Hombre AMI<>PC software package.
- Description
- Features:
- Future:
- Caveats:
- Thanks:
- History:
- Credits:
- Files
- Contact

Hombre AMI<>PC software package.

Description

In a nutshell, Hombre is a collection of utilities aimed at users of low end Amiga models (like the A500) who want to transfer files from their PCs. It is both versatile and easy to use. All the software crammed onto the disk comes from legal sources and can be freely distributed (this compilation is NOT for sale).

Features:

the whole package is built around the small (36K) yet powerful and memory efficient ZShell giving you (among other things) command line editing options, wildcards, file name completion and 68 in-built commands(!);

you don’t have to remember long and cryptic command line arguments since you can invoke most of the programs by pressing one of the Function keys. Plenty of useful aliases are also defined;

all software on the disk is compatible with 1.3 version of Kickstart. Most of the programs work with later revisions;

various methods of transferring files:
- using floppies (FAT, long filenames supported);
- via the Serial port. TransWarp, TwinExpress (DOS only), DNet (WinUAE required) and ZModem;
- via the Parallel port. Paradise (can be made WinXP compatible) and Apccomm (Linux);

special startup-mode for using Hombre over a text terminal (useful when you want to back up your floppies but don’t have the required cables/monitor or Amiga‘s hardware is faulty – keyboard, RGB port etc.). Although the connection utilises the serial port as the shell runs over an AUX: style device ZModem transfers are still possible;

a ‘Minimal Mode’ that you can select during boot-time that gives you >910000 bytes of free memory with a command shell up and running on a 1 meg machine. Should also come in handy on Amigas equipped with only 512kb of memory;

a comprehensive support for ADF files:
- (g)zipped images can be written straight onto floppies (as long as the file is smaller than 760kb). It‘s best to use this feature in Minimal Mode with files >650kb;
- creation of normal/extended images;
- transfer ADF files directly to/from disks using both(serial/parallel) link-up methods;
- command aliases for ‘chopped’ ADFs (useful when using PC floppies for transfer) – now for 0,5 meg machines too. There’s even an interactive shell script that simplifies the whole procedure. All you have to do is swap disks and press Enter when prompted.

thanks to the combination of DNet and WinUAE you can access a folder on your PC from the Amiga just like any other drive. You can also use PC’s keyboard and mouse as if they were connected to the Amiga (only works with system friendly apps);

utilities that make working with many windows much easier (window/screen cycling, mouse acceleration, auto point etc.);

programs that let you copy, format, check, validate, repair disks and salvage data from them;

a screen grabber, text editor, text viewer, preferences program, topaz.font replacements and SnoopDos are also included;

plus docs that guide you through different methods of transfer and give tips on how to get the most out of Hombre. These are still in the works. Check http://eab.abime.net/showthread.php?t=27704 for more info.

Future:

pull-down menus for easier access to included software;

any suggestions are always welcomed.

Caveats:

ZShell’s in-built move command doesn’t work (don’t know why); also don’t use the ‘all’ switch with the delete command or the Amiga will crash (better use a pattern like ‘delete ram:*’ and press enter every time when prompted) – this only applies to 1.3 version of kickstart. By pressing CTRL+F ZShell can open a file requester and insert selected file’s path/name on the command line but since there’s no asl.library sitting in LIBS: it won’t work. When you start a new CLI the memory clock disappears from the title bar, type ‘memclk on’ to get it back. The ‘show t‘ command crashes when TD is running;

when working in minimal mode some programs will refuse to run (this is because of the small height of the screen – just 50 pixels). These include FixDisk, PPrefs, plus possibly others that try to open a window. If you get rid of aliases in this mode (by issuing the unalias command) make sure you provide the -w parameter with correct values (window height not larger than 50 pixels – check zshell’s docs for more info) when issuing newcli or the GURU will pay you a visit;

AutoCLI and DMouse have a feature that let’s you start a new CLI by pressing a key combination (LAmiga+Esc). In order to do so they require files that are not available on disk so DON’T try to open new shell windows in this way or it’s CRASH, BOOM, BANG. You can press F10 instead or issue the newcli command;

apccomm is included but I haven’t managed to get it working on any of my Linux LiveCd distros but then again it’s been two years since I’ve last used Linux…;

When working with serial transfer programs (transwarp, dnet) you need to issue ‘avail -c’ if you plan to change the serial device after having invoked them earlier with a different device (for example you transferred a disk form the Amiga to the PC using transwarp at 115200 baud with BaudBandit and now want to receive an ADF using artser. Type ‘avail -c’ in-between or else the program will fail to open the new device);

Paradise confuses the serial port driver so that at every end of a transfer serial connection is lost (too bad but it’s seems that the hardware is at fault as the ports share one signal line);

There are others that I’ve forgotten but I’m sure you’ll quickly refresh my memory ;).

Thanks:

Zuza for being so kind and considerate throughout my work on Hombre :*;
all the people responsible for the software included (check the read.me file in docs/ on the disk for a detailed list)
Lombi of Anarchy who put together an amazing collection of utilities that inspired me to do something similar;
Pazza of LSD and his ‘LSD Legal Tools’ collection where I got most of the programs from;
Fred Fish for his amazing software collection; (RIP)
creators and maintiners of aminet.net;
Toni Wilen for WinUAE which made my life so much easier when preparing this collection;
Bloodwych for his brilliant classicWB packs which saved me a lot of time and effort;
Paul for helping me out with the wiki page; (RIP)
Tygrys for lending me his A500 (wielkie dzieki!);
Zetr0 for the webspace (I’m sure I’ll find some use for it :) cheers!)
scaf for his ADFDump disk;
Josh for the SAAR PD disks;
Jimbo for his great FTP server;
Nyder, frantic for offering their help with testing the package (appreciate it!);
Alexh for useful suggestions;
ppa.pl staff (especially mailman – you ROCK) for a fantastic web site;
all active EAB users for making it the best Amiga related website in the galaxy;

History:

12-12-2006 0.1a-03b internal versions

25-02-2007 0.4b first public release

22-08-2007 0.5 second public release

Credits:

add36k: Alexander Rawass apccomm: Ralf Hoffmann arp.library: check the read.me file for a complete list artser.device: CBM & Arthur Hagen as21k: Mathias Axelsson autocli: Nic Wilson baudbandit.device: Christian Buchner bformat: Bob Bush, R.W.Bowers, T.A.Nery dcopy: Coding by TURBOBRAIN & graphics by NICK23 Original copy routines by R.GELFAND & S.THUBEAUVILLE dmouse, dnet: Matt Dillon fat95: Torsten Jager fixdisk: Werner Guenther flat-handler: Olaf Barthel for: Fabio Rossetti funzip: Mark Adler (original code) Paul Kienitz, John Bush, Walter Haidinger (Amiga port) hackdisk.device: Dan Babcock, Harry Sintonen loadlib: Kenneth C. Nilsen makeres: Gunther Nikl messydisk.device: Olaf Seibert netdnet-handler, netkeys: Doug Walker, John Toebes newtopaz: METALLION of KEFRENS noreq, pprefs: Jonathan Potter paradise: Giuseppe Mignogna ped: Frank Wille pictsaver, td: Preben Nielsen ppmore: Nico François rawread: Toni Wilen sd-aux-handler: Steve Drew snoopdos: Eddy Carroll testlmb: Ed Mackey tracktool: Codetapper transwarp: Wolfgang Stoeggl twinexpress: OMNICODE xpkmaster.library: Dirk Stoecker, Christian von Roques, Urban Dominik Mueller xprd: Oliver Wagner xprzmodem.library: Rick Huebner zshell: Martin Gierich, Paul Hayter