A WHDLoad-like place for classic programs

[WeiXing3D]

Wouldn't it be cool to have an application like WHDLoad but for Amiga classic programs (word processors, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, animation, paint, 3D design, etc., etc.)?:insane:

[CritAnime]

I thought there was a way you could run a disk image of a application.

[Matt_H]

WHDLoad has a generic Workbench 1.3 or 3.1 install. You could modify that by hand to run productivity apps. I've found it to be a tad buggy, but it's probably something the devs can fix with the right bug reports.

Anything in particular you want to run?

[ChaosLord]

Wouldn't it be cool to have an application like WHDLoad but for Amiga classic programs (word processors, spreadsheets, desktop publishing, animation, paint, 3D design, etc., etc.)?:insane:

It doesn't make sense to me.

Amiga apps already multitask.
Amiga apps are already system friendly.

There is not much for WHDLoad to fix.

Some apps require a specific kickstart.  But if u r going to switch to a different kickstart and run a multitasking app then you need a whole separate hard drive partition to keep a fully loaded old version of the OS.  That kind of goes beyond the WHDLoad theorem.

Its just better for you to have a separate OS1.3 hard drive partition that you boot up to load any weird old apps you want to run.

The only app that I ever ever ever wanted to run that needed an old kickstart was Audition 4 back in 1990-1993.  But there are many other apps that perform the same function nowadays so its not a big deal.

What useful app is there that won't work on a 3.1 kickstart?

[WeiXing3D]

The idea would be to simplify HDD instalation and also for use with NG OS systems. It's not always possible to install apps in WinUAE, OS 4.1, and Aros or MOS.

[ChaosLord]

Well I have certainly seen many apps with broken HD installers.  For example anything made by Gold Disk back in the day.

[nicholas]

The idea would be to simplify HDD instalation and also for use with NG OS systems. It's not always possible to install apps in WinUAE, OS 4.1, and Aros or MOS.

System friendly apps are fine, for everything else there is UAE.

[Ral-Clan]

Yeah, in most cases productivity applications are system friendly and for the most part I don't see a need for a WHDLoad like installer for them.

But on the other hand there are some good apps that are just broken under later versions of the OS and RTG.  It might be nice to have something for this.  I'm thinking of VistaPro, Gold Disk PageSetter and ProDraw, etc.  Those either have problems under OS3.9 or won't run if RTG is enabled (even if they are not running an RTG screenmode).

So maybe a WHDLoad installer just for the broken apps.

Actually, now that I think of it - Lightwave can be installed in an RTG system if you know what you are doing, but some sort of automatic installer might help for most people who don't want to figure it out.  If the WHD Load installer could also apply patches to the applications to make them run under RTG/AHI (if patches were available) or something that would be great!

[Djole]

Lightwave 5 works just fine under RTG, only render preview (preview while rendering) is not available. I hope I remember right its over a decade ago I last used lightwave on Amiga.

[bbond007]

WHDLoad has a generic Workbench 1.3 or 3.1 install. You could modify that by hand to run productivity apps. I've found it to be a tad buggy, but it's probably something the devs can fix with the right bug reports.

Anything in particular you want to run?

maybe that would be good for the Newtek Demo reels...

I have never been able to get those to run 100% correctly on my A1200.

[Ral-Clan]

Lightwave 5 works just fine under RTG, only render preview (preview while rendering) is not available. I hope I remember right its over a decade ago I last used lightwave on Amiga.

Yes, I know that, and I said that in my post.  You can even trick it to render to a CyberGraphx RTG screen, but all of this takes some playing around and experimentation.

A WHDLoad type program for it to automatically configure things for an end user without the experimentation would be helpful.  If it patched the preview screen to render in RTG that would be even better.

[desiv]

As I understand it, there's nothing to stop you using WHDLoad for that, although you'll possibly lose the multitasking.
(Can you do WHDLoad and still multitask?  I've never noticed/seen that.)

I'm guessing what might be easier, is a universal installer pak kind of setup for each app.
Maybe a bit like the BTTR stuff.
(That wasn't app specific that I remember, but had paks of apps.)

Assuming most people use ClassicWB, you could probably do that without too much trouble.  You could basically do a filesystem DIFF before/after an install which should work for everyone who has the basic structure (i.e. uses ClassicWB).
It does possible get iffy with things like app dependencies, but again, having ClassicWB as a base helps that...

desiv