Different WorkBench Setups

[Paul]

The idea of this thread is to see:

1. How different WB can look? and
2. Whos is the best looking?

UPDATE Configs/pics of Emulated or the real thing.

Here is mine


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[Amigaboy]

Your icons are huge dude :)

[RetroMan]

Hmmm, do we speak of WinUAE or a real Amiga ???

[Amigaboy]

Judging from the amount of digits his chip and fast mem have, I would say an emulated Workbench is fine too :)

[Drake1009]

I might as well just describe my workbench setup instead of posting a picture, you all know it.

Standard 8 color setup (With the blue made more dark blue), grey background, and about 5 icons on the "desktop" (I don't know what that's called in workbench) and that's about it.

Tried installing newIcons which slowed it down considerably. Tried installing MagicWB which slowed it down a lot.
Tried installing MUI (I think that was for newicons) which ate all my RAM except 500 kb
Tried making different color schemes which made the icons look bad.
Considered making a background image at least, which I never got around to because my futile attempts at small files to be tiled never looked good.

So that's why I just have a boring looking workbench like most of you probably know it.

[Paul]

I have the same problems as you Drake1009 and hate the look of my setup. So I am going to Look at what tools AIAB use and search the net for them.

Anyway I started this to see, what everyone else have used? and what everyone recommends? My icons are tooooooooo big:D

To Confirm My screen shot is from WinUAE.

[Paul]

I changed my mind:p

I will just Leave AIAB installed and remove things I don't need.

[Ian]

What is wrong with you people???

You CANNOT improve on perfection so why bother, I keep all my workbench screens in their virginal states, untouched by human hands since they left the factory.

Shame on you:mad

[Drake1009]

*Hangs head in shame*

I'm sorry Ian. I really am. I guess I'm just lazy. I somewhat like my look of it as it is now. One thing I'd like would be the ability to unzip files without having to use the CLI every time.

And then I'd like a simple background which won't take too much memory. I'll just have to keep trying and then probably decide to keep the grey background in the end.

[Ian]

Drake you haven't changed yours much, so I'll let you off, it's the rest of you tarts that should feel ashamed:p

[Drake1009]

YAY I'm off the hook

geez we have a kermit smilie here too?

[Amigaboy]

:p <-- Why are there so many, songs about rainbows, and what's on the oooother side

ability to unzip files without having to use the CLI every time.

There's a few programs on Aminet which act as GUIs. These could be useful for you

But. Towards the end of Amiga Format, a new program was released called X-Arc ( http://www.vapor.com/xarc/ ) which was very much like WinZip. It's not free, but it was pretty good (although I've always used the command line)

[Twistin'Ghost]

Me, too. The command line versions of archive/dearchive software are always better, IMHO. The only reason it's better using a GUI version on the PC is because DOS will never function like a shell, so the GUI version on a PC is better than having to use DOS. But since the Amiga hasn't the trivial shortcomings of DOS, the command line is much more powerful, useful and easy to use.

And I would never run Workbench as is, out of the box. I don't need a lot of fancy visual replacements, but there are many useful things that improve Workbench's performance, like Magic Menu, to name but one.

[Drake1009]

Well what I meant with a gui would be that I just needed something to do the work for me instead of having to type everything every time. I know that in comparison to windows you can double click a file and then enter a command with that as a parameter which is something I'd really want to use in Windows instead of calling up a DOS-prompt every single time. But for known files I'd like to customize something to do every time. I noticed the screenshot of AIAB had some sort of right-click menu which looked like you could customize it (Open with and then some customized things). Could anyone say what was used for that? If something exists as alternatives and if they take up a lot of memory? I tried installing a menu which appeared at the mouse, but that was a complete mirror of the drop down menus from workbench and while handy not having to move the mouse too much it was fairly useless even though it didn't take much memory.

[Amigaboy]

What you can do is:

- Install Magic Menu (http://fsinfo.cs.uni-sb.de/~cattaneo/magicmenu/) for the anywhere your mouse is will be a menu thingy :)

- Install ToolsDaemon (ftp://de.aminet.net/pub/aminet/util/boot/ToolsDaemon21a.lha) (One of my favourite Amiga programs) to customise your menus with whatever you want.

I have no idea if there's one program that does it all, but the above method should work fine (although I haven't tested it)

[Twistin'Ghost]

Yup, those two are pre-requisites. Another bonus of MagicMenu is that you won't have to hold the left mouse button down for drop-down menus any longer (if you choose that option, that is). Worth it for that alone!

You might also consider adding Directory Opus, as well.

[Steve]

I think everyone agrees mine is the dogs bollox. Lol. It's got all the extras as well. MUI, MagicMenu, ToolsDaemon, DOpus. It's taken about 2 years to get it to how it is now. :)


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[Amigaboy]

I've got just about everything installed on my setup, and what makes it great.....From a cold reboot, my machine boots in 2 seconds (literally 2 seconds) :cool

That's sweet. How many other systems can do that?

(of course, I've customised mine to shit, but it doesn't matter. 2 seconds!)

[Twistin'Ghost]

And that's something no Windows box will EVER do. Not EVER!

[Shadowfire]

Well maybe you should check out "suspend to RAM" mode, if your motherboard supports it... (as far as I know, only i815 & later motherboards do) after P.O.S.T. it takes me all of 2 seconds to get to my Windows screen.

Of course, it's not a cold boot, but if you don't mind turning off your machine by "suspend to RAM", you can also have fast boots.

[Akira]

The other day I was at a friend's house and his A1200 booted up in two frigging seconds. I ws amazed, no stupid system does that. NONE AT ALL. It's increcdible.

And his machine was not even accelerated. Sheesh

[Drake1009]

My A1200 boots up in 15 seconds, still faster than my PC. I think it might be the RAM and old harddisk doing it.

Did WB3.0/3.1 install extra things depending on what it detected in your Amiga? Somehow I have some icons after a clean format there which I don't have on my emulation, not to speak of the fact that even though I emulate 2 MB I still have about 100Kb extra on my emulator after a clean install.

[Amigaboy]

Nope

Workbench 3.0 only installs what you tell it

[Paul]

Thats better:D

Still more to configure but I am getting their:) I gave up with changing settings in AIAB.

See next page for screen shot:D

[Drake1009]

Is that Emulation Paul?

And if not. what system is it? And which things did you install?

[MethodGit]

how did you get that screen on the left of the first pic in the thread?

[Amigaboy]

Originally posted by MarzAttakz
how did you get that screen on the left of the first pic in the thread?

That's a startup screen. There's programs on Aminet for that. I think the one most people used was called Rainboot, but I can't remember. I must be slipping in my old age

[Fred the Fop]

Here is mine. I know, I know..but i won't tell youse how I got it to look this good. my secret.


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[Amigaboy]

lol

I love the ordering you have there

[Fred the Fop]

Heh heh, you shoulda seen it when it was messy! man, what a horror show:p

[Twistin'Ghost]

Very clean...very tight! Fred, that is quite a slick workbench you have going there. Erm, folder/directory...

[Fred the Fop]

I can show you how to make it look juuuuuust like mine , Twist. Just shove into a blender the folowing: one polar bear , a box of clothespins, a dash of coriander , 3 Bread albums, NOT 45's and..... a box of jimmy Dean's sausage. Voila!!
Slack-bench!

[Twistin'Ghost]

I wonder what would happen if I substituted the Bread albums for 45's (with Lobo thrown in for good measure!)

[Paul]

Originally posted by MarzAttakz
how did you get that screen on the left of the first pic in the thread?

Here is the link of AmigaStart 95.8 program left of the first pic.
http://uk.aminet.net/aminet/dirs/aminet/util/boot/AmigaStart95_8.lha

NewIcons
http://www.amiganet.org/NewIcons/

Program needed to run NewIcons install script.
http://uk.aminet.net/pub/aminet/dev/gui/ClassAct2Demo.lha

[Paul]

Originally posted by Drake1009
Is that Emulation Paul?

And if not. what system is it? And which things did you install?

Yes Emulation;) using WinUAE.

[Paul]

Here is a screen capture of my latest WB setup.

As you can see my backdrop is still boring. If anyone could provide me a link to decent backgrounds I would be grateful as the ones on aminet are yuck. Thanks

Updated pic moved to post below.

[Amigaboy]

I see you're using the great Arq :)

I loved that program for many years, but towards the end, I started using ReqAttack (http://jacadcaps.tripod.com/amiga.htm) cause it's prettier ;)

For example
http://freeweb.dnet.it/steger/reqattack/images/ProtectReqAnim.gif

[MethodGit]

@Paul:
Why don't you try and find a picture you like on the web, convert it to IFF or whatever format you use for your desktop, and slap it onto your backdrop? :)

That's what I do for AIAB... ;)

[Paul]

Originally posted by Amigaboy
I see you're using the great Arq :)

I loved that program for many years, but towards the end, I started using ReqAttack (http://jacadcaps.tripod.com/amiga.htm) cause it's prettier ;)

For example
http://freeweb.dnet.it/steger/reqattack/images/ProtectReqAnim.gif

I can't run the Preferences for ReqAttack. :sad

How did you get round this problem when you installed it?


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[Amigaboy]

They're MUI components. Make sure you have MUI installed :D

If you already have it installed, um....Try doing a search on Aminet. If you can't find em there, try on Google.

As a last resort, ask me ;)

[Paul]

Actually MUI is installed, will have another try.

Thanks.

[Amigaboy]

NListTree: http://uk.aminet.net/pub/aminet/dev/mui/MCC_NListtree.lha

Toolbar: http://uk.aminet.net/pub/aminet/dev/mui/MCC_Toolbar.lha

Betterstring: http://www.p2p-it.dk/duff/MCC_BetterString.LZX

[Paul]

Thanks Amigaboy it works a treat:)

Have changed above screen capture. Hope it's not too big, if it is mods delete it.

[Amigaboy]

:D <- I've noticed I use this smiley excessively

[Paul]

Found some better backgrounds now.

Just have a few problems to solve.

1. If I use a large 800x600 or 640x480 background picture it takes ages to load.

2. I can only seem to use iff picture files for the background and would like to use jpg files if possible.

3. The drive icons do not seem to load properly and get small squares instead. To make the icons show up i have to set the cpu slider to 4 which means a slow boot.


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[RetroMan]

nice one Paul ;) I will download a snapshot program for my A1200 later and post mine (but don´t be disapointed, it´s far behind yours) !!

[Drake1009]

Hey Paul. Are you going to post a list of what you have installed at some point?

[Amigaboy]

Paul: If you're using Workbench 3.0 or above you should be able to use any file format as your backdrop, provided you have the datatypes for it

[Paul]

Yes if I can remember exactly what I did.

It's thanks to Amigaboy and the net for how it looks now.

@Amigaboy
Have just got the jpeg datatype but wbpattern still wont except them.

[Amigaboy]

hmmmm

I can't remember how I did it then....um.....I have no time now, but when I get the time (as stated in many threads before...I have no idea when I'll get time :)) I'll look into it

I remember having a program called Datachrome which allowed you to use Datatypes with any application. I used to use it frequently with Deluxe Paint 4 :D

Try Aminet for it. I have it on Amiga Format disk 91a, but I don't have this disk as ADF unfortunately

That might be able to solve the problem (although I'm sure just a standard setup should allow multiple formats)....You should use IFF anyway cause it's the Amiga's standard

[Paul]

Thanks anyway Amigaboy but I think I leave it as it is.

Tried datachrome but got software failure when trying to use a jpg file with wbpattern. I don't have enough experience with datatypes to mess with it anymore. Anyway I like it as it is for now.

I did try scalos but it messed up and gave errors during bootup an made it unstable.

Thanks again. :D

P.s my problems could be that I am not using the real Amiga.

[Amigaboy]

Oh well. I'll try to set up a virtual HD some time soon so I can help out more with your problems :)

[MethodGit]

Is it possible for you to view OS3.5/GlowIcons on your desktop without having to convert them, Paul? :)

[Paul]

Things I installed.

Workbench 3.1
Scalos - which has now solved all my problems but was a pain to install. Do not use Aminets version use the one from http://scalos.striatum.org/

SwazInfo
ReqAttack
MagicMenu
Mui
NewIconsV4
ClassAct - needed to install NewIconsV4
Picasso96
IconImage - for copying icons.

Don't think I missed anything.

@Marz
Have not been able to use OS3.5/GlowIcons only the converted AIAB ones for NewIcons. All I get with OS3.5 GlowIcons is a blank square. Sorry.


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[Paul]

Windows 98 has just messed up my workbench directory due to a system crash. Scandisk ran, found an error and I stupidly said yes to fix it and most of my workbench files disappeared :crying :crying :crying

Thats it I am using an HDF file. Here goes:nervous

AHHHHHHHH:scream

IE crashed and I had to retype this post again:shocked

[Amigaboy]

I was going to show some sympathy, but then you said

IE crashed and I had to retype this post again

And I started laughing. It's the icing on the Microsoft cake :laughing

[Drake1009]

Hey if the computer won't crash on itself IE will do it for it right?

Wasn't that the whole idea about IE? (Note I'm using IE, this thing has a larger crash history than the entire history of flight including those attempts at flying which never worked)

[Paul]

All reinstalled and runs like a dream.:bounce :great

Wish Windows was as easy to reinstall:D

[RetroMan]

Ok, now as promised my WB, don´t expect anything big, it´s just OS 3.9 :D no big changes made to the setup, I just added some tools that are important for me to work with it like DiskMaster 2, Miami, AmIRC, ADF2FMS, IBrowse and such things ..... no Scalos, MagicWB or other thingys, oh ok, I installed MUI but that´s a must have :)


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