[Coco] CocoPi3 "PacoOtaktay Winter 2017-2018 Edition" now available

[Bill Pierce]

Ron & William, first, the cmd line to run multiple instances of the current DW4 (which is what you seem to be using) is atrocious (to say the least), not to mention the need for more memory allocation, and other parts of the cmd line I forget. I do remember that in Windows, the "exe" file could not be used and you had to run the "jar" directly and run it in a cmd box, which had to stay open the whole session.
I was trying to get DW4 to work multiple instances and had succeeded, but it was slow and cumbersome. Then adding the overhead of syncing the drives to share instances, the multiple GUIs, etc, the whole thing got rediculous to run. I was emailing Aaron constantly (at the time) as I was learning all the internal cmd sets and he was developing a few new cmds just for my project. It was in my emails to Aaron about all this when he sent me the jar file of 4.3.4a, which stepped up in versions one at a time over a period of time until he had it at 4.3.4e, in which he finally got everything in it I needed. No cmdline hassles, no memory problems, single GUI, and brainless operation.
The only thing needed to run the multiple instances is the change to the config file as the buttons on the pic of the "Instance Manager" for "Create Instance" & "Delete" are not functional, so that has to be done manually. To change instances, you just click the "Attach UI" on the instance manager to bring the GUI of that instance forward. The "Start", Stop" and "Autostart" buttons on the manager do work (1st pic).
The main changes were to the GUI and menu system. Internally everything functions the same as 4.3.3o. I mentioned something broken, which if I remember right was the "Config Editor (not the wizard which works fine).
Once the instances are set in the config, you just activate the desired instance in the manager, then step through the wizard to set what you want and it's done and you move to the next instance. Once all are set, they stay that way until you decide to set thing differently.
The GUI is not as heavy as 4.3.3o since the browser pane is not included in 4.3.4e as well as no "logo pane". The internet access (telnet etc) is still active and available internally through the cmd structure, just not visible on the GUI.
The "V-Port Sniffer" is amazing as it allows you to visually monitor EVERY byte sent/received to/from DW4's ports much like veiwing a file using ded in OS9. The "V-Ports" are the "/Nx" & "/MIDI" ports. This feature DOES have a few quirks, but works none the less.
I think it was at this point (4.3.4e) that Aaron opted to quit trying to patch up the current DW4 code and started a complete rewrite for DW5 which (unfortunately) never saw light. Aaron had sent me a list of the upcoming features and some screenshots of what was to come, but it never materialized into even a test model. In his emails to me, he explained he was going to have to get out of it (the Coco) for a while due to some real life events. Had this new version come out, it would have rocked the Coco world more than 4.3.3o. Now he has a new wife and we all know that means he ain't got time for a little Coco... at least for a while yet... :-)
As a note, I think the sources for both 4.3.4e and the unfinished DW5 are all in the DW4 repository buried under obscure names (I think) and Aaron has always incouraged anyone to take that repo and work with it. Personally, I've never worked with Java, so I've never tried.

I will try to fix up a page, along with a manual and get DW4 4.3.4e out so people can use it. As I said... I won't use any other version... it's just too simple B-)

 

 

Bill Pierce
"Charlie stole the handle, and the train it won't stop going, no way to slow down!" - Ian Anderson - Jethro Tull

My Music from the Tandy/Radio Shack Color Computer 2 & 3
https://sites.google.com/site/dabarnstudio/
Co-Contributor, Co-Editor for CocoPedia
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E-Mail: ooogalapasooo at aol.com