Arculator Install Instructions

[KarateEd]

Hi Folks,

With the help of Steve3000 and sirbod, I have been able to write up a small document on how to install Arculator. This document deals with a Windows 8.1 install but I'm sure it could be used on other platforms too at least as a guide.

Hope it helps someone out there in retro land.

Ed......

[sirbod]

Look good, about time someone detailed how to get Arculator working.

My only comment would be to change:

double click the “!JamesPond” file in the “JamesPond.$” folder and we will see

to:

Right Click on the ADFFS Filer and select "Boot Floppy"

The reason ADFFS has the boot option, is that each officially released floppy has a Boot Script, these are updated quite often to either resolve issues or fix compatibility. There's actually two copies of the script, one within the floppy which is used if !SparkFS isn't loaded (and will be the initially released script and almost certainly out of date) and the latest version of the script, which is in !ADFFS.obey

As well as the script, each official floppy image contains several settings. These are read and acted on when "Boot floppy" is used and do things like preventing the CMOS from being altered, prevent Modules from being unplugged and setting the games speed.

In short, if "Boot floppy" isn't used the game is either likely to trash your machine or simply not work correctly.

[steve3000]

Right Click on the ADFFS Filer and select "Boot Floppy"

Good point Jon. One question (and this may be a question for discussion elsewhere ) is it possible to have ADFFS intercept a double-click on an application, and forcibly Boot Floppy? (eg. something similar to the way VProtect intercepts executed files, but with a check to ensure the file originates from a path which was opened by ADFFS...)

[KarateEd]

Look good, about time someone detailed how to get Arculator working.

Hi Jon,

It's the least I could do after you guys helped me out so much just to get this going. I'm sure people have asked a lot of questions many times from you just to get Arculator running.

If this helps to alleviate some of that, then I'm very happy to do it....after all, we're all here to help each other out in any way we can.

All this proves is it doesn't even matter if you don't know much, there is bound to be a way we can all help to promote each other's work here.

Ed......

[richw]

Might it be a plan to put the info on a sticky on the JASPP forum? Perhaps we could also look into providing some example/minimal hard disk images or hostfs contents to make it really simple? Just a thought!

[KarateEd]

Might it be a plan to put the info on a sticky on the JASPP forum? Perhaps we could also look into providing some example/minimal hard disk images or hostfs contents to make it really simple? Just a thought!

Hi Rich,

Guess the first part of the question is up to Jon for that site.

The second part, I'm not sure what you're asking.

Could you elaborate on that? I do have all the screen shots available in the document and in a folder on my PC.

Thanks,

Ed......

[richardtoohey]

By images he means disc images - so an HD4.HDF or whatever it was - with SparkPlug etc. all set up on it - possibly game images, etc.

So that would knock out a few steps required.

[richw]

Exactly. Just host a ready-made hd4 and CMOS file set. We could include a basic boot structure and essentials like SparkPlug. Perhaps even ADFFS and the re-released games?

Similarly, I do fancy looking into making a Raspberry Pi disk image which offers similar.

Both could help attract users.

[KarateEd]

Ah, ok, gotcha.

That will require someone with more knowledge than myself, though I wouldn't mind learning how to do that. Problem is I would need a helping hand with it to get it done and working as it should.

Just as a for instance.... I found a bunch of game images on
http://apdl.org.uk/apdlpd/library/g.htm .

I tried running, for instance Elite and have no idea of how to get it going. I created an Elite folder and no files show up even though they show up under the folder....so don't really know what I'm doing yet....but I'm slowly but surely learning....this is a way different OS than anything I'm used to...but it's just an OS and it's only a matter of time before I 'get' it but in the mean time, I need guidance when it comes to this stuff.

I'm willing and when time permits, anyone that wants to help guide this old guy through some stuff, I'd be happy.

Ed......

[sirbod]

Might it be a plan to put the info on a sticky on the JASPP forum? Perhaps we could also look into providing some example/minimal hard disk images or hostfs contents to make it really simple? Just a thought!

Anyone can post attachments on JASPP, so if someone would like to create an image and attach it to a new thread, that's okay with me. We'll have to just be mindful of the size, but I suspect it wont be more than a few MB zipped.

I'd suggest including the following:
UniBoot (with !System.310.Module.BorderUtil removed as it crashes during boot)
!SparkFS (Read Only)
LineEditor
VProtect (it's in HardDisc4\!Boot.Utils)

[KarateEd]

I'm wondering if the admins could make this thread a sticky, it might ward off some threads that ask for installation instructions.

Thanks,

Ed......