Open Workbench

[Gorf]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Cool Never heard of UAEBench

It is based on "GoWB" (LoadWB replacement)
http://aminet.net/package/util/sys/GoWB

and AKCC (Andreas Kleinert's CLI/Shell commands)
http://aminet.net/package/util/cli/AKCC

[Retro1234]

Yeah I'm using GoWB now for Kick 2.x compatibility.
I'm going to go for something like UAEBench except everything included will have an accountable source.

I'm going to go for something with 1.3 features etc I'm not gonna go into IPrefs etc or ill be here forever.

Just enough to get someone started, Run WHDload/JST,CD32Load etc and some Appps etc.

[Gorf]

You may also be interested in "ZShell"
http://aminet.net/package/util/shell/ZShell

Description:
ZShell is a small (36K), fast and powerful Shell with many (68)
built-in commands. So it replaces most of the commands in the C:
directory (like LIST, COPY etc.) which saves disk space and
reduces disk accesses. There is NO way around ZShell for those
who do not have a hard disk or still have Kickstart 1.2/1.3 !

[OlafSch]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Yeah I'm using GoWB now for Kick 2.x compatibility.
I'm going to go for something like UAEBench except everything included will have an accountable source.

I'm going to go for something with 1.3 features etc I'm not gonna go into IPrefs etc or ill be here forever.

Just enough to get someone started, Run WHDload/JST,CD32Load etc and some Appps etc.

Next to whdload it should at least include packer support (xad and xfd) and support of ADF (diskimage device).

What do you want to use as base? 3.1 or Aros 68k?

As long you do something free you have relative high freedom what to use (aminet)

[Retro1234]

Good idea 99% has come from Aminet, but...... I've replaced one DOS command from Aros and one library from Aros - but it coukd be more, this might be a Aros half way kind of thing.

[Retro1234]

Using Math Libs from AROS and any calculator basically an equation doesn't add up correctly - anyone got any ideas or know of an alternative Math Library?

If not I'll just leave it in the hope that it gets fixed one day.

[OlafSch]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Using Math Libs from AROS and any calculator basically an equation doesn't add up correctly - anyone got any ideas or know of an alternative Math Library?

If not I'll just leave it in the hope that it gets fixed one day.

perhaps this:
http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/FastMath405

[Retro1234]

Originally Posted by OlafSch

perhaps this:
http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/FastMath405

Thanks, but those Libs are for FPU or 68040.

Also Multiview replacement.

[Gorf]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

Thanks, but those Libs are for FPU or 68040.

Combine it with:
http://aminet.net/package/util/libs/SoftIEEE

Also Multiview replacement.

http://aminet.net/package/util/sys/2b_mv_os2

[Retro1234]

Thanks again ill check it out.

[Retro1234]

In the Zone is V1 of OpenBench - OpenBench seems a stupid name now as open implies it's open source, FreeBench might have been a better name.

I'm not convinced mounting CF0 works but not had time to test on real Amiga, this would be a blow if it doesn't but if it doesn't ill try and fix it. None of it is really tested 100%

I've left the Calculator in Storage for now and couldn't get Multiview to work so substituted it for FastView.

This is not a competitor for BetterWB or ClassicWB etc this is just a very small Free Workbench. I've included a few extra apps SysInfo, SnoopDOS and TransADF GUI. I think I'm done now - I might add Packet Master at a later date and a couple of icons I want to change/update. - just thought probably MultiDos to read PC 720kb Disks.

90% came from Aminet, 9.9% from AROS 68k and the rest Fred Fish, LSD tools
Thanks everyone who suggests Apps, links and Icons.

[malko]

^

[Daedalus]

Good stuff. While we're on the subject, I was looking for some freely distributable replacements for some of the system components that were compatible with KS 1.3. In particular, diskfont.library, maths libraries and the Assign command. Blitz Basic makes use of the libraries and requires ENV: to be available, so making a self-booting floppy requires those components to be included. The 68k AROS version worked when tested with Kickstart 3.1, but not with 1.3, and Cloanto wanted a licence fee for distributing original components from Workbench 1.3... Perhaps this could be a starting point for such a set of files that can be used for such Blitz Basic projects in the future.

[Retro1234]

I mean werr do you draw the line and I'm not going to open a can of worms but I think in general if you're just making disk that's main purpose isn't "Workbench" you can include the nescacery Libs etc much like coverdisks back on the day.

[Daedalus]

Originally Posted by Retro1234

I mean werr do you draw the line and I'm not going to open a can of worms but I think in general if you're just making disk that's main purpose isn't "Workbench" you can include the nescacery Libs etc much like coverdisks back on the day.

Sadly what you think doesn't matter a jot when it comes to copyright. The line is legally drawn at zero files unless otherwise stated. Magazines and software publishers back in the day no doubt had licences in place for the files they included - the cost probably wasn't a big deal in comparison to the manufacturing / printing costs when you were distributing tens of thousands of copies.

As an aside, in most cases the actual Workbench (the actual code of the desktop, icon handling, copying files etc.) isn't on the Workbench disk; it's in ROM. WBStartup simply starts that code running.

[Retro1234]

Touchy subject you can't win whatever you say.

[Bruce Abbott]

Originally Posted by Daedalus

Sadly what you think doesn't matter a jot when it comes to copyright. The line is legally drawn at zero files unless otherwise stated. Magazines and software publishers back in the day no doubt had licences in place for the files they included - the cost probably wasn't a big deal in comparison to the manufacturing / printing costs when you were distributing tens of thousands of copies.

It's worse than that. Cloanto also claim copyright over the bootblock, so even a formatted disk with no system files on it is theoretically illegal to distribute unless you use an appropriately licensed replacement bootblock.

In the old days you got permission to include system files by becoming a registered developer, which cost $25. However in practice Commodore didn't care about non-commercial distribution of essential files like LoadWB that were needed to run your program, because the recipient was assumed to have them already and suing anybody who provided them with a backup of what they already had was impracticable and counterproductive.

Things are bit stickier now that you can have an 'Amiga' that is actually just emulated via software on a PC, and copyright holders can take other low cost actions such as hitting you with a DMCA takedown notice.

There are many solutions to this problem. The most obvious is to 'fly under the RADAR' and hope they don't notice, or if they do can't be bothered taking action against an 'infringement' that is of no consequence to them.

I find it extremely ironic that back-in-the-day Amiga fans who pirated commercial titles with gay abandon (justifying it with such arguments as "I would buy it if the price wasn't such a ripoff" or "it's too crappy to pay for" or "I am too poor to justify spending the money on it so they wouldn't have made the sale anyway") now get their knickers in a twist worrying about whether they might be violating copyright on some inconsequential stuff that was created 30 years ago for a dead platform. To those people I say, Where's your bravado now?

Personally I am embracing the retro experience by 'pirating' everything in sight from that time, and I don't care if bloodsuckers like Cloanto theoretically have the rights to it. It they want people to buy their product they should consider giving their customers and all classic Amiga owners (who are still legitimate licensees of the OS that came with the machine) the right to distribute essential system files that they know we already have the rights to. This wouldn't hurt their sales at all, in fact it might even increase sales if buying their product gave you an automatic license.

If you are afraid that 'just doing it' is too risky then the next obvious solution is to write your own replacement code, which should be made free and open source so others can also use it without fear. That innovation is what copyright laws are supposed to promote! And if that results in Cloanto losing sales that's their fault for not being reasonable.

[Retro1234]

Anyway.........

[Daedalus]

Originally Posted by Bruce Abbott

It's worse than that. Cloanto also claim copyright over the bootblock, so even a formatted disk with no system files on it is theoretically illegal to distribute unless you use an appropriately licensed replacement bootblock.

Ouch, I missed the bootblock part (or maybe it's a relatively recent addition there...). Interesting...

In the old days you got permission to include system files by becoming a registered developer, which cost $25. However in practice Commodore didn't care about non-commercial distribution of essential files like LoadWB that were needed to run your program, because the recipient was assumed to have them already and suing anybody who provided them with a backup of what they already had was impracticable and counterproductive.

Yep, as I said, it was cheap and easy for magazines etc. to have such a licence in place. Just for information, the current licence fee was quoted at $99.

There are many solutions to this problem. The most obvious is to 'fly under the RADAR' and hope they don't notice, or if they do can't be bothered taking action against an 'infringement' that is of no consequence to them.

Indeed, and for freely distributable stuff, ignoring the issue is probably a reasonable approach. But for a commercial release things get a little more tricky because there's a genuine risk of legal issues for publishers and distributors.

I find it extremely ironic that back-in-the-day Amiga fans who pirated commercial titles with gay abandon (justifying it with such arguments as "I would buy it if the price wasn't such a ripoff" or "it's too crappy to pay for" or "I am too poor to justify spending the money on it so they wouldn't have made the sale anyway") now get their knickers in a twist worrying about whether they might be violating copyright on some inconsequential stuff that was created 30 years ago for a dead platform. To those people I say, Where's your bravado now?

I'm going to take it that's not aimed at me.

Personally I am embracing the retro experience by 'pirating' everything in sight from that time, and I don't care if bloodsuckers like Cloanto theoretically have the rights to it. It they want people to buy their product they should consider giving their customers and all classic Amiga owners (who are still legitimate licensees of the OS that came with the machine) the right to distribute essential system files that they know we already have the rights to.

Except you've no way of knowing which OS version someone might have a licence for. Yes, it's a minor point, but if someone owns an A500 with Kickstart 1.3 for example, they don't have a licence for Workbench 3.1 or its system files.

If you are afraid that 'just doing it' is too risky then the next obvious solution is to write your own replacement code, which should be made free and open source so others can also use it without fear.

Meh, I didn't bother going that far, generally lacking the time/motivation to do it. If I did (or do in the future), it would probably be available for others to use. Instead, for this project, we just released it on a non-booting floppy so it needed to be run from Workbench, and included instructions on how to make it bootable if needed.

[Retro1234]

I am not going to have this thread filled with stupid copyright rubbish and eventually closed. If it was up to me I would delete the last two posts. If you and Bruce want to carry on start another thread and carry on there.

Do you understand?