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A Roadmap for the OS/2 and ArcaOS platforms

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Rich Walsh:

--- Quote from: David Graser on November 20, 2023, 06:18:57 pm ---PNGs can be used if Dynamic icons are selected in the folder properties menu. There is no default PNG for each folder and icon.  You have to manually select a PNG for a PNG to be used for each program object or folder..

--- End quote ---

David, it's far simpler and "automated" than that. In x\SYS\ICONS\BIGICONS there are over 200 png icons. Their use is controlled by 'bigicons.txt' (also in that directory). It's broken down into categories like WPS class, file type, object ID, etc. Make a backup copy then have at it (you may want to deliver a customized version with your png icon sets).

To get custom icons enabled, goto 'System Setup->Workplace Shell->Icon Size' (it's the very last tab) and check "Use custom icons". On that page, you can also make Dynamic icons the default and set the default size. You have to restart for custom icons to kick in. The other settings are live and happen immediately.

Note: the "default" default size produces icons whose physical size is the same as they would be if you were running your display at 1024*768. For example, at 1920*1080 you need a 56*56 pixel icon to get the same physical size you'd get at 1024*768 using a 40 pixel icon. At UHD (3840*2160), icons have to be 112 pixels to be that size.

Andrew Stephenson:
David && Rich:  Thank you for the quick and concise explanations.  Yes, I am still learning -- and am happy to hear I was wrong about ICOns and will investigate what you suggest when I resume putting go-faster stripes on my new AOS setup.  (Mind, I did wonder, slightly, why Icon Editor is supplied, if ICO is history.)  Meanwhile, I should stop posting in the wrong part of the Forum, lest rozzers/beadles/custodians/blokes-with-big-sticks come for me.  8)

Roderick Klein:

--- Quote from: Ibrahim Hakeem on April 04, 2023, 08:42:58 pm ---Quite a few ideas come to mind, but I'll list the ones I believe Arca Noae would be more likely to roadmap, at least in the long-term.

> A new release of OpenJDK: 1.6's time came and went some time ago, with it's LTS period ending just over 4 years ago. Given how many times it's been mentioned in Warpstock events since 2021, I'm somewhat optimistic that we will see this raised as a priority sooner than later.

> Improved memory management: As Neil has mentioned, a big peril of running ArcaOS on modern hardware is the increasing shortage of RAM which the user has access to. Having PAE would be a godsend and a half, but any kind of improved memory management is much welcome.

> An updated version of SNAP with support for more video chipsets: Moving away from VESA(Panorama) would not only help with performance/stability issues related to video playback and 3D rendering - it would resurrect an expansive library of software which hasn't been usable in quite some years due to being only GRADD-compatible. The last item in this list is an example directly affected by this.

> QEMU (or similar): Yes, I'm bringing this up once again. AN has stated their intentions on multiple occasions to address retro x86 gamers as a target demographic - even stating it to be the focus of a subsequent 5.1 update. Since we have WINOS/2 and DOS, adding the ability to run Windows 9x and maybe even early Linux distros would do quite well.

--- End quote ---

1) OpenJDK would need somebody to work on at least 4 to 6 months. This would require somebody to have experience with OS/2 and WIN32 knowledge. Debugging ODIN is more difficult because of the more layers of code.  The ODIN code would be the "fastest" way to port a new version of OpenJDK to OS/2. But the ODIN has not been updated for 15 years or more. So its a big haul up the mountain. If somebody can do this in his spare time I think is not possible. That is my estimate.

2) As mentioned before PAE is game over. All memory structures would need to be patched and all drivers updated.
I am still discussing some suggestions with Dmitry from BWW. But big changes to the kernel are extremely difficult.

3) Based on current expectations SNAP is what it is. And 3D support is not useful, what can use it on OS/2 ?
Have you looked closely how well Panorama these days performs ? The real enhancement would be support for  more then 1 screen. Other then that I do not think SNAP will ever get updated.

4) Why QEMU ? To run as VM on ArcaOS ? Well then you can better use the current build of Virtualbox.

Roderick

Dave Yeo:

--- Quote from: Roderick Klein on November 21, 2023, 04:20:41 pm ---
3) Based on current expectations SNAP is what it is. And 3D support is not useful, what can use it on OS/2 ?
Have you looked closely how well Panorama these days performs ? The real enhancement would be support for  more then 1 screen. Other then that I do not think SNAP will ever get updated.


--- End quote ---

All modern browsers expect to have OpenGL available for use.

David Graser:

--- Quote from: Rich Walsh on November 20, 2023, 07:22:35 pm ---
--- Quote from: David Graser on November 20, 2023, 06:18:57 pm ---PNGs can be used if Dynamic icons are selected in the folder properties menu. There is no default PNG for each folder and icon.  You have to manually select a PNG for a PNG to be used for each program object or folder..

--- End quote ---

David, it's far simpler and "automated" than that. In x\SYS\ICONS\BIGICONS there are over 200 png icons. Their use is controlled by 'bigicons.txt' (also in that directory). It's broken down into categories like WPS class, file type, object ID, etc. Make a backup copy then have at it (you may want to deliver a customized version with your png icon sets).

To get custom icons enabled, goto 'System Setup->Workplace Shell->Icon Size' (it's the very last tab) and check "Use custom icons". On that page, you can also make Dynamic icons the default and set the default size. You have to restart for custom icons to kick in. The other settings are live and happen immediately.

Note: the "default" default size produces icons whose physical size is the same as they would be if you were running your display at 1024*768. For example, at 1920*1080 you need a 56*56 pixel icon to get the same physical size you'd get at 1024*768 using a 40 pixel icon. At UHD (3840*2160), icons have to be 112 pixels to be that size.

--- End quote ---
Rich, it may be some time before I have anything ready to try.  I noticed all the icons listed are not in the bigicons folder.  The folders are easy.  It is the other icons.  Building pngs I don't see  takes time.  If I am right, I can even add more program icons to the text and these icons won't be available unless the program is installed.  I am also reducing the icons to 80x80.  This is a good middle of the road size to lower or increase.

Here is what I am doing.
Resizing icons
Making new icons
renaming to reflect the size and make icon search more easier
rearranging some of the text to make things easier to find and updating the icon names
Then when finished, I have to hope everything works.  I am a bad typist, mistakes will be made

I backed up the old big icons folder.

The new bigicons folder will contain all the newly updated pngs.  I started with the yellow folder set although I like the red and black also.  Once the icons other than folders are complete, it should be a lot easier make other folder sets.

Question.  There seems to be a lot of repetition on the open office icons.  There are all kinds of different icon names using the same icons.  It seems a lot of these are repetition.  Is it me or is there a reason for this?

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