Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA (Info-IBMPC Digest) (01/14/86)
Info-IBMPC Digest Monday, 13 January 1986 Volume 5 : Issue 4
This Week's Editor: Richard Nelson
Today's Topics:
PC/VI Now Available (2 msgs)
ALICE Pascal - Syntax Directed Programming Environment
New AT ROM Disk Type Tables
Polytron's PolyMake
HP Thinkjet
Fortran Subroutine Library for PC-DOS (2 msgs)
Statistical Package for the IBM-PC
Epsilon and Sidekick Incompatibility (2 msgs)
Hiding Files (3 msgs)
Bare Boards and Real Cheap Clones
Third Serial Port on a PC (2 msgs)
Quadram Memory Board Problem
PC-DOS Backup/Restore Format Query
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From: "Pat M. Iurilli" <pat@pyuxqq.uucp>
Subject: PC/VI Now Available
Date: 10 Jan 86 15:20:49 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
A version of vi is now available that runs under MS-DOS. It's from
Custom Software Systems, P.O.Box 551 MO., Shrewsbury, MA 00545,
phone 617-842-1712 for $149.00. It is designed to run on an IBM PC or
compatible. It's about time!
--
Pat M. Iurilli Bell Communications Research Piscataway, NJ
{allegra, ihnp4, topaz}!pyuxqq!pat
------------------------------
From: LORANY <lyourk@ihlpm.uucp>
Subject: PC/VI
Date: 12 Jan 86 05:38:14 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
> Custom Software Systems, P.O.Box 551 MO., Shrewsbury, MA 00545,
> phone 617-842-1712 for $149.00. It is designed to run on an IBM PC or
> compatible. It's about time!
> --
If you get this you should also get a different ANSI.SYS device
driver. I have purchased PC/VI and found it to be like an ADM 3a
at 9600 baud with the standard ANSI.SYS driver due to the lack of
delete or insert line. I purchased the FCONSOLE.DEV driver that
Custom Software Systems recommended from Hersey Micro in MI and
re-did the termcap (added the delete/insert line capability) for
the 'ibmpc' entry. The difference in speed is like night and
day. I use PC/VI in conjunction with Turbo Lightning and it makes
a GREAT editing system. PC/VI also works with a terminal off the
serial port at 9600 baud; just update the termcap lib for it.
PC/VI has all of the idiosyncrasies the UNIX version has so there
is nothing to get use to except fast response. I imagine that
PC/VI would work even faster with an AT. A final note, if you
don't have a hard disk it will slow down tremendously due to
temporary file allocation for 'undo' and the space for the
support files it requires.
Now if I could only get a COMPLETE version of memorandum macros,
'mm' for MS-DOS, I wouldn't want to get UNIX for my pc anymore!
Loran Yourk
AT&T Technologies
ihnp4!ihlpm!lyourk
W: 312-510-6885
Disclammier: I have no connection with the companies mentioned
above except that I am an addicted user of their software
products and without them my PC/XT would be an expensive toy.
------------------------------
From: Brad Templeton <brad@looking.uucp>
Subject: ALICE Pascal - Syntax Directed Programming Environment
Date: 8 Jan 86 02:11:32 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
Product Announcement as Follows:
====================================================================
Looking Glass Software has launched ALICE: The Personal Pascal,
a syntax-directed complete programming environment that is particularly good
for learning and prototyping. It consists of an integrated template-driven
syntax directed editor with a Pascal interpreter and debugging facilities.
A syntax directed editor is an editor that intimately knows the syntax of a
language. You edit your programs as program trees instead of dealing with
them as text. New structures are built by filling in the blanks in templates.
Among other things, it's impossible to make a syntax error in such a system.
To see ALICE, pick up the January issue of Computer Language Magazine.
Each copy has an ALICE demo disk stuck to the front cover. This is a full
version that can't save files. You can also order the demo disk through
ads in Byte, PC and PC World. It is published by Software Channels Inc.
of Houston and Toronto. Or send mail to me for further information.
The program itself is $95 and is shipping now for the IBM-PC.
I won't go into major details here to avoid offending the net. You can
mail for more full information, or if requested, I will post it to the net.
Here is a short list of some of the notable features of the system.
o Multi-level UNDO/REDO o Symbol name completion (like TENEX)
o Menu of possible input at any point o Edit multiple programs
o Colour to display semantic info o code "hiding"
o Entry-time semantic error detection o All action from menus if desired
o Use of uninitialized variables, bad array indices etc. detected
o Motion picture execution mode o Macros for customization
o Programmable editor (In Pascal!) o Over 500 help screens
o Help on all commands, errors, built-in routines and features of Pascal
Phone 713-359-1024 for details or mail me.
800-448-3400 Ext. ALICE to order.
=========================================================================
Brad Templeton, Looking Glass Software Ltd. - Waterloo, Ontario 519/884-7473
------------------------------
From: LICHTENBERG.PA@Xerox.ARPA
Date: 10 Jan 86 13:36:11 EST
Subject: New AT ROM disk type tables
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa
Found on a bulletin board:
/Mitch Lichtenberg. (Lichtenberg.PA@Xerox.arpa)
===================
As most of you already know, the IBM PC/AT's ROMs have recently
changed. The first change can be noted when running the new
SETUP: 47 drive types! Opening the machine, one can see a
*smaller* motherboard, which uses 256K RAM chips instead of
the 128K stacked chips. Don't get your hopes up though --
the motherboard still only accepts 512 Kb total.
The fixed disk drive parameter table in the IBM PC/AT now has
room for 47 different drive types. Types 1 through 14, and
16 through 23 are defined. The remaining entries are all 0.
Drive type 15 is a special type which indicates a new drive
type (above 15). Two new fields apparently have been defined
in the AT's CMOS RAM (the private RAM connected to the battery):
address Description
=========================================
19h Drive type for fixed drive C:
1Ah Drive type for fixed drive D:
At address 12h in the CMOS RAM, there is one byte which is used to
define the drive type for both fixed disk drives C and D. Bits 4
through 7 defined the type for C and bits 0 through 3 for drive D,
respectively. If either field indicates drive type 15 (decimal),
then this is an indicator that the BIOS should look into the new
locations in the CMOS RAM to get the correct drive type. [Actually,
the BIOS may not even look into location 12h anymore, but it is set
for compatibility].
Refer to pages 5-167 through 5-169 in the March 1984 edition of the
IBM Personal Computer AT Technical Reference for a description of
the drive characteristics table. Starting on page 1-45 of the same
manual is a description of the layout of the CMOS RAM.
Drive characteristics fields:
Offset Description
===================
0 Max. Cylinders (word)
2 Max. Heads (byte)
3 Unused (word)
5 Write Preconpensation Cylinder (word)
7 Unused (byte)
8 Control flags (byte)
Bit 7 or 6 to disable retries
Bit 3 if more than 8 heads
9 Unused (3 bytes)
12 Landing Zone (word)
14 Sector per track (byte)
15 Reserved (byte)
Drive Max Max Write Control Landing Sectors
Type Cyl Heads Precomp Byte Zone per Track
========================================================
1 306 4 128 0 305 17
2 615 4 300 0 615 17
3 615 6 300 0 615 17
4 940 8 512 0 940 17
5 940 6 512 0 940 17
6 615 4 -1(no) 0 615 17
7 462 8 256 0 511 17
8 733 5 -1(no) 0 733 17
9 900 15 -1(no) 8 901 17
10 820 3 -1(no) 0 820 17
11 855 5 -1(no) 0 855 17
12 855 7 -1(no) 0 855 17
13 306 8 128 0 319 17
14 733 7 -1(no) 0 733 17
15 0 0 0 0 0 0 (reserved)
16 612 4 0 0 663 17
17 977 5 300 0 977 17
18 977 7 -1(no) 0 977 17
19 1024 7 512 0 1023 17
20 733 5 300 0 732 17
21 733 7 300 0 732 17
22 733 5 300 0 733 17
23 306 4 0 0 336 17
24 0 0 0 0 0 0 (reserved 24-47)
. . . . . . .
. . . . . . . (all zeroes)
. . . . . . .
47 0 0 0 0 0 0
Has anyone out there figured out what IBM is referring
to when they say the new IBM PC/AT ROMs will no longer support
an 8 MHz clock? Has anyone noted any other ROM changes?
------------------------------
From: johnl@ima.uucp
Subject: Polytron's PolyMake
Date: 7 Jan 86 03:52:00 GMT
We used Polytron's PolyMake to put together some large C programs, the
largest of which is about 500K of object code. It is a good reimplementation
of the Unix make and has no particular bugs that I've noticed.
If you get Microsoft's assembler version 3.x or 4.0, they throw in a version
of make which is less powerful but looks useful.
John Levine, ima!johnl
------------------------------
From: Bamford <bamford@ihuxw.uucp>
Subject: HP ThinkJet
Date: 6 Jan 86 23:47:32 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
> [2] The mini-review of the HP ThinkJet in the PC Magazine 1984 (not 85)
> printer review issue mentions that the ThinkJet has a full Epson
> emulation mode. Yet, the review of the ThinkJet in the Jan85 BYTE
> review says that the ThinkJet CANNOT emulate the Epson printers.
> Can someone please tell me which review is correct?
The ThinkJet emulates most of the functions of the MX-80 (with
graphtrax). Graphics it does understand. Italics it does not.
Underline it does, bold it does, n/216 " spacing it does not. I am able
to use an epson-targeted routine to do a graphics screen dump to my
thinkjet and the only problem is that the output is too narrow. Not a
serious problem... Furthermore, printing a 100 page document on the HP
will not cause permanent hearing loss ( :-) )
--
Harold Bamford
AT&T Bell Labs
Naperville, Ill
(cornet) 8-367-5744
(312) 979-5744 (work)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 86 09:38:08 cst
From: cody@anl-mcs.ARPA (Jim Cody)
To: 7508***%fsurai.bitnet@wiscvm.arpa
Subject: Fortran Subroutine Library for PC-DOS
There are at least three sources for numerical Fortran
subroutine libraries for PCs:
1) The Scientific Desk is available from
C. Abaci
208 St. Mary's Street
Raleigh, NC 27605
(919) 832-4847
2) NAG PC-50 (their top 50 programs) is available from
Numerical Algorithms Group, Inc.
1101 31st Street
Suite 100
Downers Grove, IL 60515-1263
(312) 971-2337
3) A subset of the IMSL library is available from
IMSL, Inc.
2500 ParkWest TRower One
2500 CityWest Boulevard
Houston, TX 77042-3020
(713) 782-6060
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Jan 1986 20:14 EST
From: Mike Kramer <MMKBC%CUNYVM.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: FORTRAN Subroutine Libraries
To: <Info-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA>
In response to the request for a math subroutine library for the
IBMPC similar to the IMSL mainframe pkg, look no further -
IMSL offers a version of their subroutines called IMSL/PC.
There are two libraries offered: IMSL/PC MATH LIB
and IMSL/PC STAT LIB combined price for the pair (university rate) is
$600 per copy. But check the list of subroutines; not all the
mainframe subroutines have been ported.
A cheaper and more limited collection of subroutines is available from
Wiley (the book publisher) Professional Software. A full set of
subroutines is available for $175. Languages supported are:
C,Fortran,Basic. You must specify the language version you are
interested in.
Mike Kramer
Dept. of Physics
Brooklyn College of CUNY
------------------------------
Date: 10 JAN 86 15:55-N
From: DOMMELEN%HWALHW5.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU
To: INFO-IBMPC@USC-ISIB.ARPA
Subject: Statistical Package for the IBM-PC.
A version of the IMSL library for the PC is available, contact IMSL
for information, delivery etc. We've ordered it but not yet received
the stuff. The description sounds good, just what you expect from IMSL,
I'll give you an excerpt from the folder they sent us:
STAT/PC-LIBRARY includes the IMSL Library's most frequently used statistical
subroutines, include:
Basic statistics,
Regression analysis,
Analysis of variance,
Nonparametric statistics and tests for goodness-of-fit,
Time series analysis and forecasting,
Random number generation,
Probability distribution functions and their inverses.
The address: IMSL, NBC Building, 7500 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston,
Texas 77036 USA, telephone: (713) 772-1927.
(usual disclaimer, we're a very content user of their mainframe version).
Wim van Dommelen, Computer Centre Agricultural University,
DOMMELEN@HWALHW5.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Thu 9 Jan 86 11:18:30-PST
From: William Pearson <PEARSON@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA>
Subject: Epsilon and Sidekick Incompatibility
I use these two programs together without any problem.
You must be careful to exit SK with the same ALT-CTL sequence you
entered it with instead of using ESC.
Bill Pearson (Pearson@sumex-aim.arpa)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 86 14:28:33 pst
From: jeff@aids-unix (Jeff Dean)
Subject: Epsilon and Sidekick Incompatibility
I have been using Epsilon and Sidekick together with no problem.
You obviously have to change the invocation sequence for Sidekick
(using the Sidekick installation program); I have found the
LEFTSHIFT-RIGHTSHIFT method convenient.
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jan 1986 10:52:22 PST
Subject: Hiding Files
From: Richard Gillmann <GILLMANN@USC-ISIB.ARPA>
To: Craig Norborg aka Doc Pierce <aic@PUCC-I.ARPA>
cc: info-ibmpc@USC-ISIB.ARPA
In-Reply-To: <1236@pucc-i>
You can make files read-only or hidden in MS-DOS. Every file has an
attribute byte associated with it. One nice zero cost way to set
the attribute byte is to use the CHMOD program in the Info-IBMPC
library.
Of course, anyone who knows what they're doing could find the file and
reset the attribute byte, so this won't stop a malicious hacker.
Dick Gillmann
------------------------------
From: brown@nicmad.uucp
Subject: Hiding Files
Date: 8 Jan 86 15:52:44 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
In article <1236@pucc-i> aic@pucc-i.UUCP (Craig Norborg aka Doc Pierce) writes:
>
> For security purposes at a place I work, we were wondering if it was
>possible in ms-dos to make files so that people couldn't write onto them.
>One possible way we thought of was just to make the files so they can't
>see them by "hiding" them like some of the system files. I know write
>protecting a floppy is one way, but this doesn't help with a hard drive.
>Any suggestions/help would be greatly appreciated.
One way is to use the PC-DOS ATTRIB command, which allows you to change the
Read Only attribute. You could also get Norton's Utilities, 3.0+, and use
the sector r/w capabilities and manual change the directory entry so that you
can hide and read protect the file.
A MS-DOS directory entry is like this:
Bytes 0-7 Filename
8-10 Extension
11 File Attribute
01h read only
02h hidden file
04h system file
08h filename+ext = volume label (root directory only)
10h subdirectory name
20h archive bit
You add up the bits in byte 11 to get the combination you want.
Hope this helps.
------------------------------
From: Ward Christensen <ward@chinet.uucp>
Subject: Hiding Files
Date: 8 Jan 86 05:37:14 GMT
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
There are a couple of public domain utilities that will do what you want.
If you have access thru Compuserve, via a local users group, whatever,
you should be able to find them. The two I have are ALTER, which only
does a single file, and CHMOD that can do several files at once. I use
it like a security system - creating subdirectories with funny names, then
hiding them. Actually, you can also "zap the bits" with a disk utility
such as Norton - I often do this (although I use Media Magician since Norton
didn't [initially] support my 15M hard disk).
"You know, the more you know, the more you realize you don't know" Bela Lubkin
------------------------------
Date: Fri 10 Jan 86 11:23:33-CST
From: Larry Smith <CMP.LSMITH@R20.UTEXAS.EDU>
Subject: Bare Boards and Real Cheap Clones
I bought a clone from Compu-add and have had no problems, though I
don't do anything at all fancy. It was 640K, two half-height floppies,
clock, Amdek 310A monochrome monitor, DOS 2.11, and Epson LX-80
printer for $1200 just before Christmas. The most complicated thing
I've done is add a RAM disk, which was only hard because I'd never
done any assembly language programming and didn't know anything about
MS-DOS. I ought to try Sidekick and let you know if it works. Oh, by
the way, I added one of those 1200 baud board modems from PC's limited
($159, no software) and it works perfectly.
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jan 86 00:50 PST
From: William Daul / McDonnell-Douglas / APD-ASD <WBD.TYM@OFFICE-1.ARPA>
Subject: Third Serial Port on a PC Query
We are trying to find out what hardware is available that can be used for a 3rd
serial port on a IBM-PC. We will write the device driver doing the I/O
instructions.
What interrupt lines would such a device use?
Thanks for any leads or suggestions, --Bi//
------------------------------
Date: 9 Jan 1986 10:32:28 PST
Subject: Third Serial Port on a PC
From: Richard Gillmann <GILLMANN@USC-ISIB.ARPA>
To: William Daul / McDonnell-Douglas / APD-ASD <WBD.TYM@OFFICE-1.ARPA>
Any card with a serial port on it can be used for COM3 and COM4.
The problem is that only two interrupt levels are reserved for
serial interrupts, namely level 4 for COM1 and level 3 for COM2.
It's been suggested that you could put two ports on one interrupt
level and poll them both when you got an interrupt but as far
as I know this has never been tried.
There are a zillion PC expansion cards on the market. Maybe you
could find one that allowed you to tie COM3 to some other interrupt.
Level 2 is generally unused on non-ATs.
I believe Tecmar makes a board with 8 serial ports on it. I don't
know how they propose to use them all, but it might be worth looking
into.
Of course, if the data rate of your application is slow enough, you
might be able to get away with polling and avoid interrupts entirely.
Dick Gillmann
------------------------------
To: ud-ibmpc@huey.udel.EDU
cc: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.ARPA
Subject: Quadram Memory Board Problem
Date: Thu, 09 Jan 86 13:08:26 -0500
Message-ID: <6128.505678106@huey>
From: Dave Farber <farber@huey.udel.EDU>
The Quadram extended memory boards for the AT consistently!!
fail to work with 15 megahertz crystals. I have a AST board
at home that runs great at 18 mh. Somewhere out on the net
I remember seeing a comment on that. Can someone help?
Dave
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 9 Jan 86 00:31:08 est
From: Robert Morris <ram%umass-boston.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
To: info-ibmpc@usc-isib.arpa
Subject: PC-DOS Backup/Restore Format Query
Cc: ram@umass-boston.CSNET
By looking at files made with pcdos 3.0 BACKUP, I hacked up a version of
restore to run under unix which restores into a file hierarchy replicating
that of the msdos backup, and it seems to work well enough with backup files
loaded up with kermit 2.27.
For the other direction, to copy a tree down to the pc, I need to
know a little more about the backup format. Is it documented anywhere?
Do these programs already exist? Does kermit have magical tree
copying ability that I just don't know about? Is there another way
to solve this problem (e.g. tar running on the pc ) ?
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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