Tiny Launcher 1.0 Released

[pmc]

gibs: I don't really know anything at all about AMOS so maybe this will work, more than likely it won't

I had a read though the AMOS Pro manual and it seemed to me that maybe you could output a character to the CLI like olesio wants by using the DOS libary functions.

First you need to get a pointer to the CLI window by calling the DOS library output function:

DOSCALL(-60)

As TinyLauncher was called from the CLI I think, after this call, the address of the CLI output window should be returned in d0

You should be able to access this value from AMOS using DREG(0)

You will need this returned value to then call the DOS library write function to write a character to the CLI

Load the registers like this:

DREG(1) = value that was returned to DREG(0) in the previous DOS library call
DREG(2) = memory address of the byte in memory that contains the ascii text byte you want to output to the CLI
DREG(3) = length of the string you want to output, which in this case would be 1 as you only want to output a 1 byte ASCII character

and then call the DOS library write function:

DOSCALL(-48)

The above equivalent works OK in assembly language - it's exactly what I used to output a character to the CLI for the joyread program I made for olesio previously so I'm guessing it might work under AMOS too...? Who knows? Might be worth a try though!

Hope that helps

[gibs]

Thanks, very useful, I'm going to check that asap.

[Lobotomika]

Can we just turn the images off or use ours after all?

[gibs]

yes ! soon.

if you have some screens to suggest (as replacement of the actuals), you are welcome!

[Lobotomika]

I'd suggest other invaders like I said in my previous post a few days ago but I'm not going to start that discussion again. Thanks for leaving a way open for customization.

[olesio]

@pmc: thanks for your hints. I hope that helps gibs improve new version and make his proggy just perfect [not only for me]
@gibs: let us know about new version I will test it with pleasure, as always

[gibs]

@Olesio

Can you please check that and tell me if it is what you expect:
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/TinyLauncher/pmc.exe

Launch it from a CLI, and on the black screen you can press "Amiga+A", go back to the black screen by pressing "Amiga+A" and press a key.

Thanks.

[pmc]

gibs: did that AMOS stuff I guessed at actually work?

[gibs]

I beg youR pardon ?

What do you mean?

[pmc]

I mean: that stuff I posted before about how to do CLI output with AMOS was basically a guess.

Did you implement it and find that it worked?

[gibs]

Well, I don't know...It writes "5" on the cli at a time but I don't know if this is the result expected.

[olesio]

@gibs: good news - it works like it should and like I wanted to. But only when I press Right Amiga + A, not Left Amiga. But key combo is for test puproses only - like I suspect. So following script works fine. So you can implement in next release when user exit from launcher without runing demo or game and your launcher will be perfect. I hope also break a detecting assigns on green rectangle screen - will be possible by escape key. And maybe it is possible to add nice requester with error message if amos.library will be not found. Because not it is requester with Suspend / Reboot buttons and error #80000003. Because sometimes some one can forgot copy amos.library to LIBS: drawer. Anyway my test script looks like that and like I wrote it works fine:. Blah I repeating myself with this "works fine" but I'm happy from this fact And after long time spend in work I hope I may test perfect version of TInyLauncher.exe soon

assign >NIL: T: RAM:
assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:
LAB TESTGIBS
set Reply `pmc.exe`
if $Reply eq "5"
skip TESTGIBS BACK
EndIf

[gibs]

Cool,

Can you test this one : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...cher17beta.exe

Remove all TL Assignment in your startup-sequence. It's not needed anymore.

BTW, I did a new video for the 1.7+ : [ Show youtube player ] (CC English/French)

[olesio]

Works perfect. Thanks a lot. I will transfer to my real Amiga 1200 now. And the begining of S:startup-sequence file should look like this (ofcourse DH1:TINYLAUNCHER is my path to Your great proggy):

assign >NIL: T: RAM:
assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:
LAB LOADTL
set Reply `DH1:TINYLAUNCHER/TinyLauncher.exe`
if $Reply not eq "5"
skip LOADTL BACK
EndIf
; ...cut...

Once again thank you so much for developing this tiyn and useful software

[gibs]

Isn't it better that I do a CTRL+ESC to exit returning the 5 ? Because when launched from the Workbench, it leaves an open window on exit.

[olesio]

Hmmm, it's a fact - I did not tested under Workbench. For me better key to quit with "5" returned on CLI will be F10. Because I'm used to this combination in WHDLoad games. This is my default quit key. I have my Amiga on a small folding chair when I conecting to PC with Easy Cap and I have most keys if not needed covered with mouse pad with mouse on it to save place in my small room And F10 is not covered. And I put my keypad on other table wit PC keyboard next to PC Monitor. Ofcourse I have keyboard covered by big mouse pad when keyboard is not needed in game. So can it be F10 key for me? Please I use Easy CAP and PC monitor because I do not have room and cash to find and buy deticated Amiga monitor and do not want to ocupate my parents TV in other room. Ofcourse ESC key will be useful to exit without returning "5" on CLI. Ah, and in my opinion you should disable "C" key when Configuration screen is show. Or maybe easyiest thing will be add "RUNFROMCLI" parameter and show "5" only then after pressing Escape. I hope in Amos there is no problem to read parameters like in HSPascal you can use ParamStr(1) or something similar. You decide what will be much useful. Leaving to exit by both "combos" Esc and F10 and shows "5" only when Tiny Launcher was run with some short text parameter - maybe "fromcli"?

[gibs]

Ok, but if you use a CD32 or a computer with no keyboard in the Shooney's garden ? how to do ? lol

Ok, I'm going to move the EXIT5 on F10, UP+STICK on the first menu will exit (with 5 returned to the CLI too) and the Exit Door will exit in mode normal.

What do you think of this ?

Ok, going to check the "C" key.

[olesio]

Originally Posted by gibs

Ok, but if you use a CD32 or a computer with no keyboard in the Shooney's garden ? how to do ? lol

Ah I did not thought about that. And in Shoonay's garde we had keyboard ofcourse but no mose connected. And kayboard was even used except for quit key from WHDLoad games. We use it in Dyna Blaster for third player Few days after party Shoonay finish devleoping special controler interface for four joysticks in hdd cover. Perfect for more than two players in the same time

Ok, I'm going to move the EXIT5 on F10, UP+STICK on the first menu will exit (with 5 returned to the CLI too) and the Exit Door will exit in mode normal.

What do you think of this ?

Good idea. Let it be Btw, thanks again for spending so much time creating new Tiny Launcher versions. And maybe in future version you will add custom gfx and possibility to set gfx to none. Because I wonder it is possible on Amiga with 4 MB extension - like my - have more than 3700 KB of Fast memory when run Tiny Launcher as first on clear boot. That amount of memory Tiny Launcher shows under WinUAE with 4 MB of Fast memory set. So maybe it is possible to have as much memory as possible (near 4 MB). Ofcourse most of popular games work with PRELOAD option under that amount of memory but sometimes WHDLoad version of my favorite game SWOS 96/97 flash screen even on that config when starting match. Ofcourse I can play with non WHDLoad SWOS 96/97 version from Hard Disk, but it freeze system clock and I must set it again after return to Classic WB. And I care about clock because if I have possibility to use realtime clock, why it must show unreal time And custom graphics with also none option to set is suggestion for later TL versions, if ii will allow to save some much Chip/Fast memory.

[gibs]

Tiny Launcher 1.7 : http://dl.dropbox.com/u/1566495/Tiny...Launcher17.lzh

Olesio, to save the maximum of memory you can press "r" to force the RAD. (check the infodesk for its status)
Kickstart 3.X only

The video : [ Show youtube player ] (CC English/French)

[kriz]

Super cool !!! Great video, tiny launcher seems excellent !!