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[motorollin]

Is it possible to insert AfA OS either in to a ROM image to be softkicked, or preferably in to a KickFlash as a ROM update?

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moto

[Crumb]

I doubt it.

[downix]

AfA is incomplete at this time. It is only a few modules. Once completed, there's no reason why it couldn't. But for now, you still need the original amiga ROM.

[motorollin]

I think I was unclear. I'm not talking about replacing the Kickstart ROM. I'm talking about pre-patching the ROM with the AfA modules so they are available from cold boot without having to have the modules on hard disk and patch them on every boot. Would that be possible?

--
moto

[motorollin]

*bump*

Though I suppose I could just try it :-)


--
moto

[downix]

motorollin wrote:
I think I was unclear. I'm not talking about replacing the Kickstart ROM. I'm talking about pre-patching the ROM with the AfA modules so they are available from cold boot without having to have the modules on hard disk and patch them on every boot. Would that be possible?

--
moto

Oh sure, that would work.

[jmbattle]

Are the AfA_OS modules 'rom-able', and more importantly, will they fit within the 512k address space?

I guess it would be reasonably easy to test creating a custom kickstart using UAE.

Cheers,
James
x

[motorollin]

jmbattle wrote:
Are the AfA_OS modules 'rom-able'

I suppose that's a more succinct way of asking my original question.

jmbattle wrote:
and more importantly, will they fit within the 512k address space?

Probably not, but I don't care - I'm using a KickFlash.

jmbattle wrote:
I guess it would be reasonably easy to test creating a custom kickstart using UAE.

Well I'll try inserting the individual AfA-OS modules in to my KickFlash to test it.

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moto

[quenthal]

There has been discussion about AfA_OS being 'rom-able' here. Somewhere along the topic AfA author and Piru discuss about blizkick modules (which usually are rom-able modules) and AfA components.

[motorollin]

Ok I have just tried this. The AfA-OS modules do insert in to the KickFlash, but unfortunately there is not enough space for all of them along with a Kickstart ROM image and the OS3.9 ROM Update :-(

As a test I tried adding afa_system_lib.exe, graphics_lib.exe and diskfont_lib.exe and removed the AFA loader from startup-sequence. I did still get TTF fonts, but then as a test I removed the modules from the KickFlash, cold booted, and I *still* got TTF fonts, without anything loading the AfA modules! No idea how this worked!

As a second test I tried adding afa_system_lib.exe, icon_lib.exe and exec_lib.exe to see if I could get PNG icons, but it didn't work. Maybe it also needs graphics_lib.exe, but it won't fit :-(

Is there any way to pack modules before inserting them in to the KickFlash to make them fit?

--
moto

[jmbattle]

I believe the TTF reading is handled by freetype2.library, however without the AfA_OS modules, there will be no anti-aliasing, essentially losing the point of using TTF fonts in the fist place.

Please do keep on experimenting - I'm surprised Bernd himself hasn't popped into this forum to answer your questions directly.

Cheers,
James
x

[motorollin]

jmbattle wrote:
I believe the TTF reading is handled by freetype2.library, however without the AfA_OS modules, there will be no anti-aliasing, essentially losing the point of using TTF fonts in the fist place.

Ahh I see, that would probably explain it.

jmbattle wrote:
Please do keep on experimenting - I'm surprised Bernd himself hasn't popped into this forum to answer your questions directly.

I will keep on playing around to try to get PNG icons working without AfA-OS loader in S-S. Any ideas whether I can pack the libraries before inserting them in to the KickFlash? Would they unpack themselves when the KickFlash accesses them?

--
moto

[motorollin]

Just tried using PowerPacker to pack the AfA modules. They all went in to the KickFlash ok with no errors, so I'm assuming the KickFlash is ok with packed modules. However, it still doesn't work. I even tried adding AFA_OS_Loader as well in case that would make a difference, but it didn't work - still no PNG icons :-(

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moto

[motorollin]

Just had a lightning fast reply to an email to Jens Shoenfeld. He reckons the problem is that PowerPacker exectuables cannot be made pure (whatever that means!) which is why they don't work in the KickFlash. I think the only hope therefore is to attempt to increase the capacity of the KickFlash. Apparently it can be upgraded to 1GB. Anyone know how?

--
moto

[AndrewBell]

The Kickflash can be upgraded to 1GB if Jens ever gets off his backside and makes the expansion he promised.
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