To get in contact with fellow amigans in a live chat you can connect to the amigaworld.net IRC network.

Server: irc.amigans.net
Channel: #amigans

To connect to the irc server you can download the excellent Wookiechat IRC Client.

You can use a JAVA based client by clicking the "IRC Window" link in the top menu under the site banner

The JAVA client will automaticly connect you to the following channels:

#Amigans - Our own official channel

#Amigadev - An english channel for Amiga developers. Run by the UtilityBase web site.

#safir - An amiga channel for swedish amiga users. Run by the Safir web site.

Once joined you may want to change your nick name using this command:

/nick yournick

(Just type the command into the text input field of the irc client)

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This is a step-by-step description of how to install the latest OS4 SDK (53.15) for use with Cubic IDE. Please note that Cubic must be installed prior to installing the SDK, together with the compiler suite (the C/C++ Add-On package) including GCC 4.0.4 for OS4 (we will update this with the new GCC from the SDK).

1. Download SDK 53.15 from Hyperion's website.

2. Create drawer "devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15". (If there is no devkits: assign in your system, then you haven't installed the C/C++ Add-On package - you MUST do it before installing the SDK).

3. Unpack the SDK archive and run "Install SDK". As your install path choose "devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15". Unselect the option "Create drawer "SDK" in destination drawer" located below the install path selection gadget. Make sure the GNU files are among the files selected for installation. Install the SDK.

4. Open a text editor, load "s:user-startup", comment out the entire SDK-related section the installer has added at the end of the file, and save it.

5. Load the file "devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15/S/sdk-startup" and comment out the GCC startup section, as follows:

;if exists SDK:s/gcc-startup
; execute SDK:s/gcc-startup
;endif

Save the file.

6. Load the file "devkits:scripts/user-startup". If you have installed SDK 51.22 previously (the last SDK version officially supported by Cubic IDE), modify the respective lines to look as follows:

if exists devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15
assign SDK: devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15
execute >nil: SDK:s/sdk-startup
endif

If the 53.15 is the first OS4 SDK you install with Cubic, just add the four lines above. Save the file.

7. Create drawer "devkits:compilers/gcc/amigaos4/4.2.4".

8. Go to the "devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15/gcc" drawer and move or copy its entire contents to "devkits:compilers/gcc/amigaos4/4.2.4".

9. Load the file "devkits:devkits.config" and locate the compiler section "gcc for amigaos4/ppc". Modify the compiler home directory line to read

(home "devkits:compilers/gcc/amigaos4/4.2.4")

Then modify the includes section, to look as follows:

(includes
"devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15/include/include_h"
"devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15/local/common/include"
"devkits:sdk/amigaos4/53.15/local/clib2/include"
)
Save the file.

10. Reboot your Amiga. The SDK and the latest GCC compiler (4.2.4) should now be ready for use with Cubic IDE.

You'll notice that when Cubic is in the C/C++ mode, the "Change Compiler" menu still shows "Target: amigaos4 (gcc 4.0.4)" for the GCC compiler. You may want to edit this menu item in Cubic's settings (Extras/Customize...) for file type "gcc".

This article is a brief walkthrough of a simple way to watch youtube videos while browsing with OWB under OS4.x (or any other browser, under any other OS that meets the requirements)

Requirements
1. python (version >= 2.4)
2. youtube-dl python script by Ricardo Garcia Gonzalez, at the time of writing this available here
3. mplayer (os4.x port is availabe at OS4Depot)

Usage
1. Navigate to the pag e of video of your choice
2. Copy the url
3. In shell run:
Quote:

where URL is the previously copied video address including the double quotes
Useful parameter to youtube-dl: "-o filename.flv" will explicitly specify the output file.
4. Watch the progress, if download gets stuck: signal the python with ctrl-c, "c:break" , Steven Solies "Ranger" utility or other mean of your choice, and then repeat the download. People with sharp eyesight will notice the url of the video and might try download the files that stuck frequently using successive "wget -c" with proper argument specifying the output file ("-O" with capital O)
5. In shell or using mplayer or mplayer's GUI by Daniel Westerberg play the result of the download
6. Useful mplayer options:
. a. esperiment with "-mc 0" or "-mc 10" in cases of out-of-sync audio/video
. b. "-vf expand=::::::n" where n is 4 or 8 or 16 or 32 in case of distorted image (this will expand the dimensions of the video to mutiples of "n" in each direction). Other fix to the problem is to use "-vo sdl" option to specify SDL-based video rendering (which will in turn automatically "expand" the dimension of the video when choosing the best suitale screen-mode for the full-screen playback)
7. Delete th downloaded video file if not needed anymore.

Enjoy,
Jack

A quick review of the 1st Mag Bash show, held in Coventry, UK.

Arrived at the Venue in time to see the dentist (2:30 - geddit?). It was a chilly wet miserable day, but inside it was dry and warm with a very positive atmosphere.

Having paid the entrance money of £3 ukp, and got a sticker to tell everyone who I am. (not much point really since everyone knows me) - I entered the hall, to be greeted by groans, followed by "Oh god, what you doing here?" - And that was just Rigo!

But I digress, the main hall itself, was a bit titchy, in comparison to the size of the Big Bash venue, which in turn was titchy compared to the WOA-SE venue, which in turn was titchy compared to the Novotel in Hammersmith.
- but such is the size of the Amiga community nowadays, if we don't start getting people back, we'll soon be holding a show in a phone booth! Not that in anyway thats is MAG's fault.

However, those that had made it, were doing their bit to try and revive our favourite computer platform, in attendance was the UK's premiere Amiga retailer, Amigakit. (of course they are also the only UK Amiga retailer, but shush!) As you can see, they were a bit stumped by a customer asking them if they had any add ons for a commodore vic-20! Bet they did a bit of trade though!

Next to Amigakit, and heading towards the centre stage, was the Hyperion table, which consisted mainly of Rigo and his SAM440EP, Plus Hyperion's Everett Carlton, who was doing his best to blend into the background in a desperate bid not to be deluged with court case questions!
Seriously though, it was nice of Hyperion's top brass to come over to the UK and say hi, its been a long time since the UK has had any official representation from the leading player on the Amiga scene.

I have never met Everett in person before, but I found him to be a very friendly and easily accessible person. He was happy to talk to anyone and everyone, he mingled with the crowd and generally was very amiable.

At this point I should add that I did take a photo of him and Swoop, but alas, when I got it home it came out blurry! (I am crap at photography) Sorry guys!

Generally though, there were a good 30 people in the main hall at any one time, I believe the final total of people through the door was about 50 at the end of the day, but it is always nice to attend this type of venue and say hi to a lot of old faces that one hasn't seen in a long time and yet, even to this day there were some people in there who I had never met before, so it was nice to see a couple of fresh faces.

Luke Stowe (blurred person in photo) and his crew did a superb job given that it was their first time at hosting an Amiga show. As with all Amiga shows there was a raffle with the winner getting a nice new SAM board with OS4. It went to a new Amiga user with who turned up at 4pm and who I only know as "Mouse" on IRC. Congrats to him!

It was also nice to see fellow ANT member, Chris Handley finally getting his hands on Amiga hardware after using emulation for so many years.




Finally, before I left, I was able to watch Rigo, do a very polished presentation of the new SAM board running OS4.1 on the main stage, it really was very polished, the place was very quiet as everyone listened intently.


All in all, a nicely done show, I just wish more people had turned up, over the years the Amiga community has shrunk in the UK, but it isn't that small. Well done to all involved on putting Amiga UK shows back on the map.