Info-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU (Info-IBMPC Digest) (10/06/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sunday, October 5, 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 89 This Week's Editor: Phyllis O'Neil Today's Topics: Setenv Resubmission BUF 160 Interferes With New Keyboard 768K RAM on Zenith 158 Troff for DOS/HP LaserJet+EGA Hardcopy and PrtSC Re: Z-158 and 768K Re: IBM PC and 8" CP/M Large Sector Sizes Re: Microsoft C V4.0 Upgrade (3 messages) Today's Queries: Telex Query Kaypro PC-20 Query Reset Switch Mouse Systems Mouse Problem Hardware Debugger Query Hard Disk Formatting Query PC's Limited 20MB Tandon HD C Tutorials ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Mon, 29 Sep 86 17:03:16 PDT From: Jim Carter <jimc@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU> To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Subject: Setenv resubmission Thanks to S. H. Mueller of Turlock, CA for an answer to my question about a better way to find the size of the DOS environment master copy. Here is a resubmission of "setenv.c" using that method. [The library copy has been updated. -rag] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 86 07:37:10 cdt From: steve@ncsc.ARPA (Mahan) To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA Subject: Command Line Editing I have been using Borland's Superkey program for the last three months on an ATT 6300 with DOS 3.1. The program uses a hotkey (ALT - \) to pop up a command stack. The last 40 DOS commands are available and can be edited. The editing uses arrow keys to move within a selected line, and insert, delete and overwrite capabilities are available. The utility can also paste command lines into a file being edited (I've only tried it in Sidekick, Volkswriter, and dbase III+ ) Standard disclaimer applies Steve Mahan (steve@ncsc) 904 234-4224 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1986 17:26 EDT From: LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU To: Jim Anderson <bilbo.jta@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU> Cc: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Subject: Re: MS-DOS Tech Ref Encyclopedia I spoke with Microsoft's retail sales rep (800 426-9400) and they confirmed that the encyclopedia has been recalled, to be reissued sometime next year. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1986 17:50:50 EDT From: Raymond Chen <6101778%PUCC.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa Subject: Increasing environment space, options to COMMAND There are "undocumented" options to the COMMAND command: COMMAND [/E:nn] [/P] /E:nn set the enviroment space to nn paragraphs. /P makes the options selected on this invokation of COMMAND [P]ermanent. (otherwise, they vanish when you type EXIT. Also if you don't make them permanent, you end up gobbling 17K of memory because DOS keeps a copy of the "old" COMMAND.COM around just in case you do type EXIT.) The /P option is very handy if you are running off floppies and have a virtual [RAM] drive installed. You can then copy COMMAND.COM to the RAMdrive and type "C:COMMAND C:\ /P" which tells DOS to look on the C drive from now on whenever it needs to reload COMMAND.COM. [Note that these features vary depending on the DOS version. Mr. Chen seems to be descibing DOS 3.1. -rag] ------------------------------ Date: Tue 30 Sep 86 16:24:01-PDT From: Ted Shapin <BEC.SHAPIN@USC-ECL.ARPA> Subject: BUF160 Interferes with New Keyboard To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU I found out that BUF160.COM interferes with the sensing of the separate cursor keys on the new IBM keyboard (IBM # 1390120). This may be because of the different BIOS (I don't have a listing yet). ------------------------------ To: luken@hehicdc1.bitnet Cc: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Subject: 768K RAM on Zenith 158 Date: Wed, 01 Oct 86 11:38:07 -0500 From: reintom@ROCKEFELLER.ARPA According to the technician I spoke with at Heath/Zenith, when you have 768K worth of RAM on the CPU board, the machine will only recognize 640K of it. I gather that this is the machine's deficiency of the machine, not DOS, since VDISK won't read those top 128K. Looks like the only way to use memory above 640K is to add a board that uses extended or expanded memory or both. Tom Reingold Rockefeller University New York City UUCP: {seismo|philabs|phri|harvard|ihnp4}!cmcl2!rna!rocky2!reintom BITNET: REINTOM@ROCKVAX ARPANET: reintom@rockefeller.arpa ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 86 22:31:37 pdt From: Ken Greer <hplabs!elan!kg@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> To: hplabs!B.ISI.EDU!Info-IBMPC@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU Subject: Troff for DOS/HP LaserJet+ From: Clif Sothoron <cbsoth@BRL> > Does anyone know of a port of TROFF to the IBM PC-AT with support >for the Hewlett-Packard Laserjet+ running PC-DOS? I know that Addison >Wesley supports TEX for the AT but we already have lots of UNIX TROFF >formatted files. Interesting thought, does anyone know of a program >that converts TROFF formatted files to TEX formatted files? This would >be an acceptable alternative as well. ELAN Computer Groups has TROFF and the complete AT&T DWB package under PC-DOS and support for the HP LaserJet and LaserJet+. Contact: ELAN Computer Group, 260 Alta Vista Ave, Los Altos CA 94022 Phone: 415-948-8193 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 03 Oct 86 18:05:03 MEZ To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.EDU From: RZ39%DKAUNI11.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU Subject: EGA Hardcopy and PrtSC A useful EGA-PrtSc driver for IBM-PC controlled via INT10, similar to the original GRAPHICS.COM, which is supporting all of the different EGA modes is available now from Internatioanl Software Distribution, Hauptstrasse 23, D-6749 Vollmersweiler, West-Germany for about $40. The EGA-Screen will be printed via <Shift> PrtSc together with any IBM-Graphics Printer compatible Matrixprinter. The driver is able to print in normal direction and sideways for better resolution. The wanted driver mode could be selected while the drivers instal- lation phase. We are using this driver and find it's running well. regards Dieter From: Dieter Oberle Computercenter Micro-BIT University of Karlsruhe D-7500 KARLSRUHE West-Germany Phone: 0721/6082067 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Oct 86 21:35:24 est From: Robert Montante <bobmon%iuvax.cs.indiana.edu@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA> To: INFO-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU Subject: Re: Z-158 and 768K Regarding the Z-158 question about accessing 768K of memory: The Heath Users' Group magazine REMark carried an article in the August '86 issue, that reviewed a modified PAL chip that is configured to recognize the additional memory at some specified positions in the address space. The maker, KEA Systems, also advertises the chip in the magazine, for $36. There may be other brands available also. I haven't gotten around to trying one, but I intend to as soon as I can. The company's address is: KEA Systems, Ltd 2150 West Broadway, Suite 412 Vancouver, BC Canada V6K 4L9 RAMontante Computer Science Indiana University ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Oct 86 11:37:53 pdt From: wcwells%opal.Berkeley.EDU@BERKELEY.EDU (William C. Wells) To: info-cpm@amsaa.arpa, info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Subject: Re: IBM PC and 8" CP/M Cc: clements@ccq.bbn.com From: Bob Clements <clements@CCQ.BBN.COM> >I'm trying to get my IBM PC to read and write 8" CP/M format >disks. Hence this posting to both cpm and ibmpc lists. The most versitile program I have seen is "Xenocopy PC" from Fred Cisim at Xenosoft, 1454 Sixth St, Berkeley, CA 94710, Phone (415) 525-3113. This product supports 5 1/4 (40 & 80 track), 8in, and 3 1/2in drives if you have the appropriate hardware. I do not know if can handle your controller or not. But it might be worth a phone call to find out. Program price is under a hundred dollars. Bill Wells ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 3 Oct 86 16:37:08 EDT From: Clarence_Wilkerson%Wayne-MTS%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA To: info-ibmpc@USC-ISIB.ARPA Subject: Large Sector Sizes Problem: Getting MSDOS to accept large sector sizes from device drivers Theory: The problem of MSDOS not accepting a larger than 512 byte sector size in a bpb submitted by a block device driver is documented in "Interfacing Using the SCSI Bus " by Hul Tytus in the Sept./Oct. 1986 issue of Micros/Systems Journal. Apparently IBMDOS.COM(or SYS) has a default sector size stored away. On bootup, the sector size of the bootup disk is checked against the default value. If the bootup value is larger, then it replaces the default value. The default value for my PCDOS 3.1 was only 128 bytes. Hence, for the usual boot disk, the value will become 512 bytes. If you patch the default value to a larger value, then it will remain at that value. I don't know what effect this will have on the space allocated by BUFFERS=XXX in a CONFIG.SYS file. It could increase that space. Practice: You have to find the word in IBMDOS.COM where the default value is stored. According to Tytus, for MSDOS.SYS (version 2.11) it is at offset 101H. For my PCDOS.COM ver 3.1, it was at location 036H and had value 80 00 hex. I found this using listing 4 of the above article. I'll reproduce part of this listing below. The relative values will vary, but the first 4 bytes were sufficient to find this section of code using DEBUG on IBMDOS.COM. You must patch the file to change the default. If you use DEBUG to patch, remember that the file is read in so as to begin at offset 100h. Hence the location to patched must be 100h + the location pointed to in the code below. If you have Norton's Utilities, I would reccomend finding the location using DEBUG, and patching using NORTON. In this case the patch location is just the offset from the beginning of IBMDOS.COM You may have to change the attributes of IBMDOS.COM to allow DEBUG to find it. Listing of MSDOS code that points to MAXIMUM SECTOR SIZE WORD XXXX:406d 53 push bx XXXX:406e 51 push cx XXXX:406f 52 push dx ; next call gets boot sector size XXXX:4070 e87cc call 0cef ; <---different for other versions XXXX:4073 26 ES: ; XXXX:4074 8b4602 mov ax,[bp+2] XXXX:4077 36 SS: XXXX:4078 3b060101 CMP ax,[101] ; <-- this is offset needed ; MSSW stored at offset 1 XXXX:407c JBE 4082 XXXX: SS: XXXX: Mov [101],ax pop dx pop cx pop bx mov ax,ds pop si XXXX:4088 1f pop ds ( above taken from Listing 4, page 59 of M/S Journal, Sept./Oct. 1986 ); Disclaimer: I have not verified that this fixes the problem, because I do not have device drivers that try to use larger sectors. I do have plans to implement a 800k 96tpi format that uses 1k sector sizes. Some cautions should be used in the patching process- don't try it with you only boot disk, etc. If you're at the stage of writing device drivers, this is probably unneeded advice I have seen warnings about using DEBUG to patch IBMDOS.COM on a hard disk. The claim is that it's not put back in the right place. You could patch a floppy and then run SYS. Do this at your own risk. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 1986 17:36 EDT From: LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU To: jcmorris@MITRE.ARPA Cc: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Subject: Re: Microsoft C V4.0 Upgrade I called Microsoft (800 426-9400) and they sent me an upgrade form, which took several days to arrive. 4.0 has changed so much that they send you an entire new set of manuals, rather than a supplement. The upgrade costs $150, as opposed to the normal price of $450. The form states that the offer ends on October 1, but a friend said that he called and Microsoft said that the deadline will be extended, so you might be in luck. Robert Lenoil Apple Computer ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Sep 86 15:28:49 PDT From: Brent Chapman <chapman%cory.Berkeley.EDU@BERKELEY.EDU> To: jcmorris@mitre.arpa Cc: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Subject: Re: Microsoft C Ver. 4 upgrades I got my upgrade notice in the mail from Microsoft. If I remember correctly, the upgrade form already had the serial number of my compiler printed on it, and the new disks have the same serial number as the old. I would therefore presume they are working from their list of registered users. (I say "If I remember correctly" because several of the packages and products I regularly use have been upgraded in the last few months, and I could be confusing MSC with some other product. I don't think I am, however.) I think the upgrade was $135, but I can't be certain because I can't figure out where my boss filed the order and invoice. Hopefully (somewhat) helpfully, Brent Chapman chapman@cory.berkeley.edu or ucbvax!cory!chapman ------------------------------ To: info-ibmpc@isib Subject: Microsoft C V4.0 Upgrade Date: Fri, 03 Oct 86 20:00:08 -0500 From: jcmorris@mitre.ARPA Robert Lenoil at Apple came up with the right info. As he stated, Microsoft is offering the upgrade to existing V3 customers at $150 per copy. They did send out notices to the registered V3 users, but "something happened to the mailing" and a lot of users didn't receive them. Any V3 owners interested who didn't receive the upgrade order form should call Microsoft's retail desk at (800) 426-9400 and they'll ship you one. The original offer expired 1 October 86, but the retail desk explained that it is their policy to always extend the offer expiration, so it's still available. Purchasers of V3 who can produce an invoice dated after 1 June 86 can get the upgrade free. Thanks to everyone who responded to my inquiry on this. Joe Morris (jcmorris@mitre) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Sep 86 12:46:29 edt From: Ted Cooley <tedc%dartmouth.edu@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA> Subject: Telex Query To: info-ibmpc%usc-isib.arpa@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA With the introduction of voice/mail cards and software, the question has arisen regarding TELEX support for the IBM PC. Is there a card and/or software available which performs such support? Thanks. Ted Cooley Thayer School of Engineering Dartmouth College Hanover, NH 03755 tedc@dartmouth.edu ...seismo!harvard!dartvax!tedc ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 29 Sep 86 16:22:36 EDT From: Dave_Katz%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Subject: Kaypro PC-20 Query A friend of mine has been considering the purchase of a Kaypro PC-20. Any information regarding compatibility, reliability, general impressions, etc., would be most appreciated. --Dave Katz (Dave_Katz%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-Multics.ARPA) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 86 12:57:50 PDT From: dgb@DEImos.Caltech.Edu (Daniel S. Briggs) Subject: Reset Switch To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA Has anyone had much experience out there with installing their own RESET switches? Most of the homebrew directions that I have seen involve a switch to short pins 9 & 11 of the 8284A clock generator together. From the logic diagrams, this seems like a logical thing to do, but is there anything that I should know before I try it? Any horror stories from homebrew modifications gone bad? While I'm at it, should I install a NMI switch as well? Does anyone have any good references to point at that are better than the rest? ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 86 17:57:02 EDT From: Dean Carpenter <ST701979%BROWNVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> To: Info IBMPC <INFO-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU> Subject: Mouse Systems Mouse Problem I have an IBM AT that I am currently trying to attach a Mouse Systems PC Mouse to with mediocre success. COM1 of the dual serial/parallel adapter is taken, so we installed a regular IBM Asynch card in the AT configured as COM2 and hooked the mouse to this. No luck. The supplied test program finds the mouse but claims it is sending bad data. Diagnostics finds and checks out the COM2 port just fine. To top it all, the mouse works fine on a regular XT and on an accelerated XT (PC Technologies 286 card) with the same asynch card. Any ideas ? Thanks - Dean Carpenter. ------------------------------ Date: Thu 2 Oct 86 20:58:09-EDT From: Robert S. Lenoil <LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Subject: Hardware Debugger Query To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Can anyone comment on the merits of obtaining a hardware debug aid, such as IBM's Professional Debug Facility? (Note: I'm talking about hardware used to make software debugging easier, not tools for debugging hardware.) A description of the product's features, as well as those of other hardware debuggers would be very useful, as would price and ordering information. I'm more interested in systems costing $1500 or less, but feel free to tell me about $5000 In-Circuit Emulators and the like; I wouldn't mind having that info on file. Robert Lenoil lenoil@xx.lcs.mit.edu ihnp4!mit-eddie!lenoil ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 2 Oct 86 22:27 EDT From: Hess@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA Subject: Hard Disk Formatting Query To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU I've got a new 20Mb ST225 as replacement for an old 10Mb Seagate shipped with our XT. But I have no "low-level" formatting software! The sheet with the drive says that it can be done either with the IBM Advanced Diagnostics, or (!) with DOS DEBUG. (The ST225 has the same drive characteristics as an IBM 20Mb "type 2".) If anybody knows of a canned procedure to do the hard formatting with DEBUG, or if someone in the Boston are would be willing to lend me a diagnostic disk for the XT for a day, I'd be really grateful. The DEBUG route isn't out of the question, partly because I know that there are no bad tracks to find, so no complicated error-checking work to do. Thanks, Brian ------------------------------ From: Ron Katriel <Katriel@cis.upenn.edu> Subject: PC's Limited 20MB Tandon HD To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Date: Fri, 3 Oct 86 15:55 EDT PC's Limited is offering a 20MB Tandon half height hard disk (access time < 70ms) for the IBMPC/XT in conjunction with a Western Digital controller for $409 (this includes cables, software, manual and free shipping. See add in recent Byte.) I'd appreciate hearing comments (positive or negative) from anyone who has experience with this drive. Ron Katriel Computer & Info. Science Dept. University of Pennsylvania ARPANet: katriel@cis.upenn.edu CSNet: katriel%upenn@upenn.csnet Phone: (215) 898-5869 ------------------------------ Date: Sun 5 Oct 86 10:17:48-PDT From: Brad A. Silverberg <SILVERBERG@CSL.SRI.COM> Subject: C Tutorials To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Can anyone recommend a good book for novice programmers learning C? When I learned C, the only thing available was K&R -- hardly the best tutorial for novices. Now that C is in vogue, there have been lots of books published. Can you recommend one? Thanks, Brad. ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 30 Sep 86 12:56:03 PDT From: dgb@DEImos.Caltech.Edu (Daniel S. Briggs) Subject: environment strings (again) To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA The subject of setting environment variables from within programs has come up a lot lately. I've also had my shot at writing such things, but with a little less luck it seems than some of the other folks around here. My test program was one that did the equivalent to the command "set dir=<whatever the current default is>". This meant that I could run the program from within a batch file, and then refer to the variable as %DIR%. The version I first wrote, (and the one I still use, by the way) simply has the address of the master table set as an equate in the beginning of the source. (Ick!) It deals with the problem of expanding the table simply by requesting a Allocate memory function (DOS function 48h) with a very large number as input. This causes DOS to expand the table to its full value, and when it fails to give you all it asked for, BX will return the actual size of the table. I think that DOS must use some of the memory towards the end of the env table as temporary storage during the boot or something, since it appears to be an uallocated memory block that is eventually absorbed into the environment if the need arises. Once it knows the true size of the table, it manipulates it directly. Since then, I've tried a number of more sophisticated approaches, none of which have proved completely workable. The one that "should" have worked is still a mystery to me. I used the hook into the current copy of DOS (interrupt 2eh) to get DOS to do the set itself. A couple of "SETENV" programs out in the public domain use this technique. Works like a charm, except.... that it won't work in batch files properly. The program executes properly, the variable gets set, but the batch file can't access the variable that has been so set until the batch file exits. Subsequent batch files can then access the variable. It looks a little like the batch file is getting its own copy of the environment when it first executes, all sets within the batch modify this copy, and it gets copied back to the master table when it exits? But how come the variable I sent in the master table doesn't get overwritten? Does anyone know more about this? I am CONFUSED! Thanks for any help! Daniel Briggs dgb@deimos.caltech.edu -------