Lynch_MJ@cc.curtin.edu.au (02/26/91)
QUESTIONS ABOUT THE AMAZING COMPUTING A1000 RAM EXPANSION HACK (1987)
I'm considering adding ram to my 1000 the DIY way using the method outlined
in Amazing Computing (1987). The article tells of problems with Kick-Start
1.2 trying to configure the RAM in a way that it shouldn't be used.
What I want to know is does this problem still exist with KS 1.3???
Is the extra hardware hack to remove the RAM until the WB disk is validated
needed with 1.3?
Does this form of expansion work with most software and games?
Are there any other problems or solutions to problems?
Is it possible to build the AddRAM program into the kick start disk or the
boot-block on WB disks?
Any replies will be greatly appreciated.
Huw
--
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{ Merv Lynch }
{ Department of Applied Sciences }
{ Curtin University of Technology }
{ PSImail: psi%050529452300070::Lynch_MJ }
{ Internet: Lynch_MJ@cc.curtin.edu.au }
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{ UUCP : uunet!munnari.oz!cc.curtin.edu.au!Lynch_MJ }
------------------------------------------------------------monty@sagpd1 (03/06/91)
In article <7229.27ca4872@cc.curtin.edu.au> Lynch_MJ@cc.curtin.edu.au writes: >I'm considering adding ram to my 1000 the DIY way using the method outlined >in Amazing Computing (1987). The article tells of problems with Kick-Start >1.2 trying to configure the RAM in a way that it shouldn't be used. >What I want to know is does this problem still exist with KS 1.3??? To be honest with you I don't remember this problem..but....I have had the piggy back ram mod (which I believe is the one you are refering to) in my A1000 for better than two years. I also have a kickstart eliminator that was based on KS 1.2 ( wish I had the 1.3 update:) ) >Is the extra hardware hack to remove the RAM until the WB disk is validated >needed with 1.3? Could you be refering to Dave Haynies mod to make this ram auto-config?? >Does this form of expansion work with most software and games? I can't think of any that it doesn't work with (assuming you have the auto config mod installed also) -- this eliminates the addmem call. >Are there any other problems or solutions to problems? >Is it possible to build the AddRAM program into the kick start disk or the >boot-block on WB disks? See above. Monty Saine P.S. I will still provide hardcopy of the above mods to anyone who sends a SASE to me. If you also include a disk I'll give you the related IFF and text files I have also.
rich@documail.UUCP (Rich McCallister) (03/09/91)
In article <7229.27ca4872@cc.curtin.edu.au>, tlynchmj@cc.cutin.edu.au says: > I'm considering adding ram to my 1000 the DIY way using the method outlined > in Amazing Computing (1987). The article tells of problems with Kick-Start > 1.2 trying to configure the RAM in a way that it shouldn't be used. > > What I want to know is does this problem still exist with KS 1.3??? Yes. > > Is the extra hardware hack to remove the RAM until the WB disk is validated > needed with 1.3? Either that, or the patch to the Kickstart disk that appeared in Amazing Computing's letters-to-the-editor column a few months after the plans for the hack itself were published. The patch was for Kickstart 1.2, but also works with Kickstart 1.3. > > Does this form of expansion work with most software and games? Yes (at least the Kickstart patch does); I haven't found one that it doesn't work with. > > Are there any other problems or solutions to problems? Yes! Any patches to Kickstart are likely to be useless with a new version of the operating system. However, with 1.3, none of the relevant instructions moved, so we lucked out. 2.0 has (as I've heard) its own difficulties with the 1000; I don't know how much this hack adds to those problems. > > Is it possible to build the AddRAM program into the kick start disk or the > boot-block on WB disks? There is a package called KickBoth or BootKick or something like that, which actually allows you to install a file system on a kickstart disk. You thus combine the Kickstart and Workbench boots into one! The space available to the Workbench portion is limited, however, but you certainly could fit AddRAM in there. This would not solve the problem of making the extra 512K available for boot disks that you don't want to modify (like those used for some games). By the way, I had some trouble using the program, included in the AC article, that removes the extra 512K from the "CHIP" ram pool, and adds it to that of the "FAST" ram. (You only need this if you don't add the hardware circuitry to hide the 512K while booting, and you don't use a modified Kickstart disk.) I think the program assumed that the memory would be all in one chunk, or would be the last chunk in the list, or something like that. I modified it to catch all such chunks (er, entries in the MemList), but felt it was a risky way to go anyway. If the 512K is fragmented before I even run my startup-sequence, how do I know the memory isn't being used as chip ram? When I built mine, 4 years ago, US$80 for a half meg seemed a good deal. Now, I don't know if it would be as economical, as the prices of 1 and 2 Meg slap on memories (for the side of the 1000) have dropped, and 1.5 meg inside boards are available. Also, Amiga 500 disks that come with ram expansion can be used on the 1000, altho you might have a problem with them covering up the mouse/joystick connectors. My 1000 has been on 24 hours a day (except for 5 or 10 weeks in the summer, when I don't want to heat up the house so much). The 512K add on has been very, very good to me.
bacon@zeus.unomaha.edu (Infomaniac) (03/14/91)
In article <307@documail.UUCP>, rich@documail.UUCP (Rich McCallister) writes: > In article <7229.27ca4872@cc.curtin.edu.au>, tlynchmj@cc.cutin.edu.au says: >> I'm considering adding ram to my 1000 the DIY way using the method outlined >> in Amazing Computing (1987). The article tells of problems with Kick-Start >> 1.2 trying to configure the RAM in a way that it shouldn't be used. >> >> What I want to know is does this problem still exist with KS 1.3??? > Yes. I had the memory hack also done, but the guy who did it didn't want to bother with the WB1.2 hack part of it. Instead he addressed the memory from 00100000 to 0017ffff. Now, I have heard about another program, which I think he is referring to below, which was supposed to merge the pseudo fast/chip ram so that it basically functioned as autoconfig ram. The program was on a Fish Disk and it was called KickMem, by Edward Lapin, I believe. My problem, as you see, is that my mem is not configured to the same addresses as the hack is supposed to be, so the KickMem program wouldn't work. Worse, it rendered the kickstart disk useless. On that disk I also had the Boot1 wedge inserted as well. I cannot relocate the original program and it doesn't appear to have been on any of the Fish disks (Boot1 was a program that allows you to boot from df1, much better than the horrendously noisy A1000 internal drive!) So, to put it in short, my questions are: * Can a quick rewrite of the Kickmem program be made to config my memory addresses? * Does anyone still have a copy of the Boot1 program or is it on a FTP site? * Oh, one other problem. Does anyone know why this setup isn't acceptable to VD0 or the RRamDisk progs? I've never been able to get them to work correctly. > By the way, I had some trouble using the program, included in the AC > article, that removes the extra 512K from the "CHIP" ram pool, and adds it > to that of the "FAST" ram. (You only need this if you don't add the hardware > circuitry to hide the 512K while booting, and you don't use a modified > Kickstart disk.) I think the program assumed that the memory would be all > in one chunk, or would be the last chunk in the list, or something like that. > I modified it to catch all such chunks (er, entries in the MemList), but > felt it was a risky way to go anyway. If the 512K is fragmented before I even > run my startup-sequence, how do I know the memory isn't being used as Russ Bacon comments/suggestions/additions/deletions/obfuscations/indigestions WELCOMED!!! ****************************************************************************** Gee. . . Toto . . . this sure doesn't look like Kansas! // Have you Russ Bacon University of NE at Omaha // tried Bitnet - Bacon@UNOMA1 \\ // an Internet - Bacon@zeus.unomaha.edu \\/ AMIGA?? *****************************************************************************
rich@documail.UUCP (Rich McCallister) (03/20/91)
The 1.3 Kickstart disk can be modified to both
1) Work with the Chris Erving / Amazing Computing memory hack, and
2) Boot off DF1:
For a while, I was booting my 1000 with the Chris Erving memory (at
80000 to fffff hex) off DF1:. I simply applied the patches for the DF1: boot
to my Kickstart disk that was already modified to boot safely with the Chris
Erving memory. I was lucky, in that the two patches happened to not patch
the same location twice!
The same kickstart patch I use should work for you. That's because it
basically tells the system that CHIP RAM is on the range 0 to 7ffff only,
rather than the normal 0 to 1fffff. Thus, it places both my memory (at
80000 to fffff) and yours (at 100000 to 17ffff, if I recall) outside of
CHIP RAM, which is what we want.
When you boot with such a patched Kickstart disk, the system thinks it
has 512K of CHIP RAM, and doesn't know at all about your Chris Erving memory.
Thus, you need to use addmem to add it to the system list of free memory.
I THINK you can use the normal addmem for this; I believe it just adds the
memory to the FAST RAM free list. (I'm not positive at the moment about this.
I've always used a custom addmem that did not do any memory diagnostics,
because I used to use a recoverable RAM disk. Regular addmem would write into
some or all of the memory, wiping out my recoverable RAM disk. Out of inertia,
I think I still use the modified version.)
If you need them, I have
1) the instructions for patching Kickstart to ignore CHIP RAM above 512K
2) the name of the Kickstart DF1: patch I am using
3) the source for the modified addmem (which I think you don't need)
and I'll be happy to dig these out of my mounds of rubbish at home.
By the way, I fell funny about using "Chris Erving" as an adjective. It is
a bit of an honor, tho, just as "Ward Christiansen" protocol is.