BetterWB - release 2.0

[TheGoose]

Thanks Gulliver for keeping it going. :hammer:

[Cammy]

Hey, perfect timing. Thanks for the update, Gulliver! I am just starting some fresh installations of Workbench 3.1 and was about to apply BetterWB to them, so a brand new version is great news.

It gives me an idea I've wanted to do for a while, to write an article that discusses and compares the different Workbench packs and boot disks like this, Amiga 911, Hombre, and any others I can find.

[Dwyloc]

@Gulliver
Thanks for the update. I use BetterWB on my 1.5MB Minimig (A600 clone).

Now for a small bug report the resent versions of lha use a default buffer size of 128K for file I/O which is to large for Amiga's with 1.5MB or less such as a standard A600 so all file extraction operations fail with lha unless you add the -b32 option to all operations or set the LHAOPTS envarc: variable to -b32 so LHA sets this automatically as detailed in the lha.guide file.

It would be nice if this could be fixed for future releases and thanks again for all your hard work.

Now for a feature request could you add a version of ppmore to betterwb is I still find it the best way to read simple text files.

[mfletcher]

I use BetterWB on one of my Amigas and its great! Does exactly what it says on the tin.

Thanks Gulliver for your continued work on this project!

[Jiffy]

Just found time to switch on my A600 for the very first time since I have it (couple of months) and building in its expansions (ACA630, A604, Indivision ECS, 4 GB Transcend flash drive).

I installed OS3.1 on it this weekend and was looking around for necessary updates and stuff, but was slightly discouraged by the shear size of other Workbench enhancement packs. I love the speed of OS3.1 on my expanded A600 and don't want to compromise this with unnecesary eye candy.

This seems to be exactly what I was looking for: updates to standard OS3.1, no bloat, easy install.

Will try this out tonight! :-)

[Gulliver]

Good, let me know your impressions once you get to play with it a bit.

[Retrofan]

I would like to see a video of it running . I haven't found in Youtube.

[Bamiga2002]

There's not much to see...it's the inside that counts!

[Retrofan]

Yes, I know. I was thinking to try it with my ACA 1230/56. Just want to see how fast BetterWB is, how much memory uses with what amount of colors, how it goes with internet and what browser to use, how fast it shows the icons and what type of them ... just to take a look.

[Rodomoc]

In reading the 'lilliput' archives we find os3.9 boing bags; links to official -unofficial versions that go beyond original 2, how to make workbench 3.1 equivelant to 3.9, and also BetterWB. An excellent overall website, hands down.
 
My question...Other than the various higher end upgrades listed in making 3.1 equivelant to 3.9, how does BetterWB play into this? In looking at the BetterWB specifications, it seems that not much fundamental stuff is left out. I am all for a non-3.5/3.9 solution to fundamental upgrades.

[Gulliver]

@Rodomoc

I am happy you find the website usefull

About your questions:
BetterWB is not related to  the other content of the website. It is just my personal view on how to improve AmigaOS 3.1

And the reason for going this specific route was to empower unexpanded Amigas to be able to run something better than a bare AmigaOS 3.1 which is really old (18 years!), as this was the only available option until now for for lets say for example, an A500/A1000 with a harddrive and 3.1 kickstart with only 512KB of chipmem.

If you have a higher end system, you will probably have much more hardware resource power to spend on other distributions or even higher versions of AmigaOS that will probably give you some added functionality and eye candy. It is up to you to choose then to try BetterWB, if you have a better system.

This BetterWB distribution/add-on pack, is meant for all Amigas, in order to provide them with something better than a bare 3.1 whilst keeping the bloat to a minimum so that any Amiga has the potential to run it as long as they have kickstart 3.1 and some form of harddrive (Yes, 512KB of chipram will be just enough for it to run).

Then, the final goal is to provide a much better experience than 3.1 by incorporating bugfixes, updates and enhancements, somehow following what I feel should have been the path that Commodore should have chosen if they were alive just a little bit longer.

[Rodomoc]

Gulliver, I do not have a real powerful Amiga; A3000-A3640 accelerator-2mb/16mb-GVP video card-XSURF ethernet card w/ clockports-Subway usb. I have run a full tilt 3.9 installation in the past. I am saying screw doing this anymore. A simple updated Commodore 3.1 is good enough for me at this point. Years ago I had a hopped up 3.1 based on the this old workbench series. The machine ran excellent. It is time to return to this sort of sanity.

[lionstorm]

@ Gulliver : maybe you could add the new icon.library to your pack ? the requirements are WB3.0/3.1 so ideal for BetterWB !

[nicholas]

Gulliver, I do not have a real powerful Amiga; A3000-A3640 accelerator-2mb/16mb-GVP video card-XSURF ethernet card w/ clockports-Subway usb. I have run a full tilt 3.9 installation in the past. I am saying screw doing this anymore. A simple updated Commodore 3.1 is good enough for me at this point. Years ago I had a hopped up 3.1 based on the this old workbench series. The machine ran excellent. It is time to return to this sort of sanity.

PM me your email address and I'll send you a 3.9 install tweaked for max performance on an A3000.

[Gulliver]

@ Gulliver : maybe you could add the new icon.library to your pack ? the requirements are WB3.0/3.1 so ideal for BetterWB !

The problem is the new icon.library requires a 68020 and BetterWB is targetted at 68000!

When and if PeterK releases a 68000 version (he has said it is on his low priority list), I will not hesitate to include it.

Thank you for your suggestion.

[stefcep2]

The problem is the new icon.library requires a 68020 and BetterWB is targetted at 68000!

When and if PeterK releases a 68000 version (he has said it is on his low priority list), I will not hesitate to include it.

Thank you for your suggestion.

Nah Gulliver...at this point you're supposed to say:

"I have just released a version of BetterWB for 68020+, downloadable here:"