FriendSh3ep1.1.337 1.1.337

Mastodon client for AmigaOS

Short:        Mastodon client for AmigaOS
Author:       krabobmkd
Uploader:     victorien ferry free fr
Type:         comm/net
Version:      1.1.337
Replaces:     comm/net/FriendSh3ep*
Requires:     68030, AmigaOS 3.9 or 3.2, Internet stack, AmiSSL v5, EmojiGear v6
Architecture: m68k-amigaos >= 3.9

------------------------ Version 1.1.337 29/09/2026

 New features:
 
  - The reason for this app to be slow on lower config is it decodes (and may remap)
    images all the times. An option was added to only decode thumbnails when they
    are clicked.
  - That "BlurHash" mastodon thing to be displayed while waiting image is supported.
     This is about displaying 4x4 color rectangles of the average colors of the image
    that will be displayed when available. Make the app even more super classy.
  - If the Media thumbnail is for a video, now a video icon will tag it. Also, opening
   the thumbnail in the "Media View", then allows to download the 
   full-featured .mp4 file: there's a menu action for that.
   
   Great timing, because "MintVID" 1.4 have just been released for Amiga OS3, and
   you can perfectly play Mastodon's .mp4 videos with it at full rate on piStorm/Vampire/UAE.
     
 - mouse pointer image will change when hovering links, if OS3.2 and mouse correctly
     configured for this in Sys:Prefs/Pointer.
 - "Toot" text edition now has menu actions to transform texts in Bold, italic, and 
   things: Toot texts doesnt have such features on their own, but Unicode allows
   tricking this with specific characters initialy intented for Math notations.
   We now provide those characters in the EmojiGear 6 font package, so this is
   possible. You can really do super neat toot text layouting with all that, better
   than most existing clients if you ask me.
 - You now can find a Emoji or folkloric character using its hexadecimal code in
   the Emoji Box (which itself provides tons of emojis and things...) 
 - Now server is checked for "New notifications" each n seconds, that is the previously 
   unused "server check delay" in the configuration. Notification button aspect will
   change if, let's say a friend call, or someone favorite your toot, or something. 
   
 - For thumbnails and icons, Mastodon supports and send Gif,Png,Jpeg and WebP image 
   formats. If you are an average OS3 user, you may have corresponding "datatypes" 
   installed for the 3 first. It is now advertised in the .guide that you may install 
   a WebP picture datatype from Oliver Robert's "Warp Datatypes", that provides the
   missing WebP format. Installing this will make all image displayed.
   https://www.warpdt.co.uk/webp.php  
   Also note this is "Shareware like 30 years ago" and free for one month. 
   (Note you can use another webp datatype if available or code your own.)
 
 - the last reason why an image wouldnt be displayed is the way Mastodon servers
   caches other server's images in a cache for just a while. Now if 
   this happens we show a "image no more available on server cache" message.
   So there is no more "Why isnt this image displayed ?" mystery.
   That one is specific to mastodon, not this Amiga client.
    
 Corrections:
 
 - Optimisations on boot and theme switching. Starting the App doesnt 
   "glitch the windows for seconds" when opening anymore and takes less CPU. 
 - More OS3.9 compatible (window size issues, my gosh OS3.9 has plenty BOOPSI bugs!)
 - Regular icon when iconized.  
 - We now rely on EmojiGear 6, which means version 6 for utf8rastport.library
   for text rendering, and unitexteditor.gadget v6 for text edition. 
   Since this version, ttf file resources and 8bit pixel modes remap tables are 
   shared between "text rendering contexts", which takes less memory
   and less CPU computations, accelerating app inits, and text size change. 
   This is an invisible but important rewrite for both FriendSh3ep and EmojiGear.
 
------------------------ Version 1.0.1 24/08/2026

 Layouting bugs came up in the toot view with last minute evolutions,
It needs correction in both FriendSh3ep and UniTextEditor.gadget,
So you will need to upgrade EmojiGear to 5.3 for full correction, again.
Sorry !

------------------------- Version 1.0  22/08/2026

 FriendSh3ep, a Mastodon / Fediverse client for Amiga OS 3.2
 Finally also for OS3.9.

 Mastodon is a free, open, decentralised alternative to the 
 usual walled-garden social networks: 
 no ads, no biased algorithm, no single company owning your
 data, moderation decided per server. 
 
 FriendSh3ep is a native Amiga client for it, 
 with full Unicode/emoji rendering and real image/audio previews.

 Needed to work:

  - AmigaOS 3.9 or 3.2, a 68030 50Mhz should be OK, 
    a 68060 or better is, well, better.
    Relies on picture.datatype a lot. 
  - A fast Internet stack (Miami, AmiTCP, RoadShow...).
  - AmiSSL v5 (the more recent, the better) it's on Aminet.
  - EmojiGear v5.3, for modern fonts, emoji rendering
    and text editor.

 Optional but used if present:

  - AHI + mpega.library, for mp3 audio playback (yes, you can share mp3s
    on Mastodon).
  - OpenURL and some browser , to open urls from links.

 As with any third-party Mastodon client, you create your account on your
 server's own web site; FriendSh3ep only ever gets a revocable token to it,
 authorised in your browser in two steps. You can connect several accounts,
 on several servers, and switch between them with one click -- or just
 browse anonymously without any account at all.

 And now for the glorious list of features FriendSh3ep brings:
 
  - a list of mastodon servers allowing anonymous connection is preconfigured:
    So you can watch Local/Deferated timeline out of the box with no account 
    after installation. 
  - Connect multiple accounts, and switch account and servers with one click.
  - Home, Local, Federated, User, Search and Notifications timelines.

  - Full modern toot rendering with attached images, audio and emoji.
  - Click hashtags, links and mentions -- actually click anything.
  - Favourite/unfavourite, reply, bookmark, modify and delete your own toots.
  - Attach images or audio/video file to a toot (gif/jpg/png, mp3/ogg/mp4).
  - Word and hashtag search; search, follow and unfollow accounts.
  - "Autoscroll Play" mode: sit back and let the timeline scroll itself.

  - Switchable UI themes (fonts, colours, button skins):
    themes stands in the /themes directory and you can create one yourself !
    watch HowToCreateATheme.gif and "style.txt" file in themes.

  (since 1.0:)
 - Polls: You can create polls with a special window, and vote for them,
   see the result.  
  - BookMarks: you can now set and unset bookmarks on toots,
   and view them in the new Bookmark page. Note If that page is viewed,
   its fill a special cache under user dir, and
   then you will be able to watch your bookmarked toots offline.
 - News page ! The list of "Most shared news from news website, on the
   last day, on the visible federation." Which is the best rational way
   to hierarchise information I have ever seen. 
 - Translation engine: if a toot is written in another language than your 
  locale settings, and your server allow translation, you'll have a button 
  to translate it to your own language on the fly.
  This is amazing and works even with japanese messages. 
 - When writting a toot, you can specify the language in which you write,
   it will allow translation for other users.
 - You can block/ Unblock users and servers, and see the list of blocked ones.
 - You can see the list of who faved or boosted your toot.
 - Search page allow to get informations about a given mastodon server,
   their limits, their rules, and if they allow translation.

 About corrections:
 
  - If you have EmojiGear5.1 you should upgrade to 5.2 or you will have
   glitches in the poll window setup.
  - for those who tested the 0.8 versions from github, many corrections 
    has been done for this releases.


 License is LGPLv2, sources and project page:
 https://github.com/krabobmkd/FriendSh3ep 
 
 Releases pages:
 https://github.com/krabobmkd/FriendSh3ep/releases
 
 Bug reports and features requests:
 https://github.com/krabobmkd/FriendSh3ep/issues