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Text File | 1995-04-25 | 54KB | 1,400 lines

OCULTAR -%-%-%-%-%-%- Version 3.02b -%-%-%-%-%-%- June 15,1994 ╜ Carl J. Hafner ALL RIGHTS RESERVED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OCULTAR [o-cool-tar'],va. 1. To hide,to conceal, to disguise. to secrete, to mask, to hoodwink, to cloak. 2. To keep back, to keep secret what ought to be said. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - INTRODUCTION ------------ Nowadays most people create various environments for various applications. Different programs need different files and more often than not you find yourself activating, deactivating and copying files (and usually rebooting your system to (re)load them). What Ocultar does is allow you to configure these setups ahead of time and then create them with a single key-press at bootup. Additional password options also allow you to restrict access to your hard disk. -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- DISCLAIMER -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- The author CANNOT be responsible for any damage to your equipment, other software or hardware products, or mental or physical well being caused by the use, misuse, abuse or inability to use this program. The author also makes NO GUARANTEE as to the compatibility of this program with other software or hardware products. Using this program means that you understand AND agree with the terms just explained. It also means that you agree to accept FULL responsibility for ANY and ALL events arising from its implementation. If you do not understand AND agree with these terms, do not (DO NOT) use use this program ! -%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%-%- TABLE OF CONTENTS =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 1) Setting Up a) OCULTxxx.PRG b) Ocultar Data files c) Other setup files d) OCULTACC.ACC 2) Running OCULTAR from the Desktop a) Entering a password b) Creating a password c) Password box d) Timer box e) Intruder options f) Program button g) Limit h) Access i) Install j) Remove k) Save l) Exit m) Users 1-10 n) Installing extra users 3) OCULTACC.ACC a) Bypassing OCULTxxx.PRG b) Intercepting a bypass c) Automatic disabling d) Engaging e) Testing f) Configuring g) OCULTGEN.ACC 4) Ocultar MenuBar 5) Ocultar Bootup Configurations a) Selecting a setup b) Naming a key c) Ignore/delete files - DESKTOP.INF path 6) DESKTOP.INF / AUTO programs / accessories a) DESKTOP.INF files b) Programs/accessories 7) Extras 8) Saving an OCULTAR.CFG file 9) Editing function keys 10) Preferences 11) Other main panel options 12) Ocultar Vision! a) Setting up b) Picture formats c) Colour d) Single picture e) Consecutive pictures f) Mono g) Picture viewing h) Display options i) Save / OCULTAR.OPC 13) Booting up a) Password b) Autobooting screen 14) APPENDIX a) UncleMouse support b) Distribution c) Registration d) Shareware e) Credits f) Version history g) Setup files h) TOS version info i) Program limits j) Hard disk drivers / patch programs k) Additional security info Floppy Locks 1) SETTING UP ---------- The xxx's usually refer to version numbers.OCULT302.PRG will therefore be referred to as OCULTxxx.PRG. a) OCULTxxx.PRG ------------ Place OCULTxxx.PRG in your AUTO folder IN FRONT OF any AUTO programs you wish it to alter. ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTxxx.PRG b) OCULTAR DATA FILES ------------------ Create a folder named OCULTAR within the AUTO folder and place the following files within it... ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTAR\OCULTAR.CFG < desktop setups OCULTAR.DAT < password file OCULTAR.RSC < configuration resource OCULTAR.CUR < custom mouse cursor OCULTAR.OPC < picture file setups KILLIT .DAT < files to kill at bootup The latter three files are ONLY necessary if you intend to use those features. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% NOTE: KILLIT.PRG may not look in the OCULTAR folder for KILLIT.DAT. If you'd rather use KILLIT.PRG you should consult it's documentation to confirm in which directories it will look. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% c) OTHER SETUP FILES ----------------- Create a folder named OCULTSTF within your AUTO folder & place any "extra" files you wish copied at bootup into this folder. ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTSTF\DATABASE.INF < a DESKTOP.INF file WORDPROC.INF < a NEWDESK.INF file WARP9_0 .CNF < a Warp 9 CNF file NEODESK .FNT < a NeoDesk font file CONTROL .CEX < a control panel INF file STARTGEM.STG < a StartGem INF file NEODESKH.MLT < a MultiDesk MLT file NOTE: You may also keep these files in the OCULTAR folder if you like. d) OCULTACC.ACC ------------ Until you are familiar with it's operation, it is recommended that you RENAME OCULTACC.ACC as OCULTAR.ACC and place it in the ROOT directory of your boot disk. ex: C:\OCULTAR.ACC THERE YOU GO ! -------------- Ocultar is now ready to go! Ocultar will work in all ST/TT resolutions with one exception. The configuration part of the program will _ONLY_ work in ST/TT medium and high resolutions. 2) RUNNING OCULTAR FROM THE DESKTOP --------------------------------- Double-click on OCULTxx.PRG from the desktop to load the configuration part of the program. Ocultar MUST be able to find it's password file in order for you to access the configuration program. This is to keep unscrupulous people from getting in. a) ENTERING A PASSWORD ------------------- When the "Password" panel appears, enter the word Password on the top line and hit the [RETURN] key (or click on the "Access" button). You now have access to Ocultar. NOTE:If the password option is enabled and you do NOT enter the proper password, you will _NOT_ be taken, upon exiting, to the Ocultar MenuBar. b) CREATING A PASSWORD ------------------- Select button number 1. Enter a new password on the top line and click on the "INSTALL" button. Your new password is now installed ! Click on the "PASSWORD" button and then on the "SAVE" button. When the fileselector appears, locate (select) OCULTAR.DAT & save your password file. c) PASSWORD BOX ------------ Below the "selected" password BOX are the following options. These can be selected, or scrolled, by clicking on the arrows on either side of the applicable box. LOGON: These are "bootup" password options. ASK prompts you at "bootup" as to whether you would like to see your password as it is entered. VISIBLE allows you to see the password as it is entered. INVISIBLE hides the password from view as it is entered. FILE: Here you decide whether or not the file OCULTAR.DAT can be seen. VISIBLE allows OCULTAR.DAT to be seen from the GEM desktop. INVISIBLE hides the file OCULTAR.DAT from GEM. WHEN: This is where you determine when a password prompt will appear. BOOTUP enables a password prompt at bootup ONLY. PROGRAM enables a password prompt for the configuration part of the program ONLY. BOTH enables a password prompt for both bootup and program. NEITHER disables the password prompts completely. d) TIMER BOX --------- The TIMER option is used to determine at what time a password prompt will appear. TYPE: Here you decide what "type" of boot to intercept, as described below. COLD enables passwords for cold boots only. This is when you first turn on your machine. WARM enables passwords for ALL boots and reboots. MINUTES: Ocultar automatically registers a "boot" of under 1 minute as a COLD boot. If you wish to use the COLD boot option and your system takes longer than one minute to initialize, select the necessary amount of time here. e) INTRUDER OPTIONS ---------------- Below this box are "options" which can be initiated if an unauthorized user is trying to gain access to your system. TYPE: This is the type of action you wish taken if an intruder is detected. OFF turns this option off completely. AUDIO/VISUAL flashes the screen and makes unholy noises. LOCK UP blanks the screen and locks up your system. REBOOT performs a warm reboot of your system. The only way out of the first two alarms is to reboot your system. ATTEMPTS: Here you determine how many logon "attempts" will be allowed before an intruder option is initiated. f) PROGRAM BUTTON -------------- This option saves the password on the top line right into OCULTxx.PRG. Select the "PROGRAM" button and click on SAVE. When the fileselector appears, locate and select OCULTxxx.PRG. This password option is considered your "backdoor" , as it is written directly into the program code itself. It does NOT negate the password file you have created (OCULTAR.DAT). It simply allows a password to be present in the event OCULTAR.DAT is deleted or destroyed. If OCULTAR.DAT cannot be found or read, Ocultar will intercept _ALL_ boots and will ONLY allow access if your backdoor password has been entered. g) LIMIT ----- When selected, the user whose "password" is being saved to OCULTAR.DAT will have limited access to Ocultar. They will ONLY be allowed to RUN Ocultar and change THEIR password. That's it. No other settings on the panel will be registered. h) ACCESS ------ Compares the password on the top line against the password file. USER # 1 can also hold down the [CONTROL] key while selecting this button (after they have gained access) to get a list of ALL user passwords. i) INSTALL ------- Installs the password on the top line as the password for the selected button (1-10). j) REMOVE ------ Removes the user password assigned to the selected button, ONLY USER 1 can remove extra users. To do this, access the system. Select the user (button) to remove and click on REMOVE. Be certain that you update the password file. Do not remove yourself :-) k) SAVE ---- Saves the password file or the program backdoor. l) EXIT ---- Exits the password screen. If you have LIMITED access,the program will end. If you have "TOTAL" access, you will be returned to the Ocultar MenuBar. m) USERS 1 - 10 ------------ Each user's password is assigned to a number button. If you are USER 1 you will NEED to select button number 1 before entering your password. USER 2 will need to select button number 2 before entering a password, and so on... n) INSTALLING EXTRA USERS ---------------------- This option is ONLY available to USER #1. 1) Access the system using your access code. 2) Click on button 2 and enter a new password. 3) Select LIMIT (or not, depending on how well you like the user ;-). Be certain your other preferences are set accordingly (cold\warm,etc). 4) Click on the SAVE button. 5) That's it ! NOTE: User 2 can access the system later to change their password ONLY AFTER they have been installed by User #1. Follow this procedure for users 2-10. 3) OCULTACC.ACC ------------ The password for the accessory is Password . You can change it later. OCULTACC.ACC is designed to intercept any attempts to bypass the AUTO program OCULTxxx.PRG. a) BYPASSING OCULTxxx.PRG ----------------------- As you may or may not know,it IS possible to bypass a hard disk driver and AUTO folder using a special floppy. This floppy disk would contain an AUTO folder with a hard disk driver inside of it. ex: A:\AUTO\AHDI.PRG If you place this floppy disk in drive A:\ and hold down the ALTERNATE key when the drive light comes on, your computer will bypass the hard- disk AUTO folder and hard disk driver. If you are using Supra's software, you need to hold down the CONTROL, SHIFT and ALTERNATE keys to bypass the hard drive. b) INTERCEPTING A BYPASS --------------------- The catch which OCULTACC.ACC takes advantage of is that the hard disk driver program in drive A: generally loads ALL active accessories on drive C: before going to the desktop. NOTE:If you bypass the hard disk with the ALT key and don't have a hard disk driver program on drive A, you will NOT (in most cases) have access to your hard disk. c) AUTOMATIC DISABLING ------------------- When / if OCULTxxx.PRG finds OCULTACC.ACC, it renames it OCULTACC.PRG. ex: C:\OCULTACC.PRG This prevents OCULTACC.ACC from intercepting an accessory load. d) ENGAGING -------- If OCULTxx.PRG is bypassed by a floppy, it cannot rename OCULTACC.ACC. OCULTACC.ACC will then load as an accessory and present you with your password prompt. You will NOT be allowed to proceed until you enter a correct password ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- THERE IS NO WAY TO OVERRIDE OCULTACC.ACC IF YOU FORGET THE ACCESSORY PASSWORD AND BYPASS OCULTxxx.PRG !!! YOU MAY THEREFORE WISH TO RENAME OCULTACC.ACC AS SOMETHING ELSE AND SET UP ALL BUT ONE OF YOUR "DESKTOP SETUPS" TO ENABLE IT. THE EXTRA "ONE" CAN BE SET UP TO DISABLE IT ONCE YOU HAVE ENTERED YOUR PASSWORD. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT-IMPORTANT! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- TECHNICAL NOTE -------------- Since I do not have access to ALL of the hard disk software programs available, there is a chance that OCULTACC.ACC will NOT function as described. If you find that this is the case and would STILL like to to use it, please send me as much information about the way your hard- disk and it's software operates. I will make every attempt to re-write OCULTACC.ACC so that it works with your setup. Generally, if your hard disk bypass scans drive C: , OCULTACC.ACC will be activated. e) TESTING ------- Configure one of your setups to _ACTIVATE_ OCULTAR.ACC at bootup and another setup to DEACTIVATE OCULTAR.ACC at bootup. If trouble arises you need merely reboot & select the setup which disables OCULTAR.ACC. AFTER you are THOROUGHLY familiar with the way in which OCULTAR.ACC works, you may rename it OCULTACC.ACC . ex: C:\OCULTACC.ACC Ocultar will ONLY be able to find and / or ignore this accessory if it is named OCULTACC.ACC and is in the ROOT directory of your boot disk ! f) CONFIGURING ----------- Run OCULTACC.PRG. When the box appears, enter the password Password . Then click on ACCESS. A second panel will follow which will allow you to specify and save a new password right into OCULTACC.PRG ! You may also select the RENAME button to rename OCULTACC.PRG as OCULTACC.ACC . g) OCULTGEN.ACC ------------ This accessory is the SAME as OCULTACC.ACC with the exception that it allows you to access the "pasword" option from the Desk menubar. If you are using Gribnif Software's Geneva you should use either OCULTGEN.ACC, or run OCULTACC.PRG as a "single tasking" application. Ocultar will ONLY look for a file named OCULTACC.ACC. If you decide to use OCULTGEN.ACC you MUST rename it in order for Ocultar to find it. You may wish to name the original OCULTACC as OCULTAR1.ACC to keep from getting the two confused. 4) OCULTAR MENUBAR --------------- This is the screen from which you will access the additional features of Ocultar. If you are not using the password option, this screen will appear first. The letters to the right of the menu entries are the keyboard eqivalents. ABOUT shows you the current copyright information. VISION takes you to the bootup picture screen options. PASSWORDS takes you to the previously described screen. AUTOBOOTING takes you to the desktop setup configurations screen. QUIT quits the program. 5) OCULTAR BOOTUP CONFIGURATIONS ----------------------------- Click on the AUTOBOOTING button to access this section of Ocultar.This part of the program allows you to configure up to 40 different desktop setups which can then be selected at bootup. This feature can also be disabled if you are already using another "boot configuration" program. a) SELECTING A SETUP KEY --------------------- On the top of the screen are the buttons NORMAL, CONTROL, SHIFT & ALT. Below this are buttons representing function keys F1 - F10. These are the buttons to which your setups will be assigned. Selecting NORMAL-F1 assigns all values to function key #1. CONTROL-F1 means you must hold down the "CONTROL" key at bootup, while pressing function key #1 to access THOSE settings. b) NAMING A KEY ------------ Select the "NORMAL" button and the "F1" button. Enter a NAME for this setup on the top right line and press the RETURN key (or click on the OKAY button) . The name of this setup will then appear in the center box. c) IGNORE/DELETE FILES - DESKTOP.INF PATH -------------------------------------- Click in the box to the left of the line "DESKTOP.INF PATH, IGNORE, DELETE FILES". IGNORE FILES ------------ On the left is a selector for files you wish ignored at bootup. These are files you wish run EVERY time you use your system. Files such as CACHExxx.PRG or FOLDRxxx.PRG are examples. Files listed in this panel will NEVER be touched by Ocultar. SELECTING FILES TO IGNORE ------------------------- Clicking on a blank line in the IGNORE panel calls up a fileselector which allows you to select a file to add to the list. You should start with the first line as Ocultar numbers these files by the last entry. In other words, if the first 3 lines are blank and the 4th contains a filename,Ocultar will assume you have 4 files to IGNORE. It won't hurt anything,but Ocultar WILL run slower, since you are telling it to look for files which don't exist ! Blank entries will only be trimmed when you save an OCULTAR.CFG file. REMOVING NAMES FROM THE IGNORE LIST ----------------------------------- To remove a file from this list,click on a filename. When the selector appears, clear the filename entry and click on OKAY in the selector. This tells Ocultar that you don't wish ANY file there. If you add or delete a filename, you NEED to re-scan the appropriate directory if you wish that file listed again. DELETING FILES AT BOOTUP ------------------------ You can repeat this procedure for selecting files to DELETE at bootup. These files MUST be saved to the file KILLIT.DAT . They will NOT be saved to OCULTAR.CFG . This allows you to configure KILLIT.DAT in a manner which is consistent with KILLIT.PRG . You can therefore set up Ocultar for passwords only and use KILLIT.PRG for deleting files. The purpose of deleting files is to clear the directory of files which may not be pertinent to the current application. Why put up with a lot of "clutter" ? WHEN TO DELETE FILES -------------------- To the right of the DELETE panel are your DELETE "when" options. Select NEVER if you wish Ocultar to ignore the file KILLIT.DAT. Select AFTER PASSWORD if you wish these files to be deleted by Ocultar ONLY AFTER a valid password has been entered. Select ONLY AFTER A DESKTOP SETUP HAS BEEN CHOSEN to delete these files only if you're configuring a new setup at boot time. SAVING/LOADING KILLIT.DAT ------------------------- Click on the "SAVE" button to SAVE these filenames to KILLIT.DAT. Ocultar looks in the current directory, the ROOT directory, the AUTO folder and the OCULTAR folder for this file. If it doesn't find it, it just continues. Ocultar will also display file operations, as they are taking place at at bootup, if you specify YES in the "Display Files" option within KILLIT.DAT. Click on the LOAD button to LOAD a KILLIT.DAT file. VIEWING FULL FILENAMES ---------------------- With both of THESE selectors, holding down the [CONTROL] key while selecting a name will allow the FULL path and name of the file to be printed to the top of the screen. DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF DESTINATION ------------------------------- Click on the DESKTOP.INF line at the bottom of the panel to call up a fileselector. Specify the EXACT _destination_ and name of your desktop information file (or enter it manually) and click on OKAY. The path & name will then appear at the bottom of this panel. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% NOTE: This is the DESTINATION and name to which you will COPY a source file specified on the INF/PRG/ACC page. This is NOT the file you are copying. It is the destination and name of the file _AFTER_ it has been copied. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% ex: A:\DESKTOP.INF or C:\DESKTOP.INF A:\NEWDESK.INF OR C:\NEWDESK.INF = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = BE SURE TO SAVE KILLIT.DAT BEFORE EXITING THE AUTOBOOTING SECTION ! = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = EXITING THE PANEL ----------------- Click on OKAY to exit and save your settings to memory. Click on CANCEL to exit and restore your initial setup. Click on ERASE to clear ALL settings made to this page. 6) DESKTOP.INF / AUTO PROGRAMS / DESK ACCESSORIES ---------------------------------------------- Click in the box to the left of the line "DESKTOP.INF, AUTO PROGRAMS, ACCESSORIES". A second panel will appear. a) DESKTOP.INF FILES ----------------- Click on the letters "INF" on the top of the left-hand selector box. A fileselector will appear. Select the path (ONLY) in which your SOURCE DESKTOP.INF files are contained. Click on OKAY in the fileselector. Ocultar will then scan that directory for any files ending in IN? ( ? being any character). ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTAR\*.IN? Repeat this procedure for locating your AUTO programs and ACCESSORIES, (clicking on PRG or ACC respectively, of course !-). SELECTING A DESKTOP.INF FILE ---------------------------- Click on a DESKTOP.INF file in the INF selector to select a file. The full name of the file will appear below the selector. Only 1 .INF file may be selected per setup. If the list exceeds the display you may use the up & down arrows at the top of the box to scroll through the list. When you select the function key to which this .INF file is assigned (at bootup), Ocultar copies THIS file to the destination (and name) specified on the "Ignore" panel. b) SELECTING PROGRAMS / ACCESSORIES ------------------------------- Select your AUTO programs and desk ACCESSORIES in the same way. These files will remain selected to indicate your choice. When you select the function key to which these selected PRGS and ACCS are assigned (at bootup), Ocultar will activate THEM, and de-activate all others. EXITING THIS PANEL ------------------ Click on OKAY to assign your selections to the current function key. Click on CANCEL to abort any changes you have made since entering this screen. Click on ERASE to clear ALL settings made on this screen. 7) EXTRAS ------ Click on the box to the left of the word EXTRAS on the main panel to call up another panel. This page allows you to select up to 8 "extra" files per key to copy at bootup (320 total). NAME LINE --------- On the NAME line you may enter an identifying name for the file being copied. This can be anything like Carl's NeoDesk Font or Heidi's Warp 9 fill pattern. SOURCE ------ This is the source file you wish copied at bootup. Click on this line to call up a fileselector for selecting the source file. You may also enter this name manually. DESTINATION ----------- This is the place to which you wish your source file copied at bootup. DO NOT specify the same path and name for source AND destination ! EXAMPLE ------- Name: Carl's NeoDesk Font Source: C:\AUTO\OCULTAR\ALL_REZ.FNT Dest: C:\NEODESK3\NEODESK.FNT REMAINING LINES --------------- Repeat this procedure for the remaining lines. You will need to click on the NEXT button to access the remaining 4 files. EXITING THIS PANEL ------------------ Click on OKAY to assign your selections to the current function key. Click on CANCEL to abort any changes you have made since entering this screen. Click on ERASE to clear ALL settings made on this screen. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% NOTE: Holding down the [CONTROL] key while clicking on a SOURCE or DESTINATION line sets the fileselector to the path specified on that line.If the line is blank the fileselector will open to the last used path. %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%% 8) SAVING AN OCULTAR.CFG FILE -------------------------- Once you have returned to the main autobooting panel,click on the SAVE button. A fileselector will appear allowing you to specify a directory for,and save, your configuration file (OCULTAR.CFG). 9) EDITING FUNCTION KEYS --------------------- Select the box to the left of the line "EDIT FUNCTION KEYS" to call up an editing page. DISPLAY ------- The screen display consists of 2 panels which are identical to the main configuration panel. SELECTING A SETUP KEY --------------------- Select a function key setup from each panel in the same way you select a setup from the main panel. COPY ---- Select COPY to copy ALL of the settings from the setup key selected in the TOP panel to the setup key selected in the BOTTOM panel. Any settings previously made in the bottom setup key will be _COMPLETELY_ replaced with the new settings. SWAP ---- Select SWAP to replace the settings of the TOP setup key with the settings of the BOTTOM setup key (and vice versa). EXIT ---- Select EXIT to return to the main autobooting screen. 10) PREFERENCES ----------- Select the "preference" button to call up the user preferences screen. RETURN KEY MODE --------------- This option waits for the [RETURN] key to be pressed before registering a "setup" selection at bootup. FUNCTION KEY MODE ----------------- This option registers a "setup" selection immediately at bootup.This option does NOT wait for the [RETURN] key to be pressed. WARNING ALERTS -------------- This enables ALERTS which warn you BEFORE performing a potentially destructive procedure (such as erasing setups). MOUSE SNAPS ----------- This allows the mouse to be snapped back to it's "starting position", after a function has ended. TIME-OUT -------- This option allows you to specify the amount of time Ocultar will wait at bootup before ending.If NO input has been received within this time then Ocultar will quietly exit.A small asterisk will appear on the top left of the screen (at bootup) to indicate that Ocultar is counting. 11) OTHER MAIN PANEL BUTTONS ------------------------ ERASE ----- Erases ALL settings under the specified setup key. EXIT ---- Returns you to the Ocultar MenuBar. REBOOT ------ Allows you to perform a software reboot of your computer. AUTOBOOT SCREEN --------------- The autobooting screen will NOT appear at bootup unless this item is checked. 12) OCULTAR VISION -------------- This option allows you to select a picture, or pictures,to view during bootup. a) SETTING UP ---------- You will first need to create a folder for colour pictures ( if you're using a colour monitor ) and/or a folder for monochrome pictures ( if you're using a monochrome monitor ), or both. The name of this folder should reflect the contents, ie: MONOPICS . Place all of your colour pictures in the colour folder & mono pictures in the mono folder. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = NOTE: DO NOT place colour pictures in the monochrome folder or monochrome pictures in the colour folder. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = b) PICTURE FORMATS --------------- Ocultar currently supports the following types,formats and resolutions in which a picture is viewable. FORMAT EXTENDERS RESOLUTION ------ --------- ---------- DEGAS: .PI1, .PI2 ST Low and Medium .PI3 ST High NEOCHROME: .NEO ST Low,Medium and High Since NeoChrome uses the same file extender, you may wish to view the picture first to determine its correct resolution. c) COLOUR ------ Click on this line to call up a fileselector (for selecting the colour picture, or colour picture path). Ocultar will ignore this line if it is empty. The line should read something similar to one of these... D:\COLORPIC\*.* E:\COLORPIC\OCULTAR.PI2 d) SINGLE PICTURE -------------- If you only wish to display a SINGLE picture every time you boot up, enter (or select) the specific file path and name. ie: C:\COLORPIC\OCULTAR.PI2 Ocultar will then only show this one picture at bootup. e) CONSECUTIVE PICTURES -------------------- If you wish for Ocultar to display a different picture every time you boot up, enter just the path on this line. ie: C:\COLORPIC\*.* Ocultar will then scan the COLRPIC folder and display the next picture in the folder every time you boot up. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = IMPORTANT: With both of these options, the appropriate "SHOW PICTURE" option MUST be selected. (see below). = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = f) MONO ---- Repeat the procedure described under "COLOUR" for setting up your mono picture line. Ocultar will ignore the mono line if it is empty. g) PICTURE VIEWING --------------- Select either the left or right "arrow", to select a picture format to view. Click on the SELECT button to select a picture to view (from the configuration program). You will be returned to the VISION panel if the file cannot be viewed. This can be helpful in determining if a file is the correct format for the current resolution. h) DISPLAY OPTIONS --------------- > DISPLAY ___ PASSWORD -------------------- Click on the arrows to the left & right to scroll through the options. BEFORE ------ Select "Display BEFORE password" to have a picture displayed before the password prompt. AFTER ----- Select "Display AFTER password" to have the picture displayed ONLY if a valid password has been entered. > ON ___ BOOTS ------------ Clicking on these arrows sets what type of boot initiates the picture viewing option. COLD ---- Select "On COLD boots" to have a picture displayed ONLY when a cold boot is detected. WARM ---- Select "On WARM boots." to have a picture displayed EVERY time you boot or reboot your computer. > SHOW ___ PICTURE ---------------- Click on these arrows to select the picture selection method. SINGLE ------ Select "Show SINGLE picture" to have Ocultar display ONLY the picture whose name appears on the COLOUR or MONO line. ie: C:\COLORPIC\OCULTAR.PI1 D:\MONOPICS\PROFILE.PI3 If you do NOT select a SPECIFIC file name on the COLOUR or MONO line & select "SINGLE", NO picture will be displayed at bootup. NEXT ---- Select "Show NEXT picture" to have Ocultar display the NEXT picture for the current resolution every time you boot up. In order for this option to work, your disk drive must NOT be "write protected". Ocultar needs to write the number of the picture to one of its files so that it does not display the same picture the next time. You MUST also be CERTAIN that ONLY a PATH has been specified on the appropriate line. ie: E:\COLORPIC\*.* Q:\MONOPIC\*.* NO -- Select "Show NO picture" to disable bootup pictures completely. > FOR ___ SECONDS --------------- Click on the arrows to the left & right of this option to determine the amount of time the picture will be displayed. You can test the timer by setting a number and then choosing the SELECT option (and viewing a picture from the program). i) SAVE / OCULTAR.OPC ------------------ Click on the "SAVE" button to save your "Vision" options to the file OCULTAR.OPC . This file must ALSO be kept with all other Ocultar files ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTAR\OCULTAR.OPC . 13) BOOTING UP ---------- Once everything has been set up, reboot your computer. a) PASSWORD -------- If Ocultar finds its password file, it will present you with the main "LOGON" screen ( depending on whether or not you chose the password option ). If Ocultar CAN'T find its password file, it will use your "backdoor" password. The prompt will intercept ALL boots and you will be given 4 attempts before Ocultar initiates a "lock out". This, of course, ONLY works if you've saved a "backdoor" password. If you do NOT have a password file OR a backdoor, you will NOT receive a password prompt ! b) AUTOBOOTING SCREEN ------------------ If the Autobooting option is enabled,an autobooting screen will appear (assuming Ocultar finds OCULTAR.CFG) Additional "on screen" HELP is now available at bootup ! To obtain a list of these options, merely press the HELP key, at bootup, BEFORE selecting a function key. It is for this reason that "bootup" commands will not be listed here. DISABLING --------- Ocultar disables programs and accessories by changing the last letter in their name to X instead of G or C . It then reverses this process to re-enable them. STARTGEM/HEADSTART ------------------ If you have a version of TOS older than 1.04 you will need to obtain a a copy of StartGem or HeadStart if you wish to have a program run auto- matically after bootup. WARM/COLD RESET --------------- If you press the W key, the words WARM BOOT will appear below the word "Choice" . If you press the C key, the words COLD BOOT will appear below the word "Choice". Pressing either key a second time will de-activate this option. When one of these options is "on" , Ocultar will initiate the appropriate reboot AFTER it has finished configuring your setup. This allows you to "activate" and run programs appearing before Ocultar in the AUTO folder. BYPASSING OCULTAR ----------------- If you hold down the SHIFT,CONTROL or ALT key _BEFORE_ Ocultar reaches it's "Desktop Setups" screen, that screen will be automatically bypassed. 14) APPENDIX -------- a) UNCLEMOUSE SUPPORT ------------------ Ocultar also supports the UncleMouse ".CURsor" file format. This means that you can create your OWN custom mice cursors for Ocultar ! The file MUST be named OCULTAR.CUR and be placed either in the SAME directory as OCULTxxx.PRG, the AUTO folder,the AUTO\OCULTAR\ folder or the root directory of the disk/drive containing OCULTxxx.PRG. Custom mice can be created using the FREEWARE program UncleMouse,v.1.0a or newer (available most everywhere) ! b) DISTRIBUTION ------------ If you have obtained an UNREGISTERED copy of Ocultar... You are free to copy and distribute this program as long as the files... OCULT302.PRG \ OCULT302.RSC \ OCULTAR .DAT \ OCULTAR .CFG \ OCULTACC.ACC OCULT32B.TXT \ OCULTAR .CUR \ OCULTREG.TXT \ OCULT_UD.TXT \ OCULTAR .OPC READ_NOW.TXT \ OTHERTTL.LZH \ OCULTPIC.LZH \ KILLIT .DAT \ OCULTGEN.ACC are included, are NOT MODIFIED in ANY way, and NO FEE of ANY TYPE is incurred upon the recipient for the files _themselves_. c) REGISTRATION ------------ See the files OTHERTTL.TXT, NEWTERMS.TXT and OCULTREG.TXT for current registration information. d) SHAREWARE --------- Shareware software is NOT free. Shareware authors retain all rights to their software under the Federal Copyright Laws and allow distribution of their programs with minimum restrictions. With Shareware software you are given the opportunity to "try out" the software before deciding whether or not to purchase it. These authors are trusting you to NOT take advantage of them by stealing their work, (continuing to use it without paying for it). Think about it this way... The Shareware author has done some work for you with the understanding that you will pay them FOR that work. How would YOU feel if come payday your boss decided not to pay YOU for the weeks work ? That's exactly what happens when you decide not to pay an author for their program. The bottom line is this, if you are using a SHAREWARE program and have NOT paid the author for your copy, you ARE breaking a Federal Law !! If discovered, you ARE subject to Federal prosecution (no kidding) ! See section 410(a) of title 17 of the Copyright Code. e) CREDITS ------- Special thanks to Larry Duke for TT compatibility !!! Supra is a trademark of Supra Corporation Ocultar & UncleMouse (C) Carl J. Hafner StartGem & Headstart are Public Domain Utilities. AHDI.PRG,TOS,ST,STe (C) Atari Corporation GEM is a registered trademark of Digital Research Please feel free to send along ANY suggestions or ideas for features you would like to see added. Please also list ANY possible bugs you may have found (or any typos I may have incurred :-). UNLESS OTHERWISE SPECIFIED, ALL Ocultar Master Disks will be sent on a DOUBLE-SIDED floppy disk (809,984 bytes). f) VERSION HISTORY --------------- 3.02b - Master Shell replaced with MenuBar to allow access not only to DA's, but to Gribnif Software's GENEVA ! New version of OCULTACC.ACC (OCULTGEN.ACC) for use with GENEVA. 3.02a - Adds new version of OCULTACC.ACC. OCULTAR.DAT now properly hidden from GEM. LIMIT feature now easier to use. 3.02 - Added 10 more "setups", reboot options. Ocultar now also waits for the keyboard buffer to clear before exiting. 3.01b - Added additional help. F-Key mode now shows selected name at bootup (you can also select HELP in F-Key mode at bootup without cancelling the time-out timer). Files can NOT be inadvertently written to themselves at bootup. FIXED: Preferences now select and deselect properly and consistently. 3.01a - Adds preference page ("return-key" & "function key only" selection modes, alerts, mouse snap and time-out timer). Aesthetic enhancements. CFG file updated. 3.01 - Program resets to STe/TT white instead of ST white after bootup if you're using an STe or TT. The EXTRAS column at bootup now displays the SOURCE file instead of the DESTINATION file. The configuration program now uses the systems colours instead of its own. More mouse snaps and cosmetic changes. 3.0a - Compensated for bug in TOS 1.2 that would make the OS think certain files did not exist. OCULTxxx.PRG & OCULTACC.ACC are now properly ignored even if NO files are listed on the "Ignore files" page. Previously it only ignored them if you specified at least 1 file to ignore. 3.0 - Removed file operations (no-one needed them) and reworked user interface (some more :-) File copy speed at bootup has been increased by 125% ! 2.9 - -reserved for leap year- 2.8 - Ability to view pictures at bootup. 2.7 - User ability to write "backdoor" to program. 2.6 - TT compatibility, User Mouse & Kill-It support, aesthetic enhancements. 2.5 - Greater user control over options. 2.0 - Brand new user interface. 1.8 - Extra users and bootup options. 1.5 - Aesthetic changes. 1.0 - Original accessory only version. g) SETUP FILES ----------- A "SETUP" is a combination of files put together for a specific reason or application. For example, if you wish to use NeoDesk when you turn on your system, you can configure a setup which loads all of your Neo- Desk programs and accessories. Any files not selected will be disabled or ignored so that only the files you selected are loaded into RAM. DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF FILES ------------------------- You may first wish to create the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF files which help define the desktop setup you desire . Give them a name which reflects your intention, ex: DATABASE.INF, and copy them to a single directory, ex: C:\AUTO\OCULTSTF\*.* . Once one of these files is assigned to a "setup" you shouldn't change its name. If you do, Ocultar will not be able to find it. Also be certain to ensure that ONLY your DESKTOP.INF/ NEWDESK.INF files end with the letters .INF . EXTRA FILES ----------- You can also set up any "extra" data files and keep them in the same directory as your .INF files (although this is NOT essential). It WILL however, make it easier for you to find them and reduce the amount of work Ocultar has to perform at bootup. The "extra" files can be any- thing at all ! WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU SELECT A SETUP ------------------------------------ When you select a "setup" key at bootup, Ocultar will activate ALL of the files assigned to that key in the .CFG file. It will also disable any programs or accessories which are not assigned to that setup key ! It will then look for any files listed on the "EXTRAS" page and copy them from source to destination REMEMBER, do NOT change the names of these files after you have saved them to OCULTAR.CFG or Ocultar will not be able to locate them. h) TOS VERSION INFO ---------------- If you have TOS version 1.04, 1.06 (and/or maybe 1.62) , you should be aware of the following. Ocultar allocates memory at bootup in order to expedite file copies. If you have one of these "TOS versions" and are having trouble copying files, you should try using POOLFIXx.PRG. This patch program fixes the memory allocation bug present in these versions of TOS. TTs and TOS 2.05+ ----------------- If you have TOS version 2.05 or later, you will only be able to view a picture from the configuration part of the program (IF your computer's resolution matches the pictures resolution). In addition to this, owners of TT computers will only be able to view a picture if the TT is in the same resolution as that in which the picture was created (this is the same thing as the previous paragraph, but I thought I'd mention it again since TTs have 6 resolutions and you don't need a TT to have TOS 2.05 or later). Any attempt to switch resolutions (on machines with TOS 2.05 or later) results in the automatic reloading of any desk accessories. This will cause Ocultar ( and ANY other program which switches resolutions for whatever reason ) to crash. This is a drawback of TOS. You CAN still select a picture to view at bootup and Ocultar WILL be able to display it, since TOS is unaware of your desk accessories at this point. LINE A VARIABLES ---------------- If you have an Atari TT and Ocultars displays seem disjointed, you may need the patch program which restores the "Line A variables". If anyone can tell me how to get INT{L~A-12} and INT{L~A-4} out of the VDI I'd be ever so grateful ! i) PROGRAM LIMITS -------------- Maximum #/PRGS per setup: 100 (times 40 setups=4000 total) Maximum #/ACCS per setup: 100 (times 40 setups=4000 total) Maximum #/INFs per setup: 1 (times 40 setups=40 total) The INF selector holds 100 files. Maximum #/EXTRA files per setup: 8 (times 40 setups=320 total) Maximum #/IGNORE files: 100 Maximum #/DELETE files: unlimited. The DELETE panel can only hold 100 names. Any more than this will have to be configured within a text editor. Consult KILLIT.PRGs documentation for details. Maximum #/files total: 12520 Minimum memory requirements: 300,000 bytes j) HARD DISK DRIVERS ----------------- There ARE some programs which MAY need to be run before OCULTxxx.PRG ex: AHDI.PRG (the hard disk driver). These programs generally tell the computer about the setup you are using and are considered system files. These programs should be run _BEFORE_ OCULTxxx.PRG to ensure that your computer is set up to receive information properly. PATCH PROGRAMS -------------- Other programs which MAY need to be run BEFORE Ocultar are what are commonly referred to as "patch" programs. They are generally fixes for bugs which have crawled into your operating system. Examples include.. FOLDRxxx.PRG <- alleviates the 40 folder bug found in machines with a version of TOS older than 1.4 (ie: 1.0 or 1.02). STE_FIX.PRG <- allows STes to boot up in medium resolution. POOLFIXx.PRG <- patches GEMDOS "malloc" bug found in TOS 1.4, 1.6 ????????.PRG <- I don't know the name, but there IS a patch program for TTs which restores the "Line A Variables" which were inadvertently left out of some of the Atari TTs. If you have a TT & Ocultar's displays are disjointed, use this program. k) ADDITIONAL SECURITY INFORMATION ------------------------------- Because of the way in which the Atari is designed, it IS possible to boot your system in a variety of ways. The most common way is to hold down the ALT key when booting. If you have Atari's software, you can place a floppy in drive A:\ with the program AHDI.PRG in an AUTO folder, ex: A:\AUTO\AHDI.PRG . When you hold down the ALT key, your system bypasses any hard disk driver and boots from the floppy. All accessories are, however, loaded from the hard disk. If you have a blank floppy installed in drive A:\ and use the ALT key to bypass the hard disk, only drives A: and B: will be accessible from the GEM desktop. You will not be able (on ST's anyway) to Install hard disk drives.You will get the message "the drive you specified does not exist". This also applies if you boot without ANY disk in drive A: and hold down the ALT key. So what's to keep someone from simply inserting a floppy disk..? FLOPPY LOCKS ------------ To ensure that no-one tries to over-ride your hard disk with a floppy, ( using the method described earlier ), you may wish to invest in what is commonly referred to as a "floppy lock" . It's basically a bit of hardware which allows you to "physically" lock access to your floppy disk drive(s). Radio Shack used to sell them and I DO occasionally see them in software/hardware catalogs. If you are able to reach the GEM desktop without scanning a floppy disk or hard drive, and then access those drives using the "Install Disk Drive" option, then I'm afraid Ocultar's password system can't help.