[unix-pc.general] distributing the enhanced diagnostics

brant@manta.pha.pa.us (Brant Cheikes) (06/27/89)

Various mention has been made of an enhanced version of the UNIXpc
diagnostic disk that can format hard drives with HD > 8 or CYL > 1024.
What I don't understand is why the diagnostics haven't been made
available for anonymous uucp or ftp somewhere.  That would be easier
to deal with than all these US Mail distributions I've been reading
about.
-- 
Brant Cheikes
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Computer and Information Science
brant@manta.pha.pa.us, brant@linc.cis.upenn.edu, bpa!manta!brant

thad@cup.portal.com (Thad P Floryan) (06/29/89)

Brant Cheikes comments:

" Various mention has been made of an enhanced version of the UNIXpc
  diagnostic disk that can format hard drives with HD > 8 or CYL > 1024.
  What I don't understand is why the diagnostics haven't been made
  available for anonymous uucp or ftp somewhere.  That would be easier
  to deal with than all these US Mail distributions I've been reading
  about.
"

That is PRECISELY how I got my copy; from a "friendly" uucp site (Kevin
O'Gorman, with special arrangements (he stated this himself recently in a
posting (ref: "... from ME!" :-))

uucp transfer of the compressed file is about 10 minutes at 2400 baud, and
twice as long at 1200 baud.  Weigh the cost (and time) of a LD phone connection
vs. the (approx.) $1 for postage and a mailer.

I just haven't seen a (generally) publically accessible site with the new diags
available (yet).

I'm considering "donating" one of my UNIXPC for use as a message central based
in Silicon Valley to support the activities of the UNIXPC SIG of the AT&T Users'
Group.  This all depends on the availability of locating a site with physical
access and phone lines (the use of a spot in the AT&T Sunnyvale center was
offered, but the site wouldn't be accessible to SIG officers for backups,
troubleshooting, etc. unless an AT&T employee was present).  Other sites are
presently being examined.  If this all works out, the site will serve as a
communication hub (on Usenet) and as a software repository.  More details on
the progress of this will be posted when available.

In the meantime, posting a message asking for uucp access to a site having
the diag disk may bring a flood of email to your mailbox! :-)  And I'm still
offering to make the diag available to anyone sending me a formatted disk with
a mailer and return postage.

Thad Floryan [ thad@cup.portal.com (OR) ..!sun!portal!cup.portal.com!thad ]