Tried YetAnotherDesk & Scalos? (Workbench/Filer alternatives)

Anyone tried YetAnotherDesk? It's kind of a Workbench replacement that incorporates some Filer/DOpus5-like features. From a quick try it seems stable, although not quite my cup of tea.

Anyone tried Scalos? It's definitely a (wanna-be) Workbench replacement, and lots of features, although maybe not completely stable yet (but it is Beta). Feels a little bit "alien" (since it's not OS4-specific), although can probably be tweaked to be more normal.

@ChrisH


I want to try Scalos when I get a chance. I've never heard of the other Workbench replacement. I wish someone would do a review so that I don't have to spend my time installing these only to find out that they have serious issues of some kind.

@ChrisH

Not tested neither one. I don't need WB replacement, just better WB :)

Just, when I get my hands to OS4.1, I will give YAD a shot. It seems intresting, yet bit unmatured still.

Both has some very good ideas, wich should be nice to see native in OS4.

Browser like wb-window in YAD is very nice, alltough button layout should be different, more clear. Actually I like it more, what ambient gives.

I personally don't ask very much. from Scalos feature set there is couple of very good points to bring in.

- every window has own task. But if you have unlimited number of wb-browsers, they technically has own task...

- preview for image files (maybe for videos allso?)

- undo/redo for drawer operations

Many good features similar to Scalos is allready integrated to OS4.

uhh... my wannabelist continues...

- datatype system capable for video, ie streaming ability. Datatypes are nice and elegant system.

- ability to add short cuts to wb menuitems.

As usually, I'm professional off-topicer and thread highjacker, and didn't answer any of your questions :)

Edited:typos (again)

@ChrisH

From YAD doc one can read, that you can use it allso like program, not replacement. Then if "wb-browser" or "drawer-browser" is enought good, it should be enought reason to try it ?

Waiting my OS4.1 copy, not testing anything just now...

Haven't tried YAD, but Scalos, after some customization and tweaking is really very good and brings some nice new features. Having said that, many bugs need to be ironed out as at it's current form it's simply not reliable enough to replace workbench. DSI errors, freezes and display bugs (ie can't set the font colors properly) and others, not to mention improper amidock support. I wish the guys behind the project can stabilize it as it'd make an awesome WB replacement. Under OS3.x things are even worse if the system is heavily patched. Haven't tried MOS version yet.

@ferrels

I want to try Scalos when I get a chance...

I thought desktop replacements were a thing-of-the-past when the 68K Amigas when WBs were poor? The OS4 Workbench is much more richer and advanced now. No disrespect to anyone, but Scalos isn't a good idea on OS4; it's kind of bee-hind the times and stings too. I thought some of the window themes by Ken Lester Jr. from his AFA-OS works were a good idea. I translated a few of them and they make nice desktop enhancements. These window themes allowed for quick change of frames and gadgets via the OS system Prefs-GUI. Hey, ContextMenus is a great feature added to the current WB. So why do you want WB replacements?

Not tested neither one. I don't need WB replacement, just better WB :)

There you go!

@Snuffy
I can't use Workbench these days without Filer, although OS4's Workbench is certainly better than OS3's. There wouldn't be any need for a Workbench replacment if Filer was better integrated with Workbench (it's pretty good but not perfect, e.g. drag'n'drop from Filer to Workbench is not possible).

@ChrisH + Orgin

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Why not ? There's WhichWorkbenchObject() function in WB lib which tells you what drawer is under given mouse coordinates.

@TSK
That seems to be new to OS4, and would indeed allow you to copy from Filer to Workbench... perhaps time to email Orgin!

I was going to add more text into readme/introduction of YAD but I forgot.

YetAnotherDesk is a single executable. (I'm going to change that name in future.) It doesn't replace any system files/libraries so it's safe to test and use. It uses native AmigaOS icon.library to draw all icons, f.ex. Also it uses native BOOPSI (4.1) / Reaction (4.0) classes so one don't have to chase old and obsolete (MUI) classes around Internet with cats and dogs (or any outdated other libraries).

It's not meant to be a Workbench replacement but give multiple workbenches (virtual desktops / spaces) on public screens. (I haven't made any WB library replacement.) Originally it was meant to be as simple as possible to make development fast. But then I went crazy and tried to add too many features into it (too much work for a single person).

@Mlehto
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I'm not good at all in designing GUI's/graphics. And I have tried different ideas in different versions. F.ex. designers of Apple are very good/maybe the best in the world (in computing world I mean) IMHO.

Seeing some screenshots of Ambient its drawer windows looks like Notepad. (Too big buttons.)

Tuomas/TSK

@TSK


Hmmmm...


Ambient try to bring iexplore.exe to MOS. Point is good. Exploring functionality is not bad in file system level.

Apple has different interpretation about that, but still I think that ppl are more familiar with internet browser type of file system browser.

It is pretty messy to make drag-an-drop operatoins, when you have zillions of windows open.

So from my point of view, good user experience can be achieved something like that:

Ability to launch multiple "wb-browser" in one screen. Lets say, that I want to extract lha's to ram, copy things from data: to work: and workbench: all same time .

Then it is obviously good to have ability to open three-four browsers (respect iconify function if needed) and do file-operations effectivelly.

In my thoroughly wet daytime dream I can see progress bar under iconified program, where one can see, when task is in progres/finished... uuuh.

Your intention to respect standard OS4 functions is very good. First, unneccessary to reinvent wheel and ... I'm bit old for hacks :)

OS4 is allso moving gear. OS4 devs are making very good job by expanding functionality of workbench. Future is even better, I believe.

Then back to kukkaruukku :)

You can still keep your primary intention to expand work-area to multiple screens, but I think that ability to use multiple "browsers" in same screen is as important as that, or even more important.

Maybe I'm wrong and it allready can do that, because I'm not testet your program (yet).

But if one can have all wb normal usability with and between these fine "browsers", it can bring user experience to new level and it makes these old school two-tab filemanagers look very jurassic.

If you want, I can send some ideas about layout of GUI. By pictures and maybe some written ideas. Overall amiga logic is best like it is, simplified for simple persons, like me.

I'm very busy tomorrow and then I'm in capitol at friday in some work related meetings. But weekend is fine.

I'm made two guis before (outside amigaworld) and those once famous bloody fine (?) reqanims to amiga before.

Actually other gui project user-logic was monkeyed mostly directly from amiga and those simple (by computer use of view) motorsport mens were very very happy. Wich wasn't actually surprise for me.

Btw what happened to smart ?? I didn't got it working at all in os4, but idea was fine.

If database can be updated without regenerating whole database, companion with file system change notification (correct term?) and without big overhead, it should be good tool ?

I adore your avatar, that needs attitude :D

@Mlehto

Ambient is inspired by Dopus Magellan features/concepts, not explorer.

@TSK

About Ambient window toolbars, it's optional, and brushes are themable too, of course.

@Mlehto
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Thanks. It's that Blues Brothers / Turo's Hevi Gee look (with red white checkered pattern).

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I think I've mostly forgotten it.

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It'd be nice if it was possible to get global notification of any changes on any directory level without needing to create really big amount of notify requests for every directory. (I haven't checked if there's any changes in the latest OS and SDK in that area.) Actually that's a feature request !

@Fab
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Of course. But people judge things usually by their default look. And many people doesn't even bother to change any settings.

@TSK

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Absolutly and 100% right :) Coders always must think not about their majesty and their genius, but thinking from time to time about how plain users without programming skill will works over that or that programm. And default settings its that about almost all users make their opinions related to programm.

I am personally hate to boring with settings, because it's no fan anymore. I just want to run, and use. And default settings it's 70% of my opinion about any programm mostly (and i am not alone here)