RPCEmu-0.9.4a - RISC OS 5.27 Fatal Error

When I now start RPCEmu I get the following error message from RISC OS 5.27 as it boots.

First error message is “Application may have gone wrong. Click Continue to try to resume or Quit to Stop Application.”

There are 3 options to select, Describe, Quit, Continue.

On Clicking on Describe I then get the following message.

“Module ‘Bits’ is not 32-bit compatible”

I’m guessing there is a file somewhere that’s not 32-bit, but where is it and where should I look.

Then I get another message.

“File ‘BootError’ not found.

Only button to select now is Cancel.

“Module ‘Bits’ is not 32-bit compatible”

You have installed something that is seen at boot time that has a !Boot or !Run file that tries to load a module called !Bits that is an old style 26-bit mode build.

Possibly the easiest method to find it is to search from the host OS looking in hostfs\!Boot and subdirectories,
When you find it, move it to a subdirectory called \26-bit (you may find a “fixed” version later, so the old file is useful as a memory jogger.

Steve,

The only error I get now is;

File ‘BootError’ not found.

File ‘BootError’ not found

it took me a little while to remember that one – basically the Direct image has been created on a machine with some non-standard¹ features. One such feature is “BootError”

If you cancel that error box you should have a normally working desktop – but the source of that error needs locating.
So, here we go:

In the RISC OS root directory is !Boot. This a special directory and should not normally be hacked in this way.

Hold down the Shift key and double-click on the !Boot directory, in that double click on the Choices directory, in that double-click on the Boot directory.
You will now see the “Desktop” file.

Hold down the shift key and double-click on the desktop file.
Scroll down until you see the ResApps section and in that some lines contain the command “BootError” – change that to “Error” and save the file.

When you reboot the system will error with a more meaningful message.

¹ When I say “non-standard” I mean non-standard for the ROOL branch of the OS. There was (is?) another branch, but it only runs on old hardware.

Top tip: before installing new software on your RPCEmu installation, why not back it up first? Then you have an instant restore facility available.

File ‘BootError’ not found

You can actually generate this error by simply moving one of the target items, so having a meaningful message generated would be handy.
Which brings up the Old, old chestnut about a GUI prompting (optional status) and error logging setup for the boot would be handy.
Julie had some early development of a SysLog variant – got as far as v002 CLI/text file logging according to my collection.

Sort of a half-assed logging for RPCEmu with the BootError entries can be done by dropping Julies module into the RPCEmu poduleroms directory and then adding these lines to the Run file (inserted just before the /<Boot$Dir>.Utils.BootVars line)

Set System$LogDir Boot:^.Logs Set Alias$BootError SysLog BootSysLog 0 %*0

Sadly, I run out of clues when trying to suppress the “Sending message…” generated by the test syslog module

Thanks. I just setup RPCEMU and for me it was StrongEd that was causing the issue, apparently there was no Utilities folder in the ROD bundle that I downloaded.