Wandering around AROS...

This is my blog regarding my experience towards AROS and what I've contributed so far to help the OS that truly represents the AmigaOS spirit going beyond it.


AROS.ORG

AROS-EXEC

AROS World

 Quick Links
Mensagens anteriores
  • New update on the AROS MANUALS!
  • AROS is now trully multiplatform...
  • Too busy... Help wanted!
  • AROS readable docs
  • AROS WEB TRAVEL IN LIGHT SPEED...
  • Aros User Manuals on SHOW...
  • Been busy but AROS is moving...
  • No Hype!
  • Documenting the Amigaguide docs...
  • AROS Documentation

Arquivos
  • Dezembro 2007
  • Fevereiro 2008
  • Março 2008
  • Junho 2008
  • Julho 2008

   New update on the AROS MANUALS!
 
We got a new guy in town - Peter Hutchison - and he's the responsible for the updated versions of the AROS Shell and Install Manuals.

While the Shell manual has just some minor revisions, the Install manual nears completion, adding important info such as installing AROS alongside Windows and similar OS'es.

He's still getting the hangs of it, but I believe that in my absence he will keep the manuals going.

Maybe with the help of Michal Schulz it could be added some important issues on the specificness of SAM440 AROS and the install and use of it... Maybe minor but important additions, never the less!...

Segunda-feira, 28 de Julho de 2008

   AROS is now trully multiplatform...
 
While I've been extremely busy (work/study/family stuff...) I do track the AROS news from afar...

The latest news required me to update my blog. So here's my entry on the latest developments...

SAM440ep shipped with AROS
Ladies and Gentleman, the AROS is now released with hardware! The SAM440ep is being offered at a new price (around 300 Euros) and is being shipped with AROS Live CD (Work of Dr. Michal Schulz).

Of course, if the ACube Systems team wants more it will require to work on a appropriate DISTRO, with custom imagery and the likes to promote it's product for the AmigaOS loving community, a bit like VMWaros...

Sexta-feira, 25 de Julho de 2008

   Too busy... Help wanted!
 
I'm afraid that my life is taking a turn for the worst and my (very few!) free time has to used for other important tasks.

So what about AROS USER MANUALS?

Well, i won't be able to update them at least until 2009.

As for AROS... Well here's how it's going:
Work on efika and SAM400ppc is still undergoing, and going very well.
A lot of important internal and core elements of the AROS are progressing in normal pace...
AROS is picking up steam with VMWAROS distro, and some hefty press coverage, but there's been a lot of setbacks too...
First UAE integration wasn't finished and no word has heard from it until deadline.
Second the Traveller WEB Browser (based on Webkit) went to a stall, when the programmer started to have some personal issues to solve (I do understand...).

So some of the most visible and prominent projects are at a stand still.

Still there's a lot that AROS has to offer. Let's just keep our fingers crossed, and try to contribute as most as we can for AROS...

Speaking of which, if you have some free time, good knowledge of Amiga and AROS and have some good skills in using M$Word just drop-me an email and help-me in updating the AROS USER MANUALS... (hardwired ( at ) xsairsoft ( dot ) com - SPAM not welcomed!

Quarta-feira, 18 de Junho de 2008

   AROS readable docs
 
Again my thoughts go to AROS document reading capability...
As I've read the AROS-EXEC thread Port TeX I was reminded a subject present with AROS manuals, the only format that is readable is not supported in AROS (PDF).
A good form of support would be a PDF datatype, but unfortunately that would require to rewrite the all datatype library from scratch (not to mention the datatype itself) - but I'm getting away from the subject.

In fact the manuals themselves are not written in any AROS app - until recently there wasn't even TeX, let alone any Word processing or similar type tool.

I've already dwell ed with AmigaGuide, but although they can offer some form of shell documentation or help online, it's not what I had in mind for the AROS USER MANUALS.

At this stage it might not be very important since most people run AROS in hosted systems. But to be self sufficient the AROS has to encounter some modern days common apps. And not just for the manuals, but in a increasingly manner every technical resource is being made available through PDF type files.

As for AROS manuals - hmmm... I will go on trying other forms.

Quarta-feira, 5 de Março de 2008

   AROS WEB TRAVEL IN LIGHT SPEED...
 
Traveling the WEB with AROS is a near soon reality (pun intended) - thanks to ROB. It's latest entry in his blog includes a early demo of the WebKit in action.

So in the network front AROS will soon become a common reality - TCP/IP stack / FTP / IRC / Mail client are already available. One would think that AROS is nearly ready to replace you current Os in your machine. Well... That's a different story!...

I'm afraid some important missing aspects of AROS are still plaguing it, namely:
- the Wanderer is still lacking some features and needs some serious bug-fixing;
- lack of printer device for printing support and postscript support;
- lack of full USB support of disk devices (such as USB pendisks and Cameras...).

Other missing items (not so important include):
- lack of datatypes (animation, modern document file types and so on);
- lack of usb audio support (as well as other common boards).

So while in some fronts the AROS seems to get ahead it's father OS in other simple but important areas is behind. While this is daunting, it poses a serious question to some developpers such as ROB, Michal Schulz, and others supporting the fork option - What priority is to be given to different tasks ahead?

Of course most of the current users will not replace their current OS, but most likely try to accommodate both OS'es (or more). But I believe that one has to think development of an OS should be to turn it as independent as possible from others.
In that field I totally agree with ROB, let's not make a Linux Clone - let's "supplant Linux".
As such the AROS has to be fully I/O capable regarding all common available devices and platforms.

Well that's my lousy opinion and It doesn't count for much as I haven't wrote a single line of AROS code. And like they say: "Opinions are like arses - everyone has one..."

On a diferent front I uploaded the manuals to AROS-Archives: http://archives.aros-exec.org/
The manuals can be downloaded on the Documents/manuals/ category.

Also I've uploaded a small update of the user manual, 0.56 which adds a few appendixes and adds more info on the AROS customization.
I'm hoping to have some time free near to review and update the manuals. Hopefully soon I'll add a more specific network and PPC support...

Segunda-feira, 3 de Março de 2008

   Aros User Manuals on SHOW...
 
As I didn't spend much time in updating this blog, I've totally forgotten about AROS-SHOW from Paul J. Beel news about the AROS USER MANUALS. The AROS Show is probably the best advertising and PR site available in the WEB and it's author is actively supporting AROS and it's applications - now the AROS USER MANUALS that I started are the news.
Believe it or not this is one of downsides of AROS - the lack of good documentation. And with new features (and maybe the fork) custom AROS manuals are required - it's just not a matter of using the Amiga ones.

Also newcomer to AROS Vikram Upparpalli is willing to lay his hands on these messy e-books, so we just may start having more updated user documentation. Let's just hope that between me and him things start to shape up.

AROS SHOW site is available at:
http://arosshow.blogspot.com/

Terça-feira, 19 de Fevereiro de 2008

   Been busy but AROS is moving...
 
All right so I've been trying to find some time to update the AROS manuals but work seem's to take the best of me.

Right now they're available for download on:
AROS User Manual (50% complete):
http://www.mediafire.com/?2wyfczygxvt
AROS Shell: Manual (70% complete):
http://www.mediafire.com/?ezgcp2bot9p
AROS Install Manual (25% complete):
http://www.mediafire.com/?ey1mnggbtjt

I've being considering reviving some old Amiga projects of mine, such as AGeo-CAD, but time doesn't seem right - so I'll take a rain check and stick to what time affords me to do.

On AROS front things are moving, but I have to admit that I'm a little concerned about the fork option proposed by ROB. He also has the support of Michal Schulz, so to tell the truth when two of the most prestigious developpers "team up" in such effort it pretty much defines the AROS heading.

I agree with the principle of their intentions - the AROS requires more ambitious and modern guidelines, but I do not see the real need to completely break the 3.1 source-code backwards compatibility.

Anyway, if it remains the Amiga structure, feel and spirit, I'm all in favor of getting AROS the all modern OS features and settings. Amiga and AmigaOS was a revolution in home computer market, just getting AmigaOS 3.1 compatibility alone just won't simply do it anymore.

Of course I still hope to load AROS on my Compaq laptop with 4 gb hard drive and 32 mb ram, and actually be usable, (that's something I would not do with any other modern OS.) as well loading into any Next generation Intel or PPC machine and zoom along.

Also congratulations for Alain G. for finishing it's AROS TEX port - still beta at this stage - hope to have more bounties from you!

Segunda-feira, 18 de Fevereiro de 2008