THOR's Shell Hacks

[ChaosLord]

Is there any way when writing scripts and using the shell to use a logical replacment for *, such as CONSOLE:  ?

That would mean I could avoid using * altogether and never get confused by anything ever again.

[ChaosLord]

I would like to officially say:

Holy Crap!

I never knew any of this stuff!

I run OS3.9 but mine did not come with any instruction manual.

Maybe there was one on the CD that I never looked at?

The last manual I studied came with my A4000 OS3.0.  If I forget something then that is the manual I autograb off the shelf.  I guess that is a pretty stupid thing to do in 2005+ since there must be a better AmigaDOS manual somewhere...

[ChaosLord]

@Thor

Did you program the OS3.9 Shell to use a static memory model?
(That is a memory usage that stays static 99% of the time after it has been started)

I know it will change the amount of ram used if I use a shell command >512 chars but other than that does it go around do malloc();free(); here and there?


The reason I ask is because I do all my compiling and testing from shell.  I test for memory leaks a lot.  Many years ago I found that all the fancy shells that I tested such as KingCON: keep randomly changing the amount of ram that they consume so I can't easily check for memory leaks in my programs.
I think its because of their scrollback buffer constantly expanding.

I like to do

Code: [Select]


avail flush
run myGiantComplicatedProgram blahblah blah moreblah
avail flush

to see if my memory usage is the same before & after.

But that did not work in KingCON: and whatever fancy shells I tested.

I have a vague memory that I may have downgraded my shell back to the old OS3.1 shell many years ago.  I just can't remember exactly.  My history file with all my documented tests was lost in a great hard drive cataclysm

I always knew you were a legendary megacoder who does not merely write code but SMASHES code into existence with his mighty magic hammer (+40 vs. bugs) but I had no idea you coded the 3.9 shell.

[ChaosLord]

Now, if "console:" addresses a named console, what does "console:" stand for? It is the "startup console", i.e. the console that was started along with the window. And what is "*" for? It is the "current console", namely the console that is currently active and in foreground.

Thus, "CONSOLE:" and "*" are not necessarily identical, or rather, they are only identical if the current console is the console that was created along with the window - or the only console.

Thus, it is typically safe to output to "*", as this is in foreground always, and it is not always safe to output to "CONSOLE:" as this console might be in background, and you might get suspended.

Thus, "CONSOLE:" != "*", and the file name behind "CONSOLE:" has a specific meaning, it identifies one out of several consoles that share the same window as output. All the job control and output control is done by ViNCEd, and you can switch between the consoles with the SetVNC program or tiny scripts in S:.

So for people who are using CLI (that old ancient thing) or OS3.1 Shell it would be accurate to say that for those users * = CONSOLE:  True?

But for people using (OS3.9 shell) or (OS3.1 + ViNCEd)
* <> CONSOLE:

I am just bringing this up because somewhere out there, there is a bug being caused by some script assuming that * = CONSOLE:

[ChaosLord]

I just noticed that AmigaKit advertises AmigaOS4.1 Final Edition for Classic Amigas with this line:

Most powerful console for AmigaOS

Does this mean that OS4.1 uses the THOR-console?

[ChaosLord]

Do you happen to remember what version of AmigaOS first introduced the "Parameter Passing via [] feature of the Alias command" ?

p.s. You have completely melted my brain. :crazy: