Info-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU (Info-IBMPC Digest) (09/12/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Thursday, September 11, 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 84
This Week's Editor: Eliot Moore <Elmo@B.ISI.EDU>
Today's Topics:
fopen() & spawn()
XEBEC Format Routine
Higher Density Drives for PC-XT
Path Builder (2 Messages)
Re: EGA Driver for Turbo Graphics Toolbox Wanted
Today's Queries:
dbase
Framework with Sidekick Query
Lahey's Fortran 77 compiler
Slow Garbage-Collector in BASICA
Hercules in Compaq
Number Smasher
Timer Device
Xenix and Token Ring
PC-PAINT Picture File Format
Displaywriter III
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From: cdx39!jc%rclex.UUCP@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 86 16:54:38 edt
Subject: fopen() & spawn()
> I recently discovered that if you open a file with fopen() for reading,
> read some data from the file and spawn() a child, when the spawn returns
> the file is positioned at end of file. Can anyone point me to a place in
> the documentation that covers this behavior? Is this normal "C" behavior?
Yup, at least on Unix systems. What happens is that there is one
"open file" structure per call on open() or fopen(). If you do
the spawn() first, and each process does its own fopen(), then
each will have its own pointer into the file. But if you do
fopen() first, then spawn(), there is just a single offset that
is shared among all the descendants of the first process.
This is indeed a feature, not a bug, and quite a few Unix utilities
depend on it. The only thing I find annoying about it is that the
documentation, as usual, doesn't really make it very clear. You
have to read between a lot of lines to figure it out.
If you don't like it, try just passing the file name to the new
process, and having it open the file itself.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 86 14:34:38 CDT
From: CCRJW%UMCVMB.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (Richard Winkel UMC Computing Svcs)
Subject: XEBEC Format Routine
>Does anyone know the starting address for formatting an Xebec
>full-length hard disk controller card with DEBUG? Thanks.
>
>David J. Buerger
>PC Center, Santa Clara University
It is C800:5.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 7 Sep 86 17:12:58 EDT
From: "Norbert M. Burman" (TBD-PMB-MRL|turek) <burman@BRL>
Subject: Higher Density Drives for PC-XT
Some time ago I requested information from the Net on the availability
of software to run a 96tpi (720K) drive on my PC-XT clone.
Thank you to all the people who responded to my enquiry!
On the basis of the information I received, I purchased the Western
Systems and Components, : Eighty Track Disk Drive Device Driver
Software, Version 1.3, cost $30.00 + $3.00 shipping. Shipping was
prompt, 4 days, and they were very helpful when I phoned them with
problems I was having with the CDC drive I used with their software.
After some initial problems getting the system to operate with a CDC
BR8B2A 96tpi full height drive ( DIL switch setting problems) all is
going well and my system now sports a 360K floppy drive in A:, a 20Meg
Hard Disk in C: and a 727K in D: under MSDOS 3.2. I have had no
problems with read or write errors using the 96tpi drive and managed
to use the 727K drive to backup and restore my hard disk without any
problems. The CDC drive allows me to use standard DSDD disks (29cent)
and formats them to 727K without any problems. Other 96tpi drives may
require special DSQD 96tpi disks (not the type used by the PC-AT 1.2
Meg drives which are classified as DSHD).
My only reservation in recommending this software is that although the
documentation ( very limited and often confusing ) claims that the
driver will work with DOS 2.X, I found that with DOS version 2.1 it
was not possible to get the 96tpi drive to operate properly. I am,
however, unsure of whether this is a function of the 96tpi drive I am
using or a problem with the driver. With MSDOS 3.2 there have been no
problems after fairly extensive testing.
Western Systems and Components address is:
950 N. Elm St., Orange, CA., 92667
Telephone: (714) 538-4323.
N.M. Burman (burman@brl-tbd.arpa)
------------------------------
From: "Roger Fajman" <RAF%NIHCU.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 86 18:42:35 EDT
Subject: Path Builder
Date: 8 September 1986 1649 CDT
From: Mark S. Zinzow <MARKZ@UIUCVMD>
To: <RAF@NIHCU>
Does anyone know of a program that can be used in a batch file
to search the AUTOEXEC.BAT file for a PATH command, check that
PATH command for the presence of a particular directory, and add
the directory to the PATH command if it is not already there?
The idea is to use such a program in an automatic installation
batch file for a piece of software.
You can add a directory to a path without even running a program directly
from a batch file. The following batch file I wrote illustrates this:
echo off
:rem Batch file to append a directory or list of directories to
:rem the current path, or create a path if there is No Path.
:loop
if "%1"=="" goto done
if "%PATH%"=="PATH%%" goto nopath
if "%PATH%"=="" goto nopath
path %path%;%1
shift
goto loop
:nopath
path %1
shift
goto loop
:done
path
There was also a nifty little C program posted to net.sources lately that
will place read and place strings in the dos environment rather than a
program's own environment. Looked pretty clever to me. I think it was
called PUTDENV and posted 8/23/86.
Mark S. Zinzow ARPA: zinzow@uiucuxc.CSO.UIUC.EDU
Research Programmer BITNET: MARKZ@UIUCVMD.BITNET
Computing Services Office UUCP: ihnp4!pyrchi!uiucuxc!zinzow
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
150 Digital Computer Laboratory
1304 West Springfield Avenue
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 244-1289
------------------------------
From: "Roger Fajman" <RAF%NIHCU.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Date: Mon, 08 Sep 86 18:36:22 EDT
Subject: Path Builder
I was aware of the %PATH% technique that you suggest. However, what I
need to to is have an automatic install BAT file that will put
something into a user's AUTOEXEC.BAT file that will cause the proper
path to be established automatically when the PC is booted. I also
need to be able to reinstall without putting the path into the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file twice. That is the problem with what you suggest.
How does my install procedure recognize that the thing that sets the
proper path is already in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file and therefore does not
need to be added again? It might also be desirable to have an
uninstall procedure. I am talking about automatically doing things
for users who don't have a good understanding of what is going on
inside the PC.
Any ideas?
------------------------------
Date: 10 Sep 86
From: Hermann Willers <G95%DHDURZ2.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Re: EGA Driver for Turbo Graphics Toolbox Wanted
Yes, there is an EGA driver for the TURBO GRAPHIX Toolbox.
I got it from the german distributor of Borland.
It is at no extra cost on the distribution diskette.
They also include a driver for the Olivetti 640x400 graphics
which should work on the AT&T 6300 and some Xerox machine too.
Their address is
Heimsoeth Software
Fraunhoferstr. 13
D-8000 Muenchen
Federal Republic of Germany
One might try if one can get the software from Borland.
The german price is DM 198 (about US-$ 100).
Optionally you can get an english (instead of german) documentation.
Hermann
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 8 Sep 86 09:11:06 cdt
From: steve@ncsc.ARPA (Mahan)
Subject: dbase
I am currently involved in building a large applications program
to run under dbase III/III+/Clipper and would like to know if anyone
out there knows about the existance of good report generators and
screen generators that have been written for use with these packages.
I would also appreciate being informed of any dbase interest/user
groups in existance.
Steve Mahan
Naval Coastal Systems Center
(904) 234-4224
ARPA: steve@ncsc
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 86 09:06 N
From: <LAANE%HGRRUG5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Framework with Sidekick Query
Has anyone experienced using Framework II and Sidekick at the same
time? When using framework, which is a nice progam, and making
Sidekick pop up by pressing the <CTRL><ALT> keys the screen displays
strange characters everywhere around the Sidekick menu. Leaving
Sidekick with <ESC> hangs the system, leaving your screen divided in
four squares and nothing left but to reboot. Is there somebody who
knows this problem and how to solve it? I'm using a AT&T 6300
(Olivetti M24) with 640 Kb RAM. Thanks in advance
Winfried Laane
Computer Centre State University Groningen
Holland
EARN/BITNET: LAANE@HGRRUG5
------------------------------
Date: Mon 8 Sep 86 12:26:53-PDT
From: Ivan Auger <LAWRENCE.Auger%BIONET@SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Lahey's Fortran 77 compiler
Does anybody now if this compiler has a DO WHILE and unnumbered DO loop
extension (like in VAX/VMS fortran) ?
Lawrence.auger%bionet@sumex-aim.arpa
------------------------------
Date: 8 Sep 86 12:15:11 EDT
From: KAPLAN@RED.RUTGERS.EDU
Subject: Slow Garbage-Collector in BASICA
I have modified and considerably extended a program which was coded in
BASICA for an IBM XT running DOS 2.0. The modified program uses
direct-access files, a hashing scheme, and lots of string processing.
From time to time, the interpreter believes it is running out of space
for string variables, and the garbage- collector strikes - causing a
10 or 15 minute "hiatus". (Yes, he said 10 or 15 minutes). During the
GC, the control-break is unusable; the interpreter just takes over the
machine. At the end of its "siesta", my program resumes quite
naturally, as though no interruption had taken place.
BASICA allows you to print the size of freespace; if I imbed a print
statement in a large program loop, I do indeed see freespace
diminishing from about 50K initially. Most of the time, as the counter
gets close to 0, free-space is suddenly reset to 50K without program
interruption. Every now and then, however, when free-space is almost
all used up, the GC strikes.
I would like to be able to program around this somehow. I have tried
to avoid using temporary storage for string variables; I name each
intermediate string result. (Am I making a mistake to do this?) I
thought this would keep the interpreter from proliferating lots of
intermediate strings and thereby use up storage.
Does anyone have any ideas about what to do? Is there someone at
Microsoft whom I can speak with about this (or anywhere else, for that
matter)?
I have tinkered with compiling the program, in an effort to avoid the
GC (which I am told the compiler does better). However, the hashing
uses the random number routine, and the compiler appears to handle
that differently than the interpreter, so that the hash addresses for
the same key are different. If pushed, I will try to find a way
around this, but I would rather be able to work around the
interpreter, if someone will just tell me how.
------------------------------
Date: 1986 Sep 10 17:17 EST
From: Bob Babcock <PEPMNT%HARVARDA.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Hercules in Compaq
I am trying to use a Hercules clone to replace the standard video
board in a Compaq portable. When I have both video boards in the
machine, and set the motherboard switches to indicate a monochrome
adapter, all is well, but when I remove the original video board, I
get a 501 error and the boot does not complete. I borrowed a real
Hercules board and got the same behavior. I suspect that the problem
is that the BIOS is testing the CGA even though the switches are set
for monochrome, but Compaq tech support tells me this shouldn't be
true even in an older machine. I can get a replacement BIOS, but it
means waiting a week or 2, and may not solve the problem. My BIOS has
a 1983 copyright date near address f000:e000. Has anyone experienced
similar problems, or gotten a similar configuration to work? I know
about the conflict between LPT1 ports on the Compaq disk controller
board and a Hercules board (found out the hard way), but the clone
board I have allows me to disable its LPT1 port.
------------------------------
Date: Thu 11 Sep 86 18:00:54-PDT
From: Lynn Gale <CASBS@CSLI.STANFORD.EDU>
Subject: Number Smasher
We would appreciate comments from people who have the XT accelerator
board Number Smasher. Is it reliable and as good as it sounds? Also,
if you know of a better product for speeding up the XT, please let us
know. Thanks in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 10 Sep 1986 23:39 PDT
From: "Jeffrey Sicherman" <JAJZ801%CALSTATE.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Timer Device
I have recntly acquired a power controller that is capable of being
powered-up either by by a phone call or by an externally applied
signal. The signals may be either EIA RS232A compatible -6 to -12 and
+6 to +12, or TTL parallel compatible. I would like to locate a timer,
that is, a clock that can assert such signals at a prescribed time or
times. I've seen such devices, both simple, mechanical ones with dials
and the programmable BSR-type devices. All of these provide and
control AC, however, and do not provide the DC levels I need as far as
I know. I suppose one alternative is to pass AC output from one of
these units through an AC-to-DC converter but seems a little kludgey
to me. Does anyone out there know of a device that would do what I
want. Inexpensive would be nice and even a kit would be acceptable.
Any comment on the timer-to-converter chaining ?
------------------------------
Date: Thu 11 Sep 86 05:36:00-PDT
From: William Pearson <PEARSON@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: Xenix and Token Ring
A friend of mine is evaluating LAN's to connect IBM-PC's
running DOS, AT's running DOS and Xenix, and RT's. He is particularly
interested in IBM's Token Ring network, and wonders whether there is
an implementation that runs under Xenix.
Bill Pearson
------------------------------
Date: Thu 11 Sep 86 08:30:37-CDT
From: Clifford A. Wilkes <CC.Wilkes@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: PC-PAINT Picture File Format
Can anyone explain to me the format of the .PIC files created by
PC-PAINT. We have a program that converts MAC-PAINT pictures into
a format for our Talaris laser printer and would like to be able
to offer the same utility for PC-PAINT users.
Thanks.
<@>
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 11 Sep 86 13:16:40 EDT
From: Carl Bower USAISMA AV277-5291 <cbower@apg-3.ARPA>
Subject: Displaywriter III
The IBM Displaywriter III uses 8" floppy drives. How can I transfer
files from the 8" floppies to a 5.25" floppy on an IBM-PCXT. The
Displaywriter doesn't appear to have a serial port or a way of loading
a communications program to do a modem to modem transfer. Any help
would be appreciated. cbower@apg-3
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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