 68k ZX Tape file to Basic source ...
Defiance.zip mods/crash 91K Short hiphop mod from '97. 8 ...
DigitalViolence.zip mods/crash 16K Short looping mod from '95. 8...
IntuitionPart2.zip mods/crash 104K Short and slow from '96. 8 bi...
Relapse.zip mods/crash 224K Trashy rude noise from '95. 8...
myrsky.lha mods/jorma 176K Myrsky by Vesuri (Remix)
anaiis_midi.lha mus/midi 54K 68k xMidi
swap16.lha util/cli 6K 68k CLI utility to swap high/low ...
GoVD.lha util/wb 21K 68k Virtual Desktops for Workbench
(snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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OS4Depot uploads until 12.10.2024
The following files have been added until 12.10.2024 to OS4Depot:
x5kbootmedium.zip doc/tut 16Mb 4.0 Create X5000 boot medium from a ...
x5kbootstick.zip doc/tut 26Mb 4.0 Create a USB installation stick ...
arabic_console_device... dri/inp 3Mb 4.1 An arabic console device, line &...
amiarcadia.lha emu/gam 9Mb 4.0 Signetics-based machines emulator
amifish.lha gam/boa 4Mb 4.0 Chess program compatible with UC...
hwp_malibu.lha lib/hol 638kb 4.0 Run Scala presentations
smbfs.lha net/sam 561kb 4.0 SMB file system client; compleme...
(snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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AROS Archives uploads until 12.10.2024
The following files have been added until 12.10.2024 to AROS Archives:
amifish.i386-aros.lha gam/boa 4Mb Chess program compatible with UC...
setscreenmode.i386-aros.zip uti/she 93kb Auto set screenmode for differen...
(snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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MorphOS-Storage uploads until 12.10.2024
The following files have been added until 12.10.2024 to MorphOS-Storage:
Malibu_1.5.lha Dependencies/Hollywood Scala emulation for Hol...
AmiArcadia_33.40.lha Emulation A Signetics-based machi...
Pac-Man_1.0.lha Games/Action Port of Pac-Man
dethrace_0.8.0.lha Games/Race Reverse engineering the...
Asteroids_1.0.lha Games/Shoot2D Port of Asteroids
sdl2-space-invaders_1.... Games/Shoot2D Port of sdl2-space-inva...
OpenRCT2_0.4.14.lha Games/Strategy OpenRCT2 is an open-sou...
OpenRCT2_0.4.15.lha Games/Strategy OpenRCT2 is an open-sou...
Amifish_2.0.lha Games/Think Chess program compatibl...
(snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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WHDLoad: New installers until 12.10.2024
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 12.10.2024:
- 2024-10-12 improved: Wiz'n'Liz (Psygnosis) access fault fixed, 2nd button supported, trainers added, fast memory used (Info)
- 2024-10-09 improved: Superfrog (Team 17) adapted to WHDLoad 19, now uses internal joypad read routine (Info)
- 2024-10-08 improved: Trolls (Flair Software) another version supported, trainer bug fixed, manual included (Info)
- 2024-10-07 updated: Trolls (Flair Software) patch rewritten, audio/graphics/crash bugs fixed, 68000 support, more trainers, another version supported, all versions share features (Info)
(snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
Krzysztof Donat (ANF)
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GoVD: Virtual desktops for the Workbench
Krzysztof Donat's program GoVD makes it possible to use the Workbench on up to eight virtual screens under AmigaOS 3.2 (and possibly also 3.1.4, but he has not tested this). You can specify which Workbench windows and programs should use which of the screens.
The program is shareware, the fee is freely selectable. Developers who have placed programs on Aminet can register the program free of charge. (snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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DIY: Two internal floppy disk drives in the Amiga 500
Rod Thomas' AmigaDualFloppyInterface allows the use of two internal floppy disk drives in the Amiga 500 (tested only with version 6A of the motherboard). In practice, one of them is a Gotek drive.
His project allows the use of two internal floppy drives without any additions to the external drive connector and without irreversible modifications to the Amiga, with the option of selecting which of the two drives can be booted from; the second drive can still be used. (snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:55] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
Mastodon (ANF)
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Interview with Ian Griffiths (Amiga Addict)
For his website "Prankster101 Productions" Azfar Shah did an interview with Ian Griffiths at the title link, editor of the Amiga Addict magazine (Wikipedia). (snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:54] [Comments: 0]
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13.Oct.2024
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Platform game: Tiny Pixel Adventure
Tiny Pixel Adventure is a classic platformer. Development has not yet been completed, but it is already playable. No information is given on the system requirements. (snx)
[News message: 13. Oct. 2024, 12:54] [Comments: 0]
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12.Oct.2024
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Managing ADF files: Rust library "adflib" V0.1.4
In March 2023, we reported on Volker Schwaberow's project to convert ADFlib, written primarily in C by Laurent Clevy, into the Rust programming language. At that time, it could be used to read and write ADFs, read and write tracks and sectors in a byte array.
He has now recently released version 0.1.4 and thus also made a disc bitmap implementation available.
He kindly explains to us: "adflib V0.1.4 offers some interesting functions for working with ADF disc images (Amiga Disk File). It allows you to read, write and manipulate ADF files directly from Rust code. The main functions include:
- Extracting file information and directory structures
- Extracting individual files from ADF images
- Displaying and modifying disc and bitmap information
- Formatting ADF images (OFS and FFS are supported)
- Defragmenting ADF images
The Rust library includes a command line tool. It allows you to use many of the library functions directly from the shell without having to write your own Rust code. For example, you can quickly list the contents of an ADF image or extract individual files.
A special feature is the existing hunk implementation. Hunks are a special file format for executable Amiga programmes. The integration into adflib potentially makes it easier to work with Amiga executables within ADF images. I also plan to integrate this into the command line interface so that you can directly display information about Amiga executables from it.
All in all, adflib V0.1.4 is a first solid version for developers who want to work with Amiga disc images. The library offers basic functions that should be sufficient for many applications. At the same time, it is still manageable and easy to understand.
I would also like to emphasise that the library is designed to work not only with physical ADF files, but also with ADF data embedded in ZIP archives. DMS support is also planned. Tests are also included and we have modularity in the library.
For retro computing enthusiasts or developers of Amiga emulators, adflib could be a useful addition to the toolbox. The Rust implementation promises robustness and good performance. More importantly, the build environment is available on almost any system and the project can be easily compiled and installed. The library is also available in the Crates.io library repository, which allows installation via 'cargo install adflib'. This is an easy way to obtain the command line tool and the library.
Of course, I'm happy if anyone wants to participate in the project. Contact is easily possible via Github." (dr)
[News message: 12. Oct. 2024, 21:56] [Comments: 0]
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12.Oct.2024
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Preview video: First level of the game "The Gate"
At the beginning of October last year , we introduced the AMOS game "The Gate" by Fabio 'Allanon' Falcucci, a mixture of "Impossible Mission" and "Project Firestart" with his own ideas and concepts. The developer reports on his latest progress in a recent Patreon post and has also published a video of the first level under the title link. (dr)
[News message: 12. Oct. 2024, 06:55] [Comments: 0]
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11.Oct.2024
Amigaworld.net (forum)
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APEO - AMOS Professional Executable Optimizer
Simone 'saimo' Bevilacqua's APEO, which he originally developed for his game "Ring around the World", patches the executable files generated by the AMOS Professional Compiler 2.0 to make them faster. The technical details are included in the manual. (snx)
[News message: 11. Oct. 2024, 09:34] [Comments: 0]
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11.Oct.2024
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Installing floppy disks on hard disk: JST 7.4
JST can be used to install disk-based games on hard disk using WHDLoad slaves. After a long break - our last news-item dates back to 2002 - the further development of this program, which was first released in 1996, has been resumed in 2017. Today's focus is on WHDLoad compatibility, non-upgraded Amigas (or weak emulations) and those without a keyboard, i.e. a substitution by the CD³² control pad.
This year's update 7.4, released three days ago, supports the ReadJoyPort API of WHDLoad 19 (to some extent) and fixes a potential memory cleanup bug when using the Kickstart ROM 1.3. (snx)
[News message: 11. Oct. 2024, 09:34] [Comments: 0]
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