garths@pro-xy.UUCP (Garth Shultz) (08/19/89)
System Software 5.0 seems to work well on my setup... No hitches except
for some minor changes in my ProSel device numbers, and the inability to
launch PaintWorks Gold v.1.0 (PWG) from ActiVision. There have been postings
on GEnie and Info-Apple regarding difficulties with AppleWorks 2.0 (AW 2.0),
Deluxe Paint II (DP II), and TIC. Apparently, the TIC thing was a result of
old versions of P-8 (I believe) and the AW 2.0 problems related to the old
NDA loading bug.
I found a posting on GEnie (by "LINEFEED") dated 08-01-89, that he had
solved the PWG and DP II problem by running "Purge-o-Matic" (POM) before
launching them. For those who don't remember, or don't know, POM is the
"launcher" for SHRConvert (a superb shareware graphics conversion utility for
t by Jason Harper). SHRConvert is downloadable from CIS, GEnie, and, I
believe, APE.
The method works!!! Here's how to do it...
Use BlockWarden, or your favorite zap utility to examine POM--the file
named SHRCONV.FINDER--to find the string "SHRCONVERT" and edit to a new name,
like "PWRKS.GOLD." The name cannot be longer than the ten characters. Then
change the length byte, if necessary, for the pathname string length (if you
use a ten character name, as in the example above, this byte doesn't need to
be changed.) Then rename SHRCONV.FINDER to whatever pleases you, and select
_this_ new name as your launch program. Be sure POM is in the same folder as
PWG, and rename PAINTWORKS.GOLD to the new name you have chosen for it (e.g.,
PWRKS.GOLD.)
Spurred on by my success, I decided to experiment with the Purge Memory
option in ProSel-16. I tried adding the optional command "=0" or "=1" to the
"Prefix" from the ProSel editor. The latter command works just fine. The
"=1" option forces "purge memory and force reload of ProSel on application
exit." For further information, see page 16 of the ProSel-16 dox.
Now, there are at least TWO means of launching PWG with GS/OS 3.0. POM
provides a simple method for those who don't have ProSel-16. I don't have DP
II to play with, but it will likely work as well.
Some additional study suggests that the GS must have at least 1.5 Mb RAM
(1.25 Mb plus 256K). With PWG (finally) loaded, the control panel (or
control panel NDA) tells me that I have only 203K of free RAM (from a total
of 1535K) after launch with ProSel--or 205K of free RAM after launch with POM
(suggesting POM may be slightly more efficient.) This is, of course, with
_my_ setup. It is conceivable that a person with few fonts and no extra CDAs
or NDAs might have "just enough" RAM to launch PWG with a 1.0 Mb RAM card.
It might be worth trying, anyway...
garths@pro-xy (Garth Shultz)