Starting and Stopping Interrupt Generators when Loading a Game

If you start your Internet or USB device and then load a game with WHDLoad, then the game will freeze or not load successfully. You can exit the game using the WHDLoad hotkey since the Amiga does not crash. The hardware generates interrupts which have to be handled but WHDLoad suspends all OS handling.

In order to seamlessly disable interrupt devices, WHDLoad's configuration file, usually at S:WHDload.prefs contains the directives which have to be uncommented:

ExecuteStartup=Execute S:WHDLoad-Startup	;command to execute on WHDLoad startup
ExecuteCleanup=Execute S:WHDLoad-Cleanup	;command to execute on WHDLoad exit

After that, edit S:WHDLoad-Startup which is executed on WHDLoad start up, and, if you are using AmiTCP, you would add:

AmiTCP:bin/offline Devs:Networks/3c589.device UNIT 0
AmiTCP:bin/ifconfig eth0 down

in case your networking device is at DEVS:Networks/3c589.device and the unit is 0. You can get this data easily from your install in AmiTCP:BIN/startnet. This will disable the network interface and allow the game to run.

Next step is to edit S:WHDLoad-Cleanup which is executed when WHDLoad terminates, and, if you are using AmiTCP, you would add:

AmiTCP:bin/online Devs:Networks/3c589.device UNIT 0
AmiTCP:bin/ifconfig eth0 up