I want to learn about Workbench

mancity · 12 May 2012, 21:42

Hi guys,

Just wondering where's the best place to find out everything on WB?

Im new to Amiga and just want to understand everything. Iv'e tried having a play around with it, but im struggling to understsnd alot of it.

Are there any good Youtube videos worth watching or vidoes on any other sites? Iv'e had a look on Youtube, but cannot really find anything of much help

.

Cheers,

Peter · 12 May 2012, 21:55

Look out for Workbench beginners guides on ebay - there are some good books that cover WB by Bruce Smith I recall.

mancity · 12 May 2012, 23:14

This one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Am...6857230&sr=8-1 ?

prowler · 12 May 2012, 23:23

Yes, that would be a good choice, but you'll get a far better deal on eBay if you're patient.

syd · 14 May 2012, 04:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by prowler

Yes, that would be a good choice, but you'll get a far better deal on eBay if you're patient.

On that page there is a link to '5 used' from £1.00.
*Edit: There are only 4 now

mancity · 14 May 2012, 09:44

I dont suppose there are any videos anywhere? I appreciate the link to the book and might get one, but I learn alot better from videos than text

Steve · 14 May 2012, 09:55

Amiga Format began a series of very good beginners tutorials on Workbench 3 in their January 1994 edition. That's where I learnt about WB:

http://amr.abime.net/issue_211_pages

Unfortunately those pages haven't been scanned but you can pick these magazines up very cheaply off ebay. Sorry I don't think there are any video tutorials out there.

daxb · 14 May 2012, 11:24

What are your roots in computer (win, linux, mac, ...)? Workbench (the GUI stuff) itself isn`t very much. Should be easy by looking through WB folders, start programs and play with them. Directory structure also isn`t difficult (for user sometimes just boring).

IMHO AmigaOS/AmigaDOS books are a good start to learn. It is good to learn how to handle CLI/Shell and what happens when booting the system (KickROM, Startup-Sequence, User-Startup, WBStartup).

If you are familiar after some time the programm SnoopDOS (a system monitor) give you some deeper info about what happens when you start something (programms, scripts, ....). Scout and/or XOpa, OMon are also nice to have a look into the system.

If you know other OS then it might be easy to learn WB because there are similarities.

mancity · 14 May 2012, 11:45

Hi,

Im 100% Windows and am actually a PC technician.

Id just like to understand on WB where you go for this and where you go for that etc.

For example, is there a system info page on WB similar to msinfo32 on Windows? I know there's a 'about' in the menu and the RAM is displayed on-screen all the time your on the desktop, but is there a page which has all this info on and confirms the CPU speed etc?

Steve · 14 May 2012, 12:54

Ok. If you are technically minded then take a look at this document.

http://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigad...dos_manual.pdf

Keep in mind Amiga WB 3 is very basic and most of the underlying power is to be found in AmigaDOS. Things like scanning the system hardware is best through other non-Commodore Workbench programs like SysInfo.

mancity · 14 May 2012, 13:34

Cheers for the info. I'll have a read through that link now

mancity · 14 May 2012, 14:37

Didn't realise it was a 304 page manual! lol.

How would you for example, change the wallpaper? I know it's quite RAM intensive for the Amiga, but just to see how it's done?

ajk · 14 May 2012, 14:53

There is a utility called WBPattern in SYS:Prefs that controls the background images.

Steve · 14 May 2012, 15:36

Hehe. Have a play around with everything in the Prefs and Utilities drawers (folders in windows). That should get you more familiar with the WB environment.

daxb · 14 May 2012, 16:38

As I said WB (at least 3.1. I don`t know 3.5+) isn`t really much. Just open drawer Prefs, System, Tools, Utilities and start the few programs. The most is self-explaining. The OS system info tool is "Sys:Tools/ShowConfig". It gives you some info. A bit more info you get via CLI. Just open a Shell and try commands Info, List, Dir, Version, Assign, Avail, CPU, Status, ... You get the template with "?" (e.g. "Info ?"). Learning by doint I would say.

If you have finished OS then you can raid Aminet and others. Visiting a user meeting or a demo party could also be useful.

TTD · 15 May 2012, 22:37

Mancity if you know something about computers you would also could learn the amigaos and workbench easy just play around with it, like you would do on Windows I guess

Try to give you some hints the C directory is mostly used for commands like an executeable files and can run proparly more or alone tasks.

The Devs folder is like should we call it a driver directory, well on Windows this is placed on system folder and info about hardware in Inf.

Libs is like .dll files if you compared to Windows and are mostly in system32, but could be on other places.

Fonts hmm well sounds very simple but here you can found your fonts, forgot were these files are on Windows not much for installing new fonts on Windows based machines

S folder is mostly used for scripts and/or startup files. (like boot.ini, autoexec.bat and config.sys files, I guess compared with Windows older OS and DOS)

Prefs is most used for preferences stuff there is not much here but set serial speed, languages, time, printer and some other have mentor with your screen background.

Tools well here is mostly for setup the OS to harddrive and backup like old ntbackup routine, if you dont use other tools to backup I mostly used Quaterback or Amibackup.
Utilities I have not much to say to this older workbench didnot have much in there think it was for Fonts, get a clock on the screen and could watch that.
So in general I would say Tools, Prefs and Utilities is something like control panel on your Windows.

Hope it helps you out learning AmigaOS and Workbench a bit, hard for me to explain it and maybe something is incorrect but atleast I gave it a try.

prowler · 15 May 2012, 22:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by TTD

...hard for me to explain it and maybe something is incorrect but atleast I gave it a try.

No, that's a great job, TTD.

Well done!

kriz · 16 May 2012, 04:00

http://www.sacc.org/index-a.html#os3 here you find some good guides ..

http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/workbench.html

mancity · 16 May 2012, 09:35

Cheers guys, some good info here to get me started

Predseda · 16 May 2012, 12:42

I would start with official Commodore Workbench manual supplied with each new Amiga.

12 May 2012, 21:42	#1
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	I want to learn about Workbench Hi guys, Just wondering where's the best place to find out everything on WB? Im new to Amiga and just want to understand everything. Iv'e tried having a play around with it, but im struggling to understsnd alot of it. Are there any good Youtube videos worth watching or vidoes on any other sites? Iv'e had a look on Youtube, but cannot really find anything of much help . Cheers,

16 May 2012, 04:00	#18
kriz Junior Member Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: No(R)Way Age: 41 Posts: 3,185	http://www.sacc.org/index-a.html#os3 here you find some good guides .. http://www.amigahistory.co.uk/workbench.html Last edited by Graham Humphrey; 16 May 2012 at 09:09. Reason: Back-to-back posts merged

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12 May 2012, 21:55	#2
Peter Still an Amiga user Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Kent Age: 55 Posts: 2,715	Look out for Workbench beginners guides on ebay - there are some good books that cover WB by Bruce Smith I recall.

12 May 2012, 23:14	#3
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	This one - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mastering-Am...6857230&sr=8-1 ?

12 May 2012, 23:23	#4
prowler Global Moderator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Sidcup, England Posts: 10,300	Yes, that would be a good choice, but you'll get a far better deal on eBay if you're patient.

14 May 2012, 09:44	#6
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	I dont suppose there are any videos anywhere? I appreciate the link to the book and might get one, but I learn alot better from videos than text

14 May 2012, 09:55	#7
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	Amiga Format began a series of very good beginners tutorials on Workbench 3 in their January 1994 edition. That's where I learnt about WB: http://amr.abime.net/issue_211_pages Unfortunately those pages haven't been scanned but you can pick these magazines up very cheaply off ebay. Sorry I don't think there are any video tutorials out there.

14 May 2012, 11:24	#8
daxb Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 3,303	What are your roots in computer (win, linux, mac, ...)? Workbench (the GUI stuff) itself isn`t very much. Should be easy by looking through WB folders, start programs and play with them. Directory structure also isn`t difficult (for user sometimes just boring). IMHO AmigaOS/AmigaDOS books are a good start to learn. It is good to learn how to handle CLI/Shell and what happens when booting the system (KickROM, Startup-Sequence, User-Startup, WBStartup). If you are familiar after some time the programm SnoopDOS (a system monitor) give you some deeper info about what happens when you start something (programms, scripts, ....). Scout and/or XOpa, OMon are also nice to have a look into the system. If you know other OS then it might be easy to learn WB because there are similarities.

14 May 2012, 11:45	#9
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	Hi, Im 100% Windows and am actually a PC technician. Id just like to understand on WB where you go for this and where you go for that etc. For example, is there a system info page on WB similar to msinfo32 on Windows? I know there's a 'about' in the menu and the RAM is displayed on-screen all the time your on the desktop, but is there a page which has all this info on and confirms the CPU speed etc?

14 May 2012, 12:54	#10
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	Ok. If you are technically minded then take a look at this document. http://www.pagetable.com/docs/amigad...dos_manual.pdf Keep in mind Amiga WB 3 is very basic and most of the underlying power is to be found in AmigaDOS. Things like scanning the system hardware is best through other non-Commodore Workbench programs like SysInfo.

14 May 2012, 13:34	#11
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	Cheers for the info. I'll have a read through that link now

14 May 2012, 14:37	#12
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	Didn't realise it was a 304 page manual! lol. How would you for example, change the wallpaper? I know it's quite RAM intensive for the Amiga, but just to see how it's done?

14 May 2012, 14:53	#13
ajk Registered User Join Date: May 2010 Location: Helsinki, Finland Posts: 1,341	There is a utility called WBPattern in SYS:Prefs that controls the background images.

14 May 2012, 15:36	#14
Steve I Identify as an Ewok Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: North Lincolnshire Age: 45 Posts: 2,356	Hehe. Have a play around with everything in the Prefs and Utilities drawers (folders in windows). That should get you more familiar with the WB environment.

14 May 2012, 16:38	#15
daxb Registered User Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Germany Posts: 3,303	As I said WB (at least 3.1. I don`t know 3.5+) isn`t really much. Just open drawer Prefs, System, Tools, Utilities and start the few programs. The most is self-explaining. The OS system info tool is "Sys:Tools/ShowConfig". It gives you some info. A bit more info you get via CLI. Just open a Shell and try commands Info, List, Dir, Version, Assign, Avail, CPU, Status, ... You get the template with "?" (e.g. "Info ?"). Learning by doint I would say. If you have finished OS then you can raid Aminet and others. Visiting a user meeting or a demo party could also be useful.

15 May 2012, 22:37	#16
TTD Registered User Join Date: Sep 2011 Location: Copenhagen/Denmark Posts: 144	Mancity if you know something about computers you would also could learn the amigaos and workbench easy just play around with it, like you would do on Windows I guess Try to give you some hints the C directory is mostly used for commands like an executeable files and can run proparly more or alone tasks. The Devs folder is like should we call it a driver directory, well on Windows this is placed on system folder and info about hardware in Inf. Libs is like .dll files if you compared to Windows and are mostly in system32, but could be on other places. Fonts hmm well sounds very simple but here you can found your fonts, forgot were these files are on Windows not much for installing new fonts on Windows based machines S folder is mostly used for scripts and/or startup files. (like boot.ini, autoexec.bat and config.sys files, I guess compared with Windows older OS and DOS) Prefs is most used for preferences stuff there is not much here but set serial speed, languages, time, printer and some other have mentor with your screen background. Tools well here is mostly for setup the OS to harddrive and backup like old ntbackup routine, if you dont use other tools to backup I mostly used Quaterback or Amibackup. Utilities I have not much to say to this older workbench didnot have much in there think it was for Fonts, get a clock on the screen and could watch that. So in general I would say Tools, Prefs and Utilities is something like control panel on your Windows. Hope it helps you out learning AmigaOS and Workbench a bit, hard for me to explain it and maybe something is incorrect but atleast I gave it a try.

16 May 2012, 09:35	#19
mancity Registered User Join Date: Apr 2012 Location: Manchester Posts: 288	Cheers guys, some good info here to get me started

16 May 2012, 12:42	#20
Predseda Puttymoon inhabitant Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Tromaville Age: 46 Posts: 7,536	I would start with official Commodore Workbench manual supplied with each new Amiga.

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