Software : : Jack 3.1 now available for all Amiga-like operating systems
Posted By: djrikki. on 2012/4/19 18:22:03
Jack 3.1 is now available for immediate download for all Amiga-like operating systems. Non-AmigaOS 4 users should read the notes outlined below.

For the time-being Jack can only be downloaded from OS4Depot.net. Installation and executables or all Amiga-like operating systems are included in the distribution.



SO WHAT'S NEW? (click on Read More to find out)


* Comprehensive Download Manager in the App-Store
* Added support for AROS, Classic and MorphOS computers into the Community Statistics panel and elsewhere
* App-Store Donation Database: Download applications and then donate directly to the developer (SHOW YOUR SUPPORT!)
* Improved general caching within the AppStore and increased archive name recognition database
* Platform-indepency and removal of all (most) third-party tools and applications including Curl/Wget
* From now on all URLs are called via the OpenURL suite
* Watermarks fixed in single-image mode
* All fonts are now anti-aliased
* Many more numerous bug fixes and optimisations
* For full list of changes and bug fixes, read the .readme or the documentation included

MorphOS: (status: BETA/Untested)

* Completely untested, assuming it even loads some features maybe broken or missing. I do intend to get my hands on a MorphOS machine to bring up to the same level as enjoyed by AmigaOS4 users.

IN ALL CASES please subscribe to the Jack Beta Mailing List, send all your bug reports, feedback, suggestions etc... especially non-AmigaOS4 users.

jack_beta@freelists.org - ensure you write the word 'subscribe' (without quotes) in the subject of your email.

Thank you, I hope you continue to enjoy Jack for... everyone!
 
  • Order of the Butterfly
    Order of the Butterfly
    Yomgui
    Joined: 2004/8/31
    Posts: 348
    From: Québec ...
    Sorry, but what is Jack?
    And now... next project!
  • »2012/4/20 21:29
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  • Andreas_Wolf
    Joined: 2003/5/22
    Posts: 12200
    From: Germany
    > what is Jack?

    http://jackforamigaos.wordpress.com/features/
    http://www.amigaos.net/software/66/jack

    [ Edited by Andreas_Wolf On 2012/4/20 23:51 ]
  • »2012/4/21 0:50
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    amigadave
    Joined: 2006/3/21
    Posts: 2795
    From: Northern Calif...
    Quote:

    Sorry, but what is Jack?


    Jack is a commodity, previously only for OS4.x, but since it was written in Hollywood, I think it was easy for the author to port it to AROS and MorphOS2.x.

    It has gotten some criticism from one or two other programmers for being written in Hollywood and some of Hollywood's limitations, but I don't know if any of these so called limitations of Hollywood have any negative effects on the performance of Jack. I have not used it too much, but it is a fairly nice looking little calendar and weather program for the desktop, plus it has an online software store function setup as one of the many things that it does, and the author of Jack is trying to encourage software coders to use Jack as a way to market and sell their downloads, by incorporating ways for Jack to send the buyer of software downloads to PayPal to make their payments. I have not yet looked at that part of the program, but have read about some of it.

    It also does a few other things that I have not explored yet, but check it out and see for yourself. I am curious to find out how it looks on MorphOS2.7, as like I said, it is a fairly good looking app on my OS4.1.5 desktop (but due to my bad back, I have not been able to use my X1000 nearly as much as I would like to).
    MorphOS - The best Next Gen Amiga choice.
  • »2012/4/21 21:44
    Profile
  • Just looking around
    djrikki
    Joined: 2012/3/18
    Posts: 16
    From:
    Quote:

    Quote:

    Sorry, but what is Jack?


    Jack is a commodity, previously only for OS4.x, but since it was written in Hollywood, I think it was easy for the author to port it to AROS and MorphOS2.x.

    It has gotten some criticism from one or two other programmers for being written in Hollywood and some of Hollywood's limitations, but I don't know if any of these so called limitations of Hollywood have any negative effects on the performance of Jack. I have not used it too much, but it is a fairly nice looking little calendar and weather program for the desktop, plus it has an online software store function setup as one of the many things that it does, and the author of Jack is trying to encourage software coders to use Jack as a way to market and sell their downloads, by incorporating ways for Jack to send the buyer of software downloads to PayPal to make their payments. I have not yet looked at that part of the program, but have read about some of it.

    It also does a few other things that I have not explored yet, but check it out and see for yourself. I am curious to find out how it looks on MorphOS2.7, as like I said, it is a fairly good looking app on my OS4.1.5 desktop (but due to my bad back, I have not been able to use my X1000 nearly as much as I would like to).


    Jack for MorphOS is untested at present, last version someone reported it didn't start. Hoping to get access to a MorphOS machine at some point soon so I can develop Jack for it directly.

    The MorphOS version specifically runs in debug mode, so if anyone can paste the debug text (if you get any) would be most helpful to me.
  • »2012/4/23 20:46
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  • Just looking around
    djrikki
    Joined: 2012/3/18
    Posts: 16
    From:
    Quote:

    Quote:

    Quote:

    Sorry, but what is Jack?


    Jack is a commodity, previously only for OS4.x, but since it was written in Hollywood, I think it was easy for the author to port it to AROS and MorphOS2.x.

    It has gotten some criticism from one or two other programmers for being written in Hollywood and some of Hollywood's limitations, but I don't know if any of these so called limitations of Hollywood have any negative effects on the performance of Jack. I have not used it too much, but it is a fairly nice looking little calendar and weather program for the desktop, plus it has an online software store function setup as one of the many things that it does, and the author of Jack is trying to encourage software coders to use Jack as a way to market and sell their downloads, by incorporating ways for Jack to send the buyer of software downloads to PayPal to make their payments. I have not yet looked at that part of the program, but have read about some of it.

    It also does a few other things that I have not explored yet, but check it out and see for yourself. I am curious to find out how it looks on MorphOS2.7, as like I said, it is a fairly good looking app on my OS4.1.5 desktop (but due to my bad back, I have not been able to use my X1000 nearly as much as I would like to).


    Jack for MorphOS is untested at present, last version someone reported it didn't start. Hoping to get access to a MorphOS machine at some point soon so I can develop Jack for it directly.

    The MorphOS version specifically runs in debug mode, so if anyone can paste the debug text (if you get any) would be most helpful to me.


    Great news, after some extensive google searches under the words 'amigaos jack' and restricting it to 'past month' and having to sift through to page 18 within the search results to an italian website which then had to be translated into english and move onto page 2 in the forum... har de har har

    A user named 'Jambalah' posts that 3.1.3 of Jack works under MorphOS!

    Annoying enough Samo79 is active on that thread, perhaps he could have told me in that email he sent to me only yesterday!! o/

    Ps. I've posed the question about the video card, is this a good price/system to run MorphOS under?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mac-mini-/230779384125?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Desktops_CV&hash=item35bb85f13d#ht_500wt_949
  • »2012/4/23 23:38
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  • Andreas_Wolf
    Joined: 2003/5/22
    Posts: 12200
    From: Germany
    > user named 'Jambalah'

    ...is also a MorphZone member, btw :-)

    http://www.morphzone.org/users/2604.html
  • »2012/4/24 13:07
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  • Yokemate of Keyboards
    Yokemate of Keyboards
    amigadave
    Joined: 2006/3/21
    Posts: 2795
    From: Northern Calif...
    Quote:


    Ps. I've posed the question about the video card, is this a good price/system to run MorphOS under?

    http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/mac-mini-/230779384125?pt=UK_Computing_Apple_Desktops_CV&hash=item35bb85f13d#ht_500wt_949


    It is not a bad system, and it depends on how high the auction goes. I don't know what the prices for G4 MacMini's go for in the UK, so do your own research on past auctions to find out what a typical price is.

    The 1.25GHz G4 MacMini has a 32mb VRAM video card that can't be upgraded, soldered to the motherboard, or fixed permanently, so it cannot be switched.

    It will work fine, but if you use a large monitor and want to run it at 1900x1080 resolution, or larger, you will run into low VRAM problems.

    There are options where you can turn off the eye candy in MorphOS to help reduce low VRAM problems, but if you run MorphOS at 1024x768, or some other similar sized display and don't have a dozen web browser tabs open at the same time, you should be okay. I don't have personal experience with a 32mb VRAM MorphOS computer, so I can't explain how to set it up to avoid problems.

    If you have the room in your apartment or house for another computer tower, I would suggest you look for a G4 PowerMac tower close to you (shipping it is expensive), because you should be able to find one for less money than a G4 MacMini, and you can install different supported video cards into it with 64mb, 128mb, or 256mb of VRAM.

    Like I said, the shipping will be expensive, but if you are willing to pay a bit more for a MorphOS system, I know someone that has a very fast Quicksilver G4 PowerMac, that I think will be selling it very soon, but it is in the USA.
    MorphOS - The best Next Gen Amiga choice.
  • »2012/4/24 16:01
    Profile
  • Just looking around
    djrikki
    Joined: 2012/3/18
    Posts: 16
    From:
    Quote:

    > user named 'Jambalah'

    ...is also a MorphZone member, btw :-)

    http://www.morphzone.org/users/2604.html


    Thanks PM sent.

    @amigadave - No big rush, want best value for money... however if Jambalah is happy to perform a few tests of Jack under MorphOS for me and answer a few questions I probably won't need to buy one anyhow.
    80% of the work was getting Jack to run MorphOS in the first place, the other 20% relates to path to helper applications.

    I.e. Does MorphOS come with a PDF viewer as standard? If yes, what is the path to it?

    Same for EPS vectored images, does MorphOS have AmiEPS or similiar? Again path to it!

    Another is an Icon Editor.

    You see the file manager in Jack can open selected file(s) in a helper application so its helpful to know where they should exist on each target platform.
  • »2012/4/24 17:46
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  • Andreas_Wolf
    Joined: 2003/5/22
    Posts: 12200
    From: Germany
    > a dozen web browser tabs open at the same time

    ...don't affect VRAM usage.

    http://www.morphzone.org/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7983&forum=3&start=18
  • »2012/4/24 19:26
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  • Andreas_Wolf
    Joined: 2003/5/22
    Posts: 12200
    From: Germany
    > Does MorphOS come with a PDF viewer as standard? If yes, what is the
    > path to it?

    It does. Default path to the executable is SYS:Applications/Apdf/Apdf (may change with MorphOS 3.0 though).

    > Same for EPS vectored images, does MorphOS have AmiEPS or similiar?

    Not on the MorphOS 2.7 ISO as far as I'm aware of.

    > Another is an Icon Editor.

    http://www.morphzone.org/modules/newbb_plus/viewtopic.php?topic_id=7196&forum=9&start=1
  • »2012/4/24 19:42
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