jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil (Calvin Jones, III) (10/14/89)
Todd Stock <todd@ptolemy.arc.nasa.gov> Asks: >Can anyone *please* tell me what software can and can't be run from >hard disks. I know that anything that takes over the machine before >it even gets to WB isn't going to work, but I've had all kinds of >trouble with other things. F/18 for example. In general, if you boot the disk and it makes the internal drive sound like a garbage disposal eating a steak knife, you won't be able to run it from your hard drive! Now if we find a nice, well behaved program that requires you to double-click the disk icon, then opens a window and lets you double click the icon to start the program, you will have a *LOT* better luck. It still may not be easy! First back up the disk using the normal DISKCOPY command, or by dragging the icons. If the disk won't copy, it's not gonna run on the hard drive anyway. Now, you will need to be able to examine the files on the disk, and move them to whatever (sub-)directory you wish to use on the hard drive, including the sub-directories on the floppy disk. Be sure to copy any files that are in the C, DEVS, L, LIBS, S, and FONTS directory on the floppy that are not on your hard drive, to the proper places on the hard drive. At this point, many programs will run just fine. F18 won't. F18 has several references to DF0: hard-coded into the program. You'll have to use a file editor (NewZap, or equivalent) to change the DF0: to something else (I changed DF0: to F18:, pretty damn original, huh) and then edit the S:Startup-Sequence that boots your hard drive to ASSIGN F18: to the proper (sub-)directory. In my case that is: ASSIGN F18: DH0:GAMES/F18 Hope this helps. --- Cal ____ HOBBIT / / / 340 Meg Online HOLE / / / 12/24/9600HST bps AMIGA: ____ / / / Exclusively Amiga \ \ \/ / / "Best Amiga BBS in FL" The computer for the BEST of us! \ \ \/ / July, 1989 Final List(tm) \_\_\/ A comfortable place to meet
new@udel.edu (Darren New) (10/16/89)
In article <1659@nigel.udel.EDU> "Calvin Jones, III" <jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil> writes: >In general, if you boot the disk and it makes the internal drive sound >like a garbage disposal eating a steak knife, you won't be able to run >it from your hard drive! Not really. Many of the games I have check for a "key" disk (so does some real software :-(. But once the game starts, it runs off the local files. Some of my games (Dark Castle, for example) need patching of the executables even tho there are no direct references to DF0: or DF1: in them. I don't find the key-disk setup onerous(sp?) for games, but I am annoyed at things like Deluxe Paint and such that require key disks every time you start it. I saw one database program for the Mac that only asked for the key disk about once every two weeks. Course, you can't do this sort of thing with something like DPaint, but a database, accounting program, etc that relies on correct dates for correct opperation could do this. -- Darren
addison@pollux.usc.edu (Richard Addison) (10/18/89)
In article <1659@nigel.udel.EDU> "Calvin Jones, III" <jones@uv4.eglin.af.mil> writes: >I don't find the key-disk setup onerous(sp?) for games, but I am annoyed at >things like Deluxe Paint and such that require key disks every time you start >it. Well, as far as I can tell, Deluxe Paint III doesn't ask for a key disk. Maybe I got a wrong version? :-) Richard Addison "Just Say Know!"