Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (10/15/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Sun, 15 Oct 89 Volume 89 : Issue 92
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
CAD software
Mouse Problems in Hercules Mode
gnuegrep
HD problems on Packard Bell Axcel V
Review of NIST anti-virus paper
Info-IBMPC Digest V89 #81
New versions of viruscan and scanres now on SIMTEL20
public mount scripts for wuarchive
Qmodem 4.1 uploaded to SIMTEL20
SEDT40PC.ARC - Text editor styled after VMS EDT
Some New Stuff on Networking
Summary of modifying a long (!) PATH variable
Swap v1.52 utilities uploaded to SIMTEL20
TeX printer drivers
Warm boot from drive B: Digest V89 #81
WORD and downloadable fonts
X-Windows for Dos please
Info-IBMPC Lending Library is available from: WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (see
file PD1:<MSDOS>FILES.IDX for listing of source files)
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) and TREARN (Turkey).
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: Wed, 27 Sep 89 10:11:54 CDT
From: Brian Piersel <S1CH%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: CAD software
I'm looking for a CAD program that will support my particular hardware
setup, which consists of an 80286 AT compatible computer, a Hercules
compatible monochrome graphics card/monitor, and an Epson LQ-500 printer
(24-pin). I also cannot afford very expensive programs, so I would prefer
low cost commerical software or public domain or shareware. I am aware of
the programs on SIMTEL20, but the few I've downloaded don't seem to
support my hardware, and I don't really want to download all of them just
to find out if they work. Anyone have any suggestions? Thanks.
Brian Piersel
BITNET: S1CH@SDSUMUS ICBM: 96.50W 44.20N
INTERNET: S1CH%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU
(The Internet address doesn't always work)
"I think, therefore I am confused."
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 10:56 N
From: <ISASME%HHEOUH50.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu (Ton Smeele NL)
Subject: mouse problems in hercules mode
The message below is from a collegue who has no access to bitnet/internet
himself. Any response will be sent back to him.
Mouse troubles..
While programming mouse routines in Borland's Turbo Pascal v5.0, I
encountered a problem. When I switch a system with a Hercules Graphics
Card in graphics mode and then try to display the mouse cursor, it's not
the graphics cursor as one would expect, but it remains the text cursor.
The question is obvious, does someone know how to convince the mousedriver
to display a graphics cursor instead of the text cursor?
The problem occurs only on a system with a Hercules Graphics card (or a
multi- mode videocard that can be put in Hercules graphics mode).
The used routines (Turbo Pascal 5.0):
- to put the system in graphics mode
procedure HerculesGraphMode;
var
GrDriver,
GrMode : Integer;
begin
GrDriver := HercMono;
GrMode := HercMonoHi;
InitGraph (GrDriver, GrMode, '');
end;
- to reset the mouse driver (mouse function 0)
function ResetMouse : Boolean;
var
Regs : Registers;
begin
with Regs do
begin
AX := 0;
Intr ($33, Regs);
if AX <> -1 then
ResetMouse := False
else
ResetMouse := True;
end;
end;
- to show the mouse cursor (mouse function 1)
procedure ShowMouse;
inline ($B8/>01/ { mov ax, 1 ; mouse fn 1 }
$CD/$33); { int 33h ; mouse int }
- the program
program MouseTest;
uses Crt, Graph;
begin
HerculesGraphMode;
if not ResetMouse then
begin
WriteLn ('Mouse not installed, aborting...');
Halt (1);
end;
ShowMouse;
repeat until KeyPressed;
if ResetMouse then
{ reset the mouse to it's original state };
CloseGraph;
end;
Any help is appreciated...
Harry Martens
Open university, Heerlen
The Netherlands
Ton Smeele bitnet : ISASME@HHEOUH51.bitnet
Open universiteit, afd. FB surfnet: OUHV01::ISASME
P.O.Box 2960,
NL-6401 DL Heerlen, The Netherlands.
phone: +31 (45) 762284 fax: 711486 "Always look on the bright side
telex: 56559.nl of life...-life of Brian- "
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 89 17:53:16 -0700
From: Sidney Markowitz <sidney@saturn.ucsc.edu>
Subject: gnuegrep
There's a copy of the Free Software Foundation's version of e?grep in the
archives. It's version 1.2, modified to run under MSDOS, and contains only
the executable and a small doc file.
The doc file is the same as the one in the FSF distribution, except for an
additional line with the name (but no address) of the author of the MSDOS
modifications. I have only recently started reading info-ibmpc digest
again after an interruption due to changing systems, so I didn't see (or
notice) the original announcement of the submission of gnuegrep to the
archives. Does anyone have the address of the submitter? I would like to
see the sources, so that I could apply it to the current version 1.3 and
send that to the FSF to be included in future releases.
I should point out that the "copyleft" restrictions on FSF software
preclude distributing modified versions without including the source. In
any case, the particular modifications to gnuegrep will be useful for
porting other FSF software, since it must include an MSDOS alloca
function, the main change needed to port a number of FSF programs.
Thanks,
sidney markowitz <sidney@saturn.ucsc.edu or sidney@ai.mit.edu>
p.s. - Are back issues of info-ibmpc digest archived somewhere?
I could answer questions like this for myself if they were, and
make up for the tendency of the newsreader software on this machine
to lose items every so often.
[Yes, they are archived 'somewhere'... you might try looking in directory
PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC> for files in the form YYMM.X-TXT where YY is the
YEAR, MM is the MONTH and X is a 1, 2, or 3 depending on how many issues
were published in that particular month. Files are BIG (around 100-150
Kbytes). Current issues (issues published this month) are in file
PD2:<ARCHIVES.IBMPC>INFO-IBMPC-ARCHIV.TXT.
If anyone has a KWIC index program, I'd be glad to hear from you. gph]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 08:22:59 CDT
From: Brian Piersel <S1CH%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU>
Subject: HD problems on Packard Bell Axcel V
Hello,
I recently purchased a Packard Bell Axcel V. This computer comes with a
40MB hard drive. This works fine most of the time, except when the
computer has been on all day. Then, if I park the heads, turn off the
computer, and turn it back on in a little bit, the hard disk controller
doesn't initialize properly. Any idea why this would be? I haven't had
much luck contacting Packard Bell Tech. Support.
Also, when I first got the computer, I managed to wipe out my CMOS, so I
lost my configuration. I think I have everything set right, but I'm not
100% sure about the HD drive type. The drive is a Western Digital
WD95044-A drive. The only info I have is 976 cylinders, 5 heads. Does
anyone know what the correct drive type is?
Brian Piersel
BITNET: S1CH@SDSUMUS ICBM: 96.50W 44.20N
INTERNET: S1CH%SDSUMUS.BITNET@VM1.NoDak.EDU
(The Internet address doesn't always work)
"There's smoke in the computer room! Get the gasoline!"
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 89 19:14:32 CET
From: Thomas Zielke <113355%DOLUNI1.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Info-IBMPC Digest V89 #81
Well, we have finally decided to buy MS-WORD V5.0 (the latest on the
German market), but we need some detailed information about its new or
old-but-improved features before we saddle our horses to begin the holy
war against the evil forces at our Budget Administration Office...
Thanks in advance.
Thomas Zielke
Historisches Seminar
Universitaet Oldenburg
Postfach 2503
D-2900 Oldenburg
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 07:57:00 CDT
From: jwright@atanasoff.cs.iastate.edu (Jim Wright)
Subject: New versions of viruscan and scanres now on SIMTEL20
Recent updates, hot off the presses! These files were obtained
directly from the author's BBS and are now available from SIMTEL20
directory pd1:<msdos.trojan-pro>
scanv38.arc
Update to replace previous versions of viruscan. Note that the
documentation has an incorrect version number in it. This is how the
archive was released. (The updates have been fast and furious, so it's
understandable.) Also note that the size of the executable is larger than
what John McAfee promised it would always be. I guess when he said
"always", he didn't forsee the number of revisions of the program he'd be
releasing. Executable is version 0.5v38.
scanres8.arc
Update to replace previous versions of scanres. It is possible
that the previous version I sent was identical to an even more previous
version I sent. In any case, this one's NEW. :-) Again, note that the
docs and the program disagree on version number. Executable is version
0.8v38.
SCANV38.ARC Scans hard drives and reports viruses found.
SCANRES8.ARC Resident program scans progs for viruses before executing.
Jim
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 89 2:32:21 CDT
From: david@wubios.WUstl.EDU (David J. Camp)
Subject: public mount scripts for wuarchive
Here are two Unix shell scripts that do a good job of mounting wuarchive.
You must first generate the directory /wuarchive/archive with permission
755. We have these scripts in /usr/local/bin with setuid root. If anyone
sees a problem with this, please let me know. Also, the root crontab
umounts the partition at 5pm, since that is when ONC (the department
maintaining wuachive) strangely disappear. -David-
Bitnet: david@wubios.wustl ^ Mr. David J. Camp
Internet: david%wubios@wucs1.wustl.edu < * > Box 8067, Biostatistics
uucp: uunet!wucs1!wubios!david v 660 South Euclid
Washington University (314) 36-23635 Saint Louis, MO 63110
----- begin of 'march' -----
#! /bin/sh
/usr/etc/mount -o ro,soft,intr,bg,timeo=4,retry=2
wuarchive:/archive/wuarchive/archive &
[the above two lines are really only ONE line. I had to break it at a
space so that BITNET wouldn't do things to the entire Digest. gph]
----- end of 'march' -----
----- begin of 'umarch' -----
#! /bin/sh
/usr/etc/umount /wuarchive/archive &
----- end of 'umarch' -----
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 1989 17:15 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: Qmodem 4.1 uploaded to SIMTEL20
[--forwarded message--]
From: Ralf.Brown@B.GP.CS.CMU.EDU
I've uploaded Qmodem 4.1 parts one through three to SIMTEL20. Parts four
and five (the docs and tutorial) haven't shown up on the BBS yet, and may
not have been released if they haven't changed.
<msdos.qmodem>
QM41DSK1.ARC Qmodem comm prog v4.1, readme and overlay
QM41DSK2.ARC Qmodem comm prog v4.1, executable
QM41DSK3.ARC Qmodem comm prog v4.1, utilities
Ralf
Thanks, Ralf!
--Keith
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 1989 01:39 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL>
Subject: SEDT40PC.ARC - Text editor styled after VMS EDT
[--forwarded message--]
From: Michael Bloxham <MICHAELB@vms.macc.wisc.edu>
I have uploaded the following file to SIMTEL20:
<msdos.editor>
SEDT40PC.ARC
Sedt version 4.0 by Anker Berg-Sonne. This editor is styled after
the VMS EDT editor. The author has ported his version of the editor (with
many enhancements) to IBM DOS and OS/2, ATARI ST, VMS, and UNIX to provide
a common editor on a wide range of machines with a variety of keyboard
layouts. This is the IBM version. It is also a shareware version.
Michael L. Bloxham | Real programmers don't comment their code.
michaelb@vms.macc.wisc.edu | If it was hard to write, it should be hard
michaelb@WISCMACC.bitnet | to understand.
Thanks, Mike!
--Keith Petersen
Maintainer of SIMTEL20's CP/M, MSDOS, and MISC archives
Internet: w8sdz@WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.Mil [26.2.0.74]
Uucp: {ames,decwrl,harvard,rutgers,ucbvax,uunet}!wsmr-simtel20.army.mil!w8sdz
Send ftp connectivity and slow throughput problem reports to
Action@WSMR-SIMTEL20.Army.Mil
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 15:05-0400
From: Arnold.Gill%QueensU.CA@QUCDN.QueensU.CA
Subject: Summary of modifying a long (!) PATH variable
This is a summary of a problem I had with the PATH variable in DOS.
I recently reorganized my hard disk and discovered that I required a
longer PATH than was allowed by MS-DOS (3.21 is what I have), which is
limited to 127 bytes. Luckily, I had saved someone else's solution to
this problem which appeared in an earlier Digest. Alas, it was wrong!
The given solution was to break up one's PATH into two or more lines and
then concatenate them so:
PATH path1
PATH %PATH%;path2
PATH %PATH%;path3
However, since this uses DOS directly, it is also limited to the 127 bytes
of all of DOS's environment strings.
However, utilities exist that supersede DOS by writing directly to
the environment area (how they find it, I don't know). By doing this,
they can set the string up to any length that is less that the size of the
environment. (This is given by the SHELL=COMMAND.COM /e:nnnn command in
CONFIG.SYS, only for DOS 3.2 and up - I tried it for 3.1, and it doesn't
work.)
I looked at every path programme in the SIMTEL archives. The ones
that work well, and I chose two different ones, are ADDPATH1 and SETPTH12,
both found in <MSDOS.SYSUTL>. These two utilities are not identical, but
rather complimentary. ADDPATH1 contains four different utilities, that
allow one to *very* simply add, delete, replace, and insert paths into the
PATH variable. Additions to more than 127 bytes are permissible and seem
to work fine. There is one slight nuisance that one must contend with,
however, one that I find completely inconsequential, but I tested for it
anyway. If one shells out of a programme, thereby invoking a second copy
of COMMAND.COM and a copy of the environment, ADDPATH1 operates on this
copy of the PATH. However, this environment space is truncated to the
length of the current environment, so that although the PATH can have
elements deleted (and possibly changed), no new paths can be added unless
the total length stays the same or less. A minor problem, but potentially
annoying if one is caught unawares.
The second routine, SETPTH12, operates on a different level. It
takes the contents of an ASCII file, concatenates all of the lines, and
puts the result into the environment as the argument of the PATH variable.
If the environment is too small to contain the whole file, the PATH
variable is left blank (as I discovered to my chagrin today). Also, when
a process is shelled, SETPTH12 operates on the *root* version of the
environment, not the current, cloned environment! Potentially confusing,
if unknown.
Neither of these utilities mentions the slight peculiarities that
arise if a subprocess has been started, something that should be
rectified. But I still feel that that is minor technicality, and I
endorse these programmes heartily.
For those who would wish the ability to manipulate the PATH in a
shelled environment, I quote a solution below that was posted in November,
1988 in this Digest. It involves modifying COMMAND.COM to default the
environment to nnnn bytes, where nnnn is no longer 160. Modify at your
own peril - use backups! I have not tried this yet, but intend to do so
shortly.
* * * * Quote begins * * * * *
Well, at last I was back at my original idea that a patch to change the
default allocation in COMMAND.COM could be the solution and this worked
indeed successfully. After a little 'Code-Viewing' I found the place. I
can not give an exact location to change, because this will be different
in every DOS version, but in every COMMAND.COM I looked there was an easy
to find instruction in the initialization code of the form
MOV some memory location!,000A
where the 000A is the default length in paragraphs (10*16 = 160 Bytes).
After changing this number to the desired length the changed value was
honoured in every call to COMMAND.COM.
* * * * Quote end * * * * *
Good luck!
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
| Arnold Gill |
| Queen's University at Kingston |
| BITNET : gilla@qucdn |
| X-400 : Arnold.Gill@QueensU.CA |
| INTERNET: gilla@qucdn.queensu.ca |
-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 20:21:06 EDT
From: "Leslie C. Brown" <lbrown@TBD.BRL.MIL>
Subject: Swap v1.52 utilities uploaded to SIMTEL20
I have uploaded the latest version of the SWAP utilities to SIMTEL20:
<msdos.swap>
SWPDT152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for PC Tools DeskTop
SWPMM152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for MemoryMate
SWPMT152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for Lotus Metro and Express
SWPNG152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for Norton Guides
SWPSH152 ARC SWAP for PC Tools Deluxe SHELL
SWPSK152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for SideKick
SWPSP152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for SideKick Plus
SWPTN152 ARC SWAP 1.52 for Toronado
Les
Thanks Les!
--Keith
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 26 Sep 89 17:50:00 EDT
From: EVENS%UTORPHYS.bitnet@ugw.utcs.utoronto.ca
Subject: TeX printer drivers
Can anybody tell me where on the net printer drivers for TeX are archived?
I have the last page of the directory of such an archive, but having
foolishly lost the first page I don't know the net address. I'm
particularly interested in either a postscrip or a Laserjet driver, as
this is what our shiny new printer can emulate.
Thanks. dan evens <evens@utorphys>
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 24 Sep 89 21:47:02 EDT
From: Sarah_Gray@ub.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Warm boot from drive B: Digest V89 #81
I just stumbled across this the other day: if I press <F3> while my
Tandy 1000sx starts DOS, the drive references of the floppies are swapped.
While I am sure it will not be the same for you, you might want to check
in the manual that came with your computer.
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 89 08:55:02 EDT
From: Joe Morris (jcmorris@mitre.arpa) <jcmorris@mwunix.mitre.org>
Subject: WORD and downloadable fonts
In INFO-IBMPC 89:84 David Camp asks for help in using EXACT with Microsoft
Word, and indicates that he has problems with the downloading of fonts.
(BTW: I never heard of EXACT (did I miss a reference to it in a previous
issue?), but I'm assuming that the problems involve a LaserJet or some
similar printer with downloadable fonts.)
Microsoft Word downloads fonts to a LaserJet only when several conditions
are satisfied:
1) The .PRD file specifies that downloadable fonts are supported.
2) A particular font is used, and that font's entry in the .PRD file is
marked as downloadable. (.PRD entries are for typeface/size specs; a
single entry supports roman, italic, bold, and bold/italic.)
3) A .DAT file (with the same name as the .PRD file) exists.
4) The entry for the font in question is marked in the .DAT file as
available.
By invalidating any of these conditions you can suppress the downloads. A
quick-and-dirty approach would be to copy the .PRD file to some new name
but without copying the corresponding .DAT file. (The .DAT file tells
Word where to find the font file.) A cleaner approach would be to use the
MAKEPRD utility shipped with Word to generate a new .PRD file with the
download flag turned off.
Beginning with Word 5 Microsoft has documented the format of the .DAT
file, although they still haven't provided a utility to edit it. I wrote
a kludge a while back to edit the Word 4 version and have a
marginally-tested version of that code for Release 5; if you want a copy
send me E-mail and I'll send it to you.
Good luck.
Joe Morris
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 89 16:45:33 CDT
From: david@wubios.WUstl.EDU (David J. Camp)
Subject: X-Windows for Dos please
We are very much interested in getting a program that supports X windows
on an MS-Dos machine. We contacted Locus about PX XSight, but they do not
support the Ungermann-Bass cards on our PS/2's. They said that IBM had
ported it to that card, so we called IBM. IBM said we needed to talk to
the local sales people, so we accidently thought they meant our local
Authorized IBM vendor. The vendor called, and they said we had to buy it
direct, so we were really confused. My boss figure out that they meant
that we had to contact the local IBM Salesperson (at the local IBM
office). Finally we did so, but the product they sell only works if your
server is running AIX, since a special program is required to be running
on the server.
If anyone knows of an implementation of X windows for the IBM-PC running
Dos, for the UB-NIC/PS2 card, please let me know. Thank you, -David-
Bitnet: david@wubios.wustl ^ Mr. David J. Camp
Internet: david%wubios@wucs1.wustl.edu < * > Box 8067, Biostatistics
uucp: uunet!wucs1!wubios!david v 660 South Euclid
Washington University (314) 36-23635 Saint Louis, MO 63110
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
************************
-------