umlecla3@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Brian Leclair) (09/11/90)
Im new to CP/M systems, and i've seen alot of references to ZCPR, can anyone give me a brief description of exactly what it is? Umlecla3@CCU.Umanitoba.Ca
etrmg@levels.sait.edu.au (09/13/90)
In article <1990Sep11.021851.9985@ccu.umanitoba.ca>, umlecla3@ccu.umanitoba.ca (Brian Leclair) writes: > Im new to CP/M systems, and i've seen alot of references to ZCPR, can anyone > give me a brief description of exactly what it is? Sure, ZCPR is a replacement CCP (Console Command Processor) for CP/M systems. It's difficult to grasp if you're not familiar with CP/M and how it's structured, so I'd suggest that you find a quick descriptive article on it (CP/M that is) to see how the rest will sit with you. CP/M has access to basically a 64Kbyte address space using a Z80 (That's where the Z comes from in ZCPR) and parts of the operating system (CP/M) use various parts of it. There is the BIOS, BDOS, CCP and TPA. . . BIOS is the routines that allow interface to the particular hardware you've got. They come with the machine (hopefully) and are written by the computer's manufacturer, originally. You may replace this with specialty code if you can find something for your machine still available. BDOS are simple routines used for manditory functions. They are all standard by number & use so any CP/M program can call them to get something common accomplished. You can replace it with some thing like ZRDOS or ZSDOS I believe. CCP is what interfaces the User (you) to the BDOS & other things. So ZCPRx really is the front end of choice for many users since it's newer, faster, nicer and generally more capable of keeping you sane while operating the micro at hand. It's can have many things in it depending upon which version you have. It's up to 3.4 now & you can buy an auto-install version (NZCOM) from many places (ALPHA, etc.) for about $69.00 US. Some of the features you may find valuable are: Named directories, Standard Video Terminal Capabilities, Aliasing and Shells (allows history of command line inputs & lots of other labour saving features), multiple command lines & so much other stuph that it'l spin you out. It's definitely worth 69 bucks. I understand NZCOM is so simple to use that there is no excuse to run ZCPR over the stock CP/M CCP (except for poverty or apathy) you can also have the older versions (3.3) for free if you can slog thru alot of system programming (tedious). Any ways, That's probably more than you wanted to know except that the TPA is the Transient Program Area, Basically it's what is left over that you run applications in. (Wordstar, etc) Good luck, go & get some issues of The Computer Journal or Microcornucopia if you want to go further. Ronn
ravn@imada.dk (Thorbjoern Ravn Andersen) (02/13/91)
Is there anyone who is willing to summarize the pro/cons of ZCPR? I have grown kind of tired of CCP (CP/M 2.2) and would like to get some opinions before starting the big download/compile show. Thanx. Thorbjorn Ravn Andersen ravn@imada.dk
x005rh@tamuts.tamu.edu (Rick Huff) (02/14/91)
I would also (as a new CP/M user) like to have some information on what ZCPR is and where I can download it. Thanks. Rick Huff x005rh@tamvm1
fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) (02/14/91)
Greetings. Even though I have been running ZCPR (3.3) for only a few days, I can say that I will never go back - even if you pay me. :-) I downloaded it from Simtel20 but if there is enough demand, I can post it here (anyone comment?) I also downloaded a whole bunch (2+MB) worth of utilities - things like editors, shells, utilities, and a real nice alias program (ALIAS11.LBR) that can do wonders... It's very simple to install, although I had to NOT follow directions to get it working ;-) YOU NEED A K10 PLUS A HARD DISK (the more the better) Advantages? 1) path works much better - even if I'm on C0: I can still run anything like FLPYFMT.COM without having to first go to A0:.... With the Alias program, you can run anything you wish. 2) No need for NSWEEP. ZCPR 3.3 comes with Zfiler which is a superior program. It also allows macros and such. For example, I can point at a file and run WordStar on it without exiting! (Had to write an alias but what the heck :-) 3) you can name your "users". For example, A0: is called "A0:BASE" So, I can type "dir base:" or "dir A0:" and get the same thing. 4) built in copy (cp) command. Same format as PIP but don't have to run it as a com file 5) let me explore it more and download more utilities from my UNIX account to my K10.... then I'll let you know. I think that it will be better if I post ZCPR 3.3, uuencoded, on this newsgroup. I don't think it's a good idea if a lot of people start logging into Simtel when it's alrady so loaded. (Besides, most of the time you can't anyways so many might just give up.... and have to suffer with CP/M 2.2 ;-) ;-) ;-) Take care. P.S. Will keep you all up to date. -- _______________________________________________________________________________ "The Force will be with you, always." It _is_ with me and has been for 10 years Filip Gieszczykiewicz "... a Jedi does it with a mind trick... " ;-) FMGST@PITTVMS or fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu "My ideas. ALL MINE!!"
ianj@ijpc.UUCP (Ian Justman) (02/14/91)
fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes: > > Greetings. Even though I have been running ZCPR (3.3) for > only a few days, I can say that I will never go back - even > if you pay me. :-) Amen, brother! I run Z33 plus NovaDOS on my Dynabyte DB8/1 and my Ampro Little Board. Great software!!! Plus you have source code if you want to extend its capabilities which are already great. > YOU NEED A K10 PLUS A HARD DISK (the more the better) I'm running it on an S100 box with 20 megs, and it works like a champ. Ran it with 10 before but didn't have many problems. Had to be a little conscientious with my management... > > Advantages? Nothing but!!! > > 1) path works much better - even if I'm on C0: I can still > run anything like FLPYFMT.COM without having to first > go to A0:.... With the Alias program, you can run anything > you wish. Yes, paths are probably the most notable feature of ZCPR33. And since you have source code, you can make it as big or small as you need (I believe it's all in the ENVironment discriptor file). However, if you plan to have a LARGE number of aliases, don't bother with ALIAS. Use ARUNZ. ALIAS creates small .COM executable files for each alias, and with my hard disk using questionably large allocation units, 8K, they can add up fast. You have all your aliases in one file that you locate at the end of your path called ALIAS.CMD, which is nothing more than a text file with prototypes for your command lines you wish to execute. Regardez: poll a5:ccico -x66 -s$1 -f$2 -l which tells my system to do a UUCP poll (I'll explain about UUCP for CP/M later) using the first and second arguments as 3-letter system name and a letter for its script (which can be blank or a letter from A to Z). Plus it has other neat capabilities whereby you can get at information in the environment discriptor, like the CPR location, BDOS location, whatever. Plus it can parse named or DU: type drive addressing. With a little bit of ingenuity, I have made PIP, a typical non-ZCPR system utility, to work with ZCPR33 (and you have to have at LEAST ZCPR33 in order to use ARUNZ). It's available at SIMTEL20. I _EXTREMELY_ highly recommend it. Yet I still think ALIAS has its place. You can use an alias to tell the system to use a customized startup sequence if you didn't hardcode it (which is one thing I'm going to change because I hardcoded the startup sequence, like a dolt...). And if you tell it to run a program call "STARTUP", you can create a specialized alias that suits your needs, and you can easily change it if your needs change and you don't need to re-hardcode your command line. > 2) No need for NSWEEP. ZCPR 3.3 comes with Zfiler which is a > superior program. It also allows macros and such. For example, > I can point at a file and run WordStar on it without exiting! > (Had to write an alias but what the heck :-) Another great program. Get it as well. I have used it zillions of times and cannot complain at all!!!! > 3) you can name your "users". For example, A0: is called "A0:BASE" > So, I can type "dir base:" or "dir A0:" and get the same thing. Plus you can have several different named directories on your disk. And, like the path, it can be as small or big as you need. My sytem has 28 entries. I upgraded from 14 when I was running a 10, and 14 was too SMALL, if you can believe that! Now, I have room to expand if need be. Same went with the path, only I upgraded to 10 elements from 5. > 4) built in copy (cp) command. Same format as PIP but don't have > to run it as a com file That's optional. It's a great facility to have available. You don't need to reload PIP every time you want to do this. > > 5) let me explore it more and download more utilities from my > UNIX account to my K10.... then I'll let you know. Have at it! You won't regret it!!!! I speak from experience. > I think that it will be better if I post ZCPR 3.3, uuencoded, > on this newsgroup. I don't think it's a good idea if a lot of > people start logging into Simtel when it's alrady so loaded. > (Besides, most of the time you can't anyways so many might just > give up.... and have to suffer with CP/M 2.2 ;-) ;-) ;-) Word of caution: It is EXTREMELY huge. Something like 130K total. It's available at a BBS I call locally (uploaded it myself). It's at Omni BBS, (916) 386-2521, in the room CP/M ZCPR3/ZCPR33, I think (it's a Citadel-type system). My handle there is IJ if you want to shmooze with me there. > > Take care. > > P.S. Will keep you all up to date. Would appreciate that. (grinsmilegrin)
donm@pnet07.cts.com (Don Maslin) (02/15/91)
fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes: > I think that it will be better if I post ZCPR 3.3, uuencoded, > on this newsgroup. I don't think it's a good idea if a lot of I think that it would be an even better idea if you did not use up available bandwidth posting files that are commonly available on CP/M BBS's around the country, although your intentions are admirable. Keeper of the CP/M System Disk | UUCP: {nosc ucsd crash ncr-sd}!pnet07!donm Archives for the Dino(saur)SIG | ARPA: simasd!pnet07!donm@nosc.mil - San Diego Computer Society - | INET: donm@pnet07.cts.com
ear@wpi.WPI.EDU (Eric A Rasmussen) (02/15/91)
In article <91363@unix.cis.pitt.edu> fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes: (stuff deleted) > YOU NEED A K10 PLUS A HARD DISK (the more the better) (more stuff deleted) Are you saying that ZCPR will ONLY work on a Kaypro with a hard disk, or is it capable of running on non-Kaypro, non-hard disk systems? (Such as a DEC Rainbow) +---------< Eric A. Rasmussen - Mr. Neat-O (tm) >---------+ +< Email Address >+ | A real engineer never reads the instructions first. | | ear@wpi.wpi.edu | | (They figure out how it works by playing with it.) | | ear%wpi@wpi.edu | +---------------------------------------------------------+ +-----------------+ ((( In Stereo Where Available )))
fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) (02/15/91)
In article <91363@unix.cis.pitt.edu> fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes: > > I think that it will be better if I post ZCPR 3.3, uuencoded, > on this newsgroup. I don't think it's a good idea if a lot of > people start logging into Simtel when it's alrady so loaded. > (Besides, most of the time you can't anyways so many might just > give up.... and have to suffer with CP/M 2.2 ;-) ;-) ;-) Greetings. That's why I said "I think"... :-) Due to the negative response (for damn good reasons, might I add) I will refrain from doing that... :-) Take care. P.S. If, however, someone can not get to Simtel or a BBS how is one supposed to get these files? Perhaps I should tell people that if your want a file, I can uuencode it and send it directly to them... :-) -- _______________________________________________________________________________ "The Force will be with you, always." It _is_ with me and has been for 10 years Filip Gieszczykiewicz "... a Jedi does it with a mind trick... " ;-) FMGST@PITTVMS or fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu "My ideas. ALL MINE!!"
rzh@ICF.LLNL.GOV (R. Hanscom) (02/15/91)
In <91363@unix.cis.pitt.edu> fmgst@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Filip Gieszczykiewicz) writes: > stuff deleted > > I think that it will be better if I post ZCPR 3.3, uuencoded, > on this newsgroup. I don't think it's a good idea if a lot of > people start logging into Simtel when it's alrady so loaded. > > more stuff deleted Pleeeeeeeeeze don't do us any favors. If large "mail/code/whatever" files start showing up on this feed, Simtel will drop the mail feed that many of us depend on. Leave it in the Simtel20 archives, and don't worry about "the load", or set it up on another site with anonymous ftp access. Don't get me wrong....I'd dearly love to get my hands on the complete set of ZCPR stuff (part of the problem with ZCPR is knowing what is necessary and what is not!), but not at the expense of the Simtel mail feed. roger icf!rzh@lll-winken.llnl.gov rzh@phoenix.ocf.llnl.gov hanscom1@llnl.gov
roadhog@austex (Lindsay Haisley) (02/27/91)
x005rh@tamuts.tamu.edu (Rick Huff) writes: > I would also (as a new CP/M user) like to have some information on what ZCPR > and where I can download it. Thanks. > > Rick Huff > x005rh@tamvm1 ZCPR is a replacement for the CP/M CCP which provides a variety of improvements such as a command search path, named directories, a very open user area structure, command aliases (substitute small commands for big ones or groups of commands), multiple commands on a command line, standard CP/M terminal interface, if, else, endif structure in batch command processing and much MUCH more. You can download vs. 3.3 from my bbs listed below, or from any of the Znodes around the country. Znode 3 is one of the primary sources for ZCPR and related software. The number is 617-965-7259. Zcpr 3.4 is a commercial product ($70) but well worth the investment since it saves the considerable time and frustration of assembling all the elements of ZCPR 3.3. There is also a magazine called The Computer Journal which has lots of excellent articles on ZCPR and CP/M. Subscription is $18 a year and may be obtained from TCJ, P.O. Box 12, S. Plainfield, NJ 07080-0012. Info on TCJ and on ZCPR34 is extensively available on Znode 3, the number of which is above. Lindsay Haisley "Everything works if you let it!" --- Travis J. Redfish +++++++++++++++++++++++++++ uucp: austex!roadhog@emx.utexas.edu OR roadhog%austex.uucp@emx.utexas.edu BBS: (512) 259-1261 (Z-Node 77 - aka - Kaypro Club of Austin)
dave@ips.oz.au (Dave Horsfall) (02/28/91)
In article <1991Feb14.192505.14099@wpi.WPI.EDU> ear@wpi.WPI.EDU (Eric A Rasmussen) writes: | > YOU NEED A K10 PLUS A HARD DISK (the more the better) | | Are you saying that ZCPR will ONLY work on a Kaypro with a hard disk, or is it | capable of running on non-Kaypro, non-hard disk systems? (Such as a DEC | Rainbow) Works fine on my (Aus-made) Microbee, with twin floppies. Or are we talking about a strange version of ZCPR? -- Dave Horsfall (VK2KFU) VK2KFU @ VK2RWI.NSW.AUS.OC dave@ips.OZ.AU ...munnari!ips.OZ.AU!dave
slsw2@cc.usu.edu (03/02/91)
In article <1991Feb14.192505.14099@wpi.WPI.EDU> ear@wpi.WPI.EDU (Eric A Rasmussen) writes: | Are you saying that ZCPR will ONLY work on a Kaypro with a hard disk, or is it | capable of running on non-Kaypro, non-hard disk systems? (Such as a DEC | Rainbow) While running ZCPR on a Rainbow is quite nice, it's probably not that good an idea. The Rainbow is primarily a CP/M-86 machine with a Z80 sidecar; ZCPR only knows how to run Z80 programs, so you have to be willing to limit yourself to those if you want to run it on your Rainbow. I gave up on that because the I/O byte didn't seem to work correctly; I couldn't get, e.g., generic CP/M Kermit running on the Z80. However, it does make a fairly nice setup; the Rainbow has a huge TPA because the operating system runs on the 8086 and therefore doesn't show up in the Z80's memory space. Caveat: I was running ZCPR 1.something or other that I had severely hacked over. I don't know about running ZCPR 3 on the Rainbow. -- =============================================================================== Roger Ivie 35 S 300 W Logan, Ut. 84321 (801) 752-8633 ===============================================================================