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Revision as of 13:11, 15 October 2006

                           ATARI TOS DESKTOP
                              SURVIVAL KIT
                        ***********************
                        
                    A GUIDE TO THE DESKTOP.INF AND 
                           NEWDESK.INF FILES


                          by Thomas J Hopper








CONTENTS
--------
Legalities                       -     Rights, etc.
Welcome                          -     An introduction of sorts
DESKTOP/NEWDESK Basics           -     Get to know the INF files
Editing the INF File             -     Basics about editing the INF files
The Keyboard and Installing Apps -     Keyboard functions
Neat Hacks                       -     Some suggestions
INF File Composition             -     Explanation of INF file structure
Annotated NEWDESK.INF file       -     A real-life example





LEGALITIES
----------
I make no warranty as to the usefulness or accuracy of this document.

copyright ½ 1994 Thomas J Hopper
This file may only be distributed in its entirety and at no charge. 
No portion of this document may be distributed for profit without the 
explicit permission of the author.


WELCOME!
--------

There are lots of things you can do with the new Atari desktops (and 
with the old ones!); almost as much as with a replacement desktop like 
NeoDesk¿ from Gribnif Software!  Unfortunately, the manuals Atari 
gives us with the computers don't tell you about all of these great 
features.  I will try to rectify this deficiency.  

I have compiled as much information on the NEWDESK.INF file that I 
could, and thrown in some info on TOS 2.06.  This file focuses on 
Atari's NEWDESK.INF file, and in particular on TOS 2.06, since they 
are what I have.  If you don't have TOS 2.06, don't worry; most of the 
really useful info in here is applicable to *all* versions of TOS, and 
some info specific to TOS 4.0x is included, too.  I have tried to 
point out where information may be specific only to certain versions 
of TOS. With this as a reference, you should be able to modify your 
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file to do almost anything with your desktop!

I have learned all of this partly through trial and error, and partly 
through discussions on online services.  A lot of the information came 
to me by way of the NEWDESK topic on GEnie in the Atari Roundtable.  
GEnie, by the way, is an excellent source of information and support 
for the Atari line of computers; being the only official online Atari 
service, there are more Atarians there than anywhere else.  I highly 
recommend this service.  I suppose I should state that I have no 
connection with GEnie other than as a satisfied user.  Another 
excellent source of info and programs is the Internet, where Atarians 
from all over the world can (and do!) converse and share programs.

If you find that something is wrong, please let me know!  If you see 
something I missed, or if you think I should include some information 
that isn't in here, let me know that, too. And of course, suggestions 
are always welcome.  When contacting me, include your machine type, 
TOS, GEM, AES, MiNT, and MultiTOS versions (whichever apply).  This 
will help me decipher different, unknown parameters.  If you don't 
know some of this information or don't have MiNT or something, don't 
let that stop you from contacting me!  But please, try to include at 
least the TOS version (TOS date will suffice, if necessary; just give 
me the copyright dates in the "Desktop Info..." menu).  Also include 
your name and some way that I can get in touch with you, such as email 
address or postal address.

I can be reached at:
   GEnie       T.HOPPER
   Internet    hopper_t@msupa.pa.msu.edu
or
   Thomas Hopper
   2910 BeauJardin #203
   Lansing, MI, USA 48910


DESKTOP/NEWDESK BASICS
----------------------

The DESKTOP.INF and NEWDESK.INF files in Atari computers contain all 
the information your computer needs to configure itself.  It contains 
all the names, positions and (for appropriate TOS versions) icon 
numbers for your desktop icons.  It stores all the info on Installed 
Apps, desktop icons, and window positions (even for windows that have 
been closed!).  If you leave a window open when saving the desktop, 
the location, current directory, and file mask (for those versions of 
TOS that support masks) are saved.  It stores info on whether or not 
the key click and system bell are turned on, the repeat rate for key 
clicks, mouse double click rate and tracking rate, current resolution, 
keyboard shortcuts for menu items (in TOS >= 2.0x), and lots more.  In 
short, it stores every peice of information that you can configure 
from the desktop or the standard Atari Control Panel.

When you boot up your machine, the computer loads in auto programs and 
then reads the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF (hereafter referred to collectively 
as simply "INF") file for information on resolution, windows, etc.  If 
you have Atari's Control Panel (or a replacement), the key repeat 
rate, printer and serial port configuration, and other information is 
also loaded from the INF file and configured.

To change the INF file, you need simply alter a setting from either 
the Control Panel (not the extensible control panel, however) or one 
of the desktop menus, and then select "Save Desktop."  If you do this 
several times and display the INF file after each save, you will get a 
feel for which changes to the desktop correspond to changes in the INF 
file.  Before doing this, of course, make a backup of your original 
INF file by renaming it to DESKTOP.INX.  This way if you somehow 
"break" the INF file, you can always be sure to have a working one 
handy.

You can view the file directly from the desktop; the INF file is 
simply an ASCII file!  This means that not only is everything in the 
file plainly visible from the desktop, but you can load it into just 
about any word processor, text editor, or DTP program and edit it by 
hand.  This has the advantage of allowing you to make certain changes 
that the desktop doesn't allow for.  If you're really familiar with 
the INF file, you can also make multiple changes in much less time 
than it would take you from the desktop.  The editor, however, must be 
able to load and save files in ASCII format, and it must not strip 
trailing spaces from lines (more on this in a moment).

One important bit of information to know and understand when editing 
the INF file is how TOS reads and applies the information in it.  
Not surprisingly, the INF file acts as a filter, through which TOS 
sifts programs and files to apply various actions (running files, 
assigning icons, etc.).  What *is* surprising is that these filters work 
in reverse order from what you see in the INF file.  The *last* entry 
in the INF file is the *first* filter applied!  The way this works is 
as follows:

   For icon assignments, TOS reads from the end of the file to the 
   beginning, comparing each file in a directory to each filter (icon 
   assignment) until a match is found.  When TOS finds a match, it 
   moves on to the next file.  So if you have a program SQUISHII.APP, 
   and assign an icon to it, that assignment should go toward the end 
   of the file, that way it will be filtered out early on.  If you 
   have an icon assingment like #I xx xx xxx @ *.*@ @ *below* the 
   assignment for SQUISHII.APP, then SQUISHII.APP will be filtered out 
   at the *.* (and assigned that icon) rather than at #I xx xx xxx  @ 
   SQUISHII.APP@ @ .  Hence, you would never see the special icon you 
   assigned to SQUISHII.APP.  This is important to understand, for two 
   reasons.  The first is that when editing the INF file, you want to 
   work down the file from most general to most specific; getting this 
   order wrong will give you results other than what you wanted.  The 
   other reason is that when you make an icon assignment from the 
   desktop, it is saved at the end of the INF file.  If you were to 
   make lots of assignments, then do a generic (*.*) icon assignment, 
   all your files would use the generic icon (until you edited the INF 
   file to have *.* be the last filter applied).
   
   For program assignments, TOS reads the INF file in the same way as 
   for icons, and applies filters in the same way.  When you double 
   click on a file (whether it's executable or not), TOS starts 
   looking for matches from the bottom of the INF file and works its 
   way to the top.  If you were to install a program VIEWER.APP for 
   file type *.*, this assignment would be saved at the end to the INF 
   file, and hence be the first filter TOS saw; all files, no matter 
   what type they were, would cause VIEWER.APP to run and they would 
   be loaded in to it.  This is true even for PRGs, APPs, TOSs, etc.; 
   in the INF file, these are just treated as applications installed 
   with no file type. As with icons, if you edit the INF file make 
   sure you work from most general at the top of the INF file to most 
   specific at the bottom.


EDITING THE INF FILE
--------------------

Before you begin editing your INF file, make sure that you have a 
backup of you current, working version!  It is possible (and fairly 
easy, really) to change the INF file so that the computer will become 
"confused" and not boot!

Probably the first thing to remember when editing your INF file is 
that NEWDESK.INF can't be larger than 4kb (4096 bytes), and starts 
causing trouble with the system around 3900 bytes.  Similarly, the 
DESKICON.RSC can only be 64kb (65536 bytes).  The newer DESKCICN.RSC 
(the color icon resource for TOS 4.0x and up) can be larger than this, 
though I don't know if there is a limit.  If you try to exceed the 
limit, you'll get "Out Of Memory" errors and lots of headaches.

On earlier versions of TOS (less than 2.0x), the limit on DESKTOP.INF 
is even more restrictive; it can't be larger than 1kb (1024 bytes)!  
However, you also don't have a lot of icon assignments eating up that 
space, so it's a fair trade.

One excellent way around this is to have a directory full of different 
INF files; a specific one for each task.  If you put only those 
application and icon assignments necessary for a particular task, you 
should have no problem avoiding the size limit.  To switch between INF 
files, then you can just install either Charles F Johnson's shareware 
product Desk Switch 1.1 or Klaus Pederson's public domain Load Inf as 
the application for file types of *.INF.  That way, when you want to 
change to a different task, just double click on the appropriate INF 
file, and away you go with all the key assignments, installed apps, 
desktop icons, and icon assignments you want for that task.

Another way around this is to get a program like GEMRAM, which loads 
GEM into RAM, and the program Shell Buffer (SHBUFxxx.PRG), which lets 
you configure the allowed size of the INF file.

Both solutions should work great on any Atari, and both have their 
advantages and disadvantages.  Give them both a try and see which 
works best for you.

Something else to keep in mind when editing your INF file is that TOS 
expects to find certain formats at certain locations in the file.  
Line #d, for instance, has to have a certain number of spaces in it 
since TOS looks roughly 124 bytes into the INF file for the next line 
(#Z if you have TOS >=1.04 and a program set to auto boot, or #K for 
the menu key equivalents).  That number for the bytes, incidently, 
also includes carriage returns (EOL characters).  Before changing your 
desktop file, be sure you know *exactly* how many spaces belong in 
line #d; the wrong number can produce unpredictable results and fatal 
errors.  To find out, of course, just load the file into a text editor 
that doesn't strip trailing spaces (Word Writer, Alice, Everest, and 
tons more) and start counting!

Most other lines (but not all of them) in the INF file require a 
trailing space, so if you edit your file be sure to know which ones 
need a space and which ones don't.

What this all means, of course, is that if you edit your DESKTOP.INF 
or NEWDESK.INF file make sure you're using an editor that doesn't 
strip trailing spaces, and which saves files as ASCII text.  And, as 
always, KEEP A BACKUP OF YOUR ORIGINAL INF FILE!


THE KEYBOARD AND INSTALLING APPS
--------------------------------

With the newer TOS versions, you can open a drive into a window by 
pressing <Alt> and the drive letter.  If you want to open a drive into 
the current top window, you don't have to close the window and then 
open the drive; just hold down <Cntrl> and press the drive letter!  
The window will automatically be changed to the root directory of 
whatever drive you selected.

With TOS versions 2.0x and up, Atari has made it possible to assign a 
keyboard equivalent to any of the desktop menu items.  That way you 
can select a file and hit "I" to get info on it.  Unfortunately, the 
mneumonics can get pretty complicated, since there are also items that 
could use "I" like "Show as Icons" and "Install Icon."  "D" could be 
used for "Sort by Date," "Delete," and "Install Devices."  The 
desktop appears to only allow normal characters (capital A through Z) 
for these assignments, which gets pretty limiting.  Luckly, you can 
also use control-key combinations!  When changing the menu assignments 
in the Desktop Configuration menu, just hold down the <control> key 
while pressing your key.  Now, instead of accidently deleting a file 
by pressing "D," you can assign <cntrl><delete> (or <cntrl><D>, if yo 
prefer) to "Delete," and never have to worry about accidentally 
deleting a file!

Take note!  If you use a control-key combo for a particular menu item, 
that combo will no longer be available for normal desktop usage.  For 
instance, if you assign <cntrl><D> to "Show by Date," <cntrl><D> will 
no longer be used to open drive D into the currently active window, 
instead it will be used to delete selected files.
Remember:
  Alternate + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory into a window
  Control   + (A-P) = Open the drive's directory in the active window
You can get all of the normal Desktop key commands by pressing <help> 
while at the Desktop.

Not only can you assign a key combo to "Delete," you can also remove 
the trash icon completely, and free up space for more important icons! 
Just select the Trash icon and then the menu item "Remove Icon."  In 
fact, since TOS versions 2.0x and up allow you to open drives by 
pressing <alternate> and the drive letter, you can remove all the 
drive icons, too, and replace them with programs, folders, and files!  
If you need to actually see what's on drive D, just press <Alt><D>.

Something users of *any* TOS version can do is install more than one 
document type for an application! To do this, first install the 
application for one of the filetypes you want.  Then load the 
DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file into an ASCII editor. Make a copy of the 
installed application line, making sure to keep all the copies 
together with the original in the .INF file.  It will look something 
like:
   #Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI3@ @
Then rename the installed file type ("*.PI3") to whatever other file 
type you want.  Make sure to keep all of these lines together.  After 
doing this a few times, you might have the following lines in your 
.INF file:
   #Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PI?@ @
   #Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.PC?@ @
   #Y FF 04 000 C:\path\GEMVIEW.GTP@ *.GIF@ @
   
Editing your INF file manually like this is the only way to install 
one application for more than one file type, since using "Install 
Application" from the desktop will just overwrite any previous 
assignment, rather than adding to it.

Of course, instead of installing an application for a particular 
extender, you might try editing the lines for a particular *prefix*!  
You could do something like:
   #G 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\AV380.PRG@ READ*.*@ @ 
So that whenever you double clicked on a file like "READ.ME", ASCII 
View 3.80 would be run and the file loaded into it for viewing!

In fact, you can replace the Desktop's boring old [ SHOW | PRINT | 
CANCEL] by installing an application for all file types.  Be careful; 
since this works as a catch-all, you have to make sure that such an 
installation is the *last* line TOS checks when you double click.  
That means it has to be the first application line in the .INF file 
(remember, TOS uses the DESKTOP/NEWDESK.INF file as a sort of filter, 
working from the end of the .INF to the beginning.  Basically, the 
place to install an app like this is the line just before the *.APP, 
*.PRG, *.TOS, etc. is defined. See the annotated INF file below for an 
example.


NEAT HACKS
----------

In any version of TOS you can, of course, change the name of any 
desktop icon to anything you want.  This is true of the Trash can, 
which can be renamed HAZARD or whatever you want.  It's also true of 
any programs or folders you put on the desktop (in TOS >= 2.0x);  Just 
look at the line of the INF file where that file/folder appears.  It 
will look something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF   C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ VIEWER.PRG@ 
The name seen on the desktop will be "VIEWER.PRG."  You can change 
this to "SEE IT!" just by changing the line to something like:
#X 07 01 7B FF   C:\UTILS\VIEWERS\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@ 

Of course, as I said above, you don't really need the trash or drive 
icons on TOS >= 2.0x, so why not just get rid of them?  You can free 
up tons of space on the desktop for commonly used programs, files, and 
folders.  It also has the nice side-affect of freeing up space in your 
INF file, allowing you to have a few more lines of icon or application 
assignments.  This is a great tip for people who use Desk Switch or 
Load Inf; you can replace the drive icons with INF file icons, 
allowing you easy access not to your drives but to the work you need 
to do.

One feature that deserves to be recognized, though it isn't a hack, is 
the drag and drop feature of TOS >= 2.0x.  With this feature, you can 
put your commonly used programs on the desktops and then just drag the 
file you want to work on over the app (until the app is highlighted), 
then "drop" the file.  This has the advantage of requiring fewer steps 
to get working, as well as not requiring you to install the 
application in the INF file, thereby saving a few bytes of space.

Create INF files specific to programs, put them all in a common 
folder, and use Desk Switch or Load Inf to switch between them.  You 
can have a DTP.INF, WORDPROC.INF, GEMDRAW.INF, DEGAS.INF, TELECOM.INF, 
UNARC.INF, etc.  This frees up a lot of space in any particular INF 
file. And with each INF, each type of file used with that task can 
have its own unique icon, so it's easy to distinguish file types, and 
you can also have all the installed application info you want! Using 
just one INF file really limits you in what you can do, so make more!

Reset your keyboard-equivalents for the desktop menus so they make 
sense!  Use normal keys for one menu, and <cntrl>-key combos for the 
other.  You can even try <shft><cntrl>-key combos.  Require two keys 
to be pressed when deleting or formating.

Get a resource editor (like MKRSC; this works with TOS 4.0x icons) and 
build your own icons, then assign them by hex number to files in your 
INF file.

Put a folder on the the desktop and save the INF file.  Then edit the 
INF file so that the line containing that folder begins with #X 
instead of #V.  Now when you double click on the folder, the default 
document displayer is run, and the contents of the folder are loaded 
in a batch mode.  This is an excellent way of viewing new pictures or 
text files!  You can even use masks to control what sort of files load 
in.  Of course, your viewer has to be capable of processing batch 
jobs.

Make yourself a blank icon (no mask, nothin').  You can now assign 
short notes to the name of the icon, such as Fkey assignments, short 
reminders, and whatnot.  If you have TOS >= 2.0x, you can put these 
"sticky notes" on the desktop, too.  They are easily editable from the 
desktop.


INF FILE COMPOSITION
--------------------

Below is a (fairly) complete explanation of the lines in the 
DESKTOP.INF  or NEWDESK.INF files.  Some parameters only apply to 
specific versions of TOS.  Compare what's below to what is already in 
your .INF file, and if it's not already there, DON'T ADD IT!  TOS 
expects certain lines to have a particular format, and adding to these 
lines can confuse TOS and give you headaches.  On the other hand, 
deleting things can have the same effect, so don't do that either.

Where a description is given by "bits," the following procedure will 
produce the needed hexidecimal number:

      start with the high bit (e.g. bit "7"), and begin writing down 
      the desired configuration as a binary number (1's and 0's) from 
      left to right.  Unlisted bits should not be changed.  When the 
      number is complete, convert it to hex.  Any decent calculator 
      will do this without a fuss.
      For example:  For the "Other configuration parameters" (see 
      below), I want bit 4 set to "filname," so I write a 0; bit 3 I 
      want set to "top window", so to the right of the zero I write 
      another 0; then bit 2 I set "size to fit" on, so I write a 1 to 
      the right of bit 3; bit 1 is not listed so I write a 1 (since 
      that's what it was originally); finally bit 0 I want set to 
      "sort on," so I write a 0.  The resulting number is "00110."  I 
      set my calculator to "bin" and plug this number in, then convert 
      it to hex (by changing the calculator mode to "hex").  The 
      resulting number, which goes in the fourth column of line #E is 
      06.

If you aren't familiar with doing this, I suggest you try it out a 
couple times and compare it with what's already in your desktop file.  
Don't try changing anything until you are confident you can get it 
right!  Wrong values can do unpredictable things to your system, 
including causing it to crash!

I have been unable to determine the usage of some bits.  In these 
cases, I list the bit with a question mark and give the current value 
in my NEWDESK.INF file.  Yours may be different, so check it and use 
whatever your INF file uses.  To check it, convert the current hex 
value to binary: the rightmost number is bit 0, the digit to the left 
of that is bit 1, and so on.  Converting hex 06 to bin is 110: bit 0 = 
0; bit 1 = 1, bit 2 = 1, bit 3 = 0 (not shown), and bit 4 = 0 (also 
not shown).

And remember, if you find you've made a mistake, just delete the 
broken .INF file and re-load the old version that you backed up.

All "@" symbols must be followed by a space.

=====================================================================

Keyboard equivalents (available on TOS >= 2.0x)

#K xx xx xx xx ... @ 
  next 28 columns = hexidecimal value of kbd equiv. (00 = none)
  next 2 columns = 00
  next column = Video prefs. key (not on all TOS versions)
  last column = @

=====================================================================

Video settings (some features not available on some versions of TOS)

#E PR BR xx OP LD CM xx xx xx...

   PR = Preferences (Confirm file copy, delete, and overwrite; display 
   options) 

     bit 7: show files as
        1 = show as text         0 = show as icons

     bits 6,5: sort
        00 = by name             01 = by date   
        10 = by size             11 = by type

     bit 4: confirm deletes
        1 = yes                  0 = no

     bit 3: confirm copy
        1 = yes                  0 = no

     bit 2: ?
        0
     
     bit 1: ?
        0
     
     bit 0: confirm overwrites
        0 = yes                  1 = no

   B = Blitter
        1 = on                   0 = off

   R = Resolution #

        1 = ST Low  or RGB 320 x 200
        2 = ST Med  or RGB 640 x 200
        3 = ST Hi   or RGB 640 x 400
        4 = Falcon 80 col x 240 or 480
        5 = TT monochrome(?)
        6 = Falcon 40 col x 240 or 480

   OP = Other configuration parmaters

     bit 4: Input parameter (from "Desktop Config")
        0 = filename             1 = pathname

     bit 3: Default directory (from "Desktop Config")
        0 = Top Window           1 = Application

     bit 2: Size to fit
        0 = off                  1 = on

     bit 1: ?
        1
        
     bit 0: Sort on, off
        0 = Sort on              1 = Sort off

    LD = Line Doubling or Interlace

        00 = Line Doubling or Intlace off
        01 = Line Doubling or Intlace on

    CM

     bit 7 - ST Compatibility: 
        0 = non-compatible;      1 = ST compatibility on 

     bit 4: Hardware Select
        0 = RGB mode             1 = VGA mode

     bit 3: nuber of text columns
        0 = 40 columns           1 = 80 columns

     bits 0-2: number of available colors
        000 = 2 colors
        001 = 4
        010 = 16
        011 = 256
        100 = Truecolor mode

==================================================

Desktop & Window settings

#Q xx xx xx xx DC WB

    D = Desktop Background Pattern

        0 = transparent             1 = Pattern #1
        2 = Pattern #2     ...      7 = Solid

    C = Desktop background color

        0 = Color #1                1 = Color #2
        A = Color #10      ...      F = Color #16

    W = Window Background Pattern

        0 = transparent             1 = Pattern #1
        2 = Pattern #2     ...      7 = Solid

    B = Window background color

        0 = Color #1                1 = Color #2
        A = Color #10      ...      F = Color #16

=====================================================================

Installed Applications have the following info

   #n 04 04 000 C:\path\progname@ *.*@ @

Where #n is any of the following:
     #G  for GEM prg
     #Y  for GTP prg
     #P  for TTP prg
     #F  for TOS prg

The first 04 is the prg icon.  Changing this has no effect
The second 04 is the document icon.  Changing this has no effect.
Both of these should be set to the same value.

  000  contains the following information :

       First Digit  -   Number           Meaning
                          0      Default Directory = Top Window
                                 Parameter = Filename Only
                          1      Default Directory = Application
                                 Parameter = Filename Only
                          2      Default Directory = Top Window
                                 Parameter = Full Path
                          3      Default Directory = Application
                                 Parameter = Full Path
           
       Second and Third Digit  =  Function key assignment F1 to 
       shiftF10:
                  00 = no assignment      01 = F1
                  0A = F10                0F = F15
                  10 = F16                14 = F20

Following this is the full path and file name, followed immediately by 
an "@" symbol.  After the "@" is a space followed by the installed 
document type (if any), followed by a second "@".  Next comes another 
space followed by any parameters that are to be passed to the program 
(for GTP or TTP programs).  Finally comes another "@" and a space.

For example, 

  #P FF 04 009 C:\PATH\VIEWER.TTP@ *.*@ @

would install the program VIEWER.TTP as the default document displayer 
(this then supercedes the desktop [ SHOW | PRINT | CANCEL ]).  This 
line also sets VIEWER.TTP to run when F9 is pressed.  There are no 
parameters passed to this program.

===================================================

Default window icons-

 Example: #G 03 03 000 @ *.PRG@ @

First column = type
    #I = specific file or file type *
    #N = non-specific file *
    #D = folder 
    #G = Gem app
    #Y = GTP app
    #P = TTP app
    #F = Tos app

second column = default icon # for #G, #F, #Y, #P
    New default icon can be installed for app type by changing this #

third column = default icon # for #N, #D
    New icon can be installed for non-prg files by changing this #

Both the second and third column should contain the same hexidecimal 
number.

fourth column - function key assignment.  Leave at 000 (no assingment)

fifth column - @ filename.ext@ @  wildcard

* #I assigns an icon to the specified file or file type.  It does not 
  assign an action.
  #N assigns an icon to the specified file or file type and specifies 
  it as a non-executable file.  If the line
      #N 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @ 
  appears below the default lines for APP, PRG, etc. (i.e. 
      #G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @
      #G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @ etc.), 
  programs will not execute when double-clicked on.

=====================================================================

Desktop Icons-

 Example: #X 08 02 18 FF   C:\UTILS\VIEWER\VIEWER.PRG@ SEE IT!@

first column = type
    #M = Storage Device
    #T = Trash
    #O = Printer
    #X = Application
    #V = Directory

second column = horizontal position in icon widths

third column = vertical position in icon widths

fourth column = Hex value of Icon number in DESKTOP.RSC

fifth column = FF (function unknown)

sixth column = Device ID (A-P) or space

Finally: full path and filename@ icon label@  (for a file or folder)
         Device name@ @                       (for a device)

======================================================================



Annotated NEWDESK.INF File:
---------------------------

#a000000 
Stores serial communication info.  Not very important since 
the terminal program alters this info anyway. 

#b000000 
Printer Configuration: 
   digit \ setting      0               1
     1              dot matrix      daisy wheel 
     2            black & white       color 
     3              1280 dpl         960 dpl 
     4                draft           final
     5              parallel         serial 
     6             continuous      single sheet 

#c7770007000600070055200505552220770557075055507703111103 
Color palette settings, mouse double-click response, key-click, bell 
sound, key delay and key repeat rate.

#d                                               
Reserved.  Needs to have roughly forty-seven spaces since GEM looks 
roughly 124 bytes into the file for the next line. 

#Z 01 F:\RUNPROG\PROGRAM.PRG@ 
Program to Auto-run at bootup.  Does not apply to TOS earlier than 
1.04. 

#K 4F 49 53 1F 46 20 43 00 41 4D 00 09 14 0E 04 13 05 0F 00 00 00 01 
00 12 00 52 00 44 00 00 @ 
Keyboard assignments for desktop menu items. (should all be on one 
line)

#E 50 13 00 06 
Default screen resolution; window sorting method; show as icon 
or text; confirm copies, deletes, etc.  Second digit of the second 
byte is for screen resolution: 13 = blitter on, ST High rez.

#Q 41 00 43 40 43 40 

#W 00 00 02 07 4B 11 00 F:\RUNPROG\*.PRG@ 
#W 00 00 16 02 35 0B 00 @ 
#W 00 00 2E 0E 22 0A 00 @ 
#W 00 00 00 0C 21 0C 00 @ 
#W 00 00 00 04 4C 0C 00 @ 
#W 00 00 02 0D 4C 09 00 @ 
#W 00 00 0E 0F 2A 09 00 @ 
#W 00 00 06 01 34 09 00 @ 
Default window locations, sizes, and open directories and masks. 

#P 03 04 000 C:\UTILS\FILE_VIE.WER\GUCK18\GUCK.TTP@ *.*@ @ 
This line installs Guck as the default file viewer.  When the file is 
double clicked on, TOS checks all the #G, #P, #Y, and #F assignments 
below, and if the file doesn't match any of those, Guck is run and the 
file is loaded in.  Notice that it is the first assignment in the INF 
file, and hence the last assigment TOS checks.  If you moved this one 
down a few lines (say, underneath #F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @ ), you'd 
never get any programs to run; everything (except the .INFs and 
archives) would be loaded directly into Guck!

#G 03 FF 000 *.ACC@ @ @
 - This line lets you run an ACC as a program, if the ACC is capable of it,
 by double-clicking on the ACC in any window.

#G 03 FF 000 *.APP@ @ @ 
#G 03 FF 000 *.PRG@ @ @ 
#Y 03 FF 000 *.GTP@ @ @ 
#P 03 FF 000 *.TTP@ @ @ 
#F 03 04 000 *.TOS@ @ @ 
#G 03 A0 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\STZIP26\STZIP.PRG@ *.ZIP@ @ 
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARC@ @ 
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.LZH@ @ 
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ZOO@ @ 
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\ARC\TWOINONE.PRG@ *.ARJ@ @ 
#G 03 2F 200 C:\UTILS\LOADINF\LOADINF.PRG@ *.INF@ @ 
Executable programs and programs to run when files with the 
appropriate mask are opened.  The second two digits of the third 
column of numbers ("00" of the "200") is the hex number of the 
function key assignment.  "0A" would be F10.
Other parameters (for GTP or TTP) can be included before the last "@". 

#D 0A 0A 000 @ *.*@ @ 
Default folder icon

#I 0B 0B 000 @ *.*@ @ 
Default file icon

#I 0C 0C 000 @ *.PR?@ @ 
#I 11 11 000 @ *.AC?@ @ 
#I 2E 2E 000 @ *.CPX@ @ 
#I 3A 3A 000 @ *.TTP@ @ 
#I 0D 0D 000 @ *.TOS@ @ 
#I 39 39 000 @ *.APP@ @ 
#I 39 39 000 @ *.PRG@ @ 
#I 12 12 000 @ *.ACC@ @ 
#I 52 52 000 @ READ*.*@ @ 
#I 52 52 000 @ *.ME@ @ 
#I 2C 2C 000 @ *.INF@ @ 
#I 13 13 000 @ *.RSC@ @ 
#I 3B 3B 000 @ DC*.*@ @ 
#I 1B 1B 000 @ *.HLP@ @ 
#I 6F 6F 000 @ G+*.*@ @ 
#I 3C 3C 000 @ DATADIET.*@ @ 
#I 46 46 011 @ WORDUP.PRG@ @ 
#I 49 49 004 @ QVIEW.PRG@ @ 
#I 51 51 000 @ SUPER*.PRG@ @ 
#I 63 63 002 @ PGS2.PRG@ @ 
#I 70 70 000 @ WARP9_ST.PRG@ @ 
#I 73 73 000 @ DFORMAT.PRG@ @ 
#I 3D 3D 00A @ SQUISHII.APP@ @ 
#I 6D 6D 001 @ TWOINONE.PRG@ @ 
File icons and function key assignments.  Notice these act as filters 
also, and hence files are applied from the bottom up.  For example, 
SQUISHII.APP is assigned icon 3D, but a file called SQUID.GHU doesn't 
match any filter, it would be assigned the default icon 0B.

#D 4E 4E 000 @ TELECOMM@ @ 
#D 3E 3E 000 @ AUTO@ @ 
#D 37 37 000 @ CLIPBRD@ @ 
#D 53 53 000 @ ACCS@ @ 
#D 55 55 000 @ CPX@ @ 
#D 35 35 000 @ TEXTE@ @ 
#D 36 36 000 @ BILDER.PAD@ @ 
#D 36 36 000 @ MYDRAW@ @ 
#D 36 36 000 @ META@ @ 
#D 36 36 000 @ GRAPHICS.Z@ @ 
#D 4F 4F 000 @ GAMES@ @ 
Folder icon assignments.  Again, assignment is from bottom to top.

#M 00 00 00 FF A FLOPPY DISK@ @ 
#M 01 00 02 FF C BOOT@ @ 
#M 02 00 02 FF D PUBLISHING@ @ 
#M 03 00 02 FF E FILES@ @ 
#M 04 00 02 FF F PROGRAMMING@ @ 
#M 05 00 02 FF G GRAPHICS@ @ 
#M 06 00 02 FF H TELECOM@ @ 
#M 05 01 05 FF M RAM DISK@ @ 
Drive icon, letter, position, and label assignments.

#O 06 01 08 FF   PRINTER@ @ 
Printer icon, position, and label assignment.

#T 07 00 09 FF   GARBAGE@ @ 
Trash icon, position, and label assignment.

#X 07 01 7B FF   C:\UTILS\RECV_CAN\RT.PRG@ TRASH CAN@ 
Executable file on the desktop.  Icon, position, and label assignment.

#V 04 01 3E FF   C:\AUTO\SUPERBT\*.INF@ DESKTOP@ 
Directory folder on the desktop.  Position, icon, pathname, and label 
assignment.


COMMENTS
--------
   Notice if a file is clicked on and is not a *.INF or one of the 
listed archival types, TOS then checks to see if it is either TOS, 
TTP, GTP, PRG, or APP (in that order), and if so executes it.  If it 
is not one of these, the remaining installation for types *.* 
"catches" it, so GUCK  will be run and the file will be loaded in. 
This then replaces the  desktop [ SHOW | PRINT |CANCEL].  Remember 
that each of these acts as a filter and that TOS applies them from 
*bottom* to top; so when you double-click on a file, TOS first checks 
to see if it is *.INF, and if so runs LOADINF.PRG, then it checks for 
type *.ARJ, then... through the executables (TOS, TTP, GTP, PRG, APP 
in that order), and finally if the file wasn't one of those, TOS type 
*.* (that's everything left) is loaded into GUCK.