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DISCUSSION
Overview
Workbench 3.1 was the last Amiga OS version released by Commodore/Amiga, and the release by Cloanto aims to celebrate this version trying to be as true to the original as possible without compromising functionality. This is unlike the Workbench 3.X environment, which intentionally added several recognizable post-Commodore/Amiga features.
By popular demand, and consistent with our original goal of preserving the Classic Amiga heritage, the Amiga Forever series always included ROMs, floppy disk images and system updates also taking into account 'Classic Support' scenarios (for use outside of emulated Amiga systems).
Thus, Workbench 3.1 became available as sets of physical floppy disks (e.g. for customers who purchased a used Amiga computer, but were missing the disks), preinstalled on CompactFlash and SD cards, and in other formats. A license key is always included, to make it possible to additionally download a copy to update or restore the original.
System Requirements
Workbench 3.1 requires a 3.0 or 3.1 Amiga ROM ('Kickstart') version, and is additionally compatible with 3.X ROMs as used in Amiga Forever.
Shared Improvements
In a careful balance of preservation, restoration and innovation, features of all Amiga Forever Classic Support editions of Workbench 3.1 include:
- Dates were preserved, while file attributes and comments were restored (relative to the distribution by ESCOM and Village Tronic)
- Updated C/Version command (Y2K patch)
- Addition of Libs/workbench.library (for A-4000T 3.1 ROMs and 3.X ROMs)
- Updated S/Startup-Sequence (conditional SetPatch, for 3.X ROMs)
- Increased MultiView stack to 32768
- Installer script improvements
- Updated Installer (43.3 or 44.10, depending on CPU) and FastFileSystem 45.9 (to support larger disks)
- Installer itself is now part of the system installation (inside the Utilities directory)
Floppy Disk Set
The Amiga Forever Classic Support floppy disk (image) set consists of six disks, and features the same improvements of the hard disk version. Additionally, the installer script was modified to support the changes, and with some other enhancements (e.g. to avoid 'disk full' errors on large disks and to fix some typos). All disks were carefully tuned and defragmented for maximum performance.
The floppy disk set can be used alone (to boot and use the system), or to create a new hard disk installation, equivalent to the Amiga Forever Classic Support hard disk image. Enhancements include the installation of workbench.library, Installer 43.3 (on 68000 or 68010 CPUs) or 44.10 (on 68020+ CPUs), and FastFileSystem 45.9.
Hard Disk Image
The Amiga Forever Classic Support hard disk image is the result of a full installation from the floppy disk set.
Amiga Workbench 3.0 Download
As part of this, the appropriate Installer program is copied to the Utilities directory, which is part of the system search paths and which was also the location chosen by Commodore/Amiga in many of its own installations.
Depending on the desired video modes, one or more monitor files may need to be copied manually from 'Storage/Monitors' to 'Devs/Monitors'.
Support for Disks Larger than 4 GB
The installer script included on Amiga Forever Classic Support media was improved to support installation to hard disks larger than 4 GB regardless of the Installer, FastFileSystem and ROM version.
Full runtime support for disks larger than 4 GB requires several elements, of which FastFileSystem 45.9 and Installer 44.10 are included in the Workbench 3.1 distribution, whereas lower-level components such as scsi.device come from a ROM update, such as the 3.X ROM (supported, but not included).
For maximum compatibility, the Amiga boot partition should be the first partition of a disk, and it should not be larger than 4 GB. In order to remain compatible with older software that uses 32-bit values to measure disk capacity, a maximum partition size of 2 GB is recommended.
The FastFileSystem component itself may be included in different locations: the Amiga system ROM, the Amiga disk RDB, and as a file (FastFileSystem, inside the 'L' directory of the system disk). Based on the available versions, the system determines which version to load.
For large disk support, confirm that the destination disk RDB has an official NSD-compatible FastFileSystem 43.20 or 45.9 or higher (e.g. use 'Version DH0: FULL').
To update the FastFileSystem stored in the disk RDB, run Tools/HDToolBox, select Partition Drive with [x] Advanced Options, then Add/Update.., select FastFileSystem, then Update using the FastFileSystem as provided in the Amiga Classic Support Workbench 3.1 distribution.
Emulation-Specific Changes
Workbench 3.1 versions that are included in the emulation environment of Amiga Forever include the above modifications which are shared with the Classic Support series, plus some emulation-specific changes which are not part of the Classic Support series:
- Added C/Shutdown command (for shutting down the session)
- Added C/GetHostVar command (for passing data from host to guest)
- Restored licensed speech-synthesis files to Devs, L, Libs, Utilities
- Added Devs/DOSDrivers/Speak
- Added UAE RTG files to Libs, Storage
- Set default printer to EpsonQ (emulation has emulated EpsonQ printer)
- Updated S/Startup-Sequence to bind in several utilities (NewIcons, FullPalette, LhA, etc.) from Amiga Forever Work partition, if present
- Updated S/Startup-Sequence to support Cloanto S/AFShared-Startup
- Updated S/Shell-Startup to support Cloanto UXCLI
- Edited SCSI_DEVICE_NAME in Tools/HDToolBox.info ('scsi.device' replaced with 'uaehf.device')
Slightly different hard disk image file names are used to differentiate between the Classic Support ('workbench-310.hdf') and the emulation-enhanced ('workbench-311.hdf') versions.
For more details on 'uaehf.device' vs. 'uaescsi.device' and other emulation-specific changes see:
Online Support
Each Classic Support set comes with a license key that can be used to download the same set again for recovery or update purposes. To register for support, please refer to cloanto.com/genuine.
Additional Enhancements
Amiga Kickstart 3.1
Workbench 3.1 remains true to the look and feel and the feature set of the last Workbench by Commodore/Amiga, including support for 3.0 ROMs and the ability to boot from floppy disks. For maximum compatibility, no new ROM functionality is provided in the disk set.
For additional enhancements, Amiga Forever includes a 3.X ROM and an environment named Workbench 3.X. Workbench 3.1 as discussed here is compatible with 3.X ROMs.
Related Links
The following support materials and services for Classic Amiga systems are available:
- Physical media, including floppy disks, CompactFlash cards, and ROMs, are available via reseller partners
- A complete set of downloadable disk images (described below) is available for purchase
The downloadable Floppy & Hard Disk Image Pack contains 16 floppy disk images (ADF files) and 2 hard disk images (HDF files), which make it possible to boot and set up any Classic Amiga model (including the Amiga 1000, 3000 and 4000T).
Included ADF files (follow the links for a more detailed description and list of recent improvements):
- Workbench 3.1 Floppy Disk Set (6 images, requires 3.0 or higher ROM)
- Workbench 2.1 Floppy Disk Set (5 images, requires 2.04 or higher ROM)
- Workbench 1.3 Floppy Disk Set (2 images, requires 1.2 or higher ROM)
- Kickstart 1.3 Floppy Disk (required to boot Amiga 1000 systems)
- Superkickstart 1.3+2.04 Floppy Disk (required to boot early Amiga 3000 systems)
- Relokick 1.4a Floppy Disk (to downgrade newer systems to 1.3 in order to run some older software)
An additional copy of the above files, renamed to '8.3' (short) file names, is included in the Disk Image Pack, for use with devices like some floppy drive emulators that do not support 'long' file names.
Included HDF files:
The hard disk images are the result of installing from the corresponding floppy disk set, and are ready for imaging to CF cards or similar devices.
Important: the downloadable Floppy & Hard Disk Image Pack does not contain physical media. An Amiga computer or dedicated PC hardware are required to write the images to Amiga floppy disks or other media. The floppy disk image files are also suitable for use in floppy drive emulators (Cortex, DTX200, EMUFFD, Gotek, HxC, Mark II, etc.), which can be used to replace an Amiga floppy disk drive.
AmigaOS is the proprietary native operating system of the Amiga personal computer. Since its introduction with the launch of the Amiga 1000 in 1985, there have been four major versions and several minor revisions of the operating system.
Initially the Amiga operating system had no strong name and branding, as it was simply considered an integral part of the Amiga system as a whole. Early names used for the Amiga operating system included 'CAOS' and 'AmigaDOS'.[1] Another non-official name was 'Workbench', from the name of the Amiga desktop environment, which was included on a floppy disk named 'Amiga Workbench'.[2]
Version 3.1 of the Amiga operating system was the first version to be officially referred to as 'Amiga OS' (with a space between 'Amiga' and 'OS')[3][4] by Commodore.
Version 4.0 of the Amiga operating system was the first version to be branded as a less generic 'AmigaOS' (without the space).[3]
What many consider the first versions of AmigaOS (Workbench 1.0 up to 3.0) are here indicated with the Workbench name of their original disks.
- 4Amiga OS 3.0, 3.1
- 6AmigaOS 4
Kickstart/Workbench 1.0, 1.1, 1.2, 1.3[edit]
Workbench 1.0 was released for the first time in October 1985. [5] The 1.x series of Workbench defaults to a distinctive blue and orange color scheme, designed to give high contrast on even the worst of television screens (the colors can be changed by the user). Version 1.1 consists mostly of bug fixes and, like version 1.0, was distributed only for the Amiga 1000. The entire Workbench operating system consisted of three floppy disks: Kickstart, Workbench and ABasic by MetaComCo.
The Amiga 1000 needed a Kickstart disk to be inserted into floppy drive to boot up. An image of a simple illustration of a hand on a white screen, holding a blue Kickstart floppy, invited the user to perform this operation. After the kickstart was loaded into a special section of memory called the writable control store (WCS), the image of the hand appeared again, this time inviting the user to insert the Workbench disk.
Workbench version 1.2 was the first to support Kickstart stored in a ROM. A Kickstart disk was still necessary for Amiga 1000 models; it was no longer necessary for Amiga 500 or 2000, but the users of these systems had to change the ROMs (which were socketed) to change the Kickstart version.
Workbench now spanned two floppy disks, and supported installing and booting from hard drive (assuming the Amiga was equipped with one), the name of the main disk was still named 'Workbench' (which is also the user interface portion of the operating system). The second disk was the Extras disk. The system now shipped with AmigaBasic by Microsoft, the only software Microsoft ever wrote for the Amiga.
Kickstart version 1.2 corrected various flaws and added AutoConfig support. AutoConfig is a protocol similar to and is the predecessor of Plug and Play, in that it can configure expansion boards without user intervention.
Kickstart version 1.3 improved little on its predecessor, the most notable change being auto booting from hard drives. Workbench 1.3, on the other hand, users can find several significant improvements to Workbench, including FFS a faster file system for hard disks storage which resolved the problem of old Amiga filesystem which wasted too much hard disk space due to the fact it could store only 488 bytes in any block of 512 bytes keeping 24 bytes for checksums. Download highly compressed pc games. Many improvements were made to the CLI (command line interface) of Amiga which was now a complete text based Shell, named AmigaShell, and various additional tools and programs.
Kickstart/Workbench 1.4[edit]
Kickstart/Workbench 1.4 was a beta version of the upcoming 2.0 update and never released, but the Kickstart part was shipped in very small quantities with early Amiga 3000 computers, where it is often referred to as the 'Superkickstart ROM'. In these machines it is only used to bootstrap the machine and load the Kickstart that will be used to actually boot the system. The appearance of a very early first release of 1.4 was similar to 1.3, but with colors slightly changed. A second version was similar to that of 2.0 and higher, with just minor differences. It is, however, possible to dump out of the OS selection screen by clicking where one would expect to see a close gadget. This will cause the machine to boot Kickstart 1.4 using either the wb_2.x: partition, or from a floppy.
Workbench 2.0, 2.04, 2.05, 2.1[edit]
Workbench 2.0 was released in 1990[5] and introduced a lot of improvements and major advances to the GUI of the overall Amiga operating system. The harsh blue and orange colour scheme was replaced with a much easier on the eye grey and light blue with 3D aspect in the border of the windows. The Workbench was no longer tied to the 640×256 (PAL) or 640×200 (NTSC) display modes, and much of the system was improved with an eye to making future expansion easier. For the first time, a standardised 'look and feel' was added. This was done by creating the Amiga Style Guide, and including libraries and software which assisted developers in making conformant software. Technologies included the GUI element creation library gadtools, the software installation scripting language Installer, and the AmigaGuide hypertext help system.
Workbench 2.04 introduced ARexx, a system-wide scripting language. Programmers could add so-called 'ARexx ports' to their programs, which allowed them to be controlled from ARexx scripts. Using ARexx, you could make two completely different programs from different vendors work together seamlessly. For example, you could batch-convert a directory of files to thumbnail images with an ARexx-capable image-manipulation program, create and index HTML table of the thumbnails linking to the original images, and display it in a web browser, all from one script. ARexx became very popular, and was widely adopted by programmers.
The AmigaDOS, previously written in BCPL and very difficult to develop for beyond basic file manipulation, was mostly rewritten in C.
Unfortunately, some badly written software – especially games – failed to run with 2.x, and so a lot of people were upset with this update. Most often, the failure occurred because programmers had used directly manipulated private structures maintained by the operating system, rather than using official function calls. Many users circumvented the problem by installing so-called 'kickstart switchers', a small circuit board which held both a Kickstart 1.3 and 2.0 chip, with which they could swap between Kickstart versions at the flick of a switch.
2.x shipped with the A500+ (2.04), A600 (2.05), A3000 and A3000T. Workbench 2.1 was the last in this series, and only released as a software update. It included useful features such as CrossDOS, to support working with floppy disks formatted for PCs. Since 2.1 was a software-only release, there was no Kickstart 2.1 ROM.
2.x also introduced PCMCIA card support, for the slot on the A600. Fifa street 4 serial key pc windows 7.
Workbench 2.1 introduced also a standard hypertext markup language for easily building guides for the user or help files, or manuals. It was called AmigaGuide. Release 2.1 was also the first Workbench release to feature a system-standard localization system, allowing the user to make an ordered list of preferred languages; when a locale-aware application runs, it asks the operating system to find the catalog (a file containing translations of the application's strings) best matching the user's preferences.
Amiga OS 3.0, 3.1[edit]
Amiga OS 3.0 was released in 1992 and version 3.1 between 1993 (for the CD32) and 1994 (for other Amiga models). Amiga OS 3.1 was the last version released by Commodore. [5]
The 3.x series added support for new Amiga models. Other new features included:
- A universal data system, known as DataTypes, that allowed programs to load pictures, sound, text and other content in formats they didn't understand directly, through the use of standard plugs (seeobject-oriented operating system) (3.0)
- Better color remapping for high-color display modes and support for the new AGA chipset. (3.0)
- Improved visual appearance for Workbench desktop. (3.0)
- CD-ROM support as required for Amiga CD32.[6] (3.1)
- Automatic detection of memory expansions.[7] (3.1)
3.x shipped with the CD32, A1200, A4000 and A4000T.
AmigaOS 3.1.4[edit]
AmigaOS 3.1.4 was released in September 2018 by Hyperion Entertainment with many fixes and enhancements. In particular, support of larger hard drives including at bootup; the entire line of Motorola 680x0 CPUs up to (and including) the Motorola 68060; and a modernized Workbench with a new, optional icon set. [8] The version number caused some confusion in the community as it was released after AmigaOS 3.5, 3.9, and even 4.x, but relates to the fact that the codebase is a clean slate building from the original 3.1 source code from Commodore. The source code for both 3.5 and 3.9 by Haage & Partner could not legally be used due to licensing reasons, and 4.x is built and reserved for the PowerPC platform. Unlike AmigaOS 3.5, AmigaOS 3.1.4 still supports the Motorola 68000 CPU, thus the complete range of classic Amiga computers.
AmigaOS 3.5, 3.9[edit]
After the demise of Commodore, Workbench 3.5 was released on 18 October 1999 and Workbench 3.9 in December 2000 by German company Haage & Partner, [5] which was granted the license to update the Amiga operating system by its new owners. Whereas all previous OS releases ran on Motorola 68000, AmigaOS 3.5 onwards required a 68020 or better, CD-ROM and at least 4 MB RAM. Unlike previous releases, 3.5 and 3.9 were released on CD-ROM. Kickstart 3.1 was also required, as the operating system didn't include the new ROM.
Updates included:
- Supplied with TCP/IP stack (unregistered time-limited free MiamiDX demo in 3.5, unrestricted AmiTCP in 3.9), web browser (AWeb), and e-mail client
- Improved GUI and new toolkit called 'ReAction'
- AVI/MPEG movie player (OS3.9)
- New partitioning software to support hard disks larger than 4 GB
- HTML documentation in English and German
- MP3 and CD audio player (OS3.9)
- Dock program (OS3.9)
- Improved Workbench with asynchronous features
- Find utility (OS3.9)
- Unarchiving system called XAD (OS3.9)
- WarpOSPowerPC kernel to support PowerUP accelerator boards
AmigaOS 4[edit]
A new version of AmigaOS was released on December 24, 2006 after five years of development by Hyperion Entertainment (Belgium) under license from Amiga, Inc. for AmigaOne registered users.
During the five years of development, users of AmigaOne machines could download from Hyperion repository Pre-Release Versions of AmigaOS 4.0 as long as these were made available. As witnessed by many users into Amiga discussion forum sites, these versions were stable and reliable, despite the fact that they are technically labeled as 'pre-releases'.
Last stable version of AmigaOS 4.0 for AmigaOne computers is the 'July 2007 Update', released for download 18 July 2007 to the registered users of AmigaOne machines.[1]
AmigaOS 4 Classic was released commercially for older Amiga computers with CyberstormPPC and BlizzardPPC accelerator cards in November 2007. It had previously been available only to developers and beta-testers.
Version 4.0[edit]
The new version is PowerPC-native, finally abandoning the Motorola68kprocessor. AmigaOS 4.0 will run on some PowerPC hardware, which currently only includes A1200, A3000 and A4000 with PowerPC accelerator boards and AmigaOne motherboards. Amiga, Inc.'s distribution policies for AmigaOS 4.0 and any later versions require that for third-party hardware the OS must be bundled with it, with the sole exception of Amigas with Phase 5 PowerPC accelerator boards, for which the OS will be sold separately.
AmigaOS 4.0 Final introduced a new memory system based on the slab allocator.
Features, among others:
- Fully skinnable GUI
- Virtualized memory
- Integrated viewer for PDF and other document formats
- Support for PowerPC (native) and 68k (interpreted/JIT) applications
- New drivers for various hardware
- New memory allocation system
- Support for file sizes larger than 2 GB
- Integrated Picasso 96 2D Graphics API
- Integrated Warp3D 3D Graphics API
Version 4.1[edit]
AmigaOS 4.1[5] was presented to the public July 11, 2008, and went on sale September 2008.
This is a new version and not only a simple update as it features, among others:
- Memory paging [2][3]
- JXFS filesystem with the support for drives and partitions of multiple terabyte size
- Hardware compositing engine (Radeon R1xx and R2xx family)
- Implementation of the Cairo device-independent 2D rendering library
- New and improved DOS functionality (full 64 bit support, universal notification support, automatic expunge and reload of updated disk resources)
- Improved 3D hardware accelerated screen-dragging
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'In the Beginning Was CAOS'. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^'Workbench Release 1.0'. Archived from the original on 21 May 2011. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^ ab'Name of the Amiga Operating System'. Retrieved 2011-04-29.
- ^'AmigaOS 3.1'. Retrieved 2011-01-01.
- ^ abcd'History of AmigaOS'. Hyperion Entertainment. Retrieved 2011-11-03.
- ^Donner, Gregory. 'Workbench Nostalgia: The history of the AmigaOS Graphic User Interface (GUI): Release 3.1'. www.gregdonner.org. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
- ^'ACA1232 - IndividualComputers'. wiki.icomp.de. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
- ^Mincea, Costel. 'AmigaOS 3.1.4'. hyperion-entertainment.biz. Retrieved 2018-10-02.
- ^AmigaOS First Update Release announcement at Hyperion site.
- ^AmigaOS new memory system revisited[dead link] article on OS4.Hyperion site
- ^AmigaOS new system for allocating memory[dead link] article on OS4.Hyperion site
- ^ AmigaOS 4.0 image included in this article is intended for fair use. In the past, neither Hyperion VOF (Belgium), nor Amiga Inc. (USA) were opposed to publishing in internet sites of AmigaOS 4.0 screenshots kindly donated by users. Owners of copyrights are free to register and write in the talk page of this article to ask for the removing of this image from article, and to ask also for its deletion.
- ^Hyperion Entertainment announces Amiga OS 4.1
Developer(s) | Commodore International, Haage & Partner, Hyperion Entertainment |
---|---|
Initial release | 1985; 34 years ago |
Stable release | |
Written in | C |
Operating system | AmigaOS |
Platform | Amiga, AmigaOne, Pegasos, SAM |
Type | File manager |
License | Proprietary software |
Workbench is the graphical file manager of AmigaOS developed by Commodore International for their Amiga line of computers. Workbench provides the user with a graphical interface to work with file systems and launch applications. It uses a workbench metaphor (in place of the more common desktop metaphor) for representing file system organisation.
Confusingly, 'Workbench' was also the name originally given to the entire Amigaoperating system up until version 3.1. From release 3.5 the operating system was renamed 'AmigaOS' and subsequently 'Workbench' refers to the native file manager only (similarly, 'System' was the name given to Mac OS up until version 7.6).
- 2Versions
Overview[edit]
The Amiga Workbench uses the metaphor of a workbench (i.e. a workbench of manual labor), rather than the now-standard desktop metaphor, for representing file system organization. The desktop itself is called Workbench and uses the following representations: drawers (instead of folders) for directories, tools for executable programs, projects for data files, and a trash can as a folder intended to contain deleted files. These representations may be considered somewhat unusual by a modern user, but at the time there were no commonly accepted metaphors and Commodore chose to use different idioms from their competitors (Apple had already pursued legal action to prevent other software companies from offering graphical user interfaces similar to its own).
Workbench is a spatial file manager in the sense that it uses a spatial metaphor to represent files and folders as if they are real physical objects. Under this concept, each drawer (folder) opens in its own window, rather than within a single browser under the now more common navigational concept.
Workbench utilizes the Amiga's native windowing system called Intuition to provide the graphical user interface. Intuition manages the rendering of screens, windows, and gadgets (graphical elements, equivalent to widgets). Later versions of AmigaOS enhanced the interface with more complex object-oriented widget systems, such as gadtools.library and BOOPSI (AmigaOS 2.0 and later) and ReAction (AmigaOS 3.5 and later). Intuition also handles user input events, such as, input from the keyboard and mouse. Workbench requires a two button mouse, where right click operates pull-down menus and left click is used for all other purposes.
The underlying AmigaOS allows the Workbench to launch multiple applications that can execute concurrently. This is achieved through Exec, the Amiga's multi-tasking kernel, which handles memory management, message passing, and task scheduling. Applications launched from Workbench could report their success back to Workbench, but this was not a requirement and few actually did.
Workbench itself has always been a disk-based component, though much of the underlying functionality is stored in the Amiga's Kickstart firmware, usually stored in ROM. As a consequence, it is necessary to boot from a system disk to launch Workbench. This setup streamlines the process of launching games (which typically do not require Workbench) and ensures that memory is not used unnecessarily by the OS in memory-limited systems.
Workbench was shipped with all Amiga models from Commodore. Workbench was provided either on floppy disk or later (as part of AmigaOS) on CD-ROM. Initially, Workbench was designed to be launched and operate from floppy disk (or other removable media). Later versions could be installed on hard disk, for which an installer was developed for use with AmigaOS 2.0 and later. AmigaOS (including Workbench) often came pre-installed on systems shipped with hard disks.
- 1985 Workbench 1.0
- 1990 Workbench 2.0
- 1992 Workbench 3.0
- 1994 Amiga OS 3.1
- 1999 Amiga OS 3.5
- 2000 Amiga OS 3.9
- 2006 Amiga OS 4.0
Versions[edit]
Up until release 3.1 of the Amiga's operating system, Commodore used Workbench to refer to the entire Amiga operating system. As a consequence Workbench was commonly used to refer to both the operating system and the file manager component. For end users Workbench was often synonymous with AmigaOS. From version 3.5 the OS was renamed 'AmigaOS' and pre-3.5 versions were also retroactively referred to as 'AmigaOS' (rather than Workbench). Subsequently, 'Workbench' refers to the native graphical file manager only.
From its inception, Workbench offered a highly customizable interface. The user could change the aspect of program icons replacing it with newer ones with different color combinations. Users could also take a 'snapshot' of icons and windows so the icons will remain on the desktop at coordinates chosen by user and windows will open at the desired size.
Workbench 1.x[edit]
Workbench 1.0 was released with the first Amiga, the Amiga 1000, in 1985. The 1.x versions of Workbench used a garish blue and orange color scheme, designed to give high contrast on even the worst of television screens (the colors can be changed by the user). Versions 1.1 consists mostly of bug fixes and, like version 1.0, was distributed for the Amiga 1000 only.
The display was highly customizable for the era. The user was free to create and modify system and user icons, while Atari TOS featured only default system icons whose appearance could not be modified and customizing icons on the Macintosh required using ResEdit. Icons can be of arbitrary size and design and can have two image states to produce a pseudo-animated effect when selected. Users could customize four display colours and choose from two resolutions: 640×200 or 640×400 (interlaced) on NTSC, or 640×256 or 640×512 on PAL systems. In later revisions, the TV or monitor overscan could be adjusted.
Several features were deprecated in later versions. Download xforce keygen 64 bit. For example, the gauge meter showing the free space on a file system was replaced with a percentage in Workbench 2.0. Under Workbench 1.x, right clicking on icons opens a display of the files metadata, whereas from Workbench 2.0 right clicking activates pull-down menus only. The default 'busy' pointer (a comic balloon showing 'Zzz..') was replaced with a stopwatch in later versions.
Workbench 2.0, 2.1[edit]
Workbench 2.0 was released with the launch of the Amiga 3000 in 1990. Until AmigaOS 2.0 there was no unified look and feel design standard and application developers had to write their own widgets (both buttons and menus) if they wished to enhance the already-meager selection of standard basic widgets provided by Intuition. With Workbench 2.0 gadtools.library was created, which provided standard widget sets. The Amiga User Interface Style Guide,[1] was published which explained how applications should be laid out for consistency. Intuition was improved with BOOPSI (Basic Object Oriented Programming system for Intuition) which enhanced the system with an object-oriented interface to define a system of classes in which every class individuate a single widget or describes an interface event. It can be used to program object oriented interfaces into Amiga at any level. As of Workbench 2.0 all files became visible as icons without the need of associated .info files, thus streamlining the process of starting executables in the GUI.
Workbench 2.0 also added support for public screens. Instead of the Workbench screen being the only shareable screen, applications could create their own named screens to share with other applications.
Workbench 2.0 included and integrated ARexx, allowing users to control the system and other programs from user scripts.
Workbench 2.0 introduced AmigaGuide, a simple text-only hypertext markup scheme and browser, for providing online help inside applications. It also introduced Installer, a standard software installation program, driven by a LISP-like scripting language.
Finally, Workbench 2.0 rectified the problem of applications hooking directly into the input-events stream to capture keyboard and mouse movements, sometimes locking up the whole system. Workbench 2.0 provided Commodities, a standard interface for modifying or scanning input events. This included a standard method for specifying global 'hotkey' key-sequences, and a Commodities Exchange registry for the user to see which commodities were running.
Workbench 3.0, 3.1[edit]
Version 3.0 was originally shipped with the Amiga 1200 and Amiga 4000 computers. Version 3.0 added datatypes support and Workbench could load any background image in any format, as long as the required datatype was installed. This feature was also used in Multiview. Its capabilities were directly related to the datatypes installed in Devs:Datatypes. Localisation was added to allow Workbench, and any installed programs that had localisation, to appear in any supported language.The established AmigaGuide hypertext system gained more usability by using document links pointing to mediafiles, for example pictures or sounds, all recognized by the datatypes.
Workbench 3.5, 3.9[edit]
Following Commodore's demise and around six years after Workbench 3.1 was released, Haage & Partner were commissioned to update AmigaOS, which was released in 1999 as a software-only update for existing systems.
The Workbench look and feel, though still largely based on the earlier 3.1 release was revised somewhat, with an improved user interface based on ReAction, improved icon rendering and official support for true colorbackdrops. These releases included support for existing third-party GUI enhancements, such as NewIcons, by integrating these patches into the system. The 3.5 and 3.9 releases included a new set of 256 color icons and a choice of desktop wallpaper. These replaced the default all-metal gray 4/8 color scheme used on AmigaOS from release 2.0 to 3.1.
The 3.9 release of Workbench was again developed by Haage&Partner and released in 2000. The main improvements were the introduction of a program start bar called AmiDock, revised user interfaces for system settings and improved utility programs.
Amiga 1.3 Rom Download
Workbench 4.0, 4.1[edit]
This new Workbench, called Workbench 4.0[1], has been rewritten to become fully PowerPC compatible. It was part of AmigaOS 4.0, and released in 2006.Since the fourth Developer Pre-Release Update screens are now draggable in any direction.[2]Drag and drop of Workbench icons between different screens is also possible.
Additionally, Workbench 4.0 includes a new version of Amidock, TrueType/OpenType fonts and movie player with DivX and MPEG-4 support.
In AmigaOS 4.1, a new Startup preferences feature was added which replaced the WBStartup drawer. Additional enhancements include: a new icon set to complement higher screen resolutions, new window themes including drop shadows, AmiDock with true transparency, scalable icons, and a Workbench auto-update feature.[3]
Workbench icons[edit]
The icons that Workbench uses to represent the files in a volume or a drawer are stored in special .info
files, with the name of the .info
file matching the name of the file it represents. For example, the icon for NotePad
, a text editor, is found in the file NotePad.info
. This .info
extension is the only file extension required by AmigaOS.
The .info
file contains the icon image and its spatial position within its parent window. The icon also specifies the type of the file, as used by Workbench. Workbench recognises five different file types:[4]
- Tool: An executable program.
- Project: A data file of an executable program. The program which created the file is named in the icon file, double-clicking on the icon loads the program that created it.
- Drawer: A directory containing files, and other drawers.
- Volume: A physical disk or a RAM disk.
- Garbage: The Trashcan – a deleted file backup, which works in a similar way to the 'Recycle bin' in Microsoft Windows.
An additional three file types are available and are intended for future expansion:
- Device: designed for displaying information about attached devices
- Kick: The icon of a bootable disk
- App Icon: An icon which will be used as (part of) the GUI for an application
Of these three file types, only 'App Icons' currently are used by any part of Workbench/AmigaOS.
While an icon may represent or suggest a file type, the type of the related file is specified by its very own properties, along with the restrictions(AmigaDOS: protection flags) given to thi file. For example, if you add a tool icon to a text document file, AmigaOS will tell you the file 'is not executable' or 'is not of required type' as it has no 'e'-protection-flag (AmigaDOS: Hold, Script, Pure, Archived, Read, Writeable, Executable, Deletable) nor does it have the startup header of an executable. Also, stripping an 'application' from its counterpart icon file ('application'.info) will not render this application useless; it still remains executable, it will run, only missing the (required) options and arguments delivered from workbench via icons 'tool types', e.g. stack size, public screen, etc.
Starting in Workbench 2.x, a file without a .info
counterpart (such as a file on non-native media) is represented by the default system icon for one of the five types listed above. These default icons are also customizable. Icon-less files are only displayed in this manner if the drawer is configured to [Show All Files] – if this option is not set (which is the case in Workbench 1.x), such files will not appear at all and can only be seen from a CLI.
Tool (application) files can include 'tool types' in the .info
file. These are used as configuration options for the program. Each tool type is a single line of text, which can optionally include parameters written after an =
sign. Tool types can be commented out by writing them in parentheses. For example, the tooltype 'CX_POPKEY=ctrl alt f1
' defines that the application (a Commodity) will activate the user interface in response to the key sequence Ctrl-Alt-F1.
The colours used in the icon are normally only stored as indices to the Amiga Workbench screen's current palette. Because of this, the icons' colour scheme is inherently tied to the chosen hues in the screen's palette, and choosing non-standard colours can give the icons an ugly appearance. This problem was partly solved by a third-party system called NewIcons, which adds additional features to the standard .info
files. Unlike normal Workbench icons, NewIcons include actual RGB colour information, and the system tries its best to match the icons' colour hues to those in the screen palette.
Since AmigaOS 3.5, Workbench supports icons with up to 256 colors. This release of AmigaOS features the GlowIcons icon set by Matt Chaput. With AmigaOS 3.5, a screen-palette-independent system is used. The 4.0 icons, designed by Martin Merz, can use a 24-bit palette.
Both AROS and MorphOS support PNG icons natively. PNG allows using full 24-bit palette with alpha blending. On Amiga Workbench PNG icons are supported through plugins.
Comparison to other file managers[edit]
In comparison to the competing Mac OS and Atari, the early Amiga Workbench (pre-Workbench 2.04) featured, as the default, a 4 color blue desktop screen with color icons at 640 × 200NTSC American standard or 640 × 256 on European PAL television sets, in contrast to the 512 × 342 black and white interface presented by the Mac. The Amiga user was also free to create and modify system and program icons, while Atari TOS featured only default system icons whose appearance could not be modified.
Workbench contributed many other unique features/philosophies to intuitive GUI design (starting with version 2.04/2.1):
- Menu item indenting, which immediately indicated the item was a 'toggle' function, eliminating guesswork for the user.
- The concept of tri-level information using bevel shading to simulate a 3d appearance. Indented controls indicated information-only text, surface-level controls represented labels for GUI elements, and raised GUI elements indicated data editable by, or interactive with, the user.
- Much like the 'File' and 'Edit' menus became standard on most GUIs, Workbench implemented the concept of a 'Settings' menu designed to standardize the location for all options within an application.
- Standardized buttons for OS-level preferences or settings dialog boxes through 'Save', 'Use', and 'Cancel' provided a simple and consistent means for short- and long-term settings use.
- Standardized preference settings for user-level import and export through a '.prefs' extension and file format.
- Commodities Exchange: a consistent programming standard and GUI for easy launch, control, and removal of all TSRs or background-process utilities/mini-apps.
- Datatypes: a modular and user-customizable data identification system that the OS used to recognize, launch, edit, and provide a means of importing and exporting data between OS and applications alike.
- Locale: an OS and application-wide GUI that provided the means for implementing user-selectable language, time, and other locale-specific settings.
Criticisms[edit]
The freedom in customization and the multitude of color settings and aspects available to the user were sometimes seen as chaotic. Customization permitted icons of a vastly different size and appearance than those of the original system icons. Before Workbench 2.0, there were no user interface design guidelines, so the look and feel of menu options could be different from one application to the next (i.e. the layout of basic items like Load, Save, Open, Close, Quit, etc.). This was seen as a problem with the Amiga by its detractors. The historical GUI site GUIdebook[5] calls Amiga Workbench a 'unique (if slightly chaotic) GUI for Amiga machines'.
Use in fictional media[edit]
The Ren'py visual novel Digital: A Love Story uses an Amiga Workbench 1.0 design (known as Amie Workbench within the game).
See also[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^AmigaOS 4.0 Image included in this article it is intended for fair use. Neither Hyperion VOF (Belgium), nor Amiga Inc. (USA) have previously opposed publishing AmigaOS 4.0 screenshots donated by users. Owners of Copyrights are free to register and write in the talk page of this article to ask for the removing of this image from article, and to ask also for its deletion from Wikipedia images.
References[edit]
- ^Commodore-Amiga 1991
- ^AmigaOS 4.0 – the fourth pre-release update.
- ^Hans-Jörg Frieden. 'Update 1 of AmigaOS 4.1 available for immediate download'.
- ^Ryan 1990
- ^Amiga OS GUIs – GUIdebook: Graphical User Interface gallery
- Commodore-Amiga Inc. (1991). Amiga User Interface Style Guide. Addison-Wesley Longman Publishing Co., Inc. Boston, MA, USA. ISBN0-201-57757-7.
- Ryan, Bob (1990). Official AmigaDOS 2 Companion. IDG Books. ISBN1-878058-09-6.
External links[edit]
- All versions of Workbench explained on AmigaHistory site
- In the Beginning Was CAOS, by Andy Finkel (updated version of 1988 Amiga Transactor article)
- Name of the Amiga Operating System explained on Amiga Forever site