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Installation Tips
Icon Operation
Compatibility
Disk and File Operation
Internet Applications
Keyboard Shortcuts
Undocumented Features
Third Party Utilities
Miscellaneous
Known Bugs

Disclaimer

Compatibility

  1. ToolsDaemon no longer works under 3.9; is there a workaround?
  2. Is MCP safe to use with 3.9, and do I still need mcpramlibpatch in my startup?
  3. Are there any compatibility problems with Birdie under 3.9?
  4. I've been unable to run some games (e.g. Nightlong) after installing OS 3.9 and WarpOS v5.0 (I'm using CyberGraphX v4.0). How can I get my game(s) working again?
  5. PlayCD doesn't work on my omniscsi.device or gvpscsi.device-based CD-ROM drive. PlayCD either doesn't recognize my CD-ROM drive, or the program loads and then a requester pops up with (unit number differs per Amiga system): "A SCSI command error has occurred (omniscsi.device, unit 4)". PlayCD then quits afterwards; why?
  6. How can I get my SurfSquirrel SCSI setup and working with OS 3.9? [fixed in OS 3.9 SE CD]
  7. Why won't AnimatedIcon work on my system?
  8. Are there any known problems with TurboPrint?
  9. Under OS 3.5, I used FBlit, WBCtrl, and LoadWB SIMPLEGELS to reduce the amount of CHIP RAM required in Workbench. This combination no longer works under OS 3.9. How do I fix it? (I have an AGA Amiga with no graphics card).
  10. When running Visual Prefs on OS 3.9, the Workbench window, close gadget, and slide bar imagery is corrupt. Is there a workaround?
  11. VNC doesn't display the fonts I've selected when I try to redirect it to a different screen mode. Why is this, and is there a workaround?
  12. The "RamLibFix" and "PatchRAM" programs from Thomas Richter's "MMULib" archive; do I still need them with OS 3.9?
  13. I've installed BB1, but now after I run Directory Opus v5.82 in Workbench Replacement Mode, some of my programs no longer run. Is there a workaround?
  14. Since upgrading to OS 3.9, IBrowse 2.2 seems unstable and my external viewers no longer work. Is a fix available?
  15. I've installed BB2, but now I cannot connect to my ISP using AmiTCP/IP and Holger Kruse's ppp.device v1.45. The modems connect, but ppp negotiation doesn't even start. What causes this, and is there a workaround available?
  16. After installing Boing Bag 2 for AmigaOS 3.9, I realized that the CyberGraphX screenmodes were no longer displayed in ANY screenmode requester, not even in the Workbench screenmode prefs editor. In addition, this problem causes some programs to crash if they try to open a screenmode requester with CyberGraphX modes only! This problem only occurs when using CyberGraphX V3, which was the last free version before Schatztruhe started selling CyberGraphX V4, and therefore is still used by many Amiga users.

1.
Q: ToolsDaemon no longer works under 3.9; is there a workaround?
A:

Yes. Mikolaj Calusinski (with help from Olaf Barthel) has provided an archive that patches ToolsDaemon to work correctly with OS 3.9.

Simply download ToolsDaemon22.lha from Aminet, and install according to the instructions in the ToolsDaemon22.readme file.

2.
Q: Is MCP safe to use with 3.9, and do I still need mcpramlibpatch in my startup?
A:

Yes, but there are two things you should be aware of with MCP:

  • First, make sure that you don't have any options in MCP that patch diskfont.library, as this will prevent 3.9's font cache from working correctly. You still need mcpramlibpatch in your startup as the ramlib problem is caused by third-party libraries performing too complicated/stack-hungry tasks (opening other diskresident libs) within their init function. These libraries are therefore breaking certain programming rules; and it's not a bug in ramlib itself. [Stephan Rupprecht]
  • Lastly, activating the "Processor" feature of MCP removes the ability of the RAD: device to be resident, so switching this off in MCP will restore it.

[Philippe 'Elwood' Ferrucci]

3.
Q: Are there any compatibility problems with Birdie under 3.9?
A:

Yes. Make sure Birdie is run without the NOICONBORDER and FLOODMASKWB options.It may cause problems with the prefs editors that use the ReAction GUI. Timo Moretto reported that several lines of text are written to the same space, and when trying to resize the window to force a redraw, all gadget-graphics in the window disappear. [Rolf Max Rotvel] Note that WBClock refuses to 'show up' if Birdie is running with the NOICONBORDER switch on.

[Rolf Max Rotvel]

4.
Q: I've been unable to run some games (e.g. Nightlong) after installing OS 3.9 and WarpOS v5.0 (I'm using CyberGraphX v4.0). How can I get my game(s) working again?
A:

Re-installing CyberGraphX v4.0 may help (the screen requester may not be opening properly).

[Steve Smith]

5.
Q: PlayCD doesn't work on my omniscsi.device or gvpscsi.device-based CD-ROM drive. PlayCD either doesn't recognize my CD-ROM drive, or the program loads and then a requester pops up with (unit number differs per Amiga system): "A SCSI command error has occurred (omniscsi.device, unit 4)". PlayCD then quits afterwards; why? [fixed in BB1]
A:

If you use a gvpscsi.device-based system, make sure that you're using at least v5.3 of the gvpscsi file available from GVP-M. This mounts a gvpscsi.device that works with PlayCD. To use that file, you have to disable automount on the GVP SCSI card by moving the boot jumper. Then install the new gvpscsi and gvpscsi.info files into your SYS:Expansion drawer. Be sure that your startup-sequence has the "BindDrivers" command in it. [Jeff Gilpin]

For omniscsi.device users, this is a bug in PlayCD, and a workaround called "playcdkludge" is available from http://babel.de/amiga.html#omni. See his "Known incompatibilities" section for more info.

Please note:

  • PlayCD needs a SCSI device that understands SCSI-2 commands. PlayCD does not depend on any filesystem (AsimCDFS, CacheCDFS, AllegroCDFS, etc.). It also does not work with the AmigaOS cd.device.
  • In general, you don't have to set any tooltypes for PlayCD. PlayCD will automatically scan for the following SCSI CD-ROM devices:

    scsi.device, 2nd.scsi.device, 3rd.scsi.device
    4th.scsi.device, 5th.scsi.device, 6th.scsi.device
    7th.scsi.device, 8th.scsi.device, atapi.device
    2060scsi.device, 1260scsi.device, 1230scsi.device
    cybscsi.device, cybppc.device, blizzppc.device
    z3scsi.device, dkbscsi.device, omniscsi.device
    tekscsi2.device, wildfirescsi.device, squirrelscsi.device
    oktagon.device, gvpscsi.device, dracoscsi.device
    

    If you don't want to use the autoscan feature, or your drive is connected to a device that is not listed here, you should use the tooltype DOSDEV or (exclusive-or) the Tooltypes DEVICE and UNIT to provide the device to which your drive is connected to.
  • If your CD-ROM drive is already mounted, you can use DOSDEV to provide PlayCD with this mountpoint (e.g. DOSDEV=CD0:). PlayCD will then ask the filesystem responsible for this DOSDEV (e.g. CD0:) for the device and unit of the CD-ROM drive.

[Markus Poellmann]

6.
Q: How can I get my SurfSquirrel SCSI setup and working with OS 3.9? [fixed in OS 3.9 SE CD]
A:

Follow these steps when installing OS 3.9 over an existing OS 3.5/3.1 system:

  • Place C:SquirrelSCSI before C:Setpatch QUIET in S:Startup-sequence (OS 3.5/3.1 seem to be able to mount devices on the squirrelscsi.device without running SquirrelSCSI first. In OS 3.9 this is no longer the case due to the RAM signal usage patch in the new SetPatch).

Follow these steps when installing OS 3.9 on a clean system:

  • After the emergency floppy has been created, type the following three lines in a Shell window:
    • COPY CLONE C:SquirrelSCSI DF0:C
    • COPY CLONE LIBS:Squirrelscsi.library DF0:Libs (or surfsquirrel.library if that's the only file you have)
    • COPY CLONE DEVS:squirrelscsi.device DF0:Devs
  • Place C:SquirrelSCSI before C:Setpatch in DF0:S/Startup-sequence.
  • Ensure that DF0:Devs/DOSDrivers/CD0 is using the squirrelscsi.device directly, and not the CD32 emulated cd.device. If the latter is true, change it to squirrelscsi.device and change the UNIT number to the SCSI-ID.

After installing OS 3.9, make the same changes to the files mentioned above. Replace DF0: with the partition name where you installed OS 3.9 on.

[Staf Verhaegen]

7.
Q: Why won't AnimatedIcon work on my system?
A:

AnimatedIcon needs features of workbench.library v44+. As soon as Directory Opus Magellan (not to be confused with Directory Opus v4.xx) is run, Workbench disables those features for compatibility reasons (or Directory Opus Magellan wouldn't work).

[Markus Poellman]

8.
Q: Are there any known problems with TurboPrint?
A:

It is a known problem that TurboPrint (at least v7.04 or older) does not preserve unknown IFF chunks, but erases them (affecting the SYS:Prefs/Env-Archive/Sys/printer.prefs file).

[Hubert/Markus Poellman]

9.
Q: Under OS 3.5, I used FBlit, WBCtrl, and LoadWB SIMPLEGELS to reduce the amount of CHIP RAM required in Workbench. This combination no longer works under OS 3.9. How do I fix it? (I have an AGA Amiga with no graphics card).
A:

There are three possible solutions (none are guaranteed to work on your system):

Possible solution #1:

  • Ensure the following lines are in your S:Startup-sequence after the command:
    "Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV"
    • C:FBlit (with its default settings)
    • C:WBCtrl IMT=ICONFAST
    • C:LoadWB SIMPLEGELS
  • In the SYS:Prefs/Workbench preferences editor, set the "Images in:" cycle gadget to "Graphics Memory", and click "Save".
  • Reboot, and you should have more available CHIP RAM.

Possible solution #2, David Woolley:

  • Ensure the following lines are in your S:Startup-sequence after the command:
    "Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV"
    • C:FBlit

    • C:WBCtrl IMT=ICONFAST
    • C:LoadWB (without the SIMPLEGELS argument)
  • In the SYS:Prefs/Workbench preferences editor, set the "Images in:" cycle gadget to "Other Memory", and click "Save".
  • Reboot, and you should have more available CHIP RAM.

Possible solution #3:

  • In the SYS:Prefs/Workbench preferences editor, set the "Images in:" cycle gadget to "Other Memory", and click "Save".
  • Ensure the following lines are in your S:Startup-sequence after the command:
    "Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV"
    • C:FBlit (with AddBobPatch & RemIBobPatch switched off, and the QBSBlitPatch on in FBliGui)
    • C:LoadWB (without the SIMPLEGELS argument)
  • Reboot, and you should have more available CHIP RAM.
10.
Q: When running Visual Prefs on OS 3.9, Workbench windows, close gadgets, and slide bar imagery is corrupt. Is there a workaround?
A:

Yes. This can happen if you have the "1:1 Aspect Ratio" checkbox selected in the IControl prefs editor—it interferes with Visual Prefs. Note that one of the earlier beta releases of CyberGraphX had this problem, so make sure you're using the latest CyberGraphX beta release. A particular option in Birdie may also be causing this. [Remco Komduur]

You need to switch off the 1:1 aspect ratio option, save your new IControl preferences, and reboot. Just selecting "Use" is not enough to make VisualPrefs work again. Note that when using VisualPrefs, IPrefs' 1:1 aspect ratio feature is not needed anyway, so turning it off shouldn't be a problem for anyone.

[Massimo Tantignone]

11.
Q: VNC doesn't display the fonts I've selected when I try to redirect it to a different screen mode. Why is this, and is there a workaround?
A:

This is not a VNC bug; it is a gadtools bug. The gadtools.library "LayoutMenusA()" hangs if the screen is too small and no menu could be built. The function just loops forever and never returns, not even with a failure code (which wouldn't be a problem for VNC in first place). Unfortunately, this is not so easy to reproduce. It depends on the screen mode, on the font and on some unfortune when selecting the screen size.

The solution is to redirect SetVNC to a different screen by dropping the "width" and "height" parameters of the window path as then ViNCEd will figure out the default window size.

[Thomas Richter]

12.
Q: The "RamLibFix" and "PatchRAM" programs from Thomas Richter's "MMULib" archive; do I still need them with OS 3.9?
A:

According to Thomas Richter, RamLibFix is redundant (already fixed by SetPatch), and PatchRAM is obsolete (Thomas is working on a permanent "fix" to the ram-handler).

[Steve Holland]

13.
Q: I've installed BB1, but now after I run Directory Opus v5.82 in Workbench Replacement Mode, some of my programs no longer run. Is there a workaround?
A:

Remove DefIcons from your SYS:WBStartup drawer, as it clashes with Directory Opus's file definition system.

[Douglas Valentine]

14.
Q: Since upgrading to OS 3.9, IBrowse 2.2 seems unstable and my external viewers no longer work. Is a fix available?
A:

Oliver Roberts shares the following:

"Quite a few people (including myself) have found that IBrowse 2.2 is actually more stable under OS 3.9, for some reason, than it was with previous OS versions. It's not bug-free though, and hopefully this will be addressed in IBrowse 2.3, although the development state seems to be a bit "fragile" at the moment. Most (if not all) of the common bugs in 2.2 have already been logged on the IBrowse bugtrack, so hopefully they will get fixed.

The External Viewers stopped working in OS3.5 BB2 and OS3.9—this problem has already been fixed in the current development version of IBrowse, but in the meantime, I made a patch for IBrowse 2.2 (also fixes one of the most common crash bugs), which can be found at:"

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ibrowse/files

15.
Q: I've installed BB2, but now I cannot connect to my ISP using AmiTCP/IP and Holger Kruse's ppp.device v1.45. The modems connect, but ppp negotiation doesn't even start. What causes this, and is there a workaround available?
A:

Serial.device v43.7 is buggy and is causing the problem. Until a bug fixed version is released, use serial.device v43.4, which allows you to connect fine.

[Gabriele Favrin/Martin Steigerwald]

16.
Q: After installing Boing Bag 2 for AmigaOS 3.9, I realized that the CyberGraphX screenmodes were no longer displayed in ANY screenmode requester, not even in the Workbench screenmode prefs editor. In addition, this problem causes some programs to crash if they try to open a screenmode requester with CyberGraphX modes only! This problem only occurs when using CyberGraphX V3, which was the last free version before Schatztruhe started selling CyberGraphX V4, and therefore is still used by many Amiga users.
A:

Did all your screenmodes disappear when you installed OS 3.9 Boing Bag 2? If so this is the same error that happened a few months back when a newer version of BlizKick was released. The problem is related to a version check of exec.library. Newer exec versions (> v40) cause problems when scanning the display database for cgxsystem.library less than version 42.6. Any exec.library patch or hack with a version > v40 runs into this problem. You will need cgxsystem.library 42.7 or higher. This can be found in the CGX 4.2pre11 or later release (found at http://vgr.com/v4/) for normal Amiga graphics card users, or G-Rex PCI card users can use the CGX V4.3beta R3 for G-Rex archive (found at http://vgr.com/g-rex/#software).

Note that you can use AmigaOS 3.9 and Boing Bag 3.9-2, but do not install the new ROM Update...or simply replace the "SetPatch" line in your Startup-sequence with:

SetPatch QUIET SKIPROMUPDATES "exec.library"

or

SetPatch QUIET SKIPROMUPDATES "exec.library,scsi.device"

(when you have IDE-Fix) ...again, it's all documented.

SetPatch QUIET SKIPROMUPDATES "exec.library"

[Andreas Benden and CyberGraphX wesbite]