AOS3.x Software Customisation And Peformance Tips?

[fishyfish]

As Im sure many of you are, Im always tinkering with my OS, trying to find the best combination of patches, commodities, and so on.

While Im fairly familiar in what's out there Im sure there's just as much that I dont know/havent used/etc., so while in this current spell of motivation thought Id ask people what they consider some essentials for an OS3.x system as well as any software or patches that are worthwhile for geting a little more speed from the system?

My plan is to build up a nice "base" system, akin to my own personal use streamlined distro. Something I can install everytime I want to start over and then build on rather than installing and customising *everything* from scratch again. Ive actually got a checklist of functionality I'd like, features I'll need to add, things Id like to change, etc., but for the moment Im trying to get the "core" as nicely tuned as possible.
BetterWB seems quite nice, but doesnt really cover things as low level as Im interested in, or the level of customisation Im after. Not a criticism, I just mentioned it incase someone was going to suggest it.

Thanks.

p.s. Im running OS3.1 on KS3.0 ROMS on an a1200+'040+aga/32gig cf card/pcmcia network.
p.p.s. Im having a bit of dejavu while typing this. Quite possible I started a similar thread last time I wanted to do my system from scratch

[matthey]

A good start:

http://aminet.net/util/libs/IconLib_46.4.lha http://aminet.net/util/libs/IconLib_46.4.readme
http://aminet.net/util/boot/CopyMem.lha http://aminet.net/util/boot/CopyMem.readme

[PeterK]

But at the moment, there is only one possible way to use my icon.library on Kickstart 3.0. You have to use the same concept as it is done in Bloodwych's preinstalled ClassicWB ADVSP package together with my own AddOn package for the icon.library. http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=63342

The other approach which is using SetPatch v44 and workbench.library v44+ will not work atm, because the workbench.library tries to get at least exec.library v40. But if you like, I could patch that and reduce the requirements to v39. Usually, that should work, too.

[matthey]

@PeterK
Maybe fishyfish's '040 accelerator has MAPROM so he can BlizKick a newer Kickstart? The 3.1 ROMS aren't that expensive either.

[Amiga1992]

This is my absolute basic list of stuff on my WB:

- MultiCX (for patching stuff like WB title, black borders, etc)
- Fblit (to make stuff that uses chipmem, like icons, to load on Fast RAM)
- ModePro(Mode Promotion for those pesky old applications

I feel like adding NewIcons is not a must but nowadays it kinda feels like it is so you can add that to the list. And every fresh install I make includes a copy of Protracker and Dpaint, but that's because that is what I use my Amigas for

[PeterK]

@fishyfish

To make it easier for you and anybody else to use my icon.library under OS 3.0+, I've built a demo ADF that shows how to get things to work. It displays all types of icons: old icons, MWB-icons, NewIcons, GlowIcons, OS4-icons and PNG-icons. And it does not even need SetPatch v44. It works with LoadResident instead.

[fishyfish]

My '040 is an Apollo card. Ive tried softkicking with RemApollo, but hit a wall (cant recall what, but if memory serves me correctly it was a no-go for my system). There's another tool I tried but couldnt get it to work either (this time probably a user (me) error though).

@PeterK
Thanks, I'll have a look.

@thread

Is there anything like OS3.9's deficon prefs tool for OS3.x?

[Amiga1992]

I have to check which one I am using, but I do have such a thing which gives default icons to certain filetypes even if they have no icon (is that what deficons is for?).

[gulliver]

My suggestions:

MUI 3.8 - Do I need to say why? You will need it sooner or later
Oxyron Patcher - Speeds up some programs
ScalOS - Extends and enhances the functionality of workbench
PFS3 - The best and fastest filesystem for Amigas (it has a 040 version)
Directory Opus 4.16/17 - One of the best filemanagers
Diskimage device - Enables mounting of plenty of disk image formats like iso, dms, adf, cue, etc
Patchram - Fixes the ram to show its real usage (It is no longer 100% used when it is really empty)
Minstack - Allows you to set the default stack to a value higher than the default 4KB
Playogg - Is a great multiformat audio player
SnoopDOS -Is an invaluable tool to find out what you may have screwed up in your system
Sgrab - Is a nice and flexible tool for taking snpashots of your workbench
LimpidClock 1.18 - A really feature full calendar, alarm and clock
ClassAct 3.3 - Needed for some programs

On the other hand:
-Get a scsi.device with support for drives bigger than 4GB, and load it with loadmodule
-Get datatypes for wav audio and picture formats
-Get some console/shell enhancer: KingCon, Vinced or Zshell
-Get picture datatype from AmigaOS 3.9 (it is faster)
-Get faster math libraries (Fastmath, HSMathlibs, or others)
-Get an integrated system patcher (MCP 1.48, Systempatch 3.1, etc)
-Get an archiver/unarchiver with GUI (WizARC, Anarchiver, etc)


If you need more tips, let me know

BTW, once you create a distro, share the pics and downloads with us

[daxb]

@fishyfish:
Did you start a thread for your RemApollo softkick problem? I`ve it successful running on A1200 Apollo 040 3.1. Where was the problem or what error ocurred?

[fishyfish]

I could be mistaken (will look into it later today), but if memory serves me correctly my problem with remapollo was that Im using ks3.0.

[PeterK]

Did you check out my ADF image already ? Does it work ?