If you click the middle mouse button over Black Hole's icon, you'll get a menu with lots of options.
{sprite}menu
{subsub}Info ⇨
Leads to a window containing information about the program.
{subsub}Config..
Opens the Configuration window which allows you to set your preferred options for all of Black Hole's features.
{subsub}Contents ⇨
Leads to a sub-menu which allows you to perform several operations on the contents of the Bin Directory. There is a further sub-menu off each of these which allows you to select any or all of the sub-directories.
The options on the first sub-menu are:
{tab}
Destroy : Unconditionally wipes everything. There is a confirmation window before this happens.
Count : Counts the contents.
Info : Reads the contents of the Bin and displays their names, sizes, and types in a window. Clicking SELECT on a filename in this window will open the parent directory of that file.
Squash : This will compress all the files in the bin, thus making them take up less disc space. If this option is not selectable then you don't have the '!Squash' program on your hard disc.
{sprite}!squash
Open : Will open the bin directory selected from the submenu. Selecting 'All' will open all the subdirectories.
{notab}
{subsub}Wipe Drive ⇨
[12]
This option allows you to quickly and easily delete all the contents from a floppy disc or the RAM disc. Simply place the floppy disc in the disk drive and select ADFS::0 from the menu (ADFS::0 means 'floppy disc drive' in computer speak). The computer will ask you if you are sure before continuing. Don't bother about the 'Name' submenu, it's too complicated for you.
[34]
Leads to a window containing the names of any adfs floppy drives fitted, and also the RAM disc, if present. Selecting one of these will cause the disc in the selected drive to be wiped of all its contents. There is a confirmation window before this happens, where clicking on 'No' will abort the operation. If you want to rename the disc, the new name can be entered in the submenu off this menu. Leaving this submenu blank will keep the same name for the disc.
[3]
Discs in ADFS 800K (E) or 1.6MB (F) format will be wiped using a 'Fast Wipe' method which takes much less time than deleting each file separately.
[4]
Discs in E or F format will be fastwiped.
[34]
This menu will also recognise Brian Brunswick's MemFS filer if it is present.
[1234]
{subsub}Auto Saver..
Opens the Auto File Saver window. See the appropriate Help.
{subsub}Find File ...
Opens the File Finder window, which can be used to search a directory structure for all files of a particular name or type. See the appropriate Help.
[1]
The next two options (Module Kill, Add Tiny Dir) are too advanced for your poor brain to cope with. Try a higher tecnical help level if you want to know more.
[2]
The next options (Module Kill) is too advanced for your poor brain to cope with. Try a higher tecnical help level if you want to know more.
[34]
{subsub}Module Kill ⇨
Allows you to kill modules by name or by pre-defined lists. This is explained more fully below.
[234]
{subsub}Add Tiny Dir ⇨
Is fairly self-explanatory if you know what Tiny Dirs are. If you don't I suggest you read the RISC OS user guide thingy. Look under Tiny Dirs or !TinyDirs or something like that. This menu item has a submenu, the function of which is readily apparrent if you try and use it. Note that this menu option will be greyed out if you have Unplugged the Pinboard module.
[1234]
{subsub}Quit
Quits the Black Hole
[34]
{subhead}Module Kill in More Detail.
One of the things I find annoying about many applications (Computer Concepts please note) is that when you quit them they leave all their junk behind in the RMA. My RISC OS 3 BJ10 turbodriver leaves 8 modules behind. This obviously uses up a fair proportion of the RMA. This is what Module Kill is all about. The submenu has three entries. These may be the only entries, or there may be some more below a dotted line. Whatever. The third entry is 'Name'; Moving right off this gives you a list of modules currently in the RMA. Selecting one will cause Black Hole to attempt to kill it.
The second entry is 'Minimize'. When you select this, Black Hole will attempt to reduce the size of the module area to a minimum. Usually it fails because the MEMC isn't violent enough. The first option is 'Open Dir', and this is where the fun starts.
Selecting 'Open Dir' opens a directory. Surprised? There may be a few files in this directory, or there may not be. It doesn't matter. What is this directory for? Right. What you need to do is to find an application which leaves some modules behind when you quit it.
[3]
Black Hole will give you a list of modules on the 'Name' submenu off the Module Kill menu. Note down the name of the last module in this list. Now run then quit your application and look again at the module list. If the app. has left any modules behind they will be tacked on the bottom of the list.
Now create a text file (using Edit, say) containing a list of these module names, one module per line. Save this file, in the directory you opened from the menu, with a meaningful name. Get the Module Kill menu up again. Your file will now be on the menu under the dottedline. Selecting the entry for your file will cause Black Hole to attempt to Kill all the modules listed in that file, then to minimize the RMA. It is usually successful at the first bit, but the second bit often causes it problems. Don't worry, it won't crash (Says he confidently).
[4]
I'm sure you know how to do this. Just create a text file containing the names of these modules, one per line, and save it in the ModuleKill directory. It will then appear on the menu. Selecting the entry for your file will cause Black Hole to attempt to Kill all the modules listed in that file, then to minimize the RMA. It is usually successful at the first bit, but the second bit often causes it problems. Don't worry, it won't crash (Says he confidently).
[34]
N.B. It is often a good idea to put the modules in the list in Reverse order to the order they appear in the menu. It just seems to work better that way. The dangerous bit is if you use Module Kill while the relevant app. is still running. My advice is 'Don't - It's not fun.'
