RunInUAE alpha: Run any 68k game by double-clicking it!

@all
BTW, anyone got any suggestions for RunInUAE? I think it's getting close to how I want it now, so running out of ideas myself.

P.S. Don't miss the fifth alpha release in the previous post (on the previous page).

@all
I have now made the sixth alpha release (please use the download link in the first post). Changes include:

* You no-longer need to reset E-UAE to run another HD game, as it quits & restarts E-UAE for you. This GREATLY simplifies RunInUAE's usage!

* Added menu items to insert/eject disks & change the frame skip.

* Automatically removes virtual volumes with invalid paths. So you can now use HDF images mounted using DiskImage without a problem!

* Now checks a newly chosen E-UAE executable has a .uaerc_RunInUAE config file.

* No-longer adds an unneeded empty line before "filesys" it adds to E-UAE's config. (Harder than it sounds!)

@ChrisH

I have a problem with whdload games. You see, I've only tried adfs so far, but since my whd collection is far more complete I thought I'd try that. So, after I double click a whdload game, workbench is fired up and then a requester appears with a , so-to-speak , timeout error from runinuae. I've tried to increase the timeout time to 60 secs, the runincli command is both in user-startup of os3.1 and the file itself is in the c: dir. Actually workbench 3.1 is booted after only a couple of seconds, it just doesn't go on to run the game. If I run it from within the emulation though (open the folder and double click the icon through the emulated 3.1 workbench) it works. Any idea what I'm doing wrong? Thx!

@Vulture
Very strange. Please email me the following:
* A copy of WB3.1's S:User-Startup *and* S:Startup-Sequence.
* A copy of E-UAE's log (RAM:T/uae.log) after an unsuccessful WHDLoad attempt.
* Also, please let me know how you actually installed it. e.g. Which version of E-UAE (important!), and whether you used an Amiga Forever CD or not. If you aren't using v0.8.28 of E-UAE, then please try that.

You can get my email address from here:
http://cshandley.co.uk/email/
But if you have trouble reading it, then let me know.

BTW, I may look at adding a "fall-back" mode for people who have problems like this.

@ChrisH

problem solved!

uae_rcli had the "e" flag disabled. Now works fine, thx! :)

@Vulture Quote:
Really? Very wierd, because as far as I know, AmigaOS 3.x basically ignores the "e" flag. Still, it should have had the "e" flag set. Can you please describe how you installed RunInUAE? e.g. AmigaForever CD or not, used an existing Workbench installation or created a new one, etc.

But I've now implemented a "fall back" mode which avoids uae_rcli entirely, in case anyone else has these sorts of problems. Probably won't run quite as many games, but better than none at all!

@ChrisH

I used Amiga Forever, clean wb installation, E-UAE 8.29 SDL WIP4, latest runinuae (r6). I don't think AOS 3.1 ignores the "e" flag, not sure about executables tbh, but I'm almost sure it doesn't ignore it on project files/scripts.

@all
I have now made the seventh alpha release (please use the download link in the first post). Changes include:

* Tried another fix for the intermittent IDF9: installation problem, and now clearly warns if the problem still happens.

* Fixed the installer checking for a 320x256 screen mode, but adding a 320x240 mode. This could have caused quite a few problems; please check the files in your "Sys:Devs/Monitors" folder for duplicate tooltype entries.

* Fixed a number of installer problems when not using the Amiga Forever CD. I obviously should have tested it rather more. Please try installing again if you had problems before!


* Implemented a "Basic Workbench" mode for when people have problem starting HD installed games.

* Added a setting to keep UAE in the background. (A bit of a kludge, let me know if it is of any use - I will remove it if it's no use.)

* Now displays it's commodity hot-key (if any) in the window title bar.

* Now checks UAE's User-Startup for missing/duplicate uae_rcli lines, and corrects it if necessary.

* Improved error reporting.

@ChrisH


Ok, Chris, here's an idea:


Could you make it work with this:

http://aminet.net/util/misc/iGame.lha

It's a brilliant front end for whdload games, it's just that it calls them in a fashion that runinuae can't properly capture yet. Is it possible to make it work? That'd be the ultimate in ease of use for e-uae+whdload games!

Cheers!

BTW, just in case anyone wonders, there will be no updates over this weekend, so now is a good time to try the latest alpha! (I really hope to make it beta ASAP.)

@Vulture
I'll take a look at iGame. I imagine that making RunInUAE work with it should be fairly easy (famous last words!).

@ChrisH


:)

btw, latest alpha works fine so far.

@Vulture

I have also the same problem as you, vulture, and will check the E flag, on the file you have mentionned, after the job, this end of day

I said that because I have just seen the same problem, on my classic, with a tar.gz archive, without E flag on exe program.

@Mrodfr
If you have a problem with "AmigaOS not responding, try increasing the time out" type message from RunInUAE, and Workbench 3.x *is* booting, then it *now* offers an alternative: Try Enabling the "Basic Workbench" mode from the Settings menu.

@ChrisH

Quote:

When double clicking a whdload game, I have a screenmode opened with the AOS4.1.1 pointer on. I could move the pointer and after a period of time, return to RinInUAE with the message menstionned on the quote.

If I enable Basic Workbench mode and do the same, a black screenmode forever....

Tested with your beta7. With a workbench 3.0 install disk. without a key for whdload. With screenmode @85 (CRT monitor),......

I have a JST and A whdload on my workbench3.0 drawer and also a whdload more bigger on SYS:C (251440 bytes) ???


Completely Off Topic, but would like ot put here:

http://www.khronos.org/opengles/

Maybe interesting..........

@Mrodfr
Are you able to try Workbench 3.1? Where did you get Workbench 3.0 from?

Can you please send me your Workbench 3.0's "S/Startup-Sequence" & "S/User-Startup"? Make sure you DISable the "Basic Workbench" mode before doing this. (You can get my email address from here.)

@all
I found Mrodfr's problem (although not the origin of it), and a work-around will be present in the next release. Since this problem happened with someone else too, this will hopefully fix a few people's problems.

@all
Found the origin of Mrodfr's problem - he was re-using a (non-working) E-UAE installation with new installations of RunInUAE. The work-around (until I release a new version) is to delete the existing .uaerc_RunInUAE file inside E-UAE's folder, and then reinstall RunInUAE.

The problem was caused by an earlier (and buggy) version of RunInUAE, and installing newer versions of RunInUAE failed to correct the problem (unless you reinstalled E-UAE *or* deleted the .uaerc_RunInUAE file).

@all
I have now made the eight alpha release (please use the download link in the first post). Changes include:

* Detects & offers to repair bad .uaerc_RunInUAE config files. This should (hopefully) fix the last remaining source of problems starting HD games...

* Now runs ADFs that have a space in their path.

* Slightly improved installer.

@ChrisH

I have just played around with the latest version and I am impressed. You have done some great work here. You may have seen my posts regarding glUAE which Saimo has done such a great job on, I don't see these programs in competion but as mutually benificial in bringing a good if not great E-UAE experience to OS4, on whatever the HW platform.

I have just played some HD installed games which I had on my A1XE (which had a pretty good E-UAE performance, I now run a SAM), the results have been very good especially if I tweak the uaerc file.

I am using the latest E-UAE with the gui which pops up after double clicking on the HD installed game so it is very easy to tweak some things without saving or saving if I want to.

Under 0.8.29 "sound_latency= (default 100)" replaced "sound_max_buffer=8192" I think sound emulation is one of the main problems on any current AOS4x platform. I can only speak for SAM Flex 800 but setting the latency to around 114 works very well, some tweaking may be required for different games but all in all a big improvement than the older buffer method. Other HW will vary but results should improve. Please note this does not work on the 08.28 or below versions.

For experienced users you can also change the gfx_frameskip= config this may help a little as well.

Keep up the great work, we are finally getting some very nice E-UAE abilities on our own platform.

cheers
ace

@acefnq Quote:
Thanks

Quote:
Don't forget that this can also be (temporarily) changed from RunInUAE's menu. BTW, didn't you mean gfx_framerate= ?

Quote:
Beware that due to a (IMHO) bug, clicking on "Save Default" will overwrite .uaerc instead of .uaerc_RunInUAE, and this will probably cause ADF games to not work.

Quote:
OK, I'll add that to the provided config file. I don't use the latest E-UAE myself, since it has worse performance (last time I checked).

Quote:
Hmmm, I think there is competition, but I'd like to think it is friendly competition. I certainly don't mind people using someone else's solution over mine... as long as it is for valid reasons (rather than say misunderstanding or ignorance).