ADFFS 2.86 public beta

[JonAbbott]

The only realistic way to validate an image is to run the game from it.

Might this not even be enough though? For example, what if a certain file has been corrupted in the subsequent JFD, and that file is not used or accessed until the very end of the game? E.g. an ending screen or other code relating to completing the game.

The original JFD should never become corrupt, well, not unless its modified and then saved to a different filename - in which case delta changes will be merged back into the image. Auto-flush protects the original JFD by appending changes to the end of the JFD.

The recording files that come with ADFFS will cover all files and protection sectors.

For self-produced recording files, provided the instructions are followed, the images should be okay. Obviously if there's disc protection checks performed later in-game they'll be missed - but that's why ADFFS comes bundled with recording files.

Where multiple versions of the same game release exist, I'll ensure the recording file covers all versions I've checked. Where they so different they need new Boot scripts, I'll allocate a new ID and create a separate recording and matching Boot script.

[wmd]

When I mentioned corruption in the JFD, I wasn't referring to it becoming corrupt at some later date. This is the scenario I was talking about:

1. Make a JFD of a single floppy game (any game) using a recording file already present in ADFFS.
2. The version of the physical disc happens to be different to the one the recording file was made with. However, as far as the user is concerned there are no issues, as ADFFS does not inform the user that the recording file is not for this particular version of the disc.
3. Because no errors reported to user during the imaging process, the user has no idea that their JFD is now likely to have errors on it. It's possible that the errors introduced into the JFD affect files that are not used until later in the game, so a quick "load and test" might not reveal these disc errors.

[wmd]

Make sure you keep backups. I've just noticed it's corrupting the original sectors when Auto flush occurs for the first time on a JFD imaged prior to 2.86.

This is quite a serious problem. Might be a good idea to mention this in the OP?

[JonAbbott]

When I mentioned corruption in the JFD, I wasn't referring to it becoming corrupt at some later date. This is the scenario I was talking about:

1. Make a JFD of a single floppy game (any game) using a recording file already present in ADFFS.
2. The version of the physical disc happens to be different to the one the recording file was made with. However, as far as the user is concerned there are no issues, as ADFFS does not inform the user that the recording file is not for this particular version of the disc.
3. Because no errors reported to user during the imaging process, the user has no idea that their JFD is now likely to have errors on it. It's possible that the errors introduced into the JFD affect files that are not used until later in the game, so a quick "load and test" might not reveal these disc errors.

As mentioned previously, I do modify the recording files to cover multiple versions...provided folk sent them to me, so its not a massive problem.

Where there is an issue its always possible to re-image the floppy later, either with an updated ADFFS or by creating a bespoke recording file.

I could add an option to the imaging tool to capture all sectors? It won't account for protection changing between versions, but would image everything accessible by FileCore. That doesn't really cover what you're after though as you want to see the imager highlight differences.

Determining if a floppy differs from the one the recording file was created from, that's not so easy. I can CRC the sectors, but would need to somehow flag or ignore sectors that change (highscores/saves/settings/directories) otherwise they'd probably look like bad images.

I do have a long standing task on my list to shrink all the recording files, primarily to reduce the size of them, but I could look at extending the recording files to included sector CRC checking. Its a lot of effort for little gain though and it still wont be able to check the protection matches - that would require detailed knowledge of what the game is checking, be it a specific error, sector contents, sector-in-sector, etc.

Make sure you keep backups. I've just noticed it's corrupting the original sectors when Auto flush occurs for the first time on a JFD imaged prior to 2.86.

This is quite a serious problem. Might be a good idea to mention this in the OP?

It is in the OP...in the Known issues section.

I spotted another issue earlier today, where really early version JFD files become corrupt when saved. That issue has been there forever and gone unnoticed it would seem.

[Idge]

Hi Jon,
Play it Again Sam 1 and 2 seem to be missing from the game selection when imaging a disk. They were there on 2.83, but are no longer there on the newer builds.

[JonAbbott]

Hi Jon,
Play it Again Sam 1 and 2 seem to be missing from the game selection when imaging a disk. They were there on 2.83, but are no longer there on the newer builds.

You're possibly referring to 2.85 as they are in 2.86 in the OP. Copy !ADFFS.imaging.archive across from the build in the OP and you should be good.

Don't image using 2.86 beta though as I'm making changes to the file layout to support delta writes.

[Idge]

Ah yes, sorry I thought I had updated to 2.86, but appears not.
Thanks will do that

[JonAbbott]

Updated build in the OP, which is a big update in code terms adding missing sector creation, HFEv1, fixes to auto-flush and de-duped recording files.

See the OP for detail on Auto-flush, missing Sector creation and de-duped recording files

[Idge]

Champions: Jahangir Khan World Championship Squash (1991) (Krisalis Software) - Joystick doesn't work when Boot Floppy is used on an A3010. The same issue will apply to other games that use JoyMod, which are mostly Krisalis titles (hopefully fixed - I don't have an A3010 to test)

I have just tested this with the latest version on my a3010, and unfortunately the joystick still does not work using Boot Floppy. It works ok if I run !squash directly from the icon.

[Idge]

F1026101 Nevryon (1990) (The Fourth Dimension) - Switch to MODE 0 before running the game to work around an in-game issue

If you are in Mode 28 before running the game, you get the graphical issues, and cannot play the game and demo mode does not display. Modes 12,13,15 and 27 all seem to work fine.

I am using a BENQ 702A monitor set as a multiscan monitor in Risc OS on an A3010