tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) (02/19/88)
A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks like someone's doing a little piracy. Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. Fred Widall DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH
ralf@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU (Ralf Brown) (02/20/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: }"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS }it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks }like someone's doing a little piracy. } }Fred Widall }DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH That string is in *every* program compiled with Turbo Pascal 3.0. This just means that the run-time library is copyrighted by Borland. Turbo C, Mickeysoft C, and probably every other compiler on the market do the same thing. -- {harvard,uunet,ucbvax}!b.gp.cs.cmu.edu!ralf -=-=- AT&T: (412)268-3053 (school) ARPA: RALF@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU |"Tolerance means excusing the mistakes others make. FIDO: Ralf Brown at 129/31 | Tact means not noticing them." --Arthur Schnitzler BITnet: RALF%B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU@CMUCCVMA -=-=- DISCLAIMER? I claimed something?
rjchen@phoenix.Princeton.EDU (Raymond Juimong Chen) (02/20/88)
tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services): > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was > posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. You see the "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." because the program was written in Turbo Pascal. The copyright message is included with all TPascal programs--it indicates that the library routines belong to Borland. You'll encounter the same thing if you compile a program with MSC or Turbo C or practically any other high level language. The copyright message applies to the library routines and not to the entire program. (However, read your licensing agreement before distributing programs you compiled with a particular compiler. Some companies ask for royalties or similar nonsense if you distribute a program written with their compiler.) However, the fact that the program was distributed without documentation and without its concomitant help file does look suspicious. -- Raymond Chen UUCP: ...allegra!princeton!{phoenix|pucc}!rjchen BITNET: rjchen@phoenix.UUCP, rjchen@pucc ARPA: rjchen@phoenix.PRINCETON.EDU "Say something, please! ('Yes' would be best.)" - The Doctor -- Raymond Chen UUCP: ...allegra!princeton!{phoenix|pucc}!rjchen BITNET: rjchen@phoenix.UUCP, rjchen@pucc ARPA: rjchen@phoenix.PRINCETON.EDU "Say something, please! ('Yes' would be best.)" - The Doctor
tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) (02/20/88)
I recently posted an article about how I found a "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc" message in PLANETS.COM and thought perhaps this meant it was pirated software. Several people have contacted me to explain that this message is inserted by the compiler, and does not refer to the actual program. I apologise for my error, and to anyone I may have innocently offended. Thanks for pointing out the error of my ways. Fred Widall DP70@WATDCS
ccoprrd@pyr.gatech.EDU (Richard Dervan) (02/20/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was > posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. > How do you come to the conclusion that it is DEFINITLY PIRATED SOFTWARE? Unless I'm very badly mistaken, Borland compilers (as well as others) leave a copyright message in the exacutable code. I guess it's just to let you know "Hey, this guy/girl used our compiler!". I wouldn't really worry about it. -Richard _________________________________________________________________________ | Richard B Dervan BitNet: ccoprrd@gitvm1 | | Office of Computing Services ARPA : ccoprrd@pyr.gatech.edu | | Georgia Institute of Technology CIS : 70365,1012 | | Atlanta, Ga 30332 MCI : RDERVAN | | uucp: ...!{akgua,allegra,hplabs,ihnp4,seismo}!gatech!gitpyr!ccoprrd | |__________________"We don't fit the mold...we build it"__________________|
agollum@engr.uky.edu (David Herron aka Admiral Gollum) (02/21/88)
In episode <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, we heard tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) say: >... I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever >removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk >formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered >so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. Um, before you call out the national guard, that message appears in any program compiled with turbo pascal 3.0. It's part of the TP runtime package. Borland lets the runtime package be redistributed freely so don't worry about it. BTW, TP 4.0 does away with the runtime package and (I think) you won't see any borland copyright messages. In fact, if anyone knows where I can get source code, I'd like to port it to 4.0. I just have this hercules card, you see... Kenneth Herron
madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost) (02/21/88)
In article <5045@pyr.gatech.EDU> ccoprrd@pyr.gatech.EDU (Richard Dervan) writes: >In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: >> >> A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was >> posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >> "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >> it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >> like someone's doing a little piracy. >> >Unless I'm very badly mistaken, Borland compilers (as well as others) >leave a copyright message in the exacutable code. Borland's Turbo Pascal 3.01A and earlier do this; 4.0 and Turbo C (Prolog?) do not. jim frost madd@bu-it.bu.edu
boneill@hawk.ulowell.edu (Bug-Hunter) (02/21/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was >posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. > >formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered >so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. > >Fred Widall I don't see your basis for thinking this program is pirated. The message "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." is a message put in by the Turbo Pascal compiler in all the COM files, basically to say that the program was done using one of Borland's compilers. I remember seeing that Borland (and some other companies did this, sort of like "free advertizing") did this, but Borland's Licence Agreement states that the author has all copyrights to any software produced by such a compiler. ============================================================================ Brian O'Neill University of Lowell boneill@hawk.cs.ulowell.edu - boneill@hawk.UUCP ...!ulowell!hawk!boneill MS-DOS Software Exchange Coordinator - E-mail for details
japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) (02/21/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was > posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever > removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk > formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered > so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. > > Fred Widall > DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH > More obviously Mr. Widall doesn't know what he's talking about and probably shouldn't be allowed to use CHK4BOMB and possibly computers in general! PLANETS.COM is a compiled Turbo Pascal program and though Borland does own a copyright on the libraries it was compiled with they have no right to the program. PLANET.COM is definately not a trojan or pirate simply because someone who knows NOTHING about PC software misinterprets information he probably isn't qualified to look at anyway. This really burns me... it's how most trojan / virus rumors start anyway... in 5 years of telecomputing and PC support I have NEVER found a bonified trojan!!! Only users who don't know what their doing! I have the source for PLANETS.COM but I doubt if such a user would know what to do with it!!! I suggest that since most programs contain a copyright for the libraries of the compilers they were written in that Mr. Widall sell his computer since to him all programs must be altered trojans (except for those few written in assembler). Joe Applegate - Colorado School of Mines Computing Center {seismo, hplabs}!hao!isis!csm9a!japplega or SYSOP @ M.O.M. AI BBS - (303) 273-3989 - 300/1200/2400 8-N-1 24 hrs. *** UNIX is a philosophy, not an operating system *** *** BUT it is a registered trademark of AT&T, so get off my back ***
madd@bu-cs.BU.EDU (Jim Frost) (02/22/88)
In article <628@csm9a.UUCP> japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: >in 5 years of telecomputing >and PC support I have NEVER found a bonified trojan!!! Only users who don't >know what their doing! This is a bad stance to take. I've been working with PC's for quite some time and have come across several real trojans. A good case point was the posting of ARC 5.13, which scared a lot of people since genuine ARC utilities are so useful and widespread. If you haven't seen a trojan in 5 years of telecomputing, I'd say that you didn't look too hard. Getting bitten by a trojan has nothing to do with experience; if you don't take proper precautions and you download software from BBS's, you're bound to get hit eventually. Even when you DO take proper precautions, there are a variety of ways that trojans can get around software anti-trojan techniques. Solution: There really isn't one for MS-DOS. I'd suggest using several of the available anti-trojan programs around to inspect programs for trojans, and also to take a backup before using programs that you download. Several people have advocated source-only postings as a method of cutting down on trojans. Several people have commented that source is useless to many users, and that it's relatively easy to hide trojans in source anyway. Source-only postings won't help. As always, take care when dealing with things that you didn't write. Even innocent programs can be dangerous. >I suggest that since most programs contain a copyright for the libraries of the >compilers they were written in that Mr. Widall sell his computer since to him >all programs must be altered trojans (except for those few written in >assembler). I think you should be slower in chastising those who are wrong. We learn from trial and error. I've posted opinions that have been incorrect and have been duly corrected. In the future I try not to make the same mistake again. Mr. Widall may not be as experienced as you -- this is no reason to tear him apart; merely correct him. Happy hacking, jim frost madd@bu-it.bu.edu
guest@vu-vlsi.UUCP (visitors) (02/22/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was >posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever >removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk >formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered >so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. > >Fred Widall >DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH > What? Do you mean that every program I have written with Turbo Pascal is pirated every time it's compiled to a .com file? :-) No, it isn't! It just so happens that Borland's compiler put "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." in the front end of the .com files it produces. I don't recall the exact details of Borland's licience, but I doubt Borland gets to own the programs this way, so I guess that PLANETS.COM may indeed be in the public domain. ============================================================================== | Mark Schaffer | BITNET: 164485913@vuvaxcom | | Villanova University | UUCP: ...{ihnp4!psuvax1,burdvax,cbmvax,pyrnj,bpa} | | (Go Wildcats!) | !vu-vlsi!excalibur!164485913 | ============================================================================== please respond/reply to the above addresses and not to guest@vu-vlsi.UUCP
khill@home.csc.ti.com (Ken Hill - Patents) (02/23/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes:
.
. A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was
.posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a
."Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS
.it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks
.like someone's doing a little piracy.
. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered
.so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!.
See if this string was at the beginning of the program. I just looked
through some old utilitys I wrote using Turbo Pascal 2.0, and they all
had a COPYRIGHT 1984 BORLAND INC string right near the beginning of
the .com file. I assume that Borland, and probably other compiler
companies, put some sort of notice in to protect their run-time
libraries. And Borland licenses you to distribute compiled code you
have written which includes their run-time libraries.
I have seen a lot of Borland material, and a planet position
calculating program doesn't seem to fit with what I have seen. I am
not guaranteeing that PLANETS.COM is not pirated, I haven't yet looked
at it, but the notice you saw doesn't necessarily mean it is pirated.
There are no typos. If you think you saw one, see an opthamolo... optaha...
ophthamal... eye doctor.
Ken Hill
{convex!smu, texsun,im4u,seismo!ut-sally!im4u}!ti-csl!khillcramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (02/23/88)
> > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was > posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever > removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk > formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered > so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. > > Fred Widall > DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH > Not necessarily. Many compilers put copyright messages in their run-time libraries, but that doesn't mean that the entire program that contains the run-time library is copyrighted by Borland. I too, would like to see sources to PLANETS, mostly because I wished it supported EGA mode and not just CGA. Clayton E. Cramer
romero@mind.UUCP (Antonio Romero) (02/23/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. Any chance that the program was compiled with Turbo C, or Turbo Pascal, which might insert some such message into all its executables? (I don't know if Turbo products do this, but I've seen other compilers that seemed to...) Let's not be quite so hasty... -Antonio Romero romero@mind.princeton.edu
dc@gcm (Dave Caswell) (02/23/88)
In article <628@csm9a.UUCP> japplega@csm9a.UUCP (Joe Applegate) writes: >In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: => => A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was => posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a => "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS => it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks => like someone's doing a little piracy. => = =More obviously Mr. Widall doesn't know what he's talking about and probably =shouldn't be allowed to use CHK4BOMB and possibly computers in general! =PLANETS.COM is a compiled Turbo Pascal program and though Borland does own =a copyright on the libraries it was compiled with they have no right to =the program. PLANET.COM is definately (sic) not a trojan or pirate simply because =someone who knows NOTHING about PC software misinterprets information he =probably isn't qualified to look at anyway. This really burns me... it's =how most trojan / virus rumors start anyway... in 5 years of telecomputing =and PC support I have NEVER found a bonified trojan!!! Only users who don't =know what their doing! = =I have the source for PLANETS.COM but I doubt if such a user would know what =to do with it!!! = = Joe Applegate - Colorado School of Mines Computing Center More obviously Joe Applegate has the biggest mouth in the world. Why would anyone want to read the tenth response to a routine message, especially one as obnoxious as his? Ever heard of email or one sentence replies? This really burns me, people who want to shoot off their mouths, when they definitely have NOTHING unique or interesting to say. Its amazing that nine other people were able to respond to the guys message without citing their vast amount of experience (I mean my God, Five Whole Years, in PC support, I'm overwhelmed I hope you wouldn't mind if I knelt in your presence). To summarize ES&D, FO, GTH.
gmw8868@fedeva.UUCP (Mitch Wood) (02/23/88)
I have tried to use pkxarc on planets.arc, and it gave me an error ... something about error in decode tree. Any one have any info on this .??? Mitch -- +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! Mitch Wood @ FEDERAL EXPRESS Memphis, TN | Fill in the .signature ! ! ..!gatech!emcard!fedeva!gmw8868 | "____________________________" ! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+
dougt@isis.UUCP (Doug Thompson) (02/24/88)
>From: romero@mind.UUCP (Antonio Romero) >Date: 22 Feb 88 23:23:54 GMT >Organization: Cognitive Science, Princeton University >Message-ID: <1905@mind.UUCP> >Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc > >In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu >(T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a > "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke >PLANETS > it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". >Looks > like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Turbo Pascal compilers insert this message into the executable code. Doug Thompson !watmath!isis!dougt
jec@nesac2.UUCP (John Carter ATLN SADM) (02/24/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu>, tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes:
]
] A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was
] posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a
] "Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ ----> you'll find this in ANY program
created with one of the Borland products.
I suspect that the Microsoft compilers also put their ad in the
compiled code.
] it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks
] like someone's doing a little piracy.
]
] Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever
] removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk
] formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered
] so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!.
]
] Fred Widall
] DP70@WATDCS.NETNORTH
]
Let's not be quite so paranoid about the software posted to the net
and/or your local BBS. Neither Borland nor Microsoft is in the
game/fun software business, so I don't think Borland produced
'planets'.
If you looked a little closer at the program, you'd probably find
the words "Turbo Pascal" tucked away in there also. Turbo Basic
puts "TURBO BASIC Copyright 1987 Borland International" into
anything it compiles. The database manager I wrote for my church has
a line like this in it, but I can show every line of the source code,
none of which has the word 'Copyright' in it.
--
USnail: John Carter, AT&T, Atlanta RWC, 3001 Cobb Parkway, Atlanta GA 30339
Video: ...ihnp4!cuea2!ltuxa!ll1!nesac2!jec Voice: 404+951-4642
(The above views are my very own. How dare you question them? :-)karel@dutesta.UUCP (Karel van Houten) (02/24/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > .......... I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. This doesn't mean it is pirated, just that it has been compiled by a borland compiler. I myself have compiled the 'planets' program distributed in the starchart package with the Microsoft C v4.0. and that program works fine. > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever >removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk >formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered >so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. I do not claim THIS planets program IS PD, or that it is virus free, I only object to such a fast conclusion. -- Karel van Houten Delft University of Technology INTERNET : karel@dutesta.UUCP Faculty of Electrical Engineering UUCP : ..!mcvax!dutrun!dutesta!karel Room 9.29H, Mekelweg 4 SURFnet : DUTRUN::ETSTKVH 2628 CD DELFT, The Netherlands VOICE : +31 15 783502
cavender@drivax.UUCP (DRI wit) (02/25/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) (or Fred Widall) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was >posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. ... That copyright message is included in any object generated by one of Borland's Turbo languages. I wish that either they would not include the message, or that the message made it clear that it was the included runtime library code that was what was actually copyrighted by Borland. Confusion abounds aplenty already, and having this message included in programs (personal, commercial, public domain, etc.) does nothing to help the situation. -- Steve Cavender Digital Research | What is the ultimate meaning of life, Unix, USENET: cavender@drivax.UUCP | and everything? Consider the following: CompuServe: 76117,3362 | -1> apropos help EasyLink: 62211010 | help: nothing appropriate
ritzenth@bgsuvax.UUCP (Phil Ritzenthaler) (02/25/88)
All of this verbage is interesting, but one point that no one has addressed is why was an old verion of the program posted? I downloaded, sliced, diced, unarced, unimpressed. Only to find that it was version 3.0 while I already had verion 3.4 in my possession. Is my version a trojan?? Is 3.0 the last official version? Does everyone need an update? -- Phil Ritzenthaler |USnail: University Computer Services Computer Graphics Research Consultant | 241 Math-Science Bldg. UUCP :.!cbosgd!osu-cis!bgsuvax!ritzenth | Bowling Green State University CSNET: ritzenth@bgsu.edu | Bowling Green, OH 43403-0125 ARPA : ritzenth%bgsu.edu@relay.cs.net | Phone: (419) 372-2102
smvorkoetter@watmum.waterloo.edu (Stefan M. Vorkoetter) (02/25/88)
In article <4435@watdcsu.waterloo.edu> tknight@watdcsu.waterloo.edu (T.Knight - Computing Services) writes: > > A few days ago someone was asking for source to PLANETS.COM that was >posted recently. I just ran PLANETS through CHK4BOMB and found a >"Copyright 1985 Borland Inc." message in it. When you invoke PLANETS >it displays the message "PLANETS V3.0 is a Public Domain Program". Looks >like someone's doing a little piracy. > > Perhaps one of our virus experts could check it out to see if whoever >removed the copyright message added a few undocumented features, like disk >formats, etc. Anyway its definitely pirated software that's been altered >so use at your own risk, both physical and moral !!. This message is in the executable of any program that is compiled with Turbo Pascal. This is the copyright notice for Borland's run-time library, which can be freely distributed as part of an executable as per the Borland licence agreement. PLANETS.COM is therefore not pirated. Whether or not it has any bombs in it I cannot say of course. Please be more careful before you accuse someone of piracy. Stefan Vorkoetter University of Waterloo
rickr@nscpdc.NSC.COM (Rick Riverman) (02/26/88)
In reference to the suspicion that PLANETS.COM is pirated... The program was written by Larry Puhl in Chicago Il. It is written in Turbo Pascal v3.1 and therefore has the Borland copyright message coded into the first few bytes of the .COM file. ALL Borland Turbo Pascal .COM files have this code. It is part of the .COM header. I have seen Larry's source code and can affirm that *MANY* hard hours of work went into it's design. PLANETS is an excellent astronomical calculation program. Rick Riverman Aloha, OREGON
davejag@wybbs.UUCP (Dave Jaglowski) (02/26/88)
In article <412@white.gcm>, dc@gcm (Dave Caswell) writes: > anyone want to read the tenth response to a routine message, especially one > as obnoxious as his? Ever heard of email or one sentence replies? This really > burns me, people who want to shoot off their mouths, when they definitely > have NOTHING unique or interesting to say. Its amazing that nine other people > were able to respond to the guys message without citing their vast amount of > experience (I mean my God, Five Whole Years, in PC support, I'm overwhelmed > I hope you wouldn't mind if I knelt in your presence). > > To summarize ES&D, FO, GTH. I have got to admit that John Applegate doesn't seems to have many nice things to say, and should keep quiet. However, Dave, you have to realize that some of us do see the mail a couple days after you, and a takes a while for it to get reposted. Unless you'll pay for all our long-distance phone calls to 1 Unix system, your going to have to live with it. ______________________________________________________________________ WYBBS: SCO XENIX Grand Rapids, Michigan Phone: (616) 457-1964 UUCP: Ihnp4!killer!Wybbs!Davejag --- Dave Jaglowski - (616)676-2647 "I'm not afraid to die, I just don't want to be there when it happens" ----------------------------------------------------------------------
kk@richp1.UUCP (Ken Konecki) (02/26/88)
Someone was curious if PALNETS.COM was pirated because of a Borland copyright notice. The answer is: no. Anything compiled with Turbo Pascal has this copyright notice. -- Ken Konecki @ ihnp4!richp1!kk "A squeegee by any other name wouldn't sound as funny"
840411s@aucs.UUCP (Black Widow) (02/28/88)
Hello out there to all those people following the PLANETS.COM saga. I
am the ORIGINAL poster that was looking for the source, and have received
lots of mail from other people looking for source, but no source. As for
whether or not PLANETS.COM is a virus, I have been running the program
extensively for weeks, and feel I can qualitatively say that it is NOT
a BOMB or VIRUS or TROJAN HORSE.
Be that as it may, I STILL NEED SOURCE!!!. Although it was nice to see
my post get so much activity, it got me know where, really quick. It is
now an established fact that PLANETS.COM is not pirated (I hope that the
poster who said it was had on his flame resistant suit), but is written in
Turbo Pascal. If anyone who has the source has been holding on to it due
to some thought it is copyrighted, please rest assured it isn't as far as
I can tell, and mail or post a copy. If you mail me a copy, I'll make the
bug fix and repost a new version.
Please mail me at:
Organization: School of Computer Science, Acadia Univ., Nova Scotia
BITNET:{uunet|watmath|utai|garfield}dalcs!aucs!840411S
UUCP:840411S@Acadia
-- Roy Shepard, the one that started it all.
--
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Black Widow - "She mates and she kills."banshee@ucscb.UCSC.EDU (Wailin Through The Nets) (03/01/88)
Could some kind soul mail me Planets? Our copy got crunged in transport. Thanks in advance. john |=======================================================================| | banshee@ucscb.UCSC.EDU | You are growing sleepy... very sleepy | | banshee%ucscc!ucscb.BITNET | you can not keep your eyes open..... | | !ucbvax!ucscc!ucscb!banshee | Send all of your money to bob dobbs.. | |-------------------------------| sleepy, very sleepy-- you do not want | | | to eat muffins bob dobbs muffins bob | | My GOD! Its _full_ of SPAM!! | 6 6 6 Kill your mother muffin dobbs | | | --No Subliminal Messages Here | |=======================================================================|
mado@micomvax.UUCP (Louis Malette) (03/15/88)
In article <997@nscpdc.NSC.COM> rickr@nscpdc.NSC.COM (Rick Riverman) writes: >The program was written by Larry Puhl in Chicago Il. It seems very good; can somebody e-mail me that software. Thanks in advance Louis Malette (mado@micomvax.UUCP)
cramer@optilink.UUCP (Clayton Cramer) (09/20/88)
Some months back, a program came through the network called PLANETS.COM, which provided a variety of types of information about various planet locations, plotted orbits, and so on. Unfortunately, the program arrived at this site without the PLANETS.HLP file. This is not a SERIOUS problem, since the program is MOSTLY obvious how to use, but it would be nice to have it. Does anyone have it? Even better, does anyone have a pointer to the author of PLANETS.COM? -- Clayton E. Cramer ..!ames!pyramid!kontron!optilin!cramer