Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (08/16/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Wed, 15 Aug 90 Volume 90 : Issue 135
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
REFORMAT16 Problems
Codeview Warning
Fortran compilers
how to connect an la50 printer to a pc
MiX C / Power C
tar and compress distribution
Tseng-VGA-chip ET 4000
Windows 3.0 problems
Today's Queries:
3.0=>3.x upgrade
Repeatkey in a Terminal emulation
Soundex
Strange effects and Sounds when changing VGA modes
SIMTEL20 Archives and File availability Information
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>
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Aug 90 19:50:08 -0400
From: David Kirschbaum <kirsch@usasoc.soc.mil>
Subject: REFORMAT16 Problems
From: Frank Starr <55srwlgs@sacemnet.af.mil>
Re: REFORMAT16 Problems
> Just tried REFORM16 on a UNISYS 386 disk using MS-DOS 4.1.
>Looks like it may not have been able to handle the large
>winchester. The disk is a 42 mb SCSI brand internal hard disk.
>Here are the messages I got:
>
> ACTIVITY LOGGING: READING BOOT SECTOR
> WARNING MESSAGES: NO DATA LOST!
> ERROR MESSAGES: ERROR READING DISK
>
>Just thought you might want to know.
Yep, expected no less. We didn't know anything about >32Mb partitions
when we did REFORMAT. And I'm not smart enough about the low-level
stuff to try to make said program work in that environment.
At least it was smart enough to quit when it knew it was confused!
David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990 2:13:38 EDT
From: Joseph M Newcomer <newcomer@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: Codeview Warning
I have only one data point on this...my tape drive is broken and I'm
NOT willing to try this on my machine until I have a FULL backup!
If you write the program
main() { while(1) ; }
and run it under CodeView, and hit ^Break to enter CodeView to stop the
infinite loop, and type 'q', you get the message "Invalid COMMAND.COM".
This occurs with either single mono monitor, single CGA monitor, or
dual monitor debugging. Codeview has scrambled DOS's mind.
Unfortunately, I was running under my editor, so when control returned
to the editor I (stupidly) wrote a file back. The disk was trashed
beyond recognition. The machine was a Tandy 1000TX running DOS 3.2.
I'll try it on my '386 when I get a full backup. Error is solidly
reproducible; it fails EVERY time. With or without mouse support TSR.
joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990 08:09:59 SET
From: Jacques Goldberg <GOLWS%CERNVM@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: Fortran compilers
Thanks for the recommendation for the Microsoft FORTRAN compiler, but
could we know which version is recommended?
Long ago, we had a site license for Microsoft Fortran 3.30, then
upgraded to 3.31, in my home University: it even could not multiply two
small signed integers and give a correct result ! (that bug, fixed in
3.32).
I later almost purchased version 4.0 at bargain price, but my hand
grasped the last BYTE, and opened it at random just where the journal
said that the version had been withdrawn after over 150 bugs were
reported by users in the month following the release ! Don't reply
that the compiler was corrected and/or users refunded: meanwhile, WRONG
RESULTS WERE PRODUCED, thus that brand of compilers is not for me.
I'm not claiming exhaustive testing, nor to being an expert BUT I can
reliably say this:
1-for very heavy work such as downloading programs of nearly 10,000
lines running on mainframes, and compiling, linking,and runnig them
without a flaw and without a glitch, including obtaining the same
results, say LAHEY. Yes it requires a 8087 coprocessor.
2-WATFOR does not need the 8087, and has GKS graphics support; it seems
to me to also be a reliable compiler although I stick to LAHEY's for
heavy jobs which do not require GKS graphics.
Jacques Goldberg
Professor of Physics
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 10:45:21 IST
From: AER0201%TECHNION.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: how to connect an la50 printer to a pc
Marshall Albert Bryan asked how to connect an LA50 printer to a PC.
LA50 printers are serial, as oposed to normal printers that are
Centronics (parallel). Therefore you need an RS-232 card installed as
COM1. To this serial output you connect the printer through a special
cable as follows:
PRINTER PC
2-----------3
3-----------2
7-----------7
11----------6
Additionally on the PC side pins 4,5 and 20 are grounded.
Now open the printer and see that the dip-switches are as follows
Set # 1 switches 6 and 7 closed, all the other open
Set # 2 switch 7 closed all the other open
You also have to reset your lpt port to COM1. Usually put these
commands inside the AUTOEXEC.BAT
MODE COM1:4800,N,8,1,P
MODE LPT1:=COM1
Good Luck!
Alexander Burcat, Aerospace Engineering, Technion-IIT, Haifa, Israel.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 08:18:08 SET
From: Jacques Goldberg <GOLWS%CERNVM@pucc.PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: MiX C / Power C
Sorry but I must intervene in the propagation of incorrect information.
The old, obsolete, MIX C, that indeed was sold for less then 20$ +SH,
was indeed a "small model". Power C comes from the same place, sells
for the same less than 20$ +SH, and does NOT have that limitation.
Very precisely, the information that to go beyond the small model, you
must PAY MORE is *WRONG* (for a new user, of course. You get ALL
features for one price; true, MIX C users do not get a free upgrade).
Jacques Goldberg, Prof. of Physics
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 1990 20:15 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: tar and compress distribution
David J. Camp (david@wubios.wustl.edu) writes:
> There is a public domain version of tar that runs on MsDos. I do not
> know why people bother using things like TARREAD and DETAR when they
> can have the full tar program. I can also make this available.
David, TAR-Z.ARC is now in directory PD1:<MSDOS.FILUTL>.
--Keith
[David uploaded an MS-DOS TAR and COMPRESS program. He made the offer in
a previous Info-IBMPC Digest to provide such a program to those that
requested and got so many requests that he uploaded the program.
Thanks, David.
gph]
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Aug 90 19:14:54 EDT
From: "Bert Tyler" <TUB@CU.NIH.GOV>
Subject: Tseng-VGA-chip ET 4000
> does anyone of you know how to program the features of the Tseng ET4000
> chip? Or is there any source of information on Bitnet? Someone an idea?
Thomas, if you speak assembler, the first thing you should do is locate
the latest copy of VGAKIT, John Bridges' freeware SuperVGA programming
kit. It's available on Compuserve in the PICS forum in Library 14
("Misc Utils and Code") and probably on SIMTEL20 somewhere as well.
The current version is 3.4, but any version from 3.0 on up will
auto-detect the Tseng 4000 chipset (as well as a lot of other
chipsets).
Actually, if you don't speak assembler but speak "C", John includes OBJ
files of all his assembler code (compiled for the small model) in
VGAKIT, so you can also start from there.
> (By the way: the ET4000 is "the" chip on all Tseng-VGA-Cards.)
Uhh, it's the *current* state-of-the art chipset from Tseng, but there
are a lot of older Tseng VGA cards out there that use the earlier Tseng
3000 chipset, which John's VGAKIT also auto-detects.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990 2:17:53 EDT
From: Joseph M Newcomer <newcomer@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: Windows 3.0 problems
SDKpaint spontaneously fails with an "Unrecoverable Application Error"
for no apparent reason.
I'm running a '386 noname with AMI BIOS, 25MHz 0-wait state, 3700+K
memory. I see the failure both in real and '386 enhanced mode. It also
failed when I pulled up the control panel while playing their
Solitaire game (I wanted to change the double-click response). I did
not have a "smart"(sic)drive driver installed, but had RAMDRIVE and
HIMEM installed. Has anyone else seen anything like this?
joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990 2:20:46 EDT
From: Joseph M Newcomer <newcomer@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: 3.0=>3.x upgrade
Somebody's disk utilties has a fixer-upper that reorganizes the disk so
that a large DOS can be installed. Program is to be used instead of
SYS. I've read about this but when I needed it I couldn't find it. If
anyone else knows whose it is, I'd like to know, as I need to upgrade a
machine to 3.3.
Also, is there ANY known way of getting the fewest-bugs-possible
release of DOS 4.01? I've heard that there have been five or six
releases all called "4.01" but only the latest (whatever that is) is to
be trusted... and there is apparently no way to determine which
version you have from reading the disks or anything in them. joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 10:09:48 CET
From: Mc Black <mmdf@zweibrucken-emh2.army.mil>
Subject: Repeatkey in a Terminal emulation
Does someone know of a terminal emulation that has a repeat key.
Similar to the programm "Dosedit", where you can modify the command
line or scroll back previous commands.
Or is there anything else on the UNIX side available, (I mean not the C
Shell) which I can use. Is there also a Kornshell available for the
UNISYS 5000/95 under UNIX 5.3.
Bernd Schwarz
[I use a program called NDE (Norton DOS Editor) from Peter Norton
computing. It's included with the Norton Editor as a freebie (but
copywrited (or is it copywrote) program. .ASM source code is included
for those that want to modify it. If you want a command scroll
function for use during a modem session, both Crosstalk and ZCOMM have
the ability to scroll back past commands.]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 1990 2:06:51 EDT
From: Joseph M Newcomer <newcomer@F.GP.CS.CMU.EDU>
Subject: Soundex
I'm looking for a SOUNDEX search interface (encoding, searching, etc.)
written in C and available as PD or for nominal cost.
thanks
joe
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Aug 90 14:13:35 EXP
From: KIM YOUNG JAE <88272031@KRSNUCC1>
Subject: Strange effects and Sounds when changing VGA modes
I purchased a VGA wonder(ATI) and Multi-synch Monitor(NEC 3D).
When I change graphic modes from the more 'normal'
640*480*16,300*200*256 to the super VGA mode 1024*768*16,800*600*256
there occur two unpleasant things.
One is that the MONITOR makes a very weak (but audible) high pitched
sound for a few seconds. It's not from PC speaker.
The other is that the screen splits or splashes for a bit between
modes. Although both occur only when changing modes, it makes me
uncomfortable.
I checked with the manufacturers representative and was told that this
is normal with the NEC monitor. Is this really normal with other kinds
of monitors? Or is it only with the NEC monitor? Do these sounds and
flickers indicate a problem with my VGA card or monitor?
[I a 'no-name' brand EGA monitor made in Taiwan with an Everex card.
This monitor exhibited the same sort of symptoms you describe when
changing modes. It sounded as though these symptoms were caused by the
monitor re-syncing with the output of the video card. gph]
------------------------------
Date: 15 Aug 90, 23:14:00 +0200
From: Info-IBMPC Digest <Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SIMTEL20 Archives and File availability Information
The Simtel20 Archives discussed are available from:
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see file PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>AAAREAD.ME details
on file directories and descriptions.) Problems with files obtained
from the Archives should be addressed to:
<ACTION@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available ONLY by
FTP from WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>.
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL can be accessed using LISTSERV commands from
BITNET via LISTSERV@NDSUVM1, LISTSERV@RPIECS and in Europe from EARN
TRICKLE servers. Send commands to TRICKLE@<host-name> (example:
TRICKLE@TREARN). The following TRICKLE servers are presently
available: AWIWUW11 (Austria), BANUFS11 (Belgium), DKTC11 (Denmark),
DB0FUB11 or DTUZDV1 (Germany), IMIPOLI (Italy), EB0UB011 (Spain),
TAUNIVM (Israel), and TREARN (Turkey). SIMTEL20 is not accessible on
the first Wednesday of each month from 6-10pm Eastern Standard Time.
If you are unable to access SIMTEL20 via Internet FTP or through one of
the BITNET/EARN file servers, most MSDOS SIMTEL20 files, including the
PC-Blue collection, are available for downloading on the Detroit
Download Central network at 313-885-3956. DDC is a networked system
with multiple lines that support 300, 1200, 2400, and 9600 bps (HST).
This system is a subscription system with an average hourly cost of 17
cents per hour. It is also accessible on Telenet via PC Pursuit and on
Tymnet via StarLink outdial. New files uploaded to WSMR-SIMTEL20 are
usually available on DDC within 24 hours.
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest V90 #135
*********************************
-------