INFO-MAC-REQUEST@SUMEX-AIM.ARPA (Moderator David Gelphman...) (08/23/86)
INFO-MAC Digest Friday, 22 Aug 1986 Volume 4 : Issue 103
Today's Topics:
Strange MacPlus Explained
FullPaint, Rubber Bands and BitMaps
Dataframe-20 problem
HD20 Boot problem
ResEdit 'features'
Keyboard Compatibility
Determining the System Version number
ascii chart da including source
StartupDesk, DeskScene, & LSC
MACSERVE
Excel Problem?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 86 16:53 EDT
From: BELSLEY%BCVAX3.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU (DAVID A. BELSLEY)
Subject: Strange MacPlus Explained
Many thanks to all who responded to my query regarding a MacPlus that didn't
seem to want to make Ram Disks as big as others. The minute the answers
started flowing in, I knew they were right. The Cache had been set to 128K.
I never use the Cache on my machine, so never encountered the problem or
thought in that direction. Again, thanks to all those who replied.
david a. belsley
boston college belsley@bcvax3.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 86 02:44:07 edt
From: Roy Leban <roy%farg.umich.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: FullPaint, Rubber Bands and BitMaps
The time has come, the Walrus said, to talk of many things...
It is with a little trepidation that I'm sending this message. I
work for Ann Arbor Softworks, and am one of the authors of FullPaint,
but I am using a computer at the University of Michigan to send this
message. However, given the educational value of what I'm about to
say, I see no conflict of interest. I'm responding to comments
made in the Usenet Mac Digest #2-64.
First, with regard to FullPaint incorporating the features of
"Paint Cutter", it does. "Big" selections may be made with by
holding down the option key when using the marquee tool. It's
in the manual--look under "selections" in the index. Also,
FullPaint shouldn't have any memory problems on a 512. If you're
having problems, call the Ann Arbor Softworks tech support line.
Second, with regard to the discussion of how the Rubber Band
line effect is achieved, both MacPaint and FullPaint do almost all
of their operation off-screen. The general technique is to do
most or all of the operation in an off-screen bitmap and then
blit the part that has changed to the screen (MacPaint actually
copies the entire window every time you make any change, even
one pixel). This copying is not synchronized with the vertical
retrace, but is so fast that you can't tell the difference.
MacPaint uses one MOVEM.L per scan line, while FullPaint uses
custom blitters for all of its operations. MacPaint is able to
do some work on screen (e.g., the paintbrush), because it knows
that nothing is ever in front of the window. In FullPaint,
since there may be palettes in front of the window, all work
is done off-screen and blitted. Note that these comments apply
to practically everything that both MacPaint and FullPaint do,
not just to the line tool.
-Roy.Leban
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 20 Aug 86 21:22 ???
From: FRENCH%ti-eg.csnet@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA
Subject: Dataframe-20 problem
Well folks, this is my second dataframe-20 (from Computer Ware in Palo
Alto). I have had problems with both of them. The first worked for a
little while, then started "locking up" when I filled the disk to a certain
point. I reinitialized it and it told me it could not write the drivers.
So, back it went. The second one arrived yesterday, and it worked great
for 1 day. Now it will not boot off of the dataframe. When booting the
happy mac appears and the disk lights come on (green and red flash for a while)
then the disk icon reappears with a question mark on it. If I insert a
diskette in with a system on it, booting occurs fine and the dataframe will
appear (after a while) on the desktop (obviously NOT as the startup disk).
I can run programs and everything else except boot from it. I have tried
reinstalling the drivers, copying a new system, moving the cable from one
port to the other, tightening the cable on the MAC end. I have tried all of
these things in many different orders, and nothing works. The symptoms
are the same.
I am stumped. Anyone have these symptoms? I am beginning to think my
Mac has a problem, but dammit, it worked fine for a whole day!
Oh yeah, this dataframe has something rattling around in it. Looking over
the bottom of the case shows one philips head screw at the front center.
About 1/3 of the way back, again in the center (on the bottom) is an empty
hole that looks like it may have had a screw in it. Another empty hole appears
2/3 of the way back. Looking at the bottom it looks like:
back
---------------
|[] []|
| |
| |
| o |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| |
| o |
| |
| |
| |
|[] (x) []|
---------------
front
where o - empty hole [] - rubber feet (x) - philips head screw
-Stewart French
Texas Instruments
french%ti-eg@csnet-relay.arpa
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 86 9:33:42 EDT
From: Meredith Lesly <mlesly@labs-b.bbn.com>
Subject: HD20 Boot problem
I am in deep @*#& and would appreciate any help someone might have to offer.
What I did:
(1) Backed up my HD20 using HFS Backup v1.1
(2) Made a system floppy by copying the system file and HFS Backup v1.1
onto it.
(3) Erased the HD20
(4) Put the system folder on the HD20
(5) Rebooted the HD20 successfully
(6) Restored all my files
Now my HD20 won't boot, giving me "can't find Finder". I've recopied the
system folder from the floppy to the HD20 with no improvement (the floppy
boots fine). Trying to make the HD20 the default volume doesn't work
either.
What do I have to do to make my HD20 boot again? Does anyone understand
what makes a disk bootable?
(BTW, I tried rewriting the boot blocks from FEDIT, and that didn't help
either.)
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 86 11:03:35 edt
From: jonathan@mitre.ARPA (Jonathan Leblang)
Subject: ResEdit 'features'
I have just noticed something very strange. I have been using ResEdit (1.0d7)
and when I hold down command-option when doing an ABOUT RESEDIT..., I get a
list of the authors of the program; that's not the strange part. But when I
hold down shift-option-command and do ABOUT RESEDIT... I get a box that says
'FLIPPING PIG MODE ON' and if done again, the mode will turn off. Does anyone
know what this is or what it does?
Jonathan Leblang
jonathan@mitre.arpa
------------------------------
Date: 22 Aug 1986 11:25:37-EDT
From: Saul.Kravitz@faraday.ECE.CMU.EDU
Subject: Keyboard Compatibility
Since my mac keyboard needs repair, I am considering taking advantage of the
situation by upgrading to the Mac+ Keyboard so I can enjoy the numeric
keypad and cursor keys. Will the Mac+ keyboard work with a regular 512k mac
with the original ROMs? With the new ROMS (800k drive + ROM upgrade)?
A poll of apple dealers confirms all of my usual negative feelings about the
ignorance of sales people (this week selling computers, last week used
cars), since the dealers were about evenly divided on both of my questions.
If anybody else has similar concerns , and if this question has not already
been addressed extensively on the net, I'll be happy to post a summary of any
responses I get to the net.
Thanx,
Saul Kravitz
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 86 10:05 EDT
From: Paul Christensen <PCHRISTENSEN%rca.com@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA>
Subject: Determining the System Version number
There are several ways to determine the version number of the system
software. I've listed them below in order of difficulty:
1) Select the system file and GET INFO from the Finder.
Apple's latest releases include version numbers in
the Finder file information boxes.
2) If there is no version number listed in the GET INFO
box, look at the CREATION date. Unless the software
was updated by the Installer, the creation date should
indicate the system version number ... if you know when
the software was released. System version 3.2 was
created on June 2, 1986.
3) There is a public domain program called "System Version".
It will tell you the version and date of the system software
currently running. If you want this program (it's very
small -- about 2K), I can upload it to you in BinHex format.
4) If you have a copy of ResEdit, Apple's resource editor,
you can open the system file and examine the STR resource
ID=0 (STR 0). This is the version number string placed
by Apple, and it is this information that is displayed by
they System Version program.
If you have any further inquiries, feel free to contact me.
- Paul Christensen
CSNET: PCHRISTENSEN@RCA.COM
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 86 11:28:48 PDT
From: <DAVEG@SLACVM.BITNET>
Reply-to: DAVEG%SLACVM.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.Edu
Subject: ascii chart da including source
[ Note from moderator:
This was posted on usenet and I thought people here would be interested
also. DAVEG ]
Path: Shasta!glacier!decwrl!ucbvax!sdcsvax!sdcc6!sdcc12!st94wb
From: st94wb@sdcc12.UUCP (wade blomgren)
Newsgroups: net.sources.mac
Subject: example program, as promised
Message-ID: <650@sdcc12.UUCP>
Date: 18 Aug 86 17:33:50 GMT
Organization: U.C. San Diego, Academic Computer Center
Lines: 567
Keywords: DA free demo macintosh
This is Ascii Chart, a relatively simple desk accessory. It is
written in LightspeedC. The DA file, source code, and a small document
are included. This program is free for non-commercial use. The purpose of the
program is to serve as a heavily commented example showing some basic
elements of Macintosh programming in general, and some particulars of DA
programming. It is intended for people just starting out programming the Mac.
Veteran Mac Hackers need not apply, except to critique the code, if they
must. Various aspects of the Mac and its interface are demonstrated. (Controls,
Alerts, Windows, Quickdraw, Resources, etc.) Please read the documentation. If
you have trouble downloading (ie you have no BinHex or Packit available) send
me email and I will send you the source as plain text.
Feel free to post this 'stuff' anywhere in the free world.
(As long as all documentation is included)
Ascii Chart (c) 1986 Free for Non-Commercial Use
Wade S. Blomgren
UCSD - ACS
Mail Code B-028
La Jolla, CA 92093
(619) 534-1856
UUCP: ....!sdcsvax!net1!wade or ...!sdcsvax!sdcc12!st94wb
[ archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.EDU]<INFO-MAC>DA-ASCIICHART.HQX
DAVEG
]
------------------------------
Date: 21 Aug 1986 17:05-EDT
From: Bruce.Horn@g.cs.cmu.edu
Subject: StartupDesk, DeskScene, & LSC
I too vote for Darin Adler as a MacMan of the year--he certainly has
come up with a lot of interesting utilities and programs.
Nevertheless, I feel like I have to respond to the note on the Boston
MacWorld expo that said "Someone is selling a program to do what Darin
Adler did for us with Startup Desk. Can you believe it?"
I wrote DeskScene last December as a fun exercise, and being the poor
and starving graduate student that I am, sold it to PBI for a marginal
sum. I assume Darin saw it at the West Coast Computer Faire and
duplicated it. For the record, DeskScene for your $29 (I thought it
was $19?) does a little bit more than Startup Desk. It comes with a
nice installer program where you can test different screens before
installing, you can have multiple pictures installed (picked randomly
at boot), it uses the compressed MacPaint format to minimize space on
disk, it works in MacPaint, and it changes the scene for different
systems. In addition, since it doesn't use the startup screen, you can
do fun things by having a slightly different startup screen and
deskscene--the demo at the WCCF did this, so it's possible that Darin
surmised that it actually got the picture from the startup.
On another note, I talked with Andrew Singer of Think Technologies, the
makers of LightspeedC. He told me that they are working on
improvements (of course) and have some new features that will be
"startling". I believe it, considering how startling LSC was when it
came out. He wouldn't say what all has changed, but expect something
great. Mostly I mention this because of all the hoopla about MPW. You
can be sure that Think isn't standing still, and LSC will continue to
be a strong contender.
(Often I wish I had stayed out in the real world and written some Mac
software instead of going to graduate school... Oh, well...)
Bruce Horn
blh@cmu-cs-g
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 22 Aug 1986 15:50 PDT
From: "Merrill Stuart" <FETPC25%CALSTATE.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU>
Subject: MACSERVE
I need some help if possible. I work for California State University, Fresno
and we are trying to set up a MAC lab. We want to Apple Talk all our machines
together but are not sure what software to use. We recently purchased MACSERVE
by INFOSPHERE, but this product will not meet our needs. We would like
all users to be able to use Application Software (Microsoft Word, Mac Draw..)
from a centralized hard disk. This is only possible with MACSERVE is you
partition your disk so that each user has his/her own partation. Is there
a way around this problem or is there sortware out there that can do what
we need. Also does anyone know any patches that can be made to common
application programs so that the default disk for workfile is the internal
disk drive (that is if you are starting an application for an external device.
Merrill M. Stuart, Jr.
California State University, Fresno
Center for Information Processing
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 21 Aug 86 11:08 ADT
From: Peter Gergely <Peter@DREA-GRIFFIN.ARPA>
Subject: Excel Problem?
Here is a strange problem that surfaced when one of our users wrote out
a 1000 x 13 spreadsheet and got a "disk full" error message. There was
450K free on his 800K diskette.
Problem:
You accidentally reference something like M7850 in a formula
cell, save it. You realize you meant M785 a little later, after
the result of calculation is displayed, and you fix the formula.
Unfortunately the Last Active Cell (under the Formula? Menu) is now
M7850, which is an extremely large spreadsheet.
I tried all sorts of things to restore the last active cell to
M900, which was really the last one I was using, with absolutely no
suceess, and eventually gave up, and started work on my backup copy of
the spreadsheet.
Does anyone have a surefire method that will update (i.e.
correct) the "last active cell" once you have fixed your error in the
referencing formula.
- Peter
------------------------------
End of INFO-MAC Digest
**********************