Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (06/20/91)
Info-IBMPC Digest Wed, 19 Jun 91 Volume 91 : Issue 152
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
[comp.misc...] Anonymous FTP list
Accessing the archives of INFO-IBMPC (2 msgs)
Appliance or Light Controller Interface for a PC
Data-PCS (Apple) Petition - My opinion
Echoing a blank line (V91 #134) (2 msgs)
hiding batch file contents and echoing blank lines
Direct Access Streamer (V91 #132)
List of Drives (v91, #133)
MSDOS VER 5.0
Novell address list
Postscript <--> ASCII
VM/cms <----> PC
Clocks
Today's Queries:
Ethernet File Transfers
Info needed on directly programming the floppy controller
PCs Which Don't Boot from the Floppy by Default
Tektronics
The $25 Network question
Wanted: document converter MS-Word <-> FrameMaker
Send Replies or notes for publication to:
<INFO-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Send requests of an administrative nature (addition to, deletion from
the distribution list, et al) to:
<INFO-IBMPC-REQUEST@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available by FTP
only from WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 3 Jun 91 23:10:32 GMT
From: odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon Granrose)
Subject: [comp.misc...] Anonymous FTP list
Keywords: anonymous ftp archive
Archive-name: ftp/database/anonymous-ftp-list/1991-06-01
Archive: pilot.njin.net:/pub/ftp-list/ftp.list [128.6.7.38]
Original-posting-by: odin@pilot.njin.net (Jon Granrose)
Original-subject: Anonymous FTP list
Reposted-by: emv@msen.com (Edward Vielmetti, MSEN)
****ATTENTION**** I am going to be away this summer (in Japan). This means
that any updates you send me will not be implemented until I return. I will
leave the list and mail server in place on pilot as usual, it just won't be
being updated. However, June 1 is the last time the mailing list will be
used. Otherwise I will have to worry about my mail file being full of bounced
copies of the list and I am trying to keep it as small as possible. I am also
using this break to start the beginning of the end of this list. Now that
archie is available, I feel that there is no longer any need for this list.
When I return in September I will put out one more list with all the updates
of the summer and then one more with fixes. So you can look for the last
anonymous ftp list from me on October 1, 1991.
***************************************************************************
So what is archie? archie is a neat interactive database of
anonymous ftp sites available via telnet and mail. There is a file
called "archie" on pilot that is also available via the mail server.
Take a look at that if you don't know what archie is.
If you have any questions, comments, or anything else feel free
to mail me, but please read the rest of this header first!
This is my list of Internet sites accepting anonymous ftp. It
is distributed automatically once each month.
If you are sending this on to someone or in any other way
providing this for someone else, please leave this header intact.
Otherwise I get many questions which this would have answered. Feel
free to make this list avail- able anywhere you like, as we all benefit
from a freer flow of information.
-- comp.archives file verification
pilot.njin.net
-rw-r--r-- 1 30750 21060 164146 Jun 3 07:01 /pub/ftp-list/ftp.list
found anonymous-ftp-list ok
pilot.njin.net:/pub/ftp-list/ftp.list
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jun 91 15:54:00 EDT
From: "MCREE, JAMES F" <209507097@ucis.vill.edu>
Subject: Accessing the archives of INFO-IBMPC
Gregory,
I just tried to FTP to WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil to get at the
INFO-IBMPC archives, but I got a message saying "Connection refused."
What did I do wrong or are the archives not currently available?
Thanks for making INFO-IBMPC available,
Jim.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 08:19:27 MDT
From: Gregory Hicks <GHICKS@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Accessing the archives of INFO-IBMPC
Depends on when you tried it. The system goes down each WEDNESDAY for
4 hours from 6-10pm Eastern time (4-8pm local) for maintenance.
That's about the only time you SHOULD get the 'connection refused'
message. If the system goes down (as recently happened) unexpectedly,
you'll also get the message.
Other times, you'll get to the point where you finish logging in and be
told "too many anonymous users at present. Please try again later."
Regards,
Gregory Hicks
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 09:39 EDT
From: "Ed Harris, Academic Affairs, So Ct State U"
Subject: Appliance or Light Controller Interface for a PC
Jean-Serge Gagnon <JSG8A%ACADVM1.UOTTAWA.CA@VMD.CSO.UIUC.EDU> asks:
> I want to build a card on a PC to do this with the appropriate
> software, but I have pre-conceived ideas about it, so if there is
> someone out there that knows of a card that already exists, then there
> might be no need to re-invent the wheel, as they say!
There is commercial software called X-10 which drives these modules
from a pc; I think I remember it costing about $40 some years ago. You
plug a small box into an ac outlet and into a serial port on your pc.
When you invoke the program, a picture of a (your?) house appears on
the monitor and you program each module however you want. When you are
done you disconnect the box from the computer but leave it plugged into
the wall, and it does the rest. It also has pushbuttons so you can
drive the modules manually without changing the underlying program.
Ed <HARRIS@CTSTATEU.BITNET>
Southern Connecticut State U, New Haven, CT 06515 USA
Tel: 1 (203) 397-4322 / Fax: 1 (203) 397-4207
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jun 91 20:47:41 GMT
From: emory!Dixie.Com!jgd@gatech.edu (John G. DeArmond)
Subject: Data-PCS (Apple) Petition - My opinion
>Having read Mr. Granroth's most recent posting to this newsgroup, I
>feel it may be of value to offer the perspective from the "other side
>of the telephone call", so to speak.
>I explained that I was taking a conservative position, and simply was
>calling as a courtesy to the institution, to ensure that their
>interests were considered.
>Bill Stevens
>Apple Computer
Am I the only one who is outraged by this behavior?
Bill, perhaps you should tell us for how many POSITIVE letters did you
take the conservative position and verify that the respective
institutions "interests were considered?" Is the number zero? I
thought so.
This reminds me of old legal concept known as the "duck principle." It
says:
If it walks like a duck,
If it quacks like a duck,
If it swims like a duck,
If it looks like a duck,
You can call it a chicken all day long but it's still a duck!
Similiarly, Bill, you can call it being "conservative" all you want; to
the rest of us it is simply and not so subtly harrassment.
Your actions have probably had an effect that you've not planned on.
I've taken the trouble to write a letter opposing Apple (which I would
not have bothered with before) and included in it a description of this
incident. It hit the FAX to the FCC a little while ago. I hope that
anyone else who is as outraged as I am will do the same.
You guys should learn that those who live by the lawyers and
harrassments must learn to take it too.
John
John De Armond, WD4OQC | "Purveyors of speed to the Trade" (tm)
Rapid Deployment System, Inc. | Home of the Nidgets (tm)
Marietta, Ga |
{emory,uunet}!rsiatl!jgd | "Vote early, Vote often"
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 14:39:11 EDT
From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org>
Subject: Echoing a blank line
In INFO-IBMPC 91:134 Bill Ball asks:
>I have stumbled upon what seems to be an easy way to ECHO a blank line
>in a batch file (I know this is a FAQ). type "echo", space, then alt-27
>(which shows up as a left arrow and is the escape character). It sure
>seems to work.
>[Only problem with echo'ing the ESC character is that ANSI.SYS starts
>looking for keys to reprogram. Try doing ALT-277 (the NUL code). It
>works as well. gph]
You don't even have to use a nonprintable to do this. Just write the
command as 'ECHO.' instead of 'ECHO' (note the period after the 'O').
In case you've got something against periods, you can also use comma,
equal sign, colon, or semicolon.
Joe Morris
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 16:28:18 EST
From: Manjit Trehan <ITMS400@INDYCMS.IUPUI.EDU>
Subject: Echoing a Blank Line (V91 #134)
>I have stumbled upon what seems to be an easy way to ECHO a blank line
>in a batch file (I know this is a FAQ). type "echo", space, then alt-27
>(which shows up as a left arrow and is the escape character). It sure
>seems to work.
>[Only problem with echo'ing the ESC character is that ANSI.SYS starts
>looking for keys to reprogram. Try doing ALT-277 (the NUL code). It
>works as well. gph]
try the following without any spaces before the "."
echo.
. Manjit Trehan version 1.0 ITMS400@INDYCMS .
. Indiana University Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI) .
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 91 01:04:23 GMT
From: craick@titan.trl.OZ.AU (John Craick)
Subject: hiding batch file contents and echoing blank lines
"Bill Ball" <C476721@UMCVMB.missouri.edu> writes:
>I have a batch file which I would like to make unreadable. I imagine
>there is no trick to do this but if there is I sure would like to hear
>about it. I know one possiblity would be to compile it. However IF this
>is the only solution I would want to compile it exactly as is into as
>small a program as possible. Any software out there to do this?
>(what's available now in SIMTEL won't meet these requirements).
>I have stumbled upon what seems to be an easy way to ECHO a blank line
>in a batch file (I know this is a FAQ).
There IS a utility called bat2exec.com which does convert batch files
into .com files. I have a copy & it works nicely. The bad news is I
have no idea where I got it from - unless is was out of one of the PC
mags here in Oz. Most of their programs seem to come from the U.S. PC
mag anyway so perhaps people can look there.
For echoing blank lines in a batch file I use echo with just a
backspace as the text. This avoids ansi waiting hopefully for an Esc
sequence but you do need a text editor that will allow you to put ctrl
charas literally in a file. Both qedit & Wordstar (ho ho) permit this.
John Craick
Telecom Research Labs,
Melbourne, Oz
P.S. A quick search of the simtel catalog shows a file bat2ex13.zip in
<msdos.pcmag>. I think this may be the prog I'm talking about
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1991 16:12:31 PDT
From: George_C._Burkitt.El_Segundo@xerox.com
Subject: Direct Access Streamer (V91 #132)
>Tue, 21 May 91 19:07:45 MEZ
>Thomas <UNP072@DBNRHRZ1.bitnet>
>access the streamer via BIOS (int 13) or (less
>preferably) directly through the FDD controller?
I can't speak for the Colorado drive, but my floppy interface tape
drive is recognized only after the driver is loaded (config.sys).
The hardware is not the same as a real floppy, so the bios can't
operate it directly.
So I can't boot from it. Besides, it's so slow you would be reaching
for your boot floppy, anyway.
If the Colorado uses a software driver, it would be the same; if
the driver is on a ROM in the drive, it would probably be functional
during the boot.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 17:35:46 EDT
From: moy@xp.psych.nyu.edu ()
Subject: List of Drives (v91, #133)
A (long) list of various hard disks and their is published by:
South Texas BBS I
713-894-5636
Ray Martin, sysop.
Hope this helps!
Moy Wong, Dept. of Psychology, New York University
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 14:10 EST
From: Navin Ganeshan <NGANESHA%UDCVAX.BITNET@UBVM.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: MSDOS VER 5.0
>I have recently heard that there apparently exists a beta release of a
>new version of MSDOS, version 5.0. Does anybody have any further
>information about this version and when the final product will be
>released?
>Regards, Frode
>* Frode Weierud Phone : 41 22 7674794 *
>* CERN, SL Fax : 41 22 7823676 *
>* CH-1211 Geneva 23 E-mail : frode@cernvax.cern.ch *
>* Switzerland or weierud@cernvm.cern.ch *
>
I was just talking to a friend who has seen the beta release of ver
5.0. I can't be sure about this info, but these are the features it
supposedly has.
o An UNDELETE utility similar to Norton's is integrated in the OS
o A context-switching facility lets you swap applications to disk
and load other apps.
o Command History (with reloadable history files)
o Extensive online help on dos commands and operations.
o QUICKBASIC (version ?) is included as part of the package.
o A full-screen text editor identical to QuickBasic's editor with
multiple windows and mouse support.
That is all I could find out so far. The biggest void here has to
do with whether it supports multi-tasking or if it utilizes the
protected mode of the 386. My friend thinks it doesn't..but he's not
sure. Also, a lot is unclear about the context-switcher. It
supposedly looks and feels like desqview, except that it can't
multi-task apps.
Again, I can't be really sure about any of this, and if anyone has
heard more this product, I'd be interested...
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
| Navin S. Ganeshan | Bill_the_Cat \ Bitnet: NGANESHA@UDCVAX |
| Academic Computing Services | for \ ZCSTIN01@UDCVM |
| Univ. of DC, Wash DC. | President ! +------------------------|
| Tel: (202) 282-7343 | "A fool and my money were once partners"|
+-----------------------------+-----------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 8:21:44 EDT
From: Robert Bloom AMCICP-IM 3775 <rbloom@APG-9.APG.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Novell address list
Karl:
(since I have a weakness for graf ...)
>Yes, I know, this is the IBM-PC discussion group.
>My question is, is there also a Novell (LAN) discussion group?
The Novell info list is at <NOVELL%SUVM@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>. *Don't*
*Don't *Don't* send a request for addition to their mailing list to
that adress.
If you want to subscribe, send a one line message that says:
SUBSCRIBE NOVELL <YourName>
to:
LISTSERV%SUVM@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU
and stand back.
Way back. Last time I subscribed (~1 yr ago) it was averaging 20
substantial msgs per day, more on weekends. Don't check your mailbox
for a couple of days, you'll have 100 msgs. Go away for a week and
it'll be over 1MegByte of stuff to peruse.
The old "taking a sip of water from a fire hydrant." But if you need
expertise, that's where to get it. The combined gurus were able to
solve a problem that bedeviled me for 6 months.
rwb
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 91 08:52:49 PDT
From: raymond@math.berkeley.edu (Raymond Chen)
Subject: Postscript <--> ASCII
Converting Postscript to ASCII is, in the general case, impossible
unless you go to the trouble of writing your own postscript
interpreter. Postscript is a full-fledged programming language, unlike
most other PDLs; in fact, in the early days, people actually used a
LaserWriter to perform numerical analysis, crunching numbers for a few
hours, then print out its results as the output. (And you thought your
Adobe Pagemaker files took a long time to print :-) )
Fortunately, most applications do not use Postscript to its full
capability as a programming language. By studying the Postscript
header an application X generates, it is often possible to write a
customized X-Postscript-to-ASCII converter; I have done so with
X=groff. It isn't hard, though there are some subtleties.
The resulting output is rather horrendous, though, since most
applications do not produce postscript with the intent of having it
converted back to ASCII, so they insert all sorts of kerns and
microspaces, which are impossible to mimic in ASCII.
------------------------------
Date: Wed Jun 5 09:51:38 1991
From: "Hernan Lobos *Mitzio*" <I5HLOBOS%UTFSM.BITNET@uga.cc.uga.edu>
Subject: VM/cms <----> PC
hello friends , How I might read commands from CMS in a IBM-PC ? Any
Software ?
i.e : I would like to read the CMS the command :
LISTFILE * * a1 (stack
cant=queued()
do i = 1 to cant
pull fn.i ft.i .
end
and after ... i would like to do this in a PC, for do a
command
RECEIVE fn.i'.'ft.i fn.i ft.i (ascii crlf
Second : Where I can get a REXX Compiler for PC's.?
( of Public Domain )
------------------------------
Date: 5 Jun 91 09:17:00 GMT+109:13
From: "V70D::HUNTRESS" <huntress%v70d.decnet@npt.nusc.navy.mil>
Subject: Clocks
> I have an AT style clone running DOS 3.3. I use Bitcom as my
>communications software. From time to time, the time represented on
>the Bitcom screen is shown to be 12 to 20 hours ahead of what it should
>be. When the time is wrong, that wrong time is also displayed when I
>run Quattro. If I use the Time command in DOS I am also given that
same wrong time.
> This is the weird part. Some time later, without turning off or
>rebooting the machine - the time has reverted back to the correct time.
>This "problem" began when I started using Bitcom.
I have a similar problem on an XT clone. Watching the time increment
using a 1-2-3 spreadsheet I can see a bogus (i.e. off by many hours)
hop in for one recalculation. I "fixed" this problem by reducing my
clock speed from 10 Mhz to 4.77 Mhz. Turtle-slow but at least I get
correct results.
Since the time and date are mantained in RAM, I'm assuming I might have
a marginal chip and not a bad motherboard.
SEPARATE ISSUE:
>Gary, first the bad news: No, no countdown timers in a PC. But the
>good news: We can provide one! I'm sending under separate cover
>(TOADBOOT.ZIP, uuencoded) a space-age timer just perfect for your
>purposes (assuming delay ranges from 1 to 9 minutes). Yell directly to
>me if any problems, more bells & whistles desired, etc.
>David Kirschbaum
>Toad Hall
>kirsch@usasoc.soc.mil
Thanks again David, it worked perfectly.
| Gary Huntress | For a linear fit |
| Naval Underwater Systems Center | obtain two data points |
| Newport RI | |
| (401) 841-2274 | The most common elements in the |
| HUNTRESS@NUSC-NPT.NAVY.MIL | universe are hydrogen and stupidity |
| I got reamed once for not having an OFFICIAL disclaimer: |
| "This message does not represent the opinions or position |
| of the Naval Underwater Systems Center." |
| so there! |
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 10:11:45 EDT
From: JML%FDACFSAN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Ethernet File Transfers
We have a 3Com Ethernet LAN using CS/100 and CS/200 communication
servers (about 80 of them) connected to various computers and
terminals. Some of the people on the LAN have expressed a desire to
transfer binary files to one another. The problem is that none of the
file transfer protocols seem to work (using Procomm) on the LAN. The
transfer seems to start ok, using any of the protocols, but either one
or both of the computers seem to either hang up or time out.
Does anyone have any ideas or default settings that I should be aware
of? Kermit does work ok, but BBS's usually don't offer Kermit as a
file transfer option. Any help would be appreciated.
Joe Lyczak
BITNET: JML@FDACFSAN
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 21:36:55 CDT
From: cybrspc!roy@cs.umn.edu (Roy M. Silvernail)
Subject: Info needed on directly programming the floppy controller
Summary: Reposted by Keith Petersen
I'm trying to unearth info on programming the floppy controller
directly, so I can do some non-DOS disk translation. I looked over the
SIMTEL list, but couldn't seem to find anything directly related. I
pulled down a few files (sector editors and the like), but all have
failed to read these particular disks (Commodore 1581 format).
TeleDisk can read them, so I know it's possible. Any ideas?
Roy M. Silvernail | #include <stdio.h> | (time for a
roy%cybrspc@cs.umn.edu | main(){ | new clever
cybrspc!roy@cs.umn.edu | float x=1; | mailsig
roy@cybrspc.uucp(maybe!)| printf("Just my $%.2f.\n",x/50);} | quote, eh?)
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 5 Jun 1991 10:27 CST
From: "John Nierengarten, Academic Computing, UW-River Falls"
Subject: PCs Which Don't Boot from the Floppy by Default
I have followed, with interest, the discussions on forcing PCs to boot
from devices other than the floppy drive, the main purpose being
containment of viruses. Mention was made of several computers which
have a ROM BIOS which causes them to automatically boot from the hard
disk.
Does anyone know of any PCs, other than Zenith or Compaq, which have
this (boot from hard disk by default, even if a floppy is present) as a
standard feature? Or, alternatively, which ROM BIOS products support
this technique? I am in the process of acquiring new machines for a
student lab and have the opportunity to address the problem up front.
Please send responses to my e-mail address below and I will summarize.
|\ |
|_\ | John Nierengarten, Director, Academic Computing Center
\| \| University of Wisconsin - River Falls
BITNET: ACS_JAN@UWRF Until June 30, 1991.
Internet: John.A.Nierengarten@uwrf.edu
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 16:38:38 GMT
From: Gideon <K042240%CZHRZU1A@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Tektronics
Hello Everybody
I have just received Tektronics plotter and printer types
4662 option 31
4695 and 4696 copier.
Since they are all functioning, I would be grateful if someone could
help me with Info or Ideas to attach any of them to a PC. Or any
experience with a known Software will be appreciated.
Thanks
Gideon
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 05 Jun 91 17:21:44 CDT
From: Matt Johnson <CC64%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: The $25 Network question
Hello everyone,
I am considering purchasing the $25 network, but would like more
information on how it works. I'm looking for a cheap peer to peer
network that offers complete device sharing, including printers, hard
disks, modems, CD-ROMs, etc, between the systems.
I assume that the $25 network uses a null modem cable and the
serial ports on each computer. This sounds fine, but would one be able
to access the 'other' serial port on the remote machine? ( i. e. dial
out and receive calls from the modem on the remote machine)
Also, what kind of transfer rates are possible with this
configuration? Does the type of serial port chip make a difference on
the speed.
Thanks,
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Matt Johnson "If this was a real tag, it would|
| South Dakota State University be funny." |
|BITNET: CC64@SDSUMUS Call!! The 'What it Is' BBS. 605-697-6047 |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 6 Jun 1991 06:14:36 GMT
From: Ed.van.Leeuwen@tnofel.fel.tno.nl (Ed van Leeuwen)
Subject: Wanted: document converter MS-Word <-> FrameMaker
Keywords: document
I would like to have information regarding software and/or software
sources to convert MS-Word 5.0 documents to and from FrameMaker 2.1.
Thanks in advance.
Ed
===============================================================================
Ed van Leeuwen | Ed W.A. van Leeuwen
|
Fysisch en Elektronisch Laboratorium | TNO Physics and Electronics Laboratory
TNO |
Oude Waalsdorperweg 63 | Oude Waalsdorperweg 63
2597 AK 's-GRAVENHAGE | 2597 AK THE HAGUE
| THE NETHERLANDS
Postbus 96864 | P.O.Box 96864
2509 JG 's-GRAVENHAGE | 2509 JG THE HAGUE
| THE NETHERLANDS
|
Telefoon 070 - 3264221 | Phone +31 70 3264221
Telefax 070 - 3280961 | Telefax +31 70 3280961
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ed.van.Leeuwen@fel.tno.nl
===============================================================================
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest V91 #152
*********************************
-------