BetterWB-like enhancements for OS2.1?

[Tenacious]

I like BetterWB, but, I like OS2.1 for ECS Amigas (Don't want to run OS3.1 in all of them ).  I might not be the only one.  What are your favorite enhancements for OS2.1?

C:?
Devs:?
L:?
Libs:?
System?
Tools?
Utilities?
Other?

[Tenacious]

Hi Gulliver

I'm not avoiding 3.1, most of my machines run KS3.1;).  OTOH, I'm reluctant to abandon all examples of Amiga OS evolution, especially OS2.1 and 1.3.

I've read many times about how superior 3.1 is over 2.1.  Being a simple user (not a degree'd computer scientist), I'm often hard pressed to confirm that it really is a huge improvement, especially on older OCS and ECS Amigas.  Some off-the-cuff specifics, the Datatypes scheme  is OK on a fast Amiga, but dog-slow on lower spec models. I frequently use my favorite datatype-unaware utilities for speed, even on the 060 model.   Also, the palette prefs on 3.1 seem like a leap backward compared to OS2.1.   Someone wrote a wonderful animated busy pointer that I cannot get working with KS3.1.   Etcetera.

Frankly, I have a great respect for the one-stop compilation of updates and improvements you have organized for OS3.1.  You did an excellent and thorough job!  Whenever I reformat and reload the OS, your BetterWB is the first enhancement I install.

My intent here was to explore what updates could be applied to OS2.1.  I think it is worth having a 'living' example that can read long-file-name CDs, swap icon images without renaming, etc.  If there are bug-fixed libraries and device handlers for OS2.1 too, I was hoping folks would share them in this thread.

[Tenacious]

If only I could manage to get a little more free time before Christmas I may give this concept a go.

Suggestion: Why dont you start with BetterWB as a basis and then remove/replace components that are not 2.1 compatible? It shouldnt be that hard, and I can help you if you run into trouble.

It's exciting to think what the results of this might be.  Right now, I'm in the same boat as you, this next month is a very busy time.  However, I have an A2000 with nothing more than OS2.1 on the HD, ready to go.

Perhaps the most obvious addition to 3.1 for the average user is Multiview.  Commodore apparently promoted it as the default viewer using datatypes (instead of MuchMore, Viewtek, etc).  There are a handful of 2.1-compatible multiview clones on Aminet.  I'm going to begin by trying each of those.

I have another empty A2000 with 3.1 and BetterWB installed.  It shouldn't be hard to pull various BetterWB components and try them under 2.1.  

[Tenacious]

I guess MagicWB and Nickprefs isn't what you're thinking (talking about BetterWB).

Ultimately, I do want MagicWB and Nickprefs compatibility and the option to use them in my Amiga.  

I'm simply wanting to explore ways to make everything 'under the hood' the best it can be (bug-fixed), a living version of 2.1 that will be viable into the future.  An alternative to the 3.1 path (datatypes, etc) for OCS and ECS Amigas.

In the end, OS2.1 might be the preferred 'leaner' OS for modest 500s and 600s.

[Tenacious]

I did a clean hard drive install of both AmigaOS 2.1 and 3.1.

You only save a little bit less than 5KB memory with 2.1 but you will loose all bugfixes and enhancements I mentioned before.

It seems it is definately not worth the downgrade.

I'm still up to my butt in alligators,

If I understand you correctly, you simply installed a fresh copy of OS2.1 and loaded BetterWB on top (the same proceedure as if it was OS3.1)?  If true, that's very easy.  Sadly, I haven't had time to even try this yet.  Next month looks better.

[Tenacious]

The way you explain it, sounds pretty reasonable.

If only I could manage to get a little more free time before Christmas I may give this concept a go.

Suggestion: Why dont you start with BetterWB as a basis and then remove/replace components that are not 2.1 compatible? It shouldnt be that hard, and I can help you if you run into trouble.
.

Gulliver, I finally got some free  time to look at the enhancements included in BetterWB and filter those that are compatible with OS2.1.   It turns out that the majority of the programs that you assembled into BWB are also 2.1 compatible.  In fact, it is much simpler to instead list those that require OS3.x.   Naturally, the improved Data types are useless in OS2.1.  So, here's the list of 3.1 specific stuff:

Finder 2.06
Fullpalette         (IMHO, the Palette.prefs from OS2.1 is superior to the one supplied with OS3.1.  I'm not sure a palette locker is needed.)
IconAppearer
ILBM            data type
JFifDT         data type
PCX            data type
PNG            data type
Speak-handler      (Apparently, this is NOT the last Speak-handler that Commodore included with OS2.04)
Targa            data type
TextDT         data type
TIFF            data type
UnixDirs3
Visage39.22      (I will miss this one!)
WaveDT         data type

A surprisingly short list, especially if the data types are excluded.  Those above were the enhancements that clearly stated in their docs that OS3.x IS required.

The following is a list whose docs did not specify any OS requirement.

Avail         (command replacement)
Boards
CX
Fat95
Mathtrans   (originally Quicktrans on Aminet)
Monitor drivers
Next            (text reader, I like this one.  TextView is also very good!)
PSort
Serial (ArtSer)      (There are other (faster?) serial replacements, like New8N1 on Aminet)
SmartWin
SwazInfo
XPKmaster

Another short list that needs to be checked for 2.1 compatibility.

Since 2.1 did not include Multiview, there are a number 3rd party substitutions that simulate its functionality.  I have yet to evaluate those.  The one written in E looks interesting.

[Tenacious]

You're the originator of this excellent package.  Thank You!

[Tenacious]

Okay, I played a bit with your information:

Finder 2.06 could be replaced by FindMe 1.3 (Aminet)

To be able to display JPG, GIF and ILBM files you could use ViewTek (Aminet)

To play WAV files you could use the old Play16 v1.8 which works on 68000 (http://cd.textfiles.com/amigaplus/lesercd16/CD_System/Play16/)

UnixDirs3 can be replaced by UnixDirsII (Aminet)

New8N1 is a rather incomplete but faster serial.device. It will work depending both on the configuration of your device and the application you are using. I recommend you keep artser unless you really know what you are doing, because New8N1 will fail under some circumstamces.

The list you mentioned that the docs have no specific requirements stated, should work (I havent tested your Next/Textview propositions though!)

And as you mentioned, mv2_x.lha seems a reasonable multiview replacement if you get it compiled and linked. You could even adjust it to use both Play16 and ViewTek.

Thanks for the quick feedback.

I should have mentioned that I loaded BWB some months ago (it's not your very latest) and then added some of my favorites (Ordering?, ViewTek?, Play16?, TextView?, Next?, not very many) on top.  Then I lost track if some of them were part of your package or if I added them.  Sorry.  To get the lists, I simply went thru my Help directory and read every doc (this took some time).

I think the packages I most need to test are Fat95, QuickTrans, Next, SwazInfo, and XPXmaster.

I remember abandoning AmiCDFS years ago because I could not get it to read CDs with long filenames.  I went to AsimCDFS.  Since then, I have read that you and others (Camy?) did get AmiCDFS to read longfile names.  I need to check into this.  Asim is a really large package with more than I want.

If you have the info handy, do you remember what would cause New8N1 to fail?

[Tenacious]

Well, having a list of what does not work with OS2.1 is not nearly as useful as its inverse, a list of compatible software.  So, here is a preliminary list of compatible OS2.1 enhancements, mostly from Gulliver's BetterWB.  

ABackup
ACDplay
AddTools
AltTab
AmiCDFS 2.40
AssignWedge
Avail
Boards
Break
ClickNot
CopyRelace
CX
DiskValid
DirWork1.62
Fat95
FFS w/TD64
FindMe1.3
GrabIFF
HDinstTools
Info
Installer v43
JazTools
Join
LHA
MathTrans (QuickTrans)
MinStack
MyFormat
Ordrering (my favorite DirUtil)
PatchRam
PFS3
Play16 (v1.8 for 68000 processors)
Port-Handler
Queue-Handler
ReqTools v2.9
SCSImounter
Serial (ArtSer v37.6)
SerialPrefs
SetJoyPort
ShowConfigENH
SnoopDos
SuperDuper
TextEngine
TextView v1.25
ToolAlias
TotalCalc
UnixDirs2
Version
ViewTek
WBgauge v1.2
WBrun
XPKmaster

Untested Multiview substitutes:
2B_mv_OS2 (usesFIDlib80 - the latest can ID 600 filetypes)
DropAct20
MV2_X
These 3 claim 2.1 compatibility.  I used MV2_X years ago.  IIRC, it must be compiled with the users preferred viewers and their paths, it's not difficult.  The other 2 boast a prefs editor.

Other viewers:
FastView (untested, on Aminet)
Dyna-Show
Shazam (also for Dynamic Hi-Res, untested)

Other small enhansements:
Snap and PowerSnap
SpeechToy2 (needs the Speak files last included with OS1.3 and 2.04)
BusyPointer (eyecandy, untested)
MultiDos (a free CrossDos-like package, on Aminet)
XDME (Text editor, an old favorite)
Redit (recently mentioned here, untested, looks interesting)

Most of the first list is available in BetterWB, everything else should be on Aminet.

[Tenacious]

From this list I would only choose FastView (and even discard Viewtek) as this app is the one that supports more image types. Remember you should include multipic.library which enables even more types (grab multipic.library from Aminet´s WBView094.lha

Good Morning Gulliver

If I'm reading you correctly, FastView will make use of the MultiPic.library to display even more image types?  This would be good.  I couldn't find any docs on FastView and only the one archive (WBView094) that seems utilizes this library. I agree it would be great to have a fast, small, comprehensive image viewer for OCS and ECS 68000 Amigas.  

I would use PowerSnap instead of Snap, as it is much easier to use and configure. Snap is very powerful but difficult to figure it out.
Redit seems a nice choice.
I may probably try to include this last two on a future BetterWB release.

I haven't had the chance to play with Redit yet.  It looks promising.

I have an A600HD with 4MB of PCMCIA fast memory.  This may be a better test platform than the A2000 (68030) for some of the packages.

[Tenacious]

I'm not sure there is much enhancements for ECS Amigas, 3.x main enhancements was the support of AGA chipset.  

I've never seen the point of upgrading my A600 to 3.1, it does everything fine on 2.1.

This pack is good enhancement for 2.1:

http://classicwb.abime.net/classicweb/gaae.htm

I haven't tried this package yet.  While scanning over the website months ago, I got the impression that the focus was primarily about improving the appearance of WB (a good thing!).  Are bugfixes and extensions of the OS's abilities included as well?

[Tenacious]

Latest Update.  I got it working!

I installed a fresh OS2.1 on an A600HD with 4 MB of PCMCIA fast memory.  My last disk (Fonts) had an error, so the install script didn't finish.  Fortunately, this is an Amiga, and all is well.  Had it been a Mac, the OS would not have validated and never have been allowed to work from the HD.

Next, I commented all the original OS files (in C:, Libs:, etc) as "Original OS2.1" for my own tracking purposes.  In the future, any files without this comment are obviously new.

I then added empty directories to my 2.1 partition that mimic those locations on an OS3.1 install.
Classes/Datatypes/ & Gadgets/
Devs/DataTypes/
Locale/Help/
Storage/DataTypes

Next, I installed BWB 3.4 (The last version I wrote to floppies.  I should have used the last release).  The install script executed without a hitch.

The following BWB additions need to be removed/replaced, since they are NOT 2.1 compatible:
Finder, FullPallett, IconAppearer, and UnixDirs3.  The Speak-Handler needs to be replaced with the last one Commodore included with OS1.3 or 2.05.  The new Prefs/WBPattern needs to be replaced with the original from OS2.1.

Finally, I think HELP: needs an assignment in the SS since it didn't exist before.

Everything I have tested works beautifully so far.  I am pleased.  Thank you Gulliver!