I don't have much Amiga experience besides playing games with friends on their Amiga. We already had a C64 and an XT clone when the A500 was released.

As I'm pretty bored by the state of the three big desktop OS and their UI, I would like to go back to the Amiga. I'm interested in m68k applications and not so much in the PowerPC generation.

What is the best approach for emulation on Linux x86 or Raspberry Pi 2? It seems there are endless options and if you don't already are a Amiga geek, it's a bit overwhelming. Should I start with fs-uae or with an AROS distro like Icaros?

On FS-UAE, which options should I use?
- What is the recommended model / cpu?
- with or without MMU?
- The RAM options are crazy: Chip / Slow / Fast / Motherboard / Zorro III Fast / Accelerator / Graphics Card RAM.
- Is a folder based HD fine or should I use a HDF?
- Would you recommend AmigaOS 3.2 or AROS?

I managed to install AmigaOS 3.2 on FS-UAE, but I haven't figured out how to configure the graphics for higher resolutions. FS-UAE only offers resolutions a bit higher or lower than the default 692x540. In ScreenMode Preferences I can set PAL Super-High Res Laced 1280x512, but that looks horribly scaled down. PAL High Res Laced 640x512 looks pixel accurate, but with a gray border than cannot be used.

I cannot Quit the Workbench:
"Cannot quit yet, there are 4 WB launched program(s)"
Is it okay to just power off? Or how do I solve that problem?


Or should I try AROS first?
- hosted or non-hosted?
- x86, Raspi or m68k?
- ABI-v0, -v1, -v11 (deadwood)?
- plain AROS or some distro?

How does Janus-UAE work? Is it like qemu-user or does it run a full AmigaOS 3.x (or AROS m68k)?

Maybe not all questions needs answer, but a push in the right direction would help me a lot.


P.S.: Is there a hosted AROS m68k? (AROS running on Linux m68k)


⁂

---
* Origin: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. (21:3/102)

Hi Oli,

I don't have much Amiga experience besides playing games with friends
on their Amiga. We already had a C64 and an XT clone when the A500 was released.

Do you want to emulate a A500 or soemthing with a bit more grunt? Do you
just want to play games or do more?

What is the best approach for emulation on Linux x86 or Raspberry Pi
2? It seems there are endless options and if you don't already are a
Amiga geek, it's a bit overwhelming. Should I start with fs-uae or
with an AROS distro like Icaros?

Aros won't run Amiga games in it's native format, and you'll need one of
the emulators to do that.

I managed to install AmigaOS 3.2 on FS-UAE, but I haven't figured out
how to configure the graphics for higher resolutions. FS-UAE only
offers resolutions a bit higher or lower than the default 692x540. In ScreenMode Preferences I can set PAL Super-High Res Laced 1280x512,
but that looks horribly scaled down. PAL High Res Laced 640x512 looks
pixel accurate, but with a gray border than cannot be used.

By default all Amiga emulator's start like that, as that is what the
Amiga was like. To run higher res, you need to make a few changes to the configuration and install the "P96" drivers...

Fs-uae needs a configuration file, that lets you make the system more
like what a real Amiga is. This is what my Amiga 3000 is like in both
real hardware and fs-uae. I also have fs-uae accessing a real amiga
formated harddrive.


[fs-uae]
base_dir = /amiga
amiga_model = A3000
chip_memory = 2048
fast_memory = 8192
cpu = 68040
accelerator = WarpEngine A4000
accelerator_rom = WarpEngine.rom.BIN
accelerator_memory = 131072
bsdsocket_library = 1
floppy_drive_count = 2
floppy_drive_0 =
floppy_drive_1 =
floppy_image_0 = AmigaTestKit.adf
kickstart_file = A3000.47.102.rom
jit_compiler = 0
joystick_port_1 = nothing
keep_aspect = 1
mouse_speed = 75
uaem_write_flags = 0
graphics_card = uaegfx-z3
graphics_memory = 32768
hard_drive_0 = /amiga/Hard Drives/A3000.hdf
hard_drive_0_controller = uaehf.device
hard_drive_0_type = rdb
hard_drive_1 = /dev/sdb
hard_drive_1_controller = uaehf.device
hard_drive_1_type = rdb
hard_drive_2 = /media/cdrom
hard_drive_2_read_only = 1
cdrom_drive_count = 1
cdrom_drive_0 = /amiga/CD-ROMs/cygnused_pro_5.iso
cdrom_image_0 = /amiga/CD-ROMs/amigaos3.2cd.iso
fullscreen_mode = window

I cannot Quit the Workbench:
"Cannot quit yet, there are 4 WB launched program(s)"
Is it okay to just power off? Or how do I solve that problem?

Once workbench is running you normally don't "quit" workbench. Pressing
F12 in fs-uae will bring up a menu system on the right side of the
screen. You can then tab/cursor/enter to do things...



\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

Hi Oli,

P96 drivers.

http://aminet.net/package/driver/video/Picasso96


\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

Hi vorlon,

thanks for the helpful advise.

vorlon wrote (2023-02-20):

Do you want to emulate a A500 or soemthing with a bit more grunt? Do you just want to play games or do more?

I'm mostly interested in BBS and Fidonet stuff.

Aros won't run Amiga games in it's native format, and you'll need one of the emulators to do that.

Would AROS be sufficient for a mail tosser or a BBS? I guess I have to try.

Do you have any experience with AROS?

I managed to install AmigaOS 3.2 on FS-UAE, but I haven't figured out
how to configure the graphics for higher resolutions. [...]

By default all Amiga emulator's start like that, as that is what the
Amiga was like. To run higher res, you need to make a few changes to the configuration and install the "P96" drivers...

That worked :). And I've learned that I shouldn't extract the lha archive on Linux. Took me half an hour to figure out
where to find the install script. After I had installed LHA and extracted Picasso96.lha on Amiga, the install icon was there.

[fs-uae]
base_dir = /amiga
amiga_model = A3000
chip_memory = 2048
fast_memory = 8192

Does it matter if I use Fast RAM, Motherboard RAM or Zorro III Fast Memory? (besides the upper limits?)

I cannot Quit the Workbench:
"Cannot quit yet, there are 4 WB launched program(s)"
Is it okay to just power off? Or how do I solve that problem?

Once workbench is running you normally don't "quit" workbench. Pressing
F12 in fs-uae will bring up a menu system on the right side of the
screen. You can then tab/cursor/enter to do things...

On the F12 menu there is also no shutdown. Should I just close the emulator window?

⁂

* Origin: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. (21:3/102)

Hi Oli,

Do you want to emulate a A500 or soemthing with a bit more grunt?
Do you just want to play games or do more?

I'm mostly interested in BBS and Fidonet stuff.

Any config of an expanded A2000/1200/4000/3000 will do what you want.
Back in the day I had Amiga users that just had basic A500 setups that
used to call my BBS.

Aros won't run Amiga games in it's native format, and you'll need
one of the emulators to do that.

Would AROS be sufficient for a mail tosser or a BBS? I guess I have to
try.

Do you have any experience with AROS?

Aros is a implemtation of the API, and is i386 based. So no native Amiga
m68k things will work, there needs to be a Aros version.

The last time I looked at Aros, it was a stinking pile of dog poo.... %-)
It was unstable, locking up, freezing.

Never looked at it since (Except for some minor testing for my AmiDeb
system with a version for m68k.)

amiga_model = A3000
chip_memory = 2048
fast_memory = 8192

Does it matter if I use Fast RAM, Motherboard RAM or Zorro III Fast
Memory? (besides the upper limits?)

Ok.. some examples.

Chip ram = Memory that the custom chip's and cpu share access to. (Think
of it as video memory, even though a machine with only chip ram
will still work and function. The Amiga 1200 for example, only came with a
base config of 2mb of chip ram.)

Fast ram = Memory that the CPU has sole access to.
Having fast ram will speed the machine up. My first Amiga was a A2000,
with 1mb of Chip Ram, and 1mb of Fast ram.

The more fastram a machine has, the more programs that run at the same
time.

On the F12 menu there is also no shutdown. Should I just close the
emulator window?

That is how you quit/shutdown the emulator. $-)



\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

Re: AmigaOS 3.2 - AROS - Emulation - BBS
By: vorlon to Oli on Wed Feb 22 2023 10:23 am

Any config of an expanded A2000/1200/4000/3000 will do what you want.
Back in the day I had Amiga users that just had basic A500 setups that used to call my BBS.

The author of Q-Blue, the Amiga QWK reader, called my BBS back when it was dialup - with an A500, if memory serves.
--- SBBSecho 3.20-Win32
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

On 19 Feb 2023, Oli said the following...

What is the best approach for emulation on Linux x86 or Raspberry Pi 2?
It seems there are endless options and if you don't already are a Amiga geek, it's a bit overwhelming. Should I start with fs-uae or with an
AROS distro like Icaros?

On FS-UAE, which options should I use?
- What is the recommended model / cpu?
- with or without MMU?
- The RAM options are crazy: Chip / Slow / Fast / Motherboard / Zorro
III Fast / Accelerator / Graphics Card RAM.
- Is a folder based HD fine or should I use a HDF?
- Would you recommend AmigaOS 3.2 or AROS?

I managed to install AmigaOS 3.2 on FS-UAE, but I haven't figured out

I run a C-Net Amiga BBS in addition to this board, I use WinUAE because for my use it is simpler way of doing things.. I run it with AOS 3.2 with no issues, I max out pretty much all of the options. I use a Folder based HD for a couple of reasons, it is easier to get files from the PC side into the Amiga side, and it is a hell of a lot easier to do backups. You can set a cron event each night to copy the Folder and rename it with a date and zip it up. In my case the entire computer is backed up via my NAS, the 2nd reason is for the backups this way is if a file goes bad you can just replace the file. With an HDF you would pretty much have to replace the entire HDF OR you would have to back up from within the Amiga side with a backup program like AmiBack.. I will be moving over to Debian 11.6 or the next update soon with my Amiga BBS once I can get some time and be able to build a FSUAE system.. I use the A4000 emulation also.. From reading the messages past this others are coming through with some fantastic suggestions.. My main suggestion is this, build a Emulation and play with it before you decide to start running a BBS familiarize yourself with all of the settings. When I decided to put my my C-Net it took me a month to get used to the WinUAE side, the Amiga was old hat to me as I had afew back in the 90's. Once you are comfortable with the UAE side, then build another one and use it for the BBS install your software and learn that side of it. I use a hybrid set up for my Message Networks, I have BinkD on the PC side pull/poll my Hubs for the messages, then a script on the Amiga side to pull those files into the Amiga side so they can toss without error.. Just remember one rule of thumb with Emulation and the Amiga, if you want to bring something on to the Amiga side you MUST copy it from the PC side to the Amiga side with the Amiga, not the other way around. If you go with a C-Net Amiga board (which the software is still be updated today) let me know and I can send you a copy of my C-Net MessageNetwork setup guide I wrote a couple of years ago explaining the BinkD PC side and the C-Net Amiga side and how to do it..

Hope that helps a bit and sorry for the long winded message..

Al

... I know a good tagline when I steal one!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)

On the F12 menu there is also no shutdown. Should I just close the emulator window?

That is how you quit/shutdown the emulator. $-)

Yeah - the old AmigaOS didn't have a "power off" feature :) So you basically shut the computer off manually and roll the dice that there's not some expensive disk write happening that will corrupt your filesystem. Oh, the 90s...hehe

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: m O N T E R E Y b B S . c O M (21:4/173)

Hi Poindexter,

On Tuesday February 21 2023, Poindexter Fortran said to vorlon:

Any config of an expanded A2000/1200/4000/3000 will do what you want.
Back in the day I had Amiga users that just had basic A500 setups that
used to call my BBS.

The author of Q-Blue, the Amiga QWK reader, called my BBS back when it
was dialup - with an A500, if memory serves.

Yep, I'd be stoked at something like that!.. The days when a lot could be
done with 1/2Mb of memory and very little disk space....

I have a 256Mb usb memory stick with a DOS/QEM/Dsqview that's larger then my first hd.. A 20Mb SCSI drive...


--- Zeus BBS 1.5
* Origin: -:-- SubZero --:- subzero.vk3heg.net Prt: 6800 (21:1/195.5)

Hi Esc,

On Tuesday February 21 2023, Esc said to vorlon:

On the F12 menu there is also no shutdown. Should I just close the
emulator window? That is how you quit/shutdown the emulator. $-)

Yeah - the old AmigaOS didn't have a "power off" feature :) So you basically shut the computer off manually and roll the dice that there's
not some expensive disk write happening that will corrupt your
filesystem. Oh, the 90s...hehe

I always waited a little bit, and then did the three finger salute first!

Still do it to this day with my Amiga's. #-)



--- Zeus BBS 1.5
* Origin: -:-- SubZero --:- subzero.vk3heg.net Prt: 6800 (21:1/195.5)

vorlon wrote (2023-02-22):

Do you have any experience with AROS?

Aros is a implemtation of the API, and is i386 based. So no native Amiga m68k things will work, there needs to be a Aros version.

But there is also Janus-UAE for AROS i386 and software for Amiga m68k should also work on AROS m68k (in theory). At least that is what I understand from the AROS website and from Wikipedia.

The last time I looked at Aros, it was a stinking pile of dog poo.... %-) It was unstable, locking up, freezing.

I still hope that one day it will become a good alternative to the Amiga IP cluster fuck.

I haven't had any success AROS m68k nightly in FS-UAE. It boots something, but I have no idea how to proceed then.

Will try some other AROS m68k distros later ...

⁂

---
* Origin: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. (21:3/102)

Hi Bucko :)

Bucko wrote (2023-02-21):

Just remember one rule of thumb with Emulation and the Amiga, if you want to bring something on to the Amiga side you MUST copy it from the PC side to the Amiga side with the Amiga, not the other way around.

Why does it make a difference? And what is the best way to share a PC directory with the Amiga anyway? Mount a PC directory as a hard disk in UAE?

If you go
with a C-Net Amiga board (which the software is still be updated today)
let me know and I can send you a copy of my C-Net MessageNetwork setup guide I wrote a couple of years ago explaining the BinkD PC side and the C-Net Amiga side and how to do it..

I want to try AmiExpress and KMS first.

https://github.com/dmcoles/AmiExpress https://aminet.net/package/comm/ums/kms20src

C-Net is not open source, is it?

Hope that helps a bit and sorry for the long winded message..

Don't be sorry ;) It does help more than a bit.

⁂

---
* Origin: War is Peace. Freedom is Slavery. Ignorance is Strength. (21:3/102)

Hi Oli,

Aros is a implemtation of the API, and is i386 based. So no native
Amiga m68k things will work, there needs to be a Aros version.

But there is also Janus-UAE for AROS i386 and software for Amiga m68k
should also work on AROS m68k (in theory). At least that is what I understand from the AROS website and from Wikipedia.

[...]

I haven't had any success AROS m68k nightly in FS-UAE. It boots
something, but I have no idea how to proceed then.

Let's see, why haven't I given aros a run of late:....

I own the real thing! &->

A600 (3.1.4), 2Mb chip, Pi storm. (800Mb of Fastram!)

A1200 (3.1), 2Mb chip, 32Mb of Fast on a Appolo 68060@50Mhz card.

A3000 (3.2), (is in linux more then AOS), 2Mb Chip, 140Mb fast (12 on mb)
128 on Warpengine 68040@40Mhz.

A4000 (3.2.1), 2Mb chip, 12 Mb fast on mb, A3660 68060@50Mhz



\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

Hi Oli,

to bring something on to the Amiga side you MUST copy it from the
PC side to the Amiga side with the Amiga, not the other way around.

Why does it make a difference? And what is the best way to share a PC directory with the Amiga anyway? Mount a PC directory as a hard disk
in UAE?

The PC doesn't understand the amiga protection bits or file names.
To share a pc directory on FS-UAE use this:

hard_drive_2 = /home/vorlon/Documents/FS-UAE/Share

That directory will then show up as a amiga drive called "Share".

You can then do anything in that dir on either side.



\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

On 22 Feb 2023, Oli said the following...

Hi Bucko :)

Why does it make a difference? And what is the best way to share a PC directory with the Amiga anyway? Mount a PC directory as a hard disk in UAE?

The main reason is the Amiga sometimes doesn't see the files properly with the correct flags. When I first started my BBS I was pulling the network files directly from the PC side and most of the time it didn't see the files, when I brought this up to K-Guide of C-Net he said you have to bring the files to the Amiga side once I started copying the files with the Amiga side everything worked like a charm.. As for sharing a PC Directory, just add it as a directory drive and assign a HD name to it, I have my AOS directory as DH0: a Files Directory which is where I import anything from the PC side as DH1:..

I want to try AmiExpress and KMS first.

https://github.com/dmcoles/AmiExpress https://aminet.net/package/comm/ums/kms20src

C-Net is not open source, is it?

AmiExpress is a nice set up.. Don't know KMS I should look at it.. C-Net is not open source but if you leave Feedback to K-Guide on his BBS he will set you up with it..

Don't be sorry ;) It does help more than a bit.

Thanks for understanding..

Al

... No one knows what's next, but everybody does it.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)

On 22 Feb 2023, Vorlon said the following...

I always waited a little bit, and then did the three finger salute first!

Still do it to this day with my Amiga's. #-)

That is sort of what I do with emulation.. I wait a bit after all programs are shut then hit F12 and hit restart, then quit to get out of UAE..

AL

... Enter any 12-digit prime number to continue.

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)

On 23 Feb 2023, vorlon said the following...

in UAE?

The PC doesn't understand the amiga protection bits or file names.
To share a pc directory on FS-UAE use this:

That's what I was trying to say I called it Flags when it is protection bits... Thanks Vorlon!!

... They say there's always one weirdo on the bus, but I couldn't find them!

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)

Vorlon wrote to poindexter FORTRAN <=-

I have a 256Mb usb memory stick with a DOS/QEM/Dsqview that's larger
then my first hd.. A 20Mb SCSI drive...

I read on a web page a list of things that were bigger than Turbo
Pascal. The Facebook logo on their web page was bigger than all of TP.



... Repetition is a form of change
--- MultiMail/Win v0.52
* Origin: realitycheckBBS.org -- information is power. (21:4/122)

Hi Bucko,

The PC doesn't understand the amiga protection bits or file

That's what I was trying to say I called it Flags when it is
protection bits... Thanks Vorlon!!

Flags/Protections bit's... Same but different!

It's best to use the correct term though. *-)




\/orlon
aka
Stephen


--- Talisman v0.46-dev (Linux/m68k)
* Origin: Vorlon Empire: Amiga 3000 powered in Sector 550 (21:1/195.1)

On 24 Feb 2023, vorlon said the following...

Flags/Protections bit's... Same but different!

It's best to use the correct term though. *-)

Exactly. :) Thanks for correcting me...

... Classic: A book which people praise but don't read. - Mark Twain

--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Linux/64)
* Origin: The Wrong Number Family Of BBS' - Wrong Number ][ (21:4/131)

Hi Bucko,

On Friday February 24 2023, Bucko said to vorlon:

Flags/Protections bit's... Same but different!
It's best to use the correct term though. *-)

Exactly. :) Thanks for correcting me...

Just passing on the info.... #-)


--- Zeus BBS 1.5
* Origin: -:-- Dragon's Lair --:- dragon.vk3heg.net Prt: 6800 (21:1/195.5)