Amiga.org
Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: LoadWB on August 04, 2006, 08:48:15 AM
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Between the several Amiga systems I own and use, I have found various utilities to increase performance, looks, and add miscellaneous features. I have yet to catalog all of these, often finding them on a whim, installing, then forgetting. Some include CopyMemQuicker, OxyPatcher, BlazeWCP, FBlit, PowerIcons, and more.
So, I am curious... what is YOUR Amiga system(s) running to enhance its operating environment? What software and configurations would you recommend or not recommend to someone setting up their "Classic" Amiga system -- 500, 600, 1000, 1200, 2000, 3000, 4000, et al. Sure, MUI counts as well :)
For me, usability and practicality outweigh gaming, but that might not be the case for you or others, so whatever your configuration is, let's jam.
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I like running MCP (http://www.aliendesign-gbr.de/programs/mcp/) and Stackattack (http://www.aminet.net/package.php?package=util/boot/StackAttack2.lha), and on a AGA system FBlit (http://www.aminet.net/package.php?package=util/boot/fblit.lha) is a definite must, and BlazeWCP (http://www.aminet.net/package.php?package=util/boot/Blazewcp.lha) is also nice.
If you mainly run system-friendly stuff on the system in question, FScreen can really improve the speed of the graphics but it's not the most stable program on this earth.
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A1200/68030/16MB, 700MB hard disk..
MCP, has much of what I need integrated into the one package.
FBlit, oh yes.
NewIconsV4, and DefIcons (very nice).
ToolsDaemon.
Home-made script files and a thoroughly hacked Startup-Sequence.
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Aahh, ToolsDaemon, how could I forget about that, KingCON is another absolute must!
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KingCON, yes, crucial for ARexx, and for jumping the console to another screen! And DirectoryOpus (pre-Magellan, off of a cover disk) with LhaDir (for browsing archives, and CD's through Parnet).
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Why use DOpus off of a cover disk and not from here (http://dopus.free.fr/)? :)
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On my A4000 with Mediator board, I use MagicMenu, PowerIcons, ToolDeamon, StackAttack, Birdie2000, VisualPrefs.
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FastIprefs - uses fastmem instead of chipmem where possible! (get it off aminet)
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fx wrote:
Why use DOpus off of a cover disk and not from here (http://dopus.free.fr/)? :)
Because it was on a floppy disk on the front of the magazine when I bought it (at the time), it was unrestricted and 'licensed' but not upgradeable (without payment, at the time), I didn't have internet access (at the time), it worked well, if it ain't broke...
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BlizKick, of course. A great little tool made by our member Piru. Works with most (if not all) Phase 5 accelerators with the MapRom feature, and even A3640.
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This is the kind of information that should be gathered and documented somewhere for beginning Amiga users to browse through and help them tweak their systems. Also it will help us old users who have forgotten what all the best utilities were that we installed on our systems 15 to 20 years ago.
It would be great if someone took the time to put it all together on a CD with a program that you just entered your Amiga model, memory installed, CPU accelerator if one is installed, and the program would then install all the best utilities to get the best performance from your system. Call it the Unofficial AmigaOS v3.95. It would not have any copyrighted material, but instead prompt the user to insert the disks for the programs needed (including the OS 3.9 CD itself) to extract the files neccessary, or it would ask for a directory where the files could be found. That is how Amikit works, and it is very cool and easy the way he has it set up to install.
Come on all of you Amiga experts, share your setups with the rest of us. Then we can get a few Amiga gurus to code an install program to simplify getting the programs all installed on the system HD.
Is anyone else interested in this project?
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@amigadave
Have at it...
(http://www.amiga.org/images/partners/amigawiki.gif)
(http://www.amigawiki.com/cgi-bin/wiki.pl)
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BTW, I meant the document part, not the CD. I think an "essential apps/utils" section with good install and configuration instructions is a good idea. You could always link to the files, etc. What's great about a Wiki is anyone can add/edit content.
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@ adolescent,
I would if I had the time, but I just took a new job that is going to be very demanding for at least the first year.
After that, who knows, I might have time to work on Amiga projects.
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Statram, it gives you a Ramdisk called "SD0:". You can unpack DMS archives to it or LHA archives, and the content wont disapear if you reset your Amiga. And it will increase its size automatically. Every time I set up a new Amiga system I add Statram.
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The biggest, the best, most beautiful: DirectoryOpus Magellan 2 ! Absolutely must for maximum usage. Installed here on A1200/everything, A1200/030, USB stick for UAE use and on A2000/010.
Also in use, at least on main a1200: MCP, Birdie2000, TitleShadow, MagicMenu, VisualPrefs, FullPalette and Executive.
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I try to avoid such patches because they make my computer crash. I´ve had too much trouble with MCP, Visualprefs and others, like frequent system crashes memory loss, and slower overall performance. I only use the ones that comes with AOS 3.9 and the boing bags and of course the ones that my blizzard 060 needs to function properly (forgot the name of it).
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Cool topic! I hope to try a few of the programs mentioned. :eureka:
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MUI doesn't count. It is considered part of the system. :)
Install SystemPatch http://web.tiscali.it/ziosante/ right after FBlit http://www.tpec.u-net.com/ and throw away BlazeWCP, FText, CopyMemQuicker and possibly other patches. Just read the manual.
MCP is a very good idea but not the latest version as it is very buggy. Prefer to install the Aminet version or at least an early version from the MCP website.
For less memory fragmentation i suggest MemOptimizer and FragCure installed after it. Get them from Aminet.
As others suggested, download BlizKick, have a good read at the manual and install it with some of the included modules that you will find useful. Then install Exec44. Both are located in Piru's website.
Iirc, FastIPrefs is only useful if you don't have OS3.5+
Executive is good, specially if you tend to run many programs at the same time. If you don't, it's better not to install it.
HappyEnv is highly suggested. Read the manual and try it!
Imho, and as SuperTurbo said. PowerIcons, birdie, VisualPrefs and the rest of the eye-candies is a wonderful way to waste system resources. (Mainly memory and CPU cycles)
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you all seem that do not know the best amiga filemanager, ClassAction.
ClassAction Homepage! (http://www.martin-elsner.de/text/amcla.html)
ClassAction is a multipurpose filemanager for AmigaOS. If you have an Amiga, you can't work (fine) without ClassAction !!!! If you try it, you won't be able to trash it !!!!
(http://www.martin-elsner.de/img/classaction.jpg)
(http://www.martin-elsner.de/img/caprefs.jpg)
:-D :-D :-D :-D
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On my lower spec Amigas, I like the dirutility ORDERING. I think it's mostly written in assembler because it's very faaassst. It's very nearly as configurable as Dopus 4.xx.
I also like ScreenTab. Start bars can be a good thing when done well.
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Oh!! Should throw a good word for ToolManager here, since it's a capable utility that I have little trouble with.
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I just tried Directory Opus 4.17pre21 (versions itself as pre20, though?) and it corrects a number of complaints I have had about DOpus 4.12 (which also began crashing on my 4000/060 recently for no apparent reason.) I also downloaded and tried Class Action -- it will take me a while, I think, but I think I can transition from DOpus (the biggest delay will be converting my pain-stakingly hand-crafted classes, whever necessary.) And it's great to see a newer version of FTPmount, LOVE IT!
In addition, I downloaded the latest version of IconBeFast from AmiNet. HOLY COW this is an excellent patch. I changed my icons to the AbandonMI set downloaded from OS4 Depot a couple of weeks back. They're REALLY nice but take a long time to load (reminds me of a slow Windows ME machine.) With IconBeFast they seem to just pop up instantly. GREAT job on this program!
And speaking of icons, PNG icons are fantastic. If you're interested in making some for yourself, I found that The GIMP 2.2 for Windows (and presumably Linux and Solaris) does a great job of editing pictures (especially removing backgrounds) and making proper PNG images which PowerIcons easily converts to icons.
At some point I think I will create a clean load of OS3.9 on my 4000 (need to clean out some decade-old libraries, dontchya know!) and put all these utilities in a scratch-bare system.* I started this thread with the intention of putting together a list of well-received and recommended utilities, and I think everyone has made that happen. Thanks to all, and I hope more will share their experiences.
* - My Amiga 4000 is actually the end-of-the-line for a system which started out on Workbench 1.3. It was upgraded to 2.04, 3.0 (warezed, sorry!,) 3.1, 3.5, then 3.9. Sure is a mess, but the system runs spectacularly.
Amiga -- I think even my girlfriend "gets it" :-)
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"MCP is a very good idea but not the latest version as it is very buggy. Prefer to install the Aminet version or at least an early version from the MCP website."
Yep, I like older versions too. 1.32 in use here. And there's only certain patches which may cause problems. Like with OS3.9. But don't blame whole program for those, you can disable non-working patches :)
"Executive is good, specially if you tend to run many programs at the same time. If you don't, it's better not to install it."
...unless if you want make fancy dashboards etc ;)
"HappyEnv is highly suggested. Read the manual and try it!"
I used this earlier, but at the time it had some bugs, don't know if it's updated after it. env-handler is similar to it and works fine here.
"Imho, and as SuperTurbo said. PowerIcons, birdie, VisualPrefs and the rest of the eye-candies is a wonderful way to waste system resources. (Mainly memory and CPU cycles)"
But if you have enough memory (I have 128M) and fast cpu (I have overclocked 060) then those are acceptable for prettyness ;)