It took a little longer than originally expected, but a new, amazing update to Icaros Desktop has been released. This new version updates AROS core system files and libraries, but also brings new stuff which will make using Icaros even funnier. First of all, we would like to thank Deadwood for his efforts on the Odyssey Web Browser: version 1.16.2 of OWB brings back the ability to open YouTube videos in MPlayer, but this time it may be done straight from the pages of the popular media provider. This obviously needed a "refresh" to our MPlayer port, which Deadwood updated as well. Music lovers will welcome Szilard Biro's port of WildMidi, a Timidity-like synthesis library which allows rendering of MIDI files with GUS patches. Thanks to its player and Eric A. Welsh patches (instruments) we can finally play MIDI files with decent quality. Initial version won't allow transforming MIDI into wave files, but you can begin playing them into AROS shells. WildMidi was originally brought to AROS to gain audio support for Szilard's Duke Nukem 3D port, which has been fairly improved over Icaros 1.4.1, but then it grow as a generic tool on its own. Coders interested into adding MIDI files support can now use this library with their AROS applications. Another application which got some love is our Amiga emulator Janus-UAE: version 1.2 has been compiled using latest AROS libraries and is more reliable than the older releases. LoView has been updated to version 2.50: yesterday it was a fairly good image viewer but now, since the introduction of some new quick amazing editing tools, it just became one of the best picture manipulation programs in the Amiga world. And we're proud to host the latest version as well! There are also good news about development stuff: both PortablE and AmiLUA have been updated to their latest versions, and some new libraries are now available for your programs.
New From Icaros Desktop 1.4.1
- system files updated to May 4th, 2012
- added unarc
- updated user manual
- updated OWB to version 1.16.2
+ added ability to play YouTube movies via JavaScript
+ improved rendering speed
+ fixed some issues
- improved Duke Nukem 3D experience
+ audio and music now enabled, improved graphics
- updated AmiFig to latest version
- updated Janus UAE to version 1.2
+ better AROS M68K support with UAEGFX modes
+ improved speed and reliability
+ recompiled using latest AROS libraries
- updated MPlayer to version 1.0-v4
+ improved speed
+ can now work with OWB to play YouTube videos
- updated PortablE to latest version
- updated AmiLUA to latest version
- updated LoView to version 2.50
- updated Jabberwocky to latest version
- added pixman.library
- added WildMidi library and shell MIDI player
- added EAW GUS patches for WildMidi
Availability
Icaros Desktop 1.4.2 is available as update pack for existing Icaros 1.4 and 1.4.1 installations, or in the whole Icaros Desktop Live! 1.4.2 distribution. Users of Icaros Desktop can use LiveUpdater (Tools/LUPD) to download and install the update pack. Please notice the package is 95 MB large, and will need at least 512 MB of system RAM to unpack flawlessly.
Icaros Desktop 1.4 users should also delete their network settings and set up the network preferences again after updating, or the YAFS FTP server and some other network applications might stop working. Icaros Desktop 1.4.1 users aren't impacted by the issue.