SheepShaver for Windows

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

Are these changes (and possible new bugs) for Windows host only?

[kanjitalk755]

No, the changes for all host types.

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

In macOS host, both SheepShaver and BasiliskII seem to work OK. But if there could be new bugs because of the change in framebuffer handling, I do not know how or were to look for them.

[kanjitalk755]

With certain applications, problems such as part of the screen not updated or colors garbled may occur.
It may not be known until users of the applications report it.
The current version is stable, so we may be better to postpone merging until it's time to migrate to SDL3.

[DavisEngr]

I am using Sheepshaver 23-08-2023 on a Windows 10 system, attempting to run OS 9.04. I have downloaded the Mac 9.04 installer ISO and the proper Rom. When running the Sheepshaver GUI, I create a virtual drive and add that drive and the ISO. The system boots to the CD, but does not see the virtual drive. I have tried sizes from 1000 to 2000 with no luck. The drive is never recognized by the system, and therefore will not allow me to install on the virtual drive. I downloaded several virtual drives from several sites, not of which show us as .iso files. I used HFVExplorer to create a drive, and that does not show up. I have about a half dozen .hfv files in my Sheepshaver folder, and none are recognized by the booting CD image. My goal is to set up several drives in Sheepshaver, as I am trying to migrate from OS 10.4 Tiger and Classic to a newer machine with better browsers and Zoom support. My ideal machine would be a 1.3 TB virtual drive to allow all my software and files to be in the virtual drive. But so far, I cannot get even a bootable drive. There must be some reason the .hfv files are not showing up.

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

When you use the GUI to create an empty hard disk image file, it should appear in the volumes list.
After completing the setup procedure, click Start (which will also save the settings).
When the emulator then boots from a MacOS disk (either physical CD or CD-image), you will be asked to initialize the volume you created.

See the setup manual: viewtopic.php?t=5325

Note: The virtual disks cannot be larger than 2000MB.

[DavisEngr]

I appreciate your reply. When going through GUI I create the disk, ie Machd.hav which I then add to the volumes. I also add the Mac OS install image. When I hit start Sheepshaver boots to the CD image, but does not prompt me to initialize the hard drive. After booting to the CD I open disk disk utilities and there are no volumes. The file machd.hfv is created in the Sheepshaver folder, but not recognized by Sheepshaver.

[Cat_7]

Does the disk image you create automatically show up in the volumes list directly after you created it? It should.
Which rom file are you using?

And please copy the content of your SheepShaver_prefs file in your answer. You can open the file with e.g., Notepad.

Best,
Cat_7

[DavisEngr]

I went through the process. I noted when I start GUI is shows my iso startup disk and an older hfv file I had previously removed from my folder. I remove the old hfv file from the volumes list and create a new hfv file, which does show up under volumes. However when I hit start is only boots from the installer disk and never prompts for a new drive initialization. I was going tossed the prefs file. When opened, I noted the disk notations were for the iso and the long deleted hfv disc, not the one I just created. Apparently once created the prefs file cannot be changed or over written. I deleted the prefs file and restarted with nothing set. I added the iso and the newly created hfv file and it worked like a charm. One question. I would like to create a hfv file of 1 tb. Any suggestions?

[Ronald P. Regensburg]

One question. I would like to create a hfv file of 1 tb. Any suggestions?

Mac OS 9.0.4 cannot use volumes larger than 2000MB. You can create/add multiple images of that size.

[adespoton]

One question. I would like to create a hfv file of 1 tb. Any suggestions?

Mac OS 9.0.4 cannot use volumes larger than 2000MB. You can create/add multiple images of that size.

My alternative is that I keep the files stored in a folder on the host volume and use the shared folder feature to copy over any files I'm actively using to my 2GB image.

[almeath]

Fixed the issue that garbage remains when running "Dark Forces" in Windows fullscreen.
It only effects when VOSF is disabled (default).

It also fixes the following bug:

viewtopic.php?t=11980

However, since I changed framebuffer handling, new bugs may appear.

https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/ ... ramebuffer

I have used the latest MacOS and Windows builds of SheepShaver to test Dark Forces, including this patched build. I have the advantage of testing on identical hardware, as I am using Windows in Bootcamp on a Core i9 iMac. My SheepShaver preferences are identical on each OS.

My findings are as follows:

In the MacOS build of SheepShaver, Dark Forces has always worked reasonably well. It has a slightly irregular framerate that seems to drop frames, but otherwise is quite playable, even on the highest graphical settings available in the game. The other issue is that the cutscenes exhibit severe audio and graphical stuttering .. essentially it temporarily freezes every few seconds. Performance is identical when in windowed or full screen mode.

In the Windows build of SheepShaver, the cutscenes are similarly affected by freezes and stuttering. When I launch the game, it appears to run in a kind of 'slow motion'. It is smooth motion but extremely slow. This is the same in windowed or full screen mode. In addition, despite hardware being identical, my processor seems to be under heavy load as the iMac fans will max out immediately.

Here is my config for the Windows build:

Code: Select all

rom Mac OS ROM
disk hd.dmg
disk hd2.dmg
cdrom /dev/poll/cdrom
cdrom Dark Forces.img
keycodefile pc_keycodes
extfs 
screen dga/640/480
windowmodes 3
screenmodes 63
seriala COM1
serialb COM2
bootdrive 0
bootdriver 0
ramsize 268435456
frameskip 0
gfxaccel true
nocdrom false
nonet false
nosound false
nogui false
noclipconversion false
ignoresegv true
ignoreillegal true
jit true
jit68k false
keyboardtype 5
hardcursor true
hotkey 0
scale_nearest true
scale_integer true
cpuclock 0
yearofs 0
dayofs 0
mag_rate 0
swap_opt_cmd false
sound_buffer 0
name_encoding 0
keycodes true
mousewheelmode 1
mousewheellines 3
idlewait true
mousewheelmode 1
mousewheellines 3
enableextfs false
debugextfs false
extdrives CDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
pollmedia true
etherpermanentaddress true
ethermulticastmode 0
routerenabled false
ftp_port_list 21
portfile0 C:\B2TEMP0.OUT
portfile1 C:\B2TEMP1.OUT
sdlrender opengl
sdl_vsync true
reservewindowskey true

By the way, I do not know what the above reference to VOSF being disabled is referring to?

I have also noticed graphical corruption in some games using previous Windows builds, and I am going to test this out more thoroughly in order to see if this build resolves the problems with those games. The graphic corruption has previously only manifested itself when switching from windowed to full screen mode, or when starting SheepShaver in full screen mode. Often, the corruption occurs around the title bar, and when you move the mouse cursor over the corrupted areas, it usually 'clears'. I recall it happening in Conquest of the New World, Quest for Glory V, and Close Combat.

[almeath]

Looking good with the above build of SheepShaver for Windows .. it appears to have eliminated graphical corruption, in all the games I have tested to date.

That is apart from the Dark Forces slow-down issue, which I suspect has a separate cause. Something else, possibly related, is that QuickTime movies perform far worse in the Windows build. For example, if I watch the intro movie in Conquest of the New World in the Mac build, works fine - in Windows, audio stutters throughout. Exact same config settings in Mac and Windows.

[kanjitalk755]

In the Windows build of SheepShaver, the cutscenes are similarly affected by freezes and stuttering. When I launch the game, it appears to run in a kind of 'slow motion'. It is smooth motion but extremely slow. This is the same in windowed or full screen mode. In addition, despite hardware being identical, my processor seems to be under heavy load as the iMac fans will max out immediately.

The Windows version does not be implemented the "high-precision timer" that depends on the host OS.
Therefore, all requests to Macintosh Toolbox's PrimeTime() that wait less than 1/60 second will wait for 1/60 second.
I observe at the opening of Dark Forces, it always requests a wait of 6865μs, but this becomes a wait of 1/60 second, so it is more than twice as slow.

By the way, I do not know what the above reference to VOSF being disabled is referring to?

VOSF is a build-time option that specifies how framebuffer rewrites are detected.

[almeath]

Fixed the issue that garbage remains when running "Dark Forces" in Windows fullscreen.
It only effects when VOSF is disabled (default).

It also fixes the following bug:

viewtopic.php?t=11980

However, since I changed framebuffer handling, new bugs may appear.

https://github.com/kanjitalk755/macemu/ ... ramebuffer

I have tested my entire library of 50+ games and I can say that the graphical corruption no longer appears - at all. I have not noticed any new bugs, so I would recommend rolling this into the master branch.

Some particular culprits in the past were Star Trek 25th Anniversary, & Judgment Rites, also Wolfenstein 3D and Star Trek A Final Unity. All these run perfectly with the latest fix.

[kanjitalk755]

Thanks for your verification.
Merged to the master.

[DavisEngr]

One question. I would like to create a hfv file of 1 tb. Any suggestions?

Mac OS 9.0.4 cannot use volumes larger than 2000MB. You can create/add multiple images of that size.

My alternative is that I keep the files stored in a folder on the host volume and use the shared folder feature to copy over any files I'm actively using to my 2GB image.

I am having an issue. I am trying to move os 9 software from my g5 to my windows sheepshaver virtual disk. When I copy the software on the g5 , folder in all, to a usb drive, and then copy from the usb drive to my windows shared folder then to the virtual drive,the software does not copy as executable. It seems to want to open as a text file. I note the size is smaller on the shared folder and virtual drive. About half the size. I tried zipping the software only and then moving the zip file. That did not work. I know the virtual drive is hfs while the windows is some version of fat. I do not know about the usb. When I use the same usb and move the folder to an intel Mac and then into the Mac shared folder to the virtual drive on the Mac, there is no problem. This makes me think it is not the usb drive. That leaves the windows drive as the problem. Any suggestions?

[adespoton]

Mac OS 9.0.4 cannot use volumes larger than 2000MB. You can create/add multiple images of that size.

My alternative is that I keep the files stored in a folder on the host volume and use the shared folder feature to copy over any files I'm actively using to my 2GB image.

I am having an issue. I am trying to move os 9 software from my g5 to my windows sheepshaver virtual disk. When I copy the software on the g5 , folder in all, to a usb drive, and then copy from the usb drive to my windows shared folder then to the virtual drive,the software does not copy as executable. It seems to want to open as a text file. I note the size is smaller on the shared folder and virtual drive. About half the size. I tried zipping the software only and then moving the zip file. That did not work. I know the virtual drive is hfs while the windows is some version of fat. I do not know about the usb. When I use the same usb and move the folder to an intel Mac and then into the Mac shared folder to the virtual drive on the Mac, there is no problem. This makes me think it is not the usb drive. That leaves the windows drive as the problem. Any suggestions?

You're losing the resource forks and metadata; the easiest way to solve this is to create a disk image on your thumb drive on your G5, copy the stuff into there, and then mount the disk image inside SheepShaver. You're then guaranteed to preserve all the resource forks and file metadata.

You may find that in some cases, your G5 never had the metadata in the first place, in which case you'll still have the files associated as text files in Mac OS 9. To fix this, you'll need something like FileBuddy, FileT&C, or an Internet Config helper app whose name I've momentarily misplaced, that will assign file T&C based on file extension.

[KrondaliX]

Hi Cat_7,

Can you please give me a little explantation about the changes between the older versions (below 2020) and the newer versions according to graphic rendering (if it's the culprit).
I'm asking because yes it is stable, it works fine but the framerates and overall stability are kind of crappy.

Examples:
- sound hang, gaps (very little but easy to hear) when running games, playing music etc...
- overall framerates are way below the older versions and are not steadily stable even with frameskip 0

I accept this change, i just want to know why this is happening ? And if there is a method to use the older renderer or a reason behind it ?
I know the software renderer is the most fast/close to the older version but well... not quite as fast.

I use my already installed Mac OS version (9.0.4) for years (did not made a new installed version).

Why i'm asking ? Because the older version cannot record the emulator screen which the new one can record it with (Software, D3D and OpenGL). Through OBS and other desktop recording software.


Thank you in advance for your answer.

[KrondaliX]

One question. I would like to create a hfv file of 1 tb. Any suggestions?

Mac OS 9.0.4 cannot use volumes larger than 2000MB. You can create/add multiple images of that size.

This is false i was able to create à 30GB hard drive for my OS 9.0.4 without any issue.



Here is how to get the blank disk files:
https://www.macintoshrepository.org/192 ... -to-120gb-

There is even a 120GB Disk file

Unfortunately you need to first install the OS into a 2GB or below hard drive compatible then afterwards copy the entire disk to one of these bigger ones and boot on it.

[emendelson]

This is very interesting to learn.

The screen shot shows that your files use less than 600 MB of a 30 GB disk image - about two percent of its capacity. That should provide plenty of room for the future.