TRIANGULAR μOS 1.44 for Commodore 128 in BASIC

Robert, those Plus/4 groups are a little secretive (even creating an account or renewing a password on Lemon64 some time ago was nearly impossible). If you can tell them to update those files, since I've reuploaded slightly updated whole of them (1.09, 1.11, 1.16 - 1.19, 1.27, 1.28, 1.29).
Especially the version for Plus/4 needed attention (in MATH joy and keyboard had conflict + plus other issues) and rest just had mostly corrected some small visual discrepancies.

Download them from links in post above from 20 Nov 2023 or from μOS website: triangular-uos.blogspot.com

As of version 1.36 for Commodore 128: Everything is fine, I was just too optimistic as to the scope of task to be completed and time available in the last week, so I missed 24th Nov release date.
But I had some free time last weekend and pushed those tasks + finished updating those older versions.
I found out much more issues like: memory operations in MATH were broken, MATH didn't read clipboard values. Everything is patched. Sound effects added to STAR WARS engine + its outro has credits page added. Plus a few additional changes made (mostly visual). I've tested μOS and currently there are no issues known and everything is ready to release. Code is very stable, fast and clean, its (understandably) best version so far. Also it is biggest so far with over 40.5 KB in size.

What's left is a video. I'm currently at it. Normally 1.36 will be released today (with silence video), but voice narration will take me some time (I'm planning to do this in 2 days). Additionally, video will be in 4K and with simulated disk drive sound! If I have time I will finish it before the end of November, if not, I will try doing it next weekend.

I also considerably updated documentation: reviewed manuals text, corrected some text formatting and spelling. Expanded and sorted tables. Notably, the BASIC variables table is cleaned from unused entries and expanded by a factor of 2.5 (it grew from 50 after cleaning to 127 entries).
Yesterday I even took one subroutine (5 lines of code) and wrote a document page for it to check how much time and space it will take. It turned out that it takes 1 page and 30 min of much detailed description (beginner level of understanding). Given 1000 lines of 1.36 code it will require 200 pages and 200 days (with 30 min a day pace). Even if code description is to be less explanatory it should take 15 min -> 100 days. So I quit it. There is not much sense of doing it, especially for code base that soon will be heavily modernized in 1.4x series and later in 1.5x and 1.6x. Maybe in the future when there will not be much to improve I will dedicate time for such endeavors. As for now I will only push development of μOS for Commodore 128 and later C65 and MEGA65.

That's great. As I've said I had few day ago updated those files, so they need could update to those slightly newer versions.

I didn't have time until this weekend, but I've already put together my 24 minute video sequence, it just needs some tweaking and will be ready soon (if not today or after midnight then tomorrow it will be rereleased).
Through the course of recording video I've spotted and corrected additional few bugs and really small inconsistencies, plus make few minimal visual changes: for example in WORDS, load/save prompt reminder filename(1-12 char) changed to filename (1-12 char) [this was from VIC-20 days]. Also more optimal FAST - SLOW placement to speedup draw in 2 games main titles. And I've finally located minor, but prevalent bug (from as I remember C64 days) that sometimes made STAR WARS or other games silent. I've found out that SYNTH messed up volume on exit. I don't see any more issues. Thus this actually is the most stable TRIANGULAR μOS version ever. That's great, since it will be solid basis for new "Brazil" 1.4x series.

TRIANGULAR μOS 1.36 for Commodore 128 release.

This is the last TRIANGULAR μOS of the Classic era and 1.3x. GUI program grew exactly 0.5 KB and now is 40.62 KB big - biggest to date.
Finally all μOS releases for Commodore 8-bit computers store text files in .txt, additional FOLDER with System Disk files (that is point 7 of my plan for TRIANGULAR μOS). Move windows function is patched and expanded. Also Sound is added to STAR WARS gameplay. Besides there are PLENTY bug fixes bigger and smaller and visual corrections, alternations. That produced the most stable version to date (even more so than the very stable 1.27).


What's new in TRIANGULAR μOS 1.36 for Commodore 128 [04-12-2023]:
- SYSTEM DISK folder added for use with SD2IEC
- GUI: Fixed bug preventing moving windows up and left
- SETTINGS: Fixed labels dislocation when window is moved
- When windows are moved time is now updating
- MATH: Fixed bug in memory operations
- MATH: Fixed bug in reading clipboard values mechanism
- WORDS saves its text files in .txt format instead of .doc
- GAMES folder rearranged: STAR WARS beside SIMCITY, swapped positions with TREASURE CHAMBER
- STAR WARS: Sound effects added to its game engine
- Corrections of minor visual discrepancies
- Improvements and bugfixes
- Updated documentation


DOWNLOAD TRIANGULAR μOS 1.36:
avantee.art/triangular/releases/TRIANGULAR uOS 1.36.zip

DOWNLOAD TRIANGULAR μOS 1.36 SDK:
avantee.art/triangular/releases/TRIANGULAR uOS 1.36 SDK.zip


TRIANGULAR μOS 1.36 YouTube preview in 4K:


This was the last version of the 1.3x series and of Classic era TRIANGULAR μOS. Classic era spans from version 1.00 for Commodore PET to 1.36 for C128 / this release / and essentially means BASIC + PETSCII and shares a lot with PET and VIC-20 versions.
Next "Exotic" era will be BASIC + nonstandard PETSCII font and many improvements to the core of μOS. It will span from series 1.4x for C128 to 1.6x for MEGA65.
Future will be a 2.00 ML-BASIC hybrid.

What's in the future?
Soon I will start developing version 1.40, first of the new "Exotic" era for TRIANGULAR uOS with series 1.4x "Brasil" for Commodore 128.
First in this series will be 1.40 with new Brazil theme and fragmentation of code into modules and thanks to 1.36 being thoughtfully debugged should be released before Christmas. First version will operationally still resemble the Classic series, but will morph gradually into a much more interesting and potent operating system.


Roadmap of TRIANGULAR μOS:
1. Series 1.4x will support Commodore 128 with BASIC 7.0 and will be much more expanded. First with
2. Series 1.5x will support Commodore 65/MEGA65 with BASIC 10.0
3. Series 1.6x will support MEGA65 with BASIC 11.0 / '65 BASIC'
4. Version 2.0x will support MEGA65 with BASIC 11.0 / '65 BASIC' and will be ML-BASIC hybrid

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TRIANGULAR μOS website:
triangular-uos.blogspot.com

In time for our Dec. 17 FCUG meeting!

Merry Christmas!
Robert Bernardo
Fresno Commodore User Group - www.dickestel.com/fcug.htm
Southern California Commodore & Amiga Network - www.portcommodore.com/sccan