Skip to content

Announcing WinBatchX 18
Compare
Choose a tag to compare
@bes-ptah bes-ptah released this 21 Nov 01:52
· 36 commits to main since this release
1800
972a8e6
This commit was created on GitHub.com and signed with GitHub’s verified signature. The key has expired.
GPG key ID: 4AEE18F83AFDEB23
Expired
Learn about vigilant mode.

Today WinBatchX is releasing WinBatchX 18 to the general release channel. This release is mainly stable after main fixes, improvements and new features. This release was tested in 20 alpha or beta builds and is mostly compitable with WinBatchX 17.
Note: With this release, WinBatchX 16 and below will be unsupported by November 31, 2022. WinBatchX 17 will be unsupported by December 31, 2022.

An Updated WinBatchX Desktop
WinBatchX 18 brings new changes to the start menu, action and notification centers, and apps-on-desktop features. It also revamps right-clicking the desktop and adds right-click context for the start button and makes the taskbar functionable. There are many other taskbar fixes and updates you can read at the end of this article.

image

Plenty of new, updated apps (and more to come soon!)
This release brings new apps into this release. Settings has a new look and new configuration, including a few personalization features. Settings is a imported 17.0 app, which may cause some issues to arrise.

Other apps that were updated are-

  • Notepad App
  • File Explorer
  • Calendar App
  • Terminal
  • Task Mananger
    -Paint App
  • Photos App
  • Lastly on this list, WinBatchX Security.

A few apps are not developed:

  • Calculator. It is currently broken in this release and will be fixed in 18.1.
  • Edge. It is also currently blank in this release and some updates may come within 18.0.

image

An Update to Task View
WinBatchX 17 did not bring Task View back correctly in it's release. In 18, it is now updated to show the current, running app on the desktop. You can close it and do other things.

image

Slight updates to WinBatchX Login
WinBatchX Login now has a password box with new design. The configuration variables have also changed in WinBatchX 18.0.

image

Main change:

  • Removed Taskbar Overflow, as it was not ready for 18.0's release.
  • Added a border around the two apps on the desktop.
    Current bugs:
  • WinBatchX sometimes crashes when typing from the keyboard.
  • When finishing the terminal prompt, the desktop will stop working due to the last key typed letter on the keyboard from the prompt.
  • When opening file explorer, then using a feature on the taskbar and closing it, the top bar of the app will not appear (it shows the desktop background instead).
  • A message named 'A file is currently being used by another process' may pop up when restarting WinBatchX from a previous session.
  • There are a few bugs in the taskbar when alligning the taskbar icons to the left.

Below is the 'main' changelog of WinBatchX 18. This changelog comes from all the builds that were tested for WinBatchX 18.
Note: With this release, WinBatchX 16 and below will be unsupported by November 31, 2022. WinBatchX 17 will be unsupported by December 31, 2022.
bes-ptah

--
The changelog of the builds that developed WinBatchX 18:
Improvements/Changes

  • Updated the window size after debugging for WinBatchX 18 to just show the desktop.
  • Updated a few other apps that were not ready for WinBatchX 18 to fallback to 16.0 technology.
  • Wide range of fixes on Task View for fixes- Task View now has a close button and a title bar for the current running app.
  • Added the lock screen background back.
  • Re-added and upgraded the power options of WinBatchX on the lock screen. It isn't possible to put a power menu while you're logging in.
  • Changing passwords may not be available when setting WinBatchX up. You may need to use the OOBE to change passwords on WinBatchX 18.
  • Just updated numbers/versioning for WinBatchX 18 Preview builds coming ahead.
  • The debug on the title of the command prompt is no longer showing in preview builds.
  • The notification center has a place for notifications to land in the desktop. Notifications
  • Other fixes on the kernel itself for 18.0 release.
  • You'll have to manually move the taskbar icons to the left and will not be fixed in 18.0.
  • Several new changes when shutting down or restarting WinBatchX.
  • Changes to new files being added internally into configuration files.
  • Fixed Taskbar Allignment and other personalization-based bugs in this build. WinBatchX will save your settings until you change it or reset WinBatchX.
  • Added photos as a variable to the boot startup and the cache clearup (call-only).
  • We added final changes to settings, including bordering most submenus.
  • In settings, we changed 'Display Responsiveness' to 'Animation Effects' to show the true meaning in System > Display.
  • The notification center has a place for notifications to land in the desktop.

[1770]

  • We merged WinBatchX Build 1770 with the last build (1665). It has a few changes visually, but there were intergity checks in the code.

[WBX-Wide Changes]

  • Fixed up the right click start menu button actions.
  • We accidently turned off mica in this build, but we are also expermenting with a better color for all of our apps.
  • When running an app, using a feature and clicking out of it, it will now go back to the app rather than the desktop.
  • Due to new merges with newer builds, the desktop will be more responsive to your mouse cursor (only slightly).

[Taskbar]

  • Updated the active button for the Notification/Action Center.
  • Updates to the taskbar app focus now tells you if the running app on the taskbar is open or not.

[Start Menu]

  • Removed the build number at the bottom of the start menu.
  • Reduced the size of the user photo on the bottom of the start menu.
  • We reupdated the non-existant border for All Apps and locations of some of the text in the menu.
  • The power button (when clicked) will show a border on the button.
  • Changed the outline color of the power menu to match the design of WinBatchX.
  • Regulated in-the-hood code for start menu API.
  • Lightened the color of the search icon on the top of the start menu. (Not shown below)
  • Added icons to the power menu buttons. (Below)

[Apps: All Apps..]

  • Changed the control buttons to only a close button. (All apps have fixes for the removal of the minimize button.)

[Settings]

  • Updated the about section in WinBatchX Settings.
  • We also fixed the update bug from 'config.yml' in the WinBatchX Settings App.

[Calculator]

  • We changed the windowed mode settings for a better responsive drag.
  • The control buttons now work. Use the control buttons (the close button on the right-top side) to end Calculator.
  • Debuged the in-rigged variables with notes for devs (and me).

[Calendar]

  • Fixed why the app did not show it's icon.

[Security]

  • The app is now executable in WinBatchX build 1770. The actual app is not in beta in this time.

[1665]

  • We did a recheck of the code for any bug fixes, and will do more next build.
  • We also fixed an update bug from 'config.yml'. _It used to be 'config.yml', which caused any updates to fail. This is first rolling out to 18.0 and is already on the first 18.S build (1210).
    [1664]
  • As the next few builds of WinBatchX roll by, the edge app will be released! Edge will be able to open web pages inside WinBatchX (still in testing, not verified). The API is not in this build at this time due to this build's quick release.
    (Taskbar)
  • The taskbar date time is now enabled.
  • The right-click taskbar context menus has been a new option: Task Manager. (As of this time, the Windows Insider Program has gone ahead and placed it in both dev and beta)
    (Settings: Time & Language)
  • We have developed the settings app to show you the time, but changes will only happen on Windows.

[1663]
(General)

  • Also fixed all context menus on the desktop from opening twice.
  • Fixed most buttons on the taskbar from opening twice.
  • Fixed a update-github server-side bug that causes 'config.yml' to not be deleted because it does not exist.
    (Desktop)
  • The current app running will show a blue bar under the icon on the taskbar.
  • The start menu's search bar is now the same size as the start menu all apps' search bar.
  • The Recycle Bin's Icon has now been fixed to be like current Windows 11 releases
    (Context Menus)
  • Right-clicking the desktop/file explorer will have a bigger, expandable option menu.
  • The Display Settings button will now direct you to the correct settings page in Settings.
  • Submenus are available for the View, Sort by, and New buttons.
  • The shutdown button doesn't exist on the main desktop context menus now.
    (Paint App)
  • The paint app is now working after it was tested with the new kernel.
  • You can only draw in the white canvas. You will see the change in color to show where you can draw (and what will only be saved -coming in future builds)
    (File Explorer)
  • Added new pages (open up the Desktop Folder, Documents Folder, Downloads Folder ,etc) to represent the folders of the file system.
  • The Quick Access folders (home) now have labels below the icon.
    (Terminal)
  • Removed the 'wondering' settings icon near the control buttons (the close button)

[1662]

  • Improved spacing between the apps and features on the taskbar.
  • You can now click on 'Taskbar Settings' when right clicking on the taskbar. It will open the taskbar settings page.
  • As seen in build 1661, there is now a shutdown screen (that will soon stop winbatchx services too) and a revisited login screen.
  • Certain apps were not executable in WinBatchX Builds 1660 and 1661. They are now fixed.
  • There is now an outline to the icons on the desktop.
  • There are some back-end windowed mode fixes- including connecting the current looping of the windoed mode app to the main kernel.
  • An expermental 'no-lock-screen-background' is in this build.
  • The bug 'The system cannot find the drive specified' is spammed each time it is called via the kernel. It's now fixed throughout this build.
  • Plenty of in-code changes to IF statements. '==' were swapped out for 'EQU' for easier reading on code.
  • Adjusted the word 'Recycle Bin' on the desktop. Centering words is not actually working at this time, so new files in the future on the - desktop could be put on the left.
  • The 'About' Section of Settings is slightly more developed with more infomation about your running computer.
  • 'data-settings.bat' has new configuration settings for the Settings App.
  • Some changes in the boot process was made for new personalization settings.
  • Parts of the settings app will show up after closing the Windowed Mode App. The bug is now fixed.
  • The context menu for the destkop will only open once. This will be applied through the entire build in 1663.
  • Fixed a possible crash on login when clicking on letters from the keyboard while on the lock screen.
  • Fixed a bug where the start menu did not show search due to adding system themes.
  • Clicking on the start menu's search bar will now open up the search feature.
  • Users should not see any other apps techinally ghost 'running' behind while WinBatchX is on the destkop.
  • The windowed mode app is no longer at the bottom of the WinBatchX batch file. It is above the WinBatchX Applications list (simpily above the notepad app)

[1661]

  • The photos app has been 'reiconed' from Windows 11 Developer Builds.
  • There's a small demostration of a windowed mode app for WinBatchX! It will appear when you join the desktop.
  • Windowed Mode: Due to the ongoing changes for WinBatchX, all apps will be imported to a windowed-mode prototype. You will be able to move settings, calendar, file explorer, etc but will not have images due to the command line. If you pull the app to full screen, you will see the images.
  • There is more space between menu buttons when right-clicking to open a context menu.
  • Using 'f8' for disabled parts of settings instead of 'f7', as it causes accessibility reading issues
  • Quantum Kernel number bumped to 0.5.1.
  • Changed many of the variables and labels in boot
  • The NI folder was renamed back to the System Folder
  • There are new GUI files in the System Folder
  • Changed many of the image names in the BMP folder.
  • AT least 50 other minor changes, fixes or improvements not listed
Assets 3