Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (12/10/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sat, 9 Dec 89 Volume 89 : Issue 112
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
1-2-3 2.01 VGA driver
^Z problem in turbo pascal
FTP File Servers List
GAWK and COMMAND.COM (Digest #100)
LHice 1.14 corrupt?
MS-Windows: Why?
NOBOOT
Today's Queries:
Null Cable Networking Software
Problems with Mouse on Laptop
Protecting Demo Versions of Programs
Translating controllers
Unknown PS/2 error code
VP 2.0 and HIMEM.SYS
1.44 Mbyte disk ROMs
Coding for ROM with Microsoft C 5.1
IDS PRISM Printer Fuses
MICROSOFT Overlay manager
Data Analysis Information Requested
New Programs:
New MSDOS uploads to SIMTEL20
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 from
WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL in directory PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>.
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 10:17:30 EDT
From: The Time Traveler <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: 1-2-3 2.01 VGA driver
Someone from Lotus told me he was going to send me a VGA driver for 1-2-3,
release 2.01. This driver is supposed to allow me to use 50-line mode for
my sheet, and 640x480x16 graphics for my graphs.
Since I haven't received anything, I'm sending this request out again.
Does anyone have such a beast, or could tell me where I could get one or
how I could make one? And if that gentleman from Lotus is listening,
perhaps you could tell me if you've sent it out already? Thank you for
your time.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 10:11:38 CST
From: "Leonard Campbell (Information Analyst II)" <UCIC309%UNLVM.BITNET@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: ^Z problem in turbo pascal
By Default Turbo pascal uses a file handle that filters out ^Z's and
posibly massages other characters (such as tabs). I have a small program
stub that changes the file handle to process characters in 'RAW' mode.
Program follows:
PROGRAM printout; { This stub allow you to write the EOF char to }
{ device LPT1}
USES dos;
VAR
ExitSave: pointer;
dosregs:dos.registers;
Lst: FILE;
PROCEDURE init;
VAR
i, j: Integer;
BEGIN
IF ParamCount = 0 THEN BEGIN
Writeln('NO argument given');
Writeln('SYNTAX: cmd <outputloc>');
Writeln(' outputloc is the destination (default PRN)');
Writeln(' ... more desc');
Halt; END;
IF ParamCount > 0 THEN outn := ParamSTR(1)
ELSE outn := 'LPT1';
Assign(Lst, outn); {$i-}
Rewrite(Lst, 1); {$i+}
IF IOresult <> 0 THEN BEGIN
Writeln('Error opening output file:', outn);
Halt; END;
Writeln(' Output routed to ', outn);
with dosregs do begin { here is where we change mode}
ah := $44; { get device info}
al := $00;
bx := filerec(lst).handle;
msdos(dosregs);
devinfo := dx;
isptr := 0 <> (dx and $0080); {if device is block char device then}
if isptr then begin
ah := $44;
al := $01;
bx := filerec(lst).handle;
dx := devinfo or $0020; {set device to RAW mode}
dh := 0;
msdos(dosregs); end; end;
isopen := true;
END {init};
{$F+}
procedure ExitHandler;
{ Return the ptr to chr device }
begin
if isopen then begin
if isptr then with dosregs do begin
ah := $44; { set device info}
al := $01;
bx := filerec(lst).handle;
dx := devinfo;
dh := 0;
msdos(dosregs); end;
close(lst); end;
ExitProc := ExitSave
end;
{$F-}
BEGIN {listfont}
isopen := false;
ExitSave := ExitProc;
ExitProc := @ExitHandler;
init;
{do your stuf here}
{I.E. for i := 0 to 255 do write(lst,chr(i)); }
END.{printout}.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 11:59:01 EST
From: nelson@clutx.clarkson.edu
Subject: FTP File Servers List
The semi-official c.b.i.p archives are on grape.ecs.clarkson.edu which is
a Zenith Z-248 running a modified version of KA9Q's TCP/IP NET that allows
you to shell out to DOS while still processing packets. After shelling to
DOS, we run an Opus BBS. The particulars:
ZIP: Version 1.01 required. Versions 0.90 and 0.92 do NOT work.
FTP: grape.ecs.clarkson.edu [128.153.13.196], user anonymous, password guest.
00readme for timely information.
/d/general/pkzip101.exe for Phil Katz's shareware ZIPper
/d/general/dezip20.com for a FREE unzipper.
/d/general/cuhug.lst for a listing of files w/ descriptions.
/c/allfiles for a listing of all files.
/c/bin[123]/*.* for c.b.i.p postings [under renovation]
/e/bin4/*.* for c.b.i.p postings [under renovation]
/d/graphics/pa.zip for Painter's Apprentice
/d/dosutil/postprn.zip for the PostScript device driver
/e/freemacs/*.* for Freemacs
/g/gif/*.gif for .GIF images.
/f/games/*.* for Simtel20's games.
Opus: 260/360 in the Nodelist. (315)268-6667, 8N1, 1200/2400 Baud, 24 hours.
file area 7 for PostPrn.
file area 12 for Painter's Apprentice
file area 23 for Simtel20's games.
file area 25 for Freemacs
file area 26 for c.b.i.p postings.
file area 27 for .GIF images.
Mail questions to root@grape.ecs.clarkson.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 18:14:09 +0100
From: <AZ957%DK0RRZK0.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: GAWK and COMMAND.COM (Digest #100)
You posted a really tricky DOS parameter problem, which has not much do
with COMMAND.COM, but with the way the parameters are handled by the
C-compiler runtime systems. I had similar problems when I recently
discovered that I could use a SED program on my PC for some tasks. There
was an older GNU version in the SIMTEL/TRICKLE archives, which was
generated with an older PC compiler and could not at all handle quoted
parameters, but when I compiled it new with Turbo and/or Microsoft C it
worked as I expected.
What I found out about the command line handling was as follows:
DOS's COMMAND does only a few things with the command line, but one has to
be aware of them in complicated cases:
First, if and only if the command lines comes from a .BAT file, every %
(percent) character is inspected for the case of batch file parameters or
environment variables and these are replaced by their respective values.
If you want to pass a % to your program, you have to use the usual
convention and double it.
Second, <,> and : (vertical bar) characters are interpreted as redirection
and piping characters. This is not done if these characters are inside a
double quoted string, and to my knowledge this is the only special
treatment of double quotes by COMMAND.COM.
After that the whole command tail (command line without the leading
command name) is passed to the program as string and all further
interpretation is up to the program.
In the case of C programs this interpretation is done by the C runtime
startup routine, which delivers the parameters to the program as the usual
main program parameter vector argv. Here is now the place where the double
quotes get their special treatment. Without quotes parameters are
separated by spaces, with surrounding quotes all characters between the
quotes are passed as parameters (excluding the quotes themselves). The
last trick now was documented nowhere, but I found it by experiment and
eventually in the source of the Turbo startup file: To get a double quote
into your program you have to write it in the Unix/C-style as \"
(backslash-quote).
Taken all this information together I succeeded to produce the following
working GAWK call in a batch-file, as I think such complicated command
lines will not be written interactively. The example is from a UNIX book
and it writes out the input file with leading line numbers:
gawk " { printf \"%%4d %%s\n\", NR, $0 } " %1
Jochen Roderburg
Regional Computing Center
University of Cologne Tel. : +49-221/470-4564
Robert-Koch-Str. 10 BITNET: A0045 @ DK0RRZK0 (CDC NOS/BE)
D-5000 Koeln 41 or A0045 @ DK0RRZK1 (IBM VM/CMS)
West Germany or AZ957 @ DK0RRZK0 (Siemens SINIX)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 10:35 EST
From: "Bill Weinel" <WWH%NCCIBM1.BITNET@VTVM1.CC.VT.EDU>
Subject: LHice 1.14 corrupt?
> Last week I got ICE114.EXE (LHice 1.14) from the Simtel archives.
> The included documentation file stated that this was the new,
> renamed version of LHarc 1.13c, written by Yoshi. After using the
> program for a few days without any problems, I found the following
> message on a Dutch BBS (Scum, 2:285/102):
> WARNING ! If you run across a file named LH114.xxx (where .xxx
> may be .ARC, .ZIP, .EXE or .LZH) please be aware that this file
> is an unauthorized hack of LH113C.xxx - the latest official release
> of the LHARC file compression utility.
This is correct. LHARC 1.14 (alias LHICE, ICE114, LHICE114) is a hacked
version of LHARC 1.13c by Yoshi. This same file inadvertently made the
rounds on Fidonet before the word got out. It seems that while it is a
hacked version of Yoshi's original LHARC 1.13c, it doesn't seem to be
dangerous. The only changes made in the EXE which could be detected with a
bit editor were the change of the '.' characters while un- packing to
graphics characters, and the change of the created file type from LZH to
ICE. Still it is a hacked version and probably should not be distributed.
Those wishing to use it should do so with caution.
TWYL Bill
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 7:57:02 EST
From: Les Eastman <lreastma@crdec4.apgea.army.mil>
Subject: MS-Windows: Why?
> Do you use MicroLimp's WINDOWS? Somebody told me to get it (with
> the Lab's money!), and having done so, I fail to see what all the fuss is
> about. It's slick, but for the life of me, I can't figure out who needs
I agree with you. I don't see the attraction. I find it much easier to
just type in what I want to do, rather than fool around with the mouse and
trying to figure out which pull down menu I want.
lreastma@apgea.army.mil
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 08:09:37 EST
From: reid@ctc.contel.com (Tom Reid x4505)
Subject: NOBOOT
Someone recently asked whether the Crtl-Alt-Del could be disabled. The
program NOBOOT written by Ethan Winter and part of the "Utilities DOS
Forgot" section of the PC Magazine DOS Power Tools Book purports to do it.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 00:18:02 -0600
From: Wayne Hamilton <hamilton@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu>
Subject: Null Cable Networking Software
philip houle asks about serial-port LANs. i have been using "the $25
network" for several weeks now, and i have had mostly good results with
it. the author, don jindra, can be contacted at (817)387-3339.
wayne hamilton
U of Il and US Army Corps of Engineers CERL
UUCP: {att,iuvax,uunet}!uiucuxc!osiris!hamilton
I'net: hamilton@osiris.cso.uiuc.edu
Lowtek: Box 476, Urbana, IL 61801; (217)384-4310
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 06:25:18 CST
From: moore@ncsc.navy.mil (Moore)
Subject: Problems with Mouse on Laptop
Doug,
Are you sure you have COM1 enabled (through SETUP) on your SLT/286, and
that it's working properly? I have a Logitech mouse connected to my SLT
now, and have had a Black Box line driver (no external power) connected
before with no problem...
------------------------------
Date: Monday, 27 Nov 1989 08:14:58 EST
From: m20564@mwvm.mitre.org (Jesse Pirocchi)
Subject: Protecting Demo Versions of Programs
A friend is marketing a program written in TurboBASIC. He wants to make
the entire program available in the form of a demo copy, and of course
wants to protect himself from those who would simply keep and use the demo
permanently. Is there reference material available which discusses
techniques for DOS program security? He has invented an inelegant scheme
or two himself, but wants to know if more effective methods are
documented. Thanks much.
* Jesse Pirocchi E-mail: m20564@mwvm.mitre.org
* Mail Stop Z532 Phone: (703) 883-6706
* The MITRE Corporation
* 7525 Colshire Drive
* McLean, VA 22102
[Although this subject is normally not discussed, your friend might try
looking in the back pages (classified section) of PC Mag, Byte, Computer
Shopper, et al... gph]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 10:41:47 EDT
From: The Time Traveler <HE891C%GWUVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: Translating controllers
I have a PS/2 70-A21 with a 120M hard drive with a translating controller.
I know what a translating controller does, but I don't know why one would
use one. I've made three observations:
1) The capacity of my drive is stated at 115M formatted (1 large DOS 4
partition). In addition, there are (supposedly) *no bad sectors*. I know
that formatted disks don't reach 100% capacity, but I'd like to know where
that extra 5M went. I figure it's one of these cases:
a) When IBM says 120M, they mean 120,000,000 bytes (which is 115Mb),
not 120*1024*1024 bytes.
b) DOS's format is not 100% efficient - 5M is lost due to system area
and the sectoring scheme, etc.
c) The controller translates the bad sectors away, making them
invisible to the system. Therefore, I can have up to 5M of bad sectors.
Which of these is really the case, or is something else?
2) Some controllers can have their translating mode turned off (e.g. the
Western Digital 1002-27X). Can I do this to my controller?
3) The Disk Technician+ manual says that a drive w/o translation is
actually *faster* than with it. Is this true? And if so, then why do
translation?
Thanx in advance.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 13:47:02 GMT
From: Bob Eager <rde%ukc.ac.uk@NSFnet-Relay.AC.UK>
Subject: Unknown PS/2 error code
I had this problem with my Model 80-111 when I bought it. It was caused by
a configuration problem; one of the cards in the Micro Channel hadn't been
configured using the Reference Disk. As soon as I took the card out, the
problem went away. I eventually put the card back, booted from the
Reference Disk, ran auto configuration (I didn't have the right ADF file
for the card before) and I've had no problems since.
Hope this helps.
Bob Eager
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 12:43:50 EST
From: Donny Tai Yip Chan <chandc@ecf.toronto.edu>
Subject: VP 2.0 and HIMEM.SYS
Hi Lew:
Try the following config.sys:
buffers=30
files=30
device=c:\sys\dmdrvr.bin
device=c:\sys\remm43.sys /x=a000-bfff /x=e000-efff
device=c:\sys\rex.sys 64
device=c:\sys\himem.sys
device=c:\sys\smartdrv.sys 512 /a
device=c:\sys\ansi.sys
If it doesn't work then I think you have to give up using HIMEM.SYS. Your
problem is your setup your RAMpage use as EEMS then relocate 64K of the
EEMS as Ext. memory for himem.sys using software not hardware. And the
rex.sys isn't compatible with himem.
Another way to solve your problem is set up 64K Ext. memory by reset your
RAMpage's dip switches.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 13:27:13 -0500
From: wrp@biochsn.acc.Virginia.EDU (William R. Pearson)
Subject: 1.44 Mbyte disk ROMs
I have an original IBM-PC/AT (6 Mhz version) that I have upgraded
with an Intel Inboard 386 and a 3.5", 1.44 Mbyte disk drive. Although I
can use the disk under Xenix as a 1.44 Mbyte drive, no combination of
DEVICE=DISK.SYS/... in my CONFIG.SYS file has allowed me to persuade
MS-DOS 3.3 to read or write the disk properly at 1.44 Mbytes. 720 K works
fine. In addition, I cannot format the disk at 1.44 Mbytes under either
Xenix or DOS.
If you have solved this problem, can you tell me how? Are there
alternative ROM-BIOS chips that I could buy to fix this?
Bill Pearson
wrp@virginia.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 12:14:35 +0200
From: Guy Sirton <MLSIRTON%WEIZMANN.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Coding for ROM with Microsoft C 5.1
Hi,
I need to use the Microsoft C compiler to create ROM code for an embedded
controller based on the 80186.
I have a copy of a startup routine for ROM (which is from the Microsoft
Systems Journal, I think) but I need some help with actually making it
work.
The code I have is probably taken from a complete article on the subject
and if anyone could direct me to this article I'd be very grateful. Also,
I'd like to hear from anyone who has experience with doing this stuff and
can help me a little.
Thanx,
Guy
MLSIRTON@WEIZMANN.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 13:31:16 EST
From: Joel Saunders <RJFS%SNYCENVM.BITNET@CORNELLC.cit.cornell.edu>
Subject: IDS PRISM Printer Fuses
I have an IDS PRISM PRINTER 132 (wide-carriage). It seems that one of my
fuses is blown, and I'm trying to replace it. It looks like it requires a
250V/2A quick blow fuse. I got that info from the manual that came with
the printer (photo-copy) when I purchased it from an "AS IS" sale. When I
tried a new fuse of that type, it blew when I turned the printer on.
Does anyone know if the original manufacturer still exists??? If so, do
you know their current phone #? OR Does anyone have an IDS printer that
could help ???
The manual is not in sync with the printer that I have. It states that
there are only 2 fuses on the power circuit board but mine has three.
Helllllpppppp! Thanks.... Joel
@ __ JOEL F. SAUNDERS
( ) RESEARCH FOUNDATION OF S.U.N.Y.
/ \/ SUNY PLAZA - BROADWAY F205
__/_______________ /\ ALBANY, NEW YORK 12246
/ / / / (___ / \
(_/ (____/ (_______/ \__ MICRO SUPPORT UNIT
BITNET: RJFS @ SNYCENVM
AT&T : (518) 434-7200
The opinions expressed are generally my own, sometimes my employer's, but
not at any one time everyone who is involved!!! - J.Saunders
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 16:37:08 SET
From: Rob Zondag <ESC1847%ESOC.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: MICROSOFT Overlay manager
Hello,
I'm working with the Microsoft Segmented-Executable Linker version
5.01.21, which produces only one .EXE file. Does somebody know if there is
at the moment a more recent Linker available which produces a .EXE file
plus several overlay files instead of one .EXE file.
Regards.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 89 13:17 N
From: <SURF050%HTIKUB5.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Data Analysis Information Requested
Hello World,
I need some information on data analysis?
Here is the problem: One of my collegues has been experimenting on a
chemical reactor. His output consists of a number of values ( between 20
and 50 values). He is now interested in finding an equation which will
match his measurements within certain limits. (He suggests a polynomial).
Has anyone of you knowlegde of a program that will take a set of data and
produce an polynomial equation fitting these data?
Hope to hear from you soon.
thanks in advance.
Koos Jorritsma *********************
Noordelijke Hogeschool Leeuwarden * *
Vondelstraat 8 * NHL *
8913 HP Leeuwarden (NL) * sector Techniek: *
* want techneuten *
SURF050@HTIKUB5 * doen het geregeld*
*********************
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 27 Nov 1989 08:37 MST
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: New MSDOS uploads to SIMTEL20
[--forwarded message--]
From: Ralf.Brown@OSLO.MT.CS.CMU.EDU
I've uploaded some more SDN files to SIMTEL20. These are all new versions
of files already in the archives:
<msdos.gif>
CSHOW721.ARC GIF/RLE displayer for CGA/EGA/VGA/SVGA
<msdos.filutl>
JADU13.ARC Just Another Directory Utility
<msdos.hypertext>
MAGIC15A.ARC BlackMagic hypertext reader/development system
MAGIC15B.ARC
MAGIC15C.ARC
Ralf
[--end forwarded message--]
Thanks, Ralf!
--Keith
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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