=======================================================================
Thing 0.59                                                   README.TXT
Copyrights (c) 1994/95 Arno Welzel                           Read Me

TOS2GEM (c) Thomas Binder (binder@rbg.informatik.th-darmstadt.de)
ST-Guide (c) Holger Weets (Holger_Weets@OL.maus.de)
'Dcheneva' fonts (c) Thomas Schulze (ts@uni-paderborn.de)

English version

UK software support by Joe Connor - see SUPPORT.TXT for details.
=======================================================================


Thing is not Public Domain!

If you want to use Thing permanently, you should register as user.
See REGISTER.TXT for details.

Thanks!


Snail Mail:  Arno Welzel
             Georgenstrasse 55
             86152 Augsburg

EMail:       aw@zaphot.augusta.de (Internet)


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                      Update of Version 0.54
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

                         I M P O R T A N T

  Users of MagiC!3 has to copy the shutdown program SHUTDOWN.PRG and
  its configuration file SHUTDOWN.INF from the directory
  C:\GEMSYS\GEMDESK\ to the home directory of Thing!

  Otherwise the shutdown of MagiC!3 will not work and you may loose
  data when using the 'write back cache' WBDAEMON.


  To update an older version, copy the following files:

  TOS2GEM\       .... to the AUTO folder
    TOS2GEM.PRG

  THING\         .... to the folder of Thing
    THING.APP
    THINGRUN.PRG      <--- don't forget THINGRUN.PRG!!!
    THINGICN.PRG

  DOC\           .... to the GUIDES folder of ST-Guide
    THING.HYP
    THING.REF
    THINGICN.HYP
    THINGICN.REF

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                         Contents of archive
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  You should find the following files:

  README.TXT      .... this file ;-)
  SUPPORT.TXT     .... details about UK software support
  REGISTER.TXT    .... registration form

  THING\          .... all required files for Thing
    THING.APP
    THINGRUN.PRG
    ICONS.RSC
    ICONS.INF
    MONOICON.RSC
    MEDICON.RSC
    THINGICN.PRG

  PICTURES\       .... some GEM images, wich may be used as
    ATARI.IMG          'background pictures' for Thing
    BACKGRND.IMG
    DESKTOP.IMG
    INTEL.IMG
    KACHEL1.IMG
    KACHEL2.IMG
    THING_C.IMG
    THING_D2.IMG

  DOC\            .... documentation and further infos
    THING.HYP
    THING.REF
    THINGICN.HYP
    THINGICN.REF
    VAPROTO.H
    THINGICN.TXT

  TOS2GEM\        .... TOS2GEM from Thomas Binder, wich is required to
    T2GRESET.PRG       use the console window of Thing
    TOS2GEM.PRG
    TOS2GEM.TXT

  GEMSYS\         .... several GDOS fonts
    THING04.FNT
    THING10.FNT
    DCHENM05.FNT
    DCHENM07.FNT
    DCHENM10.FNT
    DCHENP07.FNT
    DCHENP10.FNT
    DCHENP13.FNT

  PINPOINT\       .... PinPoint - the 'notebook' for Thing from
    PINPOINT.APP       Holger Weets
    PINPOINT.INF
    PINPOINT.TXT

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                          System requirements
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Thing is can be used with MagiC (2.00 or later), TOS (1.04 or later)
  or MultiTOS. Alternate file systems with MiNT (MinixFS etc.) or
  MagiC Mac will be supported as well.

    Using Thing with TOS 1.02 or TOS 1.00 is not possible - sorry!
    Changes for such old version of TOS would be too complex and
    could not be done in a 'clean' way, as TOS 1.04 and later contains
    some very important system functions, wich are missing in TOS 1.02
    and TOS 1.00!

    Please get a newer version of TOS (2.06 would be the best) or
    use MagiC.

  To display the online manual of Thing (hypertext documentation),
  ST-Guide from Holger Weets is required.

  If you want to use the console window of Thing, you have to install
  TOS2GEM by Thomas Binder.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                           Installation
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Thing
  -----
    Create a new folder for Thing (e.g. C:\THING). Now copy all files
    from the folder THING - except MONOICON.RSC - to this folder.

    Your new folder should contain now:

      THING.APP
      THINGRUN.PRG
      ICONS.RSC
      ICONS.INF
      THINGICN.PRG

    If you want to save memory or if you are working with a monochrome
    display only, you can use the 'small version' of ICONS.RSC -
    - MONOICON.RSC. Delete ICONS.RSC and copy MONOICONS.RSC to the
    folder of Thing. After copying, you have to rename the file to
    ICONS.RSC - otherwise Thing will not work! MONOICON.RSC contains
    the same icons as ICONS.RSC - but without colours and animation.


  Thing and 'ST medium' resolution (640*200)
  ------------------------------------------
    If you are working with the 'ST medium' resolution you can replace
    ICONS.RSC with MEDICON.RSC. This resource file contains small icons
    for the medium resolution wich are only 16*32 pixels.
    Delete ICONS.RSC and rename MEDICONS.RSC to ICONS.RSC. ICONS.INF
    must not be used(!), as MEDICON.RSC does only contain the
    'standard' icons.


  Online manual (hypertext documentation)
  ---------------------------------------
    Copy THING.HYP, THING.REF, THINGICN.HYP and THINGICN.REF from the
    folder DOC to the GUIDES folder of ST-Guide. If you don't have
    ST-Guide, see SUPPORT.TXT how to get it.


  TOS2GEM
  -------
    If you want to use the console window of Thing, you have to
    install TOS2GEM by Thomas Binder. Just copy TOS2GEM.PRG from the
    folder TOS2GEM to your AUTO folder an re-boot your system. Please
    refer TOS2GEM.TXT for details about this tool.


  Alternate AES system font with MagiC
  ------------------------------------
    MagiC 2.00 or later allows you to use an alternate AES system font,
    when a GDOS (AMC-GDOS, NVDI etc.) is installed. This is not
    neccessary to use Thing - it's just an option.

    You will find the font 'Thing System' in the folder GEMSYS.

    After copying the font files to your GEMSYS folder and registering
    them in ASSIGN.SYS, the font can be registered with the following
    entry in MAGX.INF:

      #_TXT 10 4 99

    Please note: All changes in MAGX.INF must be before '#_CTR'!
                 The entry '#_TXT' must only be used once!


  Now you have to setup your operating system...

-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                   Setting up the operating system
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Thing and Single-TOS
  --------------------
    Register Thing as an 'autostart application' in the Atari desktop.
    Starting Thing from the AUTO folder is not possible!


  Thing and MagiC
  ---------------
    To use Thing as a shell for MagiC and as 'AV server', you have to
    add the following entries to the file MAGX.INF:

      #_SHL ...\THING.APP
      #_ENV AVSERVER=THING

    Replace '...' by the real path of Thing (e.g. C:\THING). Thing will
    be started automatically when re-booting the system.

    Please note: All changes in MAGX.INF must be before '#_CTR'!
                 The entry '#_SHL' must only be used once!


  Thing and MultiTOS
  ------------------
    Here you have to modify the configuration file GEM.CNF. Add the
    following entries:

      setenv AVSERVER=THING
      shell ...\THING.APP

    Replace '...' by the real path of Thing (e.g. C:\THING). Thing will
    be started automatically when re-booting the system.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
                          How to continue?
-----------------------------------------------------------------------

  Further informations are available by pressing the [Help] key in
  Thing.

  A complete version of ST-Guide is available from Joe Connor.
  See SUPPORT.TXT for details.



Now Enjoy Thing!

Arno Welzel
