NetSurf 3.4 released!

[Dandy]

NetSurf is a small, fast CSS capable web browser for AmigaOS and other platforms.
...
Additionally I have released a beta version of an AmigaOS 3.5+ build based on the AmigaOS 4 native frontend.  I need help to improve this.  Download (AmigaOS 3.5/9)

How is the speed of this "beta version of an AmigaOS 3.5+ build" on an Amiga 4000 with CSPPC (MC68060@50mHz/PPC604e@200mHz; 128 mB ram) under OS 3.9/WarpOS 16.1?

Is an PUP/WarpOS version available or planned?

Is my hardware setup (see above) sufficiently fast, or does Netsurf only run fast enough on an AmigaForever/UAE environment on a fast WIntel box (i.e. Core i5 quadcore@3.2 gHz)?

If my hardware is sufficient, how can I help to improve Netsurf?

[Dandy]

...
Dandy: Test build is quite much faster than aminet build, but it requires guicfx and render libraries from aminet.

O.K. - I downloaded and extracted Netsurf 3.6 dev and copied the ENV-content to envarc:. Then I rebooted. I also have the guigfx.library_68060 and the render.library_68060 in Libs:.
But when I try to start Netsurf, nothing happens. Tried it via DOpus and by clicking the icon. Nothing.
But I made SnoopDos logs of both approaches. If anone can see from the logs what goes wrong I can mail them. Just send mew an PM with e-mail address.

It has color problems with AGA

No problem - I use a Voodoo 4 in my Mediator in my towered A4k with CSPPC. 128 mB RAM, OS 3.9 with BBs 1 & 2/WarpOS 16.1.

RTG systems you need to edit user/choises file manually and add friend_bitmap:1 to get colors displayed correctly.

Hmmm - I cannot find this file in the extracted directory.

Problem with both builds is memory fragmention / memory leak wich slows down surfing after few pages.

Well, my problem is to get it running first...

Generally saying, it is fast amiga.org is displayed less than 20 seconds.

As I said - I have to get it running first...

[Dandy]

You need to rename those libraries. Remove _68060 from end.

Thanks for the hint! I will try this tonight...

New version :

http://cy2.uk/netsurfos3

Thanks for this info as well!

Didn't you use installer?

Ummm - which installer?
There was no installer included in the 3.6 dev Archive.
All there was was the instruction in the readme to copy all the content from the archive's ENV: Folder to Envarc: and the advice to edit a file (that I'm unable to locate in the achive) manually for the use with graphics cards.
No information on how to install NetSurf.

[Dandy]

Run it with -v, it might give some clues. ("netsurf -v")
But try what utri007 suggests first!

Thank you - I will try both!

[Dandy]

That's not my version.

O.K. - it's a  bit confusing with two different forks of Netsurf for Amiga.
May I suggest to rename both?

Chris's version could be called e.g. HW-NetSurf_v3.x_OS3.lha
and
Arthur's version could be called e.g. UAE-NetSurf_v3.x_OS3.lha.

"HW", as Chris's version is aimed at real Amiga Hardware, and "UAE" as Arthur's version is aimed at Emulators.

Both suggested filenames should necessarily include the actual version number of the build!

This way users could already see from the filename the targetted Amiga system, browser-name, actual version number and targetted OS version(s).

Which is the version number of the "New Version" linked by utri007 in his posting #8?

[Dandy]

No bashing, everything I said is true. ... I could make a Chris version to start with 16mb ram, but it would be unuseable.

@ utri007 & wawrzon:
Guys, please don't start a 'war' on this!
I think both forks have their right to exist.

But as I want a "modern" browser on my old, real Amiga hardware, I think Chris's Version is what I'm looking for.

[Dandy]

You need to rename those libraries. Remove _68060 from end.

Did that - my system no longer crashes partially when I try to start Arthur's Netsurf.

New version :

http://cy2.uk/netsurfos3
...

Already downloaded it. Will try to install tonight.

[Dandy]

Actually there are three, as there's a version built for AmiCygnix too!

Wow! Even more confusing...

You'll find Artur's version is called NetSurf68k.

That's most likely the reason why I confuse them all the time:

My Amiga System is both - 68k AND OS3.x (and furthermore PPC and OS4).

So - no matter what I read (NetSurf OS3 or NetSurf 68k) - I always think it is the right version for MY system (aside from OS4 Version)...

The main factor which tells them apart is the frontend. Artur's is "Framebuffer-SDL", mine is "Amiga", the AmiCygnix version is "gtk".  

I see. But excuse my ignorance - could you please explain to me what "Framebuffer-SDL" means in this regard?

Once you've seen them all it's easy to tell which is which. Before then, read the readme files.

For now I'd be happy to get one of them running...

3.6dev.

Arrgh - to top it all both versions (Arthur's and yours) have the same version number! The SDL version I tried to run is also 3.6 dev...

It's equivalent to CI build 3602, I think.
Once you have it running, "about:testament" will tell you exactly which Git commit it is built from (and by whom, and when)!

What does "CI build 3602" mean?

[Dandy]

i doubt anyone will accept your proposal, especially that its based on imho incorrect information, that chris version is better suited for real amigas and arturs for uae.

O.K. - ist juist a minor difference, but at least it is a difference: I did not propose, I just suggested...

And as far as I understood utri007, he didn't say "better suited for", but "works nicely with emulators" and "is targeted to real Amigas"...

right, artur develops on uae and with uae in mind, but i have run his browser on an amiga too, including aga version.

Very good.
In case you also tested Chris's version on the same "real Amiga", you should be able to tell us which of them feels more responsive on a "real Amiga"...

right. it woukld be better to join the forces and have on e binary for all.

Yeah - why not.

even if i would prefer to build the gui against mui instead against reaction in this case.

Why not support both GUIs and let the user decide which one he likes more ("skins")?

so, have you got arturs netsurf running on your system, by now or what?

It turned out that I tried to start Arthur's version with no success. Confusingly enough, his version also has the version number "3.6 dev".
No, I have not succeeded yet to get it running.

And to be honest, after learning that it doesn't have a GUI and will only run from a command-line I don't feel very inclined to test it.

i might check current version here on uae/aros68k, but usually it works out of the box.

Here I have to contradict.

The "3.6 dev" version CANNOT "work out of the box", as SnoopDos clearly showed me that some files were not in the drawer where they should have been according to SnooDos, e.g. the file "Resource.map" is in "Resources" - not in "Resources/de/" and "Resources/en/", where the system is looking for it upon start.

I had to copy it over manually in order to get an "O.K." instead "Fail" in SnoopDos.

then you can test chris his version, which is a bit more fiddling with as i remember. because it is still in experimental stadium.

"More fiddling"? "Experimental Stadium"?
I would only expect a "dev" version to be in "experimental stadium", e.g. "netsurf 3.6 dev".

All other, earlier versions should run stable, or did I get something completely wrong?

i cant test it here currently, since it isnt compatible with plain 3.1 plus class act and i dont have a 3.9 setup with me.

I have all OS versions - ranging from 1.2 up to 4.0 classic.
I mainly use 3.9 - 4.0 is just an "experimental Installation", as 4.x classic doesn't support my hardware configuration sufficiently (just USB 1.1 instead of 2.0, just 10 mBit NIC mode instead of 100, limited Mediator support and so on).

[Dandy]

Yes, it's the frontend.  ... I manually built the current "3.6dev".

The version command there will show 3.3602 (which is why release versions are +.60000)

Thanks for explaining!

[Dandy]

...
About Chris' Netsurf it doens't have any fiddling. Download it and install it.
...

I did.
Then I tried to start it - system crashed!
I rebooted and started SnoopDos before trying it again.
The last action SnoopDos recorded before the system froze was reading "FONTS:helvetica/15" with result "O.K.".

Furthermore a nice picture appeared on the screen before the crash telling: "NetSurf Initialising" or something along those lines - but it said it is the OS4 version???

Do you have an idea what could could be going wrong here?

[Dandy]

Where / wich version you downloaded?

The one you linked in your posting #8 in this thread.

run netsurf from shell netsurf -V

Did that.
Lots of text lines appeared and disappeared very fast in the Shell - too fast to read anything, followed by a system crash with black screen.

forward log to somewhere so that you can send it to Chris.

How can I save a logfile?

SnoopDos writes into a buffer (RAM), which can be copied to clip, pasted into an editor and then can be saved to disk.

But as soon as the system crashes, everything is gone - before I get to the point where I can copy the log buffer to the clipboard, paste it into an editor and then save it to disk.

I was thinking of redirecting the shell messages to HD - but then the system would crash in the middle of the writing process, which might kill my HD.
Obviously I do not want to risk that!

[Dandy]

I have forwared logs to HD.

Is it just Netsurf -V >DH1:netsurf_log.txt ?? or do I remember wrong?

My system partition uses ffs, but others use pfs or sfs. No problems with those.

I think that it woun't kill you hard drive, maybe it will validate it but there is no ffs problem without cure.

Ok - will try that next week.
Currently I'm spend my weekend at my "main home". My Amigas are in my apartment in Cologne, where I stay during the week, when I'm working.
This is the fate of a commuter...

B.t.w. - I use registered version of PFS3 on System3.9 and FFS on the other partitions, IIRC.

What kind of hardware you are using? Cyberstorm with what graphicscard and rtg software?

I use a Voodoo 4 with Picasso 96 in my Mediator (in Zorro III, with Buster 11) in my towered A4k with CSPPC (MC68060@50mHz/PPC604e@200mHz; 128 mB ram), OS 3.9 with BBs 1 & 2/WarpOS 16.1.
Furthermore:
Terratec 512i digital soundcard, 10/100 mBit NIC in Mediator PCI busboard.
Deneb USB 2.0 highspeed in Zorro III.
CD-Rom, CD-Ram, DVD-Ram. tapestreamer and scanner on the UW-SCSI.
2 HD floppydrives.

Do you have any patches running from startup-sequence? Like TLSF?

Not that I knew...will have to check...
What is TLSF, btw?

You are using Amiga OS3.9 with BB1&2?

Yessir!

[Dandy]

Dandy, please try the version I've just uploaded: http://cy2.uk/netsurfos3

Ok - will download and try it when I'm back in Cologne tomorrow night!
Is this build compiled for plain 68000?
As I use 68060...

[Dandy]

Regarding the "Miracles we do at once, the impossible takes a little longer" in your signature - we have a similar saying here in Germany:
"The impossible we do at once, miracles take nine months..."
:biglaugh: