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Text File | 1997-12-04 | 13.3 KB | 380 lines

PC-Task 4.4 With FPU Emulation! Changes for Version 4.4 ----------------------- Version 4.4 improves compatability once again, and fixes some problems with previous versions. See the history for file details. Changes for Version 4.3 ----------------------- Version 4.3 of PC-Task introduces higher compatibility, and allows the Amiga owner to now run Windows 95. Please see notes below about installing Windows 95. Other improvements include faster Cybergraphics, DMF (Distribution Media Format) disk support, improved codepage support, improved video compatibility, and other changes. Extended memory can now be increased up to 63Mb. SVGA Video7 compatibility has been improved so you can use SciTech Display Doctor (formerly UniVBE) in order to give Video VESA (VBE) support to software which requires it. Some new ToolTypes have also been added: 1) CACHESIZEOVERRIDE ToolType has been added. This will allow you to set the code cache size (a part of the dynamic buffer). This is useful for programs that involve a lot more code than normal software. For example, it speeds up Windows 95 booting. 2) TECHNICAL ToolType added. This creates a text file in RAM: called "PCTtech.txt". This contains technical information about your configuration in order to help technical support. Send this file to tech support if you have a problem. Make sure you run PC-Task right to the point where you have problems, as PC-Task adds details to this file as you are running it. 3) VIDEOBIOSFILE ToolType allows you to use an external video BIOS. 4) BIOSFILE ToolType allows you to use an external BIOS. Floppy drives won't work if you use an external BIOS. This will only work with the Dynamic version of PC-Task. Installing Windows V3 with PC-Task ---------------------------------- You should have no problems installing MS Windows 3.0, MS Windows 3.1 and MS Windows 3.11 under PC-Task's emulation. Please see the notes below if you intend to install Windows 95. We suggest that when installing any version of Windows the following steps are followed: 1) Start PC-Task in VGA with the Mouse option selected. Remember to allocate at least the minimum suggested Extended RAM (see Windows documentation) 2) Do NOT start PC-Task's internal DOS mouse driver 3) Install Windows as per the Windows documentation 4) Always select VGA when installing Windows. You can always change your Video preferences later. 5) Always select Microsoft compatible Mouse. 6) Have a ready supply of coffee. Installing Windows from floppy can take a while! The installation process can be sped up considerably by doing the following (requires an additional 10MB free HD space): a) Create a directory on your MS-DOS hard disk called WINSETUP. Do this by typing MKDIR WINSETUP while in your root directory. b) Insert the first Windows Installation Disk into drive A and copy all the installation files by typing COPY A:\*.* C:\WINSETUP c) Repeat step b for all remaining Windows Installation Disks. d) Change to the WINSETUP directory by typing CD C:\WINSETUP e) Start the installation by typing SETUP The Windows Installation process will now commence and even given the time required to copy the files will still be up to two times faster than installing from floppies. Using a Mouse with Windows 3.11 ------------------------------- PC-Task's internal DOS mouse driver is not for use with Microsoft Windows as Windows has its own specific mouse drivers. Use the Microsoft or PS2 mouse when installing Windows and select Mouse from the PC-Task Main Options screen. If the mouse fails to work, change the MOUSE.INI text file which is in the Windows directory (under MS-DOS) to read "MouseType=SERIAL2" instead of "MouseType=PS2". If using a graphics board and you cannot see the mouse, change the update method for the screenmode you are using to something other than "Immediate". This may happen if you are using a Cybergraphics board. Using SVGA / Video 7 Modes under Windows 3.11 --------------------------------------------- The 256 Colour SVGA Video drivers provided with Windows will not work with PC-Task. You are now able to use the Video 7 drivers in order to access 256 colour screens under Windows. Modes available are: Video 7 1Mb, 800x600 256 colors Video 7 1Mb, 1024x768 256 colors Large Fonts Video 7 1Mb, 1024x768 256 colors Small Fonts Video 7 512K, 640x480 256 colors In order for mouse to work, please change the Graphics Update in the Advanced Video Options to 1 Frame or more (instead of immediate) Installing Windows 95 --------------------- Windows 95 will run under PC-Task, but unless you have a very fast Amiga, performance will be very slow. We recommend at least a 50Mhz 68060 in order to try it. A few recommendations: 1) When installing, do a custom install. Don't allow Windows to search for your hardware. When you are queried about what hardware you have in your machine, unselect everything. 2) If using floppies to install, you cannot use CrossDos for the disk drives. You must use Amiga drives (e.g. DF0:, DF1: instead of PC0:, PC1:) as CrossDos cannot handle DMF disks. 3) Use the CACHESIZEOVERRIDE ToolType with Windows 95, as it boots a lot faster with 4+ Meg. e.g. CACHESIZEOVERRIDE=$400000 4) Be patient with the install. Using a 3rd party graphics card with PC-Task -------------------------------------------- PC-Task has been extensively tested with the EGS-Spectrum and Picasso display boards. It has also been tested on both of these boards with the CyberGraphics RTG software. A few recommendations when using graphics boards: 1) Upgrade to AmigaOS 3.1. This is considerably more stable when using 256 colour screens on non-AGA Amigas. It is also the current release. 2) For best performance use native Amiga screen modes where possible for MDA and CGA screen modes. 3) Do NOT use any promotion utilities to force PC-Task onto a graphic boards screen. This will not work! Screens should be selected in Advanced Video Options from the screenmodes database. 4) If using the EGS libraries we would suggest that you try the CyberGraphics demo. This is available from the support BBS (see your User Manual for details), AmiNET and most BBS's. It considerably speeds up PC-Task's display when used for VGA and SVGA video modes. 5) If you aren't getting a cursor, and using a graphics board, change the graphics update to something other than Immediate (in Advanced video options). If you are having problems starting PC-Task with Cybergraphics 1) If PC-Task doesn't seem to be loading, use the ToolType PUBSCREEN=Workbench, and PC-Task will open its configuration screen on the Workbench. Alternatively, you can run your Workbench in 256 colours or less. 2) Cybergraphics users should select 8bit cybergraphics screen modes if you are going to use cybergraphics modes. If they select >8bit the cybergraphics routines would be used as they only know 8 bit case. General notes ------------- If using Cybergraphics software, and PC-Task will not start, try using the ToolType PUBSCREEN=Workbench, so the configuration screen appears on your Workbench. It is very important for speed that PC-Task is not using chip(graphics) memory for CPU emulation make sure you are not trying to get too much PC memory (or Dynamic Buffer) and ending up have some of it allocated in your slower memory. You can if in doubt use the FORCEFASTMEM keyword/tooltype which will make sure PC-Task will not use slow memory to get the PC memory you requested. PC-Task_Dynamic takes a long time to execute a CONFIG.SYS with a HIMEM.SYS line that doesn't have the option /TESTMEM:OFF in it. eg:- PC-Task_Dynamic is often considerably slower loading/start software but excels when all that is done and code is just executing (but not continually self modifying like some games do). PC-Task_Dynamic is very memory instensive so performance may be disappointing with some programs compared to PC-Task_Interpretive if you have slow memory (like A3640 that is in stock A4000/040/25). PC-Task_Dynamic's buffer settings currently use Tiny(512K), Small(1.5Meg), Medium(5.25 Mb), Large(9.5 Mb), Huge (PC memory times 4, plus 2 Mb) memory. 640K conventional counts as 1 meg. The huge setting is usually gives the fastest CPU emulation. PC-Task_Interpretive does not do paging so you cannot run emm386, Windows V3 in 386 enhanced, Windows 95 and generally programs that have a swap file with that version. If you are unhappy with graphics update please go to advanced options and change the update method (for every PC mode or just the one you are unhappy about) to after 2 or 4 frames and see if that is better, or if already at that setting try the immediate update method. Don't run EMM386 (check your config.sys) unless you really want to as it slows doesn PC-Task. Windows V3 runs faster in standard mode so if you don't need 386 enhanced you might want to use win/s command line to force windows into standard mode. When running Windows V3 in 386 enhanced you probably have to use the command line "Win /D:X" or edit your SYSTEM.INI file so Windows doesn't use A000-FFFF for memory. If your mouse isn't working under Windows V3, go into the Windows directory under MS-DOS, and change the MOUSE.INI text file to read "MouseType=SERIAL2" instead of "MouseType=PS2". Manual Changes & Additions -------------------------- Page 16 - Addition TIMERFACTOR keyword/tootype allows changing of the PC system timer. Normally a timer interrupt happens 18.2 times a second. The problem is when games and other programs change this to a more frequent value and then excute a large amount of code in the interrupt causing slowdown or halt of the CPU emulation if PC-Task cannot keep up. So this keyword fixes the timer to the factor you set eg:- TIMERFACTOR=1 Timer 18.2 times a second and never change from this TIMERFACTOR=2 Timer 9.1 times a second and never change from this etc The TIMERFACTOR ToolType can also give a noticeable speed increase for programs, so you might wish to try altering this to see the affect on your system speed. FPU Emulation ------------- To enable FPU emulation, just select the checkbox labelled FPU on the PC-Task configuration screen. This will only be available if you have an FPU in your Amiga. PC-Task 4 Program History ------------------------- V4.0 V4.1 Changed default to update after 2 frames for some PC display modes because it is usually faster for them. Improved after # frames EGA/VGA 2/16 color modes compatability, for some games. Now more compatible than immediate update. Fixed some CPU problems with some DPMI's. Improved CPU emulation speed when paging. Improved CPU emulation speed a bit when in protected/virtual86 mode. Improved cybergfx support for some PC display modes. Fixed Dynamic CPU emulation for some BASIC programs. V4.2 Dynamic now has FPU emulation for machines with FPU. Can now watch Quake without third party pc fpu emulation software! Mode 3 (80*25 text) added update after # of frames, it renders the cursor instead of using sprite (hip hip..). Faster cybergraphics routines for Mode 3 both immediate and after # frames (new), also Mode 13 after # frames. Tweaked interpretive version a bit for branch prediction. Dynamic now faster adding code to the cache so software including Windows loads faster. Testing memory (eg HIMEM.SYS) now faster. Dynamic now handles self modifying code better causing less recompiles (Doom much faster, probably other DOS4GW stuff). Dynamic buffer sizes now bigger Medium 5Meg->5.25Meg, Large 9Meg->9.5Meg, Huge 4*PC + 1Meg -> 4*PC + 2Meg. Speeds up loading of Windows 386 enhanced, lots of code etc. Dynamic small speed improvements in code generated. Dynamic less cache clearing with 68040/60. Possible crashing when OpenScreen/OpenWindow failed fixed. V4.3 Much of BIOS converted to 80x86 for compatability/simplicity. Large amount of non time critical code converted to C for portability. Added DMF (Distribution Media Format) support for DFx: Faster cybergraphics routines for SVGA 256 after # frames. Fixed SVGA 256 color modes some pixels being changed in wrong location with Dynamic. Code page support improved. Options default gfx is now VGA. Options extendedmem now up 63 and jumps in 1 Meg when > 1Meg. Fixed bug in EGA/VGA with some bitplanes in immediate mode full update when scrolling etc. Improved SVGA Video7 compatability so univbe can be used to give Video VESA (VBE) support for software that requires it. Improved RealTimeClock support. VIDEOBIOSFILE keyword added and BIOSFILE better supported. TECHNICAL keyword added creates "ram:PCTtech.txt" for tech support. CACHESIZEOVERRIDE added to set cache size for speeding up certain software eg Win95 likes 4+ Meg (CACHESIZEOVERRIDE=$400000). Many small compatability improvements. V4.4 Fixed problem with palette loading Kick V2 for, non native screen. Fixed problem with SERIAL keyword. Fixed no floppy problem bios problem. Fixed bug with options MDA palette selection. Fixed bug with sound. Fixed cursor color problem. Improved SVGA Video7 compatability. More non time critical code converted to C for portability. Timer improved when TIMERFACTOR used or no cia timer. Dynamic, unmapped instruction handled for old incorrect software. Port access faster.