Info-IBMPC@B.ISI.EDU.UUCP (07/13/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sunday, 13 July 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 68
This Week's Editor: Billy Brackenridge
Today's Topics:
ECHO OFF in Batch Files in MS-DOS 3.1 and PC-DOS 3.2
XT Accelerator Boards
Color with IBM CGA / DOS 3.2 & the PC Network
SixPakPremium Card and DeskView
Microsoft C V4.0
132 Column Editors
MS WORD Printer Drivers
SIRIUS 1 Diskette
AT -> PC Disk Xfers
64K LIMIT on Turbo
X10 Product Review
STARTUP.C added to Library
line monitor
Dresselhaus ROM
TAGS.C Added to Library
Tektronics Emulator
Public Domain Editor for EGA
EGA Screen Dump
TeX from Addison Wesley
Safety First with FASTBACK
Returning to the Directory a Batch Command was Called from
Centram (Mac/IBMPC nets) Address and Phone Number
Cold Boot
New AT keyboard, revisited
Today's Queries:
Loading Executables via INT 4B
Variable Dump in Basic Compiler
DOS-3.2 and GEM Crashes
43 line EGA patch for WordStar 3.3
Tubo READ ESC?
LEX & YACC Wanted
Hercules Clones
Downloading Fonts to EGA
Graphics Adapter for Mono Display
ASMGEN Source
Running a Program Within a Program (again)
Writing Control Z from Lattice C
Getting Software Published
Monochrome w/color graphics card?
Compilers Using Expanded Memory
Ram disk for AT extended memory: Doesn't clear on reboot?
How to Determine Size of Free Disk Space from BASIC
Sanyo 555 RGB Output Plug
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: reintom@ROCKEFELLER (Tom Reingold)
Date: 7 Jul 1986 1143-EDT (Monday)
Subject: ECHO OFF in Batch Files in MS-DOS 3.1 and PC-DOS 3.2
A little while back, I asked for help in setting ECHO to OFF
as the default in batch files. I use Zenith's MS-DOS, not
IBM's PC-DOS. I don't know what version of PC-DOS my
version corresponds to. When I type "ver", I get
IO.SYS Version 3.05
MS-DOS Version 3.10
I am posting my finding for anyone else who is looking for
what I needed.
With the suggestion from nasser@ucbvax.Berkley.EDU, I looked
for all values of 01 between offsets 1900 and 1cff. I found
ten of them and, one by one, changed them to 00 and tried
each copy to see the effect. Upon the third try, I found
that changing 01 to 00 at offset 1987, ECHO was OFF in batch
files unless it was turned ON with an "echo on" statement.
He also said that he had to do the same at offset 1b1c for
his version, which I think was PC-DOS version 3.2.
This is a catch-as-catch-can method for making these changes
and I have no idea how people can do so much by reading
values in an executable file, but I am pleased and impressed
anyway.
Tom Reingold
------------------------------
Subject: XT Accelerator Boards
From: JEFFS%MAINE.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 86 00:22:41 EDT
A recent query from Alex Huang asked about experiences with
286 accelerator boards. I use a configuration very similar
to that of Alex (XT, work off RAM disk), and purchased an
Orchid 286e board to speed up processing. I did not get a
'replace the 8088 chip' type of accelerator because my
machine is an XT/370 (also runs as a desktop System/370
using VM/CMS), and did not want to take the chance.
Some observations:
- Speedup of most applications is approximately 4.5:1 with the
XT as the base. For example:
Orchid 286e 8088
Large Modula2 compile 1:06 4:45
GML text format 0:57 4:17
ARC extract 0:14 0:47
MASM 3.0 0:12 0:50
Sieve in Modula-2 0:06 0:24
Modula cross compile 3:03 12:20
(PC to IBM 370)
Except for the Sieve program (which may or may not be the
'standard' Byte Sieve, so don't compare these times to any
published numbers), these programs are not completely CPU
bound. These are therefore 'real' benchmarks, using actual
tasks that I perform (except for the Sieve!), and reflect
the speedup that I experience in normal work.
- Screen update is very fast. Both ill- and well-behaved screen
I/O is done much more quickly than on the native XT,
even if a speedup program like FANSI-CONSOLE is normally
used on the XT. The Orchid INSTALL program asks if your
display adapter can be run without retrace delay; if it
can it displays more quickly. I have this capability,
since I use a Quadcolor board, so this may cause the high
update screen. Orchid 286e DOES NOT work with EGA in other
than CGA compatibility, so don't try to mix them.
- The RAM disk is the TallTree Systems JDRIVE program, using
their JRAM-3 2MB memory card. It and the 286e can be used
together. However, when you install the 286e and run the
INSTALL program, you must briefly remove the JRAM-3, or
the system will hang during INSTALL. INSTALL looks for a
64K bank of memory to use for communication between the two
processors, and will start at a bank range normally used
by JRAM-3, resulting in a hang. The circumvention is to
remove the JRAM-3 card, run INSTALL, and then afterwards use
INSTALL to change the 64K address to one not used by JRAM.
You can also order the 286e with a 2nd megabyte of storage,
which you can use as EMS or RAM disk storage. The disadvantage
is that you cannot use this storage while running as an 8088.
The presumed advantage is that it would be faster.
[Use of some of the options in the JBOOT program should make it
possible for JRAM to coexist with the Orchid card as Tall Tree
software allows one to place the ram disk swap page anywhere. -wab]
- The 286e works with: TopView, KEDIT, Logitech Modula-2, ARC,
FileFacility, Norton Utilities, ARC, Turbo Pascal, Relay Gold,
WATCOM GML. It does not work with the Norton Editor.
- The 286e has been reported to fail very badly with XT's equipped
with expansion chassis. Errors include seek failures and
destroyed FATs. I do have an expansion chassis, and have not
experienced this problem (touch wood!). This may be because
I am not using standard IBM products: the expansion unit is
from Everex, the disk controller is Omti, and the disk drives
are Seagate and MicroScience. Nonetheless, observe caution.
- The product is not totally reliable, at least not at the Version 1.1
level I am running (I am expecting a shipment with 1.2). The
symptoms are 'crashes' of the 80286, and being either dropped
back into the 8088, or having to reboot the machine altogether.
I suspect a timing problem, since it has occurred most often when
I ran a communications program on the 286e (comm. I/O has to be
shipped to the host 8088 on each character). Their Tech support
people also suggested that I change the interrupt address used to
interrupt the 286e from the default of 7 to IRQ2.
Despite the occasional outage, I am satisfied with the purchase.
The four-fold improvement in performance for the applications the
machine is used for makes the investment worthwhile.
I hope this message is useful. If anyone has further queries, please
feel free to direct them to me. I have no connection with Orchid than
as a customer.
Jeff Savit
Savvy Computing
212/709-3661
------------------------------
Date: 0 0 00:00:00 PST
From: "COX R.G." <cox@nusc.ARPA>
Subject: Color with IBM CGA / DOS 3.2 & the PC Network
The following messages are forwarded without comment - I have no
personal experience with either of these situations. Forward any
comments or responses to the INFO-IBMPC digest. -- cox@nusc.arpa
From: MILO TSUKROFF
To: ALL
Re: COLOR WITH IBM CGA
ABSTRACT: Getting color out of the IBM CGA composite jack in BASIC.
DETAIL: It is normally not possible to get color out of the IBM
Color/Graphics Adapter's composite jack (requires an RCA plug). However,
with certain programming at the machine language level, color does
appear. While I don't know the addresses required to make color appear,
I have found a way to get color out of the CGA composite jack when in
BASIC operating in SCREEN 0. In this screen, 16 foreground and 8
background colors are possible.
To get color, use these two statements: SCREEN 0,1,0,0:COLOR 15,1,1
The result is, a half-second of black-and-white, and then color sort
of pops in. It works very nicely, but the color always disappears when
going to SCREEN 1 or SCREEN 2.
Perhaps someone can figure out the proper addresses to POKE to get
color all the time?
-- Milo Tsukroff, Sysop of Willi-Board, Fido 16/216
From: MILO TSUKROFF
To: ALL
Re: DOS 3.2 & THE PC NETWORK
ABSTRACT: DOS 3.2 will not support the server of the PC Network, version
1.0
DETAIL: The 1.0 release of the IBM PC Network (CSMA/CD network with coax
cable, NOT the token-ring network) can not configure a server when
running in DOS 3.2. This was discovered when attempting to use the
latest version of DOS with an unupdated PC Network program.
It is not known what the 1.10 level of the PC Network program will do
when in DOS 3.2. According the the cover of the package, it will only
work with the Token-Ring network, with DOS 3.2, or with the PC Network,
with DOS 3.1. It is probable that 1.1 will still not work with the PC
Network.
------------------------------
Subject: SixPakPremium Card and DeskView
Date: Tue, 08 Jul 86 15:14:06 -0500
From: Terry Woodhouse <tjw@mitre-bedford.ARPA>
I received some pertinent information on the cause of my previously
reported problem from someone close to QuarterDeck Office Systems (the
maker of DesqView). It seems there is a bug in the REX.SYS extended
memory driver that comes bundled with the SixPakPremium card from AST.
This bug causes any specification less than or equal to 48K to be
ignored. If, as in the case in point, one specifies a spooler, for
example, within this range, the default size of 512K is actually
allocated. DesqView then correctly uses whatever is left (which isn't
much) as expanded memory. The recommendation was made to try, say, 64K
as this should be recognized by REX.SYS properly. A pity AST didn't
mention this in their documentation for the drivers.
DeskView remains one of my all-time favorites. Thank you, Allan, for
clearing up the confusion.
Standard disclaimer applies.
Terry Woodhouse
tjw@mitre-bedford
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 86 02:53:48 EDT
From: Stev Knowles <stev@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Subject: Microsoft C V4.0
if anyone finds this at a discount at a reputable source, i would
appreciate hearing for you. thanx.
stev
[reprinted from InformationWEEK, pg 10, without permission.]
Microsoft Releases Enhanced Compiler
Last week, Microsoft Corp. released a new version of its C compiler.
Version 4.0 features improved optimization and a debugger that, to the
user, looks like the company's Windows program. With this version,
Microsoft increases the compilers execution speed by eliminating
common subexpressions. The compiler's code emitter has also been
improved. Codeview, the programm's source-level debugger, allows users
to watch as source or object code is debugged by opening windows as
needed. A spokesman for the company points out that with Codeview,
"the programmer can also see the contents of registers and flags in
the CPU and watch the values of expressions and variables as they
change." The program has a suggested retail price of $450. Registered
owners of the previous version of the C compiler can recieve the new
version for $150.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 86 14:02 EDT
From: Hess@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
Subject: 132 Column Editors
Subject: MS WORD Printer Drivers
Subject: SIRIUS 1 Diskette
Subject: AT -> PC Disk Xfers
[Sorry for the grubby header but this is the only way to get these
into the kwic index. -wab]
re: Manny Farber: 132 Column Editors
Yes, FinalWord II will run with more than 25 lines. We use it with Ann
Arbor Ambassadors in "miniscule mode", and it runs on the EGA in 43-line
mode just fine too. I've never actually tried it on a 132-column board,
but if the memory map is contiguous, it should work same way.
Re: Mark Freeman: MS WORD Printer Drivers
The basic problem that I am having is in trying
to get the NEC P5 driver to underline rationally,
and to microspace without going into graphics mode.
If the P5 really emulates the Epson the way it claims, then you can
forget microspacing without graphics mode -- you just have to, there's
no way out. At Mark of the Unicorn, we get this question all the time
from Epson owners with FinalWord II, especially the older Epson models,
where going into graphics mode is *really* slow and printhead-waggly.
But there's no other way on the old ones. On your LQ1500-clone, there
*is* an inaccurate way, which we use with some success. It operates in
60ths of an inch, while the underlying resolution of the printer is
360ths, and PS char width values may not be multiples of 6. Move
forward by using the ESC $ command (instead of ESC Y). But if you
insist on absolutely accurate positioning, there's no substitute for
graphics mode. For underscoring, the auto-underscore mode (ESC - 1 and
ESC - 0) should suffice with MS-WORD.
Re: Gunther Hartmann: SIRIUS 1 diskette
Given that you're in Germany, it would probably be easier, since there
are plenty of Sirius machines around, to find someone with a Victor 9000
"PCPlus" upgrade installed, and ask them to please read your Victor
single-sided disk for you, and produce IBM disks on their Victor
instead. I just installed a PCPlus in my V9000, and though I haven't
done tests of how good the screen and BIOS emulations are yet, it
certainly *does* read and write both Victor and IBM format disks
flawlessly.
Re: Nigel Head: AT -> PC Disk Xfers
Can someone explain to me what all the fuss (and software) is about with
writing PC 360K disks on the AT HD drive? If blank disks are not
previously formatted on the PC, simply supplying the correct switches to
the FORMAT command on the AT and copying files onto the disk works just
fine for me. If the disk has been previously written to by a PC, $15.95
bulk tape eraser makes the disk so that this AT format/write process can
be used successfully. We've never had any problems. You just have to
remember that only one of the two kinds of drives is allowed to write
(ever!) on any given disk, else a chance for non-transferrability is
introduced.
Brian
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jul 1986 14:08:52 EDT
Subject: 64K LIMIT on Turbo
From: Jim Stevens <Stevens@D.ISI.EDU>
This is in response to the query on how to increase the 64K limit in
Turbo Pascal.
A company called Turbo Power Software [phone:(408) 378-3672] makes a
product called Turbo Pascal Extender which allows Turbo Pascal programs
larger than 64K. A price quote on 16 June was for $149.00. I have
never used this product, but another project here at Rockwell has. They
told me that it worked fine.
Jim.
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 01:26:29-EDT
From: Joseph M. Newcomer <Joe.Newcomer@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: X10 Product Review
[I gather from reading this several times that the X10 Powerhouse is
a BSR controller which allows one to turn on and off various electrical
outlets in your house by sendigh digital radio signals through the power
lines to remote switches. -wab]
I bought an X10 PowerHouse with IBM-PC software a while back from the nice
folks at DAK. I couldn't get it to work, so hadn't reported on it.
What I can now report is success. The basic problem was the parrot was
dead, whoops, the interface was dead. This was hard to determine, since
pushing an on/off key actually sent data to the machine, and the machine
was clearly sending data to the PowerHouse controller, but the controller
never responded to the computer. I finally got around to calling them,
and got their technical guy on the line. He had me do a couple experiments
and determined that it was dead. Within a week I received a new unit
with a return letter to return the old (dead) one.
It took a bit more experimental computer science to get it working. The
documentation told me how to install DOS on my X10 disk, but not how
to install X10 software on my hard disk. So of course I got it wrong;
I failed to install "X10.DAT". I'm not sure what this does but it is
critical; without it, the interface still appears to be dead. (The
differences was that 'local control' at the interface would actually
activate devices!) The error message is definitely misleading. Anyway,
I installed X10.DAT and it worked.
The user interface is rather tasteful. No silly little house icons with 5
bedrooms and no libraries or computer rooms (as the Radio Shack product) and
you can assign any house/unit code to any device (unlike Radio Shack where you
have to artificially use up all the "A" units to be able to use a "B" unit,
and you can't have multiple assignments to the same code). I'd have done a
few things differently, but at least they got it really well done. You can
save configurations on disk files, and load the files, so I now have "normal"
and "away" modes. You can temporarily "freeze" a request so it is effectively
"turned off" without actually losing the data, although on the whole I prefer
to use different files for this.
It comes with three manuals, all rather detailed but certainly not
complete. There is an owner's manual which tells how to install
controllers and configure them. There is the software manual, which
tells how to use the software they deliver with it. Finally, there
is the programming guide, which gives in nearly-infinitesimal detail
all of the async protocols for actually communicating with it. This
detail, alas, misses a few key questions and isn't entirely clear
anyway, but most of it appears to be there. If you have a compulsion
to program it yourself, which I think is largely unnecessary given
the not-bad-at-all software, you may end up on the phone to New
Jersey. On the other hand, they seem anxious to help.
A Good Buy, in my estimation.
joe
[How much was it? -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 01:41:54-EDT
From: Joseph M. Newcomer <Joe.Newcomer@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: STARTUP.C added to Library
I sent out a request a few days ago about how to get the "mode" command
effect. After fiddling with it a while I figured out that what I
probably have to do was poke equip_flag, so I did, and viola! (sound of
mid-range string instrument dramatically inserted here...) it worked.
I'm sending my program STARTUP.C to the archives. As usual, it uses the
Blaise CTOOLS procedures, such as screset, sccursor, and scmode, but
BIOS hackers will quickly figure out the right C BIOS gate calls for
the video. This program was intended to be called from my AUTOEXEC.BAT
file (hence its name) to select which screen gets selected (default is
the current screen). It has the property that it also turns off the
"other" screen. I do this not by poking the 6845 chip (I value my
monitors and have little confidence in my skill) but by writing spaces
in the video memory and then setting the cursor off. It works.
joe
[STARTUP.C has been added to the library. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 01:50:42-EDT
From: Joseph M. Newcomer <Joe.Newcomer@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: line monitor
Some of you may have seen my audio-patch-panel-as-RS232-panel hack that
I published here some months ago. Let me add the latest to this. I
needed a line monitor, and since now I didn't have DB25 connectors except
at the ends I needed a way to insert a line monitor. So I went to
Radio Shack and got some of their 3-color LEDs, 1/4" phone plugs and
1/4" Y-connectors. The plug was wired like this:
__________________
_/_ /---vvvv--------|_____________
(___|-------------------------------O
\__________________|
(or as best I can draw it using only text characters...oh for a standard
graphics interchange mechanism for embedding pictures in messages). The
resistor is 560 ohm, 1/4W. The polarity is to your taste, depending on
whether you want red-idle or green-idle. By plugging this into a hole on
the panel I get high/off/low indication. By using one of the Y-plugs, I
can plug a signal line in parallel with it and watch the data go by. Has
already saved me a number of hassles.
joe
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 01:36:50-EDT
From: Joseph M. Newcomer <Joe.Newcomer@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: Dresselhaus ROM
A company called Dresselhaus sells a product called Dots-Perfect, an
NLQ (near-letter-quality for you acronymophobes) enhancement for an
FX80 printer. I bought one, $79.95+postage. It arrived quickly, I
installed it, it worked the first time. Nice output for an FX80.
Slows it down, as all lines require two passes, but worth it. I
use it as the optional output mode for Final Word II (it is not the
default, because it is so slow). Only problem was that I didn't
have a character width chart. Alas, it was Friday, so I did it the
hard way. Then I tried to get the IBM characters to print and they
didn't. On Monday I called up, got Dresselhaus himself, and found
out that I had to enable the codes octal 200-237 with a special
command (that I had previously been unware of). He also sent me a
font width. Funny device, as I discovered; the font widths in draft
and NLQ modes are different, not totally surprising, but the draft
(FX80-like) mode is also different from the standard FX80 set in a
couple places. I also supports the IBM graphics characters; I have
Final Word configured to switch around so that IBM graphic characters
on input produce the correct IBM graphics on output, but italic requests
use the Epson font. I've not tried to italicize a graphics character,
since I was not feeling especially perverse today.
I'm happy with it, and the service I got. Dresselhaus Computer Products,
837 E. Alosta Ave., Glendora, CA 91740. (800)368-7737, Visa, M/C, perhaps
others. I also bought one for the RX80 which does not give the full
character set, but I've not yet installed it. See the ad on page 334
of June Byte (the computer/music issue).
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 03:07:25-EDT
From: Joseph M. Newcomer <Joe.Newcomer@C.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: TAGS.C Added to Library
I now have a working TAGS system for C and Epsilon. For those of you
who don't know what TAGS is, it allows you to find the file which
contains a definition if you know the name of the object being defined.
For example, you are looking at a call on procedure xYzzY, and want to
see what it does. Fine. Invoke TAGS by typing Alt-., give it the
name xYzzY, and suddenly before your very orbs is the definition point
for the function! If the cursor is sitting somewhere before a word,
that word is the default name to look up and so A-. CR usually suffices.
This requires running a program over your source file that locates all
the tags and puts them in a tag dictionary, then having an editor command
that looks things up in the tag dictionary. I am submitting the source
for both of these. TAGS.C is the name of the file, and it contains
its makefile and the editor support for Epsilon, TAGS.E and TAGS1.E.
Tags is non-resident and loaded by a library load operation; included is
the procedure to do the library load, which you can install in your
Epsilon environment somewhere (I put mine in FILES.E).
There are some caveats. I didn't write this, it was written by Richard
M. Stallman of EMACS and GNU fame. It comes with his copyright, which
I believe I have honored in providing full support source with it (namely
Epsilon code). Please continue to honor this copyright. I added
Scribe and TeX modes, but have only tested them minimally. I have not
tested the Fortran or Lisp modes at all. .C and .E files seem to work.
Feel free to enhance it. It seems to have various obscure switch options
which I don't understand; I've inserted documentation showing the result
of the various switches. I've also added a mode that allows it to
interact reasonably with makefiles; this is documented in the comments.
I have found it immensley useful after I went back to my 84-file 700,000 byte
source after 6 months' absence; I can now find things. I offer it,
unsupported and 'as is'. If it is broken, please feel free to make
improvments and resubmit it.
joe
[TAGS.C has been added to the INFO-IBMPC lending library. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 05:02:08 EDT
From: Edward_Vielmetti%UMich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA
To: GKN3M2%IRISHMVS.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
Subject: Tektronics Emulator
I have found a Tektronics emulator called TEKTERM. It was developed
at Virginia Tech (anyone listening from there?) and written by
Greg Sherman. It seems to work, but I think I have a damaged copy.
I'd suggest that you get in touch with Va. Tech; I can't point you
to any bulletin boards or anything because I've only seen it on
the board where it was bad.
As a terminal program goes, it's not great, but it does do
tek 4010 emulation just fine.
Edward Vielmetti
Computing Center MicroGroup
University of Michigan
emv%Umich-MTS.Mailnet@MIT-Multics.ARPA
emv@umix.uucp (only if necessary)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 06:47:27 PDT
From: larry@Jpl-VLSI.ARPA
Subject: Public Domain Editor for EGA
I'm using a version of MicroEMACS with an EGA and it works fine in either
43-line or 25-line mode. The color is hard-wired into the source code, so
I had to change that before I compiled. The code is stored on juliet.caltech
(I've forgotten the directory; /public, I believe).
This is a variant of MicroEMACS 2.0 that (Jerome?) Kegel ported to Microsoft
C. I've just gotten version 3.6 from seismo.css.gov (10.0.0.25 in case your
host tables don't have the name) and will let you know my experience with
it. It is set up for two versions of Lattice C, Aztec C and runs on
VAX VMS, VAX Unix, the IBM PC, and the Amiga.
Larry @ jpl-vlsi
------------------------------
Subject: EGA Screen Dump
Date: 10 Jul 86 08:43:21 PDT (Thu)
From: flamm@aerospace.ARPA
Does anyone know where to get a print-screen driver to use with an
EGA clone? We recently got Quadram's EGA clone, which does not come
with print-screen drivers.
As a side note, this board is advertised as emulating IBM mono, IBM
CGA, Hercules and EGA. So far the claim appears to be valid, with
the comment that CGA and Hercules modes require running another program
first ("QEGA.COM") first. However that standard Hercules print-screen
program does not work with our system in the Hercules mode. I say "for
our system" because we are using this with a new XT with the new keyboard,
and I am not totally sure that part of the problem is not the keyboard.
We are using the QEGA board with a Princeton Max-12E monitor, which will
act either like a IBM mono monitor or IBM CGA (all in amber). Our hope
had been that we could switch from EGA mono mode to CGA on the same monitor
by switching modes in software, but it takes resetting DIP switches on the
back of the board and a warm reboot to make the switch.
------------------------------
Date: Thu 10 Jul 86 09:40:59-PDT
From: Carl Fussell <CARL%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: TeX from Addison Wesley
Regarding a query for TeX on a PC. It is available from the
Addison-Wesley Publishing company and is called MicroTeX. They list
it for about $295 although the price can be much higher (by hundreds
of $) if you purchase some of the other attendant packages (various
device drivers, screen previewer, etc). I also heard that it was
available from the Stanford University bookstore, but at a somewhat
higher price (this is hearsay and I cannot really confirm this).
I have not used it yet but will be ordering it within the next couple
weeks and perhaps can give some impressions if anyone is particularly
interested.
Carl Fussell
Santa Clara Univ.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 1986 14:25 EDT
From: EB%OZ.AI.MIT.EDU@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: Safety First with FASTBACK
At least in my copy, the FASTBACK documentation says you should never,
never format your hard disk without making two more backups AND
VERIFYING THEM. That's how you can be reasonably sure the restore
function will work.
If you care whether or not your files were really backed up, use the
VERIFY function of FRESTORE every time you do a backup.
FASTBACK also has a switch that causes a VERIFY to be done
automatically while you back up, but it's not recommended because that
won't save you if you have your diskettes mis-seated or something. (I
don't really see how any software package could protect you in that
case.)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 19:36:43 EDT
From: Brent W Baccala <baccala@USNA.ARPA>
To: bec.shapin@USC-ECL.ARPA
Subject: Returning to the Directory a Batch Command was Called from
In Info-IBMPC Digest, Volume 5: Issue 67, you write:
> This is one way to issue a batch command from any directory,
> possibly change to another directory and change back to the
> original directory. Is there a simpler way to do this?
ANSWER: YES, and better as well!
In PC Magazine, Vol. 5 Num. 10 (May 27, 1986), John Friend presents
his PUSHDIR/POPDIR programs ("Programming Utilities: Stacking up
Subdirectories", p. 243). These programs maintain a stack of directory
names, and function as their names imply. They are written in assembly
code for DOS 2.0 and later and feature a default stack holding 6
directories, but this can be changed. The best part of all is that
they are FREE.
There are a number of ways to get the goodies. The most preferable is
to download them from PC's Interactive Reader Service at (212)696-0360,
which supports Xmodem protocol. Two BASIC programs to create the COM
files are also provided, in case you can't download the binary and don't
have an assembler. Second, you could type in the source from the
article (Ugg!) and assemble it. Finally (if all else fails), drop me a
line explaining your problem and we'll arrange a solution.
-bwb
- BRENT W. BACCALA -
Aerospace Engineering Department
U.S. Naval Academy
Annapolis, MD
<baccala@usna.arpa>
"I do graphics work on an SGI Iris, fun work on a VAX 11/780,
grunge work on an IBM XT"
------------------------------
From: lotto%lhasa.UUCP@harvard.HARVARD.EDU
Date: 11 Jul 86 09:30 EDT
Subject: Centram (Mac/IBMPC nets) Address and Phone Number
In my last message about Laserwriters/IBMPCs and Macs on Appletalk,
I neglected to include an address and phone number for Centram Systems
West, Inc. They are at:
2372 Ellsworth Ave.
Berkeley, CA 94704
(415) 644-8244
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: Fri, 11 Jul 86 10:54:07 pdt
From: Wm. L. Brown <wbrown@lbl-ux4>
Subject: Cold Boot
>From: Jim Carter <jimc@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU>
>[...] Does anyone know how to boot from c: (the hard disc) short of
>an illegal jump to the absolute BIOS coldstart entry point [...]
Here is a program which generates code for cold-boot and warm-boot
.com files. The source is cited in the blurb. The original article explained
how the programs work in detail. I hope that these help.
(This blurb was originally published in the L.B.L. Computing Newsletter
for June 86.)
BASIC BOOT Program
There are times when it would be handy to be able to cause a "WARM BOOT"
from inside a ".BAT" file. A handy little program was published in the
May 13, 1986 (Vol 5 #9) issue of "P C Magazine"). This Basic program creates
two files; "WARM.COM" which starts a "warm boot", and "cold.com" which starts
a "cold boot".
100 ' BOOTER.BAS
110 ' MAKES FILES TO WARM AND COLD BOOT
120 N$(1)="WARM.COM":N$(2)="COLD.COM"
130 FOR A=1 TO 2:OPEN N$(A) AS #1 LEN=1
140 FIELD #1,1 AS D$:FOR B=1 TO 16
150 READ A$:IF A=1 THEN 170
160 IF B=7 OR B=8 THEN A$="7F"
170 LSET D$=CHR$(VAL("&H"+A$))
180 PUT #1:NEXT:CLOSE:RESTORE:NEXT
190 DATA B8,40,00,8E,D8,B8,34,12
200 DATA A3,72,00,EA,00,00,FF,FF
------------------------------
Cc: toma%tekgvs.tek.csnet@csnet-relay.ARPA
Subject: New AT keyboard, revisited
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 86 15:09:20 -0500
From: jcmorris@mitre.ARPA
Tom Almy reports that, contrary to what our local IBMers insist, there IS
a new update to the AT Tech Reference manual. It's apparently a complete
replacement for the contents, and carries part number 6183355. I will
pound on our local IBM office to see why we were told that it didn't
exist, but in the meantime it would be interesting if someone could
examine the BIOS code to see if there is anything in it to reflect the
new keyboard design.
In a similar vein, (or in vain, if you prefer) I was hopeful this morning
when UPS delivered an update to the DOS tech reference manual. The cover
sheet (it's a total replacement for the contents) says it supports DOS
3.2...but the table of extended codes on p. 6-12 doesn't admit to anything
beyond F10.
I could make a bad pun about 6-12 and bugs in the documentation, but I'm too
frustrated. Is there *ANYONE* at IBM who has to work with what the average
user has to put up with?
Joe Morris (jcmorris@mitre)
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 86 10:53:01 -0200
From: Kurzion Yair <yair%bengus.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA>
Subject: Loading Executables via INT 4B
I would like to present a problem I am facing writing a loader module
for the IBM-PC-AT :
I am using INT 4B for loading executables . (I am not interested in
executing these modules but in loading them only) . Does anyone out there know
how to get the main entry point of an `.exe' executable when using INT 4B with
AL = 3 ? . The technical reference manual says it is written in the file
header , is there any way one can accesss that header after a `load overlay'
operation is done ? (through INT 4B , AL = 3).
Yair.
(yair@bengus.bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: 11 July 86 10:22-PST
From: DEP%SLACVM.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Subject: Variable Dump in Basic Compiler
I am looking for information about the organization of variables within
IBM's Basic compiler. Or, better yet, a utility or routine which would
dump all the variables in Basic's data space. Has anyone heard of such
a thing?
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Don Pelton, Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, Stanford, Calif. *
* Bitnet: DEP@SLACVM Arpa: DEP%SLACVM.BITNET@wiscvm.ARPA *
* Usenet: ...psuvax!dep%slacvm.bitnet or ...ihnp4!ptsfa!well!dep *
* 415-856-8032 (home) 415-854-3300 ext. 2901 (work) *
*-------------------------------------------------------------------*
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 11 Jul 86 09:59:53 edt
From: Ted Cooley <tedc%dartmouth.edu@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: DOS-3.2 and GEM Crashes
Greetings.
I have been running GEM on my IBM PC/XT under PC-DOS 3.10. When
I tried to upgrade to PC-DOS 3.20 (in order to format the 3 1/2" external
drive), GEM hangs during load.
I had a similar problem under 3.10 until I removed the printer
buffer program from the autoexec.bat file. (The printer program came with
the Tecmar Captain board.) When this program call was removed, GEM and 3.10
worked just fine together. Any suggestions as to the problem now?!?
Other hardware goodies with the XT include:
2 1/2 height 5 1/4" drives
10 MEG Hard drive (IBM original)
3 1/2" external
CGA
Tecmar Captain board with 384K
US Robotics internal modem
Any suggestions may be sent to me or forwarded to the net. Thanks for any
help.
Ted Cooley
Thayer School of Engineering
Dartmouth College
Hanover, NH 03755
CSNet: tedc@dartmouth.edu
uucp: ...seismo!harvard!dartvax!tedc
------------------------------
Date: Fri 11 Jul 86 16:26:41-PDT
From: David John Buerger <D.Buerger%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: 43 line EGA patch for WordStar 3.3
cc: dave%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
Message-ID: <12221933648.20.D.BUERGER@SCU>
Does anyone have a patch to allow WordStar 3.3 to be used with an EGA card
and monitor, showing 43 lines instead of 25? How about 132 columns instead
of 80? Many thanks.
David J. Buerger
Santa Clara University
------------------------------
Date: 3 Jul 86 11:08:03 EDT (Thursday)
Subject: Tubo READ ESC?
From: Bill <Crocca.wbst@Xerox.COM>
Hi,
I'm writing a program using Turbo Pascal on my PC/XT clone. Imagine a
menu of options. I need a way to allow the user to gracefully backout of
a chosen option. What I'd like to do is allow the escape key to signal
exit back to option menu. I choose the escape key because it is the
common PC technique and is therefor familiar. This leads to two
questions:
1. If I'm executing a Turbo read() or readln() procedure, can I detect
the escape key and do the right thing yet still preserve all the
nice line editing turbo provides?
2. Is there a way to get an interrupt on the escape key yet still
preserve normal read() or readln() processing? I could set a global
variable and test it at the appropriate places for gracefully
terminating a function prematurely.
I'd appreciate some explanation and/or code fragments from anyone who
can help. I'm not a PC guru so I'd like at least partially illuminated
expanations or pointers.
thanks,
~ Bill
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 86 16:54:19 GMT
From: <mcvax!dutesta!edix@seismo.CSS.GOV>
Subject: LEX & YACC Wanted
Organisation: University of Technology, Electrical department
Delft, The Netherlands.
Good day to you.
I am looking for a LEX and a YACC version for ibm-pc.
Could you tell me more about it?
Jan Edixhoven,
student.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 8 Jul 86 12:26:34 PDT
From: dbercel@SUN.COM (Danielle Bercel, MIS Systems Programming)
Subject: Hercules Clones
Does anyone have any experience with any of the inexpensive Hercules'
clones? If so, could you please relate you experiences with the board
and what your recommendation would be.
thanks - danielle bercel
[I bought the Hercules clone from PC Ltd. in Texas as well as their AST
Sixpack Clone both work and delivery was prompt. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Wed 2 Jul 86 22:30:00-PDT
From: D.LEWIS%SCU%PANDA@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA
Subject: Downloading Fonts to EGA
The EGA BIOS extension provides a method for redefining the character
generator patterns for characters in both the alpha and graphics modes.
However, the BIOS call also initiates a mode set, causing the display to
"jump".
I need to change the character generator patterns in alpha mode without
this "jump". According to the documentation, the patterns are kept in
bit plane 2 with the ascii codes in plane 0 and the attribute bytes in
plane 1.
I've tried to access the patterns directly by changing the bit plane
mask to plane 2 and then writing to the display buffer, but with no
luck. Does anyone know enough about the EGA hardware to tell me how
to change the alpha mode character generator patterns (8x14) without
going through the BIOS?
Thanks in advance!
Dan Lewis
EECS Dept.
Santa Clara University
Santa Clara, CA 95053 (Or reply to the net-mail return path above)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 86 10:57:49 EDT
From: Dave Anderer <anderer@louie.udel.EDU>
Subject: Graphics Adapter for Mono Display
Sender: Dave Anderer <anderer@louie.udel.EDU>
I'm looking for a graphics adapter that I can use with my IBM monochrome
monitor. I need one that allows CGA emulation on the monitor, as well
as supporting Herc monochrome graphics. Is there such a beast?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 86 10:31:00 pdt
From: lee@ames-prandtl.ARPA (Bock W. Lee)
Subject: ASMGEN Source
Can anyone out there tell me where and how I may get a copy of the source
listing for the program: ASMGEN? Any help will be appreciated.
B. Lee
lee@ames-prandtl.ARPA
[Anybody know what ASMGEN is? -wab]
------------------------------
Date: 9 July 86 11:46-PST
From: KJBSF%SLACVM.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Subject: Running a Program Within a Program (again)
Thanks for all the help people gave me on my problem; now I have one other
question about this. Does the program you've called with the DOS EXEC
function always return to the DOS prompt, or can you have it go back to the
program you were already running?
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 9 Jul 1986 20:02 EST
From: Brian Blau <BLAU%UCF1VM.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA>
Subject: Writing Control Z from Lattice C
I am having a serious problem using my IBM-PC and I wanted to know
if anyone has a solution, or has encountered the same problem before.
I am writing a file compression program using the Huffman algorithm
in Lattice C. The compression scheme is an involved process which calculates
the character frequency of the file, then creates a binary tree which
represents the new character code, and then outputs the new bits to
the file. The resulting file is shorter than the original and is in such a
format that it can be easily decompressed.
In the process of writing the new bit patterns to the file, the chance of
getting any one of the 256 characters is the same for all characters.
Since the program creates a ControlZ (dec 26 hex 1A) right in the middle of
processing, the computer thinks this is an EOF and stops all I/O.
My question comes from days of debugging. I have tried most of the Lattice
functions that read and write, including the Level 1 and Level 2 functions.
I have also tried reading and writing in both translated and untranslated
modes. Is there any way that I will be able to write this ControlZ without
causing the program to prematurely stop?
Please send any information you might have, or please send me in the
right direction.
Thanks,
Brian Blau
University of Central Florida
Please reply to :
<BLAU%UCF1VM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jul 86 17:37 PDT
From: Steve Kleiser <SGK.TYM@OFFICE-1.ARPA>
Subject: Getting Software Published
I finally have some "entertainment software" for the IBMPC ready for
market, but have only a clue how to proceed. Can anyone volunteer
their experience, point me to a book or maybe someone that has
already gone through the motions? I'm thinking I need to contact some
firms that publish "outsiders" efforts, maybe after getting an agent?
...
Please respond direct to <sgk.tym@office-1.arpa>. Maybe I'll be able
to supply free copies to helpful respondents! Even the smallest
suggestion or comment will be greatly appreciated. Thanks. -steve-
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 01:47 UT
From: MYHRED%HAW.SDSCNET@LLL-MFE.ARPA
Subject: Monochrome w/color graphics card?
Does anyone know if there is a way to hook up a monochrome monitor
to a IBM type color graphics card? The card I am currently using is a
Quadram EGA+ (Vega 7) but it will not allow you to use a monochrome
monitor in color graphics mode (like some other graphics boards). I
don't have a color monitor, nor am planning to buy one in the near
future but have a lot of software that requires a IBM graphics board
(not herculies compatible). Is it possible to rewire the pin
connections (eg. red, green, and/or blue to video)?
Douglas Myhre
Hawaii Institute of Geophysics
ARPA : <MYHRED%HAW.SDSCNET@LLL-MFE.ARPA>
[The standard IBM mono display has a sweep frequency of 50 Hz. Attempting
to drive it with 60 Hz will just generate lots of heat. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 11:35 EDT
From: "David S. Bakin" <Bakin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>
Subject: Compilers Using Expanded Memory
To: Info-Ibmpc@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Message-ID: <860710153525.155559@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>
Are there any compilers available which
1) use expanded memory during compilation?
2) generate code which uses expanded memory
a) instead of overlays, i.e., for code
b) for data, e.g., for large arrays
3) have libraries to make it easy for you to use expanded memory?
If people would prefer to send me responses I will summarize for the digest.
THANKS! -- Dave Bakin (Bakin -at mit-multics.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 10 Jul 86 11:39 EDT
From: "David S. Bakin" <Bakin@MIT-MULTICS.ARPA>
Subject: Ram disk for AT extended memory: Doesn't clear on reboot?
Can someone point me to RAM disk software for the AT's extended
memory which DOESN'T clear on a CTRL-ALT-DEL reboot?
(Or, how to do it? I've tried to look for the volume label before
initializing the VDISK, from within VDISK.SYS of course, but always get
only 0's back .)
Thanks! -- Dave (Bakin -at mit-multics.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: 10 July 86 15:27-EDT
From: ATSWAF%UOFT01.BITNET@WISCVM.ARPA
Subject: How to Determine Size of Free Disk Space from BASIC
Does anyone know of a way from a BASIC program to determine
the amount of space available on a disk? I need to include this
in a program to then decide if the data the program will generate
will fit in the space available.
Thanks,
Wendy Fraker
ATSWAF@UOFT01.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 10 Jul 86 23:20 GMT
From: ghicks @ KOREA-EMH
Subject: Sanyo 555 RGB Output Plug
I have a friend that has a Sanyo 555 PC (semi)compatabile computer. He
would like to connect a standard IBM PC color monitor to the RGB output
on the rear of the computer. However, the documentation available to
both of us (his owner's manual and reference manual) does not describe
the pinout for the 8 pin, circular connector on the rear of the computer.
I imagine that if he were to buy a Sanyo monitor, there would not be a
problem but they are not available over here.
I know what the pin-in for the IBM monitor is but have no idea on the
Sanyo. Can anyone help with info?
Thanks in advance.
Gregory Hicks
GHicks@Korea-EMH or JUSMAG-JP@Korea-EMH
(my friend) CFAC-CSO
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
-------