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  1. #1
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    Kickstart roms explained

    I think the information in the Kickstart Roms Wiki page is nearly complete now.

    http://wiki.classicamiga.com/Kickstart_Roms_Explained

    I've been working on the Kickstart versions table and have added a lot of additional information including the different kickstart revisions for each version of rom. I got these revision numbers from the complete set of TOSEC kickstart roms, so if you spot any I've missed, or I've got a revision number wrong please say or just correct it in the table.

    http://wiki.classicamiga.com/Kicksta...rsions_summary

    The revision numbers will be hyperlinked to their related system upgrade pages when each of those pages is added to the Wiki. Currently only the A600 and CD32 pages are near to being complete.

    Things still to do, to check and update in the kickstart version table.

    • Kickstart versions - Have I covered them all?
    • Should we include the CDTV and CD32 Extended Roms in the table? Or leave them out and mention them in the pages specifically for each system?
    • Have I covered all Amiga models correctly for each rom revision?
    • What are the correct rom sizes for the 3.1 roms for each Amiga model? At the moment these are shown as 512KB or 1MB for all of them.
    • Is there any additional information needed for each specific rom? I've already added some info for 3.0, 2.05 and 1.4a roms.
    • Any other info you can think of that can be included in the table?

    Do remember though that this table is only a summary. Any really detailed information about how a specific model of Amiga uses roms in a unique way (A3000 for example) can be covered in their own dedicated Wiki pages.

    If you haven't played a classic game in years, it's never too late to start!


  2. #2
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    Sorry for the long post!

    I'd like to say, I think that is an excellent effort - kudos to you for putting that together.

    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    * Kickstart versions - Have I covered them all?
    * Should we include the CDTV and CD32 Extended Roms in the table? Or leave them out and mention them in the pages specifically for each system?
    If possible, I think these should be recorded, especially the CDTV - as the CDTV can have 1.3 or sometimes 2.04 depending on motherboard revision. On top of this, there's the A570 expansion to consider, which included the CDTV Extended ROM.
    Although I cannot verify this myself, reading a CDTV web site (which I'll try and find the URL for again) stated that early UK CDTVs could not run 2.04 Kickstart but later UK machines and all NTSC machines can run 2.04
    What about the A1000's 8kb Bootstrap ROM? I don't know of any version numbers associated with it though!

    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    * Have I covered all Amiga models correctly for each rom revision?
    From what I can see, yes, except for the CDTV and the A1000's 8kb Bootstrap ROM.

    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    * What are the correct rom sizes for the 3.1 roms for each Amiga model? At the moment these are shown as 512KB or 1MB for all of them.
    Although yet to be verified, I do remember seeing somewhere that these are 512KB except for the CD32 (which is 512KB 3.1 ROM + 512KB CD32 Extended ROM)

    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    * Is there any additional information needed for each specific rom? I've already added some info for 3.0, 2.05 and 1.4a roms.
    * Any other info you can think of that can be included in the table?
    What about a column for maximum Workbench version that can be run under each Kickstart ROM version - most of the times, this will match, except under 2.04 you can run upto 2.1 and under 1.2 you can actually run Workbench 1.3.4 but some features may be unavailable. Also, Kickstart 3.0 can run Workbench 3.1 reliably with full functionality.
    Obviously Kickstart 3.1 can run any Workbench version up to AmigaOS 4.0 for Classic Amigas (as long as PPC hardware is present) otherwise AmigaOS 3.9 is the maximum version under 3.1 ROMs

    Also, I think it might be worth mentioning in the notes for Kickstart 1.2 that AutoConfig does exist, but for hard drives, this functionality was broken and hence Hard Drive could be used, but not booted from (so a boot floppy is required)
    On top of that, is it worth mentioning that Kickstart 1.0 was NTSC only?

    Although you've mentioned that the A3000 uses software kickstart disks (for machines using the 1.4 Alpha ROM) I think you need to mention that these are referred to as SuperKickstart disks as apposed to just Kickstart disks (which the A1000 uses) as this could lead to confusion. From what I'm aware of, there's no 1.3 SuperKickstart disk for the A3000 and that these disks are always 2.0 Beta or 2.04 - the hard drive installation disk for the A3000s that use this Kickstart arrangement, automatically install the Kickstart file in DEVS: as part of the installation, prompting for the SuperKickstart disk at the relevant point.

    Finally, not mention of the 0.9 Beta (revision 27.9) which was used on early A1000 prototypes. A Kickstart ROM image exists in torrents, and the AmigaDOS disk exists as an ADF on the internet. This early Kickstart was AmigaDOS/CLI only (no Workbench) and was NTSC only - there was no workbench.library or icon.library present in the ROM and there was only one assign by default (SYS and no other assigns (C:, LIBS:, DEVS:, L: etc.)
    I did see on the internet, that someone had managed to get Workbench 1.0 to run on 0.9 Beta Kickstart ROM by extracting workbench.library from the 1.0 ROM (somehow !?!) and placing icon.library in the LIBS: directory. This is yet to be verified, and somehow I'm not sure this is really possible.

  3. #3
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    The compatible workbench versions is a good idea. I will add that one in.

    Regarding betas, I thought it best to keep unreleased betas and custom kickstart revisions (used for things like ReLoKick and Shapeshifter) out of the list as it is more a list for production machine information, and as pre-release betas were never actually released. We could create a second table below the current one for unreleased ones to keep the main one uncluttered.

    As for the A1000 0.9B

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    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    The compatible workbench versions is a good idea. I will add that one in.

    Regarding betas, I thought it best to keep unreleased betas and custom kickstart revisions (used for things like ReLoKick and Shapeshifter) out of the list as it is more a list for production machine information, and as pre-release betas were never actually released. We could create a second table below the current one for unreleased ones to keep the main one uncluttered.

    As for the A1000 0.9B
    Yeah, true. The only beta I thought that was worth mentioning is the A1000 0.9 Beta, as the AmigaDOS disk that is used, is actually tucked away on Amiga 1000's Kickstart 1.0 disk, these files are recoverable by using DiskSalv or Diskdoctor.
    A few early production demos from EA that mysteriously 'only work on an A1000' require this early kickstart to work properly.

    I do think that the A1000 8KB Bootstrap ROM does need to be mentioned, if not in the table, then in the text, as it's how the A1000 boots the different kickstarts.

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    OK. For the A1000 bootstrap rom I think we should therefore include it as it is actually used in the production system.

    If you haven't played a classic game in years, it's never too late to start!


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    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    OK. For the A1000 bootstrap rom I think we should therefore include it as it is actually used in the production system.
    Cool!

    I do think that 1.0 should be listed as NTSC only (as it was in fact NTSC only) and no PAL version exists.

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    OK. I've added the NTSC only bit for the 1.0 rom.

    I will add the A1000 bootstrap rom info when I get back home later tonight.

    If you haven't played a classic game in years, it's never too late to start!


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    Quote Originally Posted by Harrison View Post
    OK. I've added the NTSC only bit for the 1.0 rom.

    I will add the A1000 bootstrap rom info when I get back home later tonight.
    Cool!

    Sorry if I come across as a bit bossy, or trying to tell you what to do. Some of the infor I suspect you already know. I'm just trying to help you out a bit.

    I'll have a look at my A3000's kickstart arrangement, as mine doesn't have the dual kickstart (and hence doesn't have the 1.4 Alpha ROM) but has just a straight 2.04 ROM.

    If there's any more info you want, let me know. I'm sure I can find it (or someone else could too)

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    ***nerd attack***

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by woody.cool View Post
    Sorry if I come across as a bit bossy, or trying to tell you what to do. Some of the infor I suspect you already know. I'm just trying to help you out a bit.
    Don't be silly. Your help, ideas and info are great to add input into the page. I need as much help as possible to try and get accurate info into the Wiki, and as much of it as possible.

    And don't forget to register on the Wiki yourself, then you will be able to edit the pages directly if you have any info to add.

    I'll have a look at my A3000's kickstart arrangement, as mine doesn't have the dual kickstart (and hence doesn't have the 1.4 Alpha ROM) but has just a straight 2.04 ROM.

    If there's any more info you want, let me know. I'm sure I can find it (or someone else could too)
    Would you be able to take some pictures of your A3000 for the Wiki? I need some decent images of the outside of the case from the front and rear, plus some more detailed ones of the insides so I can add indicators to the pictures showing the location of each important component. And a closeup of any important internals would be great too. Things like the kickstart, CPU, zorro slots etc...

    If you haven't played a classic game in years, it's never too late to start!


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