To install WiNGs for the first time go to the WiNGs website and download the complete installer version. This consists of four files. They will extract upon installation to about 1 Mb. If all you have is a 1581 drive, try getting the .d81 disk image from c128.port5.com/jos. Downloading, transferring files to a C64, and extracting a disk image are beyond the scope of this document.
Once you have saved the files onto your partition (it must be a root partition), load and run BOOTER. If it asks you for the location of your wings directory answer with "/" (no quotes). If all goes well it will create several directories, subdirectories, and extract the operating system and applications. When this is finished you will get a message like "zip central directory found" indicating it is finished.
After a few moments reboot your computer. You should have a wings directory. Load and run the BOOTER that is in this directory. The operating system will boot, probe for any connected devices, set up consoles, fonts, and end with a blinking command prompt or the GUI screen, depending on the init file that was built into the package.
This operating system is not static. It is constantly being worked on and revisions are made quite often. To upgrade go to wings.webhop.org and download wings.zip. Follow the directions there to install.
Individual files can be upgraded also using the "upgrade" command. You need an Internet connection to do this. Once connected just issue the upgrade command with the file you want to upgrade as the argument. If it exists on the WiNGs server it will be downloaded to the directory you issue the command from.
The C64 keyboard is mapped a little differently than what you may be used to. Here is a map:
Keyboard Key Remapped Value Standard Notation |
The init file, located in /wings/system, dictates the system configuration when you boot up. Here is a typical init file with added comments:
#! sh setenv PATH /boot:/wings/system:/wings/drivers:/wings/gui: /wings/programs/devel:/wings/programs/graphics:/wings/programs/net: /wings/programs/sound:/wings/programs/utils:/wings/scripts.:/ con80.drv -b #80 col console driver echo Init V1.0 starting #load various system drivers pipe.drv pty.drv #pseudo terminal driver tcpip.drv #tcp/ip driver, add -n [DNS address] for broadband digi.drv #sound driver, add -u for user port sound card uart.drv #serial driver readrtc #read Real Time Clock if present #set up consoles sh -t /dev/con81 & sh -t /dev/con82 & sh -t /dev/con83 & sh -t /dev/con84 & sh -t /dev/con2 & sh -t /dev/con3 & sh -t /dev/con4 & echo echo WiNGs ROCKS! echo exec sh #start shell |
To customize init use ned, the text editor:
</>% ned /wings/system/init
Ned comes with many built in commands that make editing easier:
Usage: ned filename [line number] |
Ned will create a backup each time you save a file.