User avatar
jdryyz

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 1:56 pm

Now that I am working more with the older OS, I am looking to bring some more functionality to it. Dare I say, some OS 2.x-like functionality. :roll:

First on my must-haves for WB 1.3 list is PPrefs. This is a superior version of the standard WB 1.3 Preferences program. The main feature I like is being able to make manual resolution adjustments. Since I am using an LCD at the moment, being able to gain more of the available screen real estate is a big bonus.

Next up is QMouse 1.6 (not to be confused with a KS2.x compatible version by the same name). This little utility crams a lot of features into a small package. I use it for three things: a) screen saver, b) mouse pointer blanker, c) a tiny clock. It does even more than that!

What I am missing so far that I have not been able to find is: 1) a simple "no click" to disable the floppy drive clicking. Seems I am only finding KS 2.x and above versions. Was this even a thing in Workbench 1.3 land??

While I like QMouse' screen saver, I would much rather have a simple moire version so I that I can still tell that the computer is running.

I would love to to hear about other enhancements you have as well! The next thing on my list to install is the WB 1.3 compatible "dock" program. That looks neat!

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:06 pm

I would love to to hear about other enhancements you have as well!
Welp, you've already got AmiDock on your radar, which was what I was going to recommend.

But I'd also very highly recommend WShell 2.0. (which I launch from my AmiDock)

I never use the built-in shell or CLI anymore. It's all about WShell, which I hope to go into more detail soon.

It is incredibly deep, but at a very high level it gains you a CLOSE control, so you can just exit from it with the click of a mouse (like the Shell). It also gives you scrollbars so you never have to pause a directory listing ever again to read all of it. Just scroll up and down like the fancy boys in 3.1 =)

You can even customize the size of the window when it launches to however you like, as well as how the prompt appears.

It's really cool. Installation is kind of difficult (for me) and I need like 30 minutes of quiet focus time while I go through the very long and detailed manual to make sure I know exactly what I'm doing. There's a lot there.

Those two right there ought to be on your list for sure, in my opinion. And now I'm going to go check out the two you mentioned up above.

This 3-day weekend I was planning on installing a CD-ROM filesystem for 1.3 as well which sounds cool.

1.3 can do most of the things the later versions could do. You can even make your screen gray if you really want to feel modern. ;)

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:08 pm

Is the PPfrefs on FF 242 the one you mean? That looks really cool (nicely documented, too).

Found Qmouse on FF #262. Sweet!

User avatar
jdryyz

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:37 pm

Right on both counts!
intric8 wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:08 pm
Is the PPfrefs on FF 242 the one you mean? That looks really cool (nicely documented, too).

Found Qmouse on FF #262. Sweet!

User avatar
jdryyz

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:56 pm

A better shell was also something I was looking for (or at least *something* that would add a CLOSE gadget to the window). It also looks a bit much to setup as you mentioned.

AmiDock wasn't the same dock I was looking at. I will be installing WBDock:

http://thomas-rapp.homepage.t-online.de ... bdock.html

It also has a WBStartup-like folder!
intric8 wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 3:06 pm

Those two right there ought to be on your list for sure, in my opinion. And now I'm going to go check out the two you mentioned up above.
Both great recommendations! So, any screensavers?? I think I may be SOL on the no click as far as what Google has told me. :) Maybe I will take a look at the Fred Fish catalog. Good tip!

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:26 pm

Looks like if you do a search for "noclick" here there are quite a few to choose from.

That WBdock is pretty cool looking! AmiDock is more for launching programs you use a lot.

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:43 pm

Something else on that same disk 242 by the same author I'm going to also check out, which sounds pretty handy.
Screen Shot 2021-01-16 at 4.42.42 PM.png

User avatar
intric8
Seattle, WA, USA

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:59 pm

That mouse accelerator is very cool, I love the way it feels. But if I launch it from a shell it kinda breaks the shell where I can't close it anymore.

Are you launching it from your user-startup/ss instead, so it's just ON when you boot your machine?

User avatar
jdryyz

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:14 pm

I did a similar search through the Fred Fish Collection. Despite the mention of Workbench 1.3 support, launching NoClick results in a Guru. I did not try every match yet but it looks like most are OS 2.x and above.

intric8 wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:26 pm
Looks like if you do a search for "noclick" here there are quite a few to choose from.

That WBdock is pretty cool looking! AmiDock is more for launching programs you use a lot.
Last edited by jdryyz on Mon Jan 18, 2021 1:04 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
jdryyz

Posted Sat Jan 16, 2021 9:17 pm

You should run QMouse preceded with "RUN >NIL: ".

I have it in my startup right before LoadWB.

intric8 wrote:
Sat Jan 16, 2021 5:59 pm
That mouse accelerator is very cool, I love the way it feels. But if I launch it from a shell it kinda breaks the shell where I can't close it anymore.

Are you launching it from your user-startup/ss instead, so it's just ON when you boot your machine?





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