QL/E - The QL Environment (QLE)

[QLvsJAGUAR]

I went through almost all the software releases of 2019 and 2020 published on the forums, Dilwyn's and Marcel's site, tested them for multiple platform compatibility and included the ones which a) passed the tests and b) did no exceed the current space boundaries of QL/E (QLE.WIN size 80MB).

Focus for the new version 3.20 was:
- SMSQ/E v3.36 (released April 2020)
- SMSQmulator 2.29 (released April 2020)
- FiFi v5.04 (released March 2020)
- the updates which Marcel did during 2020 to packages such as QPAC2, QD, Chess
- Marcel's new MODPlay (release October 2020)
- Tobias' Magnetic Scrolls interpreter (released December 2019)
- Martyn's Q68 QL NET support (released June 2019)
- Martin's Q68 IP NET support (released December 2020)

More Information:
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/QLE_news.txt
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/QLE_README.txt
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/QLE_history.txt
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/QLE_changelog.txt

Download QL/E:
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/THE_DIS ... ON_qle.ZIP

[mancity1961]

Wow thank you so much I can hardly wait for this and thank you so much for the hard work you put into this project it is very much
appreciated and has made my use of my QL systems so much more enjoyable

Thanks Urs, will there be a stand alone version for TDI CF card?

Welcome! You're right; the QUBIDE/TDI image is one of the next editions of THE DISTRIBUTION to follow, getting updated with QL/E v3.20.

Here's the plan:
1. QL-SD image (for QLs with QL-SD, MIST and Q68)
2. QUBIDE/TDI image (for QLs with QUBIDE or TDI)
3. THE DISTRIBUTION for PCs (the full package - not only QL/E)
4. THE DISTRIBUTION for Raspi (the full package - not only QL/E)

My intention is to make all this happen in January 2021!

Between Dec 20th and 31st I invested about 50 hours work into QL/E v3.20 & THE DISTRIBUTION v3.06. I went through almost all the software releases of 2019 and 2020 published on the forums, Dilwyn's and Marcel's site, tested them for multiple platform compatibility and included the ones which a) passed the tests and b) did no exceed the current space boundaries of QL/E (QLE.WIN size 80MB).

During the tests I found several issues in various 2019/2020 software releases which I will share in the corresponding forum threads. Authors should take that as positive motivated feedback, not offense.

[Andrew]

I have installed QPC5 and loaded the QLE distribution. I vaguely remembered that I tried QL/E before, but I had no idea why I have not used it. Well, after a couple of minutes I remembered.
When it starts it shows a large window named Lynx that covers almost half of the screen. I have no clue how to close it - or move it. Except using the Jobs button, and clicking on the lynx in that menu.
I tried to see what's in the distribution- in Apps there are 3 Abacus, 3 Quill, 3 Easel and 3 Archive, and I have no clue why or what's the difference. I clicked on one of the Archive icons - and Archive opened. But then I could not close it - F3 and Quit just results in "invalid command"
Then it crashed - and covered the top buttons, so no access to the Jobs button
I tried to run Paint (from graphics folder). After a couple of clicks an intermitent siren started to sound - and God, it really scared me (I have the sound routed through a Technics amplifier ...and the volume was loud).
Then Paint crashed. And QPC crashed.

I tried a couple of times to run something - the games work. But I have no idea on how to use the environment and most often I get into a situation where the window I want to see is under the Lynx window and I have no clue how to get to it.
And after a couple of more clicks that bloody siren again ...

So, is there a manual for QL/E ??

[Chr$]

To disable the Lynx browser and a lot of other stuff that starts up you can press ESC before it boots and then enter 'Config' (from memory) to be presented with a lot of options you can disable/change, which it saves.

Don't know what's going on with the rest, but that doesn't sound right.

[mk79]

I just started it up and first thing... good lord does QPC2v4 look ugly on my Windows 10, glad I finally released v5.

Lynx is an internet browser. You can quit is using F3 + q + y. It's technologically nice, but otherwise pretty useless and distracting, I agree.

There are 3 Archives because there is German, English and for whatever reason, English again (in win1_apps_qtop, which doesn't make sense). The labels should of course reflect this.

The sound you hear is SysMon, the QPAC1 job monitor you see at the bottom of the screen. If that starts blaring the system is in a bad state and you should probably restart as soon as possible. The "paint" program seems to cause the problem for me too, for whatever reason. I you ask me, it should be removed anyway, it was only a QPtr demo program and with QDesign there is a much better program included (if that still works, haven't used it for 20 years). Generally I think less is more if the "less" is well maintained then.

I know Urs puts a lot of time in QL/E and the BOOT file is pretty impressive. You can even configure it (enter "CFG" to do so in Basic). But if you ask me the apps need a bit more love, especially the QDT desktop icons. Why empty folders? Why, as you say, three Archives? Choosing icons for the many apps would improve the look a thousand time, too. And no disrespect to the CoWo apps, but their placement at the bottom is too prominent for what they do (animating a ball, though cool, is not a task I do too often, besides the fact that it's much too fast in QPC anyway).

Cheers, Marcel

[QLvsJAGUAR]

Thank you Chris and Marcel for stepping in!

[QLvsJAGUAR]

So, is there a manual for QL/E ??

Thank you for your valued feedback!

Yes, there's a manual for QL/E. It's called README.txt and can be found in the qle folder and on the sinclairql.net website under
http://sinclairql.net/downloads/QLE_README.txt

Today the documentation has been reworked and expanded slightly based on feedback received (from you and others) and a self-critical reread. As a result it grew from 21KB to 24KB.

Simple tasks like how to minimise and maximise programs under QL environments like QL/E are now covered in the manual.

And as Chris and Marcel have written, CFG is key to a tailored ConFiGuration of QL/E.

[QLvsJAGUAR]

Thanks Urs, will there be a stand alone version for TDI CF card?

Welcome! You're right; the QUBIDE/TDI image is one of the next editions of THE DISTRIBUTION to follow, getting updated with QL/E v3.20.

Here's the plan:
1. QL-SD image (for QLs with QL-SD, MIST and Q68)

Out now! - Simply write the 4GB image file to a SDHC card.

2. QUBIDE/TDI image (for QLs with QUBIDE or TDI)

Out now! - Simply write the 1GB image file to a CF card.

3. THE DISTRIBUTION for PCs (the full package - not only QL/E)

Still pending.

4. THE DISTRIBUTION for Raspi (the full package - not only QL/E)

Still pending.

My intention is to make all this happen in January 2021!

It took a bit longer, but I enjoyed testing and exploring QL/E with both TDI and QL-SD. Check out the QLvsJAGUAR YouTube video channel to see QL/E on QL-SD, TDI and PC.

[tofro]

Urs,

nice videos!

you might want to use QPAC2's Sysdef Menu to increase the acceleration factor of your slow SQB mouse. Maybe that helps that crippled rodent.

[QLvsJAGUAR]

nice videos!

Thank you Tobias!

you might want to use QPAC2's Sysdef Menu to increase the acceleration factor of your slow SQB mouse. Maybe that helps that crippled rodent.

During the play with QRAM, I already have tried OPTIONS, Mouse, both Acceleration and Wake-up speed. Did not make a real difference.
Yes, will try QPAC2 and Cueshell next time I'm in the lab.

Best wishes,
Urs