CPCWiki - THE Amstrad CPC encyclopedia! - User contributions [en]

User:Aldi

2006-08-11T19:53:57Z

212.23.126.7: i have all translate!

Hello, good day, I ams! I am the new! My name is Oldi. I think you all have got a bird. I can not so good speak like a man out close-country, but I try it. I hope you understand me empty. I have a house animal. She is a cow, plays tuba and runs free around. So she is a tuba-kuh-lose. In my luggage room of my car have I a refrigerator. I believe at jesus. So break I the bread always and distribute it under my arms. I think, "better arm on than arm off". I have good! Why I have good? Because why I good have. But when you from devil speak, comes he. Last I saw a flying under cup, when my wife me for the door put. What for a big pig-he-egg! But I think not at aliens. Because what the farmer not knows likes he not.

User:Aldi

2006-08-11T19:43:59Z

212.23.126.4: I am the new here!

Hallo, guten Tag, ich bins! Ich bin der neue! Mein Name ist Aldi. Ich denke, ihr habt alle einen Vogel! Ich kann nicht so gut sprechen wie ein Mann aus England, aber ich versuche es. Ich hoffe, ihr versteht mich alle! Ich habe ein Haustier. Sie ist eine Kuh, spielt Tuba und läuft frei herum. Also sie ist eine Tubakuhlose. In meinem Kofferraum von meiner Karre hab ich einen Kühlschrank. Ich glaube an Jesus. Also breche ich das Brot und verteile es unter den Armen. Ich denke, "besser arm dran, als Arm ab". Ich habe gut! Warum ich habe gut? Weil ich gut hab! Aber wenn man vom Teufel spricht, kommt er. Letztens sah ich eine fliegende Untertasse, als meine Frau mich vor die Tür setzte. Was für eine Schweinerei! Aber ich glaube nicht an Außerirdische. Denn was der Bauer nicht kennt, mag er nicht!

Talk:Main Page

2006-08-11T18:32:59Z

212.23.126.12: /* Wiki Logo */

'''Main page:''' Yesterday, Kanga and me thought about how to do a good entry point for the articles of the Wiki and came to the conclusion that the main page wastes too much space and the sidebar gets too big. If it is ok, I will think about a new design of the main page during the weekend and maybe prepare a first design under in the "Loose Lemmas" article. --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 10:09, 11 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''PNG''' when tryig to add a PNG-File, there occurs an error saying that the png is not correct. Can you please check if PNG is enabled in the wiki configuration. Thank you [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 21:21, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
:Will look into it, I thought i had it fixed... [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 10:06, 10 August 2006 (CEST)
:: Darn... I can't get it to work! what has to be done is add this line to LocalSettings.php: $wgFileExtensions = array( 'png', 'jpg', 'jpeg', 'ogg','doc','xls','ppt','mp3','pdf' ); listing all the extensions you need... well, I changed LocalSettings.php and also changed DefaultSettings.php (though not advisable), extensions are not blacklisted but it '''still won't work'''!!! ARGH!!!! [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 08:47, 11 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''Math:''' Today I wanted to add some formulas (very simple!) to describe the mathmatic background of a routine. Are <math> Tags supported? --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 21:18, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
:Which article did you edit? Can you try emailing me? You have not verified your email address and I can't send you an email... [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 10:06, 10 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''Menu:''' The menu entry "In short - history" nearly contains all necessary informations about the different CPC models. Maybe we can delete the entries for the different models and add a new entry for the technical informations (CRTC, GateArray, etc.). What do you think about it?
:I completely agree with it. We should group it in a technical specifications article. -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 17:04, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
:Or maybe we just group the "old generation", so we have 2 or 3 entries? Don't know... -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 17:09, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
::Hmm, but wouldn't it better if the informations are collected in one article (less mouseclicks -> I'm lazy ;)). --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 21:18, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
:This article is intended indeed as a short introduction. I do believe that quite a bit more can be written about each specific model, so I think they are worth a page of their own...? [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 10:06, 10 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''Adding templates:''' We should add some templates to mark articles for e.g. deletion. You can see the reason for the need for templates if you have a look at the article about [[Beau Jolly]]. You can find examples for that kind of templates in the original wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages).
:Hmmm I'm not really sure what you mean... the Beau Jolly page is a harmless prank - at least I consider it so at this point. If and when the wiki gets bigger and to such a size that systematic patrolling is needed, then I think we can start putting some mechanisms into place... For now, just reading the changes and glancing at the pages is surely enough? [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 14:07, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
::I meant the template signs of Wikipedia to simply add warning, etc. Here is an direct example of some different marks: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Template_messages/Disputes We don't need all signs, of course, but some to easily mark articles for deletion or for the need of an improvement would be nice (no automatic robots - just to mark the articles). --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 14:24, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
:::Ah, that's interesting now... I'll have to see how to implement them - unless you got some idea? [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 14:53, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
::::I think they can just be added with copy & paste!? --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 15:06, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
:::::I made a test with the [[Beau Jolly]] article. Unfortunately you can't do simple copy & paste because of all the internal links in the Wikipedia templates. Maybe someone can improve it. -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 16:57, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
:I would like to see templates for different categories of software ''e.g.'' games, demos, applications, like the information boxes one sees on Wikipedia for computer games - see [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindizzy_(computer_game) Wikipedia's entry on ''Spindizzy''] as an example. The problem for me at the moment is that I don't know how to create complex tables and boxes in wiki markup at the moment! :-( [[User:Nich|Nich]] 17:31, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
::I added the template for the game info boxes ([[Template:Infobox CVG]]), but currently the "parser functions" like #if: don't seem to work. --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 18:44, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
::Ok, I found the page which explains the installation of the "ParserFunctions" extension. It have to be installed to get the template working: http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/ParserFunctions#Installation --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 18:51, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
:::Mmmm just installed it -at least the relevant files. But, how about this line:
::: <pre>require_once( "$IP/extensions/ParserFunctions/ParserFunctions.php" );</pre>,
:::it says it has to go to the end of LocalSettings.php. But if I do place it there (before the closing tag), it breaks the whole wiki... darn. Will try to look into it. [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 20:32, 7 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''More Fileformats''' should be added, so upload of PDF and ZIP-Files will be possible. I Think a lot of manuals and stuff is in PDF-Format or some Freeware / Shareware / Public Domain Programmes can be directly addes to the pages (Wanted to do that with the SOundtrakkr 128K). So its will be great if someone who reads something about a demo or programm also can download the DSK or whatever to run it on an emulator or cpc.
: More file extensions allowed now. You can actually upload zip, rar (preferred due to better compression), pdf and mp3 (for all those tape conversions!). Nevertheless, can't a manual be copied as txt? [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 09:00, 6 August 2006 (CEST)
:: '''THIS IS NOT!! working'''. I have tried to upload a PDFand a ZIP. Both doesn't work. Please check that and correct it [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 22:53, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
----

'''Moving the search''' field a bit more to the top of the left menu will be nice, so its easier to search articles without scrolling around. Hope you can do that PLEAAAASE :-) [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 09:36, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
:That would be nice - I think it should be higher, too. The problem is, this has to do with the skin, and I'm not yet as comfortable with customising it... if someone knows how, please step forward! [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 16:48, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
----

I think it would be nice to have a menu link to technical documentation and sourcecode (routine collection) on the left side. You then can put articles like 'Hardware scrolling' in this categories... --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 15:14, 3 July 2006 (CDT)
: That's a really good idea - it would be nice to be able to post source code here.... --[[User:ChaRleyTroniC|ChaRleyTroniC]] 17:00, 3 July 2006 (CDT)
: Indeed it's a nice idea, and I thought about it upon looking at the source code provided over at the Zone. Will add a link when I get back from work :) - [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 22:35, 3 July 2006 (CDT)
----
I think it will be a good idea to do localisation. So i can add or translate Pages into german, cause my english writing is not that good as needed for the wiki. I'll do my best, but hey.. there are a few users around wich cannot write nor read english, so it will be a help for them. What do you think about localisation? [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 09:31, 5 August 2006 (CEST)

: I would be a little bit afraid, that this could split up our forces, as it is a lot additional work. Maybe people would start writing only in their native languages. Better to have an article in bad english (which can be corrected by other people) than having it only in a "local" language (which can't be read by other people). But that's just my opinion. -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 13:12, 5 August 2006 (CEST)

:: I have the same opinion like Prodatron. It's much more work and both Wikis will be different. You can see an example for that situation on the [http://wiki.gp2x.org GP2X Wiki] and this device has a much bigger userbase. I guess the most common language should be used, so we should write greek.... aehm... english ;-). --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 15:57, 5 August 2006 (CEST)

: I think this was discussed before... I'm not against content in other languages, but I'm worried this will lead to lots of content being in French, German or Spanish, hence for a limited audience. So I was thinking that maybe it should be allowed as long as an english translation is provided. In any case, maybe we can allow it with the provision that this will, eventually, be translated. But if we see that no translations are done, then maybe it shouldn't continue... [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 16:38, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
:: i dont think its clever to do it that way so it will be better to have only english as main language. the problem also will be, that the content will move away in different languages, so information will be vailable in german but are not at the english page and so on. dont know how it can be handled to have everything with the same content in different languages

----

== Archive ==

Btw, shouldn't we better add new entries here at the end of the text? -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 23:02, 9 August 2006 (CEST)
:Not really, old stuff is getting pushed to the bottom which is nice :) [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 10:06, 10 August 2006 (CEST)
----
Hi, if I add a JPG with the '|thumb' command, it doesn't show on the page (e.g. [[CPC Schneider International]]). What am I doing wrong? --[[User:Octoate|Octoate]] 01:02, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
:I also think, that the "thumb" feature is not working yet. -- [[User:Prodatron|Prodatron]] 03:18, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
: I'm having troubles with the permissions on the server. The Wiki needs the image folder to be chmod'ed to 777, but some of the subfolders do not have full access yet. I'm trying to chmod all of them, but how do I make sure that the newly created ones will be 777? [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 08:38, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
::if you need help or Shell-Access on the server to do chmod -r comands on dirs, just give me a call and i will set it up for you. [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 09:27, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
:::Problem solved indeed :) [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 16:38, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
----
'''Real names with the pseudonym?''' Shall we add the real names to the scene-informations as we know it? Maybe it's very helpfull to add the real name to remember the persons. So in my case i will add "Kangaroo MusiQue (Thorsten Norman Mitschele). What do you think about that? [[User:Kangaroo|Kangaroo MusiQue of HJT]] 09:48, 5 August 2006 (CEST)
:Well, absolutely, why not? I mean, there's nothing stopping you doing so anyway, and in general a real name would be welcome indeed, to go with the pseudonym... Maybe a photo too :)
----
Maybe its possible to make a list of all software-houses like Ocean, Alligata etc. Where we can add some nice informations about those companies?
: You can actually add a link yourself. If you go into The [[Games]] section you can add a link about [[Software Houses]] and start adding. Maybe I will add it to the sidebar as well :) - [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 22:35, 3 July 2006 (CDT)
----
Why does the crap keep getting posted at the bottom of the main page... bloody spammers! [[User:Executioner|Executioner]]
:Indeed... I have noticed your work (you always get to it faster than me!), and I really thank you for that. This is what you get for allowing posts without registering, but I think it's worth it continuing like this, at least for a while, and see how it goes... Thanks so much! [[User:Gryzor|Gryzor]] 02:16, 22 July 2006 (CDT)
----

== Wiki Logo ==

'''New Logo''' I had a few minutes, so I did this [http://www.cpcscene.com/wiki.png little logo] for the wiki. Feel free to use it (or not).

Grim/Arkos

: Very nice!

FutureOS

2006-08-10T10:37:29Z

212.23.126.8: some small corrections

[[Image:Future-os.jpg|400px|thumb|FutureOS main screen]]

== Introduction ==
'''FutureOS''' is an application starter and shell for the Amstrad CPC6128 and 6128plus developed by [[TFM]]. Its development continues from 1990 up to now. The applications of FutureOS can be up to 512 KB in one piece. FutureOS has a memory management system, which divides RAM into 16 KB blocks. Further the file-system allows accessing files with a size of up to 512KB. FutureOS provides some standard disc and print utilities. Further applications are delivered for disc or hard-disc. FutureOS is written in assembler like most serious 8bit software.

== Requirements ==
The core of the OS needs 64 KB ROM. Compatible products are EPROM-cards, the ROM-RAM-BOX, [[SYMBiFACE II]], RAMcard or similar products. If you don't own such a card, you can take a look at FutureOS by using a compatible CPC Emulator (WinCPC, Caprice, WinApe).

The core of the OS itself is executed directly in ROM or EPROM where it is divided in four 16 KB blocks. It jumps between the ROMs with the help of a little common area. Depending on the number of buffered directories it requires between 24KB and 48KB of RAM. The remaining memory can be used for applications and data. Furthermore it contains memory management and file-handling. From AmsDOS/Basic you can start FutureOS with the RSX commands |OS or |FDESK. If you use |FDESK you can leave FutureOS and get back to BASIC where you have stopped before - the first 64KB have been preserved.

FutureOS only runs well on a CPC6128 or 6128plus, because they support the RAM configuration &C3 (which is essential for the mouse arrow of the GUI).

== GUI ==
The Desktop of FutureOS is divided in two sections. First an icon-section, where you can choose your functions. Second there is a section below, where you can browse through directories of discs and hard-disc partitions.

The Desktop can be controlled using a joystick, mouse, trackball or light-pen. There is no command line. The user interface is graphical, you click on icons and files to select them for subsequent actions.

Applications can call the GUI as a subroutine. FutureOS is said to be easy to handle, after learning how to work with it. The icons are fixed, so you will always work with the same desktop.

== File system ==
FutureOS is compatible with the CPCs native data-, file- and format structures (f. e. File-header, Disc-formats). It is not compatible with native [[Amsdos]] or [[CP/M]] programs. FutureOS and compatible applications can be downloaded at: [http://www.FutureOS.de www.FutureOS.de].

Filenames can use all 256 different characters and user numbers from 0 to 254 (except for &E5, which marks a deleted file). Different to Amsdos, a file that is erased under FutureOS will not be shifted to user &E5, but it will be physically removed from the directory. Files can be viewed on-screen (scroll up and down) or printed. You can also view the file-header. When typing a text-file it is possible to set the number of columns and lines of the window the text is displayed in. File-headers are displayed as AmsDOS file or the icon-like file-header of a FutureOS program. An AmsDOS file-header has 128 bytes of which some bytes are unused. FutureOS makes use of those unused bytes so that files have a length definition of 24bit and can have a physical RAM select. Therefore a file can be defined to be loaded everywhere in the external RAM. Also a FutureOS file-header can contain a graphical icon, a textual icon or a short description of the file. FutureOS work with old AmsDOS file-headers.

== Hardware ==
The OS supports many of the hardware available for the CPC, including the Vortex disc drives, several mices and the Dobbertin HD20.

One idea of FutureOS was to support any hardware available. For example there are 3.5" B-drives, Vortex F1-D-drives, hard-discs, real-time-clocks, serial interfaces etc. Hardware expansion usually need drivers, which can be flexible added to an OS. In contrast to this one of the future goals of FutureOS is to provide a monolithik architecture, where all drivers are implemented in a hardcoded way.

=== Drives, hard-discs and mass storage ===
FutureOS supports up to eight drives and up to four hard-disc partitions. It buffers the directories read from any mass storage device in the expansion RAM.

=== Plug and Play ===
If you connect a hardware expansion to a CPC, FutureOS will automatically detect that expansion, initialise it and make it accessible. The architecture of the OS allows you to add and remove hardware on purpose. An example: You add a trackball, you use it, then you connect and use a joystick and then you use a proportional mouse for example. You can turn external hardware in the configuration-bytes on or off, if you are able to rewrite the ROM.

== Utilities ==
Tools like copy, format, verify or refresh a disc exist. You can copy files from different discs and partitions to other discs and partitions at once.

Example: You can copy files from drive A (User 0, 90 and 240) and hard-disc partition K (user 0, 12 and 180) to one or more different target drives or hard-disc partitions, a feature, what many users need all the time.

=== Machine monitor ===
From the Desktop you can call a little machine monitor. This monitor provides features like editing of CPU registers and I/O ports, display and edit memory or the content of the ASIC of the 6128plus. Memory blocks can be copied or initialised. It is possible to call a routine with defined CPU registers and memory.

=== CBM - a menu system for FutureOS ===
The Command Bar Menu (CBM) provides an user-interface for own programs. It is not part of the OS itself. The source code is available and it's possible to use CBM for FutureOS programs. An example is the MP3-Player for FutureOS which uses CBM.

== Developing for FutureOS ==
Most of the low level hardware resources must be accessed by the application itself, as FutureOS doesn't provide support for them. E.g. FutureOS doesn't include interrupt handling, which means, that you have to write your own handler at #38 or can switch to interrupt mode 2, if you own a special hardware expansion, which allows this mode. Depending on the existance and type of your own interrupt handler you may use the second Z80 register set when interrupts are enabled.

=== Z80 Assembler ===
You can use an assembler for AmsDOS or for CP/M. Switching between AmsDOS and FutureOS is fast and using |FDESK allows to come back to AmsDOS with the first 64 KB or RAM remaining untouched.

=== Programming in C for FutureOS ===
It also possible to use C as a programming language. There is a CP/M version of Small-C and also Windows-based cross-compilers of the C language. You have to use FIOLIB.C instead of IOLIB.C. becase FIOLIB.C contains all C functions to use FutureOS system-calls.

You can use a normal C program compile it, assemble it, link the object-code with FIOLIB (an all other needed libraries) and add a header to the *.COM file with COMFU.COM. To start such an C-program under FutureOS you have to start the RUNC-environment. RUNC expands the features of FIOLIB. With RUNC it is possible to store functions in E-RAM, leaving more main memory free for applications.

== Plans for the next years ==
It is planned to support the following hardware during the next years:
* IDE interface ([[CPC IDE]] and [[SYMBiFACE II]])
* [[CPC Booster]]

== Conclusion ==
FutureOS was designed as a library with some fast routines, while the application has to access and manage most of the resources of the machine by itself. It has specialised file-handling and memory-management that support programs up to 512 KB. The idea is that development of word processors, scientific mathematics, graphics, sound (especially MP3), spreadsheet, management of big amounts of data, bigger games and programming languages should be possible in this environment, though, apart from a MP3 player, none of the examples were written so far during the last 16 years.

FutureOS is also meant to be used as a disc and file copy tool including a machine monitor.

== Web links ==
* [http://www.FutureOS.de FutureOS homepage]
* [http://groups.yahoo.com/group/FutureOS/ FutureOS mailing list]

WACCI

2006-08-04T21:26:50Z

212.23.126.23:

[[Image:Wacci139_9.jpg|right|thumb|250px|A page from WACCI issue 139]]
The CPC's longest-running fanzine and user group, WACCI was based in Britain and catered mostly for serious users. Its acronym has never been satisfactorily explained.

As well as a (more or less) regular magazine, WACCI also provided a PD library (of mostly CP/M software) and a 'homebrew' library. Some of the CPC's best writers, such as [[Auntie John]], were contributors to early WACCIs. However, the decline in serious use of the CPC inevitably led to a petering out of publication. The last issue was summer 2003, issue 140.

== WACCI editors ==

* [[Jeff Walker]]
* [[Steve Williams]]
* [[Clive Bellaby]]
* [[Paul Dwerryhouse]]
* [[Philip diRichleau]]
* [[John Bowley]]
* [[Dave Stitson]]
* [[ChaRleyTroniC|Richard Fairhurst]]

== Web links ==

* [http://www.wacci.org.uk WACCI homepage]