  ,ooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo
  ]8[ Desktop Configurator v3 d8
  ]8boooooooooooooooooooooooood8
   '''''''''''''''''''''''''''''

 (c) 2004-2007 by Simon Sunnyboy / Paradize (http://paradize.atari.org/)

 >>> A FREEWARE UTILITY - COPY ME, I WANT TO TRAVEL! <<<
   
1. WHAT IS DESKTOP CONFIGURATOR?

Desktop Configurator is a small tool which allows you to select a particular
DESKTOP.INF during boot time so you can boot into different desktops for
work or games. This version adapts to the TOS version in use and selects
automatically whether it should write a DESKTOP.INF or NEWDESK.INF file.

Most boot managers for Atari computers offer a lot of functionality but I
personally only needed to boot into different desktops. Therefor I wrote this
little utility in a matter of 30 minutes.

It offers:

* desktop selection menu with timeout
* uses last choice if no selection has been made
* definable tag per .INF file

2. SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

* Atari ST/TT/Falcon computer with any RAM size
* any TOS (version 1.04 and up preferred)
* harddisk recommended

This tool is intended for singletasking TOS. It is of no use if you use a
replacement desktop or MagiC.

3. HOW DOES IT WORK?

The main program is placed into the AUTO folder of your boot drive as well as
a set of CONFIG?.INF files in the root directory of the boot drive.
It offers a menu of the available configurations and the user can select one
to use. The file in charge is copied over the existing DESKTOP.INF so that the
selected configuration becomes active when the desktop comes up.
Other AUTO folder programs or accessories are not affected by this.

On TOS 2.x and up, the Desktop Configurator automatically selects to overwrite
NEWDESK.INF instead of DESKTOP.INF.

4. INSTALLATION & OPERATION

First of all, BACKUP YOUR EXISTING NEWDESK.INF OR DESKTOP.INF TO A SAFE PLACE!

Next, place the DESKCONF.PRG into your AUTO folder on the boot drive. Now copy
your \NEWDESK.INF to \CONFIG1.INF - and reboot the machine.

Users of TOS 1.x don't need to use a seperate program version. The current
binary automatically detects the TOS version and selects the according
filename to use for the desktop configuration.

During boot the configurator menu should appear and offer you simply a desktop
called "Config 1" to boot. Press "1" for the moment and presto your old
desktop should come up as usual.

Now it is time to give the configuration a meaningful name. Load the new file
CONFIG1.INF into your favourite editor and enter a meaningful description as
the very first line in the file. Make sure not to delete other lines.

At next boot, the entered description will appear instead of the dull prompt
before.

Next would be to prepare other desktops. You simply arranage things as you
want them to be on screen, set the proper resolution and add an autobooting
program. Do that all on the GEM desktop and save your configuration.
Copy the NEWDESK.INF (or DESKTOP.INF) into CONFIG?.INF, giving a number of 1 to
10 instead of the ?, enter a description in your editor and presto, you will
have 2 configurations to choose from.

You can have upto 10 desktops this way, named CONFIG1.INF to CONFIG10.INF.

The program will only display desktop configurations with an increasing number
so number them correctly.

Example: You have 3 files on disk: CONFIG1.INF, CONFIG2.INF and CONFIG4.INF.
Only the first two will be displayed because CONFIG3.INF is missing.

Only drawback:
If you alter a loaded desktop, make sure to copy the NEWDESK.INF over the
corresponding CONFIG?.INF. You will also have to reenter descriptions as those
will be lost during the copy process.

5. FINAL NOTICE

This is betaware, it suffices for my needs so don't expect more features.
Especially no graphical configurator or config management tool is planned.

6. CREDITS

code, idea and package.... Simon Sunnyboy <marndt@asmsoftware.de>
website................... http://paradize.atari.org/


So long, STay friendly, STay cool, STay Atari /|\!

   Simon Sunnyboy signing off on November 06th 2007
   
-eof-   
