page%ulowell.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA (10/18/85)
From: Bob Page <page%ulowell.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA> I have reason to believe that this posting (and all the others I've posted) never got through to Usenet, so here it is again, a different way this time. Sorry if you're seeing it twice. ~Bob --------------------------------- Date: Wed, 9 Oct 85 19:00 EDT Last night I went through the last month's worth of postings and decided it was again my turn. In the future I'll post more often instead of sending large chunks such as this one. Bear with me. First, some answers: * In reorganizing your workbench icons and file drawers, you can use the 'extended selection' feature (documented only in an 'oh, by the way' fashion in the Intro to Amiga manual). You can select multiple objects by holding down the shift key as you click the object. Note that if you double click any of the objects, the FIRST object selected will be opened. * Snapshot will not work if the .info files for the objects are not writeable. That is, you have to have W and/or D permissions on the .info files to change them (probably W, I'm not sure because I just changed both of them). This caused a lot of (human) head scratching! Note that you can't change R, W, E protections from the WorkBench. * Printing notepads: Use the DRAFT option for PRINT AS and it will not print the window, just the text (Unfortunately w/no font info). * You can look at non-text files with the command: TYPE filename OPT H which prints it in hex (and 7-bit ASCII, where possible). * You cannot use ASSIGN to make search paths. The AmigaDOS user manual almost says this when it says that the assignment is to the DISK, not the DRIVE, and a 'ASSIGN LIST' confirms it -- the output actually specifies A disk name and directory name. The assignment struct would have to be changed to accomodate a list. Unless... * The next release (two weeks, more or less) of software will have some enhancements to existing tools, like new features in the Notepad, a better Clock (that doesn't lose time?), etc. * Metacomco DID do Lattice C. Version 3.03 of the compiler is out (I don't have it) which fixes, among other things, some "bad bugs" in the math library. It will NOT be in the next release, since even Commodore does not have it yet. * I got the Intro to Amiga manual with my developer's kit, and ABasiC. The dealer-bought systems also come with ABasiC, not with Amiga Basic. * You can get documentation on WACK and some of the other tools from the old Rom Kernal manual, or call Commodore Support and they'll send you some photocopies of the documentation for "Hacking With Tiny WACK." * Commodore is setting up their own developer's BBS in PA since Technical support has been moved from CA. I don't have a time frame on this. * The IconEd program is being rewritten. The old version disregarded memory usage, didn't free memory, and generally was a nasty beast, so Commodore took it off of the V1.0 tools set. Unfortunately, they also left off some others, like SetSerial, that are useful. These tools will show up in a future release, but don't count on the NEXT release. Some Questions: * We have transfered files from the IBM PC to the Amiga through the serial port as documented, with READ (Amiga) and CONVERT (IBM). But the read fails on large (more than two buffer) files, with the Amiga complaining about 'device timeout' or some such thing. Anyone know why? * How does one get on BIX? I found no mention of it in the issue of BYTE that I have. Do you have to be a subscriber? * Has ANYONE used the (current) Amiga developer's bulletin board? Any reactions? This is an independent company, not affiliated with Amiga or Commodore, and my guess is that Commodore will dump the CA board as soon as theirs is up, but I'd like to see what's available anyway. Some Opinions: * The Nov/Dec issue of AmigaPropaganda -- I mean AmigaWorld -- describes the IBM PC compatibility option and speculates that there may be some Apple II and C-64 emulators coming eventually. Howbout a Mac emulator? * By the way, CW Communications was contracted by Commodore to come out with a magazine devoted to the Amiga (it's AmigaWorld), that's why you aren't reading any negative things about the machine. At least with close ties to Commodore, there should be current news. * I too, am not happy with the AmigaDOS CLI, and am doing something to remedy the situation. I'll soon have an upward-compatible shell written that provides such niceties as search paths, aliases, history, pipes and function key support. It would be nice to have a full-blown csh with scripts (and a Unix-like directory naming structure), but for now, I'm thinking about compatibility (and getting it finished!). Unfortunately, Commodore is not letting the source out for the CLI... Again, sorry about the length of this. It just started coming... :-) ~Bob page%ulowell.csnet@csnet-relay.arpa POB 283, Lowell MA 01853 617/452-5000 x2233