Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (04/07/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sat, 7 Apr 90 Volume 90 : Issue 60
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
CAF machines
DMA, MicroChannel, and PS/2 Reference disk
Re: Hard Disk Security
Re: IDE Drives
LZEXE'ed programs
Networking woes with PS/2-50's
PKZIP 1.1
TEX for PC's
Using SORT; Capturing cleaned file listing
Re: TIFF File Format
Today's Queries:
Accounting Software
C++ compiler, PD
Hardware problems
Page Scanning
PC => DECWriter IV
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Date: Thu, 22 Mar 90 12:52 IDT
From: Sol Eaglstein <WELFARE%ILNCRD.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: CAF machines
Regarding Bulent Dokumcu's query concerning CAFs, we have scores of them here
at the Ministry so maybe if a specific question is posed, we might be of
help.
Sol Eaglstein
Director of Research
Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
Jerusalem ISrael
WELFARE @ ILNCRD
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 13:39:02 EDT
From: The Time Traveler <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: DMA, MicroChannel, and PS/2 Reference disk
Under the Change Configuration option of my PS/2 70's Reference Disk Setup,
there are three features under Slot #4: DMA Arbitration, DMA Burst Pacing
Level, and Fairness. What are these, how do they affect the system, and what
do the other options mean in terms of performance? For instance, what if I
turn Fairness off? Or what happens if I make the DMA Burst Pacing Level 16
microseconds, instead of 24?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 12:26:16 EST
From: mlsmith@NADC.ARPA (M. Smith)
Subject: Re: Hard Disk Security
Disclaimer: I have no connection with Omnitronix and the price has been
excised from the information. LXXIX
Prevent Unauthorized Hard Drive Access with PC SECURE
The PC SECURE security device consists of a short PC plug-in card and a
set of programs supplied on a 5 1/4 inch diskette. The security system
prompts the user for a password whenever the computer attemps to boot DOS.
The plug-in card prevents a copy of DOS from being booted in drive A: in an
attempt to bypass the security system.
-Hardware and Software Security
-Allows Master Password and up to 15 User Passwords.
-Installs Quickly and Easily
-Dos can not be booted without entry of a valid password, even with a
bootable disk in A:
-{edited cost claim-i.e. it's cheap}
-LOCK program requires use of Master Password, and allows editing of
the Master and User Passwords
-30 Day Money-Back Guarantee
-1 Year Warranty
System Requirements:
IBM PC/XT/AT OR Compatible Computer
DOS Version 2.0 or Above
1 Slot Available for Plug-in Card (May be Short Slot)
Hard Drive
{more edited price claims}
Omnitronix, Inc.
760 Harrison St.
Seattle, WA 98109
(206)624-4985
------------------------------
Date: Tuesday, 27 Mar 1990 11:55:38 EST
From: "David Neal" <U233B%WVNVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Re: IDE Drives
> I want to expand my hard drive options, but I have what is known as an
>IDE drive. The people at Dell tell me that the only drives I am able to use
>are additional 40 meg drives with a 1:1 interleave factor.
>The two models they suggested are:
>Seagate ST-157A-1
>Conner CP344
> have been unable to find these drives anywhere! Can anyone help me locate
> supplier, or suggest an alternative? I'd like to keep the cost as low as
>possible, and use the existing 'controller' board if possible. My existing
>drive has an access time of approximately 26 ms. and I'd like to keep the
>performance of the new drive the same.
CompuAdd sells IDE drives. They don't provide brands or model numbers in
their catalog but here are the specs.
Cache
Capacity Access time (ms) Interleave Memory Price
-------- ---------------- ---------- ------ ------
20 MB 28 1:1 8KB $369
40 MB 28 1:1 32KB 469
80 MB 19 1:1 32KB 699
110 MB 19 1:1 32KB 899
You can reach CompuAdd at 1-800-627-1967.
By the way, IDE stands for Integrated Drive Electronics which means the
controller is built in to the drive itself. This should make for an easy
installation.
I hope this answers your question without advertising for a company with
which I have no connection.
David Neal
Elk and Kanawha Rivers
Appalachia
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 09:15:26 -0500
From: David Kirschbaum <kirsch@arsocomvax.socom.mil>
Subject: LZEXE'ed programs
Keith,
I just downloaded PKNVT11.ZIP from SIMTEL and found two things I don't like:
1 - a big advertisement from a BBS.
2 - One of the programs in this ZIP has been compressed with the LZEXE
compression utility.
The (1) I can live with.
The (2) I cannot.
Our usual virus/trojan locators can't deal with LZEXE'ed files. (They're
compressed, so the usual virus signatures can't be found.) I gladly use the
LZEXE utility to compress .EXE files on my own PC for local use. However, I
will NOT transfer, accept, or in any way deal with LZEXE'd files through any
distribution media (to include my local BBS's and SIMTEL20).
I STRONGLY suggest you pull the PKCNVT11.ZIP package. If Phil Katz is
distributing programs that way .. shame on him! He oughtta know better.
Believe me, the minor convenience of already having an .EXE program
compressed via LZEXE is NOT worth the threat and potential of viri!
(I used the little utility ISLZEXE to find the LZEXE'd program. One of these
days I'll back-engineer LZEXE and figure how to "uncompress" one of these
compressed .EXE files back to its original state. Until then .. I'll simply
live without them.)
David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 16:47:24 EST
From: fks@vax.ftp.com (Frances Selkirk)
Subject: Networking woes with PS/2-50's
Peter Junger from CWRU Law School, writes:
>the micro channel architecture is probably part of the problem: since the
>university people say the 3 Comm is (or, perhaps, was until very recently)
>the only company that supplies ethernet boards that work that architecture
Several companies have, and have had for some time, microchannel Ethernet
boards. Not just 3Com, but Interlan, Western Digital, Gateway, Acer, D-Link,
and Tiara all make microchannel boards which we support with PC/TCP, our
TCP/IP package.
>and that one has to use the software supplied by 3 Comm with their boards.
See above. FTP Software makes a TCP/IP package for the 3c523; so do Sun and
Wollongong. While I am not sure of the exact componenets of the other
packages, ours supports all the applications listed, and more. 3Com is not
the only way to go.
>DOS driver, not a program. When the line DEVICE=\IP\NET3C523.EXE is added to
>the CONFIG.SYS file, this driver proceeds to swallow up between 54 and 55 k
>of memory that I can ill afford. I have seen other Drivers that only consume
>4 or 5 k of memory...
This is not unreasonable. NET3C523.EXE is probably loading TCPIP.EXE, giving
you a lot more than just a driver. The applications you have .exe files for
need a wide range of features in the transport and network level support.
>but the real problem is that they claim that one has to reboot one's machine
>after one finishes using the Novell network.
This may be the way things work, but it's not compatibility. If this software
supports a packet driver, as our PC/TCP does, you might try the Clarkson
3C523 driver, and BYU's Netware shell. That will provide you multiplexing
capabilities, so that the two packages can run simultaneously. The one
disadvantage with that solution is that it relies on unsupported software,
but in many situations that it not a problem.
I hope this helps!
-Frances
Frances Kirk Selkirk info@ftp.com
FTP Software, Inc. (617) 246-0900
"Paradise is just like where you are right now, only much, much better." - LA
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 01:22:41 MEZ
From: p081202%DBORUB01.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: PKZIP 1.1
As a registered user of PKZIP I just received the update to PKZIP 1.1. I
still love this program, but one question occurs to me reading the
update-manual:
PKZIP 1.1 includes the option of "authenticity verification" as well as "file
encryption". Both options are only available in the US and Canada and are not
part of the international version. Concerning file encryption I guess this
policy is based on some weird US security law. I cannot understand that, but
I see no problem there, I do not want to use file encryption anyway. But I
would like to use authenticity verification, because it should help to trace
hacked or virus-infected archives, and because my PC is used by several
people, this would be a helpful insurance. Is there anybody in the US (or
elsewhere) who can explain to me the reason why this helpful option is not
available outside North-America?
I hope to hear from you
- Peter Hauptmanns
Bochum, F.R.Germany
(p081202@dborub01.bitnet)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 10:57:17 EST
From: Scott Findlay <FINDLAY%UOTTAWA.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca>
Subject: TEX for PC's
I am looking for an IBM version of TEX equivalent to MACTEX for Mac's. So
far I have only come across Personal Tex (PCTex), which does not appear to be
nearly as good as the Macintosh version. Is there anything else out there?
If there is a list server for Tex issues, what is it?
findlay@uottawa.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 09:12 CST
From: Leslie Houk <LHOUK%BEACH@frio.chpc.utexas.edu>
Subject: Using SORT; Capturing cleaned file listing
In volume 90, issue 52, Chuck R. asks
> Does anybody know how to use the DOS SORT command?
There are two ways to use SORT. The first, which almost nobody ever uses, is
to just type SORT at the DOS prompt. SORT will then wait for you to type in
several lines of text to be sorted. When you have entered all of the lines
to be sorted, hit Control-Z, and the lines will be redisplayed in sorted
order.
The usual way to use SORT is with input-output redirection using ">" and "<".
Following any DOS command with ">" will cause the text which would normally
appear on the screen to instead be routed to the file specified, so that the
DOS command "DIR C:\ > FILES.TXT" would cause the directory listing to be put
in FILES.TXT instead of appearing on the screen. Like- wise, following any
DOS command with "<" will cause the text which would normally need to be
typed on the keyboard to instead be read from the file specified, so that the
DOS command "DEL A:\*.* < YES.TXT", where the file YES.TXT contains only the
letter "Y" and a carriage return, would read the answer to the question "Are
you sure?" produced by the DEL command from YES.TXT instead of from the
keyboard.
As for SORT, the DOS command "SORT < NAMES.TXT > NAMES.NEW" would cause SORT
to read the contents of the file NAMES.TXT and create a new file NAMES.NEW
which contains the sorted contents of NAMES.TXT.
There are also a couple of options for SORT. "SORT /R" causes the sort to be
performed in reverse ("Z" to "A") order, and "SORT /+nn" (where "nn" is a
number between 1 and 255) will cause the sort to be performed starting with
column nn.
> I have a couple ascii files which are garbled. Turns out, when I LIST
> them, and turn off the high bit, they are cleared right up. But, I also
> can't save this new file with the high bit stripped off. Anyone have any
> idea how I can strip the high bit and save the new version of this file?
This is another place where output redirection can be used. If the LIST
command can display your file cleanly, the command "LIST FILE1 > FILE2"
should be able to capture the clean version of FILE1 into FILE2.
| Leslie Houk | The opinions expressed herein do |
| Office of Academic Computing, A23 | not necessarily reflect those of |
| University of Texas Medical Branch | the OAC, UTMB, the State of Texas, |
| Galveston, Texas 77550 | etc., etc. |
| THEnet: BEACH::LHOUK | Familiarity breeds contempt... and |
| BITNET: lhouk@UTMBEACH | children. (Mark Twain) |
| INTERNET: lhouk@beach.gal.utexas.edu | |
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 21:14 N
From: <PIM%HROEUR51.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Re: TIFF File Format
Pete Lucas asks for info about the TIFF graphics format. In the Kermit
Distribution (KERMSRV@CUVMA.BITNET) there is a file MSGTIF.DOC that describes
TIFF in detail. Worth having a look at it! If you cannot get the file
directly, I could send it to you.
Good luck,
Pim Clotscher
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Computer Support Hoboken
Netherlands
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 13:53:00 EST
From: DFFD0973%BCIT.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca
Subject: Accounting Software
Hi,
I'm looking for time recording and invoicing software that would be
suitable for use by a small consulting (engineering) firm. The package
should be capable of recording the hours worked by employees (in timesheet
format) on a client or job basis and ultimately invoicing the client for that
time. I realize this could be setup with a database or spreadsheet program,
but I would like to avoid re-invented the wheel. I cannot help but to think
that this sort of requirements has been met before by some easy-to-use
program.
Any ideas? Thanks,
Dennis
Systems Analyst, BCIT,
Vancouver, B.C.
(DFFD0973@BCIT)
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 27 Mar 90 13:50:29 CST
From: Don Meredith <DMEREDI3@UA1VM.ua.edu>
Subject: C++ compiler, PD
I am currently very interested in C++. I was wondering if anyone out there
might have seen or heard of a public domain or shareware C++ compiler. I
really do not want to have to pay BIG BUCKS for one from other vendors. Much
thanks.
Don Meredith
A truly wise man never plays leapfrog with a Unicorn.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 11:07:00 EST
From: YORK LAM <8841258@JHEvax.McMaster.CA>
Subject: Hardware problems
Still more problems...
Just what I need, more complications... it turns out that the computer
crashes where not directly caused by the hdrive.
Here the situation...with the entire system set up, I boot from floppy, not
accessing the hdrive not nor the COM port in ANY way, things run fine off the
floppy. But as soon as I use the hdrive or the COM port, things will die in
EXACTLY (right down to the sec.!) 30mins.
This crashing will occur independent of the two cards being in. That is,
with the hdrive stuff out, crashing will occur if COM is accessed, and like
wise for the multi I/O card with the COM port. The parallel access doesn't
seem to affect anything (yet). Its probably a faulty DMA controller which
get screwed up when certain interrupts are generated. Anyone with
suggestions?
Thanks in advance.
York Lam
8841258@jhevax.mcmaster
------------------------------
Date: MON, 26 MAR 90 20.42.52 EDT
From: <KK4D%MARISTB.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Page Scanning
A couple of my friends are working on a program in C, some sort of menu
program I believe. Anyway, our college just got an IBM Page Scanner (Model
3119) and they are looking for a way to incorporate some graphics that they
scanned into this program. They used IBM PageScan as the program to scan the
image and editied it with Aldus PageMaker. They want to know if there is
anyway they can somehow along the way incorporate this image. Their program,
as stated, is written in C, but they are desperate for any method that can
display the image on screen, and then go into their program. So far the only
idea we can come up with is to use something along the lines of a READMAC, or
GIF file viewer. Thanks for your advice and help.
-Dan Newcombe KK4D@MARISTB
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 26 Mar 90 15:40:46 -0500 (EST)
From: "Thomas James Menner, Jr." <tm11+@andrew.cmu.edu>
Subject: PC => DECWriter IV
Can a DECWriter IV be wired up to a PC? The printer has a 25-pin male
connection which would imply that it's a serial connection, but most PC
serial ports are male as well. Do I need to find a female-to-female cable?
Is it even a serial connection? (I don't have the documenation on this
printer, so I'm hoping someone else has run across this.)
Thomas Menner || ARPA: tm11@andrew.cmu.edu
Carnegie-Mellon University || BITNET: tm11%andrew.cmu.edu@cmccvb
Pittsburgh, PA || UUCP: psuvax1!andrew.cmu.edu!tm11
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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