History & Changelog

Version 2.18.2 — Live Radio Integration & Site UX Enhancements

April 2026

New

• Added a global live radio status bar in the site header, displaying the currently playing track and providing quick access to the live stream.
• Introduced a dedicated /live page acting as a stable entry point to the YouTube live stream.

Improvements

• Improved overall integration between the website and the live radio system.
• Enhanced user experience by making the live stream more visible and accessible across all pages.

Maintenance

• Minor internal optimizations related to live radio data retrieval and caching in the header.

Version 2.18.1 — Live Radio Stability & Request System Improvements

April 2026

Fixes

• Fixed an issue where the live radio stream could become temporarily silent during track transitions under specific conditions.
• Fixed incorrect waiting time estimates when submitting a radio request during special segments.

Improvements

• Improved overall reliability of live stream transitions between tracks.
• Refined the request scheduling logic to better reflect actual playback order.
• Enhanced accuracy of estimated waiting times for user-submitted requests.

Maintenance

• Internal adjustments to the live radio system to improve stability and prevent edge-case conflicts between special segments and user requests.

Version 2.18.0 — Live Radio Requests & Public Interface

April 2026

New

• Introduced a new Live Radio Requests feature, allowing users to submit playlists to be played on the live radio stream.
• Added a dedicated public interface to search, select, and submit tracks directly from the database.
• Implemented support for custom admin segments, including special titles displayed on the stream overlay.
• Added real-time display of “requested by” and special segment titles on the live stream overlay.

Improvements

• Enhanced the radio system to handle user and admin requests with priority-based playback.
• Improved queue management for smoother integration of requested tracks into the live stream.
• Updated the main navigation menu for better clarity between Soundtrack Requests and Live Radio Requests.
• Refined the UI layout of the page selection menu with a consistent multi-column design.

User Experience

• Added an estimated time before live playback after submitting a request.
• Introduced a daily quota system for user requests with a small tolerance margin.
• Displayed unavailable tracks (already played in the last 24 hours) with clear visual feedback.

Maintenance

• Cleaned up and simplified global CSS by removing deprecated menu styles.
• Internal improvements to the radio daemon for better reliability and extensibility.

Version 2.17.4 — Radio Stability & Music Statistics Enhancement

March 2026

New

• Added a global duration counter for the entire audio library.
• Added a “Radio pool” duration showing the total playable content used by the live stream.

Improvements

• Improved radio stability by preventing problematic tracks from being played.
• The radio now dynamically adapts its playlist to ensure uninterrupted playback.
• Enhanced playlist management to maintain better consistency over long listening sessions.

Maintenance

• Improved internal data handling to keep the system lightweight and efficient over time.
• Various backend optimizations to ensure long-term reliability of the live radio.

Version 2.17.3 — Stream Overlay Performance Optimizations

March 2026

Improvements

• Optimized the live stream overlay to significantly reduce Chromium CPU usage during 24/7 operation.
• Simplified the overlay rendering logic and removed unnecessary animated effects.
• Reduced visual update frequency to improve long-term stability.
• Fine-tuned the video stream settings to lower CPU usage while preserving readability and overall visual quality.

Maintenance

• Reviewed long-running server resource usage for the live radio video service.
• Improved the stability and efficiency of the server-side stream pipeline for 24/7 broadcasting.

Version 2.17.2 — Stream Overlay Enhancements & Visual Polish

March 2026

New

• Introduced a fully dynamic radio stream overlay system.
• Added real-time “Now Playing” and “Coming Next” sections powered by the radio daemon.
• Implemented a live audio progress system with elapsed time, total duration, and progress bar.
• Added a rotating information banner with dynamic messages (e.g. uptime, site info).

Improvements

• Improved overall layout and alignment of overlay elements for better visual balance.
• Reworked cover image handling with smooth fade transitions between tracks.
• Simplified track display by removing inline duration for better readability.
• Enhanced background design with a modern Workbench-inspired gradient for improved visual identity.

Performance

• Optimized visual effects (progress bar, background, transitions) to remain lightweight and stream-friendly at low bitrate.
• Reduced unnecessary visual noise to preserve encoding quality and readability.

Version 2.17.1 — Radio Stability & Backend Improvements

March 2026

Improvements

• Improved stability of the 24/7 radio streaming system.
• The radio daemon now better handles long runtimes and avoids playback interruptions.
• More reliable track sequencing and playback continuity.

Maintenance

• Improved database resilience in long-running processes.
• Added automatic recovery mechanisms for backend connectivity issues.
• Strengthened fallback logic in track selection.

Version 2.17.0 — Live Radio System & Streaming Infrastructure

March 2026 - This update marks a major milestone in the evolution of Amiga Paradise, introducing a fully autonomous live radio system.

New

• Introduced a fully automated 24/7 live radio system powered by a custom audio daemon.
• Added real-time streaming to YouTube using a dynamic web-based overlay.
• Implemented a continuous playback system with seamless track transitions (no gaps or latency).

Improvements

• Replaced the previous OBS-based setup with a headless streaming pipeline for improved stability and reliability.
• Streaming now runs independently from any graphical environment (no VNC or desktop required).
• Automatic restart of the stream after crashes or server reboot.

Maintenance

• Server environment cleaned and optimized for long-term unattended operation.
• Reduced system dependencies by removing unused graphical components.
• Improved overall performance and resource usage during continuous streaming.

Version 2.16.5 — User Audio Options & Playlist Playback Improvements

March 2026

New

• Added user audio player options in the dashboard.
• Users can now choose whether playlists loop when the last track finishes.
• Added selectable audio output modes: Stereo 100% (original), Stereo 75%, Stereo 50%, and Mono.

Improvements

• Audio player preferences are now saved per user and automatically reused across all player pages.
• Updated the main software page player, the custom playlist player, and the popup player to respect the selected playback options.
• Improved listening comfort for headphone users by allowing reduced stereo separation without modifying the original audio files.

Maintenance

• Added safe fallback handling for missing or empty audio option values.
• Kept the new player settings compatible with the existing playlist system and current site architecture.

Version 2.16.4 — Photo Caption Support (People Pages)

February 2026

Enhancements

• Added support for photo captions on People / Groups pages.
• Caption now displayed under profile photos on people.php.
• Admin interface updated to manage photo captions directly.

Maintenance

• Minor internal adjustments to support the new field in insert/update operations.

Version 2.16.3 — Box Art Illustrators (New gamedetail field)

February 2026

• New: Updated the Software Detail Page to display a new “Box Art by” section, with clickable links to illustrator profiles.
• Maintenance: Updated the admin workbench to support the new field.

Version 2.16.2 — Threaded Comments & Notifications Expansion

January 2026

New

• Threaded comments are now available on News posts, with full replies support (including replies to replies).
• News comments now trigger notifications:
  • Admins are notified when users post new comments on news.
  • Users are notified when an admin replies to their news comments.
  • Admins are notified when users reply back to admin news comments.
• Admin “Comments Management” now includes a dedicated section for News comments, alongside title page comments.

Improvements

• The dashboard menu system was consolidated to ensure consistent section navigation across all dashboard panels.
• Notification indicators were extended:
  • Dashboard “Notifications Log” can now display a badge when new events are available.
  • Admin menu can display a badge for new comment activity.
• Notifications are now reliably cleared when users/admins open the relevant comment sections, including News comment threads.

Maintenance

• Adjusted the notification logs retention scheduler to prevent unintended log wipes and preserve recent entries.
• Database integrity improvements for threaded discussions (better handling of parent/child comment relationships).
• Minor internal cleanup and safety checks across comments + notifications endpoints.

Version 2.16.1 — Threaded Comments (Replies)

January 2026

New

• Users can now reply directly to existing comments, including replies to replies, enabling real discussion threads.
• Visual indentation and subtle background variations were added to clearly distinguish comment hierarchies.
• New comment replies now trigger real-time notifications for the concerned users.
• Administrators are notified of new comments posted on title pages.

Improvements

• The comments system was internally refactored to support threaded conversations without affecting existing comments.
• The Notifications Log now displays both user and admin notifications in a unified view for administrators.
• Notifications are automatically marked as read when visiting the relevant sections (comments, admin pages).

Maintenance

• Minor internal cleanup and adjustments to ensure consistency between comments, notifications, and dashboard indicators.

Version 2.15.0 — Notifications System & User Requests Improvements

January 2026

New

• Added a real-time notification system for user requests (admin replies & new requests).
• Notifications are now displayed directly on the user avatar and relevant dashboard/admin sections.
• Introduced a persistent Notifications Log in the user dashboard to keep track of past events.

Improvements

• Notifications are now automatically marked as read when visiting the related section.
• Dashboard navigation now supports direct links to specific sections (URL anchors).
• Improved reliability and consistency of request-related notifications across the site.

Maintenance

• Internal cleanup and refactoring to prepare the notification system for future features (comments, news, etc.).

Version 2.14.0 — User Requests System

January 2026

• Added a new Request system allowing users to submit soundtrack requests and report missing tracks.
• Requests can be created, edited, and tracked directly from the user dashboard.
• Each request displays its current status (Pending / Approved / Rejected) along with any admin reply.
• Requests are reviewed manually by the Amiga Paradise team.
• Improved dashboard navigation with clearer request history and status indicators.
• Internal admin tools were updated to handle request review and moderation.

Version 2.13.0 — Dashboard, Admin & Server Monitoring

January 2026

• Added a new Account Info section to the user dashboard (account creation date, masked email, account status, daily download quota usage, favorites, playlist tracks, comments, and ratings).
• Improved dashboard readability with better spacing and row styling in the new account table.
• Enhanced download management by switching from file-count limits to a fair bandwidth-based daily quota, with accurate logging per user.
• Refreshed parts of the admin interface for better usability and maintenance workflows (technical adjustments).
• Performed routine server maintenance, including a kernel upgrade and system reboot to ensure the server is fully up to date and stable.

Version 2.12.0 — Dashboard & Documentation Improvements

January 2026

• Refactored the dashboard into independent sections for improved maintainability and future expansion.
• Improved the internal dashboard structure to prepare for upcoming features.
• Added a new Dashboard Help page explaining how to use favorites, playlists, profile settings, and account features.
• Introduced a “What’s new?” section on the dashboard home, displaying the latest changelog entry.
• Centralized and cleaned up the FAQ, removing outdated information and aligning it with current site features.
• Improved navigation consistency and fixed minor layout inconsistencies across pages.

Version 2.11.2 — Download Improvements

January 2026

• Improved music downloads: archives are now generated on demand instead of being stored permanently.
• Reduced storage usage by removing the need to upload and maintain duplicate ZIP files.
• Added clearer error messages when a download cannot be prepared.
• Improved user navigation by jumping directly to the Downloads section when an issue occurs.

Version 2.11.1 — Documentation & Layout Improvements

January 2026

• Added a public History page documenting the evolution of Amiga Paradise.
• Improved layout consistency across static pages (FAQ, legal notices, external resources).
• Fixed minor CSS issues affecting page alignment and responsiveness.
• Updated footer navigation to include direct access to the History page.

Version 2.11.0 — Infrastructure & Stability Improvements

October 2025

• Migration of the website to a dedicated server.
• Improved overall performance and reliability.
• Better handling of emails and notifications.
• Security and stability enhancements.
• Preparation for long-term maintenance and future growth.

Version 2.10.0 — Administration & Maintenance

September 2025

• New administration tools for site management.
• Improved user management features.
• Enhanced download statistics and activity monitoring.
• General maintenance tools to help detect and prevent data inconsistencies.
• Foundation work for future moderation features.

Version 2.9.0 — Security & Quality Improvements

September 2025

• Improved protection against abusive or invalid actions.
• Safer download system.
• Better validation of user inputs across the site.
• General cleanup and reliability improvements.
• Improved handling of edge cases and data consistency.

Version 2.8.0 — News System

August 2025

• Introduction of a news system.
• Public news pages with structured content.
• Comment support on news articles.
• Moderation tools for administrators.
• Unified visual integration with the rest of the site.

Version 2.7.0 — Community Features

August 2025

• User rating system for software entries.
• Per-user ratings with abuse prevention.
• Display of average ratings.
• Comment system on software pages.
• Reporting and moderation tools.

Version 2.6.0 — Playlists

July 2025

• Custom playlists for registered users.
• Ability to add and remove tracks.
• Drag-and-drop reordering of playlist tracks.
• Playlist playback directly on the site.
• Playlist management from the user dashboard.

Version 2.5.0 — User Dashboard & Profiles

July 2025

• Personal user dashboard.
• Profile customization.
• Avatar selection.
• Favorites system for:
• Software
• People
• Groups
• Developers / Publishers
• Real-time updates when managing favorites.

Version 2.4.0 — User Accounts & Authentication

July 2025

• User registration and login system.
• Email confirmation during registration.
• Password recovery via email.
• Extended login sessions (“remember me” feature).
• Role distinction between regular users and administrators.

Version 2.3.0 — People, Groups & Credits

July 2025

• Dedicated pages for people and groups.
• Developer and publisher listings.
• Clear association between software and its creators.
• Improved credit visibility (composers, groups, studios).
• Visual previews when available.

Version 2.2.0 — Audio & Media Features

June 2025

• Integrated audio player.
• Multi-track playback for supported entries.
• Dynamic playlists generated from available audio files.
• Improved handling of missing or incomplete media.
• More consistent audio presentation across the site.

Version 2.1.0 — Database & Navigation

June 2025

• Centralized database browsing system.
• Alphabetical navigation.
• Category-based browsing (games, demos, cracks, music disks).
• Sorting and filtering options.
• Dedicated detail pages for each software entry.

Version 2.0.0 — Project Relaunch

June 2025

• Complete reboot of Amiga Paradise.
• New codebase and modernized architecture.
• Unified dark theme.
• Reimport and cleanup of historical data.
• Public reopening of the website.

Version 1.0 — First Public Release

2011 – 2022

• First online version of Amiga Paradise.
• Public software database.
• Early focus on games, demos and scene groups.
• Gradual growth until the project went offline.

Project Origins

1997

• Beginning of the Amiga Paradise project.
• Initial goal: preserve, document and archive Amiga software and music.
• Long-term personal project before going online.