wales@CS.UCLA.EDU (02/29/88)
I got my PROCOMM PLUS last Friday. Although in general I am very
pleased by it, I have noted several bugs.
These bugs are NOT addressed by the recent set of "patches" from Data-
storm that have been posted to the net.
I will be informing Datastorm of these bugs. In the meantime, I am
also describing them here; if anyone else has seen them and/or has a
workaround to any of them, I would very much like to hear about it.
(1) "Insert character" does not shift text into the 80th (extreme
rightmost) character position. The 80th character is retained, and
the remaining text is shifted into the 79th position.
I have verified this in ANSI, WYSE 50, and TVI 950 emulations. For
what it's worth, I have the LINE WRAP terminal option set to ON.
This bug ruins the screen display when I use VI. However, I should
point out that I have successfully demonstrated the bug simply by
"cat"ing a file with the appropriate control sequences -- without
using VI or any "termcap"-related software. Hence, I *know* that I
am not simply seeing a bug in VI.
This same bug existed in ProComm 2.4.2, and I reported it in great
detail to DATASTORM's support BBS quite some time ago. I had been
under the impression that this was one of the bugs explicitly men-
tioned as being fixed in PROCOMM PLUS; evidently not.
(2) In ANSI emulation, "delete line" (ESC-[-M) doesn't work. If this
sequence is sent by the host, PROCOMM PLUS "hangs"; nothing I type
thereafter is sent to the host until I hit the ESC key.
I've verified that nothing is being sent to the host by looking at
my external modem's indicator lights; I hit keys, but the modem's
"send" light does not blink in response.
When I do hit ESC, and PROCOMM PLUS starts sending data again, the
line to be deleted has *not* been deleted.
Although the ESC-[-M sequence is not documented in the ANSI.SYS
driver description in my MS-DOS 3.3 user's guide, the PROCOMM PLUS
manual mentions the sequence (mapped to the "CTRL-PgUp" key; p. 301
in the manual) -- so I assume DATASTORM intended to implement it.
(3) Page 210 of the manual says to use "TVI950" in an EMULATE command
to specify the TVI 950. However, it doesn't work. "EMULATE TV950"
(without the "I") does work, just as in ProComm 2.4.2.
(4) In the WYSE 50 and TVI 950 emulations, I can't seem to get the
video attributes set so that "highlighted" text shows up in "high
intensity", and "regular" text with regular intensity.
For both WYSE 50 and TVI 950 emulations, I am using the control
sequences ESC-( and ESC-) to begin and end highlighting. (The reg-
ular "video attribute" control codes eat up an extra character space
on the screen, whereas ESC-( and ESC-) do not.)
The best I was able to do in WYSE 50 emulation (by playing around in
the "color options" setup mode) was a state where *normal* text was
displayed in *high* intensity -- and *highlighted* text in *normal*
intensity (the reverse of what I want!). In TVI 950 emulation, I
was unable to make any difference at all between normal and high-
lighted text.
I have a monochrome display adapter, and I tried starting PROCOMM
PLUS with the "/B" option the first time I modified the color
options (as the manual recommended).
In ProComm 2.4.2, I used TVI 950 emulation and had no trouble get-
ting highlighted text to show up in high intensity.
I am currently using ANSI emulation, with a "termcap" entry set up to
use reverse video for highlighting, and with the "dl" (delete line)
capability removed (hopefully only temporarily, until I can get a patch
to fix that bug!). I can't see any workaround for the "insert charac-
ter" bug, short of redrawing the screen whenever things get messed up.
-- Rich Wales // UCLA CS Dept // wales@CS.UCLA.EDU // +1 (213) 825-5683
3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, California 90024-1596 // USA
...!(ucbvax,rutgers)!ucla-cs!wales ...!uunet!cs.ucla.edu!wales
"Sir, there is a multilegged creature crawling on your shoulder."mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) (03/01/88)
[deleted stuff about bugs other than ones mentioned below. See original posting] In Procomm Plus, when I try to do a directory (Alt-F) of another drive (such as A: or B: instead of ProcommPlus's directory on C:), if I type only 'A:', nothing happens. I have to type 'a:\*.*' to see all the files on A:, even if there are no subdirectories on A:. This seems crude for a supposedly mature program. In the editor (PCEDIT) distributed with ProcommPlus (it looks like a customized version of qedit), typing enter at the end of a line does not start a new line; one must use the insert a new line command. Anyone else have more bugs. Michael Volow, M.D. Dept of Psychiatry, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 27705 919 286 0411 mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP
laba-5ac@web7f.berkeley.edu (Erik Talvola) (03/02/88)
In article <4686@ecsvax.UUCP> mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) writes: >In Procomm Plus, when I try to do a directory (Alt-F) of another drive >(such as A: or B: instead of ProcommPlus's directory on C:), if I >type only 'A:', nothing happens. I have to type 'a:\*.*' to see all >the files on A:, even if there are no subdirectories on A:. This seems >crude for a supposedly mature program. Another irritating thing about file directories in Procomm Plus is that the command doesn't tell you the amount of free space on the drive when you enter an Alt-F. Right now, I have to use the DOS Gateway function and then a DIR to find out how much free space is left on a drive. This is very irritating to me. --------------------------------------------------- Erik Talvola laba-5ac@widow.berkeley.edu "I don't impress easy." -- Jesse "The Body" Ventura ---------------------------------------------------
David_J_Buerger@cup.portal.com (03/02/88)
I'm not sure if this counts as a "bug," but Procomm Plus still seems to lack quality Kermit support. I have had few problems transferring files between my AT and a VAX 8650. Nevertheless, PC+ limits the packet size to a maximum of two digits. This means the maximum packet size is 99 characters. Does anyone know how to expand this to 1000 characters to support large packet sizes in Kermit 2.30? I am under the impression that PC+ supports sliding windows, but even when I initialize my VAX server at 1000 character packet size, there is no increased speed on either uploads or downloads. David Buerger dbuerger@scu.bitnet
mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) (03/03/88)
In article <3629@cup.portal.com>, David_J_Buerger@cup.portal.com writes: > > I'm not sure if this counts as a "bug," but Procomm Plus still seems > to lack quality Kermit support. I have had few problems transferring > files between my AT and a VAX 8650. Nevertheless, PC+ limits the > packet size to a maximum of two digits. This means the maximum > packet size is 99 characters. Does anyone know how to expand this to > 1000 characters to support large packet sizes in Kermit 2.30? I am Heck, with either Procomm 2.4.2 or Procomm Plus, when I download binary files from our usenet vax node to my pc, the packets are often 45-60 bytes only! They are 90 bytes on upload. I like the versa- tility of a general comm package with multiple protocols. But I wonder if any implement Kermit better than Procomm. Michael Volow, M.D. Dept of Psychiatry, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 27705 919 286 0411 mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP
jvc@prism.TMC.COM (03/03/88)
>/* Written 3:28 pm Mar 1, 1988 by laba-5ac@web7f.berkeley.edu.UUCP */ >Another irritating thing about file directories in Procomm Plus is that >the command doesn't tell you the amount of free space on the drive when >you enter an Alt-F. Right now, I have to use the DOS Gateway function and >then a DIR to find out how much free space is left on a drive. This is >very irritating to me. You can determine fee space by pressing the pgdn key. This brings up the download protocols menu and displays the space free on the current drive. Use ALT-F7 to change drives (not from the download menu). You can exit the download menu by pressing ESC. Since you generally only care about disk space when your downloading, this is a good place to display free space. However, it would be nice if it displayed it in ALF-F as well. jvc@mirror.tmc.com
aja@i.cc.purdue.edu (Miek Rowan) (03/04/88)
In article <4715@ecsvax.UUCP>, mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) writes: > > Heck, with either Procomm 2.4.2 or Procomm Plus, when I download > binary files from our usenet vax node to my pc, the packets are often > 45-60 bytes only! They are 90 bytes on upload. I like the versa- > tility of a general comm package with multiple protocols. But I > wonder if any implement Kermit better than Procomm. > Use DSZ - with the new Procomm+ you can set up external protocols. DSZ supports xyzmodem and works great. It *is* a shareware type deal (pay for it and gett all these neat options) but that isn't in question here since you use Procomm. :-) miek
bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu ([bob, mon]) (03/04/88)
I've tried the TestDrive package from simtel20 for a while, and I really am bothered by some things. Especially, the backquote key (or any other PRINTABLE key) is used to turn the menu line on/off. Is this a deliberate crippling of the TD release, or do you really lose one of the printable characters?? And the "Asterisk" that's on the PrtSc key? I like having that character in an unshifted position, but PC+TD seems to map it into some weird escape sequence. It also has some trouble with my TSRs, probably a combo of Fansi and something else. When enough of them are installed, any use of the Alt-F4 subshell or the Setup screen (which also goes out to DOS, I think) crashes on the return. I get error 2000: stack overflow and I'm back at my DOS prompt. Maybe I'll stick with v2.4.2 until PC+ has matured a bit. ~ ~ In article <4715@ecsvax.UUCP> mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) writes: > >Heck, with either Procomm 2.4.2 or Procomm Plus, when I download >binary files from our usenet vax node to my pc, the packets are often >45-60 bytes only! They are 90 bytes on upload. I like the versa- Are you sure this isn't being caused by values > 127 being sent as two bytes? Does mskermit do better on binary files?
caf@omen.UUCP (Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX) (03/04/88)
In article <4715@ecsvax.UUCP> mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) writes:
:> packet size is 99 characters. Does anyone know how to expand this to
:> 1000 characters to support large packet sizes in Kermit 2.30? I am
:
:tility of a general comm package with multiple protocols. But I
:wonder if any implement Kermit better than Procomm.
The current versions of MSKERMIT, Pibterm and ZCOMM support
Kermit long packets. ZCOMM and Pro-YAM also support sliding
windows, I'm not sure about the others. Phil Burns (PibTerm
author) reports PibTerm and ZCOMM attain about 740 cps
throughput downloading text files from CMS Kermit at 9600 bps.
If you want something faster, you need ZMODEM.
Chuck Forsberg WA7KGX ...!tektronix!reed!omen!caf
Author of YMODEM, ZMODEM, Professional-YAM, ZCOMM, and DSZ
Omen Technology Inc "The High Reliability Software"
17505-V NW Sauvie IS RD Portland OR 97231 503-621-3406
TeleGodzilla BBS: 621-3746 CIS: 70007,2304 Genie: CAFmvolo@ecsvax.UUCP (Michael R. Volow) (03/05/88)
In article <6606@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu>, bobmon@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu ([bob, mon]) writes: > I've tried the TestDrive package from simtel20 for a while, and I really am > bothered by some things. Especially, the backquote key (or any other > PRINTABLE key) is used to turn the menu line on/off. Is this a deliberate > > > >Heck, with either Procomm 2.4.2 or Procomm Plus, when I download > >binary files from our usenet vax node to my pc, the packets are often > >45-60 bytes only! They are 90 bytes on upload. I like the versa- > > Are you sure this isn't being caused by values > 127 being sent as two bytes? > Does mskermit do better on binary files? Regarding packet size on MSKermit-->Procomm Kermit downloads, Procomm Kermit shows variable packet sizes, but usually in the range of 40-70, but generic PCKermit shows 90 byte packets. So I don't know if the packets are the same size but the screen display is different, or what. I thought that it might be the handling of >ASC 127 characters, but why the difference between the two programs. Procomm Kermit uploads of binary files to MSKermit are 90 bytes. And downloads from our local 8-bit BBS (RBBS) to my PC using Kermit also show 40-70 byte packet size in Procomm's Kermit. Regarding Procomm's menu trigger key, this can be changed or turned off in Procomm configuration program <Alt><S), <G>eneral, <K>. Michael Volow, M.D. Dept of Psychiatry, Durham VA Medical Center, Durham, N.C. 27705 919 286 0411 mvolo@ecsvax.UUCP