UAE
From Kick Off World of Soccer - wikickoff
UAE is a mostly complete software emulation of the hardware of the Commodore Amiga 500/1000/2000. A Commodore Amiga, for those who don't know, is a 16/32 bit computer system based on the Motorola 680x0 CPU and a few specially designed custom chips that provide very good graphics and sound capabilities. Its first incarnation, the A1000, appeared in 1985, followed by the highly successful A500 and A2000 models. UAE is written for Unixish systems; it is developed on a Linux machine but it should compile and run on any half-recent Unix-like operating system. It has also been ported to a wide variety of machines and operating systems, including DOS, Windows 95/NT, MacOS, RiscOS, BeOS and NextStep.
UAE is free software: you are welcome to distribute copies of it and/or modify it, under certain conditions. There is no warranty of any kind for UAE. For more details concerning these issues, please read the GNU General Public License, which describes the terms under which UAE is distributed.
Features
UAE emulates:
- A 68000/010/020/040 CPU, optionally a 68881 FPU
- OCS, ECS and AGA Graphics Chipset (including sprite-playfield collisions)
- Up to 2MB Chip RAM and up to 8MB Fast RAM, or 8MB Chip RAM without Fast RAM
- Up to 64MB Zorro III Fast RAM, independent of Chip RAM setting (68020+ only)
- Up to 1MB Slow RAM, for extended compatibility with problem software
- Up to 8MB of graphics card memory, usable by software that supports Picasso 96 compatible graphics cards
- 4 x 3.5" floppy disk drives (DF0:, DF1:, DF2: and DF3:). It's not possible to read Amiga disks, so these are emulated with disk files.
- A hard-disk: either a harddisk image file or part of the native filesystem
- Joystick support (with option of mapping joystick to numeric keypad)
- Mouse support
- Ability to run in various screen modes (for better display quality or better speed)
- Full stereo sound support, consisting of 4 x 8bit channels
- Simple parallel and serial port support. Note: the parallel port is not really implemented. Though it's sufficient for printing.
- state-saving. you can save the state of your emulated Amiga and continue later on.
- some other things which don't work well enough to mention them here...
Required Soft and Hardware
You need a computer running one of the supported operating systems. As a general rule, the faster your computer is, the better. If you want to compile the source code yourself, you need an ANSI C compiler.
Apart from that, you need a Kickstart ROM image file for most purposes. Software to transfer that from your Amiga to your PC is included in the source distribution, as well as documentation on how to use it.
Please note: The Kickstart ROM is copyrighted by Amiga International and we may not distribute it. Officially licensed Amiga ROM and OS files are available both for download and on CD-ROM as part of Cloanto's Amiga Forever package, which includes Kickstart files up to v3.1 (the latest version).
You also need software to run on the emulator. Like a piece of hardware, an emulation by itself is not very useful.
Software useful with UAE
There are other pieces of software that can be very useful when used together with UAE.
- UAE can emulate a Picasso 96 compatible graphics card. OS friendly software can use this to display much better resolutions and color depths than the Amiga custom chip set would allow. To use this feature, you need the Picasso 96 software which is available on the official Picasso 96 home page.
- ADF Opus is a file management tool for ADF files and hardfiles. It allows you to perform most common tasks (like copying, renaming, deleting, etc.) with your ADFs without having to go anywhere near an emulator. Features include support for all filesystems (including directory-caching) high speed file copying, ability to access real Amiga harddisks and an MDI interface. ADF Opus is freely available since it is released under the GPL. Development is coordinated by Gary Harris. ADFOpus was originally created by Dan Sutherland.
- The ADFlib from Laurent Clevy is a portable C library designed to manage Amiga formatted devices like harddisks and ZIP disks, or dump files of this kind of media via the .ADF format. ADF Opus uses ADFLib for it's filesystem access.
- Brian Wheeler has developed a Perl utility that makes it possible to access files contained in an .adf diskfile. It is available here.
Credits
UAE was created by Bernd Schmidt, with the help of a host of volunteer contributors.
Related Links
Catweasel is a universal floppy disk controller that uses unmodified PC diskdrives. The Catweasel can handle nearly any disk format.You can read for example all PC-formats (180k up to 1440k), Amiga DD and HD, Atari 9, 10 and 11 sektor disks, Macintosh 720k, 800k, 1440k (DD,GCR,HD), Commodore C64 and C128 disks and many more...
The Amiga Research OS tries to rewrite a platform independant replacement for Amiga OS
Christoph Stahl explains how to connect Amiga joysticks to your PC.
The ADF file format is explained in Laurent Clévy's ADF (Amiga Disk File) format FAQ
Check out the XT-Power Amiga Page, which is styled like an Amiga workbench, using Javascript.
Amiga Music Preservation (AMP), a non profit association, is running the biggest and most comprehensive database ever about amiga music and amiga musicians. All the composers of the amiga deserve to be remembered and to have their work preserved. We tried all we could on our own but although it's growing all the time, now we seriously need you to help us one way or another.
FAQ
What is an Amiga?
Amigas come in two variaties: the all-in-one console type with keyboard, a floppy drive in right hand side and ports at the back (like a large C64). There is the standard Desktop type like PCs. Amigas run AmigaOS with Workbench as the interface (similar to W95 but no Start button) with menus on the screen title bar and list of drive volumes down the side. Amigas use the Motorola 680x0 series processor, and have their own custom Chipset (Agnus|Alice, Paula, Denise|Lisa, Gary etc) which looks after graphics, sound, I/O and boots off a Kickstart ROM (like BIOS on the PC). The Amiga was THE most popular home computer in the late 80s and early 90s before Commodore Business Machines went bust in 1993. Gateway 2000/Amiga Inc now own the Amiga.
Where can I get the latest Amiga emulator program?
UAE (Umiquious Amiga Emulator) Official home page is at: UAE Amiga Emulator home page.
WinUAE for Windows 95/98/Me/2000/XP can be downloaded from WinUAE. Current version is 0.8.22r3
For Windows NT, you need to use Winuae 0.8.8 from Back2Roots.
For Fellow, try Fellow Home Page or the NEW WinFellow.
For AmigaXL or Amithlon try Amithlom Home page.
For more emulation info, try Emulator FAQ which will give more info on transferring files to/from other platforms eg PCs as well.
The current Amiga emulators can emulate a 68000, 020 or 040 processor and the OCS, ECS or the AGA chipset with WinUAE 0.8.22.
Where can I get the Kickstart ROM and Workbench disks?
a) Kickstart
The Kickstart is a ROM chip contains essential parts of the Operating System and an Amiga cannot boot without it. A copy of the kickstart can be copied from your Amiga using the TransRom utility (see below). Kickstarts are supplied on the Amiga Forever CD in D:\Emulation\shared\ROM. If you have the Amiga Classix CD, you can find a Kickstart 1.3 rom file.
I) Getting a KickStart image using Transrom:
a) Copy TransRom from the Tools dir that came with Winuae, to a 720k formatted floppy. b) Insert floppy disk into Amiga and copy Transrom into C: directory. (Assuming you have MSH or Crossdos to read PC disk else use a serial network and transfer it) c) Assuming you have enough disk space/ram, type Transrom >kick.rom in a Shell to create a 256K or 512k rom image called kick.rom. d) Copy kick.rom image back to PC floppy disk (or use serial n/w) e.g Copy kick.rom to PC0: e) Copy kick.rom image to Winuae directory from floppy on your PC!
b) Workbench
A larger set Workbenchs (upto 3.1) can be found on the Amiga Forever CD in D:\Emulation\shared\ADF and a full Workbench directory hard disk set up in D:\Emulation\shared\dir. Workbench or AmigaOS 3.5 or 3.9 CD can be purchased from any good Amiga dealer (for example Software Hut or Power Computing and can be read directly on a PC as a Read Only Directory based Hard Disk on Winuae.
II) Using Transdisk to transfer disk images:
Use the TransDisk program to create ADF images of WB disks. e.g. TransDisk >ram:mydisk.adf will create a 900k disk image file in RAM: of the disk in DF0:. You can use Zip or Gzip to compress the file down and then can be copied onto a 720K PC formatted disk to be directly read on the PC using CrossDos or MSH (or use a Serial Network from the Amiga to PC to transfer it directly).
If you are low on memory (512K), then you will need to copy the disk in chunks of a few tracks (0-79) of the disk. e.g. Transdisk -s 0 -e 30 >mydisk1.adf Transdisk -s 31 -e 60 >mydisk2.adf Transdisk -s 61 -e 79 >mydisk3.adf then you can transfer them to the PC and then join the files together: Copy /B mydisk1.adf+mydisk2.adf+mydisk3.adf mydisk.adf to create the full 900K file.
If you have WB 2.0 or better, try ADF Blitzer program which has a nice Workbench frontend!
Kickstart ROMs and Workbench are COPYRIGHT of Amiga Inc and it is ILLEGAL to distribute them or download them from unauthorised sites. For real Workbench disks, you can get replacements from Amiga Inc., SoftHut (US). Weird Science, Eyetech and Power Computing from £9.95 and from old Amiga magazine CDs and R. Brenda's CBM Page (legal).
Where can I get Amiga software from?
You can try the following:
a) Aminet (Ger.) or Aminet US has the biggest collection of software which includes loads of utilities, demos, drivers, pictures, MODs and games which are freely available. You will need the LHA program from util/arc to extract the archives.
b) Compact Discs. UAE should be able to directly access these via D: drive. Good discs to look out for are Amiga Classix for games, the Aminet series and Magazine cover disks. Some OS files can be found on some old magazine cover disks.
c) Floppy disks. You need to either archive the files (using LHA or ZIP) onto a PC formatted disk on a real Amiga or use the TransDisk program to create .ADF image files readable on a PC or Disk2FDI if you have 2 floppy drives. You may use CrossDos by Consultron (Version 7 avail from Software Hut) on WB2.1 or better or MSH (MessyDos) to access PC disks on the Amiga. MSH is available on Aminet. For long filenames use FAT95 from Aminet. You can create GZIP'd ADF files to allow them to fit onto 720K disks!
d) Buy and sell adverts and the marketplace Newsgroups and Amibench.
e) Emulator web sites. There are loads of dedicated web sites with games, utilities and other files to run on your Amiga. For Amiga-in-a-Box software package visit AIAB. Also, try Amiga Emulation, Jambo! and Winuae/Fellow Page. For more Amiga site visit my Misc Links.
f) For Games, try Back 2 Roots. For game manuals, try Amiga Game Manuals.
g) Retailers. Visit Weird Science, Software Hut, Fore-matt, Schatztruhe or Haage Partner.
Can a PC read Amiga floppy disks?
Sorry, it is impossible with the standard PC floppy controller. The Amiga reads floppy disks a track at a time and uses smaller inter-Sector blocks than the PC. The PC floppy controller is unable to read Amiga disks using such a system.
You can only transfer files to PC formatted disks using CrossDos or MSH on an Amiga. Alternatively, you can transfer files between an Amiga and PC through Comms programs. e.g. JRComm, NComm, Term on the Amiga and the equiv. on the PC eg HyperTerminal (see 14). Alternatively, you can use AmigaTran, or Amiga Explorer (with Amiga Forever package).
If you have two floppy drives, try the new Disk2FDI program.
For the PC to read Amiga disks directly, extra hardware will need to be purchased which can read (or write) Amiga disks easily. The ISA Catweasel floppy controller can be used on the PC to read (or write) Amiga disks. Further information is available from the web site at jschoenfeld or email him. Also, see review in Amiga Format No 116 (Nov 98) p.58. Finally, if these options are not feasible, why not buy a real Amiga second hand for those occasions when you want to transfer files and you'll have access to a real KS and WB for use on your main machine. You can get one really cheap for less than £50 via Amibench.
5. What are ADFs, ADZ, LHA, LZX, DMS, ZIP and Z files?
An ADF is an image of an Amiga disk, so that the long filenames, comments, and flags are kept. The ADFs have to be copied to PC formatted disks to be read on the Amiga. ADZ files are GZIP'd ADF files. You need GZIP.EXE to access the original ADF files. Keeping them GZIP'd will save on space and Winuae can extract them automatically. LHA is the common file archive format on the Amiga, Aminet uses it a lot as well as DMS (Disk Masher) which is a disk archive format. You can use DMS, xDMS or ADFOpus to extract or convert DMS archives to ADF. You need LHA and LZX programs to archive or unarchive files. For example, to unarchive a lha file, type LHA X GAME.LHA to extract the files to the current directory. To make an archive, type LHA A GAME.LHA GameDir/#? which will add all files in GameDir to GAME.LHA. To list files, type LHA L GAME.LHA. If using LHA on the PC with Amiga lha files, use the /ax options to allow the files to be extracted properly. LZX is a newer faster and more compact archiver than LHA and requires the LZX program to extract them. All these unarchivers are available from Aminet. Try the W95 UnLZX program to extract LZX files on your PC. Amigas can also handle the common ZIP format using the ZIP and UNZIP commands (equivalent to PKZIP and PKUNZIP on the PC). The Amiga version of the unix GZIP format can handle .Z and .ADZ files. You can download all the Amiga (de)archivers from here: Amiga Archivers for use within Winuae or try X-Arc for use in Workbench.
Can I convert ADFs back into Amiga disks?
Yep, that is possible. You can use the TransDisk command e.g. transdisk -w mydisk.adf which will write the image to DF0: and there are some other programs available such as ADF2DISK, ADF2FMS,ADFBLITZER which are available on Aminet (see above for links) in disk/misc. Disks are sometimes created with DMS (DiskMasher) which be converted to files or ADFs using xDMS Unpacker.
How can I speed up graphics output?
Emulating the OCS, ECS or AGA chipset is slow, instead, you can use the PC's graphics card instead to output graphics and use 256 or more colours. Download the latest Picasso96 software from Aminet (version 1.32 or better) and use the UAE driver supplied with it. Make sure Full Screen RTG is enabled and at least 2Mb of RTG (graphics card) ram is available.
Can I emulate a Hard Disk on the Emulator?
Yes, that is possible. You can either specify a directory on the PC's hard disk e.g. C:\UAE\AmigaHD or you can specify a hard file. The advantage of a directory is that you can copy files directly from the PC site into the directory for immediate access by the Emulator. For hard files you can use the Amiga's long filenames, file comments and protection flags. For a hard disk to be bootable, make sure you copy the whole Workbench disk including hidden directories. Some programs work better with Hard Files than directories.
For more information see Hard disk setup.
It is possible to read an Amiga formatted harddisk directly by using Linux and the AFFS 1.3 file system. It may be possible to read Amiga hard disks using ADF View but backup the RDB and Data first as it may render the disk unusable on the Amiga after using it on the PC!
Can I access Amiga CDs via the Emulator?
Yes, Amiga CDs use the same filesystem for CDs as the PC i.e. ISO9660 except that it uses the Rock Ridge extension for long filenames.
There are two ways to access Amiga CD disks: insert the CD into your CD drive, on the Hard Drive screen of Winuae, click 'Add Directory' and then enter the volume name of the CD and the drive letter of the CD ROM drive e.g. D: (without the slash). Use the Diskchange <device> command in a Shell if you change CDs (type Info for list of devices).
With Winuae 0.8.21 or later you can install the CDROM drivers from either AmigaOS3.9 CD or a third party driver such as AmiCDFS. You need to enable uaescsi.device on the Misc tab before starting Winuae and enable Logging to determine the Unit numbers (see winuaelog.txt file) for your CDROM drive. When you install the drive make sure the device is uaescsi.device and the unit numbers match the unit numbers in the log file.
What limitations can I expect from using an Emulator?
An emulator cannot fully emulate everything on the Amiga as it has to emulate the CPU and the Custom Chipset chips as well as performance suffers on slow machines. The latest versions of Winuae will try to use buffers for sound to improve output and JIT for extra CPU speed, Chipset graphics is improving but 256 colours can be very slow due to the Amiga's bitmap system of using multiple layers. Using Picasso 96 emulation can improve graphics a lot, use that wherever possible.
Emulators are improved all the time, so keep an eye out for new versions. Sound emulation can depend on your processor as well, turning it off will improve emulation speed though.
It cannot do sprite-playfield collisions or use the MMU on higher spec'd 680x0 processors. This means that in some games the will not play correctly do to the way tricks are used to find character hits. Also, programs that require Memory Management such as Linux or Virtual Memory will not work in Winuae.
How do I create a blank disk for saving files or games?
For WinUAE, goto Floppies tab and click on 'Create Blank Floppy' button in 0.8.8 or click 'Create Standard Floppy' for use in Workbench or use 'Create Custom Floppy' for some games to save files to. For specific save game disks visit Back 2 Roots - Savedisks.
I have all my floppy drives full how do I change disks?
Press END key and either F1, F2, F3, F4 to do a disk change. Using SHIFT+END and F1-F4 will eject the disk. You can also press F12 for the setup screen and select Floppy to change the disk while its running.
How do I save the current 'State' of a game?
On Winuae you can now save the current state by pressing F12, go to the Misc screen and click 'Save current state' which will save the state as a .USS file. Use 'Load a save-state snapshot' to load state file. You will need as much disk space as memory allocated to the Amiga.
What do I need to network my Amiga and PC?
If you do not have Crossdos or MSH installed on your Amiga, a serial network is needed to transfer files between them instead of via floppy. All you need is the following items: a) Terminal software for Amiga and PC, preferably ones than can do Binary Transfers using common protocols such as Kermit and X/Y/ZModem. Amiga term programs include NComm, JRComm, and Term. PC term programs include Terminal and Terminus. A commonly used program called Twin Express can be used instead or PC2Ami or AmigaTrans or Amiga Explorer from Cloanto. b) A serial cable with 9pin end for PC and 25 pin end for Amiga. It has to be a null-modem cable which means that lines 2 and 3 have to cross over to receive/transmit between peers and line 7 for control signals. c) Connect the computers with serial lead and load up the software on each end. d) Start binary receive on one end using one of the protocols common to both programs. e) Start binary transmit on the other and load the file to be transmitted, it should then transfer to the other end in seconds/minutes depending on size. f) Further details of networking can be found at Amiga Emulation FAQ.
Why should I buy Amiga Forever CD or AF Online?
Unless you have access to a real Amiga, or have bought a Kickstart and Workbench disks, there is no other legal way of getting the OS for your emulation. The software is the property of Amiga Inc and only they can licence it to companies. Cloanto, have a licence, to distribute Amiga Emulation with Kickstart rom files and Workbench images from CD or from their web site. The CD also includes some popular Amiga Software, a complete Workbench hard disk setup, MPEG videos of Jay Miner's speech and the Deathbed Vigil (last days of Commodore), Amiga Explorer network program etc.
For easy access you can download the online version for as little as $20, you get Kickstart and Workbench 1.3 and 3.0, PPaint 7.1, an easy setup menu system, Amiga Explorer and the Emulation programs themselves. These would cost a lot more if bought seperately. For beginners, it is ideal to set up an Amiga on your PC within minutes than having to search the web for them and fiddle with setups to get it to work!
To check it out and get your copy visit Amiga Forever.
Can I access the Internet through UAE?
That is possible. You can through the PC's Internet connection by enabling the BSD socket library support feature on the MISC page of Winuae configuration. Make sure you go on line before loading Winuae.
I am new to the Amiga, I don't understand the jargon?
Like any new computer platform, I comes with its own terms, technology and jargon. The Amiga has its own hardware and operating system and to use it to the full, it is usually a good idea to learn some of the jargon and learn how to use AmigaOS. My guides can be read on the PC using WinGuide or AmigaGuide or Multiview on the Amiga. See Guides Page and Misc. Amiga links
I cannot install AmigaOS 3.5, it crashes during main install?
Try changing the Sound options to better level e.g. 16 bit and 44.1 Hz and change the CPU settings to adjustable and to level 1. Alternatively, edit out references to playing sounds (such as the clapping noise) in the Installer script (if you know what you are doing). There is no need to create an Emergency disk as this will not work under emulation but booting off any Workbench ADF would be sufficient to install AmigaOS 3.5 or 3.9. There is an update available for AmigaOS 3.9 called a Boing Bag and to get it to install on WinUAE you need a patch available from Amiga Inc.
How can I make or see inside ADF files without using an emulator?
You need ADFOpus or ADFView which will allow you to create and explore and manipulate the contents of Amiga Disk Format images easily. ADFOpus also features a DMS-ADF-ADZ image converter as well.
I am having problems running some programs or games on UAE
First make sure your UAE configuration matches the game's requirements. Very old games depend on specific versions of Kickstart, processor and memory. See list of Amiga specs at UAE Setup to see what configurations to try. If you still have problems then download JST or WHDLoad program which can degrade the Amiga to such a state that the program will run correctly. Also, try using Fellow or WinFellow as an alternative emulator to run the game.
What is the best way to transfer files between a PC and Amiga?
As well as CrossDos or MSH to use floppy or other removable media you can use the internet such as FTP to a site and and download it to your Amiga or you can use a simple Serial Network and use Terminal programs such as Term, NComm, JRComm and HyperTerminal as use the standard file transfer protocols. Alternatively, use the Amiga Explorer program supplied with Amiga Forever to do transfers. If you don't have any comms software on the Amiga, try the free AmigaTrans program.
If you have an Amiga Hard Disk and want to transfer its contents, try this suite of programs at DFTAmiPC.
I have installed Windows XP Home Edition but WinUAE now crashes?
You need to run older versions of Winuae in Compatibility Mode. Find Winuae.exe and select it, press right mouse button and select Properties, select Compatibility tab and change the Compatibility mode to Windows 98/Windows Me and tick 'Disable Windows themes'. Winuae should now load. For Amiga Forever 4 users, the setup will crash, please download latest version of WinUAE (see above) and install that, alternatively get Amiga Forever 5.
Download
- WinUAE 1.1 - ultima versione per Win9x/Me/NT/2000/XP
- Image:WinUAE1000.zip
- Adf2Disk v1.1 - Utilità per convertire gli ADF in veri dischi Amiga
- Amiga Forever - pacchetto completo ufficiale per l'emulazione Amiga su PC
- Amiga Explorer - Ottimo Software per la conessione di Un PC con tutti gli Amiga attraverso collegamento seriale con null-modem, bluetooth, Wi-fi, ethernet, TCP-IP
- AdfOpus v1.2 - Manager di files .ADF. Permette di manipolare, cancellare, copiare ma anche di decomprimere i files .ADZ .DMS .HDF DMP. Molto utile
- ADF View shell extension - similmente ad ADFOpus, accede ai contenuto degli ADF però è un estesione di Windows Explorer, è quindi integrato all'interno di Windows Explorer. Infatti puoi accedere al contenuto degli ADF con un doppio click sul file .ADF da esplora risorse.
- Disk2Fdi - Ottima utilità che permette di convertire i veri dischi amiga in .ADF direttamente dal Floppy Drive del PC! Occorrono due lettori di floppy però. Nel drive A: mettiamo un disco vuoto, nel drive B: il gioco amiga. La riga di comando è la seguente: DISK2FDI.COM /S B: prova In questo modo il programma copierà il contenuto del disco B: in un file "prova.adf".
- DMS2ADF - Utilità per convertire i file compressi .dms in .ADF
- TransDisk - programma per realizzare un ADF a partire da un dischetto originale Amiga
- Twinexpress - programma di traserimento dati tra PC e Amiga tramite cavo nullmodem
- xDMS - programma per convertire quasi ogni tipo di file DMS in un file di tipo ADF
Link
- WinUAE
- WinUAE Kaillera
- Kaillera
- ADF
- Amiga
- FAQ_Amiga
- Amiga_Story
- WinFellow
- E-UAE
- Lemonade
- WHDLoad
- PocketUAE
Link esterni
- Forum italiano su Amiga ed emulazione - Il forum ufficiale degli appassionati di Amiga e di emulazione, con recensioni, discussioni, richieste, consigli sul vasto mondo del retrogames e dei Commodore del passato.
- WinUAE - Sito ufficiale
- Amiga Forever - Pacchetto completo di emulazione con licenze ufficiali Amiga
- Gruppo Italiano KOW - Gruppo di condivisione dedicato a tutti gli emulatori Amiga del passato. Tutto il software per emulare i classici Amiga su ogni Sistema Operativo e su ogni console.
