Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » Acorn User - Updated Shareware Collection (1994).adf » Programs » TaskKill/ReadMe
TaskKill/ReadMe
This website contains an archive of files for the Acorn Electron, BBC Micro, Acorn Archimedes, Commodore 16 and Commodore 64 computers, which Dominic Ford has rescued from his private collection of floppy disks and cassettes.
Some of these files were originally commercial releases in the 1980s and 1990s, but they are now widely available online. I assume that copyright over them is no longer being asserted. If you own the copyright and would like files to be removed, please contact me.
| Tape/disk: | Home » Archimedes archive » Acorn User » Acorn User - Updated Shareware Collection (1994).adf » Programs |
| Filename: | TaskKill/ReadMe |
| Read OK: | ✔ |
| File size: | 09DA bytes |
| Load address: | 0000 |
| Exec address: | 0000 |
File contents
TaskKill 1.26 (11-Dec-1993)
===========================
� Paul Clifford of DoggySoft, 1993
You may distribute this program as you wish, as long as no profit is made,
and none of the files are altered in any way. I will take no blame whatsoever
for any late nights/lost files/destroyed computers/etc.. whilst you are using
this program - use it at your own risk.
Description
-----------
TaskKill's main purpose is to provide a simple way of killing off tasks that
hang the machine. If you have ever slaved away on something for hours and
before you get around to saving it somewhere safe, some unsociable task has
decided to hang the machine, you will understand its usefulness. The second
feature of TaskKill is to provide a special hotkey that executes the command
*TaskKillAction when it is pressed. This may not sound very useful, but by
defining the system variable 'Alias$TaskKillAction' it can be made to perform
a large range of features. If, when the module is initialised, this variable
has not been defined, it is set up to save the current screen into the Scrap
directory as 'Screenx' (x being a number which is incremented after each
save).
If you have Risc OS 3, loading the module will make a new icon appear on the
iconbar, which can be used to turn the program on and off. Those of you who
still have Risc OS 2 (or those who don't like using the desktop) can control
the state using *TaskKill_Status, followed by either on or off. Omitting any
parameters will report the current state.
When turned on, the module supports the following key combinations:
ALT + keypad * : Executes the *TaskKillAction command.
ALT + keypad # : Generates a fatal error, which will quit most
applications that are hanging the machine.
ALT + ENTER : Drops into user mode, and executes the two SWIs,
'Wimp_CloseDown' and 'OS_Exit'.
There is little difference between using ALT + keypad # or ALT + ENTER,
except that the latter doesn't produce an error message. Remember, however,
that both combinations will work regardless of whether or not the machine has
hung up, and by pressing them at the wrong time you are likely to kill off
random applications.
Contacting me
-------------
If you want to contact me for any reason I can be reached on Arcade BBS as
user #168, by email at clifford@arcade.demon.co.uk or by snailmail at:
Paul Clifford,
3 St. Anthony's Avenue,
Woodford Green,
Essex,
IG8 7EP.
00000000 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 20 31 2e 32 36 20 28 31 |TaskKill 1.26 (1| 00000010 31 2d 44 65 63 2d 31 39 39 33 29 0a 3d 3d 3d 3d |1-Dec-1993).====| 00000020 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d |================| 00000030 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 3d 0a 0a a9 20 50 61 75 6c 20 |=======... Paul | 00000040 43 6c 69 66 66 6f 72 64 20 6f 66 20 44 6f 67 67 |Clifford of Dogg| 00000050 79 53 6f 66 74 2c 20 31 39 39 33 0a 0a 59 6f 75 |ySoft, 1993..You| 00000060 20 6d 61 79 20 64 69 73 74 72 69 62 75 74 65 20 | may distribute | 00000070 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d 20 61 73 20 |this program as | 00000080 79 6f 75 20 77 69 73 68 2c 20 61 73 20 6c 6f 6e |you wish, as lon| 00000090 67 20 61 73 20 6e 6f 20 70 72 6f 66 69 74 20 69 |g as no profit i| 000000a0 73 20 6d 61 64 65 2c 0a 61 6e 64 20 6e 6f 6e 65 |s made,.and none| 000000b0 20 6f 66 20 74 68 65 20 66 69 6c 65 73 20 61 72 | of the files ar| 000000c0 65 20 61 6c 74 65 72 65 64 20 69 6e 20 61 6e 79 |e altered in any| 000000d0 20 77 61 79 2e 20 49 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 74 61 6b | way. I will tak| 000000e0 65 20 6e 6f 20 62 6c 61 6d 65 20 77 68 61 74 73 |e no blame whats| 000000f0 6f 65 76 65 72 0a 66 6f 72 20 61 6e 79 20 6c 61 |oever.for any la| 00000100 74 65 20 6e 69 67 68 74 73 2f 6c 6f 73 74 20 66 |te nights/lost f| 00000110 69 6c 65 73 2f 64 65 73 74 72 6f 79 65 64 20 63 |iles/destroyed c| 00000120 6f 6d 70 75 74 65 72 73 2f 65 74 63 2e 2e 20 77 |omputers/etc.. w| 00000130 68 69 6c 73 74 20 79 6f 75 20 61 72 65 20 75 73 |hilst you are us| 00000140 69 6e 67 0a 74 68 69 73 20 70 72 6f 67 72 61 6d |ing.this program| 00000150 20 2d 20 75 73 65 20 69 74 20 61 74 20 79 6f 75 | - use it at you| 00000160 72 20 6f 77 6e 20 72 69 73 6b 2e 0a 0a 0a 44 65 |r own risk....De| 00000170 73 63 72 69 70 74 69 6f 6e 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d |scription.------| 00000180 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0a 0a 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 27 |-----..TaskKill'| 00000190 73 20 6d 61 69 6e 20 70 75 72 70 6f 73 65 20 69 |s main purpose i| 000001a0 73 20 74 6f 20 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 20 61 20 73 |s to provide a s| 000001b0 69 6d 70 6c 65 20 77 61 79 20 6f 66 20 6b 69 6c |imple way of kil| 000001c0 6c 69 6e 67 20 6f 66 66 20 74 61 73 6b 73 20 74 |ling off tasks t| 000001d0 68 61 74 0a 68 61 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 63 |hat.hang the mac| 000001e0 68 69 6e 65 2e 20 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 68 61 76 |hine. If you hav| 000001f0 65 20 65 76 65 72 20 73 6c 61 76 65 64 20 61 77 |e ever slaved aw| 00000200 61 79 20 6f 6e 20 73 6f 6d 65 74 68 69 6e 67 20 |ay on something | 00000210 66 6f 72 20 68 6f 75 72 73 20 61 6e 64 0a 62 65 |for hours and.be| 00000220 66 6f 72 65 20 79 6f 75 20 67 65 74 20 61 72 6f |fore you get aro| 00000230 75 6e 64 20 74 6f 20 73 61 76 69 6e 67 20 69 74 |und to saving it| 00000240 20 73 6f 6d 65 77 68 65 72 65 20 73 61 66 65 2c | somewhere safe,| 00000250 20 73 6f 6d 65 20 75 6e 73 6f 63 69 61 62 6c 65 | some unsociable| 00000260 20 74 61 73 6b 20 68 61 73 0a 64 65 63 69 64 65 | task has.decide| 00000270 64 20 74 6f 20 68 61 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 |d to hang the ma| 00000280 63 68 69 6e 65 2c 20 79 6f 75 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 |chine, you will | 00000290 75 6e 64 65 72 73 74 61 6e 64 20 69 74 73 20 75 |understand its u| 000002a0 73 65 66 75 6c 6e 65 73 73 2e 20 54 68 65 20 73 |sefulness. The s| 000002b0 65 63 6f 6e 64 0a 66 65 61 74 75 72 65 20 6f 66 |econd.feature of| 000002c0 20 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 20 69 73 20 74 6f 20 | TaskKill is to | 000002d0 70 72 6f 76 69 64 65 20 61 20 73 70 65 63 69 61 |provide a specia| 000002e0 6c 20 68 6f 74 6b 65 79 20 74 68 61 74 20 65 78 |l hotkey that ex| 000002f0 65 63 75 74 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 63 6f 6d 6d 61 |ecutes the comma| 00000300 6e 64 0a 2a 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 41 63 74 69 |nd.*TaskKillActi| 00000310 6f 6e 20 77 68 65 6e 20 69 74 20 69 73 20 70 72 |on when it is pr| 00000320 65 73 73 65 64 2e 20 54 68 69 73 20 6d 61 79 20 |essed. This may | 00000330 6e 6f 74 20 73 6f 75 6e 64 20 76 65 72 79 20 75 |not sound very u| 00000340 73 65 66 75 6c 2c 20 62 75 74 20 62 79 0a 64 65 |seful, but by.de| 00000350 66 69 6e 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 73 79 73 74 65 |fining the syste| 00000360 6d 20 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 20 27 41 6c 69 61 |m variable 'Alia| 00000370 73 24 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 41 63 74 69 6f 6e |s$TaskKillAction| 00000380 27 20 69 74 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 6d 61 64 65 |' it can be made| 00000390 20 74 6f 20 70 65 72 66 6f 72 6d 0a 61 20 6c 61 | to perform.a la| 000003a0 72 67 65 20 72 61 6e 67 65 20 6f 66 20 66 65 61 |rge range of fea| 000003b0 74 75 72 65 73 2e 20 49 66 2c 20 77 68 65 6e 20 |tures. If, when | 000003c0 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 69 73 20 69 6e |the module is in| 000003d0 69 74 69 61 6c 69 73 65 64 2c 20 74 68 69 73 20 |itialised, this | 000003e0 76 61 72 69 61 62 6c 65 0a 68 61 73 20 6e 6f 74 |variable.has not| 000003f0 20 62 65 65 6e 20 64 65 66 69 6e 65 64 2c 20 69 | been defined, i| 00000400 74 20 69 73 20 73 65 74 20 75 70 20 74 6f 20 73 |t is set up to s| 00000410 61 76 65 20 74 68 65 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 |ave the current | 00000420 73 63 72 65 65 6e 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 74 68 65 20 |screen into the | 00000430 53 63 72 61 70 0a 64 69 72 65 63 74 6f 72 79 20 |Scrap.directory | 00000440 61 73 20 27 53 63 72 65 65 6e 78 27 20 28 78 20 |as 'Screenx' (x | 00000450 62 65 69 6e 67 20 61 20 6e 75 6d 62 65 72 20 77 |being a number w| 00000460 68 69 63 68 20 69 73 20 69 6e 63 72 65 6d 65 6e |hich is incremen| 00000470 74 65 64 20 61 66 74 65 72 20 65 61 63 68 0a 73 |ted after each.s| 00000480 61 76 65 29 2e 0a 0a 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 68 61 |ave)...If you ha| 00000490 76 65 20 52 69 73 63 20 4f 53 20 33 2c 20 6c 6f |ve Risc OS 3, lo| 000004a0 61 64 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 |ading the module| 000004b0 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 6d 61 6b 65 20 61 20 6e 65 77 | will make a new| 000004c0 20 69 63 6f 6e 20 61 70 70 65 61 72 20 6f 6e 20 | icon appear on | 000004d0 74 68 65 0a 69 63 6f 6e 62 61 72 2c 20 77 68 69 |the.iconbar, whi| 000004e0 63 68 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 75 73 65 64 20 74 |ch can be used t| 000004f0 6f 20 74 75 72 6e 20 74 68 65 20 70 72 6f 67 72 |o turn the progr| 00000500 61 6d 20 6f 6e 20 61 6e 64 20 6f 66 66 2e 20 54 |am on and off. T| 00000510 68 6f 73 65 20 6f 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 68 6f 0a |hose of you who.| 00000520 73 74 69 6c 6c 20 68 61 76 65 20 52 69 73 63 20 |still have Risc | 00000530 4f 53 20 32 20 28 6f 72 20 74 68 6f 73 65 20 77 |OS 2 (or those w| 00000540 68 6f 20 64 6f 6e 27 74 20 6c 69 6b 65 20 75 73 |ho don't like us| 00000550 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 64 65 73 6b 74 6f 70 29 |ing the desktop)| 00000560 20 63 61 6e 20 63 6f 6e 74 72 6f 6c 0a 74 68 65 | can control.the| 00000570 20 73 74 61 74 65 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 2a 54 61 | state using *Ta| 00000580 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 5f 53 74 61 74 75 73 2c 20 66 |skKill_Status, f| 00000590 6f 6c 6c 6f 77 65 64 20 62 79 20 65 69 74 68 65 |ollowed by eithe| 000005a0 72 20 6f 6e 20 6f 72 20 6f 66 66 2e 20 4f 6d 69 |r on or off. Omi| 000005b0 74 74 69 6e 67 20 61 6e 79 0a 70 61 72 61 6d 65 |tting any.parame| 000005c0 74 65 72 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 72 65 70 6f 72 74 |ters will report| 000005d0 20 74 68 65 20 63 75 72 72 65 6e 74 20 73 74 61 | the current sta| 000005e0 74 65 2e 0a 0a 57 68 65 6e 20 74 75 72 6e 65 64 |te...When turned| 000005f0 20 6f 6e 2c 20 74 68 65 20 6d 6f 64 75 6c 65 20 | on, the module | 00000600 73 75 70 70 6f 72 74 73 20 74 68 65 20 66 6f 6c |supports the fol| 00000610 6c 6f 77 69 6e 67 20 6b 65 79 20 63 6f 6d 62 69 |lowing key combi| 00000620 6e 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 3a 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |nations:. | 00000630 20 41 4c 54 20 2b 20 6b 65 79 70 61 64 20 2a 20 | ALT + keypad * | 00000640 3a 20 45 78 65 63 75 74 65 73 20 74 68 65 20 2a |: Executes the *| 00000650 54 61 73 6b 4b 69 6c 6c 41 63 74 69 6f 6e 20 63 |TaskKillAction c| 00000660 6f 6d 6d 61 6e 64 2e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 |ommand.. | 00000670 41 4c 54 20 2b 20 6b 65 79 70 61 64 20 23 20 3a |ALT + keypad # :| 00000680 20 47 65 6e 65 72 61 74 65 73 20 61 20 66 61 74 | Generates a fat| 00000690 61 6c 20 65 72 72 6f 72 2c 20 77 68 69 63 68 20 |al error, which | 000006a0 77 69 6c 6c 20 71 75 69 74 20 6d 6f 73 74 0a 20 |will quit most. | 000006b0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 000006c0 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 61 70 70 6c 69 63 61 74 | applicat| 000006d0 69 6f 6e 73 20 74 68 61 74 20 61 72 65 20 68 61 |ions that are ha| 000006e0 6e 67 69 6e 67 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 63 68 69 6e |nging the machin| 000006f0 65 2e 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 41 4c 54 20 2b |e.. ALT +| 00000700 20 45 4e 54 45 52 20 20 20 20 3a 20 44 72 6f 70 | ENTER : Drop| 00000710 73 20 69 6e 74 6f 20 75 73 65 72 20 6d 6f 64 65 |s into user mode| 00000720 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 65 78 65 63 75 74 65 73 20 74 |, and executes t| 00000730 68 65 20 74 77 6f 20 53 57 49 73 2c 0a 20 20 20 |he two SWIs,. | 00000740 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | | 00000750 20 20 20 20 20 20 27 57 69 6d 70 5f 43 6c 6f 73 | 'Wimp_Clos| 00000760 65 44 6f 77 6e 27 20 61 6e 64 20 27 4f 53 5f 45 |eDown' and 'OS_E| 00000770 78 69 74 27 2e 0a 0a 54 68 65 72 65 20 69 73 20 |xit'...There is | 00000780 6c 69 74 74 6c 65 20 64 69 66 66 65 72 65 6e 63 |little differenc| 00000790 65 20 62 65 74 77 65 65 6e 20 75 73 69 6e 67 20 |e between using | 000007a0 41 4c 54 20 2b 20 6b 65 79 70 61 64 20 23 20 6f |ALT + keypad # o| 000007b0 72 20 41 4c 54 20 2b 20 45 4e 54 45 52 2c 0a 65 |r ALT + ENTER,.e| 000007c0 78 63 65 70 74 20 74 68 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 6c |xcept that the l| 000007d0 61 74 74 65 72 20 64 6f 65 73 6e 27 74 20 70 72 |atter doesn't pr| 000007e0 6f 64 75 63 65 20 61 6e 20 65 72 72 6f 72 20 6d |oduce an error m| 000007f0 65 73 73 61 67 65 2e 20 52 65 6d 65 6d 62 65 72 |essage. Remember| 00000800 2c 20 68 6f 77 65 76 65 72 2c 0a 74 68 61 74 20 |, however,.that | 00000810 62 6f 74 68 20 63 6f 6d 62 69 6e 61 74 69 6f 6e |both combination| 00000820 73 20 77 69 6c 6c 20 77 6f 72 6b 20 72 65 67 61 |s will work rega| 00000830 72 64 6c 65 73 73 20 6f 66 20 77 68 65 74 68 65 |rdless of whethe| 00000840 72 20 6f 72 20 6e 6f 74 20 74 68 65 20 6d 61 63 |r or not the mac| 00000850 68 69 6e 65 20 68 61 73 0a 68 75 6e 67 20 75 70 |hine has.hung up| 00000860 2c 20 61 6e 64 20 62 79 20 70 72 65 73 73 69 6e |, and by pressin| 00000870 67 20 74 68 65 6d 20 61 74 20 74 68 65 20 77 72 |g them at the wr| 00000880 6f 6e 67 20 74 69 6d 65 20 79 6f 75 20 61 72 65 |ong time you are| 00000890 20 6c 69 6b 65 6c 79 20 74 6f 20 6b 69 6c 6c 20 | likely to kill | 000008a0 6f 66 66 0a 72 61 6e 64 6f 6d 20 61 70 70 6c 69 |off.random appli| 000008b0 63 61 74 69 6f 6e 73 2e 0a 0a 0a 43 6f 6e 74 61 |cations....Conta| 000008c0 63 74 69 6e 67 20 6d 65 0a 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d |cting me.-------| 000008d0 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 2d 0a 0a 49 66 20 79 6f 75 20 77 |------..If you w| 000008e0 61 6e 74 20 74 6f 20 63 6f 6e 74 61 63 74 20 6d |ant to contact m| 000008f0 65 20 66 6f 72 20 61 6e 79 20 72 65 61 73 6f 6e |e for any reason| 00000900 20 49 20 63 61 6e 20 62 65 20 72 65 61 63 68 65 | I can be reache| 00000910 64 20 6f 6e 20 41 72 63 61 64 65 20 42 42 53 20 |d on Arcade BBS | 00000920 61 73 0a 75 73 65 72 20 23 31 36 38 2c 20 62 79 |as.user #168, by| 00000930 20 65 6d 61 69 6c 20 61 74 20 63 6c 69 66 66 6f | email at cliffo| 00000940 72 64 40 61 72 63 61 64 65 2e 64 65 6d 6f 6e 2e |rd@arcade.demon.| 00000950 63 6f 2e 75 6b 20 6f 72 20 62 79 20 73 6e 61 69 |co.uk or by snai| 00000960 6c 6d 61 69 6c 20 61 74 3a 0a 0a 20 20 20 20 20 |lmail at:.. | 00000970 20 20 20 50 61 75 6c 20 43 6c 69 66 66 6f 72 64 | Paul Clifford| 00000980 2c 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 33 20 53 74 2e 20 |,. 3 St. | 00000990 41 6e 74 68 6f 6e 79 27 73 20 41 76 65 6e 75 65 |Anthony's Avenue| 000009a0 2c 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 57 6f 6f 64 66 6f |,. Woodfo| 000009b0 72 64 20 47 72 65 65 6e 2c 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 |rd Green,. | 000009c0 20 20 45 73 73 65 78 2c 0a 20 20 20 20 20 20 20 | Essex,. | 000009d0 20 49 47 38 20 37 45 50 2e 0a | IG8 7EP..| 000009da
.