Re: do you like this idea?

From: Magnus Kollberg <Magnus.Kollberg_at_emw.ericsson.se>
Date: Thu, 23 Apr 1998 09:01:11 +0200

> MK>Well, why not patch the whole f*cking TOS with AB040 support and Nova
> MK>support and burn it into a PROM? Fix a image file and I will burn it
> MK>and try. No need for the toolkit, atleast not in it's current form, or
> MK>that emulator.prg.
>
> Once you burn the EPROM you'll be unable to change anything. The Doug's
> ToolKit is just perfect because it is so configurable. I know you still
> have two EPROMs (one is mine, IIRC), but first we need to test the whole
> thing. If it proves to be a good idea for NOVA users, I will be able to
> send you the ROM image very easily.

Shit, why didn't you tell me to send you a PROM when I sent the GFX card??

:-)

I should have sent them back to Titan as well, but I havn't come around doing
it yet.... Don't tell David. :-\

I did also say that you could neet the toolkit, but in a modified way. Some
stuff could wery well me patched into the PROM, like setting up the 040 at
boot and some other stuff. You would still need the toolkit for some fancy
stuff and maybe setup some patched things as well.

Well, Maybe we can use the TOS used in Milan anyway.

But if you get something to burn we can always give it a shot.
 
> MK>> What do you think? We wouldn't need the EMULATOR.PRG then... Just the
> MK>> very first boot would be with black screen, but once the Doug's ToolKit
> MK>> was started we would have the screen output on NOVA.
> MK>
> MK>Sounds like a good idea and better than nothing. It should be possible
>
> you say "better than nothing"? I believed it's something that's
> generally very useful (to see how the computer boots so you actually can
> use XBoot). Now I just can't see what setup boots on my machine, and I
> can hardly change it.

I know. :-)
 
> MK>> Tell me if it's worth trying.
> MK>
> MK>Sure, go ahead! :-)
>
> Yes, a standard Magnus' answer :-) I asked because I knew this would take
> several days or weeks of work (just the disassembling of EMULATOR.PRG is
> not an easy task). And I have several hundred of other things to do, so
> I might better spend the time by building the automatic VGA switch and
> so solve the problem for myself.

On the other hand, disassembling EMULATOR.PRG could be rather usefull....

Another matter, have you looked anything on the special functions found in
Nova VDI? I do belive that you can setup a offscreen bitmap in the memroy on
the gfx board, so no need for copying it over the slow bus, for stuff like
sprites. Should be ideal for games. Has anyone looked into this?

I will also try to do a generic resolutions changer program together with
Anthony which will work with all video hardware, atleast on a Falcon.
Videl and Nova. This is also very usefull for stuff like Games or programs
like Apex which needs special resolutions to work and needs to set it.

//Magnus Kollberg
Received on to. april 23 1998 - 12:50:00 CEST