QPAC2 is a set of utilities written by Qjump which provide various small programs which run under the QJUMP pointer environment and are controlled using either the keyboard or a mouse.
Its various utilities replace those which appeared in the earlier QRAM.
QPAC2 includes the Pointer Environment and adds the following utilities which are all accessed from the QPAC2 button frame (normally a bar across the top of the screen with various buttons in it to start programs):
Sysdef - This allows you to set printer and mouse settings, plus alter the default data and program default directories, as well the destination device.
Things Menu - (This can be a little hard to understand as a 'Thing' is a bit of code in memory which can be called using a standard calling block - it can be a device driver, a program, or a pop-up menu) - This menu allows you examine what is using each thing and the resources that thing is using (such as channels); you can also execute a thing or Wake it.
Jobs Menu - This allows you to examine jobs (channels and things used by the Job, memory usage), pick a job, remove a job and alter the job's priority
Hotkeys Menu - This allows you to view all defined hotkeys and execute the hotkey directly.
Channels Menu - This allows you to view all channels open on the sytem and find out what is using them - you can also close the channels directly or remove any Job which owns the channel
Files Menu - This is perhaps the most powerful menu, allowing you to get directories of devices (and sub-directories), copy, move, rename or delete files, view or print files, or execute them. When executing files, you can specify whether they are to be unlocked (can overwrite anything else on screen), need a guardian window (to ensure that all of the screen used by the program is cleared and protected when switching between jobs), or if it is a Psion program (ie. needs to be prevented from grabbing all of the QL's available memory). File lists can be sorted using a number of options, and you can view file statistics for each file.
QPAC2 also installs a RAM disk and printer spooler, plus the ability to make an image of a microdrive cartridge (by using FORMAT ram1_mdv1 for example).
After Tony Tebby left the QL scene it was further developed and updated for current SMSQ/E systems by Marcel Kilgus.
QPAC2 has been released as freeware in early 2014.
Title: QPAC2
Language: 68000 Machine Code
Author: Tony Tebby
Publisher: QJUMP
Year of Publication: 1988
Platforms Suitable for: All Sinclair QLs and Compatibles
Commercial Status: Freeware
Price as at May 1987: Unknown
Reviews: Unknown
Sources Available from: Unknown
Latest Version available from: Marcel Kilgus website