Pine users... do you exist? lol Usenet/Mail probs & minor audio rant

[save2600]

Okay - very passively I'll admit... I have not been able to get Pine version 3.93 to work on ANY of my Amiga's for the last 10 years. This fabled all-in-one solution I've downloaded time and time again. Tried to install BOTH archives (you have to install 2 out of 3 together as the always confusing instructions tell you to) to no avail. Just tried to install it today (yet again), which is why I am writing.

You install one on top of the other - depending on the CPU you currently happen to own. Why it's not available as a single archive is beyond me. It's not like we haven't learned to rename files to suit our processors and MANY, MANY, many Amiga programs are like this. I just learned that AMPlifier (built into AmigaOS3.5+, even though NO Amiga ever came built in with a superior sound card that required AHI or XSound) and ALL of these other mp3 players, REQUIRE a third party sound card in order to work. Not even in the docs of any Amiga OS does it state you MUST use a 3rd party card capable of using the AHI, etc. driver in order to use these supposedly "friendly" AmigaOS software packages. Yeah, as if Paula and a speedy CPU aren't good enough  :-(    Amplifier and some of these other programs should have been included under the 'Extras' part of the OS plain and simple.

Anyway... I have yet to come across a mail/newsreader combo that is easy to setup and/or does not require an impossible to find vapourware keyfile in order to run properly. YAM's "AAREX" Usenet "patch" is an April's Fools joke. You download one Yam, try to install the news plug-in, configure this, download and patch that... NADDA. Doesn't matter which version of YAM either. It's all so frustrating.

AWeb's built in mail and newsreader, even though there are a lot of teaser configs, etc., - I've never been able to get to work. News keeps saying I need more "authentication". How much more do you need besides your frickin' password and user name?!? lol

Who here uses their Miggy to read news & e-mail (one package) in a fully functional and civilised manner?? And most importantly... how have you managed this seemingly impossible task? What to do in the case of programs that are no longer supported, but we need keyfiles for?

And what's up with OS 3.5 & 3.9's AmigaMail?!?  That has NEVER worked right for me. Cannot delete messages rotting away in the 'inbox', etc.
 

[save2600]

I thought so too once, but WTF?  Whenever I add an .mp3 or a .wav, ALL 3 versions of my AMPlifier either crash or (depending on configuration) 'abort' the file I am trying to add to the playlist.

I've studied the amplifier.config file and made sure Paulaaudio.device was listed. There's also a audiomod.xxxx device (going by memory) of some sort too, which points to an appropriate directory & file. Nothing. Dragged Paulaudio.device out of Devs and still nothing. AMPlifier is not pointing to AHI either. In fact, under the configuration option, my computer or the AMPlifier program crashes when I try to select anything other than 'blank' - is all that's listed in the requester. Yeah, even without any sound files loaded, upon startup of the configuration, I don't even see anything listed. Paula, oh Paula... where art thou?

On the spec'd A2500 listed below, I cannot play an mp3 or .wav file to save my life.

[save2600]

Thanks for the confirmation pVC. Amplifier or any other mp3 player simply do not work on my system. Files cannot be loaded and when I go into Amplifier's 'configuration' option, Paulaaudio is not seen, nor can I change it to Paulaaudio. In fact, on an older version of Amplifier, pressing the 'configure' or 'about' buttons underneath where paulaaudio should be listed, it causes my computer to crash. Suspend or Reboot to be exact.

@ CSixx:

I haven't tried X-audio or mpeg audio yet. I'll try those next. Would just be nice if the Amiga Amplifier would work  :-)  The other Amiga mpeg sound program (Amp I think its called) does not work either.

[save2600]

LOL! Okay I get it. X-Audio refers/points to the built-in Paula chip. Got the Amplifier problem figured out anyhow. Turned out I had a bad install somehow. Reinstalled the one from BB2 and she's up and running again. Wheee! Of curiosity though, older AMPlifier progs still did not work. Only version 2.34 works on my system. Must be a Boing Bag thing?

Thanks for the tips and help all.

[save2600]

Ilwrath wrote:
I believe the Amiga version of Pine requires a complete ixemul setup.  Which ixemul, itself, is an enigma, wrapped in a mystery, wrapped in a giant steaming turd.

ROTFLMAO! I never used Pine before, so thought I may have been "missing out". I do have those ixemul files though. But, it still doesn't work. No biggy. NewsRog looks promising, but the evaluation version is severely crippled.