BetterWB-like enhancements for OS2.1?

[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.

[Gulliver]

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.

No, maybe I didnt explain it correctly.
All I did was a clean install with no extra software on the same hardware, first with 3.1 and then after formating, with 2.1. This was just to test the actual benefits of using 2.1 over 3.1.

The thing is that 3.1 only uses about 4KB more of memory than 2.1 and has a lot of bugfixes and enhancements. So despite what others said, there is clearly no reason to stick with 2.1.

[duga]

Unless you don't want to pay for a 3.1-ROM.

[Oldsmobile_Mike]

Unless you don't want to pay for a 3.1-ROM.

They're $17 at AmigaKit or Ebay.  Killing me man, you guys are killing me.  :destroy:

LOL.  

[stefcep2]

Buy the ROMS and install 3.1.

[utri007]

I'm also interested. Nobody has answered to actual question

I have installed NewIcons, but not icons itself, just to be able to display new icons of whdload games. It was bit a difficult to found wb2.1 compatiable installer. Seems that some whdload games doesn't have that tiny 1mmx1mm icon, wich causes graphic corruption when folder window opens. New Icons requires classact? and it was also difficult to found.

MagicWB for better lookin icons, though I don't thing that magicwb icons look nice, but couldn't found any other icon set for wb2.1

Some wb menu editing tools and icon border remover  from aminet

[Minuous]

There's a lot of enhancements in OS3.1 compared to OS2.1. Eg. RTG. And a lot of software that requires OS3.0 or better. Personally I'd suggest upgrading to OS3.9, I never regretted it.

[utri007]

Maybe, but it doesn't offer any upgrades  over 2.1. With my A500 I just play with whdload games.

I have several A1200 amigas with 3.1 and I like to have one with OS2.1

[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.

[Gulliver]

@Tenacious

Well done!

Now I will play a bit with your findings and report back

[Tenacious]

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

[Gulliver]

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.

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.

[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?

[Gulliver]

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

No problem. The thing is that New8N1 will only work if the serial port is configured this way:

    8 data bits
    No parity
    1 stop bit
    RTS/CTS handshaking
    No handshaking
    EOFMODE

It also supports sending breaks, but not receiving them.
It works most of the time because this configuration is very common.

[Gulliver]

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

Fat95 and XPKmaster will work, I can confirm it.
Next requires 3.x so it wont cut it, but TextView will work.

[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.