RISC OS Direct live launch at SW Show

how does this differ from ROOL Pi build?
1) It is based on Open Source RISC OS 5.26+ (actually 5.27 in order to incorporate key Pi-related improvements)

Is it compatible with ADFFS? As I understand it ADFFS relies on being in step with RISC OS to work properly.I wouldn’t like to lose my !MicroDrive golf game time waster on the Pi.

I believe so, John. I think MicroDrive is actually native-compatible now since Jon has the source! Proper testing for ADFFS/games will be part of the games pack add-on. Jon Abbott has given us his permission to supply JASPP games, and he approves strongly of the “software for free” approach taken by RISC OS Direct / RISC OS Dev. We made sure to allow old modes to work on RISC OS Direct, as so much software relies on it (even !Hopper in the standard disc build!).

Just downloaded RISC OS Direct and booted it up on my Raspberry Pi 3B. Thanks – it’s very nice. Upgrading from RISC OS Pi 5.24. I like how I didn’t have to modify the config.txt file (in !Boot→Loader), or create a cmdline.txt file with the line ‘disable_mode_changes’, and install the AnyMode module, just so that the RISC OS desktop fills the whole screen!

Two suggestions if I may:

Please consider including !Zap in the package (and stick it on the Pinboard by default!). I’ve been using Rick Murray’s ‘Ultimate’ edition (“1.49 rick-05”) exclusively for my BASIC/assembler coding dev work.

Also, consider putting !SparkFS on the Pinboard by default (I almost always do this myself as I make use of it so frequently).

David.
—

Please consider including !Zap in the package

It’s already there, in Utilities.Text.

Also, consider putting !SparkFS on the Pinboard by default (I almost always do this myself as I make use of it so frequently).

I’d have thought people would want it actually loaded at start so that the facility just works.
As a long time user (bought a copy in the last millennium) I sort of expect my system to do read/write of zip and similar archives.
Extra clicks to start a vital reduced to Pinboard clutter doesn’t seem right.

Just downloaded RISC OS Direct and booted it up on my Raspberry Pi 3B.

How did you do that? There is nothing on: https://www.riscosdev.com/

I think it was an act of pure optimism to have looked there in the first place!

It’s on a “hidden” page at http://www.riscosdev.com/direct/.

I’d have thought people would want it actually loaded at start so that the facility just works.

There are problems with having SparkFS – particularly the read-only version – loaded at all times.

For example, say you are using “Filer > (directory) > Access > Access details” to make a directory available to other users on the network. Odds-on you’ll have the “Recurse” option ticked when doing so, but that results in SparkFS trying to change access permissions on the contents of any archives in that directory. With the read-write version of SparkFS loaded this will merely make unwanted changes to the archives, but the read-only version of SparkFS will cause “Archive is read-only” errors to appear: an inexperienced user may well think there was something wrong with the directory itself.

A lot of RISC OS programs like SparkFS (read version) and !PDF (PDF reader) aren’t hugely useful on their own, so there is little point loading them at startup. SparkFS has generally found its home in Utilities (over the years) which is a special folder that is “looked at” during startup. Everything in “Utilities” is seen by the computer, and will be auto-loaded if needed (eg. if you open a zip).

!PDF has tended to end up in !Boot.Resources, which is also seen early during startup. There’s an argument !PDF could go in Utilities, but unlike !SparkFS, there’s zero benefit from pre-loading !PDF, and almost negative benefit, since it tends to load a new copy for each file anyway.

When building RISC OS direct, we’ve referred back to Acorn’s disc layouts from the RiscPC era, Castle/ROOL’s layouts and also some of the WiFi Sheep build elements to create the best we can. As I say, there are definitely possibilities for improvement (for example, I’m not convinced the current pinboard pinned icons are necessarily the best selection), but that’s something that can grow over time.

RO Direct should be a “proper” part of the ROD site shortly – our webmaster is currently away, so I quickly put up the page at www.riscosdev.com/direct to ensure that it was available in the meantime.

PS, thanks to those who sent kind words – much appreciated – this was a huge labour of love!

PPS, I tend to separate Zap and StrongEd in “Text” folder because they both claim similar filetypes etc. Users generally prefer one or t’other, so having both seen tends to be counterproductive. I recommend trying both, then sticking whichever you prefer on the pinboard, and also “Add to Apps” which will be covered in a future video. For the series, there will likely be more of a StrongEd focus, as it is generally a touch friendlier for new users (better buttons!). However, I did insist on Zap being on there, because you can’t have one without the other, and users tend to be 50/50 split between the two.

It’s on a “hidden” page

:)

Nota: I believe it’ll would not be difficult to convince David P. to free the code of SparkFS. Or, at least, to make it available for free (DELETED).

I think SparkFS is still commercial – it is only the Read-Only version that is freely available. I suspect a single source is used for both.

I think SparkFS is still commercial – it is only the Read-Only version that is freely available.

Yes. From the website:

“SparkFS for RISC OS costs £25.00”

The links below that text are for an upgrade and for the free (read only) version.

My comment was about where it should be placed and I would suggest that in the run at startup entries is the most sensible.

I think SparkFS is still commercial – it is only the Read-Only version that is freely available. I suspect a single source is used for both.

The source code to the SparkFS module (1.45) is available to download here.

I think SparkFS is still commercial – it is only the Read-Only version that is freely available. I suspect a single source is used for both.

DELETED

Nota: a working version of ArcFS would be cool too. Here, it has strange effects.

Hint: check the upgrade :)

Gosh! I see what you mean.
I wonder if that is deliberate or accidental.

Not sure I like the direction this thread has taken. RISC OS Direct is definitely not about ripping off one of the RISC OS “Greats” (David Pilling), so I’d rather that such things weren’t discussed on this thread. There’s no way we’d put out something like that without express permission, and last time I checked, David wasn’t quite ready to open that up.

RISC OS Direct is definitely not about ripping off one of the RISC OS “Greats” (David Pilling)

Don’t forget the full message: "I believe it’ll would not be difficult to convince David P. to free the code of SparkFS. Or, at least, to make it available for free’

But you’re right. No need to talk more about the free version floating around, legally on some website :)

On the other hand, since the sparkfs module is open source, it would be fun to use it.
https://www.davidpilling.com/wiki/index.php/SparkFS

Or to integrate XFS in the filer. It could be great to be able to compress directories, “a la Windows XP”.
https://www.davidpilling.com/wiki/index.php/FileShrinker

(not only for space issues, but for speed issues).

David wasn’t quite ready to open that up.

I can’t help wondering how much it would cost to engage him on a project of adding the facilities to the OS like David suggested. Faster income for his efforts and a long term benefit for the OS users.

As I said earlier I bought a copy years ago so, with Davids policy of perennial updates it’s been a sound investment. Not that I knew about his updates when I originally purchased.

There are problems with having SparkFS

Another one – Samba. Copy a file from another machine, like “meh/zip”. It will begin and then fail, because the file is created and given type, and before anything can be written to the file it is “seen” as an archive, which is a directory, and you can’t write data to a directory.
SparkFS is great, it is almost always loaded on my machine, but I just wish some software behaved in a manner more in keeping with how RISC OS and image filing systems work…like this probably would have been a non-issue if Samba held off on typing the file until all the data had been received. Or examined the file object type and understood that “image != directory”. Or something.

there’s zero benefit from pre-loading !PDF

Yeah, same with PrivateEye (in Utilities). It’s nice to have something that will start itself up when I want to look at an image, but that doesn’t justify it sitting on the iconbar always. I’d put PDF into that category.

Ditto SparkFS. It sits on my iconbar because I use it to create archives (manga, stuff to push to the PC for blog articles, blah blah). However the sort of user that might want to be using Direct is more likely to want SparkFS to unpack archives, and for that, so long as it has been seen by the filer, it too can be “on demand”.

As I say, there are definitely possibilities for improvement (for example, I’m not convinced the current pinboard pinned icons are necessarily the best selection)

Quick question – what screen resolution does Direct start up in? One of the things I didn’t like much about the standard Pi image was it starting up in FullHD. It’s great if you have a monitor or TV that fits, but it looks pretty naff on anything smaller. Given the huge range of display technologies and sizes, I reckon monitor configuration and how to change mode ought to be one of the first lessons taught.

so having both seen tends to be counterproductive.

And the user would likely get Zap because ‘Z’ comes after ‘S’. Win! :-)

But, yes. The fair way is to provide both and let the editor wars continue for another decade.

I believe it’ll would not be difficult to convince David P. to free the code of SparkFS

Part of it is available.

As for free – did you email him first? It may be that he still gets sales of it…?

I suspect a single source is used for both.

I would imagine so. Nothing stands out in the SparkFS code.

No need to talk more about the free version floating around, legally on some website :)

You do understand – that it is available doesn’t mean you can legally use it.

I believe it’ll would not be difficult to convince David P. to free the code of SparkFS. Or, at least, to make it available for free’

Okay, so have you tried contacting him as opposed to…you know… giving away where to find the £25 version of SparkFS on a public forum? :-p

It could be great to be able to compress directories, “a la Windows XP”.

Been done. Computer Concepts CFS. It had a small amount of application on floppy discs where compressing stuff allowed it to be loaded more quickly, but it wasn’t so useful on harddiscs where space was plentiful and the on-the-fly compression added small delays.
Edit: Note also, compressed files make data recovery more challenging, especially if the file is broken in such a way that the decompression fails.

Quick question – what screen resolution does Direct start up in?

On my 1280×1024 display it started up in 1280×1024, with a somewhat distorted Pinboard backdrop image.

this probably would have been a non-issue if Samba held off on typing the file until all the data had been received.

This one I can understand. On RISC OS it isn’t an issue, but under emulation (e.g. RPCEmu) HostFS would see a delayed filetype change as a “rename” which is a big no-no for a file that is still open. Hence I can understand why Samba sets the filetype up-front, even if that has unfortunate knock-on effects.

what screen resolution does Direct start up in?

AFAICS it uses EDID, so if you’re using a 1920×1080 monitor you’ll get a FullHD display. If you’re using a JVC television (as I am) you’ll get a 640×480 display, but that’s thanks to JVC not RISC OS.

Been done. Computer Concepts CFS.

It’s worth reading David Pilling’s thoughts on CFS (on his wiki page linked upthread). An interesting insight into the Acorn scene at the time.

You do understand – that it is available doesn’t mean you can legally use it.

That seems to be a struggle for a few people in the RISC OS world. Unfortunately they then seem to end up doing things like creating distributions for use on the Raspberry Pi¹…

¹ The first one, but that experience left me somewhat cynical about this attempt, sadly.

Just to confirm, RISC OS Direct does use EDID to (try to) ensure a nice startup mode. An MDF is also supplied with a wide array of modes available, based in part on my RCI work.

In order to support old games and AnyMode, the default settings for the Pi are to let the GPU auto-scale low-res modes to the detected resolution.

Max supported res is 2560×1440 @ 60hz, I believe.

There will be times when this doesn’t work out (I have a 2560×1440 monitor here where the Pi GPU seems to detect as 800×600), but the vast majority of displays seem to work fine.

Overscan is disabled, to allow the picture to fill the screen. This may cause some overlap on some TVs, but most have a “picture size” button on the remote which allows the picture to fit properly.

The desktop background is a 1080p image, scaled accordingly. This may look a touch odd at low resolutions, but allows us to incorporate various requested elements. Similarly, the pinboard icon placement is designed with a 1080p display in mind, but with a focus on the bottom-left so that it works on lower resolutions too.

Can you tell that a bit of effort/thought went into this?! There are certainly mistakes/imperfections, but hopefully most people will have a nice experience.

You do understand – that it is available doesn’t mean you can legally use it.

It’s on its website! Is it my fault? :)

giving away where to find the £25 version of SparkFS on a public forum?

I never give the address. On the other hand, anyone who has a licence for a long time and can do a shift clic knows where it is.

Been done. Computer Concepts CFS. It had a small amount of application on floppy discs where compressing stuff allowed it to be loaded more quickly, but it wasn’t so useful on harddiscs where space was plentiful and the on-the-fly compression added small delays.

Yes, but with SD cards, it will probably be an huge improvement in term of speed. To have this module in ROM and be able to switch it for the whole disc + a filer option for the people who want to switch it on/off per directory, would be just fantastic.

The current module is open source and works. To be perfect, it would ‘just’ need the OS/CMOS and filer integration. And perhaps an optional icon for compressed directories.

But it’s not really the subject here :)

I can’t help wondering how much it would cost to engage him on a project of adding the facilities to the OS like David suggested. Faster income for his efforts and a long term benefit for the OS users.

That’s exactly what I was suggesting. I never told it would be free for us. Don’t get me wrong :) But I’m not sure that the SparkFS sales are so important. How much to retire it? That will be also the opportunity to solve some problems with SparkFS.

There’s no way we’d put out something like that without express permission, and last time I checked, David wasn’t quite ready to open that up.

Does he suggested a possible amount or it was just a definitive no?

It’s on its website! Is it my fault? :)

Back in the last millennium I made a comment about not having a copy of a particular Computer Concepts product so I did whatever it was by a different method.
Another newsgroup reader read this and posted a copy of a hacked and de-licenced copy. Much as I might have wanted the software, stealing it like that wasn’t right in my mind.
I contacted CC to find out what they knew of such activities¹ and I would expect responsible people to do the same in this instance rather than advertise a “freebie”.

That’s exactly what I was suggesting.

That was not my impression and Andrew seemed to have the same impression.

My suggestion to engineer a similar facility into the RO source which might be the same code or something similar. The phraseology I used was aimed mainly at Andrew – assuming he has time to devote to discussing such things with David.

¹ I got a thank you in text and code form and a request for a copy of the hacked binary. The generous response from CC was far more than I expected.