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Questions and Answers for AMIGA Workbench or Coffin

Problems With Coffin 56 and 57

Fair Fight14

Posts 11
10 Aug 2020 13:21


I have a Amiga 1200 (PAL UK based) with 3.1.4 roms, with a V1200 that only arrived a few days ago. So I've done nothing fancy at all.

RTG to TV as normal, and RGB going through an OSSC (I have tested directly to the TV as well).

The vampire 1200 is totally stock, I've not flashed anything to it as yet. From what I understand, that means it still boots with 3.10.

So, I've tried coffin 56 and 57, since it came out yesterday.

I can mess about, and get a 720 picture through the RTG, though I do have to set the TV to "Just Scan", rather than it understanding it through 16:9.

My problem is with the WHDLoad games, for some crazy reason, they try to launch above 60Hz, and bounce around at different Hz, leaving me with no picture on the RGB connection.

Though, I can run something like SysInfo, and get 50Hz fine, and then see it fine on RGB.

I've had it for a few days now, and only been able to look at the fancy icons of coffin really.

Any ideas on how to fix this Hz problem, would be great if I could.


Gunnar von Boehn
(Apollo Team Member)
Posts 6207
10 Aug 2020 14:17


I dont understand your problem.
Can you please better explain?

What do you mean by "try to launch above 60Hz" ?


Fair Fight14

Posts 11
10 Aug 2020 14:57


Literally that... They try to launch above 60Hz, instead of a nice steady 50Hz. I don't see any picture from the WHDLoad games / demos, because of that.
 
  The OSSC bounces from just under 60Hz, to 68Hz, with no picture.
 
  If I take the RGB and put it directly into the TV, I get no picture at all.
 
  The TV can handle everything from composite all the way up to DIGITAL-VIDEO, and even multisync stuff like an ST.
 
  If I take the Vampire out, put back in the 8MB card I was using, and use my own install of WHDLoad, everything works on the OSSC, and on the TV directly.
 
  Now, if I run something like Infosys or AIBB, everything is fine, and works at 50Hz, through the RGB.
 
  The only thing I'm having problems with, is the WHDLoad stuff.
 
  If I take the Vampire out, and put back in the 8MB card I was using, and use my own install of WHDLoad on 3.1.4.1, everything including the WHDLoad stuff I havve,  works on the OSSC, and on the TV directly.
 
  If I boot a game directly from Floppy/gotek, it works fine at 50Hz on the OSSC, and directly on the TV at 50Hz, while the Vampire card is plugged in.
 
  So I don't believe it's my setup in that regard.
 
  I've already been asked by TuKo to edit out "SetEnv 15kHz" line in the WHDLoad S:WHDLoad-Startup, but all that did was give no signal at all to the OSSC or TV.
 
  I can only conclude there's something strange going on within coffin, even though it was a fresh install of 57 today, and I had the same problem with 56.
 
  Here's a video of what's happening to the OSSC when something WHDLoad is launched in Coffin 57 or 56...
  EXTERNAL LINK 
On the other hand, a nice stable picture, when I run AIBB from within Coffin 57...
EXTERNAL LINK 



Chris Edwards

Posts 43
10 Aug 2020 15:10


i dont use a OSSC, but a dell u2410f for both my rtg and rgb, and it works fine on 54,55,56, and now i wll test 57 (when its done writing) but works fine. could it be the ossc ??? idk... core update ? just a thought


Fair Fight14

Posts 11
10 Aug 2020 15:23


I got my vampire 1200 only a few days ago. It comes with 2.12, and 2.13 isn't ready for the 1200 yet, so I can't do an update.
     
    I don't understand how it could be the OSSC or the TV, when the very same games work from floppy, and non-WHDLoad work just fine? I also pointed out, that an install of WHDLoad games that has nothing to do with coffin or P96 works just fine with an 8MB card I had been using. So, it's not the equipment, not understanding Amiga signals, I don't believe...?
     
    I believe there's some setting, somewhere in Coffin - I don't pretend to understand what may be in error - but it's stopping the correct signals from being the way that they should be.
     
      From the little I understand, WHDLoad is supposed to be turning off the P96 stuff, start a game, then turn the P96 stuff back on again, when the exit button is pressed.
 
  EDIT: Seems this is "a" fix, but there's problems after reboot.
 
  After doing something else for a while (Roughly 15 minutes), the Roadshow "Thank you for using..." window pops. After clicking OK, and trying the WHDLoad stuff again, everything worked fine. Until I reset, and it all stopped again.
 
  I explained this on Discord, and with AMike and Crom's help, it's pointed out to me that Networking can cause problems with WHDLoad, and that I should rename the bdsocketlibrary, and it should work fine.
 
  If I do rename bdsocketlibrary, WHDLoad stuff then works correctly.
 
  Everything seems fine, until I reboot. The OS then refuses to load. It's stuck at the vampire logo on RTG, and asking for a disk on RGB.
 
 


Pat 3657

Posts 50
10 Aug 2020 18:46


As I understand you tested coffin with the vampire and 3.1.4. without vampire. What about a basic amigaos (3.1.4) install WITH the vampire?
Is it a software or hardware issue?
Disabling Roadshow/bdsocket.library is only for safety. The "Thank you" window can interfere with WHDLoad while running.

A Vampire with RTG draws more power than your 8MB card. Unsufficent power supply can cause very weird things...



Fair Fight14

Posts 11
10 Aug 2020 19:22


I haven't tested coffin with 3.1.4, since the Vampire comes with 3.10 already installed. I haven't changed anything with the Vampire. From what I understand, the 3.1.4 roms in the Amiga are overlooked pretty much. I understand it to be, no matter which roms you have, the vampire boots to whichever rom you have on the Vampire. This is only done differently if you tell it to in the startup-sequence, or have a kick.rom on the SD card.
   
    The correct resolution happens from floppy games, or non-WHDLoad stuff that wants to use native resolution through the RGB.
   
    Without disabling (Renaming) the bdsocket.library, the WHDLoad window doesn't pop up on RTG, and leaves the RGB going crazy.
   
    Disabling bdsocket.library on the other had, lets WHDLoad display its window, and then allows 50Hz on the RGB and I can play games as I want.
   
    Sadly, after reboot, the computer refuses to boot. So I have to boot a workbench disk, and enable (Rename back) the bdsocket.library files again, before coffin will boot as normal.
   
    So now, I believe it is something to do with Roadshow/bdsocket.library, that isn't being disabled correctly, when launching WHDLoad from stock coffin.
 
  As I explained before - if I boot the Amiga, with no changes at all - virgin install, only changing to 720. Wait 15 mins, the Roadshow window pops up thanking its use, then all the WHDLoad stuff works. So I really shows me it's something to do with Roadshow.

EDIT: It seems if you right click across the top, you get "Network", and then if you disable connect on boot, and then reboot the computer, WHDLoad works as normal.

So it wasn't anything to do with my Amiga, OSSC, TV, cables, it's all down to WHDLoad not like Roadshow/network stuff.

It would be great if this "fix" was put in the readme, so other users don't pull their hair out for days! LOL


Pat 3657

Posts 50
10 Aug 2020 20:27


Okay, when it really comes down to Roadshow, try the following:
  - Leave bdsocket as it is, your system should boot.
  - Edit startup-sequence (Workbench menu "Settings"->Startup->Edit startup-sequence). Find the line "Run <>NIL: Execute s:network-startup" and disable it by putting a semi-colon in front of it.
  This way Roadshow is not initialized on startup.
  - Edit WHDload-startup (Workbench menu "Settings"->WHDLoad->Edit WHDLoad-startup) and disable the line "S:Network-shutdown"
  This entry causes the Thankyou window to appear. This line is no longer needed as Roadshow isn't running anyways.

Still your problem seems to be rather unique... you may be the first when it comes to "Networking causes to run PAL at 68Hz" ;)
 
 


Fair Fight14

Posts 11
11 Aug 2020 10:02


Thank you for your advice Pat, but I'd rather not do that, because I'd like to actually use networking, when the parts arrive in the coming weeks.

Or is there something nicer than Roadshow to use?



Pat 3657

Posts 50
11 Aug 2020 10:17


Well, all I said is reversable. It is mainly meant for testing.
If you are going to use networking you may either buy a Roadshow licence (the offending Thank you window is no longer an issue then) or use MiamiDX instead, I guess. Later one definitely involves a clean uninstall of Roadshow, so spending money is easier.



Fair Fight14

Posts 11
11 Aug 2020 10:40


I more than happy to do some testing, since it's not like I've got a whole load of my stuff installed yet. :)
   
    (Going to type it all in now)
   
    It'll be interesting to see if MiamiDX causes the same errors.
 
  EDIT: @Pat Thank you. I've followed what you said to the T, and rebooted. It works.
 
  The Networking bit in the menu basically does the same thing by the looks of it, and uses an IF statement, checking to see if a flag has been set, and either starts or doesn't start the whole loading of "Run <>NIL: Execute s:network-startup".
 
  I guess the next step is to uninstall Roadshow, and install MiamiDX. I'm guessing that will be easier to know if it's worth while or not, when I actually get the hardware to use a network? It would be great if you could help me with that at a later date?

posts 11