Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (04/02/91)
Info-IBMPC Digest Tue, 26 Mar 91 Volume 91 : Issue 72 Today's Editor: Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil> Today's Topics: /archive/mirrors disk is dead on wuarchive DD 3.5" disks formatted to HD (1.44M) Disable Control-C (V91 #53) (2 msgs) Re: Numlock Key as a Normal Key (V91 #60) System problem (V91 #60) Mix compiler & IDE controllers (V91 #60) re: DD 3.5" disks formatted to HD (1.44M) (V91 #61) Diablo 630 Printer Connector Information Wanted (V91 #52, #61) LocalTalk and MCA OS/2 and Disk Drives Program for data validation SYSID TSR to redirect screen output to printer Upgrading XTs (V91 #70) Today's Queries: DOS 386 Extenders IBM AT warm reset kanji paint program reliability Toolbook + C 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: Thu, 21 Mar 91 14:31:04 CST From: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp) Subject: /archive/mirrors disk is dead on wuarchive For those wondering what happened to the MsDos archive on wuarchive, this should explain everything. -David- Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 13:36:06 -0600 From: chris@wugate To: wuarchive-announce@wugate Subject: /archive/mirrors disk is dead Wuarchive has suffered from the loss of it's largest disk drive, which held /archive/mirrors. Until this drive is replaced or I can scrape up a few hundred megabytes of disk space to NFS mount, all of the material in the mirrors directory will be unavailable. Because all of this material is copied from other, less accessible sites, nothing has been lost but there will be a delay while the files are re-retrieved. There will be a short downtime whenever the replacement disk arrives -- since I would like to get the drive up ASAP, this will probably be unannounced. If your system still have /archive/mirrors mounted, you MUST find a way to dismount it before the new disk is installed. On some systems there is a forced dismount option (Ultrix, umount -f), but on others you may have to edit /etc/mtab to "dismount" the offending partition (SunOS) or reboot your system (possibly others). Other than that, the backups yesterday went just fine (esp. with 983MB less data to back up). I still haven't solved the problem with the new monitor EPROMS preventing wuarchive from booting, so there will be additional downtime announced in the future while I try to figure this out. Also, because of the amount of traffic caused by unwary people sending mail to wuarchive-l, the name of this mailing is being changed effective NOW. wuarchive-l has become wuarchive-announce, so if you ever feel the need to unsubscribe or let a friend know how to subscribe please remember to use the new name. Another announcement will be sent out as soon as a replacement disk, either real or phantom, is in place -- this may not occur until next Tuesday. Chris Myers Internet: chris@wugate.wustl.edu Software Engineer UUCP: ...!uunet!wuarchive!chris Office of the Network Coordinator BITNET: chris@wunet.bitnet Washington University in Saint Louis Phone: +1 314 726 7390 P.S. As usual, please DO NOT REPLY TO THIS MESSAGE. The reply would be directed to the entire list, which is a bad thing. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 20:46:24 +0100 From: C102TA%AINUNI01@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU Subject: DD 3.5" disks formatted to HD (1.44M) I also have an IBM PS/2 model 50Z; I tried to format normal DD disks to 1.44 MB and, like Chuck, I did not have any troubles ... But: these "pseudo-high-density" disks are o n l y readable in PS/2 drives (model 50 and above)! I checked this on several PS/2's and on several other systems, always with the same result. I cannot explain why this happens. Besides: The PS/2 drives do not check the hole on the right side of the disk, so you do not need to punch it. PS/2 drives always assume that the disk has high density. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 07:21:30 EST From: gary@ctc.contel.com (Gary Bisaga x4219) Subject: Disable Control-C (V91 #53) >> [ stuff about running a password program from AUTOEXEC ] >Yes, this is possible. Make your last line of CONFIG.SYS: > SHELL=COMMAND.COM /c MYPROG parms >where MYPROG is your password checking program. Of course, that >program must be not "breakable". Also note that anybody can boot from >floppy disk and by-pass this. This may be common knowledge, but I'll mention it anyway. It is only true that somebody may bypass via the A: floppy drive -- BIOS will not boot from the B: drive (for exactly this security reason). Actually, there is a bigger question here: Are you trying to get actual security, or something to stop people from making too many mistakes? I heard somebody suggest solving the problem administratively, which would not have much effect in a non-auditable campus environment if you're really aiming for security. Not to mention the fact that somebody could just come in and take the program call OUT of the AUTOEXEC. Additionally, it seems rather than disable control-C in the AUTOEXEC, it would just be easier to run the password program out of the CONFIG.SYS, say, right at the beginning? Surely there's a program on Simtel like this! Sincerely, Gary Bisaga (gary@ctc.contel.com) ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 20:01 -0800 From: Joseph Gil <yogi@cs.ubc.ca> Subject: Disable Control-C (V91 #53) The solution for this problem is quite simple and elegant. In your config.sys add a 'shell=' directive, specifieng the path to your command.com. In the end of the parameters list add 'nul' Example: SHELL=c:\command.com/p nul *most* versions of DOS will start command.com reading and writing from the nul device. Do not forget to issue ctty con at the end of your autoexec.bat. -Yossi ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 16:23:32 EST From: Manjit Trehan <ITMS400%INDYCMS.BITNET@UICVM.uic.edu> Subject: Re: Numlock Key (V91 #60) >>I want to use the upper row of keys on the numeric-pad; my problem is >>the numlock-key. I want to disable the light, which is associated with >>it and then use the key as any other one, but not to toggle between >>numeric-pad ON/OFF. Any suggestion/pseudo-code/... appreciated. > >The numeric key is electrically different from the other keys. For one >thing, it has no typamatic. So if you want to "use the key as any >other one", it is an impossibility. Nothing is impossible... I wrote the following program to make the right control key same as the enter key (yes, I am an IBM PC/3270 user). It works only on a PS/2 (may also work on an AT). If you check memory location 40:17 (hex), to see if NumLock is on (instead of int 16 function 12), it could be made to work on XTs etc. also. If you find the bit corresponding to the numlock key is on, you could turn it off (see NUMOFF.COM or its variations), and place the character you want in the keyboard buffer. The code is not well documented, but, it is small. If you need any help figuring anything out, send me a note. Manjit ------------------------------Cut here------------------------------- ;------------------ ;Keyboard locations ;------------------ ROM_BIOS SEGMENT AT 40H ORG 17h Stat DB ? ORG 1Ah Head DW ? Tail DW ? Buffer DW 15 DUP (?) Buff_End Label WORD ROM_BIOS ENDS ;------------------------------ ;New keyboard interrupt handler ;------------------------------ DOSFTN SEGMENT ASSUME CS:DOSFTN,DS:ROM_BIOS ORG 100h Start: jmp Setup ;------------------------------ ;Old keyboard interrupt handler ;------------------------------ OldInt9 DD ? Active DB 0 ;----------NewInt9---------- NewInt9 PROC NEAR push ax push bx push dx push ds ;-------------------------------- ;Push flags for IRET from OLD_KBD ;-------------------------------- pushf call cs:OldInt9 ;------------------------------------ ;Check if trigger character was typed ;------------------------------------ mov bx,40h mov ds,bx mov bx,Head cmp bx,Tail jnz Exit ;*********Check location 40:17 (hex) to see if numlock is on mov ah,12h ;Enhanced keyboard status int 16h test ax,400h ;Is right Ctrl key down? jz Exit cmp cs:Active,1 jz Exit mov cs:Active,0 mov bx,Tail mov dx,bx inc dx ;Move forward one word inc dx cmp dx,Offset Buff_End ;Do we need to wrap around jbe HeadOK mov dx,Offset Buffer ;Yes, move a word back from en HeadOK: cmp dx,Head je Exit ; Buffer is full mov [bx],1c0dh ;******** Place ENTER in KBD buffer Done: mov Tail,dx Release: ;********** I check if key has been released here, but, since you ;********** will turn numlock off yourself, you may want either a ;********** delay here or use scan code to see if the key has been ;********** released. In any case, you will need to do something ;********** to avoid a string of the same key being genereated mov ah,12h int 16h test ax,400h jnz Release mov cs:Active,0 Exit: pop ds pop dx pop bx pop ax iret NewInt9 ENDP ;--------------------------------- ;Code to set up interrupt pointers ;--------------------------------- Setup: jmp SkipData Message DB 'IMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM;',13,10 DB ': ENTER - Makes right Ctrl an Enter key. :',13,10 DB ': :',13,10 DB ': - by Manjit S. Trehan :',13,10 DB 'HMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM<',13,10,'$ SkipData: mov word ptr OldInt9,bx ;save old vector mov word ptr OldInt9+2,es mov dx,offset NewInt9 ;save TSR's address mov ax,2509h ; as the new int 9 int 21h mov dx,Offset Message ;print message mov ah,9 int 21h mov dx,Offset Setup+1 ;free memory after Setup int 27h ; and terminate DOSFTN ENDS END Start ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 09:54:45 PST From: George_C._Burkitt.El_Segundo@xerox.com Subject: System problem (V91 #60) >Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 15:33:58 SST >From: Vincent Chan <ENGP0017%NUSVM.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu> > not the autoexec.bat. ... I would suspect that the Autoexec.bat is being missed because of some stupid-type problem ... assuming that the computer did at some time access the file and now doesn't. Can you run the autoexec.bat from the prompt after the boot is completed? If so, the file and file name are OK, and the path or location of the file may be a problem. If it won't run, rename it using one of the file manager programs like Xtree. I have had file names get corrupted such thay they looked OK but would not run when called. You can't even rename them from the keyboard, since you don't know what the computer thinks the name is; you have to read the file name as it is stored and rename to autoexec.bat again. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 09:43:29 PST From: George_C._Burkitt.El_Segundo@xerox.com Subject: Mix compiler & IDE controllers (V91 #60) >Date: Mon, 11 Mar 91 09:55:13 EST >From: "Chuck R." <346B36G%CMUVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> > IDE drives come with the controller attached ... not exactly ... they come with the controller built -in. > IDE drives and AT controllers are compatible... Two names for the same thing. Drives are usually identified by the 'interface ' type ...not the host type. So, an AT drive would mean that the interface to the drive is direct to the AT I/O bus. In order to control a drive from the motherboard bus, which treats all i/o's pretty much the same, all of the drive functions must be generated in the drive. All of the 'smarts' are in the drive. IDE means Intelligent Drive Esomething-or-other. There is , of course, an `AT controller` ... a controller card or section of the motherboard which generates the ST-506, RLL, ESDI or SCSI interface. To avoid confusion, this is not usually called an 'AT` controller, but an ST-506 AT controller, etc. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 10:11:05 PST From: George_C._Burkitt.El_Segundo@xerox.com Subject: re: DD 3.5" disks formatted to HD (1.44M) (V91 #61) >Date: Tue, 12 Mar 91 10:30:08 EST >From: "Chuck R." <346B36G%CMUVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> >...a different number of tracks. The diskettes don't know about tracks before they are formatted; the controller deals with that. The difference between the DD and HD diskettes is the magnetic material in the coating. Usually, as the tracks get closer together, they also get narrower ... the head is made smaller and the actual recorded magnetic regions are narrower and shallower. The potential problem with the use of the DD diskettes is that the maximum available flux density of the recorded signal is different from that of the HD material. This converts to different read signal levels from the head for the two types of media when recorded from the same type of head. If the signal available from the DD diskette is marginal for the HD drive electronics, there would be some reads that might fail. I think the 'loss' of data from the DD diskette is not so much a change in the diskette magnetics as it is the use of a different drive, a slight track misalignment. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 10:34:37 PST From: George_C._Burkitt.El_Segundo@xerox.com Subject: Diablo 630 Printer Connector Information Wanted (V91 #52, #61) >Date: Tue, 12 Mar 91 15:54:27 EST >From: Curt Priest <BMSLIB@mitvma.mit.edu> >The 630 used XON/XOFF protocol... Among others. The control panel slide switch labelled 'protocol' allows selection of Printer Ready or DC1/DC3 (X-ON/ X-OFF). In either switch position ETX/ACK can be used. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 16:31:30 EST From: "Robert E. Zaret" <ZARET@mitvma.mit.edu> Subject: LocalTalk and MCA I used an IBM PS/2 Model 80 with a LocalTalk card from DayStar Digital. I wasn't in on the decision to buy, so I don't know about alternatives or costs. It's been lightly loaded for 1.5 years with no problems. DayStar Digital 5556 Atlanta Highway Flowery Branch, GA 30542 (404) 967-2077 (404) 967-3018 for FAX (800) 962-2077 for nearest dealer (All the usual disclaimers.) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 08:27:19 EST From: "Robert E. Zaret" <ZARET@mitvma.mit.edu> Subject: OS/2 and Disk Drives I've used IBM OS/2 Extended Edition Versions 1.1 and 1.2 on an IBM PS/2 Model 80/311, which has an ESDI drive. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 18:14:42 GMT From: Andrew McLean <PHR050@ibm.southampton.ac.uk> Subject: Program for data validation I received two replies to my query (V91 #50) about a program to perform simple data validation. Mark Bramwell suggested the Turbo Technojock Library which I think is a set of tools for Turbo Pascal which looks very useful if I need to write the code myself and which I can get from an archive site in the UK. Karl Brendel <CDCKAB@EARN.EMUVM1> suggested a peice of pd software which seems to be exactly what I want, I will let him decribe it. > ... preamble deleted ... > I'd like to suggest that you standardize your data entry scheme by > using the public domain software Epi Info for data entry and > validation. (You may find it useful as well for later analysis.) > Using Epi Info, you can quickly create (or recreate) your data entry > screens. Accessory .CHK files enable type and range validation, code > lookup, programmable jumps among fields or to and from related > files, etc. "Pop-up" error messages, prompts, code translations, > pick lists, etc., are fairly easy to specify in the .CHK files. > Epi Info can read DBase files directly; import DBase, 1-2-3, > comma-delimited and fixed-field files; and export those formats plus > those of SAS, BASIC, SPSS, EpiStat and Statpac. DBMS Copy (a > commercial database file conversion utility) also supports Epi Info. > The Epi Info package also includes a programmable text editor/word > processor, analytic graphics, and an interface to Epi Map, a soon-to- > be-released data mapping system (also public domain). > Epi Info is available with a disk-based manual. The manual and other > files can be freely copied and distributed among your survey > personnel. A printed manual (which can also be freely copied) is > also available. > I can't point you toward an FTP site for Epi Info, but it is > available in the US for US$45 (with printed manual, including > overseas air shipment, disk-based manual extra--probably US$5) from > USD, Incorporated > 2075A W. Park Court > Stone Mountain GA 30087 USA > +1 (404)469-4098 > I wish I could provide you a UK address, but I can't, although I'm > told that the World Health Organization has a contract with a UK > printer to produce its own copies. I am perfectly willing to pay the $45 but it's a lot of hassle from this side of the Atlantic. Can anyone point me to an archive site which contains what sounds like a very useful piece of software? Andrew McLean | Janet : PHR050@UK.AC.SOTON.IBM Department of Physics | Earn/Bitnet : PHR050@IBM.SOTON.AC.UK The University | or : PHR050%UK.AC.SOTON.IBM@UKACRL Highfield | INTERNET : PHR050@IBM.SOTON.AC.UK Southampton SO9 5NH | uucp : PHR050%UK.AC.SOTON.IBM@ukc.uucp tel. 0703 593084 | ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 15:18:13 EST From: Bob Fletcher <BOBF@brownvm.brown.edu> Subject: SYSID Has SYSID been withdrawn from the archives for some reason? I was looking to see if there was a newer version out and noticed that it doesn't appear in any of the directories. Can the moderators elaborate on this? Thanks in adavance, Bob Fletcher BOBF@BROWNVM.BITNET BOBF@brownvm.brown.edu ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 1991 12:22-0800 From: Vu Ngo <VU@GODZILLA.SCH.Symbolics.COM> Subject: TSR to redirect screen output to printer Is there a TSR in the SIMTEL library that allows me to redirect screen output to printer (and back) with a Hot Key??? Thanks. -- Vu Ngo (vu@godzilla.sch.symbolics.com) [One of the following programs should do the trick. These programs are available from the MSDOS Archives at WSMR-SIMTEL20.AMRY.MIL (and other Archive mirror sites) using ANONYMOUS FTP login. PD1:<MSDOS.PRINTER> Name Size Date Description DMP203.ZIP 49555 901111 Resident print spooler, spools to disk, memory LP.ARC 7047 870510 LP file printing utility LPT2DSK.ARC 9216 870325 Capture LPT output to a disk file LPTX600.ARC 31596 870319 Redirect printer output to a file LPTX700.ARC 48801 880206 Updated LPT (redirect PRN to file) [.ASM src] LQ15TSR.ARC 21519 880811 TSR printer controllers LQ1500/KXP1524/KXP1091 MSPOOL2.ARC 5082 871027 Print spooler handles LPT1-4 and Com PRIND25.ZIP 17008 900420 Redirect printer to file/screen/printer on cmd PRINDIR.ARC 6836 891210 Redirects printer output to disk file PRINDIR6.ZIP 32061 910320 Redirect printer output to file/screen/COM/LPT PRN2FILE.ARC 14451 871216 Redirect printer to disk (w/asm) PRNDSK.ARC 27172 871224 Redirect Printer Output To Disk PSTASH20.ARC 2830 890216 Redirects lpt output to file ROD-FX.ARC 16732 881226 TSR printer setup utility for Epson FX ROD-PR.ARC 16831 881226 TSR printer setup utility for IBM Prowriter RPRN.ARC 2631 900120 Redirect printer output to disk file VPRINT20.ARC 13886 880606 Redirect printer output to disk file V2.01 VPRNT301.ARC 15259 891030 Printer redirection to disk file, v3.01 Hope this helps. gph] ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 10:05:40 +0100 From: Andr'e PIRARD <PIRARD%VM1.ULG.AC.BE@uga.cc.uga.edu> Subject: Upgrading XTs (V91 #70) On Wed, 20 Mar 91 17:42:42 EST James Williams said: >I have eight offbrand XTs which I am upgrading to 386 motherboards. For What you'll have definitely to change is the keyboard, if it's not AT compatible. What you'll have to beware of is the power rating (low power may plat tricks to your reliability). HD usually works (slower than true AT indeed). Diskettes highly depend on the particular BIOS. Good BIOS is often more important than good hardware. All but very old I/O cards usually perform well. So, it depends on all that and the price you may find for a motherboard. As your requirements sound, your best luck is probably with a 80386SX. ------------------------------ Subject: Today's Queries: Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 14:43:14 EST From: kobus@NADC.NADC.NAVY.MIL (D. Kobus) Subject: DOS 386 Extenders I have a 386 with extended memory and would like to run programs with executables larger than the basic memory size of 640K. I know there are several of the subject extenders on the market that can circumvent the 640K limit via extended memory. Does anyone have any recommendations, suggestions, experiences, etc. concerning these extenders. I particularly have one program with a lot of data stuck in basic memory that I would like to run on my PC without going through the headache of assigning overlays to the FAR_DATA. David B. Kobus Naval Air Development Center ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 13:37:13 GMT From: hysell@kodak.kodak.com (John Hysell) Subject: IBM AT warm reset I am looking for old information I had once seen on how to add a system reset switch to an IBM AT (model 339). I remember seeing a dropping resistor could be added in series with a push button across some timing chip on the motherboard, but cannot recall the details... Any replies will be thankfully received. -thanks ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 11:53:17 EST From: Francis Taylor <narf@media-lab.media.mit.edu> Subject: kanji paint program Does anyone out there know of a paint program for the PC that: 1. Writes .pcx format files 2. has kanji fonts Thanks. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 17:10:00 GMT From: Dr R M Damerell (RHBNC) <damerell@nsfnet-relay.ac.uk> Subject: reliability Please does anybody have advice to offer on which manufacturers produce the most reliable machines? I am looking for an 80286 machine with no hard disk or other extras, to run a dedicated application for several months at a stretch; restart from floppy disk after power failure. Sorry if this Q is frequently asked, I am not on this list. I will pass replies on unless asked not to. Thank you, Mark ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 21 Mar 91 09:39:14 -0500 From: David L Caldwell <caldwell@brahms.udel.edu> Subject: Toolbook + C I need to speed up a ToolBook application (dosen't everyone :-) ). How feasable is it to add C program routines to a ToolBook application? Has anyone done this before? If so what C products did you use? Are there any good books that cover interfacing C and ToolBook (the ToolBook manuals are WORTHLESS for this). Any examples, ideas, or comments would be very welcome. Thank you --Dave Dave Caldwell Information Center, Uiversity of Delaware caldwell@brahms.udel.edu ------------------------------ End of Info-IBMPC Digest V91 #72 ******************************** -------