Info-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU (Info-IBMPC Digest) (01/12/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sunday, January 11, 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 2
This Week's Editor: Richard Gillmann
Today's Topics:
PAF Genealogical Program - Review
Interrupt driven Parallel Port
XT-286 BIOS Change
TCP/IP Interoperability Conference
Undocumented INT 2E Problems
TimeLine Project Management Software (2 msgs)
Brooklyn Bridge Serial Server
Write Protect Notches
CodeView & Interrupt Handling
Re: Disk Duplication
SIMCGA CGA Simulator for Hercules
Re: RAM above 640K
SIMTEL20 News (2 msgs)
NANSI.CAT Corrupted
Today's Queries:
MacIntosh to IBM Conversion Query
Centralized Backup Facility Query
LEX.C Query
CTTY Query
Turbo Jr Query
PC1 and Hard Disk Query
DW3 Speedup Query
Keytronics KB5151AT&T Keyboard Query
Laserjet to PostScript Conversion Wanted
16 Index Isam Cobol Wanted
JFORMAT for 1.2 MB Disks Wanted
Shirt Pocket Phone Lister Wanted
Looking for Pascal compiler written in Pascal
3Com Documentation Wanted
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ames!rutgers!princeton!allegra!ulysses!gamma!mb2c!jnj@cad.Berkeley.EDU
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 06:53:29 est
Subject: PAF Genealogical Program - Review
The following article was posted to net.roots (soc.roots now) about a month
ago.
I have had the Personal Ancestral File (PAF) Program for about two
months, and would like to share my views with you. While I would like to see
some improvements, I am impressed with this package. Cost is $35 for the
lastest (2.0) version, written in C. Some notes from the brochure:
PBGS1176 MS-DOS 2 disk drives, DOS 2.0 or above, 256K memory,
printer.
PRINTER Compressed print:(17 characters per inch) for
8 1/2-by-11-inch printouts
or
Elite print:(12 characters per inch) for
14-by-8 1/2-inch printouts.
*This program will use an 80 column format and will require a monitor instead
of a TV set.
Call (801) 531-2584 for information on availability of the programs.
The following is largely taken from THEIR brochure with my NOTES.
PAF is designed to simplify genealogical record keeping.
It offers three different programs:
1. Family Records
The FR program lets you enter information about a person and then
link that person with a spouse and children.
* Name (surname and up to three given names)
**NOTE** I use the third (second middle name) for nicknames.
You can enclose the name in parenthesis if you like. Each time
you enter a new name, whether it is a person or place, you must
enter it twice, to verify spelling. Enter a name with paren-
thesis the same way twice and it will be accepted.
* Title, if any (Dr., etc.) **NOTE** also Jr., Rev.
* Birth date and place and christening date and place
**NOTE** If there is a birth date, it is used when you print
the pedigree forms, otherwise, it uses the christening date.
The date is always displayed DD MMM YYYY, no matter how it is
entered. The date accepts some abbreviations such as ABT, AFT,
BEF.
There are four positions for place, separated by commas. I
just use the first three, i.e. 'Troy,Oakland,MI' and use the
Notes option for the specific place within the city/township.
*Death and burial date and places. **NOTE** Same as Birth/Christening.
*Spouse, marriage date, and place of marriage.
*LDS ordinance dates and places (optional). **NOTE** I don't include
this in my printouts, but I know some non-Mormons who do use
it. They feel you can't have too much information.
*User-assigned I.D. number. **NOTE** I haven't used this option.
Notes. In addition to recording the previous information, PAF enables
you to enter historical information or source reference notes for each
individual - valuable background information every genealogist wants to keep.
Storage. You may store this information on a diskette or hard disk.
The system assigns a unique number (called a Record Identification Number or
RIN) for each individual, aiding information retrieval.
Family grouping. The program enables you to group families together,
linking you with your spouse, children, parents, and siblings (and repeating
that for each generation).
Pedigree searches. As you enter more and more information and establish
the links from family to family, the program also allows you to search your
pedigree lines on a given diskette and either display or print them in a chart.
Printouts. The program can print blank or filled-in pedigree charts and family
group record forms in either letter or legal size. For Latter-day Saints the
program can also produce completed name submission forms for temple ordinances
as well as lists of persons whose temple work has not been completed. All the
information entered on any person can be printed out, including history notes.
**NOTE** The letter/legal size depends on your printer and if it has compress
mode. I use the 8 1/2 x 11. Either way you can have the form printed with or
without LDS information (Baptism, Sealing, Endowment), but this information is
automatically printed on blank forms. It's nice to run off a pedigree chart
with ANYONE as #1, to be used in correspondence to family members. Also, you
can specify to have the surname print in all UPPER CASE or in Upper/Lower case.
Sort capability. The system will sort and print lists - such as
names of individuals ordered alphabetically, by RIN or by User-assigned I.D.
**NOTE** also by MRIN; the Marriage RIN of the family unit.
2. Research Data Filer. **NOTE** I haven't used this section yet. The manual
states that you would use this program to store information about a group of
people not necessarily related to you. Say you found a tax list in an area
you MIGHT have people near. You could enter all this information via this
program and massage the data many different ways. There is no way to convert
information from this program to FR. They say this will not take the place of
a word processor.
A separate program to help you manage large volumes of original
research data.
The "Research Data Filer" does not teach you research principles or
strategies; however, it does help organize research data so that you can
analyze it more efficiently.
3. GEDCOM (Genealogical Data Communications). **NOTE** I haven't
used this section yet. Used for trading PAF information with a relative.
This communications program performs the following:
Converts all or part of your Family Records data to be sent to another
PAF user into a transmission data format.
Transmits converted data to another PAF user.
Receives data from another PAF user.
Converts data received from another PAF user to the FR format for use
on the receiving computer.
GEDCOM can also be used to copy a portion of one of your data diskettes
onto another one.
**END OF BROCHURE** **END OF BROCHURE** **END OF BROCHURE** **END OF BROCHURE**
The new release (2.0) has been re-written in C. I did not have the
prior release (1.0), so I can't judge how much this has affected the speed.
Their is a utility to convert from the data from 1.0 to 2.0. It comes on
three (3) diskettes, and has one (1) bound document.
As I said, I am pleased. I have entered about 1200 individuals or about
350 family units. Of course this data has been compiled over the last dozen
years; I am only transferring it from my present files to the computer.
For a new person this would be good because it helps you organize your
material, and for a more experienced researcher, it forces you to dig through
your old files and put it all together.
To order, mail $35.00 for each program to:
Salt Lake Distribution Center
1999 West 1700 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84104
Make check payable to "Corporation of the President."
Jim Jackson C.G.R.S.
{epsilon!ihnp4}!mb2c!jnj
Disclaimer: I am not a Mormon, nor have any interest in this product other
than that of a satisfied customer.
------------------------------
From: ut-sally!utastro!bigtex!james@seismo.CSS.GOV
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 87 00:59:37 CST
Subject: Interrupt driven Parallel Port
IN article <8701020900.AA00372@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, Chris Schmandt wrote:
> From: Chris Schmandt <geek@MEDIA-LAB.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
>
> In the last digest, it was mentioned that it may not be possible
> to run a (parallel) printer under interrupts. Indeed, the Bios
> does not, nor does Dos. A couple of observations:
>
> Turns out the pulse is so short as it make it
> probably not possible to guarantee detection of all interrupts
> (i.e., new int comes in before the interrupt controller is reset
> and so the new int gets lost).
I friend of mine who wrote the Indigo Data Systems print spooler ran into
the same problem. The eventual solution was to use the clock interrupt to
pick missed interrupts. Since so many *are* missed, the software upped the
clock interrupt rate substantially (to less than 1ms I think) and sent out
characters whenever a parallel port interrupt came in or a clock interrupt
occured and the printer was ready. Unfortunately this scheme is rather
difficult to make work due to interaction from a number of programs that also
want to grab the hardware interrupt and not the software timer interrupt.
Nonetheless it can be done.
James R. Van Artsdalen ...!ut-sally!utastro!bigtex!james "Live Free or Die"
Voice: (512)-323-2675 Modem: (512)-323-2773 5300B McCandless, Austin TX 78756
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Jan 87 21:10 MST
From: DMGee@HIS-PHOENIX-MULTICS.ARPA
Subject: XT-286 BIOS Change
If the "enhanced XT" you are talking about that seems to have BIOS problems
is the XT 286, here is your answer, excerpted from PC Magazine, Dec 1986, p73
in the column "Inside Track" by John Dvorak:
"As of this writing it seems that there is over 50K of new (and as yet
undocumented code in the XT 286. The ROM is dated April 1986 and clearly
calls itself an AT when disassembled. IBM isn't going to sell many of these
machines ... but it will sell enough to get important feedback on the new
ROM. It's likely that this new ROM is the rumored super ROM with Topview
and multitasking hooks to be used by Advanced DOS 1.0 (to be called A-DOS,
as in A-Team, formerly called DOS 5.0)."
douglas m gee
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jan 1987 21:43:56 EST
Subject: TCP/IP Interoperability Conference
From: Dan Lynch <LYNCH@A.ISI.EDU>
From March 16-19,1987 there will be a technology forum held to teach
the details of how to build and run a network of multivendor computers.
TCP/IP is the glue protocol that allows you to ship files, manage email,
remotely login and build arbitrary applications among your PCs, Vaxen, Suns,
4300s, 3090s, Apollos, Apples, Crays, HPs, etc... This protocol suite was
originally developed by the Arpanet research community and has now
found a home among over 100 different suppliers of hardware and software.
NETBIOS over TCP/IP is now being offered by some vendors in strictly local
environments and a new NETBIOS Internetworking standard is being worked
on and will be reported on at the conference.
Tutorials on TCP/IP for mainframe and mini OSs will be given: Unix, VMS,
MVS and VM will be covered plus a tutorial on designing and operating
Internets (the joys of gateways). There will be 27 sessions with over
60 speakers and a heavy emphasis on user experiences and demands on
vendors.
The conference will be held in Monterey, CA and costs $650 plus $225 for
tutorials. Printed proceedings will be available at the start of the
conference. Full information is available by contacting me at Advanced
Computing Environments at 408-996-2042.
Dan Lynch
Disclaimer: Prejudiced??? Of course, I am running the conference and
spend my time educating folks on the virtues (and some pitfalls) of TCP/IP.
[I recommend this conference to anyone administering or planning networks,
particularly those who don't know what IP/TCP is all about. There are
numerous IP/TCP implementations for the PC. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 87 10:53 EDT
From: Peter Heitman <HEITMAN%cs.umass.edu@RELAY.CS.NET>
To: info-ibmpc@C.ISI.EDU
Subject: Undocumented INT 2E Problems
I have been using the undocumented INT 2E to set environment variables
in my parent's copy of the environment. (See Digest Issue V5 #92 for more
details on INT 2E if you are not sure what I'm talking about.)
Using INT 2E causes problems when the program is run in a batch file!
Apparently, when DOS is re-entered by INT 2E, it first performs the requested
function (SET sss=yyy), and then recognizes that a batch file is in process.
DOS then goes back to running the batch file, forgetting to return to the
caller! Besides never completing the program it has started, it also forgets
to release any memory allocated to the program. This causes large chunks of
memory to be lost for future use. This is a major problem with using INT 2E.
Could someone send me a source copy of a program that directly modifies
its parent's copy of the environment? The program should check to make sure
that it is not writing past the end of the memory block allocated for the
environment. Thanks!
Peter Heitman
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 87 13:39:49 est
From: preedy@nswc-wo.ARPA
Subject: TimeLine Project Management Software Query
I have heard of Timeline, but I haven't found any place to buy it. Do
you have any information on it.? It sounds very good since I have color
monitor and color printer. Thanks for the help.
Pat Reedy
------------------------------
Date: 7 Jan 87 03:24 GMT
From: afcctech @ KOREA-EMH
Subject: TimeLine Project Management Software
I found it offered on the Standard DOD Small Computer contract and
thru several software warehouses. The one I can find right off is
Soft Warehouse, 14580 Beltwood Parkway E#106, Dallas, TX 75234 (214) 387-
8264. Their price is $239 for Timeline 2.0.
Standard disclaimer (not employee etc, just satisfied customer)
M<ark Meaders, Comm Engineer (toot toot)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 87 11:21:33 EST
From: Chris Schmandt <geek@MEDIA-LAB.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu
Subject: Brooklyn Bridge Serial Server
A while ago I sent in a request for info about adding 3.5 inch drives to
a standard PC, for the purpose of exchanging files with a laptop. Thanks
to those who replied! In the mean time, I have come across another nice
product to facilitate file transfer. It is called "Brooklyn Bridge" by
White Crane Systems, a very small outfit in Georgia. It connects two
machines by serial port (null modem). One machine acts as a server
by running their program in foreground. The client machine operates
via installed device drivers.
In operation, the drives of the server simply appear as additional drives
on the client (you can also use printers on the server serial or parallel
ports). You can edit, copy, or execute off the remote drives. The nice
thing is that the file transfer is transparent and fast. They claim
something like 110 Kbaud; I verified at least 50 Kbaud and believe I
was limited by the speed of the 3.5 inch floppy on the client. (How
does one run at 110 Kbaud on a standard PC serial port? I thought they
were limited to 19.2K.)
Anyway, it seems very nice to me. It is described on p 10 of the 6 Jan.
PC Week. It lists for $130. White Crane is at 404-454-7911.
Standard disclaimers.
chris
------------------------------
From: rochester!kodak!grodberg@seismo.CSS.GOV (jeremy grodberg)
Subject: Write Protect Notches
Date: 7 Jan 87 01:00:32 GMT
Further info on write-protect notches: According to Peter(?) Norton,
some Compaq's disk drives test for a write-protect tab by looking for a
REFLECTION from a shiny tab. This means that disk without write-protect
notches (such as software distribution disks) and notches covered with
black tabs are NOT write protected on these drives. I read about this
in Norton's monthly column this summer, although I can't remember where or when
exactly.
-Jeremy Grodberg
------------------------------
From: microsof!mikeol@beaver.cs.washington.edu
Subject: CodeView & Interrupt Handling
Date: Tue Jan 6 17:07:41 1987
It's true that CodeView disables all interrupts at the
interrupt controller when single-stepping an instruction
on IBM machines. Thus if you single step an IN instruction
which accesses the interrupt controller, the value returned
will be 0xFF and not the true value you would expect. This
problem only occurs in version 1.00 and only when single-
stepping said instruction.
Here are two of the simplest ways to get around the problem.
1). Issue G IP+1 or G IP+2 depending on whether the
instruction is a one or two byte IN instruction.
This doesn't single-step the instruction, but
sets a temporary breakpoint at the next
instruction, and executes up to the breakpoint,
thus looking as if you just single-stepped.
2). If you accidentally single-step the IN instruction,
you can get the real value of the interrupt
controller by issuing I 0x21. This returns the
value of the port directly, and thus you can
change the value in the AX register by issuing
RAX=value. You can now continue single-stepping.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 87 15:56:41 ULG
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG12.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Re: Disk Duplication
To: William Pearson <PEARSON@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU>,
Info-IBMPC Digest <INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU>
I have seen a program called FASTCOPY. Basically, it works like the dos
DISKCOPY except that it does no reread the source disk. I can't tell where
it comes from, but that is a keyword to search for. I could search if needed.
It apparently is a hacked version of DISKCOPY, because it shows the bad habit
of rippling the first I/O error message to every successive copy, be it
successfull or not. So one has to restart to be sure.
As to the "fast" label, it takes a rough 45" for each copy. Based on drive
rotational speed and 3 spins/track required (format, write, verify), it is the
fastest one could get.
But there is another feature welcome: alternating the destination between
drives A and B. That would save the disk insertion time and approach the time
required for writing and sticking labels etc...
So I return the question. Anyone heard of that last feature?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 87 16:29:07 CST
From: C443170%UMCVMB.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Mike McClaskey)
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu.arpa
Subject: SIMCGA CGA Simulator for Hercules
As an owner of a PCs Ltd 8mHz AT clone w/clone Hercules card, I was very
interested in the discussion of the SIMCGA utility, purported to allow
CGA graphics applications to run on the Hercules. After a lot of searching,
I finally found it in the IBMSIG on The Source in a file called SIMCGA.ARC
(natch!). Un-arc'd, the file contains three small programs and a doc file:
SIMCGA.COM (2K, the basic TSR prog),SETMONO.COM and SETCGA.COM (tiny utils
for switching from CGA emulation to mono/Herc mode), and SIMCGA.DOC (2K of
documentation).
The good news is that I can now run many games and CGA applications on my
AT w/no modification save running SIMCGA. I've tried Ancient Art of War,
Bushido, Gato, MS-Flight Simulator, and many public domain games, as well
as Reflex set up for CGA, PC Paintbrush, and Clickart Personal Publisher.
Sublogic JET will NOT work (it's always picky), but all ohers I mentioned
work FINE. There are a couple of minor inconveniences: shadowing of images
and loss of mono character attributes at DOS (easily fixed by running
SETMONO, tho); moreover, note that no games will run that must boot
themselves (and that's most commercial arcade games, sadly). Otherwise,
this is an excellent program, one I highly recommend to all Herc users!
--Mike McClaskey, Univ. of MO-Columbia
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Jan 87 16:34:11 ULG
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG12.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Re: RAM above 640K
To: Mary Lou Frey <mlfrey@G.BBN.COM>,
Info-IBMPC Digest <INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU>
>My husband and I are the proud new owners of a Leading Edge Model D ...
>It came with 512K and we put in another bank of 256K chips.
>My question is: there is 128K that is unaccessible ...
Software aspect: The ROM BIOS does normally not care for more than 640K in
determining installed storage size. DOS, unless tricked, only considers one
contiguous segment whose size is an initialization parameter given by BIOS.
Hardware aspect: where goes RAM, be it on the mother board or extension card,
depends on the address decoding logic it uses. So Mary Lou's extra 128K might
as well go nowhere at all. It depends on her address decoding PROM.
Generally speaking, one can decode RAM at any address where nothing else is
installed. Decoding at the same address produces monkey talk on the machine bus
and may damage components on the long range. Decoding means the addresses where
the *buffers* talk. One card may take addresses even if no ram chip is plugged.
Architecture aspects: addresses A0000-C0000 are reserved for displays and
C0000-E0000 for extension (they say adapters) cards firmware. E0000-F0000 is
free for application roms extensions and generally free. At F0000-100000, one
finds the BIOS ROM and BASIC (if any).
But what talks in these areas depends on what display, hard disk etc... are
installed. It is pittily full of (discontiguous) gaps.
Practically: to find where things are, the best is to use DEBUG and issue the
D memory display or U disassemble at various addresses. e. g. D A000:0000.
Unassigned addresses will give either nonrepeating displays or the same
configuration for every byte. RAM will give parity checks, because normally not
initialized by BIOS. Never mind, reboot, do a store and you should reread
what you stored.
Installing a RAM disk: many exist, but it must accept a parameter telling
it at what address to go and preformat the area to avoid the parity checks
when mistakingly reading an unwritten sector.
I personnally plugged a standard IBM extension card configured (switched) for
128K at D0000 and revived a VDISK from my parked Z100 (ZDOS 2.0, not even
IBM compatible or the other way round if Zenith had happend to be called IBM).
I've been told of memory cards capable (or is it their software) of dynamically
filling every possible gap in the paticular memory configuration. The software
could use these gaps for hard disks, but even trick DOS and modify its
allocation tables for more than 640K. (This will not give a program more
than an initial 640K, but some will be able to acquire the extra memory
later on.
I'd like to be rewarded of the time devoted to this note by information
about this last point.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 1987 21:24 MST
From: Keith Petersen <W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
To: Norman Ramsey <norman@LASSPVAX.TN.CORNELL.EDU>
Subject: ARC 5.12 at SIMTEL20
Date: Monday, 5 January 1987 10:14-MST
From: Norman Ramsey <norman at lasspvax.tn.cornell.edu>
To: Keith Petersen <W8SDZ at SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Re: ARC 5.12???
I just ftp'ed ARC51.COM.1 from simtel20 . I found it in
PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>. When I unpacked it the version I got was 5.10.
Am I looking in the wrong place?
No, you are not looking in the wrong place. That was my fault. I
thought I had ARC512 there as ARC51.COM (wonder why they distributed
it that way? Sure makes for lots of confusion!).
The correct ARC51.COM (which unpacks itself to ARC version 5.12 EXE
and DOC) is now available. Thanks for calling it to my attention.
Filename Type Bytes CRC
Directory PD:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>
ARC51.COM.2 BINARY 59520 4F6BH
--Keith Petersen
Arpa: W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA
Uucp: {bellcore,decwrl,harvard,lll-crg,ucbvax,uw-beaver}!simtel20.arpa!w8sdz
GEnie Mail: W8SDZ
------------------------------
Date: Wed 7 Jan 87 00:30:51-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <WANCHO@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Subject: ARC/MARC/XARC and a new SQ/USQ for TOPS-20
To: INFO-CPM@AMSAA.ARPA, INFO-MICRO@BRL.ARPA, INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU
The TOPS-20 versions of the MSDOS ARC program (based on the 5.12
source release and recent bug fixes from the Unix world) and a new
TOPS-20 version of the SQ/USQ utilities (based on the version 3
update of the SQU-PORT release) are now available from SIMTEL20.ARPA.
Both sets require the latest version of the TOPS-20 KCC C compiler
and runtimes. For information on the availability of KCC, send a
message to INFO-KCC-REQUEST@SRI-NIC.ARPA. Both sets also require
the files LIBT20.H and LIBT20.REL, which reside in the C: directory
here, if it is necessary to rebuild any of the programs. Ready-to-
run executables are provided in their respective directories here.
Both sets of sources contain TOPS20 conditionals to make the changes
easy to identify. Some of the changes may be applicable to some
Unix environments. It should be possible to eventually merge these
changes with those versions being circulated for the Unix environments
so that one consistent set of sources can be used to build these
programs.
Sources, "make" files, and executables are in PD:<MISC.T20-ARC> and
PD:<MISC.T20-SQUSQ> here on SIMTEL20.ARPA. Bug reports concerning
these versions should be sent via netmail directly to me.
(Sources for LIBT20 will be available at a later date, when I quit
adding features and catch up with the documentation.)
--Frank
------------------------------
Date: Saturday, 10 January 1987 11:03:43 EST
From: Curt.Galloway@faraday.ece.cmu.edu
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu
Subject: NANSI.CAT Corrupted
The file NANSI.CAT in the INFO-IBMPC library seems to have some garbage in
the middle of it; I get the same garbage every time I copy it with FTP. It
consists mostly of nulls (^@) and some random characters.
Could someone check to see if that file is corrupted? Thanks.
--Curt Galloway
curt@faraday.ece.cmu.edu
[You're right -- anyone got a clean copy? -rag]
------------------------------
Date: 2 Jan 87 06:57 CST
From: MSgt Robert L. Stevenson <DOET.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA>
Subject: MacIntosh to IBM Conversion Query
To: Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIC
Does anyone out there know of a program that will convert MacIntosh .HEX files
to .BIN using an IBM. The program binhex3.bas (a MacIntosh BASIC program
available from UT-NGP mac: files.bas:) is available for ftp and is ascii, but
it does some weird things I haven't been able to figure out. The biggest
problem is that MacIntosh uses a completely different BIN->HEX/HEX->BIN
alogorithm than the one for the IBM. I have a program called READMAC from the
PHOENIX bb that allows reading and printing of MAC picture files (binary)[I
have several from the PHOENIX bb that were transferred binary from a MAC to an
IBM] and UT-NGP has several on in the directory mac: macpaint:, but they're in
hex or squeezed hex and I would like to be able to convert them.
Any help would be appreciated. You can reply to me direct at ARPA:
DOET.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA or through this Digest.
----Steve----
------------------------------
To: info-ibmpc@isic
Subject: Centralized Backup Facility Query
Date: Fri, 02 Jan 87 12:20:58 -0500
From: jcmorris@mitre.ARPA
Our management wants to provide our users with a centralized backup
facility servicing all PC's around the company. These PC's are
attached to the mainframes by async links (actually, a Sytek
async LAN) and do not have any PCnet or similar connectivity. The
idea is that the user would start the backup process in the evening,
leaving the machine to complete the work unattended at night.
The other end of the link would be a mainframe. It can be an IBM VM
system, a VAX/785 running VMS or a VAX/8600 running ULTRIX.
The system must handle both text and binary files; it must run unattended,
and it must operate reliably over a path which implements XON/XOFF
flow control.
The majority of the systems around the company are IBM PC's and clones,
but there are also some Mac's, Sun, and Apollo work stations as well
which could use this service.
Does anyone in NetLand know of a package which provides this service,
or of component parts from which such a package could be constructed?
Joe Morris (jcmorris@mitre)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 2 Jan 87 15:46:50 PST
From: Rich Patterson <bilbo.rp@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU>
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu
Subject: LEX.C Query
I pulled LEX.C from the info-ibmpc library. (c.isi.edu) and went to
work trying to put it together. I broke the file into the smaller files and
went to make it with DeSmet C. (version 2.51) To my surprise the code would
not compile. Before I compiled, I noticed something very strange about all
the C files. There are no { } pairs opening or closing a block instead there
is a "$" to open a block and a blank line closing it. Also I noticed it looks
like "::" is being used as the binary operator "||". Here is what I mean:
(This is file integ.c from LEX.C)
/*
* integ -- ascii to long (various bases)
*/
long
integ(cp, base)
char *cp;
register base;
$
register c;
long n;
n = 0;
while (c = *cp++) $
if (c>='A' && c<='Z')
c += 'a'-'A';
if (c>='a' && c<='z')
c = (c-'a')+10+'0';
if (c < '0' :: c > base+'0')
break;
n = n*base + c-'0';
return(n);
This is what confused me.
Did I miss something somewhere ?
Is there a preprocessor that should be used ?
Did DeSmet (earlier versions) accept this "different" structure ?
Was this particluar source compiled under DeSmet and what version ?
Any help would be appreciated. If possible I would like to know how to
compile this.
Thanks,
Rich P.
Logical: lcc.rp@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU
lcc.rp@UCLA-CS
{ucivax,trwrb}!lcc!rp
{ihnp4,randvax,sdcrdcf,ucbvax,trwspp}!ucla-cs!lcc!rp
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Jan 87 17:41:40 EST
From: David Kirschbaum <kirsch@braggvax.arpa>
To: info-ibmpc@c.isi.edu
Subject: CTTY Query
I'm trying to talk to a PC clone via its serial port, slaving it to a terminal
or another PC via that serial connection.
I'd planned to use the DOS CTTY command (setting the ports correctly before-
hand), but find this flat does NOT work!
I don't seem to be sending any characters to the DOS command line, nor do
I receive any sort of DOS characters back at the remote terminal. (I'm using
another PC with a comm program for that remote I/O, plus I've tried two
different terminals).
Any idea what I'm doing wrong?
Thanks in advance,
David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
kirsch@braggvax.ARPA
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jan 87 15:11:05 PST
From: TOMASCHKE#GREG%C.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: Turbo Jr Query
There are a variety of "no-slot" turbo boards available, which involve
replacing the 8088 cpu with a higher speed 8088-2 or V20, and replacing
the 8284A with a small circuit board which plugs into the 8284A socket.
The circuit board provides a faster clock speed for the cpu while
retaining the normal 4.77 Mhz signal for the rest of the system. These
boards are advertised as working with the IBM PC, PC-XT and compatibles.
My question is, has anyone tried this with a PCjr? From what information
I can gather, it seems as though these boards should work just fine in the
jr. If anyone has actually tried this, or if anyone knows why this won`t
work, please tell me. Reply to me directly; I will summarize to the net.
Thanks in advance,
Greg
TOMASCHKE%C.MFENET
TOMASCHKE#GREG%C.MFENET@NMFECC.ARPA
------------------------------
Date: Tue 6 Jan 87 09:35:39-PST
From: Jackie <Burhans@USC-ECLB.ARPA>
Subject: PC1 and Hard Disk Query
To: INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU
I have an IBM PC - 1 (64K motherboard) running DOS 2.1. I recently purchased
a 20MB Harddisk from Everex. As indicated in the documentation, I am unable
to boot directly from the hard disk. I was supplied with a program that would
cause the PC to recognize the harddisk. However, when I exit certain program
DOS needs to reload the transient portion of COMMAND.COM (I believe) and so
it looks to the A: drive from whence the system was booted. I don't recall
the details but I remember long ago on this bulletin board there was much
discussion as to why PC1s could not recognize hard-disks w/o software help.
The question then: is there anything I can do to change this (new BIOS chip?
new version of DOS? anything?). Secondarily, I have tried to modify my
config.sys with the shell=c:\command.com so it will reload from the C:
drive and I can swap disks in the A: drive to my hearts content. However,
at whatever point in the booting process config.sys is read and loaded, it
seems to be before it reads the autoexec.bat and runs the program to
recognize the hard disk. You can see my dilemma. Actually, though the
error message says something like unrecognizable command in CONFIG.SYS--
am I doing it wrong or is it just impossible since it does not yet know
about the C drive? or better yet can I boot from the hard disk.
Your help is appreciated.
Jackie Burhans
USC - Student Affairs
[There is an updated BIOS chip set available from IBM that will allow
the PC-1 to boot from a hard disk. -rag]
------------------------------
Date: Tue 6 Jan 87 09:41:32-PST
From: Jackie <Burhans@USC-ECLB.ARPA>
Subject: DW3 Speedup Query
To: INFO-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU
I am in the position of recommending computer hardware and software to our
Word Processing department. We are currently using IBM PCs with hard disks
from Maynard and I2 Interface, DOS 2.10 and DisplayWrite 3. The lead
operator has recently complained of system slowness and has expressed interest
in obtaining an Accelerator board to increase the speed of the system. The
question I have is whether that is an appropriate route to take or are accelerator boards meant only to speed up number crunching operations?
Any thoughts on this would be appreciated.
Jackie Burhans
USC - Student Affairs
BURHANS%ECLD@USC-ECL.ARPA
P.S. Has anybody read anything about an upcoming release of DisplayWrite 4?
I heard a rumor from a friend that this would be out soon...
------------------------------
To: info-ibmpc-request@c.isi.edu
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 87 14:04:49 EST
From: gdj5t%Virginia.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Glen Jones,Biochem.,804-924-2387)
Subject: Keytronics KB5151AT&T Keyboard Query
I'm looking for the best available keyboard for an AT&T 6300-PC.
A separate cursor keypad is desirable. Has anyone used the
Keytronics KB5151AT&T ? I also saw an advertisement for one made
by DataDesk (TURBO-101). Please mail any advice to me.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 6 Jan 87 22:50:52 EST
From: Robert_H._Voelker@ub.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Laserjet to PostScript Conversion Wanted
I am using ChiWriter, a multifont wordprocessor that is very useful
for mathematics text. The only laser printer it supports is the HP LaserJet
equipped with the J cartridge, but I have access to only an Apple
LaserWriter using Postscript. Does anyone know of a program that will
convert a LaserJet file into a Postscript file? A public-domain version
would be preferred.
I'll summarize all responses received. I can be reached through
this net or US Mail.
Robert H. Voelker
Solid-State Electronics Laboratory
EECS Building
University of Michigan
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109-2122
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 87 09:29:02 ULG
From: Andre PIRARD <A-PIRARD%BLIULG12.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: 16 Index Isam Cobol Wanted
A friend of mine wishes to move application programs from TRS to PC
dos. He used Mc Farland Cobol which is 77 standard. He makes havy
use of its capability to manage 16 keys ISAM. This is not found in
IBM Cobol. Does anyone know of Mac Farland on the PC or any close
substitute?
------------------------------
From: gaia!zhahai%ncar.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET
Date: 8 Jan 87 21:12:19 GMT
Subject: JFORMAT for 1.2 MB Disks Wanted
For some time now I have had a 80 track (96 tpi) 5.25" drive on my IBM PC;
this is a conventional Teac 55F. I use Tall Tree's JFORMAT & QDRIVE
software to put 800 KBytes on a regular double sided diskette. QDRIVE,
which is an installable device driver, also allows reading of 40 track,
360 KByte diskettes. I am happy with this setup and I have had excellent
results with quality generic diskettes (most cost effective floppy storage
I know at $.60 per megabyte). The 800 K capacity is no great trick: the
increase to 80 tracks doubles capacity to about 720 K, and the JFORMAT &
QDRIVE combo put 10 rather than 9 sectors per track by reducing the inter-
sector gaps. Sectors are otherwise completely the same as conventional
360 K sectors (ie: no special hardware formatting).
Now I have an AT clone with a 1.2 MByte (Mitsubishi?) floppy drive (and
a 360 K). DOS will read or even write (warnings apply to latter) on 360 K
diskettes. Since this is also an 80 track drive, the heads are narrower
than 40 track drives and thus not reliable for writing disks to later be
read on a 360 K 40 track drive. However, this tells me that the controller
and drive can read and write standard sectors (as opposed to "High Density"
sectors used in 1.2 MByte format and requiring special diskette media); thus
it should be possible for the hardware to read and write the Tall Tree
800 KByte format (or a 720 KByte format). Unfortunately, Tall Tree no
longer develops new extensions to those products.
My question is: does anyone know of software which allows an AT style 1.2 M
floppy drive to read and/or write 720 or 800 K on standard diskettes,
and will it accept the Tall Tree disk layout (ie: soft level format)?
ps: DOS 3.2 will handle 3.5" 80 track drives at 720 KB - will it also
handle 720 KB 5.25" diskettes on the AT?
Zhahai Stewart
{hao | nbires}!gaia!zhahai
------------------------------
Date: Wed 7 Jan 1987 10:29:40 EST
From: Jeff Willey <willey@nrl-radar.arpa>
Subject: Shirt Pocket Phone Lister Wanted
I'm looking for a simple public domain program that will maintain a
database of phone numbers/addresses and print them in small (shirt
pocket) pad format. Something akin to Borlund's Traveling sidekick.
If you know of one please drop me some email.
--Thanks
Jeff Willey
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Jan 87 16:48:42 cet
To: INFO-IBMPC@ISIB.ARPA
From: C08922DB%WUVMD.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Looking for Pascal compiler written in Pascal.
I saw somewhere recently that there is a Pascal compiler available
for the IBMPC that is written in Turbo Pascal. Does anyone know anything
about this?
If it is public domain, I would like to get a copy.
Thanks, Don B.
c08922db @ WUVMD
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 8 Jan 87 16:26:49 PST
From: vijay@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU (Tella Vijayakumar)
To: info-ibmpc@C.ISI.EDU
Subject: 3Com Documentation Wanted
Some of us here at UCLA are trying to make use of the 80+ IBM PC-AT's
which are connected in a LAN by the 3COM ether-series, to create a generalized
testbed for checking out distributed algorithms. For this we need to be able
to send packets from any PC to any other PC. The only documentation we have
from 3COM is about installation of their etherlink and user manuals for
the software (like sharing a disk, sharing a printer and e-mail). We need
some low level details.
In particular we need info about
1. transmission of packets among the PC's in the network.
2. specifications of the chips on the etherlink card from programmer's
viewpoint.
I would highly appreciate if someone can help us out in
this matter. Please reply to
VIJAY@HERA.CS.UCLA.EDU
Vijaykumar, Tella
UCLA CS Dept.
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
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