Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA.UUCP (06/29/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sunday, June 29, 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 64
This Week's Editor: Phyllis O'Neil
Today's Topics:
Re: Disk Reorganizer
Dataflow Diagram Editors
Comments on DDJ/Holub C-Shell
Today's Queries:
Good Backup Programs for IBM/PC
Problems with new hard disk.
Voice Synthesizers
int 19h, BIOS reboot query
Wendin's Operating System Toolbox
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Date: Mon, 23 Jun 86 10:47:48 edt
From: hplabs!topaz!harvard!dartvax!uvm-gen!punia@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU (David T. Punia)
Subject: Re: Disk Reorganizer
Tom Ivar Helbekkmo <helbekkmo%vax.runit.unit.uninett@nta-vax.arpa>:
>
> Does anyone know of / have a program to reorganize your hard disk
> by moving clusters around to make files contiguous? Preferably
> the program should put the free space at the center of the disk I
> think - although this is just my own assumption... :-)
>
> Thanks!
>
Softlogic Solutions sells a program called Disk Optimizer that does
what you describe. I haven't checked to see just where the free space
is put, but it does leave you with contiguous files when you're done.
About $50. Their number is 800-272-9900 (603-627-9900 in NH).
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Date: Mon, 16 Jun 86 12:56:43 BST
From: UNAC950 <mcvax!kcl-cs!phil@seismo.CSS.GOV>
To: Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Subject: Dataflow Diagram Editors
A company called Autonomix Limited here in London has such a product
in beta test at the moment. It is a complete environment supporting
the Yourdon method of systems analysis, and features integrated
dataflow diagram, data dictionary and mini-spec. editors.
The system is called Synapse and runs under the GEM windowing system
on PCs and compatibles. Four windows can be displayed at once, each
showing any combination of diagram, dictionary or mini-spec. Synapse
enforces the Yourdon rules so that a consistent specification is
guaranteed.
Synapse supports all of the standard IBM graphics cards, the Hercules
card, the Microsoft and PC-MOUSE mice, the IBM/Epson printers, the
Apple and HP laser printers, etc. etc...
Any part of the specification, eg. a diagram, can be extracted and
manipulated by the standard GEM tools - annotated by Draw or included
as part of a document by Write for example.
I have no connection with Autonomix except that I own a third of it.
Phil Thompson.
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Date: Tue 24 Jun 1986 13:56:57 EDT
From: <SAGE@LL.ARPA>
Subject: Comments on DDJ/Holub C-Shell
To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB
In response to a note I saw on here about the DDJ/Holub C-Shell
program, I would like to add my comments. I also ordered it, and I,
too, am very disappointed. It crashes my whole system quite
regularly, and even when it runs it does not run in a useful way. The
expansion of wildcard file names on the shell command line into lists
of files on the DOS command line makes it impossible to use a number
of DOS commands (try a directory program or any other program that
selects files based on a file spec). The alias capability it very
crude. The author should take a look at Rick Conn's ZCPR3 command
processor for CP/M machines to see what a shell should be capable of
in the more powerful hardware environment of a PC. Aliases there pass
parameters in a very sophisticated way, and the aliases can be nested
and invoked recursively. The ZCPR3 history shell program HSH by Mike
Rubenstein should be studied to see a useful history system. The one
in the C-Shell is again crude. Who wants to have to keep track of
commands by number. The computer should do dumb stuff like that.
With HSH you can enter any initial string and then ask HSH to search
back through the history for lines that start with the specified
string. And you don't have to settle for the first one found; you can
continue the search backwards. I am constantly amazed at the
crudeness of what is done under MS-DOS compared to what has been
achieved on those tiny 8-bit Z80 and 8080 machines!
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Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1986 09:04 EDT
From: LIN@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Subject: Good Backup Programs for IBM/PC
I'm looking for a hard disk backup program to back up on
floppies. I would like the following features:
Backed up files are identical to source files (including file
names + extensions) so that they can be directly manipulated
and used.
Both full and incremental saves and restores are supported with a
minimum of hassle (so that saying use COPY a bunch of times is
unacceptable).
Full saves should proceed over multiple floppies smoothly.
Please respond to me directly. If there is interest, I will summarize
for the list.
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Date: Mon, 23 Jun 1986 10:33 EDT
From: Phil Benchoff <BENCHOFF%VTVM1.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: Problems with new hard disk.
To: <Info-IBMPC@usc-isib.ARPA>
I recently added a 20Mb external disk to my IBM-PC (Tandon TM-262
w/Xebec 1210C). I also upgraded to PC DOS 3.2 when I got the disk.
Since then, I have had the disk refuse to let me write to it on two
occasions. Both times CHKDSK indicated that FAT_1 was bad. I was
able to boot from the A drive and use all of the stuff on the disk as
long as I did not try to write to it. The first time the problem
occurred, I was in the middle of linking a program. I dumped the disk
to tape and tried to format. Format indicated that track 0, sector 1
was bad. After using the low-level for- matter supplied with the
disk, fdisk, and format, everything was fine (in- cluding the boot
sector). The second occurrence was last night while I was running a C
program (not doing any disk I/O). The symptoms are the same, but I
haven't tried to fix it yet.
Does anybody suspect problems with DOS 3.2, or the combination of a PC
and a 20Mb hard disk? Any advice would be appreciated.
Thanks,
Phil Benchoff
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Date: Monday, 23 June 1986 12:05:54 EDT
From: Joe.Newcomer@sei.cmu.edu
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa
Subject: Voice Synthesizers
I'm looking for a voice synthesizer for my IBM PC. Ideally, it will
be cheap and sound cheap (I want something that sounds "like a computer"
for some special effects tapes). Alternatively, a really good one which
can also be made to sound mechanical will do. Low cost is major
goal here.
joe
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Date: Tue, 24 Jun 86 09:36:01 PDT
From: Jim Carter <jimc@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU>
To: info-ibmpc@b.isi.edu
Subject: int 19h, BIOS reboot query
Running on a PC-AT, PC-DOS v3.2. Reading my brand-new Norton's
"Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC", I spotted int 19h for booting the
machine. However, it boots from drive a: and will not try c: if a: is
empty. Loading a 2 in DL doesn't help. The page in the tech
reference containing the boot code is *missing*! Does anyone know how
to boot from c: (the hard disc) short of an illegal jump to the
absolute BIOS coldstart entry point (posted here recently; it works)?
James F. Carter (213) 206-1306
UCLA-SEASnet; 2567 Boelter Hall; 405 Hilgard Ave.; Los Angeles, CA 90024
UUCP:...!{ihnp4,ucbvax,{hao!cepu}}!ucla-cs!jimc ARPA:jimc@locus.UCLA.EDU
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Date: 23 June 86 14:43-PST
From: DEP%SLACVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Subject: Wendin's Operating System Toolbox
Is anyone out there using any of Wendin's products? It's been awhile
since I've seen any discussion of it here.
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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