AdvanceMame 0.99 - advcfg crashes everytime?

[Silver]

I wanted to setup Advancemame - I'm running on xp sp2.

checked my card (ATi radeon 9500) is supported - it is.

load the svgalib driver - fine
ran advmame to generate rcmame.cfg - fine.

run advcfg - runs at start, but if I select custom to define my own mode it will not let me type in any "/" characters as required by the spec (I was trying to type in "10-100 / 31-38 / 50-100" just for testing on my desktop crt. (Those should be safe settings). Pressing Enter to proceed did nothing presumably because I can't type "/". That character works fine in notepad. Alt-(Asciicode) does not work either.

Anyway, I just chose some preset defaults for a generic 800x600 VGA  - again all well within spec of my monitor - just so I could test. As soon as it goes to change res (to do the manual centering options) I just get a black screen. Can't esc out, can't ctrl-alt-del out, can't even power down from my atx psu - total crash.

I've used advancemame in the past on an older ati/different pc and it was fine. using latest catylists 5.8.

Can anyone help?

[whammoed]

From the docs:
The `svgawin' driver is a subset of the Linux SVGALIB library.
This driver is experimental. At present it's only tested on Windows 2000 with a GeForce 2 board. It's supposed to work with GeForge boards, it may not work with all the other boards.

Windows XP is not the best OS for advmame.  Linux is the most supported OS and people also use DOS.
The ATI radeons definitely don't work.  I have tried also.

[Silver]

That's a generic disclaimer thats been there for years. svgalib is potenital iffy by design in windows as it has to co-exist with the current windows driver.

However, also from the docs:

Supported Windows Video Cardst:

http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/doc-cardwin.html

Those by Ati:

http://advancemame.sourceforge.net/doc-cardwin.html#1.1

Cut and Paste:

-----------------------------------
Radeon 9500 Family - Secondary [4169]
Radeon 9500 Family [4149]
Radeon 9500 Series (R300) [4144]
   Radeon 9500 Series (R300)
OEM PC Partner Ltd {174b} : Sapphire Radeon 9500
-----------------------------------------------

And I have a Sapphire Radeon 9500. So its definately supported, and I'm pretty sure I've used a radeon in the past with advancemame......

I suspect its more likely a clash with windows possibly sp2? Anyone used advance mame ok with sp2?

[whammoed]

The list is simply what is supported by svgalib.  It has nothing to do with what will actually work in windows.  If you had a readeon working before, was it in windows 98?  I could believe that.  The disclaimer has been there for a while because nothing has changed for Window 2k and XP support I believe.
Hey, I could be wrong, I'd love for you to get it working.  But I think it is probably a waste of time.

[Silver]

Aha, ok thanks for clearing that up....

I've had it working in xp (probably no sp's) before - but possibly not a radeon. Either a radeon 7500, or one of the rage cards (its important I know!)

Hmm I had not realised windows support was still so flaky. I don't mind linux but there are too many other programs I want in my cab that are windows only sadly.

I'll have a little look round...

[gmorse]

I'm using AdvanceMame .99 is a Dos environment.  I couldn't get my Radeon 9500 to work either.  Same black screen you got.   Gave up in frustration and just threw an old Diamond Viper V550 in and it worked like a charm.

[Silver]

Hmmm.

Well I might go the dual-cards route - get an old card thats known to work with advancemame in windows and use that for mame (advancemame lets you skip a card I think.