MorphOS registration under Emulation
  • Just looking around
    Posts: 2 from 2021/4/2
    Hey!

    I'm running MorphOS under QEMU on Windows.
    I use it to test if my web applications run correctly under WayFarer, and if my system friendly Amiga stuff runs correctly on it.

    I have no problem paying for MorphOS, but if I run the RegTool I get the message
    "MorphOS running under emulation cannot be registered".

    So there's no way a developer like me, willing to spend time, energy and money to support MorphOS, can do so without running on real hardware?
  • »12.04.23 - 11:34
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  • Order of the Butterfly
    Order of the Butterfly
    Minuous
    Posts: 161 from 2010/2/12
    No. I asked them this same question a while back. They really need a solution that will support emulator users. I have everything running on one machine, I don't want to buy and set up a whole extra machine just for MorphOS.

    [ Edited by Minuous 12.04.2023 - 23:23 ]
  • »12.04.23 - 12:18
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  • MorphOS Developer
    jacadcaps
    Posts: 3110 from 2003/3/5
    From: Canada
    Unfortunately, there is no way for us to support emulators.

    Quote:

    So there's no way a developer like me, willing to spend time, energy and money to support MorphOS, can do so without running on real hardware?


    You're supporting us enough by testing for MorphOS compatibility.
  • »12.04.23 - 15:58
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Georg
    Posts: 111 from 2004/4/7
    Quote:

    jacadcaps wrote:
    Unfortunately, there is no way for us to support emulators.



    I don't know much about this stupid stuff, but theoretically: what if you provided a little tool running on the host side (Linux) which communicates with the OS in the emulator in some secure/whatever way through network or whatever and the user does not register the OS/emulated machine itself, but the machine which is running the host OS which is running the emulator.
  • »13.04.23 - 06:44
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Georg
    Posts: 111 from 2004/4/7
    And the emulated OS switches into "registered mode" only after ~authentication/whatever with host-side running little tool.
  • »13.04.23 - 06:51
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    cip060
    Posts: 141 from 2010/7/30
    Among other things, not even audio in emulation works
    You know nice to use it
  • »13.04.23 - 09:20
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Flash
    Posts: 105 from 2019/11/1
    A simpler/faster solution could be provide a "low cost" serial number registration valid only for QEMU and not reversable for a real machine.
    If MOS Team will contribute for a better emulation some money could be done and some new user could be added to user base.

    My2Cents.
  • »13.04.23 - 10:31
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  • MorphOS Developer
    zukow
    Posts: 645 from 2005/2/9
    From: Poland
    But one key for Qemu -> one key for all MorphOS installations on qemu. Everything not taken directly from hw can be rewritten by Qemu emulation layer.
  • »13.04.23 - 10:55
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    cip060
    Posts: 141 from 2010/7/30
    The registration is based on the network card number of the mac !!!
    I don't see how to fix it
  • »13.04.23 - 11:09
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  • Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Acolyte of the Butterfly
    Flash
    Posts: 105 from 2019/11/1
    Quote:

    zukow wrote:
    But one key for Qemu -> one key for all MorphOS installations on qemu. Everything not taken directly from hw can be rewritten by Qemu emulation layer.


    There are also other professional programs who use serial for registration, anyway the risk to have an abuse from some users is real.
    At same time you could grant all registered users free updates/improvements and new drivers, just like in OS4 land.

    Some users already donate to MOS Team without ask nothing, this could be an opportunity to test fidelity of MorphOS customer base.
    You should really consider this option.
  • »13.04.23 - 12:24
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  • Moderator
    Kronos
    Posts: 2329 from 2003/2/24
    Quote:

    Flash wrote:

    At same time you could grant all registered users free updates/improvements and new drivers, just like in OS4 land.



    ????

    You do know that a keyfile stays valid for every version of MorphOS?
  • »13.04.23 - 12:43
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  • MorphOS Developer
    jacadcaps
    Posts: 3110 from 2003/3/5
    From: Canada
    Quote:

    Georg wrote:
    I don't know much about this stupid stuff, but theoretically: what if you provided a little tool running on the host side (Linux) which communicates with the OS in the emulator in some secure/whatever way through network or whatever and the user does not register the OS/emulated machine itself, but the machine which is running the host OS which is running the emulator.



    And then you end up having to support various tools for multiple platforms... Even Linux means having to support at least amd64 and aarch64.
  • »13.04.23 - 13:36
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Andreas_Wolf
    Posts: 12170 from 2003/5/22
    From: Germany
    > The registration is based on the network card number of the mac !!!

    Rather the other way round: On the MAC address of the network card ;-)
  • »13.04.23 - 15:54
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  • Order of the Butterfly
    Order of the Butterfly
    sailor
    Posts: 372 from 2019/5/9
    From: Central Bohemi...
    If the registration depends on MAC address, do somebody try registration with this config?

    - equip host machine with Morphos compatible NIC. In case of PCIe only host, use additional PCIe-PCI transparent bridge.
    - then use PCI-passthrough mode (maybe with IOMMU) for this NIC in KVM.

    Of course, it may not be functional, but it is good for try.
    And I am not sure if passthrough should be done for device behind the bridge, but probably yes - PCI(e) addressing scheme is the same.
    And if this not works on KVM side, try passthough directly for bridge ( or both NIC + bridge). And look if MorpOS on VM recognize card behind the bridge.


    And if this works, the easiest way to allow globally VM registration is add to MorphOS support some SR-IOV cards.

    [ Edited by sailor 13.04.2023 - 20:46 ]
    AmigaOS3: Amiga 1200
    AmigaOS4: Micro A1-C, AmigaOne XE, Pegasos II, Sam440ep, Sam440ep-flex, Sam460LE, AmigaOneX1000
    MorphOS: Efika 5200b, Pegasos I, Sam460LE, Pegasos II, Powerbook G4, Mac Mini, iMac G5, Powermac G5 Quad
  • »13.04.23 - 18:43
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  • Moderator
    Kronos
    Posts: 2329 from 2003/2/24
    @sailor

    AFAIK the keyfile does not bind to a random NIC but to one specific to the motherboard.

    Early Peg1 and PCIe G5 are the exceptions proving the rule here.

    So what one would need is QEMU emulating either the Peg2's VIA NIC or whatever is used on the SAM460 (those are the system emulated by QEMU) and assign a valid MAC to it.

    One might even need to register on an actual Peg2 or SAM and than transfer over to QEMU depending if and how RegTool does check for emulation.

    All of this could still be easily broken with the next MorphOS version if the team chooses to go that way....
  • »13.04.23 - 20:11
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    Andreas_Wolf
    Posts: 12170 from 2003/5/22
    From: Germany
    > what one would need is QEMU emulating either the Peg2's
    > VIA NIC or whatever is used on the SAM460 (those are the
    > system emulated by QEMU) and assign a valid MAC to it.

    QEMU can emulate the SunGEM onboard ethernet controller of the PowerMacs, so that can be used with MorphOS running on QEMU's 'mac99' emulation.
  • »13.04.23 - 22:09
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  • Order of the Butterfly
    Order of the Butterfly
    sailor
    Posts: 372 from 2019/5/9
    From: Central Bohemi...
    OK, then let´s try it!

    From my point of view ( and room full of AmigaNGs ) the registration of VM Morphos is useless, but I fully understand @Steffest and @Minuous point of view.

    Today most of developers working on virtual environment, not physical iron. And as we has no new both cheap and powerful hardware, Virtual machines can be for many people affordable solution. I agree that it is another one thought to consider for MorphOS Team.

    ( but of course, only if it not slows developement of Efika virtual RAM and 2nd ide.device, PCI SATA2 drivers, multicore, bigfoot's new gfx drivers and many many others !!! ;-) ;-) ;-) )
    AmigaOS3: Amiga 1200
    AmigaOS4: Micro A1-C, AmigaOne XE, Pegasos II, Sam440ep, Sam440ep-flex, Sam460LE, AmigaOneX1000
    MorphOS: Efika 5200b, Pegasos I, Sam460LE, Pegasos II, Powerbook G4, Mac Mini, iMac G5, Powermac G5 Quad
  • »14.04.23 - 05:50
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