@database BootSelector.GUIDE @$VER: BootSelector.GUIDE 1.31 (22.11.95) @(c) "G lleSoft 1995" @author "Michael Gollmick" @node "Main" "BootSelector V1.31" -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- ________ \\ ___ \\ _ ____ ____ _______ _______ \\ \\ \\__\\ \\ \\ / _ / / _ /______ / _____/ /_ _ /___ \\ \\ ___ \\ \\\\ / //_/ //_ __/ / /_________ // //_// /__ \\ \\ ___\\ \\ \\ X / _\\ / _\\ _)_ /____ / _ X /_/_ ___/ \\ \\\\___\\ \\/ / / // / // / \\ _ / / (_) ) ___// / \\ \\___\\\\____/ / / / /_______\\/__/ / \\ / / / / \\________\\/_______/_____/ /______/ \\___/ / /__/ /__/ - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - -- -- - presents BootSelector 1.31 ================= 1995 by Michael Gollmick I @{" Distribution " link "Distribution" 0} This is MAILWARE II @{" Warranty " link "Warranty" 0} No warranty! III @{" Requirements " link "Requirements" 0} 68060, 32MB RAM, Gfx-Board? No! IV @{" Introduction " link "Introduction" 0} Something about the program V @{" Usage and Installation " link "Usage" 0} How to use a program VI @{" " link "BUGS" 0} No BUGS in this version, sorry VII @{" The Future " link "Future" 0} What future developing will bring VIII@{" Credits " link "Credits" 0} People who helped me IX @{" History " link "History" 0} The most boring part... X @{" Support " link "Support" 0} Hotline for free... @endnode @node "Distribution" "Distribution" Distribution ------------ BootSelector is freely distributable Software. The archive must not be modified and must be spread as a whole. BBSes may add their sign to the archive. This program is not Public Domain. It is FREEWARE. Thats why I haven't included the sources. This program is also MAILWARE. That means, I expect a mail or a letter from everyone, who is using it. This mail should contain some information about the particular machine being used and the user. Your information will help me TO remove BUGs quicker. Personal information is kept confidential and is only for me. This archive may be included in every PD-Library, BUT under the observance of the conditions named, and also of mailing or writing to me as the author. Excluded from these conditions are only the Aminet- and the Fred-Fish-Collections. If you mail me (and this is the proper meaning of MAILWARE), please use the following sheet: ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Name, Firstname: E-Mail : Country, City : Computer : Kickstart : Processor : Memory : Comment : ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @{"Warranty" link "Warranty" 0} @endnode @node "Warranty" "Warranty" Warranty -------- There is no warranty implied with this software. Please read the following: THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @{"Distribution" link "Distribution" 0} @endnode @node "Requirements" "Requirements" Requirements ------------ I don't know what your local PC-Dealer is recommending (but most likely he's trying to sell only overbeared, wrong calculating 5umms or a "really great, favourable, powerful" 80268 and conceals, that PC's where technically overhauled already in 1989) We against recommend FOR this really useful program: - Amiga 500, 500+, 600, 1000, 1200, 2000, 3000, 4000; DraCo - Kickstart 2.0 or higher - Harddisk (recommended!) because selecting the `Startup-Sequence` in Floppy-Disks-Only-Mode is a little bit senseless, nevertheless the program will work. - a mouse of course - `Execute`-command @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @{"Introduction" link "Introduction" 0} @{"BUGS" link "BUGS" 0} @endnode @node "Introduction" "Introduction" Introduction ------------ Are you familiar with the problem? You invested Money in a better Monitor (VGA or Multi-sync) and the mode you use is not the 15 Khz default Screenmode? But when booting, your Amiga is in it's in native Screenmode of 15kHz? Imaginative as we Amiga-purists are, we write some '>NIL:'s to the Startup-Sequence and we are no longer in the 15kHz-Screen. On Relais Monitors switching into other frequencies occurs with a loud click when IPrefs is started. The screen is now opened in its higher frequency and your machine is ready to work. Since the Amiga is an open ended machine with unlimited methods of configuration, many users configure their machines using different script files (as I sometimes do myself) and execute these script files using a program such as BootManager (from Daniel Bachmann). And are subject again to the lousy old Problem of clicking relais. All this 'choosing-programs' has had the same problem: We open a 15kHz-Screen, choose our script, let click the relais and switch the mode to Super-Hires-256 NonInterlace. IF not FOR the lousey 15 Khz DEFAULT screen I would be using BootManager today. But of course the BootManager is used by me even today, if there wouldn't be this lousy 15-kHz-Screen! Now ask your physician or druggist and he wouln't be able to help you, he is already happy, if he is able to run his cash-software on his PC and in no case he can spent any time in a 'lousy' Amiga (I also think 99.9% of all physicians and druggists have no idea of the Amiga). So we continue searching some solution. After spending countless hours searching for a program to solve the 15 Khz dilemma, I decided to come up with a solution of my own, knowing others in the Amiga community would benefit from my efforts. After numerous attempts, I had a version which was able to execute a script if a mousebutton was pressed at start up. I decided to expand this feature for my brand new 3 Button-Mouse. So it was finally possible to execute 6 different scripts with a 3-Button-Mouse or 3 different scripts with a 2-Button-Mouse. On my machine, BootSelector is now running with only 3 Startup-Sequences (because I don't need more). It looks as follows: IF you don't press any mousebutton at startup, the machine will boot in ordinary fashion with no opened screen, AND the standard-Startup-Sequence will be loaded. IF you press the middle mousebutton, BootManager will be loaded. IF you press the left mousebutton at startup, my favourite game will be loaded. I havn't put a Startup-Sequence onto the other mousebuttons, because I don't need more at the moment. But the potential is there. You can use the RMB and combinations of the mousebuttons, for a total of six different scripts, since LMB+RMB and LMB+RMB+MMB are used by systems early startup (Startup-Menu). In the future there will be a solution for using these combinations too. @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @{"Requirements" link "Requirements" 0} @{"Installation" link "Usage" 0} @endnode @node "Usage" "Usage & Installation" The useage + installation ------------------------- The best way to install this package is to use the included Installer-Script. Please confirm (through the CBM version command) that you are using the Commodore Installer Version 1.24 or higher, since there will be some obvious malfunctions if you use a lower version. When the Installation is complete, you should configure your existing or alternative scripts thru BootSelector. For doing this, you should do the following: - open the Startup-Sequence from S: for editing. - add a keyword after the command BootSelector in the first execution-line (e.g. LMB), than a '=' followed by the name of the alternative script. It could look as folows: BootSelector LMB=Galaga.STARTUP - additionally there should be a path FOR the alternate scripts since BootSelector searches the S: path by default. But if you are working with many Startup-Sequences it is recommended you put them into their own directory (as done by the Installer; e.g. S:Startup's). This information is done by the keyword DIR or SCRIPTDIR. It looks as follows: BootSelector SCRIPDIR=S:Startup's/ It is imperative the ending '/' (backslash) or ':' is present, since BootSelector does not automatically append it and will fail if this is not included. - At the end the line should look nearly this: BootSelector LMB=Alternate.Startup MMB=Galaga.Startup DIR=S:Startup's/ - The single Keywords(ToolTypes) may be shown by the command 'BootSelector ?' Here the descriptions: REGULAR=REG IF you press no mousebutton LMB IF you press left mousebutton MMB IF you press middle mousebutton RMB IF you press right mousebutton LMM IF you press left AND middle mousebutton RMM IF you press right AND middle mousebutton SCRPTDIR=DIR Path FOR ALL the Scripts The Installer-Script does copy some alternative scripts to S:Startup's, which have the same names as the defaults in BootSelector. So you can also rename your alternative scripts to these names or edit the include scripts. If you do this, there is no need to edit the keywords after the command BootSelector. With the command 'version Startup-SequenceXXX' you can learn which script is for which mousebutton, where XXX stands for the roman numerals after the word Startup-Sequence. @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @{"Requirements" link "Requirements" 0} @endnode @node "BUGS" "BUGS" This program has been tested on my machine most extensively (in the long and wee hours of the night, nights where I was more nearly to a coffein shock as to a regular night sleep. In times, where my consume of coffee gots dimensions, which where not payable for me and hearings at University where not main goal of my life). What I want to say with it: If you find a BUG in this program, Im really sour! But Seriously: As I published this Version, I was at the meaning to have reached a status of BUGlessness, which makes it possible to do a publishing. (But, by the way, I was near a Coma and a physical state was near a full seediness and prevented further work on it). About information of mailfunctions I wouldn't be happy, but if they reach me, I will stop studying, plunder the next hypermarket (need some coffee), and code a BUGfree version. Your Bugreports reach me via e-mail: wir94dgk@Rzaix340.rz.uni-leipzig.de or via postal way: Michael Gollmick L bauer Stra 04347 Leipzig Germany Testconfigurations: -AMIGA 1200, 2MB CHIP, 8MB FAST, Blizzard 1220 Turboboard, Kickstart 3.0 -AMIGA 1200, 2MB CHIP, 4MB FAST, Blizzard 1230II Turbboboard, Kickstart 3.0 -AMIGA 500+, 2MB CHIP, 2MB 16-BitFAST, Roktek HD-Controller, Kickstart 3.1 -AMIGA 500, 1MB CHIP, 1.5MB 16-BitFast, 4MB 32-BitFast, Neuroth 68020/882, FSE-SCSI-Controller, Kickstart 3.1 -AMIGA 500, 512kB Chip, 512kB Fast, Kickstart 2.04 @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @endnode @node "Future" "Future" The future ---------- What I have planed for further version, what might be included - a GUI in higher resolutions (I've tried hard, but I couln't realize until now) I`m very thankful for suggestions concerning this program as well as for further projects. Your name will be included in my credit list and you will recieve a free update (seems to be a little bit strange because this program is FREEWARE, doesn`t it?). @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @endnode @node "Credits" "Credits" Credits ------- I`m very thankful to: Michael Reichenbach Oliver Steinh user and others - for agonizing beta-testing - as well as for ideas which are implemented in this project or may be included in later versions Pascal Behrend - for reworking the german manual - for translating the manual into English (Have you ever read my translation? No? - Seems to be the best!) Ville Ranki - for the Finnish Guide Ron Shaw - for spellchecking the english documentation Commodore - for developing the best computer (todate) with a tremedous Operating System. ...and all who mailed me @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @endnode @node "History" "History" History ------- The story so far... ... Version 1.01 - INITIAL AMINET RELEASE 07.08.95 - - removed the ReadTooltype()-BUG from V1.00 - includet the Version-String for VERSION - new Errorhandlingroutine - Errorhandlingroutine has been improoved - code optimized again (gained 1234 bytes) - bug fixed: machine crashed when a wrong directory was set - finished Documentation for the Release -----------------> Had a very BAD hardcrash on my HD, so I had to stop the developing for a while > restarted the developing on 19.08.1995 with an old 80MB HD ... Version 1.10 - OFFICIAL AMINET RELEASE 30.08.95 - Code has been optimized again (gained 36 Bytes) - now up to tree times faster due to the optimization - REGULAR Tooltype may be edited short now - Errorhandler has been overworked again - needs less memory for its work -----------------> Developing stopped for some weeks due to some practical work and a fu..ing accident > development restarted on 3.10.95 ... Version 1.24 - OFFICIAL AMINET RELEASE 23.10.95 - addet the combination of LMB & MMB - REGULAR is no longer a required keyword and has a default value now - created an Installer-Script (in German an English) - addet the Finnish Guide (thanks to Ville Ranki) - addet the INFO keyword - RMB is now detectable and includet - addet a small filecheck - optimized the code again due to new functions - a red screen will be opened, if required Startup-Sequence can't be found - overworked the english DOC (thanks to Ron Shaw) ... Version 1.30 - NOT OFFICIALLY RELEASED 03.11.95 - removed the OpenFile() bug finally (didn't succeed before) - the red screen opens now in 320x200pix (for NTSC-users) - some code optimisation - addet an automatical path-detection ... Version 1.31 - OFFICIAL AMINET RELEASE - removed two useles tooltypes, since using them is im- possible, cause of the system. If you have read them by typing bootselector ?, you may have wondered - updated documentation amd Install script @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @endnode @node "Support" "Support" Hope you can use this program. I would be happy about any reactions to this program. If you use it or if you have problems/questions, so feel free to contact me under: wir94dgk@rzaix340.rz.uni-leipzig.de I will try to answer your questions within seven days if I can. (In the last two month there where some problems getting acces to the net, so it took much longer than seven days. I want to excuse me for this in this way.) Michael Gollmick in November 1995 @{"Main Menu" link "Main" 0} @endnode