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Every well-configured Workbench has the same public domain tools. Here are the 20 programs we ourselves would call indispensable — sorted by category, all with Aminet references.
The legendary file manager — today as Magellan II Open Source. Dual window, scripting, archives as directories. Feels modern.
github.com/kas1e/DOpus5 →De facto standard archiver. 99% of all Aminet downloads are .lha. Indispensable.
Nicer system requesters (file/font/colour selection). Many tools require this library.
aminet.net/util/libs →Modernised icon set with 8-colour 3D look. Turns OS 3.1 into a visual experience.
aminet.net/pix/mwb →Pull-down menus via pop-ups, tear-off menus, icon menus. Small commodity, big impact.
aminet.net/util/wb →Huge system tweaking suite — screen blanker, mouse accelerator, patches. All in one GUI.
aminet.net/util/wb →Multi-commodity: screen switch, CycleToMenu, blanker, FastMenu — one program, 20 features.
aminet.net/util/cdity →Startup manager: selection menu right after boot (games/Workbench/shell).
aminet.net/util/boot →Shows what a program is doing on the hard drive — perfect for finding missing libraries.
aminet.net/util/moni →System monitor: running tasks, libraries, devices, memory. Like "top" on Unix.
aminet.net/util/moni →Programming editor with syntax highlighting, now as the open source variant "Cubic IDE".
aminet.net/dev/ed →Classic text editor, now freeware. Lightweight, ARexx macros.
aminet.net/text/edit →Universal module player: ProTracker, Noisetracker, TFMX, Delta Music — plays almost everything.
aminet.net/mus/play →Lightweight module player, playlist capable, good for AmigaOS 1.3.
aminet.net/mus/play →Graphics program with ANIM support, Cloanto has released version 7.
aminet.net/biz/cloan →Amiga web browser (modern: OWB/iBrowse 2.5). For retro browsing on Classic Amiga.
aminet.net/comm/www →reqtools.library, asyncio.library). Put them in LIBS: — many programs will complain otherwise. Aminet has them all under util/libs.There are hundreds of Amiga sites, but only a handful are really needed. These are the destinations we use ourselves daily — each with a sentence explaining what you need them for.
Which emulator suits your setup? Here is the curated list — from cycle-exact on Windows to the Raspberry Pi portable. All links lead to the current original download.
The Reference. Actively developed since 1997, emulates OCS/ECS/AGA cycle-exact, optionally with JIT for speed. WHDLoad support, Kickstart 1.2 to 3.2, incl. PPC for AmigaOS 4. If you are serious about it, use WinUAE.
The Cross-Platform King. Fork of WinUAE with a slick launcher, online netplay and auto-download of complete configurations. Ideal if you do not just use Windows or want to switch between Mac and PC hassle-free.
The Pi Amiga. Optimised UAE port for ARM — runs smoothly already on the Pi 3B+, perfectly on Pi 4/5. With launcher, analogue gamepad support and pre-configured A500/A1200/CD32 setups. Ideal as a little Amiga by the TV.
The Beautiful Newcomer. Complete rewrite in Swift/C++ with focus on clean UX and precise OCS/ECS emulation (A500/A1000/A2000). No AGA yet, but what already works looks outstanding. Distinct macOS feel.
The Legal All-in-One for Beginners. Contains official Kickstart ROMs (1.3/2.04/3.1/3.x) and AmigaOS licences, licensed games/demos, pre-configured WinUAE setups. Costs money, but saves hours of ROM sourcing and is the only legal way to get Kickstarts without original hardware.
| Situation | Recommendation |
|---|---|
| Windows user, wants the maximum | WinUAE |
| Windows beginner, staying legal | Amiga Forever (Value Edition) |
| Mac / Linux | FS-UAE |
| macOS, wants polish | vAmiga |
| Raspberry Pi / TV setup | Amiberry |
| iOS / Android (mobile) | Uae4All (Android) / iAmiga (iOS) |
The 30 most important shell commands on one page — whether Workbench 1.3 or 3.2, these always work. Perfect for learning or as a reference on a second monitor.
| Command | What it does |
|---|---|
| DIR | Show directory contents (like ls) |
| DIR ALL | Recursive, including subdirectories |
| LIST | Like DIR, with size/date/flags |
| CD DF0: | Change to root of disk in drive 0 |
| CD / | Up one level (not ..!) |
| MAKEDIR | Create new directory |
| COPY ... TO ... | Copy files (COPY DF0:#? TO RAM: = everything to RAM) |
| RENAME ... AS ... | Rename or move |
| DELETE | Delete (also recursive with ALL) |
| TYPE | Output text file to screen (cat) |
| INFO | All mounted devices with free capacity |
| FORMAT DRIVE DF0: | Format floppy disk (NAME Empty QUICK = quick) |
| DISKCOPY FROM DF0: TO DF1: | 1:1 copy with 2 drives |
| INSTALL DRIVE DF0: | Install bootblock (make disk bootable) |
| RELABEL DF0: NewName | Change volume name |
| ASSIGN C: ram:c | Map logical device to path (core feature!) |
| MOUNT DEVICE | Mount from DEVS:Mountlist (e.g. CDROM) |
| STATUS | List running tasks/CLI processes |
| BREAK <nr> C | Abort task (send CTRL-C signal) |
| RUN program | Start in background, shell remains free |
| AVAIL | Free Chip/Fast RAM |
| VERSION | Kickstart/Workbench version |
| DATE | Show or set date/time |
| SETCLOCK OPT SAVE | Write current time to hardware clock |
| EXECUTE script | Execute shell script |
| NEWSHELL | Open new shell window |
| ECHO "text" | Output text (suppress line break with NOLINE) |
| WAIT 5 | Wait 5 seconds (useful in scripts) |
| SET var=value | Set variable, access with $var |
| PATH DF0:C ADD | Extend search path |
COPY #?.info TO RAM: you copy all icon files at once. The #? is the AmigaDOS wildcard (like * in Unix).