PocketLauncher
==============
A WHDLoad game launcher for AmigaOS 2.0+. It scans your disks,
catalogs the slaves, and you launch them from a list with cover
images. Ideal for large collections (tested with 3000+ games).
Assumes you already use WHDLoad.
The best part: no libraries needed
----------------------------------
* A single binary, ~380 KB. Copy it and it runs - nothing to install.
* No MUI needed (iGame requires it), no datatypes, no guigfx, nothing
off disk.
Features
--------
* Smart auto-cataloging: reads the name embedded in the slave and the
igame.data (title, genre, year, players, chipset, arguments), and
tells games from demos on its own.
* Multiple sources at once (up to 16 folders/volumes), detects mounted
volumes and drops duplicates.
* Incremental Update Index: adds new slaves without re-scanning
everything.
* Integrity check: finds slaves that are missing (deleted or moved)
and cleans them from the database, but keeps the ones on an
unmounted volume, so you don't lose your DB if you unplug a CF.
* Low-RAM mode and an optimized fast-RAM mode.
* Native IFF cover images, no datatypes. Laced, progressive (hires)
and RTG. Multi-IFF: view every .iff in the game's folder, not just
one. Two scaling modes: fill and sharp (pixel-perfect).
* Built-in tooltype editor - edit the .info from the app without
opening IconEdit.
* Run at startup and optional fullscreen.
* Sortable table (title, platform, genre, year, players). Filter by
three combinable criteria: language, platform (OCS/ECS, AGA, CD32,
CDTV) and type (games, demos, mags, cracktros, apps), plus a title
search. Iconify to an AppIcon with global hotkeys.
Install
-------
Unpack the LHA and run PocketLauncher. That's it - no assigns, no
libraries, no MUI.
Changelog
---------
v33.285 (2026-07-30)
Memory-scaling pass so big collections index fully on real
fast-RAM machines.
* The game database is now held in a chunked pool (fixed 256-record
blocks) instead of one growing array. The old single array needed
an ever-larger contiguous block and walled indexing at ~3000
games / ~2 MB even on an 8 MB machine, because no single free
block was big enough. The chunked pool uses fast RAM in small
pieces, so all of it is usable - large collections now index to
completion.
* Header-count validation now guards both directions (a corrupt DB
whose count byte reads as a large or negative value is rejected
with a "rebuild via Sources > Index" message instead of loading
garbage rows).
* Auto low-RAM mode kicks in on the right thresholds (small
fast-RAM or low total), and the optimized fast-RAM path is used
when there's headroom.
* Internal storage refactor: every game record now goes through a
single accessor layer, all shifts are unsigned (no 68020-only
instructions on this path), verified against multi-round review.
v33.284 (2026-07-21)
Robustness pass from two independent audits, 14 verified fixes.
* The "Please insert volume X" requester no longer pops at boot or
when launching a game whose volume is dismounted (unplugged USB,
ejected disk) - DOS requesters are now suppressed launcher-wide.
* WHDLoad paths of 241-255 chars now launch (they used to truncate
at 240, leaving the game unlaunchable): the path field and every
launch/thumbnail/shell buffer widened to 255, backward-compatible
with old databases.
* Games on offline volumes are no longer pruned by "Check DB
integrity" (preserved until the volume returns).
* The global-hotkey broker is no longer left dangling if
iconify-restore fails on a small screen (could hang the machine
on the next hotkey).
* Fixed a crash on OS 2.0-3.0 when drawing thumbnails (V40 guard +
WritePixel fallback).
* Fixed a leak on tooltype save.
* Fixed silent DB truncation when RAM runs out mid-Update.
* Fixed a hang writing the _RUNNING flag on a read-only volume.
* DB game-count validation against file size (prevents blank rows
from a corrupt DB).
v33.266 (base)
* Correct white menu (menu-only, window stays normal WB grey).
* Fixed 640x188 window + fullscreen (L-Amiga+F).
* Multi-IFF navigation.
* Image aspect preserved across laced/progressive/RTG.
Built with MacumbaEditor - https://macumbaeditor.com
|
aminet net>