Classical WB 3.0 Development Thread
 

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EDIT - This is an old development thread. The new ClassicWB packages are available from here

After a little bit of work, I've just created the perfect classical 3.0 Workbech contained in a ZIP file of 10MB!!! This WB is for use on real Amiga 1200's, unexpanded (ok perhaps some fast mem for games) with 3.0 ROMS.

It has it all:

Multicoloured icons (MagicWB style, but proportioned for TV/PALhighres screens)
Right mouse button program launch (magic menu+toolsdeamon), including shell applications - fully configurable to suit your needs.
No drive clicking!
Easy icon manipulation and .info handling
Dopus Explorer
Full featured file search
TUDE degrader + 1.3 ROM
Full suite of disk reorg/copy/handling programs
Snapshotable RAM icon
Full handling of Archives (PackMaster)
Networking software (Ami2PC)
WHDload,Jst and MUI ready
Full-featured Wordprocessor (Final Copy II)
DPaintV AGA
GBrouteplus!
Up-to-date virus search engine (VirusExecutor)
Hex editor
other software

and much, much more I can't remember at the moment!

All this with NO BLOATWARE like MUI applications (although it's MUI ready as the libs are installed) or Scalos! (<= EDIT, thanks twistin) This is a classical Amiga WB in every sense of the word built for the stock, unexpanded A1200 meaning:


LOW RAM USAGE (nearly full chipRAM if you have some FAST - will run Legends from WB)
SMALL FOOTPRINT - only 18MB actual HD space!!!!

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/deanodarlo/eek2.gif

M$ could only dream of producing an OS as efficient as this!!!!!

In order to preserve all filenames and compatibility, I've used HDF, ADF and LHA files to set up this OS from within WinUAE. Then, still from within WinUAE, I zipped it to the PC hard drive, thus preserving the whole thing perfectly.

Now when I want to install the OS on a real A1200HD, I simply boot up Ami2PC from a custom boot disk, transfer the 10MB zip over a parallel cable from the PC to the Amiga and unzip it onto a partition of my choosing.

Have I sold you? I know many of you have built much better Workbenches, but this one is how I like it - the classical 3.0! It has everything I need. :)

It works a treat! :great
It's fantastic! :great
It's most excellent! :cool
It's hard core retro! :great
It's the number one! :cool
It's non-M$ :great
Ok, I'll shutup now...............:sleep

Re: Classical Amiga WB in a 10MB zip
 

Most of this sounds very good. A few comments/questions though:

Dopus Explorer? What's this? I personally prefer Dopus 4...
??? I never thought of MUI as bloatware. MWB, yes but not MUI. And Scala is just an app for creating presentations (think of PowerPoint done right), so it's not really *needed* for general operations, but is quite nice if you have a use for it.
That is if they dreamed of efficiency. They only dream of making money. :D

Re: Re: Classical Amiga WB in a 10MB zip
 

Twistin you nit-picker you! :) Of course I just meant Dopus 4, but I was trying to sell this OS M$ style! (and ok perhaps a little brainwashed with the "explorer" word)

Yep my error, I meant Scalos! :o

MUI applications change the way the OS looks and tend to be quite large - it's also needed for Scalos. I have in fact installed the MUI libs to keep compatibility, but shied away from adding the larger applications which use this. So I’ll edit and add MUI compatibility.

Remember, this is meant to be an OS in true classical style – not too many addons, min space, max efficiency and low RAM usage.

@Bloodwych..
If you want to share it, my ftp has an uploads directory ;) (hint hint)

Yup :) Would be really kewl, I just built my spare A1200 Mobo (Kick 3.0) into a PeCe Tower since I really had no other usage for it, would really come handy, so that I must not install everything by hand again ;)

You got it!
 

Ok guys no problem!

I'll upload it some time today. It's 10MB and I'm on 56K, so you'll have to wait until I get some spare time

BigByte, did you find Battle SquadronHD in your uploads? Noticed you didn't have it. :) I've got lots of other stuff you don't have, but my 56K connection is just not up to uploading it all :(

About the 3.0 WB. I have a great idea!

If any of you lot can improve upon it I'd be very interested to see the results.

How about after you download it, come here and place a few comments (criticism is good). Then add to it and upload it for me to take a look.

It can be a sort of community project. After we're finished we can post some pics/list the features and we all end up with a good WB for our Amigas. :)

BTW Retro. Don't expect too much from this!!! I saw your last WB in the pictures thread and it was WAY better:

WB Pictures

Mine looks very similar to the picture I posted above. Still, I guess it'll still save you some time. :)

REMEMBER - THIS IS A CLASSICAL WB ONLY WITH THE ESSENTIALS FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW END AMIGAS, TV RESOLUTION MONITORS AND SIMPLY WANT THE BASICS DONE RIGHT!

IT'S ALSO BASED ON FREEWARE SOFTWARE AS I DON'T HAVE MUCH REGISTERED STUFF. THAT WHICH I DO HAVE IS THE ORIGINAL SOFTWARE.

PLEASE bare the above in mind. :)

Some apps require MUI to operate! One of them is VooDoo-X, the file uncompressor that I cannot live without.

BTW I just formatted my Amiga HD because it was heavy, I need a lighter and cleaner workbench like yours. :D

@Bloodwych
Jeez, I covered every caveat I could think of and your explanations were perfect. The only reason I was put back by 'Dopus Explorer' was because of the screenshots I saw recently for the PC version. But your choice for Dopus 4 is spot on. And lite MUI is great, too. I agree, all that heavy-handed GUI stuff is not for me. And slows things down. It really annoyed me how many apps were requiring it, so it became a neccesity install. But when it came to all the apps that required MWB, I just decided I'd rather do without the program than to have to use MWB.

Frankly, it sounds like you have most bases covered! Good job!

I'd like to get my hands on this, too. I've more or less figured out how to make a WB3.0 HDD (my Amiga never had a HDD, so I'm new to this), but I am wondering about the following:

Where do I install viewers, unpackers and archivers so that they are associated by default (like .ZIP files are associated with WinZIP). Would this be the LIBS folder?

What is the latest and best freeware virus killer for the 3.x OS?

And finally, a Disksalv question. Does anyone know off hand how to apply a salvaged boot block to a new disk?

I recommend Virus Executor :) It can be found here : http://home4.inet.tele.dk/vht-dk/amiga/ and other Virus Killer if you want ;)

No, you only want files ending in .library (ie, reqlibs.library) in the Libs: directory. The typical place for placing what you are describing is usually C:

Some files I put in the C: folder, only because they are expected to be there (like some of the tools with WHD, I believe), but very often I will have a directory on my system drive ( sys: ) called bin and will put non-system apps and such there (usually command line programs). Then I add sys:bin to the path in my startup-sequence.
I'm not sure if DiskSalv recovered bootblocks are any good, but if so, there's some boot tools on some of the utils compacts out there that are quite useful. They will take a file like that, install it to the bootblock and fix the crc checksum. I'll look for one of those programs for you later tonight.

I'm uploading it now to BigBytes FTP but it's taking years :mad

Burseg, MUI applications can be installed - all the libs are there! :)

Like I mentioned above, I've put together a sort of Workbench 3.0 lite with only basic programs ready for further customisation - it just gives you a head start along with a classical look and feel. Only old school applications on here I'm afraid! There are many add-ons that would improve it but then it becomes AIAB MK2. This setup works for me anyway. :)

Many of you may find it too basic. Depends what you use your Amiga for and how retro you want it to feel. I'd be very grateful if you could improve upon it so that we may all benefit! :)

Good the upload's at 95% :) It's been averaging 1.6 Bytes/sec :(

It's finished!!!!!!! :laugh

You can find it in the "Uploads" directory on BigBytes FTP. You guys with fast connections will download it in seconds :rolleyes

*Fingers crossed* Please don't be corrupt, please don't be corrupt.................

Allready 50% here :) Will report later :D

Can't wait to get home, download, and check it out. Maybe I should compile a TwistBench. :)

:eek WOW, this is awesome !!! I still don´t have any CDRom on my Towerized A1200, so I did a quick check on WinUAE with your HD Setup and even with EC20 and standart 2MB Chip it really works like a charm ......... I´ll do a deeper testing tonight or tomorrow, anyway, lets make this something really powerfull :) But I think there isn´t much to improve :D

Thanks retro, but what's happened to that magic menu? It looks a bit dodgy. It's fine at my end????????

Remember to copy the original zip file and unzip* it (*found on aminet) on a real amiga to preserve all filenames not compatible with ms-dos ;)

Sorry for calling Dopus "explorer" BTW Twist.

http://homepage.ntlworld.com/deanodarlo/system.jpg

On my WB3.0 lite, you can select achieves icons with the mouse, right click and run packmaster on it for immediate access in the temp directory :)

am I missing something?
 

eeerrrhh... I'm affraid I do not know were to look for this file... Is this an private FTP? If not, could anyone help me pointing the right direction?

This is amazing! I'm going to use this workbench with my 1200 from now on. :)