Start_on_Pubscreen: AROS FORUMS

Start_on_Pubscreen

Last updated on 6 days ago

ntromansSenior Member

Posted 8 months ago

Start_on_Pubscreen allows any program, file or drawer's window to be started on a chosen public screen.

To open all files of a given type (e.g. a PDF) on one specific public screen, the file may be opened through its icon or via drag-and-drop onto Amistart.

Different programs, files and drawer windows may be mixed on one public screen by either opening via the cli or by drag-and-drop onto View_Pubscreen (see below).

The public screen is automatically closed when all windows on it have been closed.

Start_on_Pubscreen_Control is a commodity opened by hotkey which sets a global switch for Start_on_Pubscreen; in this way the use of public screens can be switched on and off as needed.

View_Pubscreen allows any public screen to be viewed in a window on Wanderer, and any file, program or drawer drag-and-dropped onto the window will be opened on that public screen.

All of the above are Hollywood applications and are started from Hollywoodplayer.

Any feedback on these programs would be much appreciated before I commit them to AROS archives.

Cheers,
Nigel.

P.S. for anyone that used FixAmistart (the program to close Amistart when a screen other than Wanderer is open), there were some conflicts with this so a new verion is attached.

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deadwood, pixie

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ntromansSenior Member

Posted 7 months ago

New versions of Start_on_Pubsceen and Fix_Amistart attached.

For Start_on_Pubscreen, it's just View_Pubscreen that's been tweaked. I noticed that when using a CPU intensive program such as JanusUAE, there as a noticeable stutter every time the screen image & cycle gadget were updated, so I've added a variable time for the update from 5 s to 300 s including 'Never'. There is also a manual update button.

For Fix_Amistart I found occasionaly it was still not working as expected. After some experimentation I found the Hollywood function getfrontscreen() was not working as per the documentation; instead of reporting the frontmost screen it was reporting the screen with the current acive window (I think the same issue is with LilCalendar when, after going back to the calandar display from the event input window it can open on the wrong screen).

I've found a work-around, but it now requires Activatewin is in c:; full informationion the included documentation.

Any comments much appreciated before I commit to the AROS archived.

Cheers,
Nigel.

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deadwood, Argo, Deremon

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ntromansSenior Member

Posted 5 months ago

Yet another tweak for Start_on_Pubscreen.

The program launches a background task to monitor the pubscreen and close it when there are no longer any windows or programs open on it. There was a delay to allow the background task to start before Start_on_Pubscreen closed, but I found this week that if the system is under heavy load this timing can go wrong and the backgrounfd program does not launch. Thid version eliminates that problem.

If anyone is using this, just drop it in as a replacement for the old version, everything else is the same.

Cheers,
Nigel.

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AMIGASYSTEMDistro Maintainer

Posted 5 months ago

@ntromans

The background work of Fix_Amistart is not good, as it remains active all the time, you can no longer use “Sashimi” which displays data continuously without ever stopping!

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ntromansSenior Member

Posted 5 months ago

AMIGASYSTEM wrote:

@AMIGASYSTEM - @ntromans

The background work of Fix_Amistart is not good, as it remains active all the time, you can no longer use “Sashimi” which displays data continuously without ever stopping!

The program is not constantly active (i.e. a busy loop), it's on a timer which triggers every 1 s to see which screen is open and open/close Amistart accordingly. In-between activation periods it 'sleeps'.

The big problem is there's a bug in Hollywood (reported) - the function that is supposed to return the frontmost screen actually returns the screen with the active window (I do wonder if that's why LilCalendar always jumps to the wrong screen when it re-opens its display after editing its entry). Anyway, this is why I'm now having to use Activatewin to try to work out which screen is at the front; it's probably this that's generating the data display in Sashimi. Until the new version of Hollywood is released with the function fixed the only other solution is to simply not use it I'm afraid.

Cheers,
Nigel.

NathanHMember

Posted 17 days ago

Hi,

I'm trying to place a shell on a screen called test with:

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen -app c:newshell -screen test

It opened the window called test but the new shell opened on the Workbench.

NathanH

NathanHMember

Posted 17 days ago

Hi,

I also tried to open a drawer, scout, exchange, calculator, and editor. Editor is the only program which opened on the public screen. Am I doing something wrong?

NathanH

NathanHMember

Posted 17 days ago

Hi,

I found another one that works, my RPNScientific calculator opens on the public screen. So then I tried to open things in combination. If I open RPNScientific then open editor, they both are on my public screen. But strangely, the other way around doesn't work. If I open the editor first, RPNScientific opens on Workbench instead of the public screen.

I think that this is a great idea and is a sorely needed program. I hope you can solve these problems. Thanks.

NathanH

ntromansSenior Member

Posted 16 days ago

Hi Nathan,
Strange - here I can open all those programs on the same screen (aside from editor which I've set in it's prefs to have its own screen). Please see the script below.

As you have done I've set up a screen 'test' in PSI but no fags are set aside from autoscroll. It looks like you are using full paths for the app so its not what. I assume you have PSI in sys:prefs?

Cheers,
Nigel.

Code Download source

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app sys:system/scout -screen test

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app c:newshell -screen test

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app sys:tools/commodities/exchange -screen test

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app sys:tools/zunecalc/zunecalc -screen test

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NathanHMember

Posted 16 days ago

#10

Hi,

Based upon your input I unchecked SystemDefault and checked AutoScroll on the screen called test and saved. I rebooted. From a shell I typed:

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app c:newshell -screen test

and got the same result as I discussed last time. The test screen opens but the shell opens on Workbench. Your screenshot shows rounded corners on the windows so you are set up differently than I am.

I am running a new install of Linux Hosted AROS 32-bit dated March 2025 with the latest contribs compilation added. No modifications whatsoever except a different LHA in C:. What are you running?

NathanH

ntromansSenior Member

Posted 15 days ago

#11

NathanH wrote:

@NathanH - Hi,

Based upon your input I unchecked SystemDefault and checked AutoScroll on the screen called test and saved. I rebooted. From a shell I typed:

c:hollywoodplayer c:start_on_pubscreen.hwa -app c:newshell -screen test

and got the same result as I discussed last time. The test screen opens but the shell opens on Workbench. Your screenshot shows rounded corners on the windows so you are set up differently than I am.

I am running a new install of Linux Hosted AROS 32-bit dated March 2025 with the latest contribs compilation added. No modifications whatsoever except a different LHA in C:. What are you running?

NathanH

Hi Nathan,
The rounded courners are just due to the theme so that's not making a difference. It must be because you are running hosted; all my systems are native.

When the pubscreen opens, does it come to the front before the program is started? The screen to be used must be at the front for the program to open on it. Please let me know.

The other possibility is that on hosted the command line arguments are not being properly read. Have youy tried starting from an icon via wbxcli?

Cheers,
Nigel.

NathanHMember

Posted 15 days ago

#12

Hi,

Both Editor and rpnScientific open on the test screen using that commandline format so it seems the arguments are being read properly. The test screen pops to the front for those programs but it is impossible to tell which happened others when they open behind the test screen onto Workbench. It would be a shame to release something that only works on native and not Linux Hosted AROS.

NathanH

NathanHMember

Posted 15 days ago

#13

Here's my version. What are you running.

NathanH

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Argo

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AMIGASYSTEMDistro Maintainer

Posted 15 days ago

#14

NathanH, if it helps, if you try to install ‘installerlg.i386-aros.lha’ from the Aros archive, you will notice that the installer will open its own screen behind Vanderer, see screenshot !

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ntromansSenior Member

Posted 13 days ago

#15

NathanH wrote:

@NathanH - Here's my version. What are you running.

NathanH

Yes, same version (22.3.25).

I don't have a hosted system so I can't test this behaviour directly. As mentioned, please try from an icon to see what behaviour this gives. Also, have you tried copying and executing the script from post #9 to see what happens then?

Chers,
Nigel.

Edited by ntromans on 26-10-2025 09:28, 13 days ago

NathanHMember

Posted 12 days ago

#16

@ntromans

I double-clicked on ReadMe and got an error saying that ReadMe wasn't executable. I checked the tool types and you have editor being in utilities while it is in tools. From the prettiness of the icons, I imagine you are using AROSOne. I don't think you should assume that programs will be located where AROSOne puts them or make a note for users that they must use AROSone for your program to work. My installation was a clean install of Linux Hosted AROS. A clean install of native AROS will also place Editor in Tools. These are the official releases. After fixing that, the readme file opens in Editor and tells me I need to make two screens which I do and then save and reboot.

I then double-clicked on def_PDF and nothing happened. Upon looking at tool types you have AROSPDF in tools while it is in utilities in the official releases. After fixing that, I double clicked again and nothing happened. I then realized that I probably need to place a pdf in that examples folder and rename the def_PDF icon accordingly, duh. I do that and I get the same outcome as I have described before when using the command line. It looks like AROSPDF opened on Workbench before the screen opened as I had to use the screen gadget to ensure that the screen did open, which it did.

I then copied a guide file to the examples folder and renamed def_Guide accordingly. Double-clicking definitely opened the screen because it was up front. The guide file opened on Workbench, unfortunately. So, same outcome as described before at the command line.

NathanH

NathanHMember

Posted 12 days ago

#17

@ntromans,

I downloaded the script from post #9, renamed it and placed it in S: When I ran it the test screen opened in front but there were no programs or drawers opened on it. I moved to Workbench and there was exchange, the scout drawer, and a new shell. The zunecalc thing must be an AROSOne program as it is not in the official releases. The hell I ran the script from tells me 'zunecalc not found'. Again, these are the same outcomes as using your program from the command line. There really was not anything differentt so I don't think that that outcome is a surprise.

Are you dual-booting with Windows or using a virtual machine to run native AROSOne? If so, you could run Linux Hosted AROS in Virtualbox or VMWare to see these things in action. Thanks again. Great idea, wish it worked

(

NathanH

NathanHMember

Posted 12 days ago

#18

the smiley face was actually a textual sad face that got replaced by AROSWorld.

NathanH

ntromansSenior Member

Posted 12 days ago

#19

NathanH wrote:

@NathanH - @ntromans,

I downloaded the script from post #9, renamed it and placed it in S: When I ran it the test screen opened in front but there were no programs or drawers opened on it. I moved to Workbench and there was exchange, the scout drawer, and a new shell. The zunecalc thing must be an AROSOne program as it is not in the official releases. The hell I ran the script from tells me 'zunecalc not found'. Again, these are the same outcomes as using your program from the command line. There really was not anything differentt so I don't think that that outcome is a surprise.

Are you dual-booting with Windows or using a virtual machine to run native AROSOne? If so, you could run Linux Hosted AROS in Virtualbox or VMWare to see these things in action. Thanks again. Great idea, wish it worked (

NathanH

OK, this must be some odd quirk of hosted. I'm afraid I have no Windows machines at all, all of my machines are installed native AROS only (occasionally using MorphOS Wayfarer for anything that absolutely won't work on OW

.

Over the next week or so my AROS time will be testing EMU0, but once that's done I'll look into setting up a debug version of the pubscreen program to try to get to grips with what's not working.

There is one quick and easy test:

Open a pubscreen and bring to the front fo the display.
Drag it down so you can see Wanderer (but the pubscreen is still at the front).
Open a program or window from Wanderer. It should appear/open on the pubscreen - if not that's a definitey a difference in the behaviour of native and hosted.

Cheers,
Nigel.

NathanHMember

Posted 12 days ago

#20

@ntromans,

Nothing opens on public screens. That's been the problem all along and was what I thought your program purported to do. What does your program do then if not that? Well, maybe the changes that Deadwood and Kalamatee made to x86_64 bit will be ported to 32-bit and fix this. This functionality should likely be a part of the operating system, anyway.

NathanH

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