Geneva 6


Kev Beardsworth reckons the two recent Geneva releases have put Geneva back on the map...


[Screenshot]


Geneva undergoes constant development by Dan Wilga at Gribnif software and offers an alternative to MagiC for anyone looking for a reliable multitasking operating system.

I'm sure most Geneva users who have kept the faith since the early releases are fed up being told Geneva is inferior to MagiC because it's "only a co-operative multi-tasking system". Don't let this technical difference worry you! You would be hard pushed to benchmark the difference let alone notice it in everyday working environment. Anyway from the release of Geneva release 4 Geneva does support pre-emptive multitasking used together with MiNT for anyone who really needs it (see boxout).

What Geneva does offer is a low memory overhead, a modern fully configurable 3D interface featuring, tear away menus, one of the best file selectors around, a wealth of configuration options, unlimited (apart from memory) concurrent number of applications/accessories and free upgrades.


[Screenshot]
Geneva's innovative built-in file selector - it's good enough not to need a replacement


This adds up to one helluva operating system. Amazingly these features have been around since version one so what does Geneva now offer since version 5.

Apart from improved pre-emptive multitasking support when used together with MiNT (which should give MiNT a new lease of life) Dan has added a Process manager - similar to one found in MagiC and added a number of refinements to the Task Manager, including some bug fixes to the program flags which can be used to force programs to behave themselves.


[Screenshot]
The Geneva Process Manager appears in a neat window, MagiC users eat your heart out!


Apart from the usual sprinkling of new features the main thrust of these Geneva upgrades is to add reliability and support for emerging standards and this release is another step in the right direction with support for the "undocumented method of iconification" used by ST-Guide and Freedom amongst others.

I suppose Geneva release 6 will be seen as a minor upgrade when compared to 5 by many but there is evidence Geneva is finally being taken seriously in Europe. For example, the latest Thing desktop beta, is now Geneva compatible! This has to be seen as a breakthrough because for the first time Geneva users will have a choice of desktops. The combination of Geneva and Thing, with its comprehensive AV-Server abilities, should prove a tempting combination for power users.

If you bought an earlier Geneva version and it's now lying dormant in a dark corner of your system get hold of the free upgrade patches and I'll wager you'll be pleasantly surprised. Geneva is a serious contender.


UPDATES


A demo version of Geneva along with all the patch files needed to update any Geneva master disk are available on the Gribnif webpages at:

http://www4.pair.com/gribnif/

GNVA_002.ZIP 001 - 002 241Kb
GNVA_003.ZIP 001 - 002 229Kb
GNVA_004.ZIP 001 - 002 697Kb
GNVA_005.ZIP 001 - 002 298Kb
GNVA_006.ZIP 001 - 002 220Kb


RUNNING MINT

  • Copy MiNT 1.12 or later to your Auto folder.
  • Memory protection must be switched off i.e. be named MINTNP.PRG.
  • Make sure MINTNP.PRG is the last Auto folder program to run.
  • JARxxx.PRG and NEOLOAD (if you're running Neodesk) should still be run from the Auto folder before running MINTNP.PRG.
  • When running MiNT Geneva should not be run from the Auto folder, instead Geneva is launched by adding a line to MINT.CNF which normally resides in the root directory of your boot disk:
    GEM=\GENEVA.PRG
    
  • Make sure there are no lines in MINT.CNF starting with
    "INIT=..."

Tip

To avoid having two copies of GENEVA.PRG on your disk rename GENEVA.PRG (which normally resides in your Auto folder) to GENEVA.PRX or use a boot manager to do so then this from MINT.CNF instead:
GEM=\GENEVA.PRX


GENEVA 6

[] Publisher:
Gribnif Software
[] UK distributor:
Titan Designs
6 Witherford Way
Selly Oak
Birmingham
B29 4AX
England
Tel: +44 (0)121 693 6669
Fax: +44 (0)121 414 1630
Email: 100345.2350@compuserve.com

Web pages: http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/TITANWEB/
Cost:
£59.95 or £79.95 bundled with Neodesk 4

[] Requires:
Any Atari machine with at least 1Mb memory
[] Pros:
Very low memory usage, now works with Thing, excellent manual
[] Cons:
Not widely supported by programmers

90%



[Home] [Info] [Back] [Next]