Boot-Suite v2.30i - (Distribution Help)
Multi-user setups for your acorn - Main Help File
Boot-Suite: by Robert R. Chasmer - © 1992-96 KAOS productions
Text viewer: by Ian Jeffray, - © 1994-96 Oregan Software Developments
Boot-Suite is FREEWARE and is being distributed via the internet through
various ftp sites, though copyright of Boot-suite remains mine.
Please SEE CONDITIONS BELOW.
(page last updated: 06/08/97).
Boot-Suite - Version Control.
Application: BootSuite the whole package
Programs job: To allow bootsuite to be distributed.
Version: 2.30i (internet)
Last_updated: 23/07/97
First written: 31/08/94
Written by: R.R.Chasmer (KAOS)
WWW Support: http://www.kaosuk.demon.co.uk/Acorn/
Credits: See below.
Bootsuite - Description.
This package allows several Acorn users to each have a customised boot
up procedure on a single machine. This is accomplished by boot-suite initially
asking for a UserID and Password when the machine is reset without a user logged
on. Once a user has logged on !Boot will then run the corresponding 'Desktop
Bootfile'.
Boot-Suite is intended to be used as a single package. By using the
installer your machine may be configured, enabling you to quickly make use of
the facilities that this package provides.
Features include:-
- Desktop filer protection, allowing those all important boot files to be
kept safe from prying eyes.
- Two levels of overall security access, normal user & super user.
- Automatic logging of users activities which include times & dates.
- Easy to use configuration application, allowing super-users to quickly
customise the environment within which boot-suite runs.
- The Log-off procedure is integrated into Risc OS 3's shutdown procedure.
An extra utility is also provided whereby novice users have access to a shutdown
window.
- Modula design enables programmers to extend and alter the way the
system works.
- Continued support, it is my hope that this package will be continually
developed, in-order to provide system that will match peoples changing needs.
- [Wimp] programmers library, allowing you to quickly develop your own
RISC OS applications.
!Boot survives all resets including power down, so a UserID & password
will not have to be entered after every reset. The only time that another
UserID & password is asked for is after the user has called a shutdown.
Logging On (08/10/95)
When no users are logged on and the machine is reset, !Password is run.
!Password requests the user to enter a 'User ID' and then 'Password'. If valid
the user will then be logged on and the appropriate desktop bootfile's run.
All subsequent resets will not require a 'User ID' or 'Password' as the user
is already known allowing the appropriate desktop bootfile's to be run again.
(see !Password for more info).
Logging Off (08/10/95)
A shutdown can be achieved by many methods when a user is logged on:-
- Usual RISC OS 3.1 way. (Ctrl-Shift-F12).
- Clicking 'Shutdown' on the Task menu.
- Hold down 'Ctrl' & 'S' after a reset
- Double click on the !LogOff icon in the filer
- Enter *ShutDown from the command line.
- Corrupt the UID file.
(see !Log_Off for more info).
Options (17/04/95)
Boot-suites various configurations can be altered & users added/removed
using !BootOpt. Options include: Name, address, log users path, log requests path, auto
logOff, filer protection on/off.
(see !BootOpt for more info).
Logging Users Activities (06/09/94)
All user activities can be recorded. Activities include: Logging on
& logging off. This can be configured for use in !BootOpt.
(see !!BootInfo for more info).
!Service (06/09/94)
This allows users to be greeted with a service message before !Password is
run. This area of boot-suite is very under-developed and is not really
supported in this version.
(see !Service for more info).
Star commands (06/07/95)
The following star commands are provided by Boot-Suite:-
*HourG [ON|OFF|ONP|OFFP|<number>]
allows control of the hourglass.
*MouseStep <number>
allows control of the mouse pointer speed.
- The filer protection module provides two star commands, the current names
of these can be discovered by using !Boot_Opt.
Note: Only superusers can use !Boot_Opt.
(see specific applications for more info).
Filer protection (06/07/95)
Filer protection is provided. This simply prevents files within the !Boot
directory being altered in any way. Only superusers can view & edit files,
although a star command can be used to toggle the filer protections effect.
In some cases any user can run and see files, but the system prevents changes
being made. At other times users will see only an empty filer display on
directories that are fully protected. On a Risc-PC the acorn boot system is
also protected.
Boot files (06/09/94)
All bootfiles that may require altering are held in the Choices directory
within 'Boot-suites' !Boot. It's best to experiment your-self as to how to
use the files, examples are given in the files.
There is a Users directory, this should contain desktop bootfiles for
each user. These can be created using the task menu. Users can be allocated
files using !BootOpt.
NOTE: The layout of 'Boot-suites' !Boot is similar to acorns Risc-PC
!Boot. When used on a RISC-PC, the bootfiles in acorns choices directory will
also be used. Thus !BootStart, !DeskStart, !RunStart, do not have to be used.
BUT all multi-user specific options should be kept in these files.
Credits must go to:- (19/01/97)
- R.R.Chasmer (KAOS), for virtually the whole thing.
- TFP!, (The Flying Pig) for the original directory protection.
- Joe Talor, (Liber Abaci Software) for the [Wimp] library
- Empire Software for the 'FloozGo' sound sample in !X_Ready, taken from
the Pipe Mania game (I hope that doesn't upset anyone).
- D.Robinson for the logon greeting, !Hello v1.0.
- Acorn for there !Boot application.
- QTM (Quantum) for inspiration for this text file.
- Dick Alstein for !TemplEd, which I used to design all my template files.
- Ian Jeffray (Oregan Software Developments) for the HTML help reader.
- Rangar Hafstad & Dick Alstein (again) for !BasCrunch, which saves helps
save memory by compressing structured readable basic.
- Matthew Bolton & Peter Chasmer for being willing to test alpha copies
of Boot-Suite.
- To anyone i've missed, with a special thanks to the original authors of
the various sprites that I've re-touched.
Things new in release 2.10: - (19/04/95)
- Option to turn off case sensitive logins
- Supports Super Users, allowing only superusers to use the !BootOpt utility
- Now uses Risc OS 3's 3d borders rather than the slower interface module.
- Sadly, support for Risc OS 2 is no longer given.
- Newer look logon screen.
- HTML help pages, replace the former textual ones.
- A little bit of text added to the help pages, (still need re-writing
though).
- A number of minor changes that have escaped my mind at the moment.
- BootInfo has been re-written, allowing the text file to be somewhere
else, and text to be printed.
Things new in release 2.11: - (28/04/95)
- Bug fix in !Password, pointer boundary code was missing.
- Choices for RPC version now live in !Boot.Choices.BootSuite.
- Various !Run files updated.
- Most link files tidied up.
- !X_Ready moved to utils, with a link file put in the RiscPC Tasks.
- !B_INSTALL, tidied up to make manual installations easier.
- !B_REMOVE, a new application that will remove a !B_INSTALL installation.
Things new in release 2.12: - (06/07/95)
- Bug fix in [Handles], superuser protection was disabled in
PROCcheck_uid.
- Better ERROR handling, now uses restore correctly.
- Bug in !Log_Off fixed, auto logoff's generated an error.
- Help files adjusted so as to better describe bootsuite as package.
- !Q-Log_off, a new application to allow novice users to log off more
easily.
- !B_INSTALL, now sets the system variables to the installed directory
after installation.
- !BootOpt, minor template changes were needed to accommodate for the
system font.
Things new in release 2.30: - (15/12/96)
- Builds archive no longer included with the distribution.
- A stray template file has been removed from !B_Remove
(how it got there, I will never know?).
- [Wimp] version 1.11 now used though out, including !B_Remove which
had a very old version it it.
- Annoying aliases, to be used on my machine only, have been removed.
!BootStart, !Deskstart and !RunStart. & Descriptions in !Start files changed.
- !Default & !Guest users now only filer_opens the !Apps directory.
- Initial log file now no longer includes the re-build descriptions.
- !BootOpt now gets the icon bar menu in the correct place.
- !BootInfo now has an icon bar menu.
- !BootInfo doesn't do a wimp filer-protect when superusers are logged in.
- !BootInfo can now display information about the current user logged in.
- Boot-suite will now happily work on protected drives, e.g FS-LOCK.
- The superuser can specify the location off all read/write files.
- !BootOpt now has a view 'Boot-Suite Utilities' menu option.
- Help reader now StrongArm aware - thanks to Ian Jeffray.
- Various changes for use with Risc OS 3.6 & 3.7.
- A home directory system where each user can be allocated there
own directory space to save personal files etc.
- User Logged on info for Risc OS Banner altered for use with Risc OS 3.7
Things new in release 2.31: - (23/07/97)
Please note that this version is in an alpha state and as yet
un-released.
- Run all the help file through a HTML scanner.
- Change most of the environment variables to avoid conflictions with
other applications. E.g. the problem with !Acornet, and the Home directory.
Things waiting to be done: - (23/07/97)
- Add option to allow Boot-Suite to request a logon before, or after
starting the desktop.
- Write a desktop bootfile editor, for those frightened of using a normal
text editor.
- Ability to start applications dependant on contents of specific
directories ala the Acorn boot system.
- Dragging files from save dialogues to the home directory icon should save
to the root of that users home directory.
- Add exclusion directories to the filer protection module, e.g. !Scrap.
- Protect the home directories so that other users cannot alter or view
other users files.
- Intergrate more closely with FS-LOCK, so some users can automatically
unlock hard-disks.
- !Service could be upgraded, and a helpfile written on how to use it.
This is unlikely to be implemented and is only included as a development
application, for use by programmers. (Not likely to ever be changed)
Current utility version numbers: - (15/12/96)
+-------------+---------+-------------+-----------+
| APPLICATION | VERSION | LAST UPDATE | HELP FILE |
+-------------+---------+-------------+-----------+
| Boot-Suite | 2.30 | 26/11/96 | Yes |
| !B_INSTALL | 1.13 | 07/01/95 | Yes |
| !B_REMOVE | 1.01 | 28/04/95 | Yes |
| !BootInfo | 2.03 | 19/11/96 | Yes |
| !BootOpt | 1.23 | 17/11/96 | Yes |
| !Password | 2.29 | 19/11/96 | Yes |
| !ShowHome | 1.01 | 26/11/96 | Yes |
| !DeskUsers | 1.06 | 16/11/96 | No |
| !HourGlass | 1.07 | 13/03/95 | No |
| !Log_Off | 2.03 | 19/11/96 | No |
| !MouseStep | 1.03 | 18/04/95 | No |
| !Q-Log_Off | 1.02 | 19/11/96 | No |
| !RootDrive | 1.00 | 01/09/94 | No |
| !Service | 1.16 | 19/11/96 | No |
| !ShowUser | 1.05 | 19/11/96 | No |
| !X_Ready | 1.03 | 28/04/95 | No |
+-------------+---------+-------------+-----------+
| [Handles] | 1.23 | 17/11/96 | No |
| [Support] | 1.00 | 19/11/96 | No |
| [Wimp] | 1.12 | 17/11/96 | No |
+-------------+---------+-------------+-----------+
Conditions of use (06/07/95) - internet
Boot-suite is FREEWARE and is being distributed via the internet through
various ftp sites, though copyright of Boot-suite remains mine. This copy may
only be distributed via the internet!
A lot of time and effort has gone into the making of Boot-suite so I
would be grateful if you would follow the conditions below for the distribution
and use of this package.
The entire Boot-suite package, (which includes !Boot, !!BootInfo,
!BootOpt, !Log_Off, !Password, !Q-Log_Off, !Request, !Service, etc.) may be
distributed freely by any bulletin board and by anyone else with a copy of it,
providing that ALL the files are included and remain unaltered (except, that
is, for the 'Choices' directory and contents.
PD libraries and alike, may only distribute this program, after
explicit permission by me the author using one of the contact methods listed
bellow. The maximum any library may charge for a disk containing any part of
Boot-suite is two uk pounds.
Contact methods (23/07/97)
Any comments, extensions, PD, or money would be greatly appreciated.
Contact me:-
Robert R. Chasmer (KAOS productions)
13 Ferndale Crescent
Canvey Island
Essex
SS8 0AR
Phone: **** ******
E-mail: chas@chasmer.com
WWW: http://www.kaosuk.demon.co.uk/Acorn/
Robert Chasmer -
(C) KAOS 95-97.