Info-IBMPC@WSMR-SIMTEL20.ARMY.MIL (06/24/89)
Info-IBMPC Digest Fri, 23 Jun 89 Volume 89 : Issue 60
Today's Editor:
Gregory Hicks - Chinhae Korea <COMFLEACT@Taegu-EMH1.army.mil>
Today's Topics:
Creating System Diskettes
Re: Cyrillic Word Processer
GOEXPERT
How do you write for EGA graphics and OS/2?
Re: How to Determine Free Disk Space (2 msgs)
Reading MAC/PC Floppies and Screen to a File
PC Mos/386 Query
Re: Borland Graphics Iterface (.BGI)
Print Screen to file
Problems with Jameco JE1003 AT Board
TSR Source for LPTX to capture PrtSc to a file
ZOO for VMS
Access AppleTalk Network and PC LAN simultaneously
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Date: Mon, 5 Jun 89 11:48 MST
From: GORDON_A%CUBLDR.Colorado.EDU@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: creating system diskettes
On systems (pc or ps/2) with a 5.25" floppy in drive A and a 3.5" floppy
in drive B, that do not boot from drive B, what is the best way of
creating for upgrading to a new version of the operating system, given
that the new system comes on a 3.5" diskette. The old system is DOS 3.3
and the new one is 4.0.
Thanks
Allen Gordon
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 89 11:00:29 P
From: Gershon Kunin <GERSHON%BARILVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Re: Cyrillic Word Processer
In addition to the CYRILLIC.ARC from SIMTEL20, there's a WP called
MLS (Milti-Lingual Scholar). It works under any version of DOS, and will
work with a Hercules card (no EGA needed). It contains Cyrillic, Greek,
Arabic, Hebrew, and more.
It's not public domain - it costs $. There is a demo version on
SIMTEL20, called <MSDOS.EDITOR>MLS.ARC. It's very limited in what it will
do, but it should give you some idea if you want to buy the real thing.
-Gershon
Disclaimer: I have no connection whatsoever with the producer of the product.
------------------------------
Date: 5 June 89, 12:32:35 PDT
From: Ran Chermesh <RSRANCH%UCLASSCF.bitnet@cunyvm.cuny.edu>
Subject: GOEXPERT
I've downloaded from a local BBS a file nemaed GOV125.ZIP. The file
includes two programs (G.EXE and GINIT.EXE), that enable a very convenient
way to change directories. The author admits that G.EXE is a short version
of GOEXPERT. Does anyone know what GOEXPERT is?
Ran Chermesh
RSRANCH@UCLASSCF.BITNET
------------------------------
Date: 1 Jun 89 18:05:36 GMT
From: b27y@vax5.cit.cornell.edu ()
Subject: How do you write for EGA graphics and OS/2?
I am writing an application for OS/2 now using EGA graphics, using
MICROSOFT BASIC 6.0 and MICROSOFT C 5.1.
You can't use any of the EGA graphics modes in MC BASIC 6.0 when
running in protected mode. The documentation for MC C 5.1 seems to imply
you can use the C graphics library, but nowhere in setup does it install
you graphics library into the protected mode libraries, and I get linking
errors at every call I make to the any C graphics library function.
If I just add the file "GRAPHICS.LIB" to the combined library, then
the file compiles but crashes. (I suspect that GRAPHICS.LIB is only for
real mode applications)
So the question I raise is can you use MC C 5.1 to compile EGA
graphics for protected mode?
And if not, is there any other way to do EGA graphics without having
to write the routines myself? (Has someone done it already ..?). I don't
really want to have to spend a lot of time learning all the OS/2 calls, so
any help would be greatly appriciated.
---Misha---
Michael Gray /-------------------------------/
Misha Computing / "Save The Humans" /
526 Stewart Ave / /
Ithaca N.Y. 14850 / Bumper Sticker /
607-277-2774 / /
B27Y@VAX5.CIT.CORNELL.EDU /-------------------------------/
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 89 01:39:48 EDT
From: Bruce_Burrell@um.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Re: How to Determine Free Disk Space
Thomas Stuempfig asks for a way to find free disk space with a DOS
call. Function 36H, Get Drive Allocation Information, will return the
number of free clusters in the BX register, the number of sectors per
cluster in AX, and the bytes per sector in CX, for the drive specified on
calling in DL (where DL=0 is the default drive, DL=1 is A:, etc.). If the
drive is invalid, then AX=0FFFFH. Hence the bytes free = BX*AX*CX (I
realize that this is neither assembly or Pascal, but you get the idea).
As a matter of interest, on return DX=total clusters on the specified
drive. If the drive has invalid clusters (a la CHKDSK), those clusters
are not included in the BX count, so it is an accurate measure of free
space.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Jun 89 12:57:06 EST
From: DOUG%YSUB.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: Re: How to Determine Free Disk Space
;The following assembler code will show how much space is free
; (I leave the xlation to TP3 to someone that knows Pascal)
MOV AH,36H ;INT 21 func 36H
MOV DL,1 ;0=default, 1=A, etc.
INT 21H ;ask DOS
; on return, BX = clusters available
; AX = sectors/cluster
; CX = bytes/sector
; From "The Programmer's Problem Solver for the IBM PC, XT & AT" by
; Robert Jourdain, c1986 Brady Press - if you need to find something
; software-wise about your IBM or compatible, start here.
Doug Sewell, Tech Support, Computer Center, Youngstown State University
(DOUG@YSUB.BITNET) "An unbreakable toy may be used to break other toys."
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 89 16:24:37 PDT
From: ROY LONG <LONG@KL.SRI.COM>
Subject: Reading MAC/PC Floppies and Screen to a File
The answer about reading MAC floppies on a PC may be right as far as
software is concerned, however, a very economical COPY II PC OPTION BOARD
installed in your PC lets you read and write MAC flopies with your
standard 3.5 in drive. Ours works great.
For copying the screen, or part of it, or several screens to a file, I
use the PC Magazine utility named SNIPPER. It is included in their DOS
POWER TOOLS, and I think it is available elsewhere.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 04 Jun 89 07:56:25 PDT
From: JAJZ801%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU (Jeff Sicherman,CSU Long Beach)
Subject: PC Mos/386 Query
I would appreciate comments by actual users of PC-MOS 386. In particular
the reliability, performance and adaptability with multi-user database
managers. How many users can it efficiently support, maximum disk sizes,
and terminals supported. (I am aware of the PC Magazine review of Feb 28,
but am interested in actual, practical experience).
Jeff Sicherman
jajz801@ccs.csuscc.calstate.edu
jajz801@calstate.bitnet
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Jun 89 18:27:29 PDT
From: Chris Johnson <mesmo@Portia.stanford.edu>
Subject: Re: Borland Graphics Iterface (.BGI)
In v.89 #56 was the following advice concerning the use of the Borland
Graphics Interface (BGI) which I find to be very useless:
> Anytime you use any of the graphics
> procedures/functions, you must first call InitGraph. It takes three
> parameters:
>
> VAR
> Driver, GraphMode: INTEGER;
> :
> Driver := EGA;
> GraphMode := EGAHi;
> InitGraph(Driver, GraphMode, '');
> (* NOTE: the third parameter is the path to the file
> EGAVGA.BGI. a null string means search default
> directory of the default drive. *)
This is not advisable. The whole point of using graphics drivers is to
use the same programs on differently configured systems. It makes MUCH
more sense to use the defined constant DETECT as your default driver,
since this finds out what is available.
Also, do not assume the .BGI and .CHR files are in the current directory;
why should they be? Get maximum flexibility by using something like this
(taken from TurboC, not Pascal):
int grdriver=DETECT, grmode;
initgraph(&grdriver, &grmode, getbgidir());
to start your graphics system, where getbgidir() is a program which
searches the path for .BGI files. The following is what I use, and you
are free to use it if you like:
#include <stdio.h>
#include <dir.h>
/* WHEREIS 6 Sept 88
**
** install in standard library cx.lib
**
** find directory part only of path to given file -- just like searchpath,
** but without the "\file" end of the pathstring ... doesn't recognize
** wildcard arguments ... to avoid using additional libraries, simple string
** functions have been rewritten here */
char *whereis(const char *file)
{
char *fullpath;
int i;
fullpath = searchpath(file);
if (fullpath!=NULL) {
for ( i=0; fullpath[i]!='\0'; ++i );
for ( i--; fullpath[i]!='\\'; i-- );
fullpath[i] = '\0';
}
return(fullpath);
}
#define NBGI 6 /* # standard drivers */
/* GETBGIDIR 6 Sept 88
**
** install in standard library cx.lib
**
** searches DOS path for any .BGI driver files ... returns name of
** directory where first file is found, else NULL on failure
*/
char * far getbgidir(void)
{
char driver[NBGI][13] = { "ATT.BGI\0", "CGA.BGI\0",
"EGAVGA.BGI\0", "HERC.BGI\0",
"IBM8514.BGI\0", "PC3270.BGI\0" };
char *bgipath;
int i;
for ( i=0; i<NBGI; i++ ) {
if ( (bgipath=whereis(driver[i]))!=NULL ) {
return(bgipath);
}
}
return(NULL);
}
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Jun 89 09:22 CDT
From: "Dan Scott - Kansas State University Library." <DSCOTT@KSUVM.KSU.EDU>
Subject: Print Screen to file
>From: Derek Morgan <C03601DM%WUVMD.BITNET@UICVM.uic.edu>
>
>Is there anyway to redirect the printer output from a <SHIFT>-PrtSc
>keypress?
>
>I'd like to be able to put something that is on the PC screen (acting as a
>dumb terminal through KERMIT), into a file.
There are many PD and shareware utilites that can redirect printer
output to a file. LPTX is one I have used several times. LPTX is able to
capture normal printer output and print screen output. Many redirection
programs can't capture print screen output. There are several versions of
LPTX with the major difference between the later version being what causes
the program to lock up the machine.
If you are using MSKERMIT, you don't need to mess with printer
redirection. Just press Alt-H and a menu will pop up. Option F, Dump
file to screen, will place whatever is on the screen in a file called
KERMIT.SCN. This works with version 2.31 and up. I don't know if it's
available in earlier versions.
Dan Scott (DSCOTT@KSUVM.KSU.EDU)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 89 10:18:45 EDT
From: roskos@ida.org (Eric Roskos)
Subject: Problems with Jameco JE1003 AT Board
About a year or so ago, I bought a "baby AT" CPU board, the JE1003, from
Jameco. I found it had several problems: the time of day clock would
often spontaneously reset itself, parameter RAM would sometimes get
erased, and the machine's software CPU speed switching worked erratically.
I wrote to Jameco and they said that they knew about the problems, but
didn't know how to fix them! Jameco's only solution was to suggest that I
buy one of their newer-model CPU boards, which (they claimed) were
supposed to work better. I've recently noticed that they are selling off
the remainder of these boards for spare parts, albeit still at a high
price.
Does anyone else have this board, and know of any way to fix the problems
with it? It looks like there is some sort of timing problem underlying all
this, but unfortunately they (also) didn't have any drawings for the
board, so I can't tell much about it.
Eric Roskos (roskos@CS.IDA.ORG or Roskos@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 1989 17:08:39 PDT
From: Billy Brackenridge <billy@venera.isi.edu>
Subject: TSR Source for LPTX to capture PrtSc to a file
Somewhere in the INFO-IBMPC archives is LPTX.ASM. This answers two queries
from the same digest. It is a TSR program that hangs on the PrtSc key and
prints the screen to a file. If it has been lost I can still retrieve it
from mag tape to Tops-20 if the operators still rmember how. This was an
early example of how to write TSR programs for the PC. This program
started a discussion in INFO-IBMPC some years ago about the INDOS flag and
how to use it. This discussion is summarised in the file INDOS.TXT also
somewhere in the INFO-IBMPC archives.
I know Simtel-20 also has the PC-Blue library. It might contain TSR.ASM in
the assembly language "examples" section. This is a "shareware source"
(This is a novel concept!). The author asks for a contribution if you use
his code in your commercial TSR program.
I picked a copy of it up at a local computer swap meet. I can post it to
the net if it isn't in the archives. This program was more sophisticated
in its use of the "undocumented" INDOS flag and takes different strategies
depending on the version of DOS that is running.
I haven't kept up on this sort of thing. With the introduction of several
memory mapping schemes, windows, and large memory hog applications the
notion of TSR routines is obsolete for commercial applications, but still
fun as recreational programming.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 5 Jun 89 03:04 CDT
From: "David Stever, 45n, 93w, +870ft." <STEVER%sp.unisys.com@RELAY.CS.NET>
Subject: ZOO for VMS
I am in need of a port of ZOO written for VMS; as long as it's NOT written
in C. (Aunt Unisys didn't see fit to provide my machine with a C
compiler)
David Stever
Unisys Corp.
Eagan, Minnesota
Stever@SP.Unisys.com
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 05 Jun 89 10:03:17 GVA
From: Guy Dubois <GDUBOIS%CERNVM.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: Access AppleTalk Network and PC LAN simultaneously.
I have an IBM PC Local Area Network installed which runs fine. Recently I
bought a LocalTalk PC Card to connect one of our PCs to an AppleTalk
network, using the new AppleShare PC Software. This works fine as well.
However when I tried to have one PC being connected to both the PC Network
and the AppleTalk network simultaneously I run into trouble: the AppleTalk
network runs fine, whereas the PC Network is displaying error messages.
Any hints, ideas and/or solutions to have my PC hooked up to both networks
simultaneously are welcome.
Cheers,
Guy
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End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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