You was right to have a look on the disk, because this is Emmanuel 'POISON of NOVA' on the keys for the programmer's corner, also called "everything I couldn't write in the documentations" ! Let's begin by talking about the TrackmoDOS... This tool took me roughly 18 months from first release to this version 3.0 today. It's the first big utility I coded, and maybe the last if I have no stunning idea ! As I said in the documentation it was coded first because I needed such a tool and there was none ; later I decided to release it because a lot of coders (who are no lamers !) seemed to need it. Well, total sourcecode size has now reached 271556 bytes (265 KB), 71 KB more than previous version 2.2 (all parts were greatly improved so their sourcecode is of course fatter), we can also compare that size to v1.0 sources which took only 80 KB at all !! ; uncrunched assembled program takes around 80 KB of pure code (borders are drawn in realtime, they aren't bitmap graphics !) ; Handler, TrackmoDOS operating system, custom diskvalidator and TrackmoDOS Monitor are linked together in the same file so the Handler doesn't have to load them... As 80 KB is a bit hard for all you packmakers, I crunched my program with a good packer (using its best mode), so I'm sure you won't crash multitasking with trisomic crunchers (absolute-adress => arghhh !!) ; as you wouldn't save more bytes by repacking, and as you don't really feel the depack-time, there's no reason for depacking... That's why, if you ever try to depack program under PowerPacker, you'll see that it won't be possible, PowerPacker won't recognize the packer (normally it should but I protected my file against that) and will try to pack it another time and will of course LOOSE bytes... I could leave of course the possibility to the user to depack the program, but I said there's no reason for doing such a thing, except for resourcing/disassembling purposes, and I prefer to protect a bit my code. I mean, I spent a long time (18 months !) coding this tool and I don't want lamers to put their own name or try to 'traduce' texts in their language with a file-editor, like they usually do. This program protection also ensures that no 'mutant' (which means often 'crashing-with-some-amigas') version will see the light, yes these tools which begin by "coded by ..., based on .. by ...". As I programmed everything in the way defined by Commodore-AMIGA (hey, did you read my paper about compatibility published in old R.A.W #4 ?), so TrackmoDOS works with all known amigas, kickstarts, expansions, etc, without the shadow of a bug ; so it will make me mad if someone works out an half-working (also called "improved" !) version of this tool.... That was to explain the reason why I protected a bit the program code, I hope you understand it's not pure proudness.. Proof is that if you want sourcecode (in assembler) of any of the tools in TrackmoDOS environment, don't be afraid to contact me, if I'm in a good mood (always, except if you're agressive or proud of yourself in your letter, of course !) I'll send you it (for your own use, obviously).. If you wonder what style take to write, you have to know (and this will maybe surprise you) that I'm only 19 years old, so be yourself and stay cooool... In fact you can write to me for almost everything (except SWAPPING of course), even just friendship, I really like writing letters (if not, I wouldn't be typing that text)... If someone is still reading, I'll describe my environment which, I admit it, was a great help for coding the TrackmoDOS. I'm now working on an Amiga (uh, really ?) 2000-B, with 1 Megabyte of Chip-RAM and 2 Megabytes of Fast-RAM, a 105 MB Hard-disk, MC68020 processor, PC/AT bridgeboard card (not very used !), kickstart 2.0 / 1.3 ROM selector (custom !), two very normal diskdrives and a colour PaintJet printer... This is a quite confortable configuration (I know better ones, of course ! Like someone which was playing with MorphPlus on his A4000 with 68040, XXX megabytes of RAM, etc.)... I think the thing I prefer is my harddisk, it's so great that I couldn't work without now ! Well... I said I'm only 19 years old, so programming was done listening to various tapes and CDs, like Queen (**A Night at the Opera**, Live Killers, The Works, Queen II, The Miracle, A Kind Of Magic, Innuendo, The Game...), Metallica (Kill'em All, **Master of Puppets**, Justice for All, Ride the Lightning...), Iron Maiden (Killers, Life after Death...), Alice Cooper (Trash [hey, did you heard a song called **POISON** ?? It's the origin of my pseudo !], Hey Stooopid, Beast of..), Genesis (We can't dance), Pink Floyd, Police, Telephone, Eric Clapton, Judas Priest, Midnight Oil, Suicidal Tendances, Gainsbourg, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Madness, Foreigner, Deep Purple (Machine Head)... I don't only listen to Hard-rock, but it's so cool !! I can bear acid or rap tapes (I don't say I don't like people who listen to this kind of music, everybody is right to listen what he likes, I just say I don't like this zik type !!) Maybe do you need my address to write to me ? If you're too lazy to load the documentation, here it is again : Poison / NOVA MARTY Emmanuel 10 Impasse du Romarin 34920 Le Crès FRANCE Or phone : (+33) 67 70 80 65 ask for Emmanuel (I only understand French (fortunately) and English !) I'll conclude this short 'not-really-hidden' text by sending big hellos and thanks to the following guys and girls : - first of all Marc "Fireblade" MOULIS for silly advices and finding a way to go to the Party II from France with only 500 FF (roughly 100 $ !) (le squatt de mon big Amiga s'est ralenti ? Que se passe-t-il Marc tu vas quand même pas me dire que tu t'es foutu à bosser en cours !) (I still wait your big CBR motorbike ?? For the moment, your small 150cc brings ya no girls !))... - Raphael "Audiomonster" and Frederic "Moby" for being the greatest Amiga musicians and staying so cool even if they are famous ; nice chat at the Party II ! - Christophe "Blue Silence" CASSIER for long delirious phone chating, thanks pal ! It's so sad that you're so ugly, hehehe (joking)... - Philippe "Mushies" LEFEVBRE for being a cool dude and a total alcoholic like me ; I hope your inspiration went back (try composing without drugs !)... I'm really..entranced.. to code this music-disk with you ! - Cyril 'Speedpower' for nice talking at the Party II especially during the trip between France and Denmark ! I hope you'll like this tool... - Cyprien BENEZET for unforgettable delirium since three years now ! There's no words to describe your madness, so, let's say, you must be the coolest guy on earth !! - Laetitia GORCE for loving me since two years, it's so hard sometimes ! (Deja deux ans qu'on pète les plombs du matin au soir, pourvu que ca dure !!) (et merci d'avoir été la seule à se rappeler la date exacte de mon anniversaire !! (le 23 avril, bande de glands (Blue Silence, Coronal et les autres !)) - Rodolphe 'Coronal' LE SQUER, pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre... - Alex 'Mr.Keel' KAIROUANNAIS, pour l'ensemble de son oeuvre... (pas de jaloux !) - Lord Helmet of PMC for creating the only diskmag I really like to read, You must have reached the top now, I hope you will not catch this human virus called megalomania.. I know you won't ! - Bruno 'DTS' DOTVINIK, for finally sending me something, for great phonechating (when you pay, I can speak for hours, hehehe !!) and for keeping Blue Silence in the group even after seeing him, it's really a proof of humanity (jokiiiing dear Blue Silence, stay cool) - Jay Miner for being probably the father of our beloved Amiga... It's so sad that Commodore took all control and removed all your delirium from ROMs, isn't it ? (I searched all 3.0 rom, there's not a single fucking message ! Is the 'Wizard extraordinaire' dead ? Did Commodore replace "Guru meditation" text which, I think, was a part of Amiga legend (who wasn't surprised the first time he saw this message ?), and a survivor of original Amiga creators' humor by a boring technical text because it looks more 'professional' ? So many questions...) - Cecile FAVRE for preventing me from having good marks in mathematics by talking all the time... But it's so nice chat... Also thanks for supplying my cigarettes ! - also hello to the following dudes (that's not because you are minor contacts but I have no special messages !!) : Rurik 'Fever' OPRITA for finally phoning, Damien 'NUN' CELA for still not answering, Maxime 'YOLAN' DELERIS for beauutifuuuul gfx, Xann/TSL for interesting talk all night in the bus to the Party II, Rune 'Promax' GRAM-MADSEN for still being a legend, Kyle and Skyline of ABYSS (ex-ARISE) for great nights at the party, Pascal 'Brainwasher' for unforgettable coding nights (ouaaaieuuh les frenchies vaincront !! et je t'assure tu devrais faire du rugby !!), also thanks to all persons I forgot (Pib, Cougar, Rhah, Dr.Mips....), this is not a greetings list in any way but just helloes to really cool people (proof: did I write their group ?) ! - and YOU, for reading this text to the end ! And it is !