[comp.sys.atari.st] Incompatibilities with Overscan

vsnyder@jato.jpl.nasa.gov (Van Snyder) (06/30/91)

I've observed the following incompatible things about using overscan.
I'd like to know if anybody has fixes or work-arounds for them:

1.  The VT52 emulator (the one used for .TOS and .TTP programs) doesn't
scroll correctly.  Once the screen fills, it just copies the bottom line
forevermore.
2.  If I setup a desktop.inf to make my windows tall, and put some icons
(e.g. trash) far down the screen, and then re-boot with overscan off, the
icons are all on the screen, but the windows aren't.  In particular, the
size box is off-screen.  One CAN re-size by making the windows FULL, and then
dragging to the right size, but it would be easier if the desktop just made
sure it's windows would fit when they're opened.
3.  TrboDemo crashes the system.
4.  v_clrwk doesn't clear all the screen, and it somehow mahes what it DOES
clear jitter (a lot).
5.  Uniterm doesn't work :-(.
6.  OSCAN_60 doesn't let me run in either low or medium rez.  The first
setup screen seems OK, the second (with the lines around and across the
screen) is a little screwy (the diagonal lines are triple, in different
colors), and when I finish setup, I've got hash.  I'm using the one 
called 1.6b.  I forgot who "improved" it.

Other stuff I'm using includes:
VDIFIX version 30.01.91
PoolFix3, improved by Claus Brod, 27 Mar 90
Foldr 100.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
-- 
vsnyder@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov
ames!elroy!jato!vsnyder
vsnyder@jato.uucp

ki@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de (Karsten Isakovic) (06/30/91)

In article <1991Jun30.014713.26944@jato.jpl.nasa.gov> vsnyder@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov (Van Snyder) writes:
>I've observed the following incompatible things about using overscan.
>I'd like to know if anybody has fixes or work-arounds for them:
>
>1.  The VT52 emulator (the one used for .TOS and .TTP programs) doesn't
>scroll correctly.  Once the screen fills, it just copies the bottom line
>forevermore.

This is an error in the OS. Scrolling only works if the bytes per line value
diveded by 16 does not give a remainder. With the new AutoSwitch-Overscan
the bytes per line value is 96 in mono or 224 in the color resolutions, so
there is no scrolling problem.

>2.  If I setup a desktop.inf to make my windows tall, and put some icons
>(e.g. trash) far down the screen, and then re-boot with overscan off, the
>icons are all on the screen, but the windows aren't.  In particular, the
>size box is off-screen.  One CAN re-size by making the windows FULL, and then
>dragging to the right size, but it would be easier if the desktop just made
>sure it's windows would fit when they're opened.

This again is a problem of the OS. It was fixed in the new TOS-version. You
get the same problems, if you save your Desktop.Inf in high-res and reboot 
in low-res.
 
>3.  TrboDemo crashes the system.

If you mean a demo of TurboST, then you are right. TurboST does not work
with overscan. QuickST works, but has some problems with the TOS scrolling
(fillding with the right black border). Darek is working on it (I hope so ;-).
The NVDI software has no problems with OverScan or AutoSwitch-OverScan.

>4.  v_clrwk doesn't clear all the screen, and it somehow mahes what it DOES
>clear jitter (a lot).

This is a very old bug, that is fixed in the autoswitch-OverScan driver. There
were about 52 versions between the old PD/ShareWare version of OverScan and
the new driver.

>5.  Uniterm doesn't work :-(.

AutoSwitch-OverScan switches back to the normal screen, if you start 
incompatible programs. So you can use lots of 'old' software that did not
work with the overscan mod.

>6.  OSCAN_60 doesn't let me run in either low or medium rez.  The first
>setup screen seems OK, the second (with the lines around and across the
>screen) is a little screwy (the diagonal lines are triple, in different
>colors), and when I finish setup, I've got hash.  I'm using the one 
>called 1.6b.  I forgot who "improved" it.

The autoswitch-OverScan driver works in all resolutions.

>Other stuff I'm using includes:
>VDIFIX version 30.01.91
>PoolFix3, improved by Claus Brod, 27 Mar 90
>Foldr 100.

The driver includes most of my patches (VdiFix, Tos14Fx5, GemEnv, Shell0,
ConsFix), so you don't have to load them in the auto-folder. If you don't
want the patches, you can disable them.

AutoSwitch-OverScan will be available in the US in the near future, we
have already contaced some dealers for the distribution. In the UK you
can by AS-OverScan at Atari Workshop.

>Thanks in advance for any advice.

I could not give you any direct hint how to get rid of your problems, but
i hope i explained why the things happen in this way...

>vsnyder@jato.Jpl.Nasa.Gov

Sincerly, Karsten   <ki@opal.cs.tu-berlin.de>