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Amiga computer related discussion => Amiga Software Issues and Discussion => Topic started by: Calab on January 27, 2024, 08:00:14 PM

Title: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Calab on January 27, 2024, 08:00:14 PM
Hey all!

I'm looking to get the networking working on my PiStorm A500. I've set up a new SD card using the PiStorm software and instructions and need to make the machine useful now.

iBrowse looks like a great piece of software, but at $60 CAD, it's too much for me to afford. I've seen AWeb, but it's pretty old and tends to break the newer OS. Finally, I found NetSurf, but it appears to only be for OS4, which I don't have (Also, their documentation links are broken). Are there any other alternatives?

I don't mind paying a bit for software, but I have a dozen different retro machines. At $60 a pop, the value of the software would be more than the value of the hardware!
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: utri007 on January 27, 2024, 08:07:37 PM
There is a several versions of Netsurf for a 68k Amiga.

Official is here https://ci.netsurf-browser.org/builds/amigaos3/

It is badly broken, bitmap fonts code is broken, menus has a problems, etc. it has also lost it's speed after 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueeEUIazNM
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on January 27, 2024, 08:18:44 PM
Hey all!

I'm looking to get the networking working on my PiStorm A500. I've set up a new SD card using the PiStorm software and instructions and need to make the machine useful now.

iBrowse looks like a great piece of software, but at $60 CAD, it's too much for me to afford. I've seen AWeb, but it's pretty old and tends to break the newer OS. Finally, I found NetSurf, but it appears to only be for OS4, which I don't have (Also, their documentation links are broken). Are there any other alternatives?

I don't mind paying a bit for software, but I have a dozen different retro machines. At $60 a pop, the value of the software would be more than the value of the hardware!


If it helps. You only pay the one $60 which gives you a key file that can be used on all your systems.

There is a Netsurf for 68k systems which is in Beta phase. It’s a CSS based browser. But it’s very temperamental.

Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: krize on January 28, 2024, 11:00:54 AM
Just try the demo and see if it is worth it for you :)
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: chris on January 30, 2024, 11:08:04 PM
There is a several versions of Netsurf for a 68k Amiga.

Official is here https://ci.netsurf-browser.org/builds/amigaos3/

It is badly broken, bitmap fonts code is broken, menus has a problems, etc. it has also lost it's speed after 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZueeEUIazNM

Use this version, SSL actually works on it: https://www.cy2.uk/netsurf.lha https://aminet.net/package/comm/www/netsurf_os3

Whether it works reliably is another matter. It's pretty stable on my MiSTer, provided the latest AmiSSL is installed. Others have reported problems.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: StormLord on January 31, 2024, 10:39:39 PM
Use this version, SSL actually works on it: https://www.cy2.uk/netsurf.lha

Whether it works reliably is another matter. It's pretty stable on my MiSTer, provided the latest AmiSSL is installed. Others have reported problems.


Actually this version is only for OS4 not for 68k :)
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: chris on February 01, 2024, 03:09:22 PM
Oh yes, sorry, the one on Aminet is the working version for OS3: https://aminet.net/package/comm/www/netsurf_os3
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: StormLord on February 01, 2024, 04:13:18 PM
Unfortunately this version is broken on AOS3 the picture/background rendering is completely broken.
Pity as its the first netsurf for AOS3 that has a proper menu with Preferences etc..
The only versions that are *almost* working onn AOS are 3.10 that is very slow and 3.9. both are crashing demons thought. It is very difficult to browse more than 3-4 pages without stop responding with my PiStorm32 with Pi3A+
From the other hand its the only browser on AOS3 that support CSS, ibrowse 3 is a polished amiga browser but lucking CSS makes the price for me not worthy. otherwise I would bought it in a heartbeat.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on February 01, 2024, 04:49:27 PM
It’s just a shame that there isn’t more choice of Web Browser for the Amiga at the moment. Don’t get me wrong, Ibrowse works great. But it ain’t no CSS browser yet.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: chris on February 01, 2024, 11:55:28 PM
Unfortunately this version is broken on AOS3 the picture/background rendering is completely broken.
Pity as its the first netsurf for AOS3 that has a proper menu with Preferences etc..
The only versions that are *almost* working onn AOS are 3.10 that is very slow and 3.9. both are crashing demons thought. It is very difficult to browse more than 3-4 pages without stop responding with my PiStorm32 with Pi3A+
From the other hand its the only browser on AOS3 that support CSS, ibrowse 3 is a polished amiga browser but lucking CSS makes the price for me not worthy. otherwise I would bought it in a heartbeat.

I know it's unhelpful but it "works here". Images are generally broken on 8-bit screen modes, but still useable.

It's still labelled as a beta for a reason!

If you can track down the problems you are having then patches will be welcome. However I'm not seeing most of the issues here that others are - which makes it difficult to debug.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: StormLord on February 03, 2024, 06:42:51 PM
I know it's unhelpful but it "works here". Images are generally broken on 8-bit screen modes, but still useable.

It's still labelled as a beta for a reason!

If you can track down the problems you are having then patches will be welcome. However I'm not seeing most of the issues here that others are - which makes it difficult to debug.

I'm using stock caffeine OS with Pistorm32, screen mode is 1024x768 32bit via videocore RTG. Is there a page where I can send a bug report? I'm back on the amiga after a decade and I have excitement to help wherever I can.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: chris on February 08, 2024, 11:07:21 AM
I'm using stock caffeine OS with Pistorm32, screen mode is 1024x768 32bit via videocore RTG. Is there a page where I can send a bug report? I'm back on the amiga after a decade and I have excitement to help wherever I can.

Here is the correct place: https://bugs.netsurf-browser.org

Any crash logs and the output from "netsurf -v" will be helpful.

What do you mean by "stock caffeine OS"?
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on February 08, 2024, 07:32:38 PM
Here is the correct place: https://bugs.netsurf-browser.org

Any crash logs and the output from "netsurf -v" will be helpful.

What do you mean by "stock caffeine OS"?

It’s like CoffinOS found on the Vampire Cards but it’s for the PiStorm. It will be a bespoke build of Amiga OS 3.9. With a load of extras. So nothing vanilla about it.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: chris on February 09, 2024, 03:30:00 PM
It’s like CoffinOS found on the Vampire Cards but it’s for the PiStorm. It will be a bespoke build of Amiga OS 3.9. With a load of extras. So nothing vanilla about it.

Ah, in that case I can say "not supported", you're on your own.

AmigaOS 3.9 should work.  AmigaOS 3.2.2.1 should work.  But either of those with a ton of extra patches and hacks I wouldn't expect to work correctly.  Even the plain versions of 3.9 and 3.2 are temperamental.  I want to rebuild it with the 3.2 NDK and (if necessary) ditch 3.9, to see if that makes it more stable - the classes can then work more or less exactly as they do in OS4 so it should help.  But the NDK won't work properly in my build environment currently.

Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on February 09, 2024, 11:12:52 PM
Ah, in that case I can say "not supported", you're on your own.

AmigaOS 3.9 should work.  AmigaOS 3.2.2.1 should work.  But either of those with a ton of extra patches and hacks I wouldn't expect to work correctly.  Even the plain versions of 3.9 and 3.2 are temperamental.  I want to rebuild it with the 3.2 NDK and (if necessary) ditch 3.9, to see if that makes it more stable - the classes can then work more or less exactly as they do in OS4 so it should help.  But the NDK won't work properly in my build environment currently.

CaffieneOS as far as I understand it is now no longer available due to the author (Cpt LeChuck), being told that this infringed on Amikits workbench version. Technically you can just install any AmigaOS on a PiStorm but you are dependent on some extra tools to get it working.
I’m currently running a AmigaOS3.9 with 3.2.2.1 update with a Mediator setup and PiStorm with a Pi4B. RTG is not via Pi but via a Voodoo3 pci card.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: kolla on February 10, 2024, 03:22:09 AM
The “infringement” was reusing dopus5 file type definitions from AmiKit.

And no, it didn’t vanish, like disco, it just went underground to focus on the club scene.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: AmiBoy on February 10, 2024, 09:39:52 PM
How are you finding performance?

I'm looking at going for same setup once I've sourced the piStorm and a pi4.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on February 10, 2024, 09:56:18 PM
How are you finding performance?

I'm looking at going for same setup once I've sourced the piStorm and a pi4.

Mega! I’m overclocking mine using a Parmeters txt file. Games like Quake, Quake II, Star Wars Dark Forces run like they are on a High End 90’s PC of the time 👍🏻 The 2GB FastRAM is really NOT needed. But it looks awesome…. Coming from a Pi3A it’s night and day.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: F0LLETT on February 12, 2024, 09:16:31 AM
Mega! I’m overclocking mine using a Parmeters txt file. Games like Quake, Quake II, Star Wars Dark Forces run like they are on a High End 90’s PC of the time 👍🏻 The 2GB FastRAM is really NOT needed. But it looks awesome…. Coming from a Pi3A it’s night and day.

CM4 here, running at 2.5GHz / GFX at 950Mz.
For me personally, don't see point in browsing internet on my Amiga. Sure its handy for downloading files directly to Amiga, but thats about it.
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Boing-ball on February 12, 2024, 02:28:31 PM
CM4 here, running at 2.5GHz / GFX at 950Mz.
For me personally, don't see point in browsing internet on my Amiga. Sure its handy for downloading files directly to Amiga, but thats about it.

Are Amigakit going to be selling the CM4’s?
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: F0LLETT on February 13, 2024, 09:24:10 AM
Are Amigakit going to be selling the CM4’s?

Ok, we are dragging this off topic.

Not sure as yet. OP should I split thread?
Title: Re: Alternative to iBrowse on OS3.2?
Post by: Calab on February 19, 2024, 04:46:35 PM
Ok, we are dragging this off topic.

Not sure as yet. OP should I split thread?

Feel free to continue.  I'm having issues with "bsdsocket.library V4" not being found, so I won't be surfing any time soon.