Tiny Launcher 1.0 Released

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

Can you zip me your mod directory ?
Because I can't reproduce that one.

Zip with all modules which I tested attached.

So, you mean it's ok when the database is written in the file but it's not displayed if it's not ? right ?

Exacly.

whdloadkey is just here to fill the screen. I think it's more usefull to display which database are created on the drive, don't you think ? (should be usefull in the shooney's garden ^^)

Hehe, yes. If soft ground and me... olesio "The Chair Breaker" do not damage rest of Shoonay's garden plastic chairs, so we have to lay down or sit on blankets Btw, please remember to add "I" key for info panel in next version. And fix "M" bug. Also I think good feature is add Escape key for exit also work on each screen (even with exit icon and specially at info panel and on demo/modules screens). Because right now Escape key work only on select ECS/AGA games screen.

EDIT: also you can test this file http://olesio.eu/modz.zip - like you can see there are 161 modules. TinyLauncher in database and not database mode always count 160. I wonder why one module and which is missed. Because like you can see all files are in short dos names format (max 8 chars + 3 chars extension). Probable all are in Protracker format like I remember. This time few first modules on list are ok. Also chipek.mod this time is not missed.

[gibs]

It seems ok now : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...auncher162.exe

Can you confirm ?

I have also fixed the "M" issue.
Thanks a lot for your help.

BTW, the function that display "No items found" is called "Olesio" lol

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

It seems ok now : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...auncher162.exe

Can you confirm ?

From fast test in hurry it seems to be ok. So I can confirm this one feature work fine. But please add "I" key if you can.

I have also fixed the "M" issue.
Thanks a lot for your help.

No problem. Thanks for you nice Launcher which you shared with us

BTW, the function that display "No items found" is called "Olesio" lol

If you handle your code and do not lost in it - I like that name I'm famous - yeah

Btw, I got finally most wanted suggestion which make your tool perfect It is possible to Tiny Launcher return 0 value or "0" or Warn (probable 5 in most cases) but ONLY WHEN USER QUITS WITH QUIT SCREEN OR WITH ESCAPE KEY? I explain why I need that. Because right now I got a little bit lame method in my startup-sequence which need joy connected or to skip it I need mouse. And Your Launcher also handle keyboard which always should be connected So I got:
TL_startup file:

assign >NIL: TLGECS: DH2:!ECS
assign >NIL: TLGAGA: DH2:AGA
assign >NIL: TLMODS: DH1:TINYLAUNCHER/MUSIC

Empty S:3a file (because 3a are my favorite digit and latter and also this is 58 decimal which is my favorite number on my SWOS T-Shirt with my nick ) I created this file for tests under WinUAE. Because sometimes I have no joystick "connected" in my configuration under this emulator. Anyway I got following entry at begin of my s-s:

assign >NIL: T: RAM:
assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:

IF EXISTS S:tl_startup
execute S:tl_startup
EndIf

IF EXISTS S:3a
LAB ASKFORTL
set Reply `joyread`
if $Reply eq 0
DH1:TINYLAUNCHER/TinyLauncher.exe
skip ASKFORTL BACK
EndIf
EndIf
; ...cut...

Like you can see I now use JoyRead (download and more information in this topic: http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=61380). But when Tiny Launcher return 0 when exit without runing game or demo I can modifity this script like that:

assign >NIL: T: RAM:
assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:

IF EXISTS S:tl_startup
execute S:tl_startup
EndIf

LAB RUNTL
set Reply `DH1:TINYLAUNCHER/TinyLauncher.exe`
if $Reply not eq 0
skip RUNTL BACK
EndIf
; ...cut...

That will give me "self sufficient Launcher" which after exit with Escape Key or Joystick "exit combo" continue execute my startup-sequence file and loads Classic WB. In other case when run a game or demo it will execute Tiny Launcher again. Ofcourse running Tiny Launcher at start of s-s allow me to save a little bit of memory. Btw, is it memory cleaned after exiting from tiny Launcher? I'm just curious because I will use it on my real Amiga 1200. And under Classic WB I got almost 3,5 MB Fast free but I do not need run any high memory required software under Classic WB. In must cases I use Dopus or your launcher for WHDLoad games. Once again thanks for future development this nice proggy And when it can be done also breaking of loading Tiny Launcher (when it detects assigns) should can be available by Escape key. And ofcourse also return 0. It should skips some time when you want to fast load only Classic WB after Your launcher without wait for game select screen.

[gibs]

@olesio,

It's probably interesting but I'm not sure I have understood very well

Can you test the "i" hotkey ?

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...auncher163.exe

[olesio]

Hmmm... "I" key works ok. And how can I explain you better my long post above? Just write "0" (without quotss) at cli after exit by Escape Key or Quit Screen (dors with arrow). In other exit after run slave or *.tl script do not erite anything on cli. This will be useful feature for all who want to load Tiny Launcher many times at start of s-s without reboots. They can use set command like I show above. And ofcourse if Escape key will work immediately when Tiny Launcher loads and show first green screen with assigns - user do not have to wait for main game screen and can load lines after "...cut..." in my code quote - faster.

[clownstyle]

Originally Posted by gibs

@Clownstyle
Flash should be ok in this version...

I am using the SE launcher. Is there an update version of that?

I thought the flashing was related to whdload and lack of fastram and not the tiny launcher?

[gibs]

Why would you use TL SE ?

I did TL SE for Tomcat666, because he wanted to launch the games on a stock amiga 600 KS2 & 1MB. He wanted to use the launcher instead of going into the early startup and use its AmigaDos scripts.

But for the Amiga 600, the Kickstart 3.X is the way to go.
Cammy & Mfilos were trying to explain that in this post : http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58815

With the KS 3.X TL reset the Amiga after you have selected the game, so it save the maximum of memory.

Tomcat has reported that TL SE was working as good as when he was booting with no startup sequence and launching the game with script.

I can improve it in the future but it's a question of time.
I prefer to focus on Tiny Launcher and make it as good as I can.

So for the Amiga 600, I would say that if you wish to use whdload seriously with this computer, a Kickstart 3.X and 1MB of Ram extension allow you to launch most of the best Amiga games.

As I wrote in the frontpage of this thread, I'm not a magician

[tomcat666]

And I thank you a lot gibs ! Everything still works perfectly ... The SE is definetly for the A600 without anything else (apart from a HD).

[olesio]

Anyway I hope you gibs working on new version which will show "0" on CLI when user exit from your launcher without choosing any game or demo and Escape can be pressed to quit before welcome screen show all assigns.

[gibs]

@olesio

You mean "Esc" while the 1st screen is bouncing ?

I would like you explain me clearly the goal of the exit number, i can be interesting.

I don't know if it is possible to do (I have checked a little in the documentation). but if it's not possible to do maybe I can made it exit with an error so you can check this number ??
another solution is to add ASM code that allow to do that.

My next objective is maybe to add a configuration screen because for people not familiar with the Amiga, maybe it's awkward to modify the startup-sequence to configure the program.

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

@olesio

You mean "Esc" while the 1st screen is bouncing ?

Yes. This give me possibility of faster exit when I do not want to launch games or demos.

I would like you explain me clearly the goal of the exit number, i can be interesting.

I do not know AMOS, but it can write on conosle, because I has some AMOS compiler in past under WinUAE and it can write on CLI any text like simple "Hello world" programs. In HSPascal you just need to do:

  Writeln('0');

so probable in AMOS it also possible. The goal of displayitng that number is to possibility of read it by set SomeVariable command like I show you above. The value can give me possibility to break the scrip with SKIP commands, which allow me to jump to begin of script to launch Tiny Launcher again without loading Classic WB and save some memory. And because your proggy use keyboard too, so I do not neet to have joy or mouse connected like in other launchers or utils like joyread or GetMouseInput to read state of joystick or mouse to execute other commands.

I don't know if it is possible to do (I have checked a little in the documentation). but if it's not possible to do maybe I can made it exit with an error so you can check this number ??
another solution is to add ASM code that allow to do that.

I do not know how is it with exit codes in AMOS but maybe some instruction can return WARN (in most cases the same as 5). But remember return this value only when user exit not after situation when game/demo is run. So maybe in AMOS something like: Writeln('0'); or Exit(ErrorCode); is possible to do?

My next objective is maybe to add a configuration screen because for people not familiar with the Amiga, maybe it's awkward to modify the startup-sequence to configure the program.

Good idea. Remember to add "C" char to config window - hotkeys are also good things

[gibs]

Isn't it better if on "ESC" I check if there's a file (which is a script) present on the HDD (in S: for example) and execute it if present ?

[olesio]

Maybe yes. But please show me example how you see this in practice? Because method with command SKIP SOME_LABEL BACK is the easyiest and 100% sure method which I know. And it will work if Yout Tiny Launcher will print text "0" on screen only when user press escape to exit or joystick combo to exit or quit screen with arrow. Can you add this feature? Because it will solve all my requests and problem with easy runing on real Amiga

[clownstyle]

Originally Posted by gibs

Why would you use TL SE ?

I did TL SE for Tomcat666, because he wanted to launch the games on a stock amiga 600 KS2 & 1MB. He wanted to use the launcher instead of going into the early startup and use its AmigaDos scripts.

But for the Amiga 600, the Kickstart 3.X is the way to go.
Cammy & Mfilos were trying to explain that in this post : http://www.amiga.org/forums/showthread.php?t=58815

With the KS 3.X TL reset the Amiga after you have selected the game, so it save the maximum of memory.

Tomcat has reported that TL SE was working as good as when he was booting with no startup sequence and launching the game with script.

I can improve it in the future but it's a question of time.
I prefer to focus on Tiny Launcher and make it as good as I can.

So for the Amiga 600, I would say that if you wish to use whdload seriously with this computer, a Kickstart 3.X and 1MB of Ram extension allow you to launch most of the best Amiga games.

As I wrote in the frontpage of this thread, I'm not a magician

You told me earlier in the thread to use SE launcher instead of the normal one after watching my video.

I do have 2Mb of chipram. The 3.1 kickstart rom is pretty cheap so might just pick one up

[gibs]

Yes I said that but I told you to test with the 1.6.2...
Now if you can launch with 1.6.2 there is no need to use SE anymore.

and if you are running games with 2MB and the Kickstart 2.0 there is no need to buy a Kickstart 3.X

Please confirm that can launch with 1.6.2 or 1.6.3 (I mean that you don't have the black screen anymore).

Thanks

[clownstyle]

Originally Posted by gibs

Yes I said that but I told you to test with the 1.6.2...
Now if you can launch with 1.6.2 there is no need to use SE anymore.

and if you are running games with 2MB and the Kickstart 2.0 there is no need to buy a Kickstart 3.X

Please confirm that can launch with 1.6.2 or 1.6.3 (I mean that you don't have the black screen anymore).

Thanks

Yep

The games launch but I have flashing on the title / loading screen of games although I dont think thats an issue with your launcher, probably because I have no fastram but I would like someone to confirm this

[gibs]

@Clownstyle

Ah ok, I understood.
Yes this is because there's not enough memory so games that require lot of memory can't be preloaded in RAM.

[olesio]

@gibs: maybe like me you do not have too many free time to reply here, but please let me know what about new version of TIny Launcher, which will be Write 0 or other value on CLI Window after exiting by Escape key or quit screen or joystick combo. Because like I wrote boefore it will be perfect feature for me to break Tiny Launcher execute "loop" in my S:startup-sequence file on real Amiga. Thank you in advice for future release and all work.

[gibs]

ATM, what I can say is that I tried and I failed
It doesn't means that I'm going to give up.

Actually, I'm focusing on the config panel and I'll add the "ESC" key to break the bouncing screen introduction.

Cheers.

[olesio]

Ok, thanks for info. I hope writing on CLI will not a big problem. Maybe you must close graphics mode somehow to write on CLI. Because probable AMOS code like HSPascal code write on CLI default not on gadget elements or graphics. I hope you handle it because it will be great from reasons which I mentioned above Maybe look at source which I attached. Like you see I can return WARN (5). Maybe you can do the same in AMOS. I have none AMOS knowledge but maybe it have something like HSPascal procedure CloseGraph and when you use it you can write to standard text output if this is a problem of that kind.