ao486 with Top 300 DOS Games Pack - TOO easy to set up?

[lagerfeldt]

Behind this clickybaity headline is a couple of real questions.

Having seen long videos and guides, but these lengthy explanations don't seem necessary.

I just downloaded the two hard disks from a certain archive, unpacked the multiple ZIP files with The Unarchiver, copied them over (except the boot files), and everything worked.

No need to install keyboard and mouse drivers or type in anything - just plug & play. Played DOOM in full screen, no slowdowns.

Big up to Mr. Flynn for the work with the pack.

QUESTION:

In the "MiSTer AO486 Top 300 DOS Games Pack" there are the two hard disks, the boot/DOS and the Top 300 games.

Besides that, there is an "ADDOS" folder and a "trident_VGA 640x480x16.bin" file.

What are these folders and files, why do you use them, how, and where do they go exactly?

[flynnsbit]

ADDOS is for the optional After Dark Screensaver option in MyMenu. You need to put that directory... I think on C:\ADDOS and then set the screensaver through mymenu. It might go on E:\ADDOS. I can't remember.

the trident vga bios is there for only a few games, you swap bios1.bin in your ao486 folder with that one for those games. I tried to call the ones that need it out in the readme of the game. The Incredible Machines comes to mind where you need the trident bios instead.

Glad you like the pack, lot of years of work in that.

[lagerfeldt]

Thanks!

But when you say "in your ao486" folder, where is that exactly?

The /media/fat/games/AO486/ has no bios1.bin file

[flynnsbit]

sorry, boot1.rom.

[lagerfeldt]

Thanks, okay so simply place the .bin in the same directory.

However, where do you actually swap the boot rom in the AO486? There's no such option in the core menu settings (e.g. in the C64 core where you can select the ROM within the core menu)?

Appreciate your help in making these things clear as I couldn't find any guide on this part.

Does it require you to make a backup of the original boot rom(s) and then rename "trident_VGA 640x480x16.bin" to "boot0.rom" or "boot1.rom" and restart the core?

And then vice versa when you want to go back again.

[flynnsbit]

Thanks, okay so simply place the .bin in the same directory.

However, where do you actually swap the boot rom in the AO486? There's no such option in the core menu settings (e.g. in the C64 core where you can select the ROM within the core menu)?

Appreciate your help in making these things clear as I couldn't find any guide on this part.

Does it require you to make a backup of the original boot rom(s) and then rename "trident_VGA 640x480x16.bin" to "boot0.rom" or "boot1.rom" and restart the core?

And then vice versa when you want to go back again.

Yes you need to back it up. To get specific, boot0 is the bios for AO486 (not swappable with anything as it as custom code for disk mounting, cd, etc) and boot1 is the VGA card. replacing boot1 (A custom ET4000 bios) with the trident and restarting the core will boot with the trident vga card instead. That vga bios is one of the only ones you can swap out the custom one Sorg built for AO486, but it allows for the qwerky display mode that a few games use.

Seth made a boot switcher script to make it easier to flip back and forth if you are going to do it a lot. Just put it in your scripts folder.
https://github.com/sethgregory/ao486_boot_switcher

[lagerfeldt]

Cheers mate!

[lagerfeldt]

Any chance you know how to change and see the turbo speed in the new MyMenu? This was shown in the upper right corner of the TDL, but it's gone in MyMenu.

Looks like it was supposed to be in the lower line of the menu, but nothing there and F3 doesn't seem to do anything.

[bbond007]

Any chance you know how to change and see the turbo speed in the new MyMenu? This was shown in the upper right corner of the TDL, but it's gone in MyMenu.

Looks like it was supposed to be in the lower line of the menu, but nothing there and F3 doesn't seem to do anything.

Make sure these enabled in (no#) MYMENU.INI:

Code: Select all

TURBO=FULL - 486;       $A100
TURBO=MED  - 286/386;   $A1A0
TURBO=SLOW - XT 8088;   $A1A1

You can have as many presets as you'd like but if you go over 3 you'll need to specify the color as the 3rd param :

Code: Select all

TURBO=CUSTOM;   $####; $##

I have included the latest version

[lagerfeldt]

Thanks!

I haven’t made any changes, though. By default there’s no turbo option it seems. There is/was for TDL, perhaps this should be on by default?

Just used flynnsbit Updater script yesterday and version 09CC og MyMenu is what I got as the newest.

Where is this MYMENU.INI file located exactly on the SD? Or is something that needs to edited from within the DOS system or the menu itself? I've looked, but can't find it.

Also, where would you place the updated MYMENU.EXE, as I can't locate that either on the SD and wouldn't it be overwritten when running the Updater script the next time?

[bbond007]

Thanks!

I haven’t made any changes, though. By default there’s no turbo option it seems. There is/was for TDL, perhaps this should be on by default?

Just used the Updater script yesterday and version 09CC is what I got.

Where is this MYMENU.INI file located exactly on the SD?

Also, where would you place the updated MYMENU.EXE, as I can't locate that either on the SD and wouldn't it be overwritten when running the Updater script?

I guess that repo needs to be updated, 09CC is 22 versions behind 09E2...

Should be in the same place as the MYMENU.EXE \MYMENU\

[lagerfeldt]

Okay, thanks - but where is that? I can't locate any such place on the SD card. I can't find it in the menu system itself either.

Is it something you can only find via DOS or a Windows machine perhaps? It's not clear to me where this file is located and how to edit it if it's not in Linux or something you can do on a Mac.

[bbond007]

Okay, thanks - but where is that? I can't locate any such place on the SD card. I can't find it in the menu system itself either.

Is it something you can only find via DOS or a Windows machine perhaps? It's not clear to me where this file is located and how to edit it if it's not in Linux or something you can do on a Mac.

exit the menu to DOS.

type:
CD \MYMENU
EDIT MYMENU.INI

[lagerfeldt]

I guess that repo needs to be updated, 09CC is 22 versions behind 09E2...

Interestingly the repo seems to say Version $09E0, but I got $09CC when using the Updater.

https://github.com/flynnsbit/Top300_updates