Scalos
Encyclopedia
Scalos is the name of a commercial (then freeware) desktop replacement for the Workbench
Amiga original GUI
, based on a subset of APIs and its own front-end window manager
of the same name.
It was originally written by programmer Stefan Sommerfield for a software house called AlienDesign in November 1999. The purpose of Scalos was to recreate the mouse-and-click experience on Amiga, an alternative to the Workbench interface present in versions 3.0 and 3.1 of AmigaOS (then considered obsolete). The actual developers are a small group of English programmers known as Satanic Dreams Software. As stated on its website, the name "Scalos" was inspired by the time-accelerated planet Scalos from the Star Trek TV series' fictional universe.
by its developers, Satanic Dreams Software, a small software firm developing for Windows, Macintosh
and Linux
. These freeware versions may be found on the Amiga Aminet
official online repository. The last stable version of Scalos is v. 41.7; this is compatible with AmigaOS for the Motorola 68000
family of processors, for AmigaOS
on PPC
machines and for MorphOS
systems.
replacement icons and the AmigaOS 3.5 GlowIcons set of icons; it also presents a whole icon Amiga Datatype system capable of supporting various types of icons, including png icons complete with alpha channel and transparencies, and scalable icons (the aforementioned NewIcons and GlowIcons). Scalos is also capable of correctly representing Amiga GlowIcons on older AmigaOS versions and including thumbnail previews of files as icons. Scalos is fully truecolor-compliant.
It is completely adjustable by the user, and features a complete system for drawing and managing windows (as in the standard Amiga Intuition
system). Each window may have its own background pattern (sporting an optimized pattern routine and scaling) and automatic content-refresh. Menus are editable. Standard Amiga "Palette" and windows "Pattern" preferences have been replaced with new ones. Scalos maintains its own API and its own plug-in system for the benefit of developers who want to create software for Scalos and enhance the Scalos system.
Workbench (AmigaOS)
-Overview:Commodore named their Amiga computer's first operating system Workbench 1.0 and continued with the Workbench name until version 3.1, when it was changed to AmigaOS, prompted by Apple renaming their propriety OS from "System" to "MacOS"...
Amiga original GUI
Graphical user interface
In computing, a graphical user interface is a type of user interface that allows users to interact with electronic devices with images rather than text commands. GUIs can be used in computers, hand-held devices such as MP3 players, portable media players or gaming devices, household appliances and...
, based on a subset of APIs and its own front-end window manager
Window manager
A window manager is system software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface. Most window managers are designed to help provide a desktop environment...
of the same name.
It was originally written by programmer Stefan Sommerfield for a software house called AlienDesign in November 1999. The purpose of Scalos was to recreate the mouse-and-click experience on Amiga, an alternative to the Workbench interface present in versions 3.0 and 3.1 of AmigaOS (then considered obsolete). The actual developers are a small group of English programmers known as Satanic Dreams Software. As stated on its website, the name "Scalos" was inspired by the time-accelerated planet Scalos from the Star Trek TV series' fictional universe.
History
Versions 1.1 and 1.2 of Scalos were released in 2000 as freewareFreeware
Freeware is computer software that is available for use at no cost or for an optional fee, but usually with one or more restricted usage rights. Freeware is in contrast to commercial software, which is typically sold for profit, but might be distributed for a business or commercial purpose in the...
by its developers, Satanic Dreams Software, a small software firm developing for Windows, Macintosh
Macintosh
The Macintosh , or Mac, is a series of several lines of personal computers designed, developed, and marketed by Apple Inc. The first Macintosh was introduced by Apple's then-chairman Steve Jobs on January 24, 1984; it was the first commercially successful personal computer to feature a mouse and a...
and Linux
Linux
Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
. These freeware versions may be found on the Amiga Aminet
Aminet
Aminet is the world's largest archive of Amiga-related software and files. Aminet was originally hosted by several universities' FTP sites, and is now available on CD-ROM and on the web.-History:...
official online repository. The last stable version of Scalos is v. 41.7; this is compatible with AmigaOS for the Motorola 68000
Motorola 68000
The Motorola 68000 is a 16/32-bit CISC microprocessor core designed and marketed by Freescale Semiconductor...
family of processors, for AmigaOS
AmigaOS 4
AmigaOS 4, , is a line of Amiga operating systems which runs on PowerPC microprocessors. It is mainly based on AmigaOS 3.1 source code, and partially on version 3.9 developed by Haage & Partner...
on PPC
PowerPC
PowerPC is a RISC architecture created by the 1991 Apple–IBM–Motorola alliance, known as AIM...
machines and for MorphOS
MorphOS
MorphOS is an Amiga-compatible computer operating system. It is a mixed proprietary and open source OS produced for the Pegasos PowerPC processor based computer, PowerUP accelerator equipped Amiga computers, and a series of Freescale development boards that use the Genesi firmware, including the...
systems.
Versions
- v1.0 (V39.201) - November 1999
- v1.1 (V39.212) - 1999 (?)
- v1.2b (39.220) - June 6, 2000
- v1.2d (39.222) - 2000 (latest public beta executable)
- v1.3 (40.7) (beta) - August 2, 2001
- v1.3 (40.22) - September 25, 2002
- v1.4 (40.32) (beta) March 31, 2005
- v1.6 (41.4) - March 27, 2007
- v1.7 (41.5) - August 12, 2007
- (41.6) - March 12, 2009
- (41.7) (beta) - March 15, 2010
Features
Scalos is a Workbench-compatible replacement which is declared by its developers 100-percent compatible with the original Amiga interface. It features internal 64-bit arithmetic which allows it support for hard disks over 64 GB, and a complete internal multitasking system (each window drawn on the desktop is represented in the system by its own task). Scalos supports as standard icon sets the Amiga NewIconsNewIcons
NewIcons is a third-party extension to the icon handling system for AmigaOS 2 and newer. NewIcons was first invented and developed by the Italian programmer Nicola Salmoria. Subsequent development was done by Eric Sauvageau.-History:...
replacement icons and the AmigaOS 3.5 GlowIcons set of icons; it also presents a whole icon Amiga Datatype system capable of supporting various types of icons, including png icons complete with alpha channel and transparencies, and scalable icons (the aforementioned NewIcons and GlowIcons). Scalos is also capable of correctly representing Amiga GlowIcons on older AmigaOS versions and including thumbnail previews of files as icons. Scalos is fully truecolor-compliant.
It is completely adjustable by the user, and features a complete system for drawing and managing windows (as in the standard Amiga Intuition
Intuition (Amiga)
Intuition is the windowing system and user interface engine of AmigaOS. It was developed almost entirely by RJ Mical. Intuition should not be confused with Workbench, the AmigaOS spatial file manager, which relies on Intuition for handling windows and input events.Users may remember the initial...
system). Each window may have its own background pattern (sporting an optimized pattern routine and scaling) and automatic content-refresh. Menus are editable. Standard Amiga "Palette" and windows "Pattern" preferences have been replaced with new ones. Scalos maintains its own API and its own plug-in system for the benefit of developers who want to create software for Scalos and enhance the Scalos system.
External links
- Scalos Home Site
- Scalos 1.2 Info Page at AminetAminetAminet is the world's largest archive of Amiga-related software and files. Aminet was originally hosted by several universities' FTP sites, and is now available on CD-ROM and on the web.-History:...
Amiga Official Repository - Homepage of Satanic Dreams Software
- Scalos article at AmigaHistory site.