A4000 trying to get CD to work (IDEfix97)

[Tomse]

I've just installed os3.1 on my A4000 040 Desktop (IDE), on a CF card.
I'm trying to install IDEfix97, so I can access my DVD-RW drive.
during installation I get the requester error (suspend/reboot) just after loading idefix.
I guess the aminet version is newer than my diskette which is copyrighted until 1997. Having tried both yields same result.

does anyone have any ideas ?
as a start I just want to get to access my CD drive.
long term, is CD32 emulation.

For now I have no need of burning.
The drive is physically shorter than old CD drives, it leaves around 2 inches of space between it and the psu.

Specs:
Stock A4000 A4340 Rev3.2 (hacked for A3000 use)
Rom3.0
X-surf3cc

 

[merlinkv]

@Tomse

- Be sure the line C:IDEfix is the first one on Startup-Sequence

- Some CF adapters don't work with other IDE devices connected on the same channel.

 

[icbrkr]

Did you install some sort of file system driver for the CD-ROM? On Workbench 3.1, I believe you'll need to install AmiCDFS or something similar so that the system will know how to read the drive.

 

[Tomse]

Even putting the idefix as the first line in startup-sequence I get the error message:

just be be clear what it says

DH0
Program failed (error #8000004).
Wait for disk activity to finish.

I got my CD drive to work though
I used my old 3.9 emergency disk and copied cd0 from devs.
then found out that the Drive I had installed was defective.. I found one that worked.

issue is still standing, in order for me to use the machine as a CD32 emulator, I'll need the idefix to complete the installation.

could it have problems of conflict with the rom3.0 ?

Did you install some sort of file system driver for the CD-ROM? On Workbench 3.1, I believe you'll need to install AmiCDFS or something similar so that the system will know how to read the drive.

That's why I'm installing the IDEfix. the IDEfix contains the CacheCDFS driver.

 

[cosmicfrog]

have u patched it to work with CF cards ??

if its cd32 emu u after suggest u install cd stuff from squirrel pcmia scsi

 

[Tomse]

as far as I understand the patch, is that Cosmos and Droopey added CF support from the IDE controllers on the xsurf and buddha, and a couple more that I don't remember right now.

since the CF is attached to the onboard controller that shouldn't make a difference.
worth a try though..

I'll try the latter when I find the drivers if possible, thanks

 

[icbrkr]

That's why I'm installing the IDEfix. the IDEfix contains the CacheCDFS driver.

Shows how much I know. I didn't realize this, though it's been in my startup-sequences for years.

 

[Tomse]

That's why I'm installing the IDEfix. the IDEfix contains the CacheCDFS driver.

Shows how much I know. I didn't realize this, though it's been in my startup-sequences for years.

as far as I can see it says shareware.. and probably you need to register it somewhere too ;-)

well I do have a license for the idefix since I want to get that to work ;-)

 

[Kin Hell]

As a matter of interest, are you running two internal IDE hard drives?

If so why? a Single IDE drive is more than enough. Set as Master Device & set DVDROM to Slave. Then there is no need for messing around with IDE-FIX & you just install a decent CDROM FileSystem & it's all good.

Kin

 

[Tomse]

I'm only using 1 HDD, and 1 optical drive.
both are functional atm.
the essential part was to get access to the CD32 software that only would be installed after loading idefix...

I've now tried reinstalling, I forgot there was a choice to not load the idefix during installation, and I got to install the CD32 software..

so luckily this is not an issue any more, thanks.

Tomse

 

[Bootay]

I'm only using 1 HDD, and 1 optical drive.
both are functional atm.
the essential part was to get access to the CD32 software that only would be installed after loading idefix...

I've now tried reinstalling, I forgot there was a choice to not load the idefix during installation, and I got to install the CD32 software..

so luckily this is not an issue any more, thanks.

Tomse

Not to get off topic, but I was wondering about this cd32 emulator business. Does it work good and what do you need to do it hardware wise? Also is it emulating the games or just tricking the A4000 into reading the disks? Just curious because I didn't know you could run CD32 games on an A4000. I wouldn't mind trying it out myself.

 

[Kin Hell]

I'm only using 1 HDD, and 1 optical drive.
both are functional atm.
the essential part was to get access to the CD32 software that only would be installed after loading idefix...

I've now tried reinstalling, I forgot there was a choice to not load the idefix during installation, and I got to install the CD32 software..

so luckily this is not an issue any more, thanks.

Tomse

Not so. Install the Squirrel SCSI Software for CD32 Access to any hardware. I just ran Beneath a Steel Sky from CDROM using this software & an M-TEC SCSI controller. You still need to make a CD32 Boot Floppy.

Kin

 

[Tomse]

I'm only using 1 HDD, and 1 optical drive.
both are functional atm.
the essential part was to get access to the CD32 software that only would be installed after loading idefix...

I've now tried reinstalling, I forgot there was a choice to not load the idefix during installation, and I got to install the CD32 software..

so luckily this is not an issue any more, thanks.

Tomse

Not so. Install the Squirrel SCSI Software for CD32 Access to any hardware. I just ran Beneath a Steel Sky from CDROM using this software & an M-TEC SCSI controller. You still need to make a CD32 Boot Floppy.
Kin

I don't understand what you mean here by saying "not so"
The software still needs to be installed in order to be used, so the "install floppy" or "install HDD" installers are only available after a certain point during the installation of the idefix. but as said ealier, I managed to get past this step

Not to get off topic, but I was wondering about this cd32 emulator business. Does it work good and what do you need to do it hardware wise? Also is it emulating the games or just tricking the A4000 into reading the disks? Just curious because I didn't know you could run CD32 games on an A4000. I wouldn't mind trying it out myself.

I haven't tried it yet, but you'll need an AGA machine with CD drive (so either A1200 or A4000), and of course the software, then you basically have a CD32 machine.

 

[Bootay]

Nice. I have an A4000. I am going to try it. What is the name of the CD32 software needed for this? I don't think it was named in the thread at all.

 

[Tomse]

if you have IDEfix, then it's in that package,
otherwise you can get it through the squirrel scsi drivers as far as I can see
if you try the squirrel scsi package, let me know how it works

good luck ;-)

 

[Bootay]

if you have IDEfix, then it's in that package,
otherwise you can get it through the squirrel scsi drivers as far as I can see
if you try the squirrel scsi package, let me know how it works

good luck ;-)

I will try and give it a go tonight. After research via Google I also found that there is a program called CD-Boot that allows you to boot from CD and supposedly launches CD32 games on A4000 computers. Not sure how accurate this is though. I will try both. I just freshly formatted and reinstalled my AmigaOS so if I goof it up I could care less.

I will post my results in this thread.

 

[Tomse]

I just found this, perhaps the software is in the second entry
http://amiga.resource.cx/exp/squirrel#s_squirrel

 

[Kin Hell]

I'm only using 1 HDD, and 1 optical drive.
both are functional atm.
the essential part was to get access to the CD32 software that only would be installed after loading idefix...

I've now tried reinstalling, I forgot there was a choice to not load the idefix during installation, and I got to install the CD32 software..

so luckily this is not an issue any more, thanks.

Tomse

This is what I meant Not so to....

I mis-read this statement....

Much the Same with the Squirrel Software. When the Installer runs, select the Intermediate Set up option & then choose what to install & what not to.

Sorry for any confusion but it looks like you got the general idea.

Also, I was just suggesting that for a 2 x IDE device Amiga A4KD, It's really not worth the hassle of getting IDE-FIX software to run successfully. Being a SCSI man myself, I chose not to bother.

Kin