My AmigaOS 3.2 wishlist!

[HammerD]

I'm loving 3.1.4, I am ecstatic about it! GREAT JOB guys!!! 

But some things (I hope easy to implement!) I would like to see or "wish" for in 3.2.  So here is my "wishlist".

-Automatic Stack enlargement.  Recently ran into this issue with MUI 5 on my Classics...you have to use old utilities to patch the OS, and they aren't perfect.  Automatic Stack Enlargement for any device, task, process, library, program, etc, would be huge.

-Menu option or hotkey to "save" the shell window position and size.  Going in and editing the 5? different settings to position/size your shell window, is, well, a pain.  And you have to remember the numbers from when you last set it up, and experiment alot to get the shell window where you want.  An easy way to "snapshot" the size and position of the shell window would be...well, a huge time saver.

-Ability to cancel something you've typed in wrong in a shell using the keyboard.  Have you ever typed something in a shell, like a device name and made a mistake? The OS will pop up a requester saying Please insert volume xxxxx: in any drive" with a "Retry" or "Cancel" option.  As best as I am aware there is no way to cancel that and return to the shell without lifting your hands off the keyboard and using the mouse to deal with it.   If you could just press the ESC key on the keyboard it would save a huge amount of time...and not be an annoyance, and allow you to keep your hands on the keyboard.  (if there is a way to cancel that requester via some existing keyboard short cut please inform me!  Maybe I am clueless!)

-This next one would be HUGE, especially for us power users.   The ability to SAVE/CHANGE boot partition priorities in....you guessed it, directly in the Boot Menu!  This would be really amazing and is probably my number 1 "wish".  Better yet, integrate HDToolbox, or at least some more functionality, into that boot menu (ok this is maybe for 3.3 .

-Find some better way for OS 3.9 and 3.2 to co-exist on the same system, I mean, if you don't have real 3.1.4 ROMs.  OK maybe eventually I can afford to buy new roms for all my Amigas, but for now I've just got 2 licenses for OS 3.1.4.  One of them exists on a machine with 3.1 roms.   If the 3.9 Rom Update is in memory all sorts of weird things can happen...if there is a way to make it more managable that would be great (see the last point - The ability to save/change boot partition priorities would immensely help with this), so I would put this "wish" as a lower priority.  You can only do so much...

-Put more of the good stuff from OS 3.9 into 3.2.  ReAction (I think that's coming), the Find utility (sorely miss that!), AmiDock, (or some launching dock) RoadShow (maybe as a demo/contrib but included?).  Anyway, add those missing pieces! (I think this is planned?)

-If there is any way to speed up iPrefs that would be great...takes about 1 minute to load a 1024x768 png backdrop on my 030 16Mhz...ouch.  It can be even slow on a 060.

-Implement some kind of TLSFMem algorithm...yes, TLSFMem can make a noticeable difference, almost for "free".  Ok this one may not be possible or it would break compatibility...but this is a wish list right?

-Ability to display the Boot Menu in VGA only/DblPal/DblNTSC - maybe some keypress to toggle like they have for NTSC/PAL.  Not sure if that is technically possible. AGA machines of course.  Low priority.

-Make it easier for A3000 users to make superkickstart disks...maybe just include one when you buy 3.2?  I had to jump through lots of hoops to make my own.

-Please offer a real 3.2 ROM - I don't want to double reboot to get into 3.2 with my 3.1.4 ROM

-Some kind of simple system info program, or cpu monitor, task monitor.  I understand you will be able to add some attributes to the Workbench title bar like in OS4, that is a good first step.

Probably lots more stuff, but that's it for now! Looking forward to 3.2 whatever it is!

[klx300r]

@ HammerD
agree with many things you said except new roms for 3.2...many of us already recently purchased new 3.1.4 roms so at least make 3.2 require 3.1.4 roms as a min.

[Jope]

-Ability to cancel something you've typed in wrong in a shell using the keyboard.  Have you ever typed something in a shell, like a device name and made a mistake? The OS will pop up a requester saying Please insert volume xxxxx: in any drive" with a "Retry" or "Cancel" option.  As best as I am aware there is no way to cancel that and return to the shell without lifting your hands off the keyboard and using the mouse to deal with it.   If you could just press the ESC key on the keyboard it would save a huge amount of time...and not be an annoyance, and allow you to keep your hands on the keyboard.  (if there is a way to cancel that requester via some existing keyboard short cut please inform me!  Maybe I am clueless!)

Left Amiga-V for the left button and left Amiga-B for the right button in requesters. This has existed since the 1.x days.

-If there is any way to speed up iPrefs that would be great...takes about 1 minute to load a 1024x768 png backdrop on my 030 16Mhz...ouch.  It can be even slow on a 060.

This is a datatype related thing. It just takes so long to decode that PNG with a 16MHz 030.. I suggest you convert your background picture to IFF, which is quick to load.

-Ability to display the Boot Menu in VGA only/DblPal/DblNTSC - maybe some keypress to toggle like they have for NTSC/PAL.  Not sure if that is technically possible. AGA machines of course.  Low priority.

This came along in 3.5 or 3.9 and also exists in the 3.1.4 bootmenu. The boot menu info texts tell you what to do to toggle between 15/31kHz modes. Probably hit space for PAL/NTSC and return for 15/31kHz.

[kolla]

With 3.9 (and 3.X etc) kickstart one can press the help-key instead of holding both mouse buttons to enter early boot menu, with default 3.1.4 kickstart you can not, it seems - so amiga mouse becomes a requirement, even when you wish to use usb mouse or serial port attached mouse.

[HammerD]

@Jope,

Great, thanks for the info!

[Gulliver]

@HammerD

I am glad you enjoyed 3.1.4.

Thank you for the suggestion list you made.

AmigaOS 3.2 is going fine. Without going to specifics I can tell you we currently have 50 new already implemented and documented features since 3.1.4, plus the usual dose of updates and bugfixes that come along.
We are still working on it, but we are confident users willl enjoy the outcome.

@kolla

The bootmenu availability with the Help key IS part of 3.1.4.

[First Ninja]

HammerD,

great thread! While I won't comment your suggestions, I can tell you a couple of things:

• The OS distribution that Haage & Partner released 20 years ago is a thing of the past. If you want to be nice, it can be described as a few (quality) improvements beneath a bloated mess of patches third party software. OS 3.1.4 has picked up the work where Commodore left the source code, and OS 3.2 further builds on that legacy. Unlike Haage & Partners' efforts, OS 3.2 is AmigaOS Done Right. Although I can't tell you if Release 3.2's final feature set will fully overlap previous ambitions, I can reaffirm what Gulliver has hinted at; it'll be well worth the upgrade, and it'll set a whole new standard for MC680x0 based Amiga computers. Once AmigaOS 3.2 is released, I hope it'll be the one version you'll rely on and have installed.
• Please keep those suggestions coming! Even though there's no guarantee that any of them will show up in the final release, chances are that some of them will be picked up if you plead your case in a thorough manner (which I think you do, by the way).

[Minuous]

I wouldn't agree with that characterization of OS3.9 at all. There is no "bloated mess of patches", it is just upgraded versions of system components, same as any other AmigaOS version. It was a worthwhile upgrade done by some very competent coders and I see no reason to denigrate their work.

[First Ninja]

There is no "bloated mess of patches", it is just upgraded versions of system components, same as any other AmigaOS version. It was a worthwhile upgrade done by some very competent coders and I see no reason to denigrate their work.

While Haage & Partner's distribution certainly is a lot more than just an upgraded set of system components, the work that the individual developers put into that particular part of the distribution shouldn't be downplayed in any way - quite the contrary. Thank you for pointing it out.

[kolla]

The bootmenu availability with the Help key IS part of 3.1.4.

OK - good to know that it is supposed to work.
For some reason it doesn't work here, while it works with my "homebrew" kickstarts.

EDIT: OK - tested on real A600, and it works correctly there. Mysterious...

[kolla]

@First Ninja
You do realise that many of the same people who were behind OS 3.9 are the ones doing 3.2?

[Minuous]

@First Ninja:

Yes, it also included some applications, eg. a web browser, MP3 player. etc. None of which were hacks or patches, just ordinary applications.

[HammerD]

Thanks Gulliver.  Looking forward to 3.2.  Setting Boot Partition priorities in the boot menu is my most wanted "Wish", although I understand this may not be possible without major changes.  So just a "wish" ;-)  Anyway, keep up the great work - please send a message of thanks to the volunteer developers!

[kolla]

Setting Boot Partition priorities in the boot menu is my most wanted "Wish", although I understand this may not be possible without major changes.

You can do this already from hdtoolbox, or using BootControl... hm.

[HammerD]

With 3.9 (and 3.X etc) kickstart one can press the help-key instead of holding both mouse buttons to enter early boot menu, with default 3.1.4 kickstart you can not, it seems - so amiga mouse becomes a requirement, even when you wish to use usb mouse or serial port attached mouse.

The point is to set it _before_ you boot, at the Boot menu.  If you have multiple boot partitions, some of which will do a double reboot due to Rom Updates/SetPatch.  Of course I know you can do it in HDToolbox, but it's too late at that point.