Millennium Time Capsule/AC2000.BIN/disks/ac5_disk/gemul8r/gemul8r.faq

Text File | 1997-05-04 | 23.8 KB | 666 lines

============================================================================

                       T H E  G E M U L A T O R  F A Q

     Frequently Asked Questions about GEMulator Classic and GEMulator96

============================================================================

                         Version 1.00 - 1 March 1997

                          Created and maintained by
                 Richard Karsmakers - [e-mail]
                     Robert Goodwin - [e-mail]

                                 DISCLAIMER

 Although every possible care has been taken to assure optimum accuracy of
the information in this FAQ, etc. :-)

 This document looks most like the way it ought to in Courier at size 10.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
                              Table of Contents
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1     Initial Proceedings

1.0   Welcome!
1.1   What the FAQ?!
1.2   How and where to get updated FAQ versions
1.3   How to help improving the FAQ
1.4   Author info
1.4a  Richard Karsmakers
1.4b  Robert Goodwin
1.5   GEMulator FAQ history
1.6   Thanks

2     What is the GEMulator?

2.0   The GEMulator
2.0.1 What it is
2.0.2 How to get it
2.1   Where do I find the software?
2.2   How do I install it?
2.2.1 Installing the GEMulator Classic
2.2.2 Installing the GEMulator96
2.2.3 Creating the GEMUL8R.INI file

3     No Way - What won't run on the GEMulator?

3.0   Drawing & Art
3.1   DTP, Word Processing and Text Editor
3.2   MIDI and Sound
3.3   Programming Utilities
3.4   Spreadsheets & Databases
3.5   Communications
3.6   Disk Magazines
3.7   Various (including most Utilities)

4     YES Way - This will run on the GEMulator!

4.0   Drawing & Art
4.1   DTP, Word Processing and Text Editor
4.2   MIDI and Sound
4.3   Programming Utilities
4.4   Spreadsheets & Databases
4.5   Communications
4.6   Disk Magazines
4.7   Various (including most Utilities)
4.8   Games

5     Problems...and how to solve them

5.1   Software Compatibility
5.2   Programming under GEMulator
5.3   Miscellaneous

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                            I: INITIAL PROCEEDINGS

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

1.0    WELCOME!

 The GEMulator has been around for a while, yet all this time nobody ever
got their noses down to the grindstone in order to create a means for
GEMulator users to exchange hints and tips, in other words to conceive a
basic document that contains information that GEMulator users would no doubt
value like life itself. Well, this is it.
 In case you are not familiar with the concept of FAQs, please read the next
paragraph.

1.1   What the FAQ?!

 FAQ simply stands for "Frequently Asked Question", but as of late it has
come to indicate a text file full of information about a certain subject.
And somewhere in the infinite nooks and crannies of the vastly obscure
Internet you can find FAQs for just about anything at all: Sitcoms, rock
groups, bomb-building, hallucinogenic substances, Amigas, Serbo-Croatian
bonsai tree aficionados, you name it!

1.2   How and where to get updated FAQ versions

 The idea for this FAQ came into existence somewhere around the end of 1996,
at which instant its creators both started to collect the various messages
pertaining to GEMulator that made their way onto the various Atari Usenet
groups, most particularly onto the group they quite regularly frequent,
comp.sys.atari.st.
 There will also be more or less frequent updates of this document, of
course, which will be posted to comp.sys.atari.st and comp.emulators.misc
and put up on the Web at http://members.iglou.com/rsg0910/gemul8r.faq. If
you want to receive the current version of the FAQ in your email box every
time a new one is released, just email to [e-mail] with the
subject line "Subscribe GEMulator FAQ".
 There are plans to create a GEMulator newsgroup, but so far nothing
tangible has materialized.

1.3   How to help improving the FAQ

 First of all, please distribute this FAQ to FTP sites, WWW sites, bulletin
boards and whichever other places you deem fit. The word must get around so
that this FAQ will quickly improve drastically. Right now it contains rather
more questions than it does replies, which is a thing that must change.
 Second, if you notice anything - anything AT ALL - that is either incorrect
or incomplete, please feel free to fill in the gaps (possibly with source
reference). Even typo reports are welcome. Most of all, however, we would
appreciate your sending in solutions to the problems posed in this document,
or submitting procedures that people would need to undertake to render
compatible a program so far included in the 'no way' list. Also, we would
simply like to know of programs you are using successfully that aren't yet
mentioned in chapter 4 (ones that *do* work), or ones you've tried (and
failed at) not yet mentioned in chapter 3 (ones that do not work).
 Cheers!

1.4   Author information

1.4a  Richard Karsmakers

 A teacher of English since January 1997, some of you may recognise Richard
from some things he's done on the Atari platform, which include the
"Ultimate Virus Killer" and the disk magazine "ST News". Although he has in
the mean time rounded off the latter, he has vouched to continue developing
the former. This, together with his disinclination to convert hundreds of
"Superbase" and "1st Word Plus" files to "Access" and "Word" respectively,
is the main reason why he is now the owner of a GEMulator-equipped PC set-
up.
 He still writes for the "Maggie" disk magazine occasionally, and plans to
set up a World Wide Web Multi Media Magazine called "WWW-MMM". Having a
penchant for loud music, he also maintains the FAQ for the rock group Gwar.

1.4b  Robert Goodwin

 Robert has been using Atari systems ever since they came out, from the
2600, 400, 520 ST and up, since around the late 70s. When the GEMulator and
other Atari emulators came around, he started playing with them to see how
much compatibility they provided. So far, there's compatibility to some
extent with various emulators. Even though they're run on IBM clones, he
still allocates space in his room for an STE and Mega STE, claiming they can
never be replaced by any of the clones. He hopes emulators will improve as
time goes by, featuring ever increasing compatibility.

1.5   GEMulator FAQ history

 1.00 - 1 Mar 1997
      - Compilation started

1.6   Thanks

 Lots of thanks to the people on Usenet who have reacted positively to the
idea of creating this FAQ - this one's for you! Quite a few people have
reacted by submitting questions, sometimes even questions accompanied by an
answer. Although we'll no doubt have forgotten a few people here, heartfelt
'cheers!' need to go out to Ben-John, William Jones, Ken MacDonald, Miguel
Reizinho, Jeff Vincent and Mark Slagell.
 Special thanks to Will Fisher; he's the author of "EmuZine", a Web HTML
magazine for emulation in general. For further information about this
magazine, you can email Will at [e-mail].

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                          II: WHAT IS THE GEMULATOR?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

2.0   The GEMulator

2.0.1 What it is

 GEMulator96 is a software Atari ST emulator for PCs, created by Darek
Mihocka of Emulators, Inc. It emulates most of the ST systems released by
Atari, the 520/1040ST, STfm, STf, STm, MegaST and MegaSTE.
 GEMulator Classic (current version 3.6) can only emulate the Atari ST. This
product is freeware (yes, it's for free!) and works on MS-DOS, Windows 3.1,
Windows 95 and OS/2 Warp, requiring at least an 80386 processor running at
33 Mhz, with 2-4 Mb of internal RAM.
 GEMulator96 (currently version 4.6 of January 1997) costs US$ 69.95
separate, US$ 99.95 with MagiC 2, US$ 119.95 with MagiC 4, US$ 149.95 with
TOS 1.04 ROMs on an ISA card, and US$ 179.95 with TOS 2.06 ROMs on an ISA
card. Users of MagicPC (a competing product) can upgrade to GEMulator96 for
US$ 39.95. It runs on Windows 3.1, Windows 95 and Windows NT, and requires
at least an 80486 processor at 33 Mhz, with 6-8 Mb of internal RAM and a VGA
monitor. It works on systems equipped with 386/486/Pentium/Pentrium Pro.
 Emulators, Inc. also offer to send you the latest GEMulator with MagiC 4 if
you send them your old ST or (Mega) STE with disk drive and at least one
(monochrome or colour) monitor. They'll even pay the shipping of GEMulator
to you, the kind souls :-\
 GEMulator97 is in the pipeline for the summer of 1997; this one should also
support Atari TT emulation.

2.0.2 Where to get it

 Emulators Inc. can be reached via email at [e-mail], which is also
the address where additional questions about GEMulator may be asked. The
regular (snailmail) address is:

 Emulators, Inc.
 14150 NE 20th Street, Suite 302
 Bellevue, WA 98007
 U.S.A.
 Phone [phone]
 Fax   [phone]

2.1   Where do I find the software?

For GEMulator Classic and GEMulator96:
     http://www.emulators.com (click on Downloads)

For software:
     ftp.cnam.fr
     ftp.archive.umich.edu (a very busy site!)
     gopher.archive.umich.edu (preferred)

For the TOS ROMs:
     http://www.nfinity.com/~swhalen/node99

For the virtual drives:
     http://home1.swipnet.se/~w-11410/js/gem96dem.zip
     (Just take the drives out of the zip file and stick them in your
      GEMulator directory)

For MagicPC: (German)
     http://cip2.e-technik.uni-erlangen.de:8080/hyplan/lafreund/magicpc.html
     ftp://members.aol.com/ashftp/demomapc.exe (English)

For TOS2Win:
     http://www.aixit.com/tos2win/info.htm

For STiMul: (still in development)
     http://www.micronet.fr/~tenabis/anglais/qaemu_an.htm

For other emulations go to Matthias Jaap homepage:
     http://www.hh.schule.de/hhs/computer/english/emulator.htm

For a Teradesk Desktop Replacement:
     ftp://ftp.cnam.fr/pub/Atari/Desktops/tdsk140a.lzh

2.2   How do I install it?

 Darek Mihocka, of Emulators, Inc., has said before that a manual is in the
making for the GEMulator Classic, but one has not surfaced yet. There is one
on setting up the GEMulator96 (to be found on the Emulators, Inc. home
page).

2.2.1 Installing the GEMulator Classic

 Create a directory anywhere on your hard drive. GEM is a good one, though
you may want a different one. Place GEMUL8R.EXE, and MAGIC_PC.OS in your
directory, as well as the .VHD and STHDBOOT.SEC files.
 Create the GEMUL8R.INI file. You can use the one below. See 2.2.3 for a
breakdown of what each line does.

rams 8
mono
quick
com1
disk c: cdrive.vhd
disk d: ddrive.vhd
disk e: edrive.vhd
disk f: fdrive.vhd
magic magic_pc.os

 You may have seen somewhere that the .INI file has to go in the root. This
is an error. The emulator is looking for it in the same directory it's in.
If you want it in the root directory, then make it 'magic c:\magic_pc.os,'
and it'll find it there. The nice thing about this sort of set-up is that
you can have multiple operating systems and desktops.
 Run the GEMUL8R.EXE program. You should now be able to see the boot-up
screen with the Atari logo, at which moment it'll start a memory check. This
check can be bypassed by tapping any key on the keyboard. If all goes well,
you will be at the desktop with 4 virtual drives C-F, and two floppy drives
A and B.
 You may also see that you cannot install the ROMs via the program, using
the INSTALL command. This is for the plug-in card that Emulators Inc. sells.
See their home page for more information. GEMulator will run without the ROM
images if you have this card.

2.2.2 Installing GEMulator96

 The Emulators Inc. Web page has instructions on doing this. However, there
may be some minor errors or whatnot, so watch this space.

2.2.3 Creating the GEMUL8R.INI file

 This paragraph features a breakdown of what the individual lines in the
GEMUL8R.INI file do.

 rams 8

How much memory do you wish for your ST to have? Make sure you have enough
RAM as well. A 4 Mb PC should use rams 4.

 mono

 What kind of monitor? For now, the GEMulator Classic only uses either low
or high resolution.

 quick

 How fast do you want the emulation to be? Quick or Slow? ST speed or PC
speed?

 com1

 What port is your modem on?

 disk c: cdrive.vhd
 disk d: ddrive.vhd
 disk e: edrive.vhd
 disk f: fdrive.vhd

 The virtual hard drives. If you don't have them, the emulator will give you
an error saying it can't find them, and all you'll have is access to the A:
and B: drives. See above where to find them.

 magic magic_pc.os

 This is your TOS ROM image. For now, most people are using 2.06. If your
image is called TOS.IMG, rename this line to magic tos.img. It will run.
Without this line or the .INI file, it will default to searching for the
MAGIC_PC.OS file.

 g

 Will allow you to go straight into the ST screen. It's not really needed,
but it's nice to have if you want to go right into it.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

               III: NO WAY - WHAT WON'T WORK ON THE GEMULATOR?

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 This chapter features a list - as complete as we could make it - of various
programs that do *not* work on the GEMulator. Individual games (just like
Falcons-specific applications such as "Rainbow") are not mentioned, as they
generally do not work. Exceptions may be found below, in chapter 4.

3.0   Drawing & Art

 Deluxe Paint (the mouse canרt be moved).
 NeoChrome
 Spectrum 512

3.1   DTP, Word Processing and Text Editor

 No titles known yet.

3.2   MIDI and Sound

 No titles known yet.

3.3   Programming Utilities

 No titles known yet.

3.4   Spreadsheets & Databases

 No titles known yet.

3.5   Communications

 No titles known yet.

3.6   Disk Magazines

 Maggie (probably caused by the music).

3.7   Various (including most Utilities)

 Diamond Edge
 FastCopy pro (appears to work fine if a bit slow, but the target disk has 0
bytes free and no folders)
 Freedom (see chapter 5)
 Kobold File Copier
 LEDPanel (doesn't display anything)
 ST Zip (it cant deflate anything; this is not much of a problem, though, as
"Winzip.exe" can be assigned to be used, even from GEMulator, and this is
much faster anyway)
 Xboot (though it can be used to manually rename CPX, AUTO\.PRG and ACC
files, it cannot handle its function key sets)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                IV: YES WAY - THIS WILL RUN ON THE GEMULATOR!

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 This chapter features a list - as complete as we could make it - of various
programs that *do* work on the GEMulator. Where needed, hints are given on
how to make programs work that may initially seem reluctant to function
properly or efficiently.

4.0   Drawing & Art

 Degas Elite
 ImageCopy

4.1   DTP, Word Processing and Text Editor

 1st Word Plus 3.20TT
 Calamus SL
 Everest
 Pagestream
 Protext
 Tempus (although it does give a "THIS APPLICATION CAN'T FIND THE FOLDER YOU
TRIED TO ACCESS" error whenever it's exited - anyone know why, and how this
can be solved?)

4.2   MIDI and Sound

 No titles known yet.

4.3   Programming Utilities

 DevPac ST (*the* standard assembler from HiSoft)
 GfA Basic 3
 GfA Basic 3 compiler (see 'problems', chapter 5, too)
 Interface (resource file designer)

4.4   Spreadsheets & Databases

 Data Manager ST
 DB Master One
 Superbase Professional

4.5   Communications

 Flash

4.6   Disk Magazines

 ST News Volume 7 Issue 2 and up (provided the music is configured 'off' in
the "SETUP" file)

4.7   Various (including most Utilities)

 Atomic 3.5 (packer)
 GEMBench (by Ofir Gal)
 Geneva
 Hiscore Terminal Utility 1.0
 Knife ST (though it can't access hard disk sectors outside file mode)
 Let 'Em Fly (dialog box enhancer)
 MagiC
 Mosdos
 Mutil (Michtron Disk Utility) (though it can't access hard disk sectors
outside file mode)
 NeoDesk 4
 New Depack (Sinister Developments - use the ST version)
 NVDI
 Pack Ice 2.4 (packer)
 P.A. Pack (packer)
 Revenge Doc Displayer (but see chapter 5!)
 Selectric (alternative file selector)
 Sysinfo (by H.W.A.M. de Beer)
 Ultimate Virus Killer
 Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged (Grandson of) 4.242 (swearing accessory)

4.8   Games

 Don't Worry be Happy
 Geneticopoly (AI Monopoly by Roy Stead)
 Premium Mah Jong (use standard resolutions, though)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     V: PROBLEMS...AND HOW TO SOLVE THEM

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 This is the most important segment of the FAQ - the part where practical
problems are exposed and consequently - hopefully - tackled. It's divided in
what is hopefully a practical structure.

5.1   Software compatibility

 FREEDOM

 Q: "Freedom" appears not to work properly. When you try to save a file with
it and the original file already exists, it will merely update the date and
time stamp of the original file, but not change its actual contents.
 A: ?

 GENEVA

 Q: When installing "Geneva" via its own installation program, one of its
vitally important files, GEM.CNF, is always 0 bytes in size. "Geneva" always
needs the specifications in this file when, for example, you want to have
"NeoDesk" used as default 'shell'.
 A: Create a text file such as the one displayed below (edit it to your own
specifications):

 # GEM.CNF: written by INSTALL.PRG
 #
 setenv ACCPATH=C:\
 setenv PATH=.,C:\GENEVA
 setenv ACCEXT=ACC,ACX
 setenv GEMEXT=PRG,APP,GTP,EXE
 setenv TOSEXT=TOS,TTP
 setenv SHOWHELP=C:\GENEVA\HELP\GNVAHELP
 # setenv TOSRUN=C:\GENEVA\GNVA_TOS.PRG
 # Other commands:
 #   run          Runs a program with parameters
 #   runsleep     Runs program, puts it to sleep
 shell C:\NEODESK4\NEODESK.EXE            Runs program as the shell
 #
 # end of GEM.CNF

 GFA BASIC (COMPILER)

 Q: When you use "MENU.PRG" to compile a program, you specify "FILE.GFA"
but, for some or other reason, the actual compiling module attempts to
access the file "FILE.GFA.GFA"; it autonomously puts an additional (and
superfluous) extension behind the file, causing it not to be found.
 A: This can be solved by having two identical copies of "FILE.GFA", with
the second called "FILE" (right, with no extension). Now manually drag
"FILE" onto "GFA_BCOM.PRG". The file "FILE.GFA" will be accessed and
compiled, resulting in a "FILE.O" file. Now start "MENU.PRG" and act as
usual (F2, F10 is what I usually so, then select "FILE.GFA"). The compiling
process will give an error (file not found), but that's no problem and the
linking process will access "FILE.O". One "but": You cannot specify the
compiler options from "MENU.PRG" anymore, so include them in your source
file.

 REVENGE DOC DISPLAYER

 Q: "Revenge Doc Displayer" refuses to be installed properly as "default"
application for applications not yet assigned to other files.
 A: There seems to be no other solution than to edit the NEWDESK.INF file
and add lines similar to the following (include your own RDD3.PRG path):

 #G 03 04 200 C:\ATARI\UTILITY\RDD\RDD3.PRG@ *.TXT@ @
 #G 03 04 200 C:\ATARI\UTILITY\RDD\RDD3.PRG@ *.ASC@ @
 #G 03 04 200 C:\ATARI\UTILITY\RDD\RDD3.PRG@ *.ME@ @
 #G 03 04 200 C:\ATARI\UTILITY\RDD\RDD3.PRG@ *.1ST@ @

 STOS

 Q: Why don't some compiled STOS programs work? This could have something to
do with the TOS version (I'm using 2.06), because a similar problem appeared
in real life on the ST a few years ago, but even with the later versions of
STOS the mouse/keyboard don't respond...
 A: ?

 XBOOT

 Q: "Xboot" cannot read and save its default 'sets', it cannot find its own
C:\XBOOT\" path.
 A: The solution may be to start using Virtual disk files. Is there a
solution for regular (non-Virtual) disk mode?

5.2   Programming under GEMulator

 END OF FILE RECOGNITION

 Q: In "GfA Basic", the EOF(#x) command doesn't find the end of a file.
 A: There is no true solution for this one. If the program that needs to
read (for example) a configuration file using EOF(#x) still has its source
code available, you could change the WHILE NOT EOF(#x)...WEND loop to a
DO...LOOP where you exit the loop if an empty line is read (with LINE
INPUT). So you have to make sure you add an empty line or two at the end of,
in this case, the configuration file.

 JOYSTICK EMULATION

 Q: Can joysticks be emulated?
 A: ?

 WRITE-PROTECTED DISKS

 Q: There is a perfect way to check the write-protect status of a floppy
disk on *any* Atari system (Falcon, TT, ST, whatever), achieved by the
following piece of code ("GfA Basic"):

   FUNCTION wrpr(crd%)           !crd% contains 0 - drive A or 1 - drive B
     SDPOKE &H43E,-1             !Floppy operations off
     ~XBIOS(29,NOT (2*(crd%+1))) !Select drive
     SDPOKE &HFF8606,&H80        !FDC-status register select
     buf%=DPEEK(&HFF8604)        !FDC-status register read
     ~XBIOS(30,2*(crd%+1))       !Deselect drive
     SDPOKE &H43E,0
     buf%=(buf% AND 64)/64       !Isolate WP-bit
     RETURN buf%
   ENDFUNC

Predictably, due to the direct access on addresses FFFF8604 and FFFF8606,
this doesn't work on the GEMulator. How can this be solved?
 A: ?

5.3   Miscellaneous

 Any problems that didn't fit in either of the two previous categories will
be addressed in this paragraph.

 AUTO FOLDER ON DRIVE A:

 Q: How do you boot programs from an AUTO folder on drive A?
 A: Set the 'Boot disk' option to drive A (RTFM!).

 I/O PROBLEMS ON GEMULATOR CLASSIC

 Q: I have several problems with I/O on GEMulator Classic:
- Serial port: there is no DTR signal. Cannot talk the to modem unless I
have first sent "at&d0" (ignore DTR, for USR Sportster 14.4 external) from
outside GEMulator before entering Atari mode. But even then it goes
unresponsive after connect.
- Parallel port: errant characters are sent to the printer for no reason I
can think of. Every now and then the laser printer spits out a page with a
single capital "E" in the upper left corner.
- Floppy: media change is seldom recognized. I have to reboot when changing
floppies.
 A: ?

 MS-DOS VS. ATARI-FORMAT DISKS

 Q: I cannot read all Atari disks on the PC.
 A: MS-DOS and Windows are very picky when it comes to being able to read
disks. Even though Atari systems use a disk format that is largely
compatible with PCs, MS-DOS and Windows require very specific values to be
present in a disk's bootsector. Together with GEMulator you should get a
program by the name of MOSDOS.PRG. This Atari program will transform Atari-
formatted disks into ones that MS-DOS and Windows can read. Do note that
this does not work with non-standard Atari format (such as 10 sectors per
track 'FAT' disks, hyper-formatted disks, etc.).

 PRINTING

 Q: When I print, the printer stops before the printer buffer is fully
flushed. I have to start another print job to finish my first job. I'm using
GEMulator 4.15 on a P133 running Win95. I've tried default, Fast BIOS
Printing, and FPPRINT (or whatever it's called) with the same results. I'm
trying to print to a Canon BJ-200. I had no such problems using GEMulator
3.x on my old 486 DX2/66.
 A: ?

 SOUND

 Q: On GEMulator Classic, with sound emulation on, the first keypress starts
a continuous high-pitched tone, not too loud, from both channels
(Soundblaster clone, Forte 16). On GEMulator96, there is a constantly
repeated sound, as if the volume is turned on and off a few times per
second. XBIOS 32 sound is garbled (Soundblaster clone OptiMAD).
 A: ?

 EOF