[comp.sys.atari.st] v02INF1: Introduction to comp.sources.atari.st

koreth@ssyx.ucsc.edu (Steven Grimm) (01/23/89)

Submitted-by: koreth@ssyx.ucsc.edu (Steven Grimm)
Posting-number: Volume 2, Info 1
Archive-name: intro

This is the first of two introductory articles about comp.sources.atari.st.
This one describes how to submit source to the newsgroup, where the
archive sites are, and how to contact them.  The companion article lists
all previously-published sources.

I am always looking for suggestions on how to improve the usefulness
of the newsgroup, and can be contacted as listed below.

-- Steven Grimm

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Subject: Submitting source for publication

Items intended for posting or queries and problem notes should be sent to
atari-sources@ssyx.ucsc.edu. If you are on a UUCP-only site, you can send
them to ucbvax!ssyx!atari-sources.

If you want verification of arrival, so say in a cover note, or at the
beginning of your submission, if it is small.  I try to verify that a
program works, and if I can't get it to work, I may hold up posting it
for a couple of days.  Please note that, except in rare cases, source
without documentation will not be published. The backlog from receipt
to posting varies from one to four weeks depending mostly on the set
of submissions currently in my queue.

I prefer that you submit sources and binaries separately, as it's a
pain to separate them, and such submissions are invariably placed on
the back burner.  Sources should be submitted in "shar" format unless
you don't have access to a shar program, in which case "arc" is all
right.

Please inform me of any special system requirements, and what development
environment was used, so that I can properly test your submission.

--------------------

Subject: The structure of comp.sources.atari.st articles

Each posting in comp.sources.atari.st is called an "issue"; there are
roughly 100 issues to a volume.  The division is arbitrary and may vary.
There are two types of articles in comp.sources.atari.st: sources and
"information postings."  They can be distinguished by the subject line:

  Subject: v01INF3: Index for Volume 1 and other info

This first word in the title identifies this as the third info posting of
volume one.  Similarly, the subject line shown below:

  Subject: v01i081: tossrc -- Source code to TOS

identifies this as the 81st source article in Volume 1.  Large sources are
broken up into smaller pieces, and have subject lines that look like
this:

  Subject: v01i082: VMS clone in ST-LOGO, Part03/08

Certain information about the system configuration required to use the
program is given on the keywords line.

  Keywords: MWC, Megamax, 1meg, high

This means that the program compiles with Mark Williams or Megamax C,
requires at least one meg of RAM and only runs in high resolution. Following
is a list of keywords; new ones may be added as needed. They are mostly self-
explanatory.

  Alcyon	- Alcyon C (included with Atari developer's kit)
  MWC		- Mark Williams C
  Megamax	- Megamax C
  Laser		- Laser C
  Lattice	- Lattice C
  C		- Any C compiler
  OSI		- OSI Personal Pascal
  BASIC		- ST BASIC (this is not a joke!)
  uuencode	- program is uuencoded (uudecode required to unpack)
  arc		- program is archived (arc required to unpack)
  high		- high resolution
  medium	- medium resolution
  low		- low resolution
  1meg		- needs 1 meg of RAM

The first few lines of an article are auxiliary headers that look like this:

  Submitted-by: david@bdt.UUCP (David Beckmeyer)
  Posting-number: Volume 1, Issue 80
  Archive-name: micro-rtx

The "Submitted by" is the author of the program.  If you have comments about
the sources published in comp.sources.atari.st this is the person to contact.
When possible, this address is in domain form, otherwise it is a UUCP bang
path relative to some major (backbone) site.

The second line repeats the volume/issue information for the aide of notes
sites and automatic archiving programs.

The Archive-name is the "official" name of this source in the archive.  Large
postings will have names that look like this:

Archive-name: desktop/part01

Please try to use this name when requesting that sources be mailed to you.
Also, note that the "part number" given in the title, and the archive name
given in the auxiliary header need not be identical.

Since most archive sites run UNIX, articles are given UNIX-style filenames
rather than ST-style filenames.  I do try to limit filenames to eight
characters whenever possible, though.

--------------------

Subject: Reporting and tracking bugs and patches to postings

Most of the time, bugs and updates will be posted to comp.sys.atari.st.
Sometimes, "official" updates from the author will be posted submitted to
comp.sources.atari.st so that they are archived with the sources.

Since there is no easy way to apply source code patches on the ST, changes
to a program often result in a whole new version being posted.

To report bugs, contact the person listed in the Submitted-to header.
Often there is a contact address in a README file, too.  I do not maintain
the sources I moderate, so don't send your bug reports to me.

--------------------

Subject: Accessing the archives

At this time, there is only one site known to be keeping an archive
of comp.sources.atari.st. If you are making an archive available to
the public, or would like to, please contact me.

--------------------

Subject: Listing of archive sites in no particular order

1. Site ssyx is running an archive server, which automatically answers
   mail requests.  Send mail to archive-server@ssyx.ucsc.edu with the
   word "help" in the message body for more information.  Both the sources
   and binaries groups are archived on ssyx.

HIGGS_M@prime1.lancashire-poly.ac.UK (Mike Higgs) (02/06/89)

    I've just tried to send a HELP to the comp.sources.atari.st archive and got
a "failed mail" reply from the gateway I use, saying that the address is not
known. Usually I address outgoing mail
         e.g.      archive-server@edu.ucsc.ssyx       instead of

                   archive-server@ssyx.ucsc.edu.      and the gateway sends it
on.
    Is there anybody who can suggest I try something else?
    Also are there any other pd servers for the ST that I could try to access.
(If so, could the addresses be included please?)

         Thanks.
                   Mike Higgs


School of Computing,              JANET : higgs_m@uk.ac.lancsp.p1
Lancashire Polytechnic,
Preston,
PR1 2TQ.