OS2 World Community Forum
OS/2, eCS & ArcaOS - Technical => Applications => Topic started by: Martin Iturbide on February 08, 2021, 05:46:11 pm
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Hi
This is just one of those "brainstorming" questions that I do from time to time. I'm happy with ArcaOS 5.0.6 and compared to a clean OS/2 Warp 4.52 install, ArcaOS offers a lot of software bundled that saves some time.
But what else do you always install on your clean ArcaOS install?
I have a list here (https://www.os2world.com/wiki/index.php/ArcaOS_Vanilla_VM_Guest#Software), but it is very specific to my needs list, but not being selfish, I think what I would love to have included on the ArcaOS installer are:
- Gotcha (http://trac.netlabs.org/gotcha) - I think a screenshot grab utility is important to have (even Windows has it)
- HBShowDesktop (http://www.xcenter.os2usr.org/) - I really think that an icon on the xcenter to minimize all windows to show the desktop is useful
- Extended System Tray - This is the xcenter widget that shows me the icon of several Qt applications when are running on the background. (Note: the icon should be changed to not resemble W98)
What else do you think it should be useful to be included on the installer? What configuration you always do once you install a clean ArcaOS? It is very specific to your needs, or do you think it can installed by default?
...it is just brainstorming, nothing will be written in stone ;D
Regards
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my suggetions are:
- Close all Folders (KillFldr) -> very practical. you can close all open folders just with one click
- Black Hole - for quickly deleting files and folders
- Watchdog - when your desktop hangs the program cleanly shuts down the the file system and re-enables CTRL-
ALT-DEL
- Winback - also very practical for putting the upper open window to the bottom of the stack with a double click
on the top bar
- PM-Kill - Point and shoot killing of open programs from the desktop (you get a kill-pointer)
- FileManager/2 (i guess everybody knows that one)
- 4allCalc - VERY good and practical calculator
- ME (Martins Editor) - i like that one, cause you can easily swich between different formats (especially win/IBM)
- Assoedit (everyone installs that one anyway i guess)
- cleanini + checkini
- BS_info (sys-info-program)
- BS_FF (search program)
- ePDF
- WUZ (unzipping with one double-click onto the desktop)
have a lot of other programs installed, but the ones i named are essential for me
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Hi Andreas.
Thanks for sharing. Do you have a link for Winback? Was it freeware or Shareware?
Regards.
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Hi Andreas.
Thanks for sharing. Do you have a link for Winback? Was it freeware or Shareware?
Regards.
I like this program which does something similar.
https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/wps/title.zip
This program modual was designed to add some missing funcitonality to OS/2. The specific features are: 1) right-click on the Titlebar pushes a window back in the z-order. *2) ctrl-right-click shrinks a window to its titlebar size.
Yes, Kill folder would be a good one to include.
https://hobbes.nmsu.edu/download/pub/os2/util/wps/killfold-fix.zip
KillFolder, closes all open folders on the desktop. Fixed installer, fixed documentation and normalized return code. The installer now matches the documentation, excluding optionally replacing AAAAA.EXE by KILLFOLD.EXE. Source file updated and rebuild with IBM VAC 3.08 and lxLite. Known 'feature': if a folder is minimized, then KillFolder does not maximize it first. So re-opening this minimized folder, closed by KillFolder, opens it minimized again.
The yellow sticky note widget for XCenter ZNote would be a good one to add.
http://www.os2usr.org/xcenter/znote_wgt.zip
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Do you have a link for Winback? Was it freeware or Shareware?
Regards.
don't remember where i got winback from. have that one since decades. but i attatch it here..
it is freeware.
As far as i know all the other programs are freeware. Not sure about 4allcalc. i paid for that one. but i guess meanwhile it is free, same as fm/2
thanks david for the link to the update of killfldr. i still had an older version.
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Y would vote for:
ePDF
xFree86
I had them working in my Warp 4 but never could implement them fully in ECS or ArcaOS.
Eduardo Vila Echagüe
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Based on my habits -
LarsenCommander
ClipView
luckybackup
QPDFView
AOO
DataSeeker
KeepassX
SMPlayer
VBOX
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Thanks for sharing the WinBack file.
I had upload it to the github too, (https://github.com/OS2World/UTIL-WPS-WinBack (https://github.com/OS2World/UTIL-WPS-WinBack)), since it seems I was able to find the source code somewhere (somewhere I don't remember, but it was 6 years ago).
Regards
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probably the source was included with the program, but since i'm not a programmer i always delete these files. sorry. but glad you found it. hope you like the program as i do. accorfing to the information you posted there seem to exist a version 2.1. i only have 2.0. maybe anybody knows where to find ver. 2.1... still 2.o works fine here
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Since this will be personnel depending on each person's habits and working, here are a few of the items from my 'tools' and 'utilities' directories both of which always get copied to the 'tools' partition of any new install.
FTP Server
JFTP
FreePM
EPM4PM Tools
TaskBuster
FileFreedom Small fast PM file manager that can also shoe zip file contents - only problem is it is old and doesn't show gigabyte file sizes.
World Clock Saves having to work out times in other parts of the world.
Gotcha
Shisen The Shisen-Sho game.
BS Info No longer works with the latest AMD Ryzen processors.
WPI View
Cool Reader A QT4 epub and text reader.
Cameraderie For downloading pictures from my Nikon cameras.
Cleanini
ME Editor
There are more but they are not freeware which is what I expect Martin is looking for.
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A straightforward, modern and easy to use download manager of some kind I reckon would be a great addition. With the resources a Firefox session takes by simply being active, I personally find it difficult to multi-task whilst I'm downloading say, a large video or part of my music library.
I'd suggest XDM but as of recently it seems to be having issues connecting to most HTTPS servers. Jdownloader does not have this problem but is quite slow (50-100kb/s on an otherwise 250kb/s to 500kb/s connection).
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Thanks for sharing.
Ibrahim, XDM is more like a wishlist, It haven't been ported, right?
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Thanks for sharing.
Ibrahim, XDM is more like a wishlist, It haven't been ported, right?
Well, there's no native port but the Java version does run on OS/2, albeit with the issue that I mentioned. I actually learned of this program's existence through Joop's page: https://joopn.home.xs4all.nl/os2ecs/ecs6e80.htm
I do realize now that it's probably more of a wishlist situation considering it would probably be best for natively supported software to be bundled/configured before anything else, my apologies ;D
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Another thought is a password manager, ideally cross platform and available as a browser extension. This thought came up due to LastPass that I've been using, changing its terms.
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There is an old program called Workplace Security v2.1.5 for OS/2
Password protect OS/2 desktop objects.
(C) Copyright Maple Valley Software 1995, 1996
This is a fantastic program for password protecting folders and program objects. It does the job. One of the programs I am glad I purchased many years ago.
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Thanks for sharing, I'm also checking some of those that I didn't know about it.
Any other suggestions for this brainstorming are welcome.
Allow me to create the next list consolidating the software suggestions, somekind of "Must have" list for ArcaOS users :)
- 4allCalc
- Apache Open Office
- Assoedit
- BS_FF
- BS_info
- Black Hole
- Cameraderie
- Cleanini + Checkini (WPTools)
- ClipView
- Close all Folders (KillFldr)
- Cool Reader
- DataSeeker
- EPDF
- EPM4PM Tools
- Extended System Tray -
- FTP Server
- FileFreedom
- FileManager/2
- FreePM
- Gotcha
- HBShowDesktop
- JFTP
- KeepassX
- LarsenCommander
- Luckybackup
- ME (Martins Editor)
- ME Editor
- PM-Kill
- QPDFView
- SMPlayer
- Shisen
- TaskBuster
- Title
- VBOX
- WPI View
- WUZ
- Watchdog
- Winback
- Workplace Security
- World Clock
- XFree86
- ZNote Widget
Regards
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Hi Martin
SMPlayer will not be much use without mplayer :-)
I would also add PMunimix to your list.
Regards
Pete
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I believe I have been able to track down Michael A Rydberg, the man who created WPS Security. However, I could not find an email address to see if he is the creator of WPS Security and to see if he would open source his program or at least make it available for purchase again. He has moved since his program was last released.
https://clustrmaps.com/person/Rydberg-449tbm
If anyone more knowledgeable than me can get an email address, I would email him and ask.
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SMPlayer will not be much use without mplayer :-)
Well, if there is one program on that list that won't be in ArcaOS, it is SMPlayer/MPlayer due to Arca Noae being an American company and America's love of software patents.
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Hi Dave
Shame as ArcaOS simply does not include anything useful in terms of multimedia playback - except CD Pllayer ( Classic).
Regards
Pete
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Shame as ArcaOS simply does not include anything useful in terms of multimedia playback - except CD Pllayer ( Classic).
Yes, it looks like that's the only CD player that supports digital transfer.
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Search Plus would be a good program to replaced the old Search program in ArcaOS.
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Search Plus would be a good program to replaced the old Search program in ArcaOS.
If I'm not mistaken? Isn't 5.1 already slated to have a built in search utility that mostly matches Searchplus?
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Yuri's port of Recoll is a search app that can create WPS objects with search results. Because it was ported, I don't think that it uses the slower WPS functions that work with WPS objects, too. (The slow WPS "Find Objects" uses them.) Features are impressive. The last time I'd tested this, it worked pretty well, but consumes some of the short lower shared memory. That was the reason, why i'd dropped it. The situation has changed with the new kernel and newer Mozilla and AOO apps with respect to higher memory.
DataSeeker, initially developed by Alessandro and now maintained by Andi, was developed with regard to fastest searching. Both apps are OSS. I'm using DataSeeker daily.
Keith' SearchPlus has features that DataSeeker lacks: Filter by date, search in .zip files and sortable output list. I haven't compared it with DataSeeker regarding search speed, because I noticed at some point that it's shareware. I also don't like one of its strange dialog that doesn't comply with usual PM rules, while I must admit that I haven't checked it since then, what was about 10 years ago.
I'm happy with DataSeeker, but would like to have the date option and eventually the sort option added.
I've just read a bit more about Recoll and it supports EA filtering and works with an index. The index should make it much faster than other search apps. It looks like I have to test it again.
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Hi
I can not longer find "recoll-1_8_2-os2-20071127.wpi" or "recoll-1_8_2-os2-20071127-src.zip". Please let me know the link if someone has it. (or post the files here)
Regards
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Yes, you're right, Yuri's page (http://web.os2power.com/) doesn't exist no more and it's not present on his GitHub page (https://github.com/ydario?tab=repositories).
Its size is 3.2 MB. Where should I upload the .wpi to?
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Hi Andreas, just upload it right here. I think zip and wpi where supported to 5MB. If you also have recoll-1_8_2-os2-20071127-src.zip it would be great.
Regards
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OK, here's the .wpi file. I hadn't downloaded the zipped sources.
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I would suggest VLC. Don't know what the issue is with software patents v SMPlayer/MPlayer
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I am just about certain that Arca Noae will never include any of these media players in ArcaOS.
When I still worked at Mensys on eComStation the gigantic amount of patent royalties that would need to be paid was to big...
I looked at licensing some of these formats. The amounts you had to pay per audio of video codec sold, could be a few thousands Dollars a year at a minimum per codec. The issue is that any audio or/media player is covered by software mountains of softeare patent. Very few video codecs are patent free/royalty...
And in the United States I think the patent system in regards to software patents is screwed up beyond repair.
Sadly the EU seems to be following the same stupid strategy to make software easier and easier to patent.
This company is not the only one, a patent on a mobile phone app:
https://www.legalzoom.com/articles/can-you-patent-your-mobile-app
Give me a break a patent on a mobile app ?
This website gives a good inside how so many patents are being handed out that are "non obvious to a skilled person in the arts" .
https://www.eff.org/issues/stupid-patent-month
Taking it back to media players if you want to distribite a open source media player with a commercial product like ArcaOS, be prepared to have deep pockets to pay all the license fees...
Roderick
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The method a lot of Linux distributions uses is to have a non-free repository located in some jurisdiction without software patents and not too friendly to America. So after install, you add the non-free repository and install stuff like VLC.
It is also possible to compile a media player to not support various codecs, so with FFmpeg and I presume VLC, you could ship a cut down version that only plays patent free codecs. VP9 (and lower numbers) for video and Opus and such for audio. Things like MP3 where the patents have expired also could be included. Probably still not worth the hassle for Arca Noae, especially in America where it is so easy to get sued and even when in the right, too expensive to defend yourself, so we'll be left installing this stuff after the main install.
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That sounds like a pretty good compromise - considering the US is the land of the lawsuit. It is almost like the right to sue is in the Bill of Rights.
Even if there was not one dedicated site for all these "additional" applications, just a list of apps and links of where to download (almost the same thing) would be great. I saw a number of apps in this thread that I had never heard of before.
As for media players, I haven't used Mplayer or PMplayer but I do use VLC and it is VERY impressive. Kudos and thanks to the VLC team and especially
KO Myung-Hun for porting to OS/2.