Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (11/18/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sun, 18 Nov 90 Volume 90 : Issue 185
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Hard Drive Saver?
MASM .TYPE pseudo-op output changed
Windows File Manager
Today's Queries:
Is it possible to use IBM PC Software in SPARC?
Genius Mouse Driver
Needed: =>500 KHz DMA DI/O on a 386
hypercard like products for the PC
Lettrix with a laser printer
Looking for arbitrarily large integer-type Info
multiple drive controllers
MX-80
New Uploads:
UUXFER20.ZIP - Comprehensive UU/XX en/decoder with C source
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Date: Thu Nov 8 14:52:10 GMT 1990
From: Mike O'Carroll <mike@elec-eng.leeds.ac.uk>
Subject: Hard Drive Saver?
>>Is there such a beast as a hard drive saver? A small TSR that can kick
>I would recommend that you reconsider whether you want to substitute
>the reliability problems associated with power turn on stress and
We have several PCs (PS/2 & AT) on a network running 24hrs / 7 days.
Some of these machines have been running for over 2 years. Not only
are the disks spinning, but background tasks move the heads around
every few minutes too.
While I have no hard documentary evidence, my feeling over the years is
that failures nearly always seem to occur at power on.
Mike O'Carroll, Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering,
The University, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
E-mail: @ukc.ac.uk:mike@ee.leeds[.ac.uk]
uucp: ...!mcsun!ukc!lena!mike OR mike@lena.uucp
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Date: Wed, 07 Nov 90 15:43:23 EST
From: Joe Morris <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org>
Subject: MASM .TYPE pseudo-op output changed
I just got burned by an undocumented change made by Microsoft to the
way MASM handles the .TYPE pseudo-op in release 5.1. Although 5.1 has
been out for a long time, the .TYPE is esoteric enough (at least here)
that only now have I tried to reassemble a file which uses it.
The problem is that the MASM manual (p. 186) defines four bit positions
in the response and states flatly that the other four bits are zero.
Not so; three of the remaining four are now active. They are:
Bit Value Meaning
--- ----- -------
2 0 *expression* is not a constant
1 *expression* is a constant
3 0 *expression* is not direct address mode
1 *expression* is a direct address
4 0 *expression* is not a register
1 *expression* is a register
The Microsoft rep couldn't explain exactly what bit 4 means, but in
trying it I find that if *expression* is a pure unmodified register
symbol then bit 4 is a 1; otherwise it is zero. For example, 'si'
(minus the quote marks) sets bit 7, but '[si]', 'si+5' and '[si]+5' all
result in a zero.
What blew my program away was that it was testing a constant for .type
== 0x20, but the comparison was failing because .type returned 0x24
since the constant bit (bit 2) is now set.
Joe Morris
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Date: Fri, 9 Nov 90 1:23:44 CST
From: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp)
Subject: Windows File Manager
In Reply to this Note From: <Richard A. Drury>
>
>> 1) I cannot select a few files, I must select one at a time.
>> 2) For each file to delete, there are several mouse movements
>> and buttons to push, making the whole operation tedious for
>> a large number of files.
>> 3) If a file is off the first screenful, it would be nice if
>> I was positioned to its previous position after its deleted.
>> Instead, I am positioned to the beginning of the list, requiring
>> me to scroll down through the list to find my previous postition.
>>
>> I had seriously tried to delete files this way, and gave up in disgust
>> after just a few. The DOSSHELL program is a much better design. -David-
>
>I'm no big fan of the Windows file manager or anything, but using
>it to delete files doesn't seem all that cumbersome. You *can*
>select more than one file for deletion from the file display.
>When you hold down the Ctrl key, every file you click on gets
>selected. Or if you want to select a whole block of files, click
>on the first one, then hold down the Shift key while you click on
>the last one, and the whole block gets selected. And once
>selected, you can delete the whole mess with must a few more
>clicks. It helps a lot to turn off the verification feature in
>the Options menu. I hadn't noticed your number 3), but that does
>seem like something they could fix. Wonder where you should be
>left in the file display after a multiple delete operation?
>Position of the last file deleted maybe.
I suppose it is my fault for not reading the manual. I thought the
purpose of all this GUI stuff was to make software self-teaching. Oh
well, I had to give up on using MicroSoft Windows because there was not
enough space in a COMMAND.COM window to compile my programs using
Microsoft C. It also ran very slow when compiling in the background.
I suppose the basic concept of a GUI makes sense. Anyone I have ever
talked to who has used a Mac says its the best thing since sliced
bread. I prefer to multi-task, and a multi-windowing environment is a
logical way to do this. I have come to the conclusion recently that
mousing-around is easier than punching keys, provided that the number
of clicks is less than the keystrokes being replaced.
There are still some additional objections to Windows though. Why is
Microsoft inventing a new operating system when Unix has been available
all along? Why is it so hard to write GUI programs compared to
character-based programs? Why does anyone still run Dos?
david@wubios.wustl.edu ^ Mr. David J. Camp
david%wubios@wugate.wustl.edu < * > +1 314 382 0584
...!uunet!wugate!wubios!david v
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Date: Thu, 8 Nov 90 14:58:05 PST
From: stevep@cadence.com (Steve Peterson)
Subject: Is it possible to use IBM PC Software in SPARC?
Is it possible to use a software package that was written for an IBM PC
on my Sun Sparc 1+? If so, what do I need to do, buy, or install to
accomplish this.
Please reply to me directly...
Thank-you,
Steve Peterson
stevep@cadence.com or ...!uunet!cadence!stevep
------------------------------
Date: 7 Nov 90 17:25:00 EDT
From: "V5120::ZWIRKO" <zwirko%v5120.decnet@ccf1.nrl.navy.mil>
Subject: =>500 KHz DMA DI/O on a 386 ?
Hi,
I'm looking for any assistance in finding a product to satisfy an I/O
requirement I have for a 386 machine.
I need to generate a 16 bit, parallel word, data stream at => 500
KHz. This must be accomplished using a DMA channel on the PC, but
preferably, it would be nice to have a dual-DMA mode capability.
I have seen a fair number of digital I/O boards, 16 & 32 bit and
DRV11 (DEC) equivalent boards, yet these seem to top out at a mere 300
KHz. Is there a reason for this? Doesn't the DMA channel on most 386
machines run near 3 MHz? If you have seen or used any boards which
might satisfy my requirement, I would greatly appreciate hearing
(seeing) any information you could point my way. PLEASE respond
directly, if possible, to my mailing address.
tnx... andy ka1gd
zwirko%v5120.decnet@ccf.nrl.navy.mil
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 08 Nov 90 12:22:38 CET
From: Karl Keyte <KKEYTE%ESOC.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Genius Mouse Driver
I'm looking for a copy of the Genius Mouse Driver (pref. .COM and .SYS
files) version 9.00 or later for my Genius Mouse. Has anyone got this
driver which they could send me?
Karl
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 90 10:09 EST
From: DULING%NIEHS.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: hypercard like products for the PC, especially windows.
Hello ...
Does anyone have any advice on hypercard like products for the PC
and especially for Windows? Do any of them stand out ? Are any of
them relatively inexpensive?
--- Dave Duling, NIH, NIEHS.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 07 Nov 90 13:08:09 IST
From: Ran Cheremsh <CHERMESH%BGUVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Lettrix with a laser printer
Is there a possibility of using lettrix with a HP LaserJet printer. If
there is, can anyone supply me any useful information regarding drives
or any other needed sources.
Ran Chermesh
Behavioral Sciences Dept.
Ben-Gurion University
Beer-Sheva 84105
Israel
Bitnet: CHERMESH@BGUVM
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 90 09:16 MET
From: Ed van Zon <EVZON%DORSCHKAMP.AGRO.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Looking for arbitrarily large integer-type Info
Hello Netters,
I am looking for info on implementing an integer data-type with
arbitrarily large precision, including the basic operators (-functions,
routines) for adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing two
operands of such a type. Maybe there exist libraries and/or object
oriented classes wich deal with such an implementation. If so, I really
like to get my hands on it, preferably on the source code. Any language
will do, but C is prefered.
Pointers to any articles on the matter are welcome too.
Greetings, Ed van Zon
"De Dorschkamp"
Wageningen, Netherlands.
BITNET: EVZON@DORSCHKAMP.AGRO.NL
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 09 Nov 90 12:05:47 SET
From: Roger Thijs <RTHIJS%BANUFS11.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: multiple drive controllers
Is it possible to install more than one drive controller in a
pc-compatible (in two or more slots) so that e.g.:
- the first one controlls (MFM): two floppy drives and one MFM-HD
- the second controlls a IDE-HD.
Can this be made working:
- for a MSDOS-environment
- for a unix (coherent) environment?
I have a 386SX/16 Mhz clone with AMI BIOS.
Thanks for all comments,
Roger Thijs
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 7 Nov 90 15:46:51 -0500
From: ah238@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Joseph Zupko)
Subject: MX-80
I did this before but can you tell me again where I can find the
graphics chip for a MX-80?
How good are the third party ones? Can you give me the chip number?
JAZ
Internet: Ah238@cleveland.Freenet.edu
Prodigy: GRTW44B
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Date: Tue, 6 Nov 90 16:04:21 -0600
From: readdm@CCWF.CC.UTEXAS.EDU (David M. Read)
Subject: UUXFER20.ZIP - Comprehensive UU/XX en/decoder with C source
I have uploaded to SIMTEL20:
pd1:<msdos.filutl>
UUXFER20.ZIP Comprehensive UU/XX en/decoder with C source
UUXFER ver 2.0: A comprehensive package for encoding and decoding files
under the UUencode and XXencode standards. UUXFER automatically
handles multi-part files (encoding and decoding), and automatically
recognizes almost every common variant on the standard. Standard C
code with conditional #defines makes for painless compiling on any C
compiler ... CURSES support for UNIX boxes. Executable (.COM) file
included for MS-DOS users.
-Dave Read
readdm@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #185
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