1 Commits
Author SHA1 Message Date
CydandClaude Fable 5 9536d4cbc0 NET: full networked mission runs end-to-end; fix blank VDB heads (NIC/VDB port clash)
Console queues a mission -> egg over the wire -> pod loads + runs it -> all
cockpit heads render -> mission ends on the console timer. Four fixes:

1. ne2000.cpp: don't BX_PANIC on the TCR inhibit-CRC / auto-tx-disable bits.
   A full production boot runs the packet driver's internal loopback
   self-test, which sets those bits; Bochs' NE2000 aborted the whole
   emulator. Record them in TCR state instead (harmless for an emulated NIC;
   pcap/host does framing+CRC). Also fixes a latent coll_prio bit-4 vs bit-3
   round-trip bug. Committed copy in vpx-device/.

2. Confirmed the mission-load page fault (00FF:219D) was RIO-OFF; booting
   with the RIO live (net_full.conf) loads and runs the mission cleanly.

3. net_loop.conf + net-boot/loop.bat: GO.BAT-style loop so the pod stays
   connected to the console and picks up missions as they're queued (the
   real pod relaunches netnub after each mission/idle disconnect).

4. HEADLINE: blank MFD/radar heads were an I/O port collision. The VDB
   video splitter is hardwired at 0x300-0x31A (palettes 0x300/0x308/0x310);
   the NE2000 at nicbase=300 swallowed the game's VDB palette writes ->
   vdb_pal stayed zero -> pal_draw decoded every head to black. Same VDB
   spam corrupted NIC RX, dropping the console EndMission (mission overran
   its timer). Fix: move the NIC to 0x340 (DOSBox nicbase=340 + DOS NET.CFG
   PORT 340; must agree). VDB keeps 0x300. Config-only, no rebuild.

Adds: net_full.conf, net_loop.conf, net-boot/ (ODI drivers, NET.CFG@340,
loop.bat, README), vpx-device/{ne2000,ethernet_pcap}.cpp; updates NET-NOTES.md.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Fable 5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
2026-07-05 21:18:42 -05:00