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MegaDisc 24 (1991-10)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 1 of 2)[WB].zip
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MegaDisc 24 (1991-10)(MegaDisc Digital Publishing)(AU)(Disk 1 of 2)[WB].adf
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REVIEWS
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Dos_Monitors
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Dos_Monitors
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Text File
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1991-10-06
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9KB
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207 lines
ARTM (AMIGA REALTIME MONITOR)
by
Dave Hooton
22 June 1991
(updated 12 August)
Ed: You'll find ARTM on Fish 327, and Xoper on Fish 318.
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ARTM
is a monitor for the Amiga operating system. Its purpose is to
inform you what is happening in the bowels (Exec) of your Amiga and to
give you some way of controlling things. Usually you want to know what
tasks are executing, especially those that the AmigaDOS Status command
will not show - like resident tasks (yours and Exec's) and processes.
Then you may want to know their priorities; perhaps change them.
Ultimately you may want to remove or kill one rather than face another
reset. A monitor like ARTM will allow you to do these things.
So too does Xoper, which is the best known Amiga monitor. I'll use it
as a benchmark.
Display
-------
ARTM is controlled through 14 gadgets that you click on with the mouse
pointer. These gadgets are at the bottom of its fixed-size window, and
are always visible. Four other gadgets may appear, with text in a
different colour, depending on the information being displayed. These
are the action gadgets. For example "More" will provide additional
information for a selected item; "Priority" will change its priority.
ARTM can be put to sleep, and a jazzy icon will appear that needs to
be double-clicked to awaken it.
Xoper can be used with a sizeable window or on its own screen. It is
operated through the keyboard. Most information displays are available
with a single letter. The HELP key will show the available displays and
commands. It too has a jazzy icon when put to sleep.
Features
--------
Both monitors show fairly technical information in their many displays.
So if you're new to the Amiga, don't be concerned that you understand
only 1 or 2 of the displays eg. tasks (or programs), windows, memory.
I won't bore beginners or experts by attempting any explanations, but I
will attempt to point out the differences between the monitors.
1. Tasks
Xoper shows the CPU(processor) usage of each task as a percentage
so you can SEE how active the task is. The information is updated
every 5 seconds, which you can change with the "time" command. I
find this to be the most useful display, as it can tell you if a
task is misbehaving eg. by using too much CPU or by using CPU when
it should be inactive. ARTM does not have this facility.
Both monitors allow you to remove tasks and change task priority.
ARTM shows the stack usage, whereas you have to go to a "Stack"
display in Xoper. Using "More" on a selected task will get ARTM to
give you more task data; stacks included.
It is a mixed bag as far as correctness is concerned - ARTM has
the correct stack data and gets the amount used wrong! Xoper's
stack usage is nearly 100% correct.
2. Windows (and Screens)
ARTM's "More" will give more detailed window data (from the Window
structure) and its "Close" gadget is more convenient than Xoper's
"CloseWindow" plus address, which have to be typed.
Xoper shows the Owner Task, which is useful when the window has no
title. But ARTM shows the window size and position, so with a
little more thought you could still identify the window.
ARTM shows screen details on the same display, where Xoper requires
you to go to a separate "Screens" display and to use "CloseScreen"
to close them.
3. Libraries
ARTM shows the priority and allows "Remove" "Close" and "Priority"
commands on a library. Xoper offers "CloseLib" and "OpenLib"
commands, and will remove an unused library with "Flush".
As a piece of trivia, Xoper somehow managed to get the version
number of the Intuition library wrong in Kickstart 1.2!
4. Devices ("D" in Xoper), 5. Resources and 6. Ports
These are Exec (operating system "manager") facilities.
ARTM shows priority and allows "Remove" and "Priority" commands.
7. Residents
Both will show my Recoverable RamDisk device, but ARTM highlights
it, because it does naughty things with the Vectors!
8. Vectors ("Capture" in Xoper)
ARTM shows more detail, including the resident task that may be
upsetting the various capture and pointer vectors. Both will allow
the vectors to be cleared, with ARTM being the simplest to operate.
9. Memory
Both show details of Chip, Fast(Slow Fast) and Expansion(true Fast)
memory. But only ARTM will show memory fragmentation - via "More".
Priority may be changed in both, but Xoper is the more cumbersome
eg. "Pri 1 Fast Memory".
10. Mount ("Devices" in Xoper)
This display, particularly in ARTM, is similar to the AmigaDOS
INFO command.
Note that "Tracks" in Xoper is the same as "Cylinders" in ARTM!
11. Assign
Same data as the AmigaDOS ASSIGN command. Not available in Xoper!
12. Fonts
ARTM has better information and will allow a font to be removed.
13. Hardware
Shows any expansion devices plus details of custom chips. Not
available in Xoper.
14. Interrupts
About the only safe time to use this with either monitor is just
after a reset!! ARTM was the most spectacular when it scrambled
RAD:, frizzed the screen display and rattled the DF0: drive! The
histrionics appear to be better controlled in Kickstart 1.3.
Xoper has some additional features of which the most useful are:-
1. Locks
Display all file locks and allow them to be unlocked. It does not
show the task that created the lock, so beware!
2. CurrentDir
Display the current directory of each task/process.
3. Flush
This command will clean-up memory, and remove unused libraries,
devices and fonts. This command is safe to use at anytime.
General
-------
ARTM requires almost twice as much memory as Xoper (in Window mode).
ARTM's addresses are 6 Hex digits, whereas Xoper always uses the full 8
(or 32 bits). I would not recommend it to A3000 users!
ARTM is definitely NOT a real-time monitor. Xoper is the only one
that automatically updates its information (every 5 seconds by default).
You should always be aware of the effects (and possible side-effects)
of using commands that produce change, because the monitors assume you
know what you are doing eg. they WILL close the window of an active
task! So whilst you may affect only your program, you may also upset
the fine balance of the operating system tasks and parameters and cause
some sort of system failure. I tend to meddle only if I have nothing to
lose eg. the disaster has already happened and I'm hoping to fix it!
Removing Tasks
--------------
The monitors have different approaches when it comes to removing or
killing tasks. ARTM will remove the task and leave any windows for you
to close separately. Xoper will remove the task AND close any windows
(including any System Request!). However, Xoper does not work reliably
with tasks that initially detach themselves from the CLI (like Xoper!).
Xoper recognises this type of task and asks if it should be unloaded.
Best answer NO; it will still close windows.
In one sequence of operations, where I could reliably(!) crash a task
launched from my directory utility, ARTM removed all tasks and windows
(except System Requests) and allowed each task to be rerun. On one
occasion, Xoper crashed the system (Software Failure Alert) even after
replying NO to the unload question! With slightly different scenarios
ARTM cleared up the mess, whilst Xoper failed at the first step!
Conclusion
----------
I would give ARTM the nod when it comes to removing tasks; it is simpler
and quicker, even having to close windows separately, and seems more
reliable than Xoper. Use ARTM for its more comprehensive display of
system information. But get Xoper if you want a real-time monitor with
more system commands and better configurability.
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