Workbench 2.1 fresh install - what next?

[mt12345]

Recently bought A600, mainly for tracker software and games. I equipped it with 4GB CF card as hard disk, WB2.1 installed.
I found an old version of DOpus that works on this system and I installed lha for start.
What else could I install to improve functionality (and look)? ClassicWB requires KS3.1, not sure about ScalOS?
Please post some suggestions. I'm not asking about your favourite multimedia applications, just some tools, desktop enhancements.
I was using Amiga almost 20 years ago, so you may consider me as newbie
I have only 1MB of RAM but planning upgrade. Sooner or later I will install 3.1 rom but I'm curious what 2.05 rom is capable of.

[paul1981]

I'm in a similar situation to yourself, having an A600 with Kickstart/Workbench2.

For fancier menus, try MagicMenu:
http://m68k.aminet.net/package/util/wb/MagicMenu_II

Also the good old Tools Daemen for configuring your own menus within Workbench:
http://m68k.aminet.net/package/util/boot/ToolsDaemon21a

Make sure to use the newer menu editor though:
http://m68k.aminet.net/package/util/wb/TDPrefs2

MultiCX (many patches)
http://m68k.aminet.net/package/util/cdity/mcx256

That's just a start.  I don't have as much time as I'd like to tinker with the A600, but I intend keeping it Release 2, because that's how it was born and I'd like to keep it that way.  I keep my 500 1.3 as well.

I wish I could direct you to more 2.x stuff, but I just don't go on the A600 that much, mostly because mine is painfully slow (68000).  Pretty nippy on a 2 colour screen though.

[marcfrick2112]

Well, there will be some limits as to what you can do with OS2.1, but I set up my late father a pretty nice looking A600 setup. Things like NewIcons4, NicPrefs, etc.

All other ideas are great too. ALso, with an A600, you prolly won't be able to run WB in a whole lot of colors, so you could use an image processing program to color-reduce background pics, and re-map to your palette. Not sure if it needs OS3.1 or not, but I have BootChange (from Aminet) to randomly select WB and window pics, and system sounds...

[Tenacious]

Recently bought A600, mainly for tracker software and games. I equipped it with 4GB CF card as hard disk, WB2.1 installed.
I found an old version of DOpus that works on this system and I installed lha for start.
What else could I install to improve functionality (and look)? ClassicWB requires KS3.1, not sure about ScalOS?
Please post some suggestions. I'm not asking about your favourite multimedia applications, just some tools, desktop enhancements.
I was using Amiga almost 20 years ago, so you may consider me as newbie
I have only 1MB of RAM but planning upgrade. Sooner or later I will install 3.1 rom but I'm curious what 2.05 rom is capable of.

What do you want to do?

Many things will run now. Most anything can technically run on your setup after you add some more fast ram.  It might be slow with more demanding programs, though.

Ordering is faster than Dopus.  Visage and Viewtek are good image viewers.  Mp3s sound good with a parallel port player.  All of the productivity software (Finalxxxx, etc) will run on your machine as will Distant Suns and DigitalUniverse.  So will most graphic arts stuff.  You can run a 16 color workbench and customize it to your heart's content.  There many screen savers, icon sets, palettes, and even an animated pointer (2.xx only) that run under 2.xx.  There is a whole world of programming and sound and music open to you.  And there are games.  

There are many here who have done fantastic things with an Amiga like yours.  (Camy, Mr.500, etc.  Look at their screen shots.)

[paul1981]

For anyone wishing to manually enhance their Workbench 2/3/3.5, I suggest you check out this (thankfully) preserved site:

http://reocities.com/SiliconValley/hills/2359/html/towb01.html

There are 28 Episodes written by Dave S. Matthews.
Use the controls at the bottom of each page for page navigation.
Cheers.

[mt12345]

Thanks for replies!
I will check  the links thoroughly on weekend, dont have much time now.

Eye-candy effects I'm leaving for later, after memory upgrade. I'm fine with 4colour mode anyway.
Customized menus, obviously useful.

I need some basic tools to make the system 'usable':

I installed Octamed Pro 4, Soundbox and Hippoplayer.
(I bought Amiga + sampler mainly for OM).
I can't even read the manuals as 'Multiview' and 'Amigaguide' are not included in OS.
I found MV in Aminet but it crashes (out of memory?)
How can I associate .readme, .doc, .html, .txt files with 'More'?
Should I install AWeb to view html files?
I need some basic text editor/notepad for making notes and editing files (eg. user-startup).
Good (un)archiver too. (Imploder?)

Mp3? No, thanks. I use Renoise (linux) to convert it to 22050 8bit WAVs

[paul1981]

With Release 2 you have to use AmigaGuide. Multiview won't work.
Check out XFD Guide though as a more modern alternative:

http://m68k.aminet.net/package/text/hyper/XFDguide

I haven't tried this myself yet, but the docs even mention 1.x users, so I'm sure 2.x will be fine.

For lha files I tend to use GuiArc:
http://m68k.aminet.net/package/util/arc/GuiArc
But you can always use FileMaster or DOPUS

Imploader wouldn't be of any use unless you want to compress your executables and have them decompress on the fly (use only if hard drive space is tight). I found Imploader to have the best compression rate, but it crashes on 040/060 systems....but there is a new imploader.library on aminet which fixes this.
PowerPacker is a similar program for that, but was also widely used to compress text files as well for display by PPMore as opposed to More (which doesn't support decompression).

[AmiDude]

Three other usefull programs for WB 2.x are:

* PPShow for viewing pictures in   various formats (even crunched ones).
* PPMore for viewing text files.
* TurboText for making or editing text files (such as the startup-sequence).

[mt12345]

I use lha in cli, I was thinking about some gui multiformat expander (rar,zip,gz).
Dopus is memory hungry.
Ordering is cool! Browsing files is pure pleasure. It displays all text files, even html (in html source code, but at least readable)
Let me try filemaster.

[Rodomoc]

Throw some 3.1 ROMs in that baby and check out this:
http://lilliput.amiga-projects.net/BetterWB.htm
 
If you are interested in upgrading the 600 machine, here is a nice page with some info. http://www.amiga600.de/index.htm
The indivision video upgrade looks great in an A600 ECS setup. I even see 68030 based A600 accelarators for reasonable prices.
 
I am thinking of cranking up one of my old Amiga's just to try this BetterWB package. While I run a modernized machine, part of me wants to get an older machine running that is more of a legacy setup. An earlier post here referenced the Build a Better Workbench series. I once went through much of what was presented in that series in the updating of one of my machines. That was before the day before preconfigured OS packages....
 
Have fun with your new machine!

[mt12345]

I know amiga600.de.
BetterWB seems to be what I'm looking for.

I'm suffering from 'out of memory' syndrom now.
(hd controller + pcmcia memory card reader eat lot of ram)
Upgrade?
1gb chip+kick3.1+030 = lot of money.
I think I'd be better off buying A1200 as 2gb chip, kick3.1, 020 are already included.

I have two samplers to test with Octamed 4, and that's the plan for weekend!
Cheers!
Martin

[Tension]

Tools Daemon is one of the simplest and best utilities out there, especially when you use the bracket functions.

[mt12345]

Problem with sound...  right channel low volume + distorted...
Looks like PSU is dying. It gives -8.5V instead of -12V.
Project suspended until I get ATX adaptor.

[Ancalimon]

Problem with sound...  right channel low volume + distorted...
Looks like PSU is dying. It gives -8.5V instead of -12V.
Project suspended until I get ATX adaptor.

We should make a sticky forum post warning people about not to use 10 - 20 - 30 year old "unreliable" PSUs with precious Amigas...

[mt12345]

New year, new  gear.
Bought  A1200 K3.1, ATX PSU.

Yes, BetterWB it's what I've been looking for!
I also tried ClassicWB but with 2mb  it's no fun and I don't like its look'n'feel.
I'm thinking now about some fast ram and upgrading CF to 8GB.

Thanks for answers everyone. Now I should change the topic to:

Workbench 3.1 fresh install - what next?