specter@disk.UUCP (Byron Max Guernsey) (12/08/90)
I really do hate to do this, but I am planning on swapping the Archive server over to Amiga files. The BEST I can do for the c64 is support a small section of popular programs (IE the top 10 or 20 pd programs- Desterm, etc) and hope that this will serve the c64 users who CAN access the server. The c64 is a great machine, the best 8 bit system made in my opinion (including IBM 8 bits!), but there has been a decline in its users for sometime now. Alot of the 8 bit users are buying amigas (due to the 1000's and 500's low prices now!) and many do keep their 64's. So I will continue to support a "popular" section for c64. The amiga has a c64 emulator that can run much of the c64's software also. Here come some reasons. Alot of people wanted the server to stay, but I found that most were having problems accessing it. I tried to give some advice on PATHing so that it might be easier, but the problems seemed to be too severre. The Amiga user base is much larger than the c64, so there is a larger chance that the amiga users will be able to get through and IE support the server by donating software to it. I have not had ANY (not one) C64 programs donated since I was sent the SID tar files. Not one! Its not the users' fault, the ones who would donate just had too many problems getting through to the server. Their messages were received, but on the return path they weren't all sending back. Another reason is that I no longer myself own a c64. I have an amiga 1000 now, but am still waiting to upgrade its ram so I can run the c64 emulator. I STILL think desterm was one of the best terminals on any system! Unfortunately it doesn't run under c64 emulator (its a c128 program regardless). But again, I will continue to have a section for the top c64 programs regardless of whether they work on the c64 emulator or not. I will need some assistance however finding and getting the top c64 programs. Please mail me if you would with your opinion and votes on what should be carried. If anything, this will serve as a way for users who want the most requested programs, but do not have FTP to get them. Some inclusions I consider important are: Desterm 2.0, Kermit 2.2 (or whatever the latest update is), Unix 128, Archivers (which ones should be included???), and what else? You all tell me. Remember though, I do not have FTP and I don;t have Unix 128 or The newer DesTerm as yet. So I will need to find someone who is willing to mail those uuencoded to me. I didn't want to drop c64/128 support, so this is the only compromise I could think of. I think it is only fair that I be able to run the archive for the system I am currently using. But one of the big reasons I set it up for c64 was because I could not use FTP and knew that there had to be other that could not either. The support for c64 was low and I wanted to help out. I still want to help out, but I don't have space to run a full server for c64 and amiga, yet I have access to literally tons of amiga software and I believe it would be of more use to amiga users (again most c64 users had trouble accessing it) At any rate, my apoligies for the lack of support, I too being a 1000 owner have the problems the c64 had about 1 or 2 years ago...the 1000 support from commodore is gone now and software is slowly dimenishing. Soon the 1000 will be like the c64 is now. Hopefully by then I will be able to upgrade again. Now gimme some input into what programs the c64 section should carry.... Byron Guernsey Disk Mail Archiver Server (specter@disk.UUCP) OR try routing through uunet!ukma!corpane!disk!specter Remember uunet is known by most machines, and those that do not, you can route through another widely known machine.. IE rutgers, berkley? etc...
sd05@terre.DMI.USherb.CA (Sylvain Tremblay / Eric Trepanier) (12/13/90)
First of all, what is the SPECTER Mail Server Swap? I've bever heard of it.
I do most of my FTPs at the Milton archive site which has a reasonnable amount
of software available both for the C64 AND C128.
Next, if you want my opinion, here are my top 5 C128 PD/SHAREWARE softwares:
(I'm not mentionning the C64, I have a C128 and hardly ever run it in 64 mode,
except for when I get a game crave...)
TOP FIVE C128 SOFTWARE LIST
1. Desterm 128 V2.00 - telecommunication software with script language,
by Mattew Desmond excellent buffer/text editor, excellent VT-52/102 &
ANSI-BBS protocols, X/Y/Punter transfer protocols,
full 1581 & REU support and much more...
Best program ever available for the C128!
2. CS-DOS 128 V1.5 - basically a file archiving system, but much more than
by Chris Smeets that, it is to the C128 what MS-DOS is to the IBM.
Full 1581 and REU support, and excellent
documentation provided. Also, include the LHARC 128
utility for use with CS-DOS which is available
separately.
3. Kermit 2.2 - This is a C64 program that makes use of the 128 added
??? 80 column screen. A pretty bare-bones terminal
program, with excellent VT-102 support. If you MUST
use the Kermit protocol, then this program is the
best there is.
4. KeyDos 128 V2 - Use your Functions Keys like you never did before.
+ KeyDos Utilities KeyDos 128 is a clever hack of the C128 function keys
by Randy Winchester that allows to set a current drive device and then
load/run/save/type files from the current drive and
disk directory. KeyDos utilities are a set of disk
utilities that allow you to do some easy file
maintenance.
5. Hexpert - A machine language debugger for use with the C128's
by Eric Trepanier built-in machine language monitor, Hexpert allows
you to set up to ten breakpoints and execute your
program at full speed or instruction by instruction.
A must for the C128 ml programmer.
I tried UNIX 128. I don't know if the version I had was the latest (the one
currently at Milton), but what I had was nothing more than a nice toy. It had
the look and feel of Unix, and some of it's functions too, but it was very
slow, cumbersome, and crashed more often than it should of. Many of the files
included with the package were corrupted and the EMACS editor included was
simply unusable for serious editing needs. Again, you could fool someone by
showing it off, but as it is right now, it is not usable for any other purpose.
Too bad. I you want to try a different DOS, try CS-DOS. This one is very
professionnal and it works very nicely and offers much of UNIX 128's features,
like input/output redirection and built-in text editor.
Well, that was my opinion.
Eric Trepanier
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