It has been a really troubled release, but time for Icaros Desktop 1.2.2 has come! This update is quite different from the others: it can be used stand-alone, like AROS nightly builds or Icaros "point releases", or used with LUPD to upgrade a older installation. You can also decide to install it using InstallAROS over a previous version without formatting the AROS partitions, to get the new GRUB menu voice that enables the Nuveau 2D driver for GeForce cards (beware: it is still work in progress!!!). The stand alone option is here for a really good reason: it can be installed on USB pendrives too and, once installed on a stick the right way (expect a tutorial soon), you will be able to start Icaros from that USB pendrive and use it to boot a PC straight to your favourite alternative environment. There are also good news for vintage gamers: Janus-UAE has been updated to version 0.7, which now supports both audio and USB joypads. This means that, once you've provided the right ROMs to the emulator, you can play your favourite Amiga games as you wish. And you can do that even using your original 880k disks, if you have a Catweasel MKIV board in a PCI slot: Icaros Dekstop now supports this controller too. We've also included some new native games and applications as well, like Super Methane Bros, OpenTyrian, Jabberwocky, VNC and Remote Desktop clients. You will need a DVD to burn this release on a optical disk, because it's bigger than space provided by common CD-R (800 MB, while CDs usually provide only 700). Anyway, here's a uncomplete list of what's...

New from Icaros Desktop 1.2.1

- added work in progress Nuveau 2D driver for GeForce video cards.
- faster and more reliable fat.handler (it now recognize and handle many more USB pendrives!)
- system files updated to may 21st, 2010
- new IControl preference panel
- better Janus-UAE integration for people not using AmiBridge
- better ADF support for people using AmiBridge (sound and joypads now supported)
- Catweasel MKIV PCI controller support
- added support for installation to USB pendrives
- added detail list view to Wanderer
- added icon leave-out option to Wanderer
- improved OHCI USB controllers support
- improved hardware compatibility - Icaros now boots on many more configurations
- updated ArosPDF to the latest release
- updated MPlayer to the latest release
- updated DirectoryOpus to may 21st nightly build
- added some games like OpenTyrian and Super Methane Bros
- added Jabberwocky chat client
- added Remote Desktop client (control your Windows PC from Icaros!)
- added vnc client (control almost any OS-powered computer from Icaros!)
- updated development files
- updated Scout (program to handle tasks, processes and so on)
- ...and many more!

Icaros Desktop 1.2.2 is free and you can download and use it with no additional costs. Anyway, if you like it please donate: best donors (30 euros or more) will receive a ready-made Icaros Desktop USB stick (2 GB size, with a 512 MB FAT partition already made for data exchange with other OSes). This is a very "limited offer", only 8 samples are still available. Boot from USB pendrives works only on motherboards and laptops already supporting boot from USB devices in BIOS.

I have a good news (for you) and a bad one (for me, but not necessarily only). The good news is that the long awaited 1.2.2 release of Icaros Desktop will be probably out today or tomorrow, depending on time zones and upload times. The bad news is that I have been forced to release it in the current state, whatever it is, due to the sudden death of my primary PC hard drive, which stored all my valuable current data, the Fedora build environment I use for Icaros Desktop, and so on. Luckily, I had burnt to a physical DVD a recent build of the distribution, so I can release it even if it's not in the optimal state I had dreamt about. You won't get the latest ZuneARC from Yannick (and his latest ports), for instance, nor you will be able to run the nuveau driver on GT9400 cards, due to a bug that has been spottend and corrected the day after. The only alternative would be waiting for my PC to be rebuilt from the ground, which basically means waiting for the new drives to come (no more single hard drive configurations at home! I've already placed an order for two 1.5 TB drives that will be installed as RAID-1), for the OS and all the software to be reinstalled and, above all, for the whole distribution to be re-built. I have some backups, but they are quite old, so I prefer to make a brand new building environment and, after all, I've been already planning for the "revolution" with Icaros 1.3. The incoming update won't be perfect, but it will be good.

PS: just a suggestion. Read the article I theft the image from, and think about it...

In the latest days I went a little further with Icaros Desktop 1.2.2. As like as it happened for the current version, it won't add many new programs (although some new additions will be done), but it will mainly refresh your AROS system files, adding a lot of new features. First of all, this will be our first release which will go (and come) on a pendrive too. The first batch of pendrives is 2 GB of size, with a 512 MB FAT partition for data exchange with the foreign world. Thanks to latest additions to our fat.handler, this has finally got a viable way to transfer data, since speed and reliability have both considerably increased. You won't be able to buy them, though, at least for now: I will, however, send one to my next 10 best donors and supporter. Release date is not so far, but it will still take some time to fix the last bugs remaining. Icaros Desktop 1.2.2 will be both an update for current Live! and VE installations, but it will be also bootable per se, in order to install it directly on a 1 GB or bigger pendrive straight form an ISO or a DVD. Planned size is about 800 MB. So, to summarize:

- Icaros Desktop 1.2.2 will come on a ISO file like any other update
- You will be able both to boot AROS straight from this, like a Light release...
- ...or use it as a "update DVD" for an already existing Icaros 1.2 or 1.2.1 installation
- once you have booted straight from this release, you'll be able to install it on a USB pendrive...
- ...and use the pendrive to boot up your system straight into Icaros Desktop, bringing your AROS and Amiga™ experiences on any desktop and laptop computer
- best donors (30 euros or more) will receive an already-made Icaros stick at home, but for now only 10 units are available.

Hello my dear fellows, it's long time since I wrote something really interesting here, so I can understand if you're getting a little upset about Icaros Desktop. But don't worry, your distribution is alive and well, it's just waiting for some nice new additions you'll sincerely love. First of all, the base AROS system is getting better and better every day: with Pavel Fedin working on the graphic subsystem, Krzysztof Smiechowicz adding 3D acceleration and now working on Nvidia nuveau driver port, Neil Cafferkey fixing FAT filesystem support, Yannick Erb porting every kind of apps (have a look at his Remote Desktop client port in the corner screenshot), and with the huge efforts coming from everybody else involved in AROS development, we can be really proud of our little great OS. But what can you expect from Icaros Desktop 1.1.2? Well, many things. More stability, less bugs, and obviously some nice new features, for instance Catweasel support, since ported its drivers to AROS (we have also to thank our big friend Steve Jones for this) and... should I say that? Maybe not, but... UAE integration! Yes, Oliver Brunner is near to complete his bounty, and he has already sent me two release candidates for his Janus-UAE emulator version 0.7, which include also USB joypads and audio support. The emulator is so up-to-date with current AROS developments, that it supports even the Catweasel controller under AmigaOS 3.x, if you have one in your PC. We're now testing it more extensively to spot bugs, and when it will be OK, you'll be able to use it with your legacy Amiga games, demos and applications. Well my friends, please be patient just a little more, because there is more to come, but I will talk about it the right time. For now, thanks for your patience and regards.