How would I go about making a workbench disc (or set of discs) that will let me boot directly into my sampler program? Some kind of batch process or something? Links to tutorials or "... for dummies" type articles appreciated. 
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Abandoned on Fire
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Abandoned on Fire
So is this even a thing you can do? I've learned just enough about amigas to fuck everything up lol.
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Barcelona, Spain
Make a boot disk using the install df0: command, make a S:startup-sequence script and run all the necessary before run your fav software.
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New York City
What he said!
Once you are proficient there's more things you can do.
In my case, I have set my 1200 up so if on bootup I keep the spacebar pressed, it loads into ProTracker, otherwise it runs Workbench as normal.
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Abandoned on Fire
Excellent, thanks! I've got a lot of reading to do...
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Psydney, Australia
I made a nice little startup-sequence that shows a requester so you can pick between loading Workbench or protracker or something else. Easy to customize.
I'll fish it out and share when I have the time.
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hardcore, Australia
Ilkke- I would love that script. I had a "boot into protracker" disk that was always useful, but now I just load it from the hard drive.
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godinpants wrote:
Ilkke- I would love that script. I had a "boot into protracker" disk that was always useful, but now I just load it from the hard drive.
As would I. Sounds like exactly what I've been looking for.
Last edited by egr (Feb 29, 2012 5:33 pm)
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New York City
To run it from floppy or from HD?
AmigaDOS scripts are pretty basic. What do you need to know? I'll post it here.
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akira^8GB wrote:
To run it from floppy or from HD?
AmigaDOS scripts are pretty basic. What do you need to know? I'll post it here.
What I want to learn to do is to make a floppy of a particular prog that is bootable so I don't have to load workbench. To save time and also wear on the disks and drive. Make sense?
EDIT: I have an A500 with 1.5MB extra ram. Trying to get an HD but I keep getting out bid. 
Last edited by egr (Feb 29, 2012 7:04 pm)
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Psydney, Australia
Simplest floppy setup
Make a dir in the root of the floppy called "s" (without quotes of course)
Put a text file in that folder called "startup-sequence" (no file extension)
When you boot a floppy, OS will look for s/startup-sequence and execute whatever is in there.
Startup-sequence is the equivalent of autoexec.bat on ms-dos.
If you want to run protracker, then your startup-sequence will simply be (without quotes):
"pt.exe
"
Some more info
Notice I put a line-break at the end, I think this is necessary, not 100% sure but it can't hurt.
This will work assuming that there is a file called pt.exe in the root folder of the floppy.
In theory there can be problems if you edit the text file on a PC because afaik PC uses two separate character codes for end-of-line and line-break, whereas amiga only uses one that does both. I think Workbench comes with a text-editor called 'ed' or something so you can use that.
In fact, if you have any DOS floppies for amiga, just open them and look in s/ folder for examples 
Your workbench disk has one for sure, although that one is probably super-complicated.
If you want to load a workbench from ANY floppy, you only need to copy one tiny file to the disk: "c/loadwb".
Then put this in startup-sequence and off you go! Amiga's system is in the ROM so no need for big files or anything.
You can of course find loadwb on your workbench disk.
And do get a hd or an sd-card reader or something if oyu can. Floppy disks die like flies.
Last edited by iLKke (Feb 29, 2012 10:53 pm)
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Psydney, Australia
The uber-snazzy script I mentioned earlier is what I used for HD, but in theory it can be put on a floppy, if you can fit several of useful tools on it.
I think it uses some special libraries so I have to look and see exactly what needs to be on the disk, then I will zip it up and share.
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Abandoned on Fire
iLKke wrote:
Simplest floppy setup
Make a dir in the root of the floppy called "s" (without quotes of course)
Put a text file in that folder called "startup-sequence" (no file extension)When you boot a floppy, OS will look for s/startup-sequence and execute whatever is in there.
Startup-sequence is the equivalent of autoexec.bat on ms-dos.If you want to run protracker, then your startup-sequence will simply be (without quotes):
"pt.exe
"Some more info
Notice I put a line-break at the end, I think this is necessary, not 100% sure but it can't hurt.
This will work assuming that there is a file called pt.exe in the root folder of the floppy.In theory there can be problems if you edit the text file on a PC because afaik PC uses two separate character codes for end-of-line and line-break, whereas amiga only uses one that does both. I think Workbench comes with a text-editor called 'ed' or something so you can use that.
In fact, if you have any DOS floppies for amiga, just open them and look in s/ folder for examples
Your workbench disk has one for sure, although that one is probably super-complicated.If you want to load a workbench from ANY floppy, you only need to copy one tiny file to the disk: "c/loadwb".
Then put this in startup-sequence and off you go! Amiga's system is in the ROM so no need for big files or anything.
You can of course find loadwb on your workbench disk.And do get a hd or an sd-card reader or something if oyu can. Floppy disks die like flies.
OK, this all makes sense and... it made me realize that the commercial software for my sampler is already bootable. *blush* LOL
But now that you've explained this to me and I can see an example I understand how to do the same thing for other progs which was the real goal anyway.
I will be getting an HD (sooner or later) so still interested in the script.
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New York City
iLKke wrote:
The uber-snazzy script I mentioned earlier is what I used for HD, but in theory it can be put on a floppy, if you can fit several of useful tools on it.
I think it uses some special libraries so I have to look and see exactly what needs to be on the disk, then I will zip it up and share.
Nope. Only loadwb. Nothing else you wrote needs be put on a floppy.
If the script gets comPlicated it might need some stuff,spexially in 1.3 Amigas like the 500.
HDs for A500 are a bit strange... I dont know if i would shell out cash for one, i'd rather invest in an A600 or A1200
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akira^8GB wrote:
iLKke wrote:The uber-snazzy script I mentioned earlier is what I used for HD, but in theory it can be put on a floppy, if you can fit several of useful tools on it.
I think it uses some special libraries so I have to look and see exactly what needs to be on the disk, then I will zip it up and share.Nope. Only loadwb. Nothing else you wrote needs be put on a floppy.
If the script gets comPlicated it might need some stuff,spexially in 1.3 Amigas like the 500.
HDs for A500 are a bit strange... I dont know if i would shell out cash for one, i'd rather invest in an A600 or A1200
Too late, just won a Trumpcard SCSI controller with a 105MB drive in it. We shall see...
Also, my 500 has 2.0 roms but isn't a 500+, not sure what other upgrades have been done.
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Psydney, Australia
akira^8GB wrote:
iLKke wrote:The uber-snazzy script I mentioned earlier is what I used for HD, but in theory it can be put on a floppy, if you can fit several of useful tools on it.
I think it uses some special libraries so I have to look and see exactly what needs to be on the disk, then I will zip it up and share.Nope. Only loadwb. Nothing else you wrote needs be put on a floppy.
Ah I wasn't quite clear. I was in fact referring to my custom requester script there.
I think it uses a scriptable requester exe that might in turn require some libraries or assigns.
...
Actually a bit off-topic but there are many ways to make a nice menu on a floppy.
Some packdisks from back in the day used startup-sequence to assign scripts to F keys and then just use echo command to type the menu into the dos window.
Other less tech-savvy ones just named all the exes 1,2,3 etc and then again printed the 'menu' in the dos window.