A600: Custom Kickstart 3.9 + Visual enhancements

I made quite some changes today

I changed from Bloodwych's ClassicWB 3.5 to 3.9 because I wanted more recent shiz
Ok here's what I removed (Gulliver my friend, thanks tonz):

• AmiDock --> Too heavy for my taste. For now it's off till I find a better one.
• DefIcons --> Not needed for me. Bloodwych made a great work not for me to need that.
• RAWBInfo --> It's cool but not so important for me.
• AsyncWB --> Really unimportant since I never do multiple copy/delete etc.
• Benchtrash --> Never used it. For now it's off.

I also enabled Env-Handler since by default it's disabled (Bloodwych my man, your enable/disable scripts are just epix)

Result was a workbench at EXACTLY (I measured it in seconds) the same booting speed and response with the 3.5!!! I really love it.

So today I made quite some upgrades, putting BB3+BB4+Cosmos scsi.device and after all worked like a charm via LoadModule declarations... a custom 3.9 BB4 custom Kickstart was made and voila... No reboots and every new version exists on the spot

Just for information the contents are the following:

• Exec 45.20 (instead of 40.10) --> OS3.9 BB2
• BootMenu 44.7 (instead of 40.5) --> OS3.9 BB2
• Console.device 44.10 (instead of 40.2) --> OS3.9 BB3
• Datatypes.library 44.48 (instead of 44.47) --> OS3.9 BB4
• Filesystem.resource 45.10 (instead of 40.1) --> OS3.9 BB2
• FastFilesystem 45.16 (instead of 40.1) --> OS3.9 BB4
• Icon.library 46.4.181 (instead of 40.1) --> OS3.9 BB4
• RAM Handler 44.24 (instead of 39.4) --> OS3.9 BB3
• SCSI.device 43.46b3 (instead of 40.5) --> Cosmos
• Shell 45.27 (instead of 40.2) --> OS3.9 BB3
• Workbench.library 45.131 (instead of 40.5) --> OS3.9 BB3
• ROMUpdate 44.57 --> OS3.9 BB2
• BBlank --> For Blank Borders
• SpeedyIDE --> For quicker IDE speed
• HRTModule --> Action Replay clone using ACA's NMI header (=full of win)

I really enjoy my new WB and at last I think I have all the things I wanted Maybe in future I'll put some more modules.

I'm attaching 2 screenshots of the WB along with some appz and window open (Thanks for the tips Cammy about EaglePlayer and Shine color change in VP).




Good thing is that after the BB3 upgrade... The icon colors (new icon.library) restored to the BLUE we all loved!!! No more washout colors using Rebel's Palette!!! /awesomeness

Guide: Dual Kickstart Switch for ACA630

This is a simple schematic that is really useful if you wanna make the following:

• Have the ACA630 enabled + Kickstart 3.1 for Workbench usage and WHDLoad fun
• Have the ACA630 disabled + Kickstart 1.3 for Floppy based old Games/Demos

It's really cool being able to have simultaneously both worlds for full pleasure and compatibility.

To be able to make a dual Kickstart you need to do the following:

• Combine an 1.3 + 3.1 Kickstart. Since Kickstart 1.3 is only 256KB we need to double it before combining it with the 3.1 Kickstart. You can easily do that from a DOS Prompt under Windows like that:

C:\> copy /b kick13.rom + /b kick13.rom + /b kick31.rom DualKick.bin

• Perform a "Byteswap" on the DualKick.bin image in your EPROM programmer.
• Burn the byteswapped DualKick.bin into an 27C800 1MB EPROM.
• You're set!

Disclaimer: I don't take any responsibility for you harming your Amiga or it's components using this method. It worked just fine for me and some fellow Amigans though. For more info you can check the original thread @ Amibay here. 

A600: Power + Kickstart switch installation

I thought of mounting at last the Power Switch plus the Kickstart Switch into their permanent position.

After a lot of patience dremeling a little rectangle for the kickstart switch it mounted just fine and it hotglued.
The power switch was easier but needed a careful measuring and filling.

It looks really good imho.

A600: ClassicWB 3.5 installation + videos

OK I really love weekends... Especially the ones that include some Amiga workout

I haven't really messed with hardware this week except for the custom 1.3/3.1 Kickstart switch that at the same time disables ACA630 for old software compatibility.
I messed with software though and that had to do with installing Bloodwych's ClassicWB 3.5 (with custom kickstart 3.5 loaded via MapROM).
Bloodwych told me that 3.5 is a bit more responsive than 3.9 so I had to check it out...

...DAMN, IT REALLY IS!!!

I'm attaching 2xYouTube links from booting OS3.5 and booting kickstart 1.3 just to check it out for yourselves.

Booting Bloodwych's ClassicWB 3.5:

Booting Kickstart 1.3 + Hybris via HxC SD Emulator:

Since the YouTube videos can't show how well the WB looks... I'm attaching some screenshots as well:





I hope you like them (damn CreateOutline seems really good! Thanks for the tip Cammy)

A1200: DVD-RW mod

One more nightly build... ehm, I mean update

It was time for the internal DVD-RW to take it's proper position and case to be dremeled...

Before I start, I thought of putting an extension to the Eject button (that tiny soldering was hard for meh skillz)




After putting the correct spacers... the result was really cool (yep the measuring, filling etc, took a lot of time). Also a tiny 25mm fan was put under the side of the DVD-RW just to give a little bit of cooling to Indy etc.






The backside of the DVD-RW was put with a little drip of hotglue to Idefix Express Gayle adapter and CF adapter.



The most irritating and most difficult part was measuring, cutting and filling A1200's case for the slot-in's hole
Talking about a loooooooooong time and patience. I wouldn't do that again for the world! Also a tiny button was put into place (next to the hole) as an Eject button along with a header.








Everything was mounted and AT LAST... I saw my miggy closed after 1.5 year!
Haven't took a photo yet but will do in the next update that is gonna be soon. I just feel good for finally coming close to completion (or at least I think I do).