[softwarelist] Re: Win OvPro

  • From: Frank Watkinson <frank@xxxxxxxx>
  • To: davidpilling@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 20:48:17 +0100

In article <50616eba68dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
   Dave Symes <dave@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> In article <200905260949.45924.freelists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
>    Mark Fraser <freelists@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> > On Tuesday 26 May 2009 07:47:49 Dave Symes wrote:

> [Snip]

> > >
> > > So I guess, for serious work, back to RISC OS and MS-Windows.

> > You could always try Linux and run Ovation Pro under RPCEmu.

> Mark, I'm running the latest Spoon version on the XP win machine,
> and while I would like to run the Linux version of RPCEmu, I have
> no idea what all this compiling stuff is about. If there was a
> downloadable like Spoon, then I'd be there.

> Thanks for your thoughts.
> Dave

I agree, compiling does not seem like the sort of thing I would be
capable of. On the other hand, it is not clear to me whether you have
seen and tried the Live CD carrying Puppy Linux and RPCEmu which is
designed to accept the (almost Free) RISC OS 4.02 disc image?

Have you been to the Drobe page:

       http://www.drobe.co.uk/article.php?id=2440

where there is a main article by Paul Stewart, which looked too
formidable for me ..... BUT alongside is a smaller article, headed
"Download a live CD with RPCEmu pre-prepared". At the end of this
subsidiary column is the invitation-link "Click here for more
details".  This takes you to:

       http://www.drobe.co.uk/extra/puppyguide/Announcement.htm

(NOTE the upper case "A" in the above) This page has the appropriate
title  "RISC OS on Puppy Linux Live CD".

The above title is slightly misleading: the live CD does not carry
the RISC OS disc image, but the link near the bottom of the page
"RISC OS Connect" takes you to:

       http://www.phawfaux.co.uk/ro-connect/links/links-related.asp

where there is a link on the left hand side, "RISC OS Live CD", which
allows you to download "puppy-412RPCEmu082.zip".

I have given each link above because it is worth reading all of the
words on those pages before you start downloading.the zip file which
contains an ISO image which you can use to create the actual CD which
is described as Live.

Starting from there, I found it was possible, to get my redundant
laptop (already installed with Windows XP) to boot from the Live CD
and, following instructions on screen and in the accompanying guide,
to install Puppy Linux and RPCEmu and have them running, ready to
accept the RO 4.02 disc which I bought from RISCOS LTD. (You can
download the disc for a fiver or receive one by Royal Mail for, I
think, 1.25 GBP.

Most of the installation went smoothly, but at one point I consulted
Paul Stewart directly who advised on the display Setup: remember to use the 
Xvesa display module rather than the Xorg module. Xvesa provides a slightly 
larger display area for RPCEmu.

You will find that the RPCEmu window in which RISC OS runs is fixed
in size. It can be moved around the larger Puppy Linux window, but
re-sizing is not possible in the normally expected ways. The best
size I have managed so far is a 12-inch diagonal RPCEmu window on the
laptop's 15-inch diagonal display.

Whether you, Dave, would find the display acceptable, I doubt. With
OPro installed and viewing it on the display decribed above, I found
it necessary to reduce the OPro scaling to 75% in order to get a
workable amount of OPro window visible. I thought that all I needed
was to hitch a larger display monitor to the laptop so that I could
increase the scaling to a level at which I was able to read it
comfortably. Trouble is that the display from the laptop resulted in
a very spotty text display (Windows like, or worse) at the usual 100%
scaling.

Perhaps the display would be acceptable if the whole thing was run on
a desktop or tower machine capable of outputting better than 1024 x
768 pixels  --     mmmmh.

I don't know where you live Dave, but if it is within reach of
Chelmsford in Essex, you may be interested in:

            http://www.eaug.org.uk/mtg.htm

The intention on the 9th June is to set up the same laptop, almost from 
scratch, within the evening.

Apologies for being such a wind-bag.

Frank.

-- 
Frank Watkinson.     email:  <frank@xxxxxxxx>
   Using !Pluto 3.04c on Iyonix 5.10. Also VARPC-Adjust on laptop.
              Still RPC-SA (4.39 Adjust) for some things.
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