In December, the AROS system received many interesting changes and improvements that increase its functionality and performance. The most important news is the release of a new base version of the 32-bit system for x86 (ABIv0) by deadwood, which introduces nearly 1000 changes from several AROS developers, including hardware support and Wanderer desktop enhancements, updates of several libraries and many bug fixes.
To download the ISO and see the full list of changes, visit: https://github.com/deadw00d/AROS/releases/tag/ABIv0_20211128-1
The release of the new base version resulted in almost immediate appearance of updated distributions. Tiny AROS v3.0 and AROS One v2.3 came out.
AROS ONE v2.3
Full list of changes for AROS One v2.3:
https://www.arosworld.org/infusions/forum/viewthread.php?thread_id=1124&pid=3217#post_2876
Due to the huge amount of changes, it is not advisable to overwrite the old system with the new one. You should install the new system “clean”. Preferably on one of the recommended hardware.
In the December survey for the “Irritating bug of the month”, the problem with changing the name under Wanderer was chosen.
Irritating bug of the month - December 2023
Of course, the bug was fixed by deadwood as a priority, and a new survey has already appeared for January. We encourage you to register on the forum and take part in the next vote.
Work is also underway on the next ABIv0 build. The most important change will be the transition to the new C library. This step will require re-testing a large part of the software, so if you feel like it, you can help with the tests. You can find the test build in this thread.
Finally, as usual, news from AROS Archives. This month, several new items appeared, so there is something to play with :) Below is a detailed list.
Pintor Web (v. 4.00)
(author: Juan Carlos Herrán Martín)
An easy-to-use program for editing photos used in web design projects. It allows resizing, rotating, applying visual effects, adding a watermark or brand logo, saving in different formats.
Changes in the latest version:
- Compiled with the latest version of Hollywood 10.0.
- Added new visual effects.
- New PDF manual with examples and tips.
Pintor Web
Image2PDF (v. 2.4)
(author: Bernd Assenmacher)
A small tool for converting images to PDF format. It is mainly used for converting scans made with Scandal or Scanquix to PDF documents in specified output formats, such as A3, A4, A5, Legal, Letter or ImageSize, but it can also be used for converting other graphic files.
Changes in version 2.4:
- added “PDF2Image” function (does not work with Aros)
- added “PDF2PDF” function (does not work with Aros)
- added “Scaling” –> Image2PDF, when “ImageSize” is set as format
- added “Scaling” –> PDF2Image
- added “Scaling” –> Image2NewSize
- added “Quality” –> PDF2Image, when “JP(E)G” is set as format
- changed the method of counting files when saving images
- The installation script now copies icons and pictures (MorphOS, AmigaOS3/4 and Aros)
- The installation script now installs AmiKit, if selected
- The installation script now creates a drawer named “Image2PDF” in the selected destination (MorphOS, AmigaOS3/4 and Aros)
- introduced some cosmetic changes in the graphical user interface
- updated the guide
- fixed some minor bugs
Image2PDF
Font Tester (v. 2.00)
(author: Juan Carlos Herrán Martín)
Font Tester is a tool for testing fonts installed in the system. With it, we can easily check how a given font looks on the background of an image or texture.
Changes in version 2.0:
- Compiled with the latest version of Hollywood 10.0.
- New graphics in the intro.
Font Tester
XPDF-GUI (v. 1.1)
(author: Yannick Buchy)
This is a new graphical user interface created with Hollywood for XPDF Suite. This interface uses XPDF commands: pdfinfo, pdfdetach, pdffonts, pdftohtml, pdfimages, pdftopng, pdftoppm, pdftops and pdftotxt. They should be copied to the Bin/ drawer. The interface facilitates converting and extracting text and images from PDF files.
Changes in version 1.1:
- fixed: the information window was not cleared in some conditions
- added the destination path
- improved the iconification icon
- now the operation selection keeps the same state. For example, after selecting the “Get Information” option, when you then select another PDF file, you will immediately get information about the new PDF file. The same applies to the “Get List of Embedded Files” and “Get List of Used Fonts” options.
- added keyboard shortcuts
XPDF-GUI
iConecta (v. 5.20)
(author: Juan Carlos Herrán Martín)
A small and simple program for testing the internet connection.
Changes in version 5.20:
- New skin: Cyborg.
- New fonts.
- Fixed minor bugs.
iConecta
WhatIFF (v. 2.12)
(authors: I. Sorensen, J. Scolieri, K. Saunders, R. O’Malley, and T. Paul)
A magazine about Amiga topics published in Amigaguide format. Issue 12 - December 2023.
WhatIFF
ZoomIt (v. 1.3)
(author: Stefan Blixth)
ZoomIT is a simple magnifying application based on MUI.
Changes in version 1.3:
- Removed requirements for CyberGraphX (it will work even on non-RTG hopefully).
- Added Turkish translation (thanks to Serkan Dursun).
- Added Spanish translation (thanks to Dámaso Domínguez).
- Removed scale mode
- Removed color mode
- Removed magnifications above 1000%
ZoomIt
ZuneARC (v. 1.6)
(author: Yannick Erb)
Zune interface for archivers.
ZuneARC
AmiTechGazette (Nr 6)
(author: Eric Schwartz)
AMI Tech-Gazette is an electronic publication that aims to provide users with an experience similar to the classic newsletter of a local computer user group, with a personal, not entirely professional touch, covering Amiga and its relatives (OS4, MorphOS, AROS, Apollo and more!) with occasional deviations to games, toys and life in general.
AmiTechGazette
AstralGame (v. 4.10)
(author: Juan Carlos Herrán Martín)
This esoteric program allows you to discover the secrets of your personality and relationship with nature. You will learn what signs of the astral, Chinese, Mayan haab and tzolkin and Celtic zodiac correspond to your date of birth. You will also find out your magical personal number, which influences your life. The program also shows you the phase of the moon, which is useful for planting seeds, and the Celtic-Wiccan holidays or sabbats, which are related to the cycle of nature. In addition, it informs you about various events, such as Christmas, seasons and many others.
Changes in the latest version:
- The program window is now larger, with a resolution of 640x480 pixels.
- The tool is now darker and more serious.
- Compiled with Hollywood 10.0.
- New graphics created with AI help.
- Fixed a big bug with calculating the phases of the moon.
AstralGame
kensV4_Drawer_Games (v. 1.3)
(author: amiwell79)
Unofficial drawer icons for games in kens v4 style.
Kens v4 is a set of icons for Amiga, which have two PNG formats: one for AGA screens, and another for RTG screens. They are inspired by AmigaOS4 icons, but they have their own character and color scheme. The author of these icons is Ken Lester, who is a well-known graphic artist in the Amiga world.
kensV4_Drawer_Games
Black_White Icons (v. 1.0)
(author: Mike R.)
This archive contains the original images and ready icons for both icon sets: black and white. Each icon set (black and white) contains three variants of neon blue, green and yellow glowing borders.
Black_White Icons
Icon Drop (v. 1.0)
(author: Mike R.)
Icon Drop uses a small and simple GadTools GUI to save icon images to a new target icon.
Icon Drop
Apng (v. 1.3)
(author: Andreas Falkenhahn)
This plugin allows Hollywood to load and save animations in APNG (Animated Portable Network Graphics) format. The great advantage of APNG format is that it supports animations using alpha channel transparency. Neither IFF ANIM nor GIF ANIM formats support alpha channel transparency. In addition, APNG can also handle frame data in true color. The competing format for APNG is MNG, but APNG was chosen because it is supported by more applications.
Changes in version 1.3:
- Fix: APNG files without transparency channel were not loaded correctly (reported by Juan Carlos Herrán Martín).