- Mouse Boot IV Demo - (C)1992 - Scott R. Lemmon This is a Demo version of the new Mouse Boot IV - Mouse Boot has come a long way since version 3d (the original large-scale Share-Ware release). Mouse Boot IV is available only to those who register a Share-Ware version of Mouse Boot (3d.x). Version IV offers many new features including enhanced graphics available to TT 030, graphic board and Falcon owners). Why not release it Share-Ware like the earlier versions? Although every new version of Mouse Boot has been down-loaded many times, I have received VERY few share-ware responses. Perhaps this is my fault for not disabling the program (as the DEMO is); however, since many people seem to like the program, rather than abandon it, I will try experimentally releasing version IV in demo form. If this goes well I will continue development on this and other programs for the ATARI line of computers (including perhaps software for the new Falcon computer). Otherwise, as much as I hate them, I may have to buy one of those wretched IBM electric abacuses (it's a real pity PC's were never 68000 based as, having seen assembly code for the Intel chip, the Intel 486 is just a 8 bit chip with delusions of grandure). For the few who did respond to my Share-Ware request, you can receive the new version by sending me a disk, mailer and return postage or $5.00 - whichever is easier. My address is... SRL systems c\o Scott R. Lemmon 2121 Gillis St. Palatka Fl, 32177 USA Because this is a demo only, the file renaming process (started by clicking on CHANGE or a preset button) has been restricted - it will only work 70% of the time. This limitation should still allow you to test the new program; and, of course,will be removed from the actual product (which is still under 20k of code). Also, several related programs which are part of the main release are left out of the Demo - this includes the Batch File Processor and the Assign.sys File Linker (none of which are essential to use Mouse Boot, but they do enhance it). - Using the Demo - If you already use the Share-Ware version of Mouse Boot you can try this demo of version IV by just copying MBDEMO.PRG to your boot drive and running it from the desktop. It will load and use the preset file created by the Share-Ware program. Some of the new features require you to save the preset file to take effect (they will be in effect the next time the program is run). Because of this, the demo will let you save the PRESET.DAT file, but before you do BE SURE to make a backup copy of the old PRESET.DAT file used by your Share-Ware version of Mouse Boot. You can place the demo version of Mouse Boot IV and the new WELCOME.PRG in the AUTO folder if you wish, but you should first remove or rename the Share-Ware programs to prevent conflict (an easy way to do this is to rename them to something like MOUSEBT.OFF and WELCOME.OFF while you test the demo). If you are new to Mouse Boot, you should first make a folder named MOUSEBT inside the AUTO folder of your boot drive. This folder is used by Mouse Boot to hold files like desktop.inf and assign.sys files. Also Mouse Boot saves its preset data file here. To use the welcome screen, first make a folder named WELCOME inside the MOUSEBT folder and then copy any degas PI1, PC1, PI3, or PC3 pictures to this folder. The WELCOME.PRG should be placed just before MBDEMO.PRG in your AUTO folder. A more complete description can be found in the MOUSEBT.DOC file. Since Mouse Boot uses a new method to bypass itself (one that can survive a cold boot) - be sure to use the new WELCOME.PRG that comes with the demo in your AUTO folder in place of the old one (the old one will not bypass the new Mouse Boot). Here is a list of the new features offered by Mouse Boot IV... 1. If you have the newdesk TOS or NeoDesk, there is a new very easy way to add DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF, ASSIGN.SYS, Mouse Boot batch file, and GEM autorun programs to the list Mouse Boot uses. Instead of copying these files to the MOUSEBT folder and renaming them by hand, simply install Mouse Boot as an icon on the desktop - use install application to set Mouse Boot to use full paths and the program's directory (clever ATARI set the new desktop to default to the more useless options). Next just drag any desktop\newdesk.inf, assign.sys, batch file, or program to the icon - Mouse Boot will take care of the rest. After confirming that you want to add the file, Mouse Boot will let you use the file selector to enter a new name for the file and will copy it to the MOUSEBT folder giving it its correct extender in the process. If a program file is passed to Mouse Boot, it will automatically generate the GEMrun file needed to autostart it. Files can also be added from within Mouse Boot if you ran it from GEM, just click on the Mouse Boot title bar and then click on the "add to MOUSEBT folder" option. Then use the item selector to pick a program, desktop, assign.sys, or batch file - another file selector will appear allowing you to choose the name of the file to save into the MOUSEBT folder. 2. The GEMrun Method of autorunning programs can now be used regardless of which version of TOS you have. If you are running with TOS 1.0 or 1.2 simply place MSESTART.PRG (Mouse Start) as the last program in the AUTO folder. Mouse start is a rewrite I did of the old program STARTGEM; however, instead of looking for a STARTGEM.INF file it looks for the program to autostart in the DESKTOP.INF file. This makes it compatible with the way TOS 1.4 and higher autostart programs. If it is run on a system where it is not needed, it will display a message and bypass allowing TOS to do the autostart (unlike STARTGEM which will bomb) - if this happens, no code will be left resident. Even with TOS 1.0 or 1.2 Mouse Start leaves only about half as much code resident as STARTGEM (which left all of itself resident). Read the Mouse Start doc file for more details. 3. When offered to reboot the computer, you can now choose between a Warm or Cold boot - Mouse Boot is now able to bypass itself in either case. 4. You can now have up to 60 files in each type instead of 18 - this means 60 desktops, 60 GEMrun programs, 60 Assign.sys files, etc. This is most likely more than anyone will ever use, but it does allow each of the 60 presets to have it's own individual file. The main reason for the original limit of 18 was that I only had enough room on the screen for 18!. Now you can scroll the type column up or down by holding down the left mouse button off to the right of the column and moving the mouse up or down - if there are more than 18 files they will scroll as you move the mouse. Release the button when it's where you want - this method seems to work quite well allowing you to get anywhere on the list very fast. When you switch between different types or select SHOW from the PRESET dialogue, the position of the list will be adjusted to show the file that is currently turned on (if there is one turned on). Because of this, even a large list of files is very easy to handle. 5. There is now a program named ASLINK (Assign.Sys file linker) included as part of the Mouse Boot package. This program is designed for applications like Timeworks Publisher II which require more than just an assign.sys file to change fonts. Aslink will allow you to "link" files to the assign.sys file so that when you pick an assign.sys file from Mouse Boot, the correct matching files will also be copied to their selected directories. This is not part of the demo. 6. For alert type dialogue boxes (like the Reboot or Save\Reload dialogues) you can now select an option by pressing the function keys. F1 activates the left-most button, F2 the next button and so on. 7. Clicking on the Mouse Boot title bar now reveals a new configuration dialogue which allows you faster access to the different configuration options (just click on it to see what I mean). 8. For all those speed demons out there, you can now set Mouse Boot to skip drawing the selector screen and just draw the preset screen when first run - this saves some time and allows you to make a selection faster (unless you are using a TT or a screen accelerator in which case it's very fast anyway). To activate this, just click on the Mouse Boot title bar and select the fast draw option - then save the PRESET.DAT file. 9. The Multidesk Mode feature has been changed - the new method uses the batch file processor to copy the MLT files. To use it, copy the M_*.BAT files included to the MOUSEBT directory and make sure you have BATCH.PRG there too. Also, run Mouse Boot and check to make sure that the path of the second custom file type reads 'MLT'. Now, when you select a Multidesk file with Mouse Boot, also select the batch file for the resolution you will be using - or select M_AUTO which will use the current screen resolution. This allows you to use one MLT file with separate resolutions - say, for example, you boot in TT Medium but have selected a desktop that is in ST High - before you would of had to name the MLT file *2.MLT which would lock you into using it only with ST High - now you could also use that same file for another resolution. Because the copying is done with batch files, it can be modified as you see fit (or even used for some other purpose entirely). 10. The ARUN.PRG has been improved, since STARTGEM.INF files are no longer needed to auto run GEM programs, this option has been replaced with options that help you add DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF and ASSIGN.SYS files to the MOUSEBT folder - this is mainly for people without the newdesk TOS or NeoDesk. This, also, is not part of demo. 11. When in the Mass merge\extract dialogue, right clicking on a preset will quickly display the files it contains (useful to see what effect the merge will have). As before, left click on a button to toggle the selected file in the preset - you can then right click on it again if you want to see the resulting merge/extract. Also, you can now switch preset pages inside of mass, but be careful - if you switch back to a page you already modified, none of the buttons will remain pressed; it will be as if you exited and then re-entered the Mass routine. This is originally why you could not switch pages in Mass; but since you can now look at the presets, it is not nearly as confusing as it would otherwise be. 12. This is a new feature totally unique to Mouse Boot - You can now set up a folder to hold all inactive accessories (those named .ACX). This folder can be anywhere on your boot drive - Mouse Boot will automatically move any accessories you select to the root directory and any accessories you de-select back to the folder (since they are on the same drive, this is nearly as fast as just renaming them and works far better than I first thought it would). Since only active accessories will be in the root directory any one time, it will be far less cluttered. To do this follow these steps... 1. make a folder on your boot drive and move all .ACX files into it - check to insure that it contains only .ACX files and only .ACC files remain in the root directory. If any of the accessories have .RSC files or other extra files leave the extra files in the root directory and move only the accessory itself. 2. Open a window and run Mouse Boot as you would any GEM program, once loaded click on the Mouse Boot title bar at the top center of the screen. Choose the ".ACX folder" option then select "Yes" to the prompt - this sets Mouse Boot to handle accessories this special way. 3. Now click on done to return to the selector screen, then click on the ACC's bar (or right click on the AUTO's bar if no ACC's bar is present). Now use the file selector to pick the folder where all the .ACX files have been moved. 4. Click on FILE then SAVE to save your work - that's it. The next time you run Mouse Boot it will move the accessories and maintain a clutter-free root directory. If you run into any problems (like not all of the accessories are being shown or they are not being renamed correctly) check to insure that no .ACX files are left in the root directory and no .ACC files are in the new folder - although it will do no harm, it will confuse Mouse Boot when it is using this mode. Simply rename or move any out-of-place files, and all should be fine. 13. The order of the "type" files has been changed to give easier access to the more commonly used ones, here is the new order... 1. Desktops 2. GEMrun 3. GDOS 4. Batch 5. Custom #1 6. Custom #2 Also, you can now cycle through the different types by clicking on the title bar (just as in the older versions of Mouse Boot) or use the type menu by holding the button down and releasing it over your choice (as in version 3d.5). This allows you to easily cycle through the list; or switch to any type you want - allowing the best of both worlds. 14. Mouse Boot is now set to take advantage of screens that have more than four colors (like TT Medium). If you're one of the few out there with a TT or high color graphic card, Mouse Boot will really show it off. If you don't have one of these things, you can still get a small taste of what Mouse Boot would look like by running it in low rez - you will get a dialogue box saying Mouse Boot needs at least 640 by 200 to work, but the dialogue will use the extra colors. Additionally, you can pass a desktop or assign.sys file to Mouse Boot in low rez - Mouse boot will allow you to do this since the full screen is not needed and you will be able to see a little more of the new 16 color display. Also, if you run Mouse Boot on a screen with extra colors, an additional option will become available in the configuration dialogue - when you select "Fast Draw Start Screen" a second dialogue box will pop-up after the first one, asking you if you want plain dialogues. This will allow you to use regular dialogue boxes instead of the texture filled ones. Mouse Boot will still use the extra colors, but the dialogues will just be plain gray. Screen draws are faster this way - if less interesting; any changes you make here won't go into effect until Mouse Boot is run again. 15. Mouse Boot finally has a built-in mouse accelerator, I tried to put this feature in the last version, but had to take it out at the last minute because it would cause a TT to crash when run from the AUTO folder - I finally got it to work. It is a non-resident accelerator that's only active when Mouse Boot is run - if run from the AUTO folder it starts off as being active, while run from GEM it starts off as being inactive. This is because Mouse Boot usually runs before any mouse accelerator program you normally use so you wouldn't have an accelerator inside the AUTO folder, while from GEM the accelerator you normally use will be active and you wouldn't need the built-in one. In either case, pressing the UNDO key inside of Mouse Boot will toggle the acceleration on and off. 16. After you STORE a preset you will be returned to the main selector screen so you can either change it for the next preset to STORE or SAVE the changes. This saves a step, as you no longer need to first STORE the preset then click on EXIT to get back to the selector screen. 17. The default Color\Mono presets now work with TT resolutions so if you switch between a color multisync monitor and a large screen monitor (for TT High) you can still have default presets. 18. The welcome screen will now work in TT Medium; it will display Degas PC1 or PI1 pictures. As it does when run from ST Medium, it will first switch to ST Low, show the picture, then switch back to TT Medium - this allows you to use the same picture files for any color resolution. Also, in TT high, degas .PI3 or .PC3 pictures will be used - they will be centered and framed on the screen creating a nice effect. 19. If you sometimes select your presets by using "hot keys" instead of the mouse, you can now make a choice even before Mouse Boot runs - just press the key twice (this helps insure against mistakes). When Mouse Boot loads it will check the keyboard buffer for keystrokes. This is particularly useful if you use the welcome screen since it allows you to select a preset while the welcome screen is being shown just by pressing the preset's hot key twice. 20. a MOVE command has been added to the Batch File Processor - this uses Rename to very quickly move any files matching the wildcards from one place on a drive to another - this only works if the source and destination are the SAME drive (to move to a different drive just use COPY then DELETE). 21. Mouse Boot IV also comes with an auto install program which will automatically do everything nessessary to install Mouse Boot on your boot drive (including reordering the AUTO folder). Sorry, but this also is not part of the demo. BUG FIXES: Some small bugs have also been fixed here is a list. 1. A bug which would prevent accessories from being turned on and off if you selected CHANGE after first saving a PRESET.DAT file has been fixed. This was the source of the "Drive X:" errors on a TT. On an ST no error would be reported by GEM but the accessories would remain unchanged until you ran Mouse Boot again. If you reloaded the PRESET.DAT file after saving or did not save anything during that session the bug would not occur. 2. A bug that would cause Mouse Boot to crash if it timed-out from the AUTO folder and no PRESET.DAT file yet existed has been fixed. Few people noticed this one (including me), since after you saved the PRESET.DAT file for the first time the problem would never arise. These bugs have also been fixed in Share-Ware version 3d.5b (not 3d.5E). All who register their Share-Ware copy will get the fixed version.