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1988-12-27
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DIRK v0.01 -- Tune workbench colors to system performance
-----------------
Copyright (C) 1988 by Daniel Elbaum
This software is freely redistributable provided that:
the three files which comprise it (dirk, dirk.c, dirk.doc)
remain intact; all copyright notices contained in any of
the aforementioned files remain intact; and no fee beyond
reasonable remuneration for collation and distribution be
charged for use and/or purveyance.
-----------------
Syntax:
run dirk [-t|m] [-gN] [-bN] [-hN] [-lN] [-iN]] [+rN] [+gN] [+bN]
Parameters:
Option Default Effect
---------------------------------------------------------------------
-
t track tasks only
m track memory only
g 4 granularity of task mapping (small for few tasks)
b 14 background saturation
h 12 maximum detail saturation
l 8 minimum detail saturation
i 180 interval in ticks (60 or 50 per second)
+
r 8 base value for red component of detail pen
g 8 base value for green component of detail pen
b 8 base value for blue component of detail pen
If you like the program, you may eventually want to start it from
your startup-sequence, so you might want to dirk around with
the options before deciding on a command line to use. Here
they are.
The -t option enables task tracking only. The background color
is not affected.
The -m option complements the -t option; only memory tracking is
turned on. The detail pen color is not affected.
The following command line options require counts. The valid
range of the count varies from option to option. All color
counts should be between 0 and 15; other counts must be
between 0 and 65535.
Granularity, set with -gN, is the sensitivity with which detail
pen color responds to the instantaneous number of ready tasks.
Workable values lie between 1 and 8.
The background saturation argument, -bN, determines the brightness
of the screen, which remains constant as hue varies. N is best
set between 4 and 14.
Maximum detail saturation (-hN) is a limit on the brightness of
the detail pen. A value of 8 to 14 (14 brighter) can keep
detail from glaring. The valid range is 0-15.
Minimum detail saturation, -lN (ell not one) is a floor on the
brightness of the pen, to maintain good contrast to the
background. For a light background, l should be at least 8.
The interval (-iN) is the number of ticks to wait between
data retrieval expeditions. A tick is 1/60th of a second
in the US, and 1/50 in Europe. If N is given as 0, the
research and reporting are done constantly, and system
performance slows slightly but noticeably. 180 corresponds
to ~3 seconds, and is probably a good functional maximum.
The + arguments specify the detail pen's basic color.
As the number of tasks increases, the pen becomes dimmer,
and as the proportion of active tasks increases, the pen
becomes yellower. -rN sets the red component (0-15),
-gN sets the green, and -bN sets the blue. It's worth
experimenting to find a combination which provides good
contrast.
It all sounds confusing but once you run the program
and see what it does, the meaning of the command line
options will hopefully fall into place.
-----------------
Description:
The purpose of this program is to present key system
information to the user without cluttering up the display.
The workbench background color changes from blue through
purple to red as the amount of free memory decreases.
The workbench detail color (the color of text and Workbench
window borders) changes from bright white to gray as the
number of system tasks increases. Further, the yellow
content of this color is increased according to the number
of active tasks.
On a newly-booted vanilla system, borders are white and the
background is close to the standard Workbench blue. As
you use the system, calling up programs and creating files
on the RAMdisk, the screen takes on an increasingly reddish
hue. When memory is nearly full, the background is completely
red.
Similarly, as tasks are added, the borders dim slightly.
In other words, after you set up dmouse, conman, snipit,
or whatever to run in the background, the detail color
fades, eventually to grey. If many background tasks are
active rather than just waiting around for an interrupt or
message, the grey will be tinted yellow.
With dirk running in the background, you always have a rough
idea of how much memory is available and how busy the system
is, without hunting around for the window of your favorite
resource-tracking gizmo.
-----------------
Signature and self-promo:
If you want to send me money for dirk, then by all means
do so--many projects are in progress and I need financing.
$5.00 is recommended. Make checks payable to:
Daniel Elbaum
Amaranth Software
4816 SE Bybee Blvd.
Portland, Ore. 97206
Send comments, suggestions, and flames to:
Daniel Elbaum
Portland bbs: Amigaboard!, NAG
UUCP: ...!tektronix!reed!elbaum
ARPA: elbaum@reed.EDU