AmigaOS Manual: Workbench Before You Start

Before you start using your Amiga, there are a few things you should know and must do. If you have never used an Amiga before, there are terms and instructions in this chapter with which you may not be familiar. This information is provided here to get you started without having to know everything about your system. Although you may never have used an Amiga before, by following the instructions you can make language and keyboard selections and, if necessary, install your software. We recommend that you read all instructions before beginning any operations. We also recommend that you read through this manual to familiarize yourself with Workbench, its components, and how to use it.

This chapter provides you with information about:

• Using a compatible monitor
• Choosing a language
• Choosing a keyboard
• Installing the complete Workbench software
• Installing languages
• Getting started

Monitor Compatibility

Your monitor allows you to interact with your Amiga. Many different monitors are compatible with the Amiga, which offers a variety of display options to suit your monitor's capabilities. Through the ScreenMode Preferences editor provided by the Workbench software, you can choose how your monitor's display appears.

Not all monitors are compatible with your Amiga when it is powered on (booted) for the first time. All Amigas, except those quipped with a hardware display enhancer, require that the monitor used for the first boot be able to display 15 kHz scan modes. If you are using a multiscan monitor or other monitor that can display 15 kHz modes, you should have no problem seeing and using your display after the initial boot. If you are not sure if your monitor syncs to 16 kHz, consult the documentation that came with it or contact your dealer.

If you do not have the hardware display enhancer and your monitor is VGA-only or does not sync to 15 kHz, your display will be distorted until an appropriate ScreenMode Preferences editor setting is made. Since you cannot reach this editor the first time you power on your Amiga using a VGA-only monitor, we recommend that you make and save your initial settings using a monitor that displays 15 kHz modes. We also recommend that you make at least one backup floppy disk copy of your Workbench software containing these initial ScreenMode editor settings in case you ever need to recover your display. If you have a problem doing this, consult your dealer or request that your dealer makes your initial settings for you.

You should be able to use your VGA-only monitor with the Advanced Graphics Architecture (AGA) chip set; however, there may be limitations on the screen display modes that you can use. Most games do not work with VGA-only monitors. See Chapter 7 for more information on scan rates and screen display modes.

Choosing a Language

If you wish to interact with the Workbench in any language other than English, you must select your preferred language after you initially boot the system or following successful software installation. We recommend that you load all of the languages that you may want to use during the installation. However, if your language is not available, you can install it at a later time. For instructions on selecting a language for Amiga Workbench processing, see Chapter 6 in this manual.

If you have a floppy-only system, to use a language other than English, you must follow the procedures for copying information and setting preferences described in Appendix B.

Choosing a Keyboard

If you wish to use a keyboard other than the default American, you must choose a keyboard type in the Input Preferences editor to activate it. For your keyboard to be available in the Input editor's keyboard list, its corresponding keymap must be present in the Devs/Keymaps drawer. If you are not sure which keyboard/keymap combination you have, consult your dealer.

Note
If you are reinstalling your system software, be sure to select your keymap since the installation process overwrites the existing keymap file, deleting the old contents.

If your keymap is not in DEVS:Keymaps, you can load it during software installation or you can drag its icon from the Storage/Keymaps drawer on your disk set to the Devs/Keymaps drawer as described with the Input Preferences editor in Chapter 5. The Input editor description includes a list of keyboards and their corresponding keymaps. (Floppy-only system users follow the same procedures described in Chapter 5.)

Note
If you are working in a language other than English and you are using a keyboard other than USA, you must use dead keys to procedure accented characters. See the KeyShow description in Chapter 10 for information about using dead keys.

Software Installation

Workbench software comes preinstalled on most Amiga hard drive models. In this case, you do not need to install system software unless:

• You are upgrading your software from a previous release level.
• You reformat your hard disk.

If you are not certain your system is preloaded, consult your dealer.

Once your software is installed, if your system does not have all the languages that you want to use, the Installer lets you load any of them at a later time without running a full installation.

Installing System Software

To Be Continued...