The Mondo Preferences App

So what is this shit?

This app is a clone of NeXT's preferences application for system versions 1 onward for the Mondo Development Environment. Unlike
other implementations, this one retains the window dimensions and tries to maintain the exact same visual style wherever possible.

It's at version 0.9 because several preferences, namely Time & Date, Localization, mouse, keyboard (partly), display, fonnts, menu,
and UNIX expert (also partly). Password, (most of) sound, part of UNIX expert, and part of keyboard preferences are complete and
working. Most of the rest depend on a more complete workspace manager, while others just need some time and dedication to complete.
However, the complete and partially complete modules offer enough functionality for the moment. And since the goal of releasing the
Mondo Development Environment out to the public was to provide for a fairly usable GUI environment to develop games, out it goes,
ready or not :P

So how do I install this shit?

This is an app designed for the Mondo Development Environment, as stated above, so you'll need that. Alternatively, you can install
it on a Linux system. In this case you'll need the GNUStep development and runtime system and ALSA installed. GNUstep is comprised
of four components: make, base, gui, and back. This app was built using gnustep-make v2.7.0, gnustep-base v1.26.0, gnustep-gui
v0.27.0, and gnustep-back v0.27.0. Older versions may work but that's a coin-toss.

Once the requirements are met you can install it by issuing the command 'make && make install' in a terminal window or the system
console, depending on your system. If all went well you should see severla warnings, but no error message. finally, you can check if
it's working properly by issuing 'openapp Preferences' in the command line. It should start the app, which automatically hides
itself on startup (though it doesn't always work). If it did start up, you'll get an icon of a digital clock and a little callendar,
both displaying the sysntem's current time and date respectively. If you double-click it (assuming it started hidden as it should),
you should see the application's menu and sole window.

So how do I use this shit?

The application consists of a single window, which is divided into two parts: the top third holds a scrollable row of button to
select the preference, and the bottom two thirds containing the preference's pane (the view containing all relevant ccontrols). You
first scroll across the row of preferences until you find the one you want to check/change, and then click on it. The lower part of
the window will now shor the controls for that preference.

The first fully functional one is the password preference. This is the third one from the left, the one with the lock and keys. It
allows you to change the password for your account. It presents only a disabled text field displaying the message 'Password secure',
and two buttons. One is enabled, labeled 'Change', and set as the default one. The other is disabled and labeled 'Cancel'.

In order to change your password, press the button labeled 'Change' or just press 'Enter'. The text field becomes enabled and is
cleared, and a message will appear above it asking you to type in your current password. Type it in. As you type you'll notice the
cursor moving but no text appears in the field. This is not a bug: the text tield is a secure text field, and hides the text as you
type it in from prying eyes (even the number of characters is hidden this way). The you press 'Enter' or just click on the default
button, now labeled OK. If You typed it in incorrectly, an alert panel will appear to notify you of this and you'll have to start
over after acknowledging it.

If you typed it in correctly, you'll now be asked to enter the new one, and the image on the left will be that of an open lock. Type
in your new password and press 'Enter' or click 'OK' again. Now you'll be asked to re-type the new password and once again press
'Enter' or click 'Ok'. IF you fail it'll tell you with an alert panel, and will have to try again after acknowledging. Once this is
complete the image on the left will change to a secured lock, the text field and buttons change to thier original state, and the
informative text above the text field disappears. As of this moment your new password is enabled.

Note that at any point after you start the process you may cancel it by clicking on the button labeled 'Cancel', just to the left of
the default one and which is enabled from that moment and until you finally change the password. Also, it' ONLY works for the system
administrator, so it's useless outside of the Mondo Development Environment.

The keyboard preferences, just to the right of the password one, is only partially functional. It includes a row of buttons to set
the initial key repeat, another one for the repeat rate, a textfield to test out the current/new settings, a keyboardpannel to check
the layout (and see the effect of the modifier keys), and an "Expert" panel to change certain keyboard modifier mappings. Of these
the expert panel is the only part that's fully functional.

The "Expert" panel can be brought up by clicking on the button on the lower left side of the pane, conveniently labeled 'Expert
Options...'. This little panel allows you to change the default key mapping of the three main modifiers: Control, Alternate
(sometimes called Option), and Command, both left and right. While GNUstep normally maps the Command keys to Control, despite PC
keyboards having a command key since 1995, since the first time you access this panel it becomes correctly mapped but you can still
change it to your liking.

It also has a checkbox to fix a glitch with shift-dragging, which mostly affects GORM.

The seventh preference from the left is the sound preferences. When clicked for the first time it displays the list of sounds
available for the system beep. While this feature is yet to be implemented, it will remember your selection, which you can set by
clicking on an entry. At the top left of the pane is a pop up button labeled 'System Beep', which is the list currently being
displayed. Clicking on it reveals the other two options: 'Input' and 'Output'.

When the 'Input' option is selected in the pop up, the list will change to reveal all of the mixer's input elements e.g. microphone,
line-in, etc. These will all display a title at the top of each to identify them, and if they can be selected as an input source
(spoiler alert: not all can), it'll display a little "L.E.D." light near the top right. If one is already selected it'll appear
"lit up", and normal otherwise. Clicking on this L.E.D. selects a channel, causing it to appear lit, as well as the L.E.D, and the
previously selected one to appear normal (and the L.E.D. off). If they include a volume control, it'll be available as one or two
sliders, depending on whether it's monophonic or stereo respectively. And finally, if it can be muted it'll include a button to the
right of the slider(s). This button appears lit up when the channel is not muted and normal hen muted.

If you select the entry labeled 'Output' on the pop-up button, you'll get all the output mixer elements: speakers, line-out, etc.
These can be operated exactly as the input ones, except that they can't be selected as a "main output channel" so they don't show
the little L.E.D.s.

The final, almost fully-functional preference is the last one: Unix Expert. In this one you can set up the default file creation
mask by clicking on the matrix of buttons in the appropriately labeled box. You can also enable or disable the "UNIX Expert" mode in
the 'File System Options' box. This allows you to see all files and folders normally hidden from view, including all "dot files"
(files whose name begin with a period) and every file listed in a text file named '.hidden' if it exists (for the current
directory). It takes immediate effect i.e. no need to log out and back in, but in the Mondo Workspace Manager it requires you to
refresh the viewer window.

For the moment the rest of the options in this pane, as well as the rest of the preferences not mentioned above are inactiv: they do
nothing. I do plan to get everything running though it may take a while. Stay tuned!

Wait, how are you licensing this shit?

This project is licensed under the terms of the third edition of the GNU General Public License. Under these terms you may use it
however you please, make any number of copies, modify it, and redistribute it, modified or not, without having to ask permission.
It also prohibits you from re-license it, so any modified copies you distribute are licensed under the same terms, and you HAVE to
make the source code INCLUDING YOUR MODIFICATIONS available to those you give it away to. You of course also have access to the
initial source code, the one I provide as the project's author.

The license is included with the source code in the text file named COPYING. There you can find the sepecifics about the rights I
just described. It also must be included with the source code if you re-distribute it, and it cannot itself be modified.

That's some kewl shit!

I know, right?