Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL ("Info-IBMPC Digest") (02/12/90)
Info-IBMPC Digest Mon, 12 Feb 90 Volume 90 : Issue 16
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <GHICKS@WSMR-Simtel20.Army.Mil>
Today's Topics:
Background Kermit
Bug in PKZIP 1.02???
How to detect a write-protected floppy disk
Re: TCP/IP for OS/2 Query (2 msgs)
Problem in keeping a log of users
Zero Length Files
Today's Queries:
Turbo Pascal and RS-232
File Recovery Utility
Increasing the number of open files
Initializing ADFs and Intel Above Board 2+
LaTeX Fonts (Previewer and Printer)
MetaWindow TSR-GUI Info Wanted
PCX/TIFF -> GEM format
New Programs:
MSDOS uploads to SIMTEL20 during January 1990
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
(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) at a cost of 17
cents per hour. It is also accessable on Telenet via PC Pursuit and on
Tymnet via StarLink outdial.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 90 09:51:40 MST
From: Shap Wolf <IACWSW%ASUACAD.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Background Kermit
There was a request here for a background Kermit.
We use Crosstalk for Windows, which has a very nice version of Kermit (far
better than Procomm Plus, which we use for everything else).
Running Windows/386 we can be downloading and working on other windows.
A previous solution for us was Procomm Plus running in a Desqview window.
As noted above, we dropped that because PPlus Kermit only uses 94 byte
blocks.
-- W. Shapard Wolf, Jr. Survey Research Laboratory (VSO-2101)
-- Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2101 602/965-5000
-- iacwsw@asuacad.bitnet iacwsw@asuvm.inre.asu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 02 Feb 90 00:17:37 EDT
From: The Time Traveler <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Bug in PKZIP 1.02???
I think I've found a bug in PKZIP/UNZIP 1.02! Whenever I run the -t
option to test the archive, for each file in the archive I get this
message:
PKUNZIP: Warning! can't open: NUL
However, the file is otherwise perfect! Option -v properly shows the
files, and it unzips fine!
I have an IBM PS/2 70-A21 (25Mhz 386) running DOS 4.01 with XMAEM.SYS,
MOUSE.SYS, ANSI.SYS, and SHARE.EXE (the rest shouldn't be important). Any
clues???
The Time Traveler, HE891C@GWUVM
------------------------------
Date: Fri Feb 2 12:30:26 GMT 1990
From: Mike O'Carroll <lena!mike@relay.EU.net>
Subject: How to detect a write-protected floppy disk
In Microsoft C, you can use the _harderr() function. This installs an
interrupt 24 handler (user definable) instead of the default "Abort, etc"
thing. The device error code is passed to this handler thus:
handler(unsigned deverror, unsigned errcode, unsigned far *devhdr)
deverror is the device error code; errcode is what went wrong, such as
drive not ready, write protected, etc
If you don't have the documentation, I can supply more details. If you
don't have MS C, who knows ... Turbo C has similar functions.
Mike O'Carroll, Microsystems Unit, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
E-mail: @ukc.ac.uk:mike@ee.leeds.ac.uk
UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!lena!mike or mike@lena.uucp
------------------------------
Date: 01 Feb 89 10:19 EDT
From: C0144%CSUOHIO.BITNET%CORNELLC.CCS.CORNELL.EDU@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: Re: TCP/IP for OS/2 Query
In a recent question to Info-IBMPC, rap@physics.ubc.ca asks about the
availability of any TCP/IP packages for OS/2.
IBM recently announced TCP/IP for OS/2 1.0, which will run under OS/2
Extended Edition 1.2. Retail price for the executable was listed at $695,
details on programming interfaces, etc., are probably available from your
local IBM rep.
I haven't as yet seen a public domain or shareware version of TCP/IP for
OS/2, but would be most interested in one if/when it appears.
David Chatfield, Computer Services Dept.
Cleveland State University
Bitnet: C0144@CSUOHIO
Arpa: c0144%csuohio.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Internet: dave@ohiont.fidonet.org
Fidonet: Sysop, OHIONet Express, 1:157/512
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Feb 90 14:33:30 EDT
From: Joel Armengaud <ARMENGAU%FRECP12.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: OS/2 And TCP/IP package
>Date: 19 Jan 90 10:29 -0800
>From: "r.d. parachoniak" <rap@physics.ubc.ca>
>Subject: TCP/IP software for OS/2
>Does anyone know of any public domain or commercial software to do TCP/IP
>under OS/2? Thanks.
Yes, IBM just released a complete TCP/IP package for OS/2. It is quite good.
(Thanks to OS/2, you can have your own ftp server in as background task...)
-Joel Armengaud
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 30 Jan 90 08:44:22 IST
From: Ran Cheremsh <CHERMESH%BGUVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Problem in keeping a log of users
Hi,
I've tried Sergio Vaghi's BOOT.DAT time log of PC use.
I wonder, if anyone can help me with a minor addition to a program. I
would like to add a log of users' names in addition to the timing log.
Enclosed, please find my LOGNAME.BAT file. The program works ok, but... I
would like to set the program in a way which will kick a person to the air
if he/she avoids typing his/her name and types CR instead. The program, as
you can see types a mssage and goes CTTY NULL. My problem is how to
instruct the program to turn to the message if a person hits CR instead of
typing legitimate letters. (This won't prevent people from typing false
name, but our system doesn't need more sophisticated security).
Ran Chermesh
Behavioral Sciences Dept.
Ben-Gurion University
Beer-Sheva 84105
Israel
Bitnet: CHERMESH@BGUVM
if exist name del name
echo .
echo -------------->>b.dat
echo Please type your full name, then hit Enter, then type CTRL+Z
echo then hit Enter
copy con name
echo .
if not exist name echo Your name is required for using this PC.
if not exist name echo Please do Reset (re-boot)
if not exist name echo Next time don't forget to type your name
if not exist name ctty nul
date <cr | find >>bb.dat "C"
time <cr | find >>bb.dat "C"
copy b.dat+name+bb.dat+boot.dat dd>null
copy dd boot.dat
del b.dat
del bb.dat
del dd.
Ran Chermesh
Behavioral Sciences Dept.
Ben-Gurion University
Beer-Sheva 84105
Israel
Bitnet: CHERMESH@BGUVM
------------------------------
Date: Fri Feb 2 12:53:43 GMT 1990
From: Mike O'Carroll <lena!mike@relay.EU.net>
Subject: Zero Length Files
My solution would be to write a little program that tests the files and
returns the appropriate exit status - e.g.
examine file
if errorlevel 4 goto nofile
if errorlevel 3 goto empty
if errorlevel 2 goto crlf
if errorlevel 1 goto crlfcz
echo some other sort of file
...
Note the reverse order of testing - "if errorlevel N" succeeds if the exit
status is >= N.
Of course, you could abandon command.com in favour of a real shell, but
that's another story :-)
Mike O'Carroll, Microsystems Unit, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
E-mail: @ukc.ac.uk:mike@ee.leeds.ac.uk
UUCP: ...!mcvax!ukc!lena!mike or mike@lena.uucp
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 90 22:04:39 GVA
From: TE891466@STUDMBA.UFSIA.AC.BE
Subject: Turbo Pascal and RS-232
Hello everybody,
I'm looking for two Turbo Pascal units:
1) A unit which will enable me to use the RS-232. I'm developping a little
robot and I would like to command it from my PC
2) A unit which will enable me to build Resident-Program. I need to
develop an application which will be able to "trap" every character typed
on the keyboard in order to save them into a statistical file and do some
calculation to study the keyboard usage.
So, if one of you has already written such an application and can send it
to me, he will receive in exchange my eternal recognition....
Many thanks in advance.
Marc LEJOLY
MBA Student
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 90 10:56:02 -0500
From: DXCOD%WIDENER.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu
Subject: File Recovery Utility
Being relatively new to this list I may have missed this information. Too
many times I am faced with trying to help someone recover a large file
that has had a small file saved on top of it. This has happened a number
of times with word processing files, spreadsheets, etc. Is there a
utility available that would allow the recovery of any remaining portion
of the larger file? Because the smaller file is usually a blank screen I
would assume that only 1 block of information would actually be
overwritten. Such a utility would be very useful to me and any
information would be greatly appreciated.
Chuck Darney
Widener University
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 90 17:06:04 CDT
From: david@wubios.wustl.edu (David J. Camp)
Subject: Increasing the number of open files
A friend is writing an application that requires a lot of files open at
one time. He tried increasing the FILES= statement in config.sys, but
that did not help. He seems to be limited to about 20 total files
regardless of the value of the FILES= parameter. He has tried this in
QuickBasic and Fortran.
Is there a known solution to this problem? -David-
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
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 01 Feb 90 10:43:22 -0500
From: Jeff Kimmelman <jkimmelm@BBN.COM>
Subject: Initializing ADFs and Intel Above Board 2+
I'm looking for advise using a IBM PS/2 Model 50Z with Xenix and the Intel
Above Board 2+. I have created 2 partitions on the hard disk--the first
for DOS (20 MB) and the second for SCO Xenix 2.3.2 (38 MB). Both
operating systems are working just fine. However, the Intel board needs
to be initialized in order for the system to recognize it. DOS is happy
since it uses a Expanded Memory Manager to access the board. However,
Xenix doesn't know the board is there. If I boot with the Intel OS/2 boot
diskette (which initializes the board) and then allow Xenix to come up the
memory on the Intel board (2 MB) is recognized.
I spoke to Intel and was told that the board requires an "initializing
ADF" on track 0 of the hard disk for the board to wake up. (The OS/2 boot
diskette is the alternative technique intended for OS/2 installation
only.) I have run the Intel program "Softset" to try to install the
initializing ADF on track 0 but to no avail.
I am a little unclear about at what point the ADF is activated. Is it at
the ROM level, before any operating system begins loading, or is it
activated by DOS and/or OS/2? If it is at the ROM level (as I would
expect) why can't I seem to get the ADF onto track 0? Or, do I have it on
track 0 but something else is interfering in its activation? If it is
actually impossible to use the Intel Board with Xenix does anybody know of
a MCA board which allows at least 8 MB of 100ns (or faster) RAM and does
work with Xenix?
Sorry about the length of this message but I am confused.
Thanks-
Jeffrey Moss Kimmelman |Phone: (617) 873-2679 *
BBN Systems and Technologies Inc. |Internet: jkimmelman@bbn.com *
70 Fawcett Street | *
Cambridge, Ma. 02238 | *
------------------------------
Date: 1 Feb 90 16:26:27 GMT
From: burkett@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Edward W Burkett)
Subject: LaTeX Fonts (Previewer and Printer)
Here's the situation ...... I need some help.
I have been using LaTeX on our universities Super Mini for some time now.
Actually, I do most of my editing and LaTeXing on my PC using SBTEX29 and
then HAVE TO send the DVI file to the Super Mini for previewing and
printing.
What a hassle!!!
I have been trying to get together a DVI previewer and print driver for
some time now but run into the old problem of having only a meg or two of
disk space I can spare. Recently, I obtained the HERC2DVI screen
previewer and Beebes DVIEPS print driver. The HERC2DVI program doc
indicates that this program will use the same set of .pk fonts that the
DVIEPS driver needs, thus reducing the need for a variety of font
resolutions. Now like many software users this is were I get lost,
talking about mag steps, MeTaFont and such things.
As far as I can ascertain, HERC2DVI subsamples 240 .pk fonts to get the
required screen resolutions. After reading the DVIEPS.DOC I am not sure
but I think that this is what the DVIEPS driver does too!
PROBLEM 1: I need a FULL SET of 240 .pk fonts for 10, 11 and 12
points. The set supplied with HERC2DVI are inadequate and incomplete.
PROBLEM 2: From what I understand you need MeTaFont to make these
fonts. I do not have this program and from what I have been reading most
people are in the same situation as I am.
**** I have a friend that has a 24 pin printer and just
received the DVIPAN print driver from SIMTEL20. Does it use the same 240
.pk fonts as the 9 pin? ****
SUGGESTION: If indeed these two (or three) programs require only one FULL
set of 240 .pk fonts to use, could someone make these files available?
Without the fonts these two packages are not very useful! I suggest that
this **FULL** set of 240 .pk fonts be archived and place in the
pd1:<msdos.tex> directory at SIMTEL20 or some other site(s).
I think it would be great to have LaTeX, a Hercules Previewer and the
Beebes print driver(s) all up and working on my PC.
Feel free to educate me if the above sounds foolish or better yet send me
what I need :-)
Any help would be greatly appreciate by all.
Thanks,
burkett@csd4.csd.uwm.edu (Edward W Burkett)
Department of Biological Sciences
University of Wisconsin
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 1 FEB 90 13:22 N
From: MUSIC01%UNIPAD.INFN.IT%IBOINFN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: MetaWindow TSR-GUI Info Wanted
Please, does anybody have some substantial info about a TSR-GUI called
MetaWindow?
Thanks.
Andrea Provaglio
Centro di Sonologia Computazionale
Universita' di Padova
ITALY
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 90 22:39:00 EST
From: "Jacques Beland (a.k.a. Mickey) Trent University" <BELANDJ@TrentU.CA>
Subject: PCX/TIFF -> GEM format
Does anyone know of (p/d or commercial or otherwise) a graphics format
converter that will take a PCX/TIFF/GIF etc file into GEM format (under
GEM Draw Plus, to be specific)? We like to scan some pictures (using the
Logitech's hand-held scanner, which scans into PCX or TIFF format) into
GEM Draw Plus.
Thank you.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 31 Jan 1990 14:54 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: MSDOS uploads to SIMTEL20 during January 1990
This is in response to requests from users for a monthly summary.
MSDOS FILES UPLOADED TO WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL
during the month of January 1990
[This file is too large for the digest. It has been placed in
PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>UPLOADS.JAN
Keith]
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
-------