StartPanel - Using StartPanel

Using StartPanel

Before loading StartPanel you should ensure that it's stack is set to at least 8192 (this is true of all MUI programs), if it is set below this then it may crash. If you have not created a configuration via StartPanelPrefs, or StartPanel is unable to locate or load it's configuration, then it will revert to a default setup and inform you that there is a problem loading the configuration.

Once StartPanel has loaded you will see something similar to the screenshot on the right. By clicking on the Amiga button you can toggle the application list on and off (the Amiga button and Clock Bar are always visible).

To launch an application, simply click on the corresponding button in the the application list. The Status Lamp will change colour to reflect the fact that StartPanel is attempting to start the application. Once it has been started, or the attempt fails for some reason (StartPanel can't find the executable or there is not enough free memory to run it for example), the Status Lamp will change colour again to indicate the outcome of the execution. By default the lamp turns red to indicate a failure and green to indicate success. An important point to note is that the colour the lamp adopts depends on whether StartPanel could start the program or not, it is quite possible that a program may start successfully but then fail at a later time - it is not possible for StartPanel to keep track of this sort of eventuality.

The net icon is a dual purpose icon. If you click on it with the left mouse button - and you have set up the necessary scripts in StartPanelPrefs - it will toggle your TCP/IP stack online and offline. If you click on it with the right mouse button, a popup menu will appear allowing you to send your TCP/IP stack online or offline or open it's preferences window(s). Note that you must have configured the relevant scripts and options in StartPanelPrefs before the NetIcon can do anything useful!

If you click on the Prefs Gadget, and the PREFS tooltype has been set in StartPanel's icon, StartPanelPrefs will be loaded. If you Use or Save the preferences in StartPanelPrefs then StartPanel will automatically load the new settings.

If you want to move the StartPanel window then you must turn on the window borders (if they are not on already of course!). To do this, select "Borders" from the StartPanel "Settings" menu. This will display all the normal Amiga window paraphernalia, allowing you to move and resize the window until you are satisfied with it. Once the window is in the correct place you should turn off the window borders and then use the "Snapshot" option in the StartPanel "Settings" menu to store StartPanel's location.

If you have any comments, questions or problems concerning this site mail me at webmaster@worldfoundry.demon.co.uk