3. Usage and features

3.1 Command line

WiNGs has up to four 40 column consoles and up to four 80 column consoles. The C=/backarrow key combination toggles between 40 and 80 columns. C= 1-4 switches among the four 40 column consoles or 80 column consoles, depending on where you start.

Since you can run a different process from each console, and switch freely among them, many tasks can be performed simultaneously. For example, you want to view one file and edit another while collecting your email. From console 1 issue:

		</>% more foo.txt

		</>% ned foobar.txt

		</>% mail

Type "ps" from any console to get a list of all running processes and their IDs. If a process does not die naturally, that is if an application won't respond to a "quit" command, a "C=/C", or RUN/STOP, you can often do it with "kill [id#]".

3.2 fileman

3.3 /wings/system

The following commands are available in /wings/system. This subdirectory should be included in the PATH variable in the file /wings/system/init by default, otherwise none of these commands will work.

an login cat cp mv mvp rm hexdump kill mem more sh wc connect echo ls ps shot term modcon init clear diskstat du dial passwd uptime dodisk remount

Most of these commands will display syntax help if the command is invoked without arguments. You will recognize some of these if you have any experience with command line operating systems, especially Linux. Some, however are specific to WiNGs.

#! an
func main() {
        a = uptime();
        printnl(isess(a / 86400," day") @ ", " @ isess(a%86400 / 3600, " hour") @ ", " @
         isess(a%86400%3600/60, " minute") @ " and " @ isess(a%86400%3600%60," second"));
}
func isess(a, b) {
        b = a @ b;
        if (a != 1)
                b @= "s";
        return b;
}
	  

3.4 Networking

WiNGs provides networking services to the C64. Dialing into a Unix shell account for Internet access is possible but no longer necessary since WiNGs can use Point-to-Point Protocol. It is also possible to take advantage of cable modem or DSL service if you have access to a Linux or Win2000k box. Examples of how this is done can be found at c128.port5.com.

There's a new program called turbodialer which allows you to easily configure dialup PPP ISP accounts. It supports pap and shell authentication just like the Wave, making it very easy to connect to the Internet.

Once you have made an Internet connection there are several tools at your disposal. Web pages can be downloaded with "htget [URL] >file.html" This saves a page of HTML. To view that page you could do:

</>% htget someplace.com/somefile.html |web |more

FTP can be used to upload and download files. Typing "help" at the ftp prompt will show you a list of commands available. Presently there is a bug in the batch command (mget, mput) so getm and putm have been substituted as a workaround.

Want to serve web pages from your C64? Launch:

</>% httpd [directory]

To allow yourself or other users remote access to WiNGs use telnetd. Once it is running it will listen at the appropriate port for telnet access and ask for a password upon request. The default password is "opensesame", but this can be changed with the passwd command.

WiNGs actually has two IRC clients. One, ajirc, works in the GUI environment. The other, irc, works from an 80 column text console.

3.5 Mail and addressbook

Mail may be the killer app for WiNGs, at least for now. When first launched it will walk you through a simple setup to get you started. Mail lets you configure multiple accounts. It will let you send and receive attachments, carbon copies, read and compose off-line, etc. You can configure it to play different sounds for certain events.

A separate, but equally important part of mail is addressbook, which is loaded when mail is invoked. It has an updated interface that allows adding, deleting, and editing of address lists.

Finally qsend will actually send your mail. If you have not configured it and try to send mail it will ask for information to set up it's config file. Nicks can be used to send mail directly from the command line instead of through mail. Type "qsend" on the command line for the syntax.

3.6 Audio

WiNGs has drivers to play several types of sound. If you have a digital sound card attached to your user port just add the switch "-u" to the digi.drv line of /wings/system/init:

digi.drv -u

Applications to play sound files are found in /wings/programs/sound/. You can play mod, sid, raw, and wav files. Wavconvert can take large wav files and resample them to a more manageable size.

Wavestream allows you to play wav files from a playlist. It can be launched from the GUI or from fileman. It has many of the functions of wav players on other systems, including fast forward, rewind, pause, etc. You can even add songs to the list while it's playing.

3.7 The GUI

The Graphical User Interface, GUI, can be started on boot by adding "gui" to the end of the init file. Alternately it can be started from the command line with "gui", a shell script. Take a look at it in /wings/gui/. There are several items that are commented out with the # character. In order to get the GUI running at the very least the win.drv and winman must be loaded. You will also need a 1351 or compatable mouse. Normally you would launch a GUI application from a text console and then switch to the GUI screen to see it running. Uncommenting or adding "launcher" to the gui script will load a nifty little utility that can start applications and utilities from within the GUI.

GUI windows are resizeable. Just click pull the lower right corner with your mouse. A process running in a window can be killed by closing it's window. Just click on the "X" in the upper right corner.

Because WiNGs is a multi-tasking system, you may have many windows running many processes at once. For example jpeg can be loading a graphic in one window, you can be chatting on IRC using ajirc in another, while listening to music files in another! Your screen real estate is your only limitation.