RPCBootEd is a program that lets you create and edit the boot (startup)
sequence of your Risc PC. Its features are:
• Easy to use:
- Items are shown as icons plus leafnames
- Drag items from Filer windows to a RPCBootEd window
- Drag items within RPCBootEd windows to change the order in which they
are executed
• Changes made quickly; RPCBootEd reads the existing boot sequences when it is
started. Practically all changes can be done through mouse clicks.
• Several actions on items:
- Applications can be run or booted (i.e. the same as when they have
been 'seen' by the filer), or added to the 'Apps' directory
- Directories can be opened (Filer_OpenDir)
- Sprite files can be merged into the Wimp area (IconSprites), or used
for window borders (ToolSprites)
- Modules can be loaded (RMLoad)
- All files and applications can be run with optional command-line
arguments.
RPCBootEd supports !Help, Acorn's interactive help application.
RPCBootEd is FreeWare. For conditions of use, read the copyright notice at the end of this manual.
Structure of the Boot sequence
——————————————————————————————
Here is what happens when your Risc PC starts up (*):
0. RISC OS is initialized; the power-on self-test is run and if all is well,
the messages 'Risc OS ..MB' and 'Acorn ADFS' appear.
1. $.!Boot.!Run is executed. After setting a number of variables, it calls
2. $.!Boot.Utils.BootRun. This
a. Runs $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesktop. This contains the
pre-desktop sequence, used for running anything that you want loaded
before the desktop is started, such as:
• obey files that define aliases, paths, set the library, etc.
• a BBC font file, to replace the system font
• sprite files with replacements for Wimp sprites
• toolsprite files, for customized window borders
b. Searches directory $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk for modules,
and loads them.
c. Searches directory $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk for sprite files,
and merges them in the wimp sprite area (*IconSprite).
d. Searches directory $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk for Obey files,
and runs them.
e. Searches directory $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.PreDesk for subdirectories,
and runs them (i.e. executes !Run in that subdirectory).
f. Runs $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.Desktop. This is the desktop sequence,
which usually contains:
• applications that you want 'seen' by the filer, e.g. !Paint,
!Draw or !ArcFS. That way the Wimp knows what to do when you
double-click a Sprite or Archive file.
• applications that you want running after startup, because you
use them a lot: a backdrop program (!Menon, !Larger, !AppDock
etc.) or your favourite text editor.
• directories that you want to have opened, because they contain
files or applications that you are working on.
(*): At least, in the factory setting of my RiscPC it does.
RPCBootEd can edit the files mentioned under 2a and 2f. It can not change the other parts, but it doesn't have to: the pre-desktop sequence (2a) can contain the same actions as what is done in 2b - 2e.
Using RPCBootEd
———————————————
The program starts in the usual way, by creating an icon on the icon bar. If you are using RPCBootEd for the first time, the icon is grey. RPCBootEd has to install itself before you can use it. Click with Select on the icon, or choose 'Install' from the menu.
The installation procedure:
• Creates a directory $.!Boot.Choices.Boot.RPCBootEd, for storing backup copies
of the sequence files.
• Stores the current sequences in that directory.
• Replaces the sequences with its own defaults (empty sequences)
These defaults are equal to the factory defaults, except that
- the applications in $.Apps are not stored in the Apps directory
- the applications in $.Utilities and $.Printing are not 'Filer_Boot'-ed
The reason for disabling these actions is that it gives you more freedom
to determine the directory structure of your harddisc.
After installing, the two sequence windows are opened.
If RPCBootEd was already installed, then the contents of the sequences are read when RPCBootEd starts. You can open the sequence windows with a Select-click on the icon. Clicking with Adjust closes the windows again.
Stopping using RPCBootEd
————————————————————————
In case you no longer want to use RPCBootEd, you can revert all the changes that have been made, by choosing 'De-install' from the menu. The backups of the sequences, made when installing, are put back.
Editing the boot sequences
——————————————————————————
The sequence windows show the boot sequences. Each sequence consists of a list of items (files, applications or directories). The window shows each item as an icon with a leafname. To the right of this, you can see the action. This action is the command that is executed on the item when the sequence is run.
Inside a sequence window, you have the following possibilities to edit:
• To add a new item to a sequence: drag a file or application from a Filer
window to the RPCBootEd sequence window. The new item is inserted into the
sequence; a default action is attached to the item (it depends on the type of
the item which action that is).
• To change the action that is attached to an item: click on the action with
Select or Adjust.
• To change the order of the items in the sequence: drag the item to the new
position. It is moved to just before the item that the mouse pointer was on
when you dropped it.
• To move an item to the other sequence: drag it to the other window.
• To deactivate an item: clicking on the name with Adjust. A deactivated item
is shown in grey. Deactivated items are saved with the rest of the sequence,
but they are not run: they are commented out (with a '|') in the file. This
can be handy when you are experimenting with the contents of a sequence.
• To open a Filer window on the parent directory of the item: double-click with
Select.
Clicking the Menu button above a sequence window brings up a menu with a
couple of choices:
• Display ⇨
In this submenu you can choose the way in which the items are displayed:
'Name and action' shows only the name+sprite of an item, and the action
'Full info' also shows the parameters.
• Item ⇨ Inactive
Toggles the 'deactivated' setting for the item.
• Item ⇨ Arguments ⇨
A writable submenu where you can enter the command-line arguments that are
attached to the item.
• Item ⇨ Open parent
Opens a Filer window on the parent directory, in which the item is located.
• Item ⇨ Change to '$'
If the item is a directory, this changes the name to '$'. You need this
option if you want a Filer_OpenDir on the root directory: there is no icon
of the root directory that can be be dragged to the sequence window. In that
case, drag another directory in the sequence, and choose this option.
• Item ⇨ Delete
Removes the item from the sequence.
• Save
Saves this sequence to disc.
• Re-read ⇨ Current version
To read the sequences again, e.g. after you have messed up things a bit.
• Re-read ⇨ Previous version
Reads the previous version of the sequence. Handy if you have experimented
with a different sequence and, after trying out the new one, want the
old sequence back.
The menu on the icon bar contains, apart from the usual 'Info' and 'Quit',
two items:
• Install/De-install
See the sections 'Using RPCBootEd' and 'Stopping using RPCBootEd' above.
• Save status
Saves the current status of the sequence windows (the position on the screen,
and the selected display option).
Setting the language with ResFind
—————————————————————————————————
RPCBootEd adapts automatically to the configured language if the corresponding messages etc. are available. For this purpose a Resources directory is contained in the application in which a subdirectory for each language supported resides. If the language you need isn't in there, please feel free to duplicate any of these language directories and translate the contents.
When you run the program a utility called ResFind is called which reads the language your computer is configured to and then looks for the corresponding language directory. If this fails the program will run in English (UK). By setting several system variables (best done in your system's !Boot file) you can change the language looked for. With this you can make sure a program runs in a certain language, e.g. to avoid a weird translation. Furthermore it is possible to name several languages you prefer to English.
This is controlled by three system variables:
RPCBootEd$Language, ResFind$LanguagesPref und ResFind$Languages$Suff.
When running the application ResFind looks for the first language supported along the following list of languages:
1. Contents of the variable RPCBootEd$Language
2. Contens of the variable ResFind$LanguagesPref
3. The configured language
4. Contens of the variable ResFind$LanguagesSuff
5. UK
Take a Norwegian user for example (lots of great programs come from there) whose computer is configured to 'Norway'. Since this language isn't too common in Europe most programs won't support it - except for Norwegian ones. But our user is pretty good in German and French but not too fond of English. Therefore he prefers these languages to UK and would thus put the following line in his system's !Boot file:
*Set ResFind$LanguagesSuff Germany,France
Running an applications (such as this one) using ResFind the list of languages looked for is 'Norway,Germany,France,UK'.
In case this user hat an application calles !Pete supporting the languate 'Humorous' the line
*Set Pete$Language Humor
in the !Boot file makes sure !Pete will run humorous.
Copyright notice
————————————————
This program is FreeWare. This means that I retain the copyright. You may freely copy and distribute it, provided that it is complete with all original files (*), and that you do not sell it. PD libraries may charge a nominal fee for the cost of duplication, postage etc. When you use the program, you do so entirely at your own risk. You may change the program to suit your own needs. If it's a bug fix, or if you think it's an improvement, then please send the changes to me at the address below.
Dick Alstein
Lijnslagerstraat 204
5625 BP Eindhoven
The Netherlands
e-mail: wsinda@win.tue.nl
(*): The only exception is addition of another language. You are encouraged to translate the files from !RPCBootEd.Resources.UK into your preferred language, and add these to the distribution.
