Info-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU (Info-IBMPC Digest) (08/30/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Saturday, August 30, 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 80 This Week's Editor: Richard Nelson Today's Topics: Billy Going to Europe Microsoft Mixed Language on Xenix: Beware of Problems SNOBOL Benchmark Help Needed DOS ditroff w/ LaserJet+ Evaluations IBM Async CD Problem: Miswired Cable Hard Disks That Don't Spin Intermittent 1701 Error DR PL/I for the IBM PC DW3 Destroying FATs: Solution Bernoulli Box and 3-Com Today's Queries: STB EGA+ Problem Bulletin Board Software Query (2 msgs) PC Nets and DbaseIII Query Multinational Char Sets Query DOS 2 - 3 Difference Using Serial Read Query Drawing Program => Postscript Query AT Hard Disk Drive Listing Query Voice Interface Query Turbo Code for uuen/decode Query CAI for PC Query Forms Generator for IBM-PC Query Speech Digitizing / Phone Boards Query PC-KAT Usage Query Graphics Software Package Query DOS Device Driver Query ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 26 Aug 1986 16:45:22 PDT Subject: Billy Going to Europe From: Billy <BRACKENRIDGE@B.ISI.EDU> To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU I will be in Europe for the Month of September. Elmo will be taking over my week as editor and Dick Gillmann will probably do much of the info-ibmpc housekeeping I normaly do. As I have many transactions outstanding things will just pile up while I am gone and I will eventually get to them when I return. ------------------------------ Date: 27 Aug 1986 20:58-EDT Subject: Microsoft Mixed Language on Xenix: Beware of Problems From: MHARRIS@A.BBN.COM To: Info_IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU We have a large mixed-language program (C and Fortran) which we have been trying to put up under Xenix -- it works fine on Vax Unix. [We have the latest Microsoft Fortran (3.3) and (now) IBM Xenix 2.0]. Whatever we do, the same segmentation crash recurs. BUT if the Fortran code is replaced by the equivalent code in C, the problem disappears. After wasting six person-months fruitlessly chasing this problem, and getting absolutely NO useful help from Microsoft, we have concluded: 1. Under Xenix, mixed-language code is unreliable at best and unrunnable at worst. Microsoft may DOCUMENT how to do it, but they've apparently never tried any serious code. 2. Judging by their lack of response to our repeated requests for assistance, we can only infer that Microsoft does not care whether this product can perform a real application. 3. We must now inform our client (who is possibly the largest single Xenix customer in the world) that, because Microsoft Fortran is not supported, the project cannot be completed. The warning is obvious: Beware of the Toy Software. Needless to say, if anyone has any constructive suggestions, or if someone at Microsoft would like to try saving their bacon, we'd appreciate hearing from them. -- Michael Harris MHarris @ BBNA 617-497-3794 ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 27 Aug 86 18:56 EDT From: "David S. Bakin" <Bakin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA> Subject: SNOBOL Benchmark Help Needed To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU, info-micro@BRL-VGR.ARPA Can someone help me benchmark a Snobol on an IBM PC (or preferably, AT)? I have some routines I've written in Ada that do Snobol pattern matching, and I want to compare them for speed against a real Snobol. I already have a copy of MACRO SPITBOL, I'm looking for Minnesota or Catspaw or any other that's available. (VAX and Apollo users with Snobol: I need timings there too!) If you have access to a SNOBOL please contact me! The test is about 50 lines of SNOBOL, 50 lines of data, and should take 4-10 minutes to run. THANKS! -- Dave Bakin (Bakin -at mit-multics.arpa) home: 617-628-8127 work: 617-890-0030 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 09:26:37 edt From: Jamey Maze (615)574-6355 [csd44!mazej] <csd44!y12vax1!ocu1!mazej@ORNL-MSR.ARPA> Subject: DOS ditroff w/ LaserJet+ Evaluations To: ornl-ms!info-ibmpc@USC-ISIB My company is evaluating ditroff products for DOS that support the HP LaserJet+. The products that we have looked at so far are: EROFF Elan Computer Group 260 Alta Vista Avenue Los Altos, CA 94022 (415) 948-8193 XROFF Image Network 448 E. Middlefield Road Mountain View, CA 94043 (415) 967-0542 After finding out that EROFF does not work on DOS 2.1 (with the help of Elan Product Support Hotline), we are relatively pleased with the product. EROFF uses HP LaserJet font cartridge B or F or the HP LaserJet+ soft fonts. We tried it with the soft fonts. Image Network is still working on their DOS version of XROFF, so our experiences have been with the VAX version. XROFF supports a wide variety of laser printers (including the LaserJet+ and the DEC LN03) and comes with its own soft fonts. The advantage of this strategy is that a document printed on a HP LaserJet will look identical to the same document printed on the LN03, etc. The disadvantage is that it downloads the fonts that it needs with each job; so you see a good delay at the beginning of each job, but then it moves on about as fast as the printer can print. Do you know of any other ditroff products for DOS? We are also looking at some products that support XENIX, but would rather not buy into another UNIX, if possible. We are supporting about 100 PC/IX workstations now, but would like to find a better solution; one that will enjoy better vendor support. ------------------------------ Date: Mon 25 Aug 86 14:40:18-PDT From: Ted Shapin <BEC.SHAPIN@USC-ECL.ARPA> Subject: IBM Async CD Problem: Miswired Cable To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU The CD problem I thought I had with the IBM async board was due to a miswired cable. Thanks to Matt Weinstein for suggesting it. ------------------------------ To: krane%sfu.mailnet@mit-multix Cc: info-ibmpc@isib Subject: Hard Disks That Don't Spin Date: Mon, 25 Aug 86 17:55:38 -0500 From: jcmorris@mitre.ARPA > ...occasionally the [hard] disk does not spin on power-up I had a similar problem last year when I bought a second hard disk to go in the expansion chassis on a vintage PC-1. It turned out that the trouble was the (IBM) power supply: it was putting out a spike at power-up which froze the drive circuits and prevented the motor from turning. Delaying either the +5 or +12 volt application to the drive cured the problem. My "fix" was to put a small relay in the line to delay the +12 long enough to let the transient settle. Crude, but I've had no problems with it (or with any of the other cards in the expansion box). If you have the covers off and you find that the disk hasn't started at power-on, try unplugging the nylon Molex connector from the power supply and re-connecting it. If a spike is your trouble the disk should spin immediately. Joe Morris (jcmorris@mitre) ------------------------------ Date: 27-AUG-86 14:33 CET To: INFO-IBMPC-REQUEST@USC-ISIB.ARPA (INFO-IBMPC, request address) From: U320%CBEBDA3T.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU Subject: Intermittent 1701 Error We had this problem with a Seagate St-225 20 meg in a PC-1 with the WD controller. In several attemps with fixed the problem - it seems to be the temperature. Measurements showed up to 50 degrees Celsius near the controller. After reformating the disk we installed a strong ventilator which now cools the cards. This was two months ago - there were no more problems since then. I am not totally sure if this was the only reason for the error, but it looks like. Hope this will help you. (A seperate message went to KRANE@FSU, who asked about it) Martin Egger, Inst of org Chemistry, Univ of Berne, Switzerland (U320@CBEBDA3T.BITNET) ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 1986 21:36 EDT From: Prof. Yedidyah Langsam <YDLBC%CUNYVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> Subject: DR PL/I for the IBM PC To: <Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA> In answer to the individual requesting information on PL/I. We at Brooklyn College have had extensive experience with the DR PL/I. Unfortunately, most of it has been bad. First of all, it only supports subset G, which in itslef is not too bad. Subset G, does place many resrictions on PL/I, such as no operation on arrays as a whole, severe limitations on structures, and no * declarations for arrays when used as parameters. This implimentation is full(!) of bugs, and Digital Research, does not support the product, in any way. At one time they supplied us with a list of known bugs, and we were suprised to find that the intersection of their list and our list was the empty set!!. Sometimes, a program will compile only when the order of statements is arbirarily, rearrainged. (I have heard that the CPM version is much better. Unless you are willing to put up with a lot of headaches or your programs are trivially small, I would strongly, reccomend you stay away from this product. If you are interested in a comparison between PL/I subset G and full PL/I let me know and I will mail you a several page writeup which I have prepared. An article describing our experience with the DR product should appear in the next issue of the SIGCSE bulletin. Incidentally, we took very strong issue with a review which appeared some months back in PC TECH Journal. We believe that the author of that review was really only describing PL/I subset G as claimed by DR, with haveing extensively used the the product. I might add that our experience consisted of using this compiler to teach introductory programming to approx 2000 students over a period of about 2 years. Finally, as much as we liked PL/I, we were no longer able to put up with the only PL/I compiler available to our knowledge for the PC, and switched to Pascal. If you have further questions you may also contact me by voice. CIS Department - Brooklyn College 718-780-4161 ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 86 18:01:29 edt From: ANDERSEN <sigurd@vax1.ACS.UDEL.EDU> To: Info-IBMPC%b.isi.edu@louie.udel.EDU, ciaraldi@rochester.ARPA, sigurd@vax1.ACS.UDEL.EDU Subject: DW3 Destroying FATs: Solution DisplayWrite 3 can clobber a diskette's File Allocation Table (FAT) if diskettes are switched before all files are closed. After encountering this problem with DisplayWrite and other programs, a member of the PC Professional Users Group (Wilmington, DE vicinity) decided to develop a program to protect the user from clobbering the FAT by mistake. The result, "Write-Guard," is a resident program which won't let DOS write a FAT to the wrong disk. I think it does this by comparing disk labels (making arbitrary ones where none exist). If anyone is interested, they can contact the author for ordering information: Andy Hopkins Swarthmore Software Systems 526 Walnut Lane Swarthmore, PA. 19801 (215) 543-5085 I have no interest in this enterprise other than seeing a fellow PUG member's efforts rewarded. ------------------------------ From: lotto%lhasa.UUCP@harvard.HARVARD.EDU Date: 27 Aug 86 08:29 EDT To: endor!coleman@sask.bitnet, endor!info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa Subject: Bernoulli Box and 3-Com >One of the people here (University of Saskatchewan) managed to get >3+ to use the Bernoulli box on his network. As I remember he said the >documentation was wrong... Thanks for the offer, but I realized that I did the net a disservice claiming that the Bernoulli box did not work on 3-com nets. This is not the case. My problem is that on a 640K machine, (extended memory does not yet help here), one can install the File/Print server, the Name server (both pre-req) and the Remote Access package (optional) and STILL have 23K left over for applications :-). Forget about being a "concurrent-user" (server and workstation on 1 box). Installation of the Bernoulli driver does not even leave enough room to network second device. Furthermore, you have to bypass device checking in the installation phase since the Bernoulli is rejected as a removable media device. This is pretty trivial and involves editing the startup batch file. I could move the Name server to another machine, but I have been told to expect the next version to be a little less memory grubbing. Since the user sofware is already 150K or more, sharing Name server functions will take out another PC. Our main function on these machines is running SAS which requires a few hundred K itself. Of course, 3-servers can handle all this... but I already have Suns and Vaxen galore and ~4 gig. disk space. If I wanted this stored on a non-PC, I could always run NFS. ____________ Gerald Lotto - Harvard Chemistry Dept. UUCP: {seismo,harpo,ihnp4,linus,allegra,ut-sally}!harvard!endor!lhasa!lotto ARPA: lotto@harvard.ARPA CSNET: lotto%harvard@csnet-relay ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 1986 15:57-EDT Subject: STB EGA+ Problem From: David Owens <dowens@a.bbn.com> To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Cc: dowens@A.BBN.COM Does anyone have problems with a STB EGA+ card installed in a Compaq 286 Deskpro? I have terrible problems with color pixel washout especially when moving the cursor across the screen with a mouse. Apparently, the salesman initially said it was a noise problem caused by the power supply. I have swapped slots to no avail. Has anyone engineered their own solution? This problem is especially bad when using programs like GEM and PCPAINT. Any advice appreciated, David Owens BBN Labs Inc. (617) 497-2603 <dowens@a.bbn.com.arpa> ------------------------------ Date: 26 Aug 86 07:28 CDT From: SCTC.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA Subject: Bulletin Board Software Query To: INFO-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU Cc: DAS2.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA, DASO.AFCC@AFCC-3.ARPA I want to establish a bulletin board for our organization. The file server would be PC/AT connected to a INX4000 switch with a baud rate of 9600. What I need are sources for both public domain and off-the-shelf software which will act as a bulletin board of sorts on the PC/AT. I would also appreciate any words of wisdom that anyone on the net can offer on this type of project. Thanks in advance, and if possible, you can reply directly to me ======>GWM@AFCC. Jerry Misik HQ AFCC/DASO SCOTT AFB ILL ------------------------------ Date: 26 August 86 15:40-EDT From: H156004%NJECNVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU Subject: Colossus BBS Software Query I Have Been Using FIDO as a BBS here at this college but am not satisfied due to lack of support. I've been thinking of changing to some other BBS software and I remember a brief discussion here on INFO-IBMPC about other BBS packages. Colossus was mentioned as good but going through upgrading. Does anyone have experience with it and/or what is its current availability? Other comments about BBS in a college context are welcomed. Please reply directly and I will summarize for the rest of the net. KEN TOMPKINS ---- STOCKTON STATE COLLEGE H156004@NJECNVM ------------------------------ Date: Tue 26 Aug 86 01:50:33-EDT From: Geoff Mulligan (USAFA) <Geoffm@AFSC-HQ.ARPA> Subject: PC Nets and DbaseIII Query To: info-ibmpc@USC-ISIB.ARPA Does anyone have any experience with the various networks available for PCs and how they work with dbaseIII? I would be interested in anyones experiences with any of the PC networks! If there are enough responses, I will summaries back to the list. Please respond directly to me as I am not on this list. Thank you, geoff ------------------------------ Date: Mon, 25 Aug 86 09:48 EST From: STANKULI%cs.umass.edu@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA To: INFO-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU Subject: Multinational Char Sets Query i am writing a grant proposal which involves natural language processing in different languages. could someone send me information on what is required to display foreign character sets in IBM pc/xt/at and use them under program control? i read Infoworld and PC Week, but do not remember seeing any information on use of multinational character sets. i do not read this conference, so reply to my home address please. thanks, stan STANKULI@UMASS-CS.CSNET ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 12:31:46 SET To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA From: ESC1111%DDAESA10.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU Subject: DOS 2 - 3 Difference Using Serial Read Query DOS 2.X VS DOS 3.X : While playing with the PCLIB KOMM.SYS serial driver package recently I noticed some strange behaviour which appears to be the result of using DOS3 instead of 2 (that is to say things do what I want with 2.x but not with 3.). The problem is as follows: When a timeout occurs on a serial port read (using dos interrupt 3fh with handle 3) DOS3.1 returns me a character count of 1(!) and a null character (0x00) whereas DOS 2.1 returns a character count of 0 as expected. Can anyone clarify whether this is an error in 3.x or an error in my brain! ....................................................................... snail : n. head, european space operations centre robertboschstr. 5 6100 darmstadt federal rep. germany bitnet/earn : esc1111 at ddaesa10 bix : nhead ------------------------------ Date: Tue 26 Aug 86 10:35:08-PDT From: Richard Pattis <PATTIS@WASHINGTON.ARPA> Subject: Drawing Program => Postscript Query To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU I would like to merge drawings into TeX documents, as my DVI -> PS conversion program says I can do. My question is, are there any drawing utilities out there that produce postscript? I am running an AT under DOS 3.1, with a Hercules (clone) card. I don't yet have a mouse, but would purchase one for such an application. Rich Pattis ------------------------------ Date: Tue 26 Aug 86 11:22:20-PDT From: David John Buerger <D.Buerger%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA> Subject: AT Hard Disk Drive Listing Query To: info-ibmpc@USC-ISIB.ARPA cc: dave%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA, m.zomlefer%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA Need table listing of hard disk drive 'numbers' for installing various hard disks on ibm AT. HELP please...tnx...mrz Dave Buerger Santa Clara University PC Center ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 26 Aug 86 17:36:18 pdt From: fortune!fortune!vishwa@sri-tsc.arpa (N. Vishwanath) Subject: Voice Interface Query To: sri-tsc!info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa Could someone please mail me any information or references pertaining to "voice interface to application programs" ? Thanks in advance vishwa ------------------------------ Date: 27-Aug-1986 1106 From: fulton%comet.DEC@decwrl.DEC.COM (Cathy Fulton -- CXO Technical Training) To: info-ibmpc-request@usc-isib.ARPA (Distribution list @IBM) Subject: Turbo Code for uuen/decode Query About a month ago, in response to several requests, I mailed to the net Turbo Pascal source code for uuencode and uudecode. As part of a recent cleaning-up of my hard disk, I accidentally erased the one and only copy of that code I had. Would some kind soul do me a big favor and mail that code back to me? Thanks a lot. - Cathy uucp: ...decvax!decwrl!dec-rhea!dec-comet!fulton ARPA: fulton%comet.DEC@decwrl [how about mailing it to Info-IBMPC also? Thanks -rn] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 86 08:43:42 GMT From: <mcvax!dutesta!erikjan@seismo.CSS.GOV> To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Subject: CAI for PC Query I'm considering purchasing a Computer Assisted Instruction system, but before I do, I want to look around. So, I'm looking for pointers to commercial software packages concerning CAI for the IBM-PC and compatibles (MS-DOS). I'm interested in: - the name of the package, - the name of the software house, which made it, - your experience with the package (if you're already using it) and - the price. When I get enough response, I'll summarise to INFO-IBMPC. Thanks in advance, +--------------------------------------+ | Erik J. Bos | | Delft University of Technology (DUT) | | The Netherlands | | UUCP: ..!mcvax!dutesta!erikjan | +--------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 86 17:50 AST From: <IUS%DACTH51.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU> (Eberhard W. Lisse) Subject: Forms Generator for IBM-PC Query To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu Hi, One of the residents of the department of forensic medicine has asked me to inquire if there is something like a Forms Generator for the IBM-PC. They are going to get an AT and are used to the FMS package on the VAX. It works like this: One creates the masks, menues with the normal editor and calls procdures from the library to display them and input/output the variables. They would like to be able to transfer some of their Fortran sources to the AT without too much hassle. So we would look for something which can be linked to Microsoft products, public domaine or commercial. Any help would be appreciated. el ------------------------------ Date: Thu 28 Aug 86 12:07:28-EDT From: Thomas S. Wanuga <WANUGA@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU> Subject: Speech Digitizing / Phone Boards Query To: info-ibmpc@B.ISI.EDU Has anyone out there used one of the speech digitizing boards that plug into the IBM PC and interface to the phone lines? I know of two companies that have such products - VYNET Corporation and Natural Microsystems. I am interested in anyone's experience with these (or any other similar) boards. Thanks. Tom Wanuga wanuga@xx.lcs.mit.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 28 Aug 86 12:25:41 EDT From: John Shaver STEEP-TMAC 879-7602 <jshaver@apg-3.ARPA> Subject: PC-KAT Usage Query To: info-ibmpc@d.isi.edu Cc: jshaver@apg-3.arpa Has anyone figured out how to use the PC-Kat in PD:<pc-blue.vol197> at simtel20? Would anyone have any suggestions. I can't seem to get the system to pudate the files and then let me look at the lists. John ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 29 Aug 86 13:28:55 EDT From: Clif Sothoron <cbsoth@BRL> To: info-ibmpc@usc-isi.ARPA Subject: Graphics Software Package Query I need to find a graphics software package similar in function to Dr. Halo. It has to be able to be included into Computer Innovations C code and support a wide array of devices. In particular it has to support the IBM Enhanced Graphics Adapter/Enhanced Color Display combo and the Zenith Z-100. The reason Dr. Halo is not acceptable is the obscene royalties they want for every program using Halo graphics in an EXE file ($10,000+ for a vertical licence). By the way I have the latest version of MultiHalo and it is very good. The documentation and sheer number of devices supported is impressive. It is a shame they are so unreasonable about their pricing. Thanks in advance, Clifton B. Sothoron Jr. Ballistic Resarch Laboratory Aberdeen Proving Grounds Md. cbsoth@brl ------------------------------ Date: 29 Aug 86 14:49 EDT From: Shoots.wbst@Xerox.COM Subject: DOS Device Driver Query To: INFO-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU I have a RAM disk program which can be run by the user at any time, and creates a virtual disk in RAM. (The program came with a multifunction card I bought) Given that all of the documentation I have seen so far indicates that device drivers must be "installed" by including their filespec in the file "config.sys" in the form "device = xxxxxx", so that DOS will load and start this code AS A DEVICE DRIVER... My question is: How can a program which I run after DOS has booted seemingly INSTALL ITSELF as a device driver? Is there a DOS internal table of device driver information which someone has figured out how to access in order to install a driver without the help of DOS? Can anyone give me, or point me towards, more detailed information on how DOS handles devices (and device drivers) than is contained in the IBM DOS Technical Reference Manual? I would like to write a bona fide DOS device driver which can be run interractively AFTER DOS is finished booting. Thanks, Jim Shoots ------------------------------ End of Info-IBMPC Digest ************************ -------