Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (03/01/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Thu, 1 Mar 90 Volume 90 : Issue 36 Today's Editor: Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil> Today's Topics: FTP and files from wuarchive Version numbers and SIMTEL20 Archives Menu programs Micro as FAX? PC Magazine and OS/2 (2 msgs) PS/2 BIOS address Today's Queries: Extended/Expanded Memory DOS INT21, Subfunction 32H question PD Archiver that does Directories RIX <=> GIF New Uploads: SCHED14D.ARC - Daily schedule & notepad pgm - shareware DEMO SHOWPCL Hewlett Packard PCL file disassembler uploaded 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> The Lending Library is available from: WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see file PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>AAAREAD.ME details on file directories and descriptions.) Archives of past issues of the Info-IBMPC Digest are available by FTP only 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, LISTSERV@FINTUVM 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). 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 accessable 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. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 23:13:21 CDT From: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp) Subject: FTP and files from wuarchive >> You do not explain in your letter whether you are using nfs or ftp to >>access wuarchive. >I've been using FTP. Could you give me more info on how to use NFS to >access your files? I would be interested in trying this. I do not know how to do it from a PC, but here is how to do it from a Unix host. First mkdir the directories /wuarchive and /wuarchive/archive. Then install these scripts in /usr/local/bin: ----- march follows ---- #! /bin/sh if ( /usr/etc/mount | /usr/bin/grep -v wuarchive > /dev/null) then ( /usr/etc/mount -o ro,soft,intr,bg,timeo=4,retry=2 wuarchive:/archive /wuarchive/archive ; \ /usr/etc/mount -o ro,soft,intr,bg,timeo=4,retry=2 wuarchive:/archive/mirrors /wuarchive/archive/mirrors ) & fi ----- end or march ----- ----- umarch follows ----- #! /bin/sh ( /usr/etc/umount /wuarchive/archive/mirrors ; /usr/etc/umount /wuarchive/archive ) & ----- end of umarch ----- I make these scripts setuid root, and you can use that if it does not scare you. Some people say it is a security violation to make a script setuid root, but I have never seen it explained. Doing so will allow any user to mount wuarchive at their whim. We use a crontab job to automatically umount at 5pm, but users can still remount it therafter. The Internet address of wuarchive is 128.252.135.4, so you must add that to your /etc/hosts file. I also have a symbolic link for /archive pointing to /wuarchive/archive. The particular directory organization is arbitrary, and I am not completely satisfied with the way I have it. >> I use this .netrc file: >> >> machine wubios9 login david password password macdef init nmap >> \$1.\$2.\$3 \$1.\$2 >> >> ^^^^ note the blank line >> >> to access my pc. This causes the extra fields to be removed >> automatically, allowing me to use mput. >This is OK, as far as it goes, but it still doesn't address the issue >that you need to know (or guess) the version number in order to find the >file in the first place. Admittedly, you can guess that over 99% of the >time the version number will be 1 -- but if you wanted to do an auto- >mated retrieval (a` la the SIMTEL20 "autoftp"), you'd be out of luck in >the remaining 1% of cases. > >And if you use NFS to get to the files, then you can't use "nmap". > >I tried adding "macdef init nmap \$1.\$2.\$3 \$1.\$2", plus a blank >line, to my "machine wuarchive" entry in my ".netrc", and it made my FTP >core-dump. I'll have to investigate this further. Perhaps I made an error when I told you how to do this. There is a newline between init and nmap, as below. machine wubios9 login david password password macdef init nmap \$1.\$2.\$3 \$1.\$2 > If your version of ftp does not support the nmap function, then > we will consider adding the symbolic links as you requested. > >My FTP does support "nmap" (though apparently not in ".netrc"; see >above). That answers my concerns to some extent. However, I still >believe (as I originally stated) that your archive would be much more >user-friendly if you either dispensed with the (largely useless) version >numbers entirely, or else made symbolic links. >-- Rich Wales <wales@CS.UCLA.EDU> // UCLA Computer Science Department > 3531 Boelter Hall // Los Angeles, CA 90024-1596 // +1 (213) 825-5683 > "Then they hurl heavy objects. . . . And claw at you. . . ." Bitnet: david@wubios.wustl ^ Mr. David J. Camp Internet: david%wubios@wugate.wustl.edu < * > Box 8067, Biostatistics uucp: uunet!wugate!wubios!david v 660 South Euclid Washington University (314) 36-23635 Saint Louis, MO 63110 [Version numbers at wubios have been done away with.] ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1990 22:42 MST From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> Subject: Version numbers and SIMTEL20 Archives The file generation numbers on SIMTEL20 are of NO significance for the purpose of telling whether they are text or binary EXCEPT in the PC-BLUE, CPMUG, and SIGM directories. PLEASE get a copy of SIMIBM.IDX or SIMIBM.ARC, or the individual 00-INDEX.TXT files from each subdirectory. They all have information on which files are text and which are binary. We provide a FILES.IDX file in each top-level directory expressly for the purpose of tracking our archives. That includes not only tracking what we've added, but also what we've changed and what we've deleted. This file is created daily, sometimes several times per day if a lot of new files are added. Keith Petersen Maintainer of SIMTEL20's CP/M, MSDOS, & MISC archives [IP address 26.2.0.74] Internet: w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.Mil, w8sdz@brl.arpa BITNET: w8sdz@NDSUVM1 Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz ------------------------------ Date: 27 February 1990 03:10 CST From: "Grant Hoover" <U26264@UICVM.uic.edu> Subject: Menu programs Dan Wheeler was looking for menu program suggestions. Three fairly capable menu programs are: PowerMenu by Brown Bag Software Menu Blocks by Bridgeway Publishing Perfect Menu by International Computer Group (301) 670-7007 A more advanced approach that allows more control and better security is offered by a product called Hot by Xtree (800) 634- 5545. ____ _____ ___ __ __ ______ / | _ \ / \ | \| | |__ __| . . | ___ | < / ^ \ | | | | . \____/ |__|\__| /_/---\_\ |__|\__| |__| \___/ Grant Hoover * University of Illinois at Chicago Bitnet u26264@uicvm * CompuServe 76370,314 Internet u26264@uicvm.cc.uic.edu * GEnie G.HOOVER6 ------------------------------ Date: 27 February 1990 03:41 CST From: "Grant Hoover" <U26264@UICVM.uic.edu> Subject: Micro as FAX? Kalburgi Srivinas asked about the feasability of using a micro as a FAX machine. > Of course I realize that no paper can be fed. Actually, using a scanner, a PC can work pretty much as a normal FAX machine. > But I like to know if and how messages and letters composed on the screen > can be transmitted as files to a FAX machine, and whether the PC can be > used to receive FAX transmissions. This can be done, too. Reviews of FAX boards can be found in the following PC Magazine issues: January 26, 1988, page 265 June 28, 1988, page 167 April 11, 1989, page 94 The last one also contains an overview of the technology. ____ _____ ___ __ __ ______ / | _ \ / \ | \| | |__ __| . . | ___ | < / ^ \ | | | | . \____/ |__|\__| /_/---\_\ |__|\__| |__| \___/ Grant Hoover * University of Illinois at Chicago Bitnet u26264@uicvm * CompuServe 76370,314 Internet u26264@uicvm.cc.uic.edu * GEnie G.HOOVER6 ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 90 15:36:55 EDT From: <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu> Subject: PC Magazine and OS/2 Does anyone know which issues of PC Magazine have OS/2 articles? I know they offered a few when it came out, and then it became a regular column. Thanx in advance. ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 25 Feb 90 15:32:07 MST From: Gregory Hicks <GHICKS@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> Subject: PC Magazine and OS/2 For about the past 7 months, EVERY issue has had an OS/2 article. What specifically are you looking for? Gregory Hicks ------------------------------ Date: 27 February 1990 03:22 CST From: "Grant Hoover" <U26264@UICVM.uic.edu> Subject: PS/2 BIOS address Erich Neuwirth asked where the ROM BIOS starts in a PS/2. According to The New Peter Norton Programmer's Guide to the IBM PC and PS/2, the starting addresses are as follows: Machine Start End ------------------------------ ---------- ---------- PC/XT/AT, PS/2 Model 25 and 30 F000:0000H F000:FFFFH Other PS/2 models E000:0000H F000:FFFFH ____ _____ ___ __ __ ______ / | _ \ / \ | \| | |__ __| . . | ___ | < / ^ \ | | | | . \____/ |__|\__| /_/---\_\ |__|\__| |__| \___/ Grant Hoover * University of Illinois at Chicago Bitnet u26264@uicvm * CompuServe 76370,314 Internet u26264@uicvm.cc.uic.edu * GEnie G.HOOVER6 ------------------------------ Subject: Toady's Queries: Date: Fri, 23 Feb 90 17:13:31 EST From: polygen!tzu!davids@EDDIE.MIT.EDU (David Swindell) Subject: Extended/Expanded Memory I have just purchased an 80386SX-based system with 2MB of RAM and have a two questions concerning memory utilization. The first question is about the difference between extended and expanded memory and MS Windows 286. My machine is based in the NEAT chip set from Chips and Technologies, which (supposedly) contains hardware support for V4.0 of the LIM Expanded Memory standard (EMS). The system came with a DOS EMS software driver (EMM.SYS), which when loaded, provides 1MB of expanded memory. When I run Quatro Pro (V1) and Microsoft Word (V5.0a), each application recognizes the presence of the expanded memory and everything works fine (as well as considerably faster...). So far, everything sounds great, however, now enter MS Windows 286 V2.1. From what I can tell (counting the numbr of applications I can load under MS Windows before I run out of memory), Windows isn't using any of the expanded memory. My Windows distribution disks came complete with several DOS EMS driver files (EMM.SYS, REMM.SYS, PS2EMM.SYS, etc), however, I am hesitant to install one of these drivers in place of the one that came with my system. So, the question is, what do I have to do in order to have Windows recognize my expanded memory, and how can I tell for sure how much memory Windows is seeing? The second question relates to the 360KB block of memory in between the dos limit of 640KB and 1MB. According to the (scanty) documentation that came with my system, if you use expanded memory, then you must use the 360KB block as shadow RAM. Since I am using a Hercules Graphics card for video, the only ROM I have available for shadowing is the BIOS, which is certainly much smaller than 360KB. Does anyone know of any ways to utilize this high memory for device drivers, buffere, or other useful purposes? I am aware of the Quarterdeck QEMM product, however, I would like to see if there are any public domain (a.k.a. less expensive) programs that help recover high memory. Thanks! Dave Swindell Polygen Corporation 200 Fifth Avenue Waltham, MA 02254 Voice: (617) 890-2175x291 Email: dswindell@polygen.com ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 13:51:38 est From: Bruce_Kahn@DGC.MCEO.DG.COM Subject: DOS INT21, Subfunction 32H question I'm looking thru some old code we have here from a previous project (no comments here...) and ran across a DOS call that I cant figure out. Its a call to DOS for function 32H. According to my DOS Tech Ref and PC Sourcebook, this is a DOS reserved function. Can someone please provide some light on what this function is attempting to do or tell me where I may find some documentation on it?? Thanks. Bruce (KAHN@ADAM.DG.COM) ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 13:16 N From: PAAI%KUB.NL@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU Subject: PD Archiver that does Directories First thanx to all the people who are helpful in trying to reach Borland. Now here is another question: Does anybody know of a PD archiver or command-line utitity, which archives a big directory in chunks of 360K (and/or 720 and/or 1,2 meg etc), ready for copying to a number of diskettes? Thanx again. Hans Paijmans PAAI@KUB.NL PAAI@HTIKUB5 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 90 17:07:10 -0500 (EST) From: Eric David Hornchek <eh1b+@andrew.cmu.edu> Subject: RIX <=> GIF Does anyone know of any utilitys to convert RIX to GIF format and vice versa? I have several 640x400x256 coloRIX files I want to convert to gif. Thanks in Advance.. Eric Hornchek Carnegie Mellon University ------------------------------ Subject: New Uploads: Date: Wed, 28 Feb 1990 00:51 MST From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> Subject: SCHED14D.ARC - Daily schedule & notepad pgm - shareware DEMO [--forwarded message--] From: cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca I have uploaded to SIMTEL20: pd1:<msdos.deskaccess> SCHED14D.ARC Daily schedule & notepad pgm - shareware DEMO SCHEDULE V1.4D is a program to keep track of daily schedules and several forms of notepads. It can handle events which occur every week, automatically inserting them into the appropriate days' schedules. There are separate notepads for each day and for each month, plus notepads which can be given titles by the user. The files can be shared by more than one user, both on standalone PCs and on networks; each user's entries are kept separate. This is a demonstration copy of a shareware product. It comes with a complete documentation file. Regards, Steve -- Stephen M. Dunn cs4g6ag@maccs.dcss.mcmaster.ca [--end forwarded message--] Thanks, Steve! --Keith ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 27 Feb 1990 14:06 MST From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL> Subject: SHOWPCL Hewlett Packard PCL file disassembler uploaded [--forwarded message--] From: Wolfgang Strobl GMD Z1.BN <GRZ010%DBNGMD21.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU> I have uploaded to SIMTEL20: pd1:<msdos.printer> SHOWPCL.ARC Hewlett Packard PCL file disassembler SHOWPCL disassembles HP Printer Control Language escape sequences: printer control, graphics, soft fonts. It reads a file, disassembles it and sends its interpretation to the standard output. Wolfgang Strobl, GRZ010@DBNGMD21.BITNET [--end forwarded message--] Thanks Wolfgang! --Keith ------------------------------ End of Info-IBMPC Digest ************************ -------