@DATABASE Rainboot2.guide @AUTHOR "Kimmo Pekkola 'Rainman' & Andreas Falkenhahn" @$VER: Rainboot2.guide 2.0 (26.6.99) @INDEX Main @NODE Main "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- -= @{B}@{FG highlight}R A I N B O O T 2@{FG text}@{UB} =- - The Ultimate Multimedia Boot - -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- @{" Read Me First " LINK First} Please read this! @{" Copyright " LINK Copyright} The boring stuff. @{" Shareware " LINK Shareware} Rainboot is Shareware now! @{" Registration " LINK Registration} How can I register and what does it cost? @{" Registration Form " LINK Form} Print it and fill it out. @{" Background " LINK Background} Why you should register Rainboot! @{" Introduction " LINK Introduction} What is it anyway? @{" Requirements " LINK Requirements} What does it need to work? @{" Installation " LINK Installation} Now with a script! @{" Using Rainboot2 " LINK Usage} All you ever wanted to know... @{" Configuration " LINK Prefs} How can I make my own config? @{" The GUI " LINK GUI} Rainboot has a GUI now. @{" The ARexx " LINK Arexx} The port to outside world. @{" Additional Tools " LINK Tools} The tools supplied in the Tools drawer. @{" Democonfigs " LINK Demo} The supplied Democonfigurations. @{" Misc things " LINK Misc} comp.sys.amiga.rainboot @{" History " LINK History} What has happened earlier? @{" ToDo " LINK ToDo} What to expect in the future? @{" Thanks " LINK Thanks} Some thanks and greetings @{" Credits " LINK Credits} Who is behind all this? -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- Copyright © 1996-99 @{"Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" LINK Credits} All rights reserved -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- @ENDNODE @NODE First "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Rainboot 2.61 Newsflash@{ub} NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.6`s @{"news" LINK Fb}! NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.5`s @{"news" LINK Fa}! NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.42`s @{"news" LINK F}! NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.41`s @{"news" LINK Fi}! NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.4`s @{"news" LINK Fir}! NOTE: You may also read Rainboot 2.3`s @{"news" LINK Firs}! Salve! This is a minor update of Rainboot with some important bugfixes. The RTG support did not work in version 2.6. If you have not downloaded version 2.6 read the newsflash of version 2.6 either!! Greetings, Andreas @ENDNODE @NODE Fb "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Hi! Welcome to a new version of your favourite bootpic viewer Rainboot2 ;-) This version has some great new things and I hope that they work on every system because this version hasn`t been bug tested extensivly. There may be some problems with the new features and especially with the RBSSAdder... I`m really not sure if all works like it should. Well, you will see... If you have problems please don`t hesitate to contact me and I`ll try to fix them as soon as possible. Some poeple have reported Enforcer hits when using Rainboot and MagicMenu beta 2.25. I also tried it and got the same hits but I cannot fix this problem, because it seems that MagicMenu wants to patch OS functions at the same time Rainboot wants to set them back because they have been patched by Rainboot. But there`s a solution for this problem: Set the start priority of MagicMenu to a very low number (-300 or so) and the priority of Rainboot2 to a very high number. Then they won`t conflict with each other. Thanks to Michael Krüger for this hint. The major new features of this version are a GUI, copper rainbow support & the possibility to use Rainboot2 as a login tool. There are also alot of other improvements, look them up in the @{"history" LINK History}. The support for Copper rainbows has only been tested on AGA not on ECS but it should work on ECS either. Let me know if it doesn`t. Using Rainboot as login tool is quite a bit complicated but not very hard to do. You should have a look at the two examples in the Configs drawer. The Cloudboot one is very impressive! Version 2.6 also introduces displaying configurations in a Workbench window. This is of course not meant to be used during booting. It`s only some kind of 'show'....For the window option you will need guigfx.library and render.library and therefore at least OS3.0. The window mode is still under construction. Only the background picture will be remapped to the Workbench`s palette therefore brushes and animbrushes won`t look very good. Some features are not possible in window mode either. Okay, if you haven`t already registered Rainboot, please do so NOW! The fee is really cheap. Some words about the Airsoft Softwair Homepage: You might have wondered why there have been no updates for the last month. Well, the point is, that webset.de has some problems with their server and I`m not able to update the page. The problem should be fixed very soon. BTW: And don`t wonder if you do not see the nerv requester anymore, it isn`t there. Only the mouse will be locked as registration reminder! Enjoy Rainboot and wish me luck (yes I really need some good luck these days)! Thanks in advance, Andreas SOFTWARE FAILURE/AIRSOFT SOFTWAIR Andreas Falkenhahn An der Trift 2 36132 Eiterfeld-Arzell Germany E-Mail: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de WWW: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de @ENDNODE @NODE Fa "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Hi! I can finally present you the long awaited major update of Rainboot2: The version 2.5. I made really a lots of additions to Rainboot and I also finished the first version of the RCC (Rainboot Config Creator). As you may already have noticed, Rainboot is Shareware now. Read @{"here" link Background} why. But don`t worry, registration is cheap, see the actual prices @{"here" link Registration}. I hope you register because Rainboot and the RCC mean a hell of work for me! If you register you will get: · your personal Rainboot keyfile · your personal authorized version of the RCC · a big documentation (german + english) Please show me your support and register! And don`t use cracked versions! With your registration Rainboot will have a bright future. Rainboot 2.5 is a big update, see the @{"history" link History} to see what has exactly changed! Although this version has been extensively bug tested you can prepare for some bugfixed releases the next days... Big thanks to my great RCC Beta testers Trevor Morris and Marco De Vitis. Okay, now have fun with this version, send me feedback and register! Have a nice day, Andreas Andreas Falkenhahn (Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair), Coder, http://airsoft.home.pages.de, Powered up with Amiga 1200T/040 @ENDNODE @NODE F "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Hi! Again a small update with important bugfixes. Check out the history to see what has changed.... BTW: Send me your Rainboot configs and I will make them available for download on my homepage! BTW2: Hello Mike Carter! You sent me about 3 or 4 emails and I replied to them but I got an error message from the Mail Delivery Service of your Interner provider!? Give me a valid email address and I send the answers again... Greetings, Andreas email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair, Coder WWW: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de A1200/040T, 40mhz, 2.0GB HD, 18MB Ram, 33.600 Modem "Windows95 is bug free" Bill Gates in `95...."We fixed over 5000 bugs since the release of Win95" Bill Gates in`98 "AMiGA iS BACK......BACK FOR THE FUTURE!", Pedro Tyschtschenko on the Theme of Amiga CD @ENDNODE @NODE Fi "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Hi! This is a small update of Rainboot. The most important new things are bugfixes: * Enforcer hits fixed * ScreenTab and MCP problem solved There`re also some new things: * removed automatic CyberGraphX recognition due to massive requests. Add the argument RTG now if you want to switch to RTG mode which works with CyberGraphX and Picasso96 * added new command %Z which displays the used RTG system I did also some other small changes but these weren`t such important things. And....the Rainboot Mailing list is no longer available. Sorry! Greetings, Andreas email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair, Coder WWW: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de A1200/040T, 40mhz, 2.0GB HD, 18MB Ram, 33.600 Modem "Windows95 is bug free" Bill Gates in `95...."We fixed over 5000 bugs since the release of Win95" Bill Gates in`98 "AMiGA iS BACK......BACK FOR THE FUTURE!", Pedro Tyschtschenko on the Theme of Amiga CD @ENDNODE @NODE Fir "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Rainboot 2.4 Newsflash@{ub} Hi all! I can finally present you the new version 2.4 of Rainboot. This version is a major update! Check the @{"history" LINK History} to see what has changed. I really got alot of feedback for the last version of Rainboot. Thanks! I see that Rainboot is a very popular program and that animates me to continue developing it. I added alot of new features to this version. Okay, what else to say.... 1) There`s now a @{"Rainboot Mailinglist" link List}. See you soon on it! 2) If you create configs yourself why not upload them to Aminet or send them to me? Many people complained about the lack of configs available - publish your own ones! But read @{"here" LINK Publish} first please. 3) The Rainboot Config Creator (a tool that allows you to create your configurations very easy with a GUI) is 50% finished. I hope to include it in Rainboot 2.5. 4) I added many new features to Rainboot so there may be more or less bugs. I`m sure there are some so that the next update isn`t far away. But it will be Rainboot 2.4x then and not Rainboot 2.5. So get ready for some update the next days! 5) This version features support for Player61 modules. You can get Player61 from Aminet (mus/misc). The Player61 can pack your modules really good: Here`s an example: MOD.Changes -> Original Protracker Length = 808162 KByte --- Player61 Length = 358919 KByte. That`s a bit different, eh? 6) Rainboot now recognizes if CyberGraphX is installed and then switches to CyberGraphX mode. If you do not use CGX and you get corrupt display check if libs:cybergraphics.library is present. If yes delete it then it will work. Maybe some other program installed the library on your system. 7) If you already installed Rainboot in your S:Startup-Sequence without supplying a modeid number you need to add the argument NOREQ - otherwise you`ll see the screenmode requester popup at every bootup. If you have the CGFX argument in your Startup-Sequence remove it also - because it`s no more available (see point 6) Yo! That should do it, have fun with this version and send me feedback, Greets, Andreas email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair, Coder WWW: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de A1200/040T, 40mhz, 2.0GB HD, 18MB Ram, 33.600 Modem "Windows95 is bug free" Bill Gates in `95...."We fixed over 5000 bugs since the release of Win95" Bill Gates in`98 "AMiGA iS BACK......BACK FOR THE FUTURE!", Pedro Tyschtschenko on the Theme of Amiga CD @ENDNODE @NODE GUI "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}The GUI (Graphical User Interface)@{ub} Starting with version 2.6 Rainboot comes with a GUI. It`ll pop up if no arguments were specified. There are several possibilities to do in the GUI: @{"Open " LINK GUIOpen} @{"Display " LINK GUIDisplay} @{"Options " LINK GUIOptions} @{"About " LINK GUIAbout} @{"Quit " LINK GUIQuit} @ENDNODE @NODE GUIOpen "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Open@{ub} If you press this button an ASL file requester will be opened, asking you for a configuration to load in memory. @ENDNODE @NODE GUIDisplay "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Display@{ub} If you press this button, the configuration which is currently in memory will be displayed. Before you press this button you need to have a config loaded. @ENDNODE @NODE GUIOptions "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Options@{ub} If you press this button another window will open and allow you to set some different options: Screenmode: This can either be 'Best possible' or an other, user defined screenmode. It`s recommended that you use 'Best possible' because that selects the best screenmode for nearly every configuration. GFX mode: This can be ECS/OCS/AGA or RTG. Normally you should use ECS/OCS/AGA here, only if you have a graphic board you need to use RTG. If you select the 'Public screen' checkmark, Rainboot will open a public screen instead of a custom one. @ENDNODE @NODE GUIAbout "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}About@{ub} This will display some information about Rainboot. @ENDNODE @NODE GUIQuit "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Quit@{ub} Hmm, what might this button do? @ENDNODE @NODE Tools "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Tools@{ub} I added several useful tools to the Rainboot archive which should help you to get Rainboot working as easy as possible. The following tools are currently available: GetModeID: A tiny program which opens a screenmode requester and lets you select a screenmode. After that it displays the modeid of that screenmode which you can use with Rainboot of course. If you want to open a hires 640x256 screen and you don`t know the modeid, you`ll have to start GetModeID and select that screenmode. GetModeID will display now the screenmodeid for the selected screenmode, which is 167936 in this case. If you start Rainboot now and add the argument MODEID 167936, Rainboot will open a hires screen for you. LoginMaker: This is a small program I wrote to let the users easily define their own login/password connection. If you`re starting this program the first time you can define the login and password you want. Attention: If you`ve already created a login/password connection and you would like to change it you`ll have to enter your old login & password to get access to change the login/password. You can only use one login and password connection. This connection will be used then by every Rainboot config which supports login. RainCreator: This is a tool by Oliver Michel which allows you to create copper rainbows easily. The rainbows saved by RainCreator can be used with Rainboot`s %COPPER keyword. Some examples of such files are in the Configs drawer. They`re used by the Copper demo config. Have a look at the @{"original documentation" link RainCreator} for RainCreator. RBSSAdder: A really cool program by me :-) This program adds Rainboot2 automatically to your S:Startup-Sequence and it does even more: It changes your whole Startup-Sequence to work best with Rainboot. Of course a backup of your old Startup-Sequence will be made because I`m not sure if it`ll work on every system. RBSSAdder is integrated in the installation. It can detect if there`s already a Rainboot in your Startup-Sequence with the SEARCH argument. If Rainboot is already present RBSSAdder will change the current Rainboot line instead of creating a new one. You will most likely use RBSSAdder only during the installation. @ENDNODE @NODE RainCreator "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}RainCreator Documentation@{ub} RainCreator V1.0 (w) & (c) 1997 by Oliver Michel. All rights reserved. This is freeware. If you use this RainCreator for commercial products you should send me a little fee ($5-$10),please. CONTROL: With the optional parameter OCS you can switch to the OCS/ECS mode. The palette has than only 4096 colors available. YOU MUST USE THE OCS PARAMETER IF YOU DONT HAVE THE AGA-CHIP OR IF YOU ARE IN OCS/ECS-MODE OR WANT USE THE OCS/ECS MODE. rainbow - open the rainbow-editor info - show information PAL - select PAL-screen (usefull with `show`) rainbow-editor: Left MOUSE button - set the left current line Right MOUSE button - set the right current line The spread-function will use the range between this two lines. Select the LEFT or the RIGHT line with CURSOR LEFT/RIGHT or the button L/R. With CURSOR UP/DOWN you can move up/down the current line. load - load the palette from a picture/palette (IFF of course) save - save the palette (IFF) show - remove the windows to see the rainbow in his full power. copy - copy the RGB-value from the current line to the other spred - spread the colors betwenn the left and the right line. swap - swap the RGB-values. That`s all folks. Let`s rain. -- Oliver Michel Uhlandstr.24 01069 Dresden GERMANY (email: htw7194@informatik.htw-dresden.de) @ENDNODE @NODE Shareware "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Shareware@{ub} From Version 2.50 Rainboot is a Shareware program. That means that if you`re using it often you`ve to register it. If you register Rainboot, you`ll receive the following extra-goodies for the perfect usage of Rainboot: · your personal Rainboot keyfile which switches the boring nervrequester off and enables some other nice features · your personal version of RCC (Rainboot Config Creator). With this tool you can create your configuration very easy with a nice GUI and much features: Do your own boot shows now! · a big documentation for Rainboot and RCC in german and english See @{"here" link Registration} for details on how you can register Rainboot! See @{"here" link Background} if you don`t know why you should register Rainboot! @ENDNODE @NODE Registration "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright @ 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Registration@{ub} Registering isn`t expensive at all: Everyone can afford it! There are two different ways of registering: a) E-Mail Registration E-Mail Registration means that you`ll receive your full version of Rainboot per e-Mail. That doesn`t cost me any shipping fees so you have to pay only 10 DM (Deutsche Mark) or $8 US-Dollar for an e-Mail Registration! b) Snail Mail Registration Snail Mail Registration means that I`ll put your full version on a disk together with the latest (Beta-) Version of Rainboot and send it to you in an envelope per post. This costs me some extra fees like stamps, disk etc. so you have to pay inside Europe 15 DM (Deutsche Mark) or $12 US-Dollar. In the rest of the world you have to pay 20 DM (Deutsche Mark) or $15 US-Dollar. I`m sorry, but the post service here in Germany is really expensive !! If you`ve decided which way of registration you are going to take, print the @{"Registration form" link Formular}, fill it out, put it in an envelope with the money and send it to: Andreas Falkenhahn An der Trift 2 36132 Eiterfeld-Arzell GERMANY After I`ve received your registration I`ll immediately send you your personal Rainboot2 full version! Some additional information: - If you haven`t got a printer you may also send the money without the @{"Registration form" link Form} but only if you really haven`t got any possibility to print it out! But don`t forget to note if you want the full version per e-mail or snail mail then! And don`t forget your address and signature! - If you send cheques please attend that they`re payable in Germany either! - Please don`t send me money in any exotic currencies which I can`t transfer to my bank account! Please send DM (Deutsche Mark) and US-Dollar only. Thank you. @ENDNODE @NODE Background "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Background@{ub} I spent alot of my free time on continue programming Rainboot, other students of my age take part-time jobs to get some money, I do some programming on my favourite computer: Amiga! But if I do not make some money I cannot continue programming and have also to take a part-time job! So show me your support and register Rainboot! If you register you`ll get your personal Rainboot keyfile and some extra goodies. See @{"here" link Registration} for prices and information on how to register. If you register you support the future of Rainboot - and it will be bright! There are alot of features to add! And registering is really not expensive: Everybody can afford it! @{"Register" link Registration} now. @ENDNODE @NODE Form "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Rainboot2 - The Ultimate Multimedia Boot Registrationformular Surname/name: _______________________________________________________________ Street: _____________________________________________________________________ Adress: _____________________________________________________________________ Country: ____________________________________________________________________ Phonenumber (optional) ______________________________________________________ E-Mail(s): __________________________________________________________________ Homepage: ___________________________________________________________________ I own the following computers: () A500 () A600 () A1000 () A1200 () A1500 () A2000 () A3000 () A4000 () CDTV () CD32 () A2500 () ATARI () MAC () C64 () PC () _____ with memory: Chip RAM: __________ Fast RAM: __________ Processor: 680_0 __mhz Coprocessor: () yes () no PPC: 60_e ___mhz Kickstart/Workbench: () 1.2 () 1.3 () 2.0 () 3.0 () 3.1 () ___.___ I wanna get the keyfile: () per E-mail () per Snail Mail Used Rainboot Version: V__.___ I`m a member of a user-group () yes () no Name:_______________________ I got Rainboot from: _______________________________________________________ Error Reports/Bugs/Suggestions: ____________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ ____________________________________________________________________________ Please register me and send the full version incl. all extra-goodies to me. I know that it is forbidden to spread the full version. ______________________________ _____________________ Signature Date @ENDNODE @NODE Publish "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Publishing Rainboot2 Configurations@{ub} Here is some important information if you want to upload your own configurations to Aminet or releasing them to the public: 1) You should always let the files load from the current directory. For example if you specify the following as background picture: %BGPIC = dh3:GFX/Pictures/IFF/MyCoolBoot.iff And then someone tries to run the config - now the error message "Cannot load dh3:GFX/Pictures/IFF/MyCoolBoot.iff" appears, because this directory does only exist on your system! But if you do something like that: %BGPIC = MyCoolBoot.iff And you copy MyCoolBoot.iff to the directory where the config is located. Now all works right. You should do this with all other filenames too. Otherwise the user who wants to try out your config will get problems. 2) It would also good to create some icon which the user only has to doubleclick and then Rainboot starts. See the Configs/ drawer...there`re such scripts. Many users hate it, when they cannot start configs via doubleclick (I`m speaking from experience) 3) And you should give the user some information where he can get Rainboot from. 4) If you are using own fonts in your boot configuration don`t forget to include them because the user might not have them. He needs to copy the fonts to his local FONTS: too. But you can also let your script do that ! Okay, this were only some hint if you publish your configuration. You need not to do it like that - but it`s advised to do so :) @ENDNODE @NODE List "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Introduction@{ub} Finally, there`s now an own mailinglist for Rainboot 2. If you are using Rainboot and you are interested in some discussion about it you can subscribe the list! @{b}How to subscribe the list@{ub} You can subscribe the official Rainboot2 Mailinglist at http://rainboot.listbot.com or at our homepage :) If you want to send emails to the list then, send them to: rainboot@listbot.com You need to be a member of the mailinglist to send messages to that address! Everybody can subscribe the list if he wants to! @{b}Why I did setup this mailinglist@{ub} As you all know...the future of Rainboot depends on you..the users of it. The mailinglist is there to discuss about Rainboot. That means: * discuss about suggestions of possible new features * report bugs / test beta versions * discuss about things in Rainboot that you like / don`t like * and more of course For example: I have an idea of a new feature in Rainboot. Now I`ll ask on the mailinglist if this feature would be necessary or not. There`re alot of things to talk about. See you soon on the list! @ENDNODE @NODE RST "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Random Startup@{ub} Random Startup is another program written by me. It is useful in combination with Rainboot 2 so I present it here in the documentation. Random Startup allows you to select a random startup-sequence to boot. So you can use it if you want to have more than one boot configurations with Rainboot 2. But you need to setup a new startup-sequence for every bootup. But that`s not difficult, simply copy the startup-sequence and then change only the Rainboot 2 line. You can Random Startup at Aminet in util/boot. Or on our homepage of course !! @ENDNODE @NODE Demo "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Democonfigs@{ub} I supplied some Democonfigs in the Configs/ drawer: Demo: This configuration demonstrates the powerful features in a simple demo. It is not meant to use as a boot configuration. It only demonstrates the features of Rainboot 2. Cloudboot: A great configuration to use as a boot configuration. This is an example how your bootup can look soon. Check it out! In Rainboot v2.6 there`re two different versions of Cloudboot in the archive: One which does all automatically and one which uses the login features of Rainboot. Note: Cloudboot is not included in every Rainboot distribution due to its size. You can download it from Aminet in pix/boot/CloudBoot.lha CopperDemo: A demonstration of Rainboot`s support for Copper rainbows. Doesn`t it look amazing? Cycle: That`s a really small example but have a look at it. It looks great and was done in 5 minutes :-) SimpleLogin: An example how to create an easy login sequence with Rainboot. Have a look at it. Window: Demonstrates the WINDOW argument of Rainboot. Feel free to modify these configurations for your personal needings. They were done only for you :) You can get more configurations at the Airsoft Softwair Homepage: http://www.home.pages.de/~Airsoft. @ENDNODE @NODE Firs "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Read Me@{ub} It was in the end of 1997 when I read on Kimmo Pekkola`s Homepage, that he owned no longer an Amiga. He had to sell it. He wrote that he had to give up all his projects on Amiga within the great Rainboot 2. I asked him if I could continue the development of Rainboot and he send me the sources in return. That was in November 1997. I`m sorry, that I haven`t released a new version for the long time but I was too busy and I hope I can update the program now a bit. But there`s alot that depends on you now...at first I`m not sure if the program is used because it was not updated for such a long time (over a year now). If there`s enough interest on the program I {b}will{ub} continue programming it and finishing the new Rainboot Config Creator. So send me @{link Credits "Feedback"}. If I don`t get feedback I will not spend any more time on it :( I`m sorry, but I have to know that it`s used otherwise I don`t have to waste time with it. The future of Rainboot 2 depends on you. You can get the latest (Beta-) versions of Rainboot at the Airsoft Softwair Homepage www.airsoft.home.pages.de. Thank you for the feedback, Andreas @ENDNODE @NODE Copyright "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Copyright@{ub} Rainboot2 is Copyright (C) 1996-99 by Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn This software package is freely distributable. Everybody can copy it but if it`s published on a Cover CD/Disk the author would like to get a free copy of the magazine. Thank you! The programs are provided "as-is" and the author can not be made responsible of ANY possible harm done by them. No changes may be made to the programs without the permission of the author. Mallander Software and Patrick Palowski are not allowed to distribute this program. If you like this program and want it's development to continue, why not drop me a mail or postcard and tell me what great (or lousy :-( ) job I am doing. Disclaimer ========== THERE IS NO WARRANTY FOR THE PROGRAM, TO THE EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW. EXCEPT WHEN OTHERWISE STATED IN WRITING THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER AND/OR OTHER PARTIES PROVIDE THE PROGRAM "AS IS" WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. THE ENTIRE RISK AS TO THE QUALITY AND PERFORMANCE OF THE PROGRAM IS WITH YOU. SHOULD THE PROGRAM PROVE DEFECTIVE, YOU ASSUME THE COST OF ALL NECESSARY SERVICING, REPAIR OR CORRECTION. IN NO EVENT UNLESS REQUIRED BY APPLICABLE LAW OR AGREED TO IN WRITING WILL ANY COPYRIGHT HOLDER, OR ANY OTHER PARTY WHO MAY REDISTRIBUTE THE PROGRAM AS PERMITTED ABOVE, BE LIABLE TO YOU FOR DAMAGES, INCLUDING ANY GENERAL, SPECIAL, INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE PROGRAM (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA OR DATA BEING RENDERED INACCURATE OR LOSSES SUSTAINED BY YOU OR THIRD PARTIES OR A FAILURE OF THE PROGRAM TO OPERATE WITH ANY OTHER PROGRAMS), EVEN IF SUCH HOLDER OR OTHER PARTY HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. @ENDNODE @NODE Introduction "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Introduction@{ub} Rainboot2 is a picture-viewer like program which is meant to show a picture while booting. But it actually is more than that. With Rainboot2 you can write your configuration on the screen, play samples and many more. No other program comes even close with the features that Rainboot2 has. If you want to have "the ultimate Multimedia boot" then Rainboot is your choice! Here are just some of them: · Shows IFF-ILBM pictures. All AGA modes are supported but HAM is not recommended as it messes up with the text output and the fades. · Writes configuration (and more) on screen while loading. · Plays normal IFF-8SVX and RAW samples of any length. · Loads the pics, fonts and samples before continues with the startup. · Forces WB to open behind Rainboot2. · Centres mouse pointer at the exit. · Different configs can be selected with mousebuttons. · Real time updated clock to display the current time. · Fade in and out with WB colors also. · Is able to do fades during the script either. · Port to outside world via arexx. · IFF-ILBM brushes can be displayed while booting. · Can erase parts of the screen (i.e. copy the original bg over the text). · Progressbar to show the time that booting takes. · It plays Protracker, Player61 and even cool THX Modules. · No limits with fonts/samples/brushes/fades/erases/scrolls/volumes. · Works with CyberGraphics and Picasso96! · Wildcard support! · Color cycling. · Can show ANIM brushes! · It is able to display different graphically effects while booting. · Scrolling of pictures is possible · Global enviromental variables can be used as text. · It has a nice GUI for easily creating own configurations · Copper Rainbows can be displayed while booting · You can also use it as login tool · Comes with a big documentation and alot of democonfigurations · It`s Shareware: But don`t worry registration is @{"cheap" link Registration} · And much more! There are also two example configs in the Configs drawer. The @{FG highlight}Demo.config@{FG text} is just a small demo of some of the features. The @{FG highlight}Cloudboot.config@{FG text} is something you might use in your boot (note: Cloudboot is no longer included in the archive because it is too big. Download it from Aminet pix/boot/CloudBoot.lha or from our Homepage...but get it -> it`s great!) You can get alot of more configs on our Homepage: http://www.airsoft.home.pages.de. @ENDNODE @NODE Requirements "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Requirements@{ub} Rainboot2 should work with Kickstart 2.04 and higher. However Kickstart 3.0 or better and AGA chips are recommended. Rainboot2 needs at least the version 22+ of iff.library by Christian A. Weber. Version 23.2 is included with the Rainboot package. If you want to play protracker modules, you need ptreplay.library v4.0+ by Mattias Karlsson and Andreas Pålsson. The library is included with the Rainboot package. For Player61 modules you need player61.library v37+ by Petter E. Stokke. If you want to play THX modules you need thxplay.library v5.0+ by Dexter/Abyss. Both libraries are included in the Rainboot package. Rainboot2 uses also identify.library now, you can get the full identify package from Aminet. The library was done by Richard 'Shred' Körber. If you want to have configurations displayed in a Workbench window you`ll need guigfx.library and render.library in your libs:. They both need OS3.0+ so the WINDOW argument won`t work under 3.0 either. You can get those libraries from Aminet. To use the install-script you need the NewInstaller program which is available on Aminet (util/wb/NewInstaller.lha). Some extra memory and a HD would also be nice, although it is not necessary. Cybergraphics is now supported to some point. Check @{"Using Rainboot2" LINK Usage} for more info. I don't own a gfxboard so developing for one is a bit difficult. Anyway it works with cybergfx (or that's what I was told :). Picasso96 is also working. @ENDNODE @NODE Installation "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Installation@{ub} To install Rainboot2 just click on the install icon and follow the instructions. If you want to install it by hand, just copy Rainboot2 and Rainboot2.data somewhere in your path. Edit the example config if necessary and put Rainboot2 in your startup-sequence somewhere after the monitor drivers. You also need to put Rainboot in your WBstartup -drawer if your config doesn't have %Q -command at the end. During the installation you`ll be asked if you want Rainboot to be added to your S:Startup-Sequence. The Installer can do all the Startup-Sequence stuff for you, but it`s not fully tested! Well, that's it (more or less)! If you still have problems with installing Rainboot2 check @{"here" LINK StepByStep} for step by step installation guide and some example startup-sequences with Rainboot! @ENDNODE @NODE StepByStep "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Step By Step@{ub} Lets assume that you have a PAL monitor and that you have succesfully used the installer to install Rainboot2 for example in DH0:Utilities/ And you have made the full install (with both configs and all fonts). 1. Open your favorite texteditor and load s:startup-sequence. 2. Add the next line after the C:IPrefs command (it's rather long). @{FG highlight}DH0:Utilities/Rainboot/Rainboot2 >NIL: DH0:Utilities/Rainboot/Configs/Black&White.config MODEID 0x29004@{FG text} (use 0x19004 for NTSC) 3. Reset you Amiga. 4. If everything works you might want to move the above line towards the beginning of the file, so that Rainboot starts sooner. Do not move it above the c:Version >NIL: command! 5. If it still works you can check @{"Configuration" LINK Prefs} section to know how to create you personal boot screen. If you can`t get any graphics try to remove the >NIL: after Rainboot2 and look at what`s Rainboot saying as error message. Then look in the documentation what this message means in fact. If you still don't get it work, read this guide and try again. If it still refuses to work contact @{"me" LINK Credits} and I'll see what I can do. Example Startup-Sequences: @{"Example 1 (easy) " link Example1} @{"Example 2 (for advanced users)" link Example2} @ENDNODE @NODE Example1 "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Note: This is an easy example startup-sequence! The advantage is that is easy to copy but the disadvantage is that Rainboot is started very late...See the other example for a solution! --- begin S:Startup-Sequence --- ; $VER: Startup-Sequence_LD 40.3 (31.8.93) ; Startup-Sequence for low-density floppies C:SetPatch QUIET C:Version >NIL: C:AddBuffers >NIL: DF0: 15 FailAt 21 C:MakeDir RAM:T RAM:Clipboards RAM:ENV RAM:ENV/Sys C:Copy >NIL: ENVARC: RAM:ENV ALL NOREQ Resident >NIL: C:Assign PURE Resident >NIL: C:Execute PURE Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV Assign >NIL: T: RAM:T Assign >NIL: CLIPS: RAM:Clipboards Assign >NIL: REXX: S: Assign >NIL: PRINTERS: DEVS:Printers Assign >NIL: KEYMAPS: DEVS:Keymaps Assign >NIL: LOCALE: SYS:Locale Assign >NIL: LIBS: SYS:Classes ADD Assign >NIL: HELP: LOCALE:Help DEFER IF NOT EXISTS SYS:L Assign >NIL: L: Extras3.1:L DEFER EndIF IF NOT EXISTS SYS:Fonts Assign FONTS: EndIF BindDrivers C:Mount >NIL: DEVS:DOSDrivers/~(#?.info) IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly EndIF C:List >NIL: DEVS:Monitors/~(#?.info|VGAOnly) TO T:M LFORMAT "DEVS:Monitors/%s" Execute T:M C:Delete >NIL: T:M EndIF SetEnv Language "english" SetEnv Workbench $Workbench SetEnv Kickstart $Kickstart UnSet Workbench UnSet Kickstart C:AddDataTypes REFRESH QUIET IF "`C:Avail TOTAL`" GE "1250000" VAL C:LoadResource LIBS:diskfont.library LIBS:iffparse.library LIBS:asl.library LIBS:commodities.library C:IPrefs @{FG highlight}Rainboot2 dh0:Utilities/Rainboot2/Configs/MyBootup.config BESTFIT@{FG text} ; add this line IF NOT $Language EQ "english" CD LOCALE:Catalogs/$Language C:LoadResource Sys/workbench.catalog Sys/libs.catalog Sys/prefs.catalog Sys/commodities.catalog Sys/utilities.catalog CD SYS: EndIF Else C:IPrefs EndIF C:ConClip Path >NIL: RAM: C: SYS:Utilities SYS:Rexxc SYS:System S: SYS:Prefs SYS:WBStartup SYS:Tools SYS:Tools/Commodities IF EXISTS S:User-Startup Execute S:User-Startup EndIF Resident Execute REMOVE Resident Assign REMOVE C:LoadWB EndCLI >NIL: --- end S:Startup-Sequence --- The only thing I added to the startup-sequence was the line 'Rainboot2 dh0:Utilities/Rainboot2/Configs/MyBootup.config BESTFIT' after 'C:IPrefs'. You can do the same with your startup-sequence too but you need to replace 'dh0:Utilities/Rainboot2/Configs/MyBootup.config' with the path where your config is on your HD. For example 'dh2:Tools/Rainboot2/Configs/Cloudboot.config' or whatever. The BESTFIT argument tells Rainboot to use the best possible screenmode for the picture. You could also specify other arguments here aswell. See @{"here" link Usage} for the other possible arguments. @ENDNODE @NODE Example2 "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" Note: This is a bit more complicated. But no problem for a little bit advanced users. All modifications of mine are highlighted! The advantage of this example is that Rainboot is started very early and you can enjoy it nearly the whole of your boot process. The disadvantage is that this might not work with all monitors! --- begin S:Startup-Sequence --- ; $VER: Startup-Sequence_LD 40.3 (31.8.93) ; Startup-Sequence for low-density floppies C:SetPatch QUIET C:Version >NIL: @{FG highlight}C:MakeDir RAM:T RAM:Clipboards RAM:ENV RAM:ENV/Sys@{FG text} ; Rainboot needs these drawers so I moved this line to the top @{FG highlight}C:Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV@{FG text} ; Rainboot needs these assigns @{FG highlight}C:Assign >NIL: T: RAM:T@{FG text} ; and these either @{FG highlight}Rainboot2 dh0:Utilities/Rainboot2/MyBootup.config BESTFIT@{FG text} ; and this is our main line again C:AddBuffers >NIL: DF0: 15 FailAt 21 @{FG highlight};C:MakeDir RAM:T RAM:Clipboards RAM:ENV RAM:ENV/Sys@{FG text} ; I moved this line upwards so you can remove this line or comment it with a ';' like I did here C:Copy >NIL: ENVARC: RAM:ENV ALL NOREQ Resident >NIL: C:Assign PURE Resident >NIL: C:Execute PURE @{FG highlight};Assign >NIL: ENV: RAM:ENV@{FG text} ; This line is also no longer required @{FG highlight};Assign >NIL: T: RAM:T@{FG text} ; so is this Assign >NIL: CLIPS: RAM:Clipboards Assign >NIL: REXX: S: Assign >NIL: PRINTERS: DEVS:Printers Assign >NIL: KEYMAPS: DEVS:Keymaps Assign >NIL: LOCALE: SYS:Locale Assign >NIL: LIBS: SYS:Classes ADD Assign >NIL: HELP: LOCALE:Help DEFER IF NOT EXISTS SYS:L Assign >NIL: L: Extras3.1:L DEFER EndIF IF NOT EXISTS SYS:Fonts Assign FONTS: EndIF BindDrivers C:Mount >NIL: DEVS:DOSDrivers/~(#?.info) IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors IF EXISTS DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly DEVS:Monitors/VGAOnly EndIF C:List >NIL: DEVS:Monitors/~(#?.info|VGAOnly) TO T:M LFORMAT "DEVS:Monitors/%s" Execute T:M C:Delete >NIL: T:M EndIF SetEnv Language "english" SetEnv Workbench $Workbench SetEnv Kickstart $Kickstart UnSet Workbench UnSet Kickstart C:AddDataTypes REFRESH QUIET IF "`C:Avail TOTAL`" GE "1250000" VAL C:LoadResource LIBS:diskfont.library LIBS:iffparse.library LIBS:asl.library LIBS:commodities.library C:IPrefs IF NOT $Language EQ "english" CD LOCALE:Catalogs/$Language C:LoadResource Sys/workbench.catalog Sys/libs.catalog Sys/prefs.catalog Sys/commodities.catalog Sys/utilities.catalog CD SYS: EndIF Else C:IPrefs EndIF C:ConClip Path >NIL: RAM: C: SYS:Utilities SYS:Rexxc SYS:System S: SYS:Prefs SYS:WBStartup SYS:Tools SYS:Tools/Commodities IF EXISTS S:User-Startup Execute S:User-Startup EndIF Resident Execute REMOVE Resident Assign REMOVE C:LoadWB EndCLI >NIL: --- end S:Startup-Sequence --- Please read the text beneath the first example for some more infos. @ENDNODE @NODE Usage "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Using Rainboot2@{ub} Rainboot2 can be started and stopped from both WB and CLI. If there`s enough interest I can program a GUI for it. Or if there`s anyone who wants to do it contact @{link Credits "me"}. The template of Rainboot2 is: @{b}CONFIG,MODEID/N,LMB/K,RMB/K,MMB/K,RTG/S,BESTFIT/S,PUBLIC/S,DELAY/N,BBLANK/S,QUIET/S,WINDOW/S:@{ub} where @{b}CONFIG@{ub} is the name of config-file to be loaded. If you don`t specify this, an ASL requester pops up asking you for a config file to load. You can also specify wildcards here: Rainboot2 CONFIG dh0:Configs/#?.config would randomly choose one config file ending with .config from dh0:Configs as the boot config! @{b}MODEID@{ub} If you want to use different screenmodes you must supply the correct modeid number. Number can be DEC or HEX. Just add $ or 0x before the hexnumber. Check @{"Misc things" LINK Misc} for the most common modeids. You need to specify this otherwise a screenmode requester will pop up. Or specify NOREQ argument. @{b}LMB@{ub} If you push left mousebutton while booting a different config can be loaded. With some effort you can make a startup-selector with this and %RUN command. @{b}RMB@{ub} Same as above but with right button... @{b}MMB@{ub} ...and middle button. @{b}RTG@{ub} This switches the RTG mode on. Use this if you want to use Rainboot2 with CyberGraphX or Picasso96. Note: This argument was called CGFX in former versions but as its also compatible with Picasso96 it`s now called RTG. @{b}BESTFIT@{ub} If you set this argument no screenmode requester will be displayed. The best possible screenmode will be used then for the config. It`ll use BestModeID() to figure the modeid out! @{b}PUBLIC@{ub} If you set this tooltype, Rainboot2 will open its screen in public mode. That means that you can do various actions with the screen, windows can be opened on it and more. I don`t know if this is really useful but some people encouraged me to add this argument, so here is it! @{b}DELAY@{ub} If you want to have a delay after Rainboot is signalled to quit you need to supply an amount of ticks here. 50 ticks equals to 1 second. So if you want to have a delay of 5 seconds you need supply 250 ticks. @{b}BBLANK@{ub} If you set this argument the screenborder will be blanked to black. There are alot of other tools which do the same, but if you have an extra tool running to do this, you can remove it from your startup-sequence and add this argument to your Rainboot line. @{b}QUIET@{ub} This argument is useful if you quit Rainboot before Rainboot2 in WBStartup is started. If there`s no Rainboot running the filerequester would normally popup, but if you set this argument nothing will happen. @{b}WINDOW@{ub} If you specify this argument, the boot-configuration will be displayed in a window on your Workbench instead of opening an own screen. This is not meant to be used during booting. If you use this argument you will require guigfx.library and render.library in libs:. Those libraries require at least OS3.0 so the WINDOW argument will also work only under OS3.0 and up. Some Rainboot features do not work correctly in WINDOW mode. Brushes can be displayed but they won`t be remapped...This argument is still under construction! Use it carefully! If you run Rainboot2 again and the screen is still on, it closes the screen and exits. Otherwise Rainboot2 is started as usual. @ENDNODE @NODE Prefs "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Configuration@{ub} There`re two ways how to create your personal boot config: 1) The difficult way: Load a texteditor and edit your bootconfig by hand. 2) The easy way: Use the RCC (Rainboot Config Creator) and create your config very easy because RCC has a nice GUI and alot of other cool features! If you want to get the RCC you need to @{"register" link Registration}. The following documentation is only if you decided to create your config using the way #1. Read on then. The config is divided into two different parts: @{" Keywords " LINK Keywords} Things to do before starting @{" Commands " LINK Commands} Things to do while booting @ENDNODE @NODE Keywords "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Keywords@{ub} Here are all the keywords you can use. Please use full paths with the filenames. You can now use patterns as filenames for everything else but fonts. Like: %BGPIC=DH1:Pictures/#? This would randomly choose a file from DH1:Pictures as the background picture! @{b}/* @{FG fill}@{FG text} */@{ub} This indicates a comment. Keywords inside comments are not executed and nested comments work too. Note that you can't use comments after the %TEXT. You should use comments only at the start of the file. I think it`s not necessary to comment any other things, but that`s your choice. @{b}%ANIM = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays an anim-brush in the desired place. The can be NORMAL, PINGPONG, ONCE or WAIT. With WAIT you can use %A to start the animation which will be played only once. The anims use the same palette as the background picture and should have equal amount of planes to work correctly. Only IFF-ANIM brushes work, not the complite animations. Alternatively you can use CENTER as X or Y coordinate. This will center the anim then. E.G. %ANIM = 100/100/NORMAL/10/DH1:Pictures/Misc/Test.anim @{b}%BAR = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text})/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}WAIT@{FG text})@{ub} Creates a progressbar that displays the booting time. It can be horizontal or vertical (determined by the bigger width or height). If the is omitted an average time is calculated from the previous boots. The booting time is saved to a file which has the same name that the config has with @{FG highlight}.time@{FG text} added to the end. If you supply the , the file won't be created. The can be NORMAL which is the normal kind of bar, PLANE which only affects the planes selected with the or CYCLE which cycles between the colors selected with the and . The can be either TIME or EXEC. With TIME the bar increases by the clock and with EXEC the bar is increased everytime a program is executed (thanks to Tajti Attila for the idea). Note that you can't use SPEED and DEFTIME with the EXEC. The WAIT at the ends tells the bar not to start right away but to wait until %U comes in the %TEXT. As you probably are quite confused how the bar really works, just try out all the different variations. After all the worst thing it can do is to crash :) E.G. %BAR = 10/100/10/400/CYCLE/48/63/TIME/4/10/WAIT @{b}%BGPIC = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This is the background picture. You must always have this in your config, even if you want black screen you must create a black iff- picture. The screensize and number of colors are taken from the picture. E.G. %BGPIC = DH0:Pictures/Background.iff @{b}%BRUSH@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} The place and name of an iff-brush that can be shown during the boot. The brush uses the same palette as the bg-picture. Make sure that the brush fits to the screen and that it doesn't have more colors than the bg-picture. You can use %B in the %TEXT to display the desired brush. Alternatively you can use CENTER as X or Y coordinate: This will center the brush then horizontally and/or vertically. E.G. %BRUSH1 = 120/40/DH0:Pictures/TestBrush.iff @{b}%COPPER@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Defines a copper rainbow which can be displayed later with the %K command. The is a file that has been created by Raincreator which is storaged in Tools/. You can use up to 10 different copper rainbows. E.G. %COPPER1 = MyRainbow.iff @{b}%CYCLE = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Cycle the colors of the picture. is the index of the first color and is the last color. Indexing starts from 0. is the speed of cycling (higher number is slower). You can start the cycling of colors with the command %Z in the script. E.G. %CYCLE = 16/31/10 @{b}%ERASE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Inits an area that can be later cleared. It will not clear the background but all the texts and brushes disappear. The area can be erased with %E in the %TEXT. E.G. %ERASE64 = 100/10/200/100 @{b}%FADE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Inits a fade which can be started later. The is the speed of fading (higher number is slower fading). The is a hex number which consists of the amounts of red, green and blue. There must be '$' before the color. is either INFADE or OUTFADE. Guess what these to modes mean...Fades can be started during the config with %N. You can define as many fades as you want. @{b}%FADEIN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the bg-picture by fading it from the . The is the speed of fading (higher number is slower fading). The is a hex number which consists of the amounts of red, green and blue. There must be '$' before the color. E.G. %FADEIN = $FFFFFF/32 @{b}%FADEOUT = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub}(@{b}/@{FG fill}WB@{FG text}@{ub}) This is almost the same as the above, but this one fades the picture out after Rainboot2 exits. The WB tag is not necessary, but if it is there your workbench is faded as well. (This replaces the %$ command in the older versions.) E.G. %FADEOUT = $123456/10/WB @{b}%FONT@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} The name and size of a font that will be used. If no fonts are given topaz.font/8 is used. If there isn't a desired size the nearest one will be scaled. Colorfonts work also, but you must set the palette right. Fonts can be changed with %F in the %TEXT. E.G. %FONT1 = Times.font/24 @{b}%INFOVOL@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Select the volume that you want to display information with %I later in the %TEXT. E.G. %INFOVOL2 = Workbench: @{b}%LINE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Defines a line between X1:Y1 and X2:Y2 which can later be drawed with the %L command. You can set the pen and the speed either. For example if you want to define a line that will be drawn with the speed 5 and colour 10 from 0:0 to 320:0 you`ll have to use the following combination: E.G. %LINE1 = 0/0/320/0/10/5 @{b}%LOGIN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} If you set this keyword you can use Rainboot as a password tool. The parameter is a char which will be displayed for each char you enter from the password. So the password is not displayed! If you specify for example %LOGIN = * and you enter "amigarules" as password, Rainboot will only display "**********" instead of "amigarules". Before you can use this keyword you have to define a login/password connection with Rainboot`s LoginMaker which is storaged in Tools/. You can only use one login/password connection! You need to use the commands %LA, %LB und %WO to control your login sequence. @{b}%MODULE = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Name of the module that will be played while booting. The following module formats are currently supported: Protracker, Player61 and THX modules. Rainboot will automatically recognize which format your module is in. Note for Player61 modules: If you create a P61 module you need to activate the flag "Add P61A sign" in the prefs of Player61A. Otherwise it won`t work. E.G. %MODULE = DH2:Modules/mod.TestModule @{b}%RUN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Run a command. This one also takes scripts if you have protected the file with s-flag. Note that Rainboot doesn't exit before the command does. E.G. %RUN = "c:run c:enforcer >nil:" @{b}%SAMPLE@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Name of an IFF-sample that will be used later. Check @{" Commands " LINK Commands} -section to know how to use them. Samples can be of any size. But you can only use one sample over 128kb in size. Samples which are smaller than 128kb in size can be used unlimitedly. E.G. %SAMPLE1 = DH0:Samples/Humm.8svx @{b}%SCREENDOWN = @{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Scrolls the screen down after Rainboot2 exits. If you have selected %FADEOUT with WB-tag this one doesn't function. E.G. %SCREENDOWN = 10 @{b}%SCROLL@{FG fill}@{FG text} = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Here you can setup a scroll that can be started with %J in the config. The picture will be scrolled to the x-coordinate and to the y-coordinate . can be one of: NORMAL, MIDDLE, FAST and WARP. Where WARP is the fastest and NORMAL the slowest speed. The scroll direction is specified in . It can be LEFT or RIGHT. RIGHT will scroll the picture to the right and left to the....guess it !! Before you use this please note that if you want to scroll a picture the picture resolution has to be greater than the screen resolution. For example: You could scroll a 640x512 picture on a LoRes screen (320x256) 320 to the right and 256 to the bottom. If you open a HiRes screen (640x256) you could scroll it 256 to the bottom. Have a look at the examples for some demos. E.G. %SCROLL1 = 320/256/WARP/RIGHT @{b}%TEXT@{ub} This indicates the start of the text. Everything below are considered as a printable text, so you can't use keywords after this line (not even comments). @{b}%TIME = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}(/@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Coordinates to realtime updated clock. The clock uses the %FONT1 to write the numbers to the screen. Alternatively you can use CENTER as X and/or Y coordinate: This will center the clock then horizontally and/or vertically. E.G. %TIME = 600/20/1 @{b}%VERSION = @{FG fill}@{FG text}/@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Indicates the version of Rainboot that the configuration needs. If the used version is lower than the required version, an error message will be displayed. The following example means that the boot configuration needs at least Rainboot Version 2.6. It won`t work with former versions! E.G. %VERSION = 2/6 @ENDNODE @NODE Commands "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Commands@{ub} These can be used only after the %TEXT keyword. The numbers on the commands MUST match with the numbers on the keywords. @{b}%%@{ub} Write % -char to the screen. @{b}%A@{ub} Starts the anim if it was defined with the WAIT argument. @{b}%B@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays a brush that has been loaded with %BRUSH -keyword. @{b}%C@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change color of the text. The is the number of pen to be used. Do NOT use higher pens that your picture has! @{b}%D@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Delay amount of ticks (50 ticks = 1 second) after every letter. @{b}%E@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Erase the area that has been selected with %ERASE -keyword earlier. @{b}%F@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the text font to a one selected earlier with %FONT -keyword. @{b}%G@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the text inside a enviromental variable. The variables are called RBvar. The text is only displayed, so no commands can be used in them. If there is no such variable Rainboot2 waits for one to appear. You can use SETENV command to create the variables or just copy a textfile to ENV: with the name RBVar. E.g. SETENV RBvar1 "Hello World!" NOTE: One variable can only be 256 chars long and it should be on one line, cooz returns are not handled very well. @{b}%H@{FG fill}@{FG text}(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} This command does several module operations according to the you specified. Possible operations are: %HA - Pauses the module that is currently playing. You could play a sample then for example. %HB - Continues the module that was paused. Don`t try this if there is no module that you`ve paused. %HC - Waits for the by specified song position and continues then with the script. How many songpositions there are depends on the loaded module. This is not possible with THX modules. %HD - This waits for the by specified pattern position and continues then with the script. Valid pattern position are 0-63. This is not possible with THX modules. %HE - This skips to the by specified subsong. How many subsongs there are depends on the loaded module. This is only possible with THX modules. @{b}%I@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Displays the free/total/used size of the volume selected with %INFOVOL. The is F for free space, U for used space and T for total space in the volume. The is B for bytes, K for kilos and M for megs. E.G. %I1TB would display the total size in bytes of the volume given in %INFOVOL1. @{b}%J@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This starts the scroll with number . You need to have the scroll defined in the keywords. @{b}%K@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This displays a predefined copper rainbow on the screen. can be a number up to 10 because copper rainbow`s are limited to max. 10. But usually you won`t need more than 10 eh? @{b}%L@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Start drawing a predefined line with number . You will need to have the line defined in the keywords of course. @{b}%LA@{ub} Ask user for login name. The configuration will be halted and continued when the user presses RETURN key. If you use %LA you will also have to use %LB otherwise Rainboot`s login feature won`t work correctly. @{b}%LB@{ub} Ask user for password. If the user presses a key now, the char defined in the keyword %LOGIN will be printed instead of the original key. After the user presses RETURN, Rainboot will check if the login/password connection is correct and if that`s the case, Rainboot will continue with the configuration. If the l/p connection does not match Rainboot will jump to the next %LO mark in the configuration. Have a look at the examples to learn how this works. @{b}%LO@{ub} This is not a command it`s a mark. Rainboot will jump to this mark if the login/password connection from %LA and %LB does not match. You can set unlimited %LO marks in a configuration, Rainboot will always jump to the next mark in the configuration. Have a look at the examples to learn how this works. @{b}%M@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Write the amount of free memory to the screen. The is F for fastmem, C for chipmem and T for totalmem. The is B for bytes, K for kilos and M for megs. E.G. %MTB would write the total amount of the free bytes of memory you currently have. The memory is separated with points after every third number. @{b}%N@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Start the fade with number as defined in the keywords. You cannot use this command if you do not have any fades defined in the keywords. @{b}%O@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This does some simple different graphical effects in the colour specified by . Do not specify a higher colour pen than your picture has! You can use all those effects to clear your screen! After the effect has finished you`ll always have a screen filled with the colour The following different effect types are available: A Draws two lines. One from the top left and one from the bottom right. They`ll come together in the middle. B Draws a line that divides the screen into two halves. One halve has the color then. C Draws a line that also divides the screen into two halves. But this time from the bottom to the middle. D Draws lines that systematically clear the screen by running from top to bottom and back. E Clears the screen too. Draws two lines that run from top and bottom to the middle. F Does the same than D but from the left to the right. G Does the same than E but from left and right to the middle. H Does the 'swimming' melt effect. Pen argument is ignored. Only if you set 1 as pen it will be a solid melt. I Does the 'sucking' melt effect. Pen argument is ignored. Only if you set 1 as pen it will be a solid melt. J Does the 'downing' melt effect. Pen argument is ignored. Only if you set 1 as pen it will be a solid melt. K Does the shuffle effect. Pen argument is ignored. L Does the blur effect. Pen argument is ignored. M Does the smear effect. Pen argument is ignored. N Does the multiply effect. Pen argument is ignored. O Does the blackpoints effect. Pen argument is ignored. P Does the backpoints effect. Pen argument is ignored. Q Does the dissolve effect. Pen argument is ignored. For example: %OB4 would draw effect B with colour 4. @{b}%P@{FG fill}@{FG text}(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Writes a processor unit to screen. Where can be one of: C This writes the CPU to screen (e.g. 68030) F This writes the FPU to screen (e.g. 68882) M This writes the MMU to screen (e.g. 68040) P This writes the PPC to screen (e.g. PowerPC 604e) If you add M to the command the megahertz of the processor unit will also be printed to screen. Some examples for my system: %PC This would print '68040' %PCM This would print '68040 40mhz' The megahertz addon M does not make any sense in usage together with MMU. @{b}%Q@{ub} Stops the script and exits Rainboot2. @{b}%QR@{ub} This command restarts the boot configuration. It starts displaying the configuration again from the %TEXT keyword. @{b}%R@{FG fill}@{FG text}(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Selects the text rendering style. can be N for Normal, B for Bold, I for Italic, U for Underlined, S for Shadow and E for Edge. With S and E you can select the other pen, also. E.G. %RS20 selects Shadow -style with pen 20 as the shadow pen. @{b}%S(@{FG fill}@{FG text}S)@{FG fill}@{FG text}(C@{FG fill}@{FG text}V@{FG fill}@{FG text}LR)@{ub} Play a sample that was previously loaded with %SAMPLE -keyword. You don't need to put all the commands, just the necessary ones (note that the order must be same). S is of course always necessary. This can be N, L or W. Where N is for a normal sample (a sample which is small than 128kb) L is for a long sample (a sample which is bigger than 128kb) W is for a write sample (a samples which is played everytime a letter is printed on screen. Note that if the delay is 0 no sample is played. A write sample needs to be loaded as a normal sample. Write samples can also have a random pitch which makes a nice effect with some samples. See the optional parameter R. Write samples are played through channels 3 and 4 by default. If you don`t specify a the samples will be played as a normal sample. Please see the examples below! C The channels to be used. The can be from 1 to 15. As you know there aren't 15 channels in your Amiga. The is actually a number generated of the binary code that has the channels to be used. Check the below table for all the combinations. n 4321 1 0001 2 0010 3 0011 4 0100 5 0101 6 0110 7 0111 8 1100 9 1001 10 1010 11 1011 12 1100 13 1101 14 1110 15 1111 E.G. if you want to use channels 1 and 4 you must use the value 9. V Volume of the sample. can be from 1 to 64. L Loop the sample forever. Note that the whole sample is looped, not the possible looparea. This makes no sense if you use it with writesamples. R This plays write samples with a random pitch. This can make a nice effect with some samples. Do not use this with NORMAL or LONG samples. I know that this is really a bunch of different options packed in one command so here are some examples which should help you to get all working like you want it. E.G. %SNS2C12L Plays sample 2 in channels 4 and 3 with full volume and loops until the end of the world (or end of the program, whichever comes first). %S2C12L This does the same as above. If you want to play normal samples you don`t strongly need to specify NS. %SLS3 This plays long sample number 3. %SLS3V32 This plays long sample number 3 at volume 32. %SWS4R Plays sample 4 through channels 3 and 4 with full volume and with random pitch every time a letter is printed. @{b}%S@{FG fill}@{FG text}E@{ub} This stops playing the sample of . The specification is the same as above. E.G. %SWE This would stop playing the write sample. %SLE This would stop playing the long sample. @{b}%TD@{ub} Write date (dd-mmm-yy) to the screen. @{b}%TT(S)@{ub} Write time to the screen. Add S if you want seconds also. @{b}%TW@{ub} Write day of the week to the screen. @{b}%U@{ub} Starts the bar if it was defined with the WAIT argument. The timing of the boot is also started here. @{b}%V@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} This is a very powerful command of Rainboot. It can write many system specific versions to screen. Where can be one of: A This writes the used Audio OS version to screen (e.g. AHI) C This writes the present chipset version to screen (AGA/ECS/OCS) D This writes the DOS version to screen (e.g. 3.1) K This writes the Kickstart version to screen (e.g. 40.68) N This writes the name of the keyfile owner to screen (e.g. Andreas Falkenhahn) If no keyfile is present, this will write 'unregistered User' to screen P This writes the used PowerPC kernel version to screen (e.g. WarpOS) R This writes the used RTG system version to screen (e.g. Picasso96) S This writes the Amiga computer version to screen (e.g. Amiga 1200) W This writes the present Workbench version to screen (e.g. 40.42) (e.g. 40.42). Note that Version -command must be ran before K and W work. @{b}%W@{ub} Waits until Rainboot2 is signalled to quit. Then continues with the config to the end. @{b}%WO@{ub} Waits until Rainboot2 is signalled to quit without continuing with the config to the end. It`ll immediately quit after it is signalled. This is useful in connection with the %LA, %LB and %LO commands. @{b}%X@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the place of the pen to selected x-coordinate. The is in pixels. A return in the config will move the pen to this x-coordinate. @{b}%XC(@{FG fill}@{FG text})@{ub} Sets the X-coordinate so that the remaining line is centered. You can also use to change the centered position of the text. NOTE: Commands after the %XC are not handled very well. @{b}%Y@{FG fill}@{FG text}@{ub} Change the place of the pen to selected y-coordinate. The is in pixels. @{b}%Z@{ub} Starts the cycle of the colors as defined in the keywords. You cannot use this command if you haven`t defined a %CYCLE keyword. @ENDNODE @NODE Arexx "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}The Arexx@{ub} Rainboot2 has now a very small arexx port. Rexxmast must be ran before using the port. The name of the port is RAINBOOTREXX and it can handle currently these commands: @{b}BREAKSCRIPT@{ub} Breaks the current script. @{b}SENDSTR@{ub} Sends a string to Rainboot2. The string is like the text after the %TEXT command. Note that everytime you send a new string to Rainboot2 you must select the place and the font and the other stuff again, otherwise default values (top left corner, font1, pen0, etc.) are used. This command returns FALSE (as a string) if it is not possible to handle a new string right now (means that Rainboot2 is currently busy with some other string or configs %TEXT). @{b}QUIT@{ub} Quits Rainboot2. @{b}WAITFOREND@{ub} Waits until the current script has been finished. Note that using %W does NOT finish the script! @ENDNODE @NODE Misc "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Misc things@{ub} Here is some things that might be useful to know: @{b}Rainboot is unable to close its screen@{ub} You get the above message when Rainboot exits and fails to close its screen. The reason for failing is that some other program has opened a window on Rainboots screen or it has made some patches that disable the closing of screen. To fix the problem try to find the other program and move it to start before Rainboot or after the screen is closed. @{b}Unknown display mode@{ub} The example pictures are made in DblPAL mode and are not shown if you don't have DblPAL monitor driver. There are two things you can do here. First of all you can load the background picture with your favorite paintprogram and save it again. Or you can force the display mode to one your monitor supports. To do that just give the MODEID -tag and the desired modeid number as an argument to Rainboot2. Here are couple MODEIDs you might use: MODEID: Monitor: ------ ------- $29004 PAL:High Res Laced $19004 NTSC:High Res Laced $A9004 DBLPAL:High Res No Flicker $99004 DBLNTSC:High Res No Flicker $89024 SUPER72:Super-High Res Laced @{b}Wrong WB colors@{ub} If you are fading the WB you might notice that sometimes you get wrong colors in the background. This is because IPrefs tries to select right colors for the bg, but at the same time Rainboot2 fades them. The workaround for the problem is to wait until everything is finished and fade the colors then (this also creates smoother fade). Just put Rainboot2 in your WBstartup -drawer and set the STARTPRI -tooltype to very low (like -100 or so). This way Rainboot2 is ran last. You also need to use %W -command in the end of your config so that Rainboot waits until the end and then wait a while with %D100. @{b}The pointer flickers@{ub} At a certain point in the booting process the pointer goes in the upper left corner and flickers. This is because IPrefs (again!) changes the pointer settings. There is not much you can do but to ignore it. One thing is to change the pointer colors (numbers 17-19) to the same color as the pictures top left corner. This of course is not always possible. @{b}The screen jumps@{ub} If your WB-screen is in overscan the bootscreen jumps during the booting. This is because the IPrefs (yet again!) sets the overscan prefs. This can be fixed with a program called fixjump by ALiENDESiGN. It can be found in the MCP package in Aminet (check util/cdity). Just run it before Rainboot2 and it fixes the problem. @{b}The bar doesn't show@{ub} The progressbar doesn't show in the first time if you have been omitted the argument and there is no timefile (a file with .time at the end). Just run the same config again and it should work ok. @{b}ScreenTab Users@{ub} If you`re using ScreenTab you need to change some things in your settings. Otherwise Screentab`s startbar will appear on Rainboot`s screen. You need to add Rainboot the applications list in ScreenTab prefs. Select 'Use Screentitle' as match and activate 'No taskbar' in the options. Then you`ll no more see ScreenTab`s bar on Rainboot`s screen. @{b}Other things@{ub} · Note that return in the %TEXT acts like a normal return. That is it moves the pen to the %X and %Y+fontsize position · A tab in the %TEXT does nothing. This way you can make the configs a bit more readable. · If you want to wait a sec, just put %D50 %D0 in the text. The amount of spaces between %D50 and %D0 is the amount of seconds you want to wait. · For the best result use the same modeid and size for the bootpicture as you have in your workbench. · If you are using a different monitor than PAL or NTSC the monitor-driver must be run before Rainboot2. · If you use Rainboot2's arexxport the RexxMast must be run before Rainboot2, too. · Also remember that the more stuff you put in the configs the more time it take to boot. @ENDNODE @NODE History "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}History@{ub} Version 2.61 26-Jun-99 · Updated the AmigaGuide® documentation · Bugfixed the QUIET argument again! Thanks to Michael Krüger for reporting · Fixed the RTG mode: It should work now correctly on CGfx/Picasso96 again (thanks to everyone who reported that) Version 2.60 18-Jun-99 · Updated and enhanced the AmigaGuide® documentation · Added new examle configurations CopperDemo, Cloudboot Login, Window and SimpleLogin · Updated and heavily improved the Installer script · Bugfixed the GUI · Some visual changes · Added %QR command which restarts the configuration · Enhanced music replayer · Some bugfixes in the %COPPER keyword · Major bugfixes in my doeffect() code, it should work now · Bugfixed the %VERSION keyword · Fixed a bug in the cpu recognition code · Added LoginMaker by me which allows you to define a login/password for your bootup · Added Raincreator tool by Oliver Michel: You can create your own copper rainbows wi\th this tool and use it then with Rainboot as background · Added %LA, %LB and %WO commands which are needed to control your password config · Added %LOGIN keyword which can make Rainboot to a full featured password tool · Added WINDOW argument which opens a window on Workbench screen instead of opening an own screen. This argument is not meant to be used during boot. · Did some code optimizations · Added %K command which displays a predefined copper rainbow · Added %COPPER keyword which displays a nice rainbow as background (using the Amiga copper chip) · Finally added a GUI to Rainboot which does the most needed things · Improved the PowerPC processor recognition, more PPC`s are now known (reported by Michael Malyshev) · Improved and bugfixed the QUIET argument (reported by Michael Malyshev) · Fixed a bug which caused the realtime clock not to appear in the right y-position (reported by Trevor Morris) Version 2.50 10-Mar-99 · Updated all example configurations: Cloudboot and Demo are cooler now · Updated AmigaGuide® documentation · Added Installer script · Added %LINE keyword which is only usable for advanced users · Added %VERSION keyword · Added QUIET argument as requested by Petr Valouch and Michael Malyshev · Cleaned up code in Rainboot2 and Rainboot2.data · Removed argument NOREQ - you can use BESTFIT which does the same job much better · Fixed a bug with the pointer · Major improvements in long sample playing code: It still uses diskbuffering but more effective. It first loads the sample in RAM and plays from there then. Note: You can use only one long sample in each bootup! Channel argument is also ignored...Volume and loop works. Some other bugs fixed in the code. · Scrolls are now much smoother even in resolutions like 1280x512 (Coca Cola Boot) · There are alot of Enforcer hits when using Player61 modules. Although they`re harmless I cannot fix them because it`s the fault of player61.library · Mouse routines were a little bit optimized · Improved Player61 routines heavily. You can now play any-size Player61 modules including ones with packed samples. Rainboot will recognize if the module has packed samples or not. The module is also faded out at the end now (only if you use %FADEOUT of course) · Fixed a memoryleak error. Protracker modules weren`t released. · Improved the fadeout routine for THX modules. Much more soft now! · Fixed some other bugs in THX player code · Wow!! I tried to bugfix the THX player once again and I was successfull! It works very fine now although it uses a workaround. Yes, I finally made it :) Enjoy those cool THX tunes during bootup now... · Changed THX replayer to thxplay.library back again. I tried also to fix some problems with THX modules that people had but I was not very successfull. I did debug Rainboot now over 2 hours and couldn`t find anything which causes the problems. I really don`t know what`s wrong there, sorry! · Cycle must be started with %Z now. This gives you the ability to do some other things first and cycle then the colors · Much better support for fades during the script. You can fade in/out to any colors you like but the fades need to be defined in the keywords now · Rewrote SetPubScreenModes() patch, now alot better. The pubmodes are set to back when Rainboot quits · Added alot of new graphic effects like melt, multiply, shuffle....You may know them from Screenblankers. The effects are based on code by Jens Tröger · Added BESTFIT argument which chooses the best available screenmode for the selected picture · Fixed a bug in the screenmode requester · Added BBLANK argument which blanks the border at Rainboot`s start · Simplified the usage of samples. You no more need to specify sample types (NORMAL/LONG). Rainboot will recognize them automatically. Don`t forget to update your configs! Also fixed some bug in the playback code. · Added alot of new system identifiers: Audio OS, PPC OS, PPC Processor, Megahertz of CPU/FPU/PPC and MMU. They are all running now through identify.library! · Changed the RTG System recognition: Your HD won`t load after the argument passed Rainboot`s parsing code. The command is also changed. It is accessible via the version command %V now. · The realtime clock and animbrushes can also be centered · Brushes can be centered on screen now, just specify CENTER as x or y coordinate · Finally fixed the bug in the loader code for long samples. I wasted the whole afternoon on this damn bug. Now Rainboot uses a workaround because the bug seems to be in the compiler · Mousepointer is moved to the bottom right - ScreenTab users need to adapt their settings to make it work properly · Menu bar will no longer be displayed when clicking right mousebutton · Mousepointer is now centred correctly · You can delay Rainboots return to Workbench screen now by setting the DELAY argument · Added argument PUBLIC which forces Rainboot to open a public screen instead of a custom one Version 2.43 24-Nov-98 ; Beta Version, not on Aminet · Only binaries, no configs or fonts in this beta release · Included a tool called "GetModeID" in C:. You can select a screenmode and then it`ll return you the modeid of this screenmode which you can of course use with Rainboot2 · Fixed some small problems in AmigaGuide® documentation · SetPubScreenModes() is now patched and set to back when Rainboot2 exits. Rainboot should work now with MCP`s PubModes option, although it wasn`t tested. The problem was reported by Marco De Vitis · Improved file- and screenmode requester - no more crashes I hope · And finally "1> Version Rainboot2" will output 2.43 and no more 2.2 or something similar. What a nasty bug :-) Version 2.42 1-Nov-98 · Updated AmigaGuide® documentation · THX replay code is now included in Rainboot2.data. You don`t need thxplay.library any longer · Fixed some bugs in the replay code for long samples (reported by Trevor Morris). It should work now · Fixed alot of bugs in Rainboot`s parsing code - no more crashes here Version 2.41 22-Oct-98 · Updated AmigaGuide® documentation · Added new command %Z. If you specify %Z in a config Rainboot will write the used RTG system (CyberGraphX, Picasso96 or none) to the screen · Fixed problem with MCP`s option MouseSpeed and ScreenTab (reported by Marco De Vitis) · No more Enforcer Hits in Rainboot2.data (reported by Luca Longone and some others) · Removed automatic CyberGraphX recognition (due to massive request) · And added new argument RTG. This replaces the CGFX argument in earlier versions. It`s now called RTG because it also works with Picasso96! · Some code optimizations/bugfixes Version 2.4 05-Oct-98 · Updated Demo configurations · Updated AmigaGuide® documentation · Added argument NOREQ which doesn`t display the screenmode requester if MODEID wasn`t specified · Removed commands %K, %L and %Z. They`re now all together put in the module options command %H. So %HA does for example the same than %Z did in earlier versions · Rainboot plays now three different module formats: Protracker, Player61 and even THX modules. They`re automatically recognized from the keyword %MODULE so there has nothing changed. Just put the filename after keyword %MODULE and Rainboot will play them · Rewrote sample routines. There are now different types of samples: LONG and NORMAL. With the LONG option you can play ones which are greater than 128kb by using diskbuffering. · Due the rewrite of the sample routines the syntax of the keyword %SAMPLE and the command %S changed. Although you should now use the new syntaxes the old ones are still accepted to stay downwards compatible · Added new keyword %SCROLL which allows you to scroll your bootscreens. Check out the examples to see how it works · Rainboot will now automatically recognize if a CyberGfx system is present and it will then switch to CyberGfx modes so the argument CGFX is no more needed and was removed · It can now be started from WB too -> A ASL filerequester will open then and after that the config will be started · It also has now its own screenmode requester. The requester will appears if MODEID or NOREQ weren`t specified · Rainboot does now some simple different graphically effects. They all clear the screen to the specified colour. Maybe they`re useful for someone. · Error messages are now outputted by a system requester and not in CLI · Mousepointer is now fully hidden · Some other small changes · Bugfixes Version 2.3 15-Aug-98 · Added support for fades during the config is running · Extended the Protracker module support: Rainboot 2 can wait for song- and pattern position and then go on with the script · It`s now possible to use a module and samples in a config, but you need to pause the module before playing a sample (it may work without pauseing -> but this won`t sound good and can crash Rainboot2) · Edited AmigaGuide® documentation a bit · You can play now samples which are longer than 128kb · Some minor bugfixes/changes Version 2.2 15-Jun-97 · Added the support for ANIM brushes (almost everybody wanted this). · The %BAR now has more options. And it also should work a bit better. · %I displays the amount of total/used/free space in a volume selected with %INFOVOL (requested by Gert Kuiper). · Added %CYCLE to cycle the colors (wanted by several people). · Bar now creates its own thread (doesn't use clock's thread anymore). · Fixed the clock-font-width problem. · %XC centres the line (as requested by Gert Kuiper). · Global env vars are now supported. %G prints the text inside RBvar or waits until one exists. · Audio channels are not anymore locked if no samples are used (thanks to Marcin Orlowski). · Arexx command BREAK changed to BREAKSCRIPT to avoid the collision with the native Arexx command. · WbenchToFront() and ScreenToFront() are patched too. This fixes the WB coming to front with at least VirusZ. · Kickstart 2.04 support added. · Added wildcard support with filenames. · Fixed couple of minor bugs. Version 2.1 29-Jan-97 · Added the CyberGraphics support. Use CGFX switch in the commandline to enable it (Thanks to fEdE for testing it). Version 2.0 15-Jan-97 · Completely rewritten! · %$ removed. %FADEOUT and %FADEIN introduced. · %TT doesn't display secs anymore. Use %TTS if you want them. · Now it is possible to clear areas with %ERASE and %E (as requested by lots of people). · And play protracker modules with %MODULE. · Time can use any pen now. · Screen can be moved down at the exit with %SCREENDOWN. · Rainboot2 can now wait until the end with %W (thanks to Haavard Pedersen for suggesting that). · Rainboot2 now has a Arexx port (RAINBOOTREXX) also. · A sample can be played everytime a letter is printed. · Now exits with Left mouse button. · Iff brushes can be displayed during booting. · Added progressbar which displays the amount of time booting takes (Thanks to Haavard Pedersen for the idea). · Text can be rendered with different styles too (as requested by Aristotelis Grammatikakis). · Notes the user if Rainboot2 can't close its screen. · And lots of small fixes and modifications. Version 1.2 11-Jun-96 · The default path for gfx & samples is the same where the config is. · Memory can be shown in Megs, Kilos or Bytes if you add M, K or B after the %M? · Added %VD which displays dos-version (like 3.0). · Removed the flickering from the clock. Note that the clock is now displayed a bit higher that earlier. · Dropped the audio.device support because I couldn't get it work right. Now bangs directly to the hardware :( If you got a problem with it, drop me a @{"mail" LINK Credits}. Version 1.1 19-May-96 · Some of the bugs fixed. · Sound is faded with the picture (as suggested by Mattias Holmertz). · MODEID now accepts hex numbers too. Just add $ or 0x before the number. Version 1.0 05-Apr-96 · First Release History before version 1.0 has been declared top secret. Even I don`t know it. Only Kimmo ;-) @ENDNODE @NODE ToDo "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}ToDo@{ub} Yes, there ARE things to do in the future and I hope I can implement the most in the future: · add support for more than one background picture and more than one animbrush · add support for normal ANIM(5,6,7,8) animations · more commands & effects Please drop me a @{"mail" LINK Credits} if you have some nice ideas what shall be implemented/changed in Rainboot 2. @ENDNODE @NODE Thanks "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Thanks@{ub} I added this section because I would like to thank all those people who sent me suggestions/bug reports/registrations and questions. Without your feedback Rainboot wouldn`t exist anymore. Thanks go to (in no particular order): Dag Stenstad, MiLd, Jens Dueholm Christinsen, Peter Price, Frank Larsen, Marc Böttcher, Carl Röjerstrand, Michael Krüger, Rugbyhead, Trevor Morris, Mario Ciampa, Peter Valouch, DJ Nick, Daniel Reimann, Stefan Pucino, Helmut Hummel, Luca Longone, Jan Kahler, Richie Burke, Kisa, Michael Kilimann, Chris McGonagle, Jürgen Urbanek, Duncan Gow, Thrasyvoulos Theologou, Ty Stephens, Jeff Falcon, Caveman, Jim Maciorowski, Marco De Vitis, Michael Krüger, Ed Barcik, Mike Carter, Lars Köpsen, Peter Coates, Maciej Harasimczuk, Frederic Laboureur, Bryan Westbrook, Arash Tavakoli, Rafal Kwasny, Sven Rieke, Hans-Jürgen Hipp, Jean-Yves Auger, Frank Bütof, Peter Theuring, Roland de Herder, Elliot Olsen, Christian Rosentreter, Michael Osmolski, Sitsofe Wheeler, Thomas Rode, Stefan Sommerfeld, Stephen White, Jörg Hintze, Marco Frischkorn, Miguel Nosek, Timo Stamm, Michael Malyshev, Stephan Kolbe, Lance Neustaeter, Roy Krister Ellingsen, Thomas David, Don Salvador Fernandez Gomez, Olli Kaikuaho, Stephan Zander, Chris Edwards, Thomas Resch, Michael Haase, Wolfgang Spohn, Arno Richter, Slobodan Todorovic, Manfred Stahl, Woody, Jens Tröger, Michael Zucchi and the others I forgot. ----> Thank you all! Some hellos to: Adkins, Style^X, Magic Rocket, 4Play. @ENDNODE @NODE Credits "Rainboot2 Guide Copyright © 1996-99 Kimmo Pekkola & Andreas Falkenhahn" @{b}Credits@{ub} Starting with Rainboot v2.3 all versions were programmed by me, Andreas Falkenhahn. You can contact me at: Andreas Falkenhahn (Software Failure of Airsoft Softwair) An der Trift 2 36132 Eiterfeld-Arzell Germany Email: Andreas.Falkenhahn@gmx.de WWW : http://www.home.pages.de/~Airsoft Rainboot was developed on my Amiga 1200 Tower with a 68040 40mhz CPU and 18MB Ram. Rainboot was tested on many systems and should work on your system either - please contact me immediately if it doesn`t. The originator of Rainboot is Kimmo 'The Rainman' Pekkola. He developed Rainboot till version 2.2. But then he had to sell his Amiga and so had to give up the Rainboot development. He gave me the sources and I`m doing my best in continuing the development of it. You can contact Kimmo at: Kimmo Pekkola Tarjanteenkatu 13 A 4 33720 Tampere Finland Email: rainy@iki.fi WWW : http://www.iki.fi/~rainy/prods.html (closed) @ENDNODE