[comp.sys.ibm.pc.digest] Info-IBMPC Digest V7 #36

hicks@WALKER-EMH.ARPA (Gregory Hicks COMFLEACTS) (08/15/88)

Info-IBMPC Digest           Mon,  15 Aug 88       Volume 7 : Issue  36

This Week's Editor: Gregory Hicks -- Chinhae Korea <hicks@walker-emh.arpa>

Today's Topics:
                          400KDISK.ARC is pirated
                             Disk Drive Whines
                  PMCAT MSDOS disk catalog program update

Today's Queries:
                       VT Emulation with 132 Columns
          IBM-PCjr <-> Okidata Mu82a(w/Super-Speed Serial) HELP!
                          Logitech mouse question
                        MS-DOS 3.3 and FAT Handling
                 PC-based C cross compiler for M68008 chip
                         PSP and Child Process PSP

New Programs Section:
                                 BACKLOG.C
                                   CWD.C
                                   MSC.C
                         XXENCODE.C and XXDECODE.C

Info-IBMPC Lending Library is available from:

    Bitnet via server at CCUC; and from SIMTEL20.ARPA (see file
          PD1:<msdos>files.idx for listing of source files)

    SIMTEL20.ARPA can now be accessed access from BITNET via
       LISTSERV@RPICICGE.BITNET using LISTSERV Commands

Send Replies or notes for publication to: <Info-IBMPC@Walker-EMH.arpa>

Send requests of an administrative nature (addition to, deletion from
    the distribution list, et al) to: <Info-IBMPC-Request@Walker-EMH.arpa>

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 88 15:24:56 EDT
From: David Kirschbaum <kirsch@braggvax.arpa>
Subject: 400KDISK.ARC is pirated

NetLandians,

I recently uploaded an .ARC I found on a local BBS to SIMTEL20.  You may
have found it in SIMTEL20's: PD1:<MSDOS.DSKUTL>400KDISK.ARC

After a warning from another kind soul on the net, I checked with Tall
Tree Systems.  The programs in 400KDISK.ARC are in fact pirated versions
of Tall Tree's commercial and proprietary software!  (Renamed to deceive
the innocent, of course.)

If you've already downloaded this .ARC, PLEASE do not further distribute
it.  The files have NOT been released by Tall Tree Systems for
noncommercial, "freeware", or any OTHER distribution!  If you see the .ARC
floating around any local BBS's, you might want to warn your friendly
SYSOP about the problem.

My regrets for any inconvenience .. I don't condone or support piracy.

David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
kirsch@braggvax.ARPA

------------------------------

Date: 8 Jul 88 13:18:13 GMT
From: pcrat!rick@uunet.UU.NET (Rick Richardson)
Subject: Disk Drive Whines

Recently, Personal Computing had an "Answers" column on hard disk drives
that "whine" (high pitched squeal).  Their answer was to switch drive
manufacturers or apply a dab of graphite to the spring which removes
static electricity from the spindle.  Personally, I've always used a dab
of silicone rubber.  This problem is very widespread.  Here's my personal
experiences:

     DRIVE                WHINED?              DIED?
     Syquest 10MB         Yep, 1 dab           Yes, two years
     Microscience 10MB    Yep, 1 dab           Not yet (5 years)
     CMI 20MB (IBM AT)    Nope                 Yes, two years
     Maxtor 1065          Nope, but seek       Yes, 1.5 years
                         sounded like popcorn
     Micropolis 85MB      Yep, many dabs,           Not yet (1 year)
                         still whines occas.
     Miniscribe 110MB RLL      Nope            Not yet (6 mo.)

I've seen plenty of AT&T PC6300's with "the whine".  I think they are
Tandon drives.  Don't know about Seagate.  The Micropolis which I got
about a year ago I'd like to toss out the window; except for the business
end of the spring, it is currently encased in silicone rubber -- and it
STILL whines softly.  I'm praying that the Miniscribe proves itself to be
both reliable and quiet over the long haul, but six months is too early to
tell.  Mostly, these drives have been running 24 hours/day since
installation.

--
          Rick Richardson, PC Research, Inc.

(201) 542-3734 (voice, nights)   OR     (201) 389-8963 (voice, days)
uunet!pcrat!rick (UUCP)             rick%pcrat.uucp@uunet.uu.net (INTERNET)

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 1988  00:32 MDT
From: Keith Petersen <W8SDZ@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Subject: PMCAT MSDOS disk catalog program update

PMCAT, the popular MSDOS disk cataloging program has been updated.

Filename             Type   Bytes      CRC

Directory PD1:<MSDOS.CATALOG>
PMCAT36.ARC.1             BINARY      52029  07AFH

New features include spaces in volume labels, 80-character file
comments, sorts on file/ext/size/date/path.

--Keith

------------------------------

Specifically, as they relate to program termination?

Thanks in advance,
Don Branson
c08922db@wuvmd.bitnet

------------------------------

Date: 8 Jul 88 17:12:00 EDT
From: "NRL::MCGUIRE" <mcguire%nrl.decnet@nrl.arpa>
Subject: VT Emulation with 132 Columns

there are a few emulators that will handle 132 character mode.  the
question is what type of video card do you have?

if you have a CGA:

you can use EM4010, or EM4105 (from Diversified Computer Systems).
although with CGA you can't get true 132 characters.  you must scroll left
and right.  This is fine if you don't need the 132 often.  EM4xxx products
emulate both Tektronix terminals and VT100/220 terminals.  The cost is
only about $100 and is well worth it.

if you have an EGA (640x350):

Again you can use EM4xxx with the left/right scroll.

OR, ZSTEM (from KEA systems) will give you a true 132 mode.  for this you
must attach a daughter-board (which they supply) to your EGA card.  This
setup works well for VT100/200 terminals.  The price is around $250-$300.

if you have an EGA + (640x480) like the Video7 VEGA Deluxe:
you can get a true 132 mode with EM4010, EM4105

there are other emulators around that will handle 132 column mode but I
haven't used them.

let me know if you have any other questions.

T. McGuire

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 88 15:52:27 EDT
From: csrobe@icase.arpa (Charles S. Roberson)
Subject: IBM-PCjr <-> Okidata Mu82a(w/Super-Speed Serial) HELP!

This is a plea for help.  My father has an IBM-PCjr that he uses for
simple word processing and (attempting) geneology records.

He was able to buy a used Okidata Microline 82a that we were able to hook
up, well sorta.  Using IBM's Writing Assistant's setup program we were
able to get the PCjr to print from within Writing Assistant but not using
the DOS command PRINT.  The setup program asked for what printer we used;
to which we responded Okidata.  We then used the setup prograom to set up
the Async. Com. Adapter to 300baud, Even Parity, 7 data bits, 1 stop bit,
and XON/XOFF (i think).  I proceeded to place the same in the autoexec.bat
as arguments to the MODE command for COM1:.

I have an Okidata Microline 83a which had the Super-Speed RS232-C/ Current
Loop Interface Board in it.  I was using the Parallel port so I thought
I'd put the card in Dad's 82a.  Now, I can't even get Writing assistant to
print!

Here is the layout:

      - When powered on, the printer asserts (HIGH):
          DTR [pin 20] and
          RTS [pin 4, though pin 4 is not used in the connector.
               I assume it is wired to pin 20]
      - When I connect the cable (not the PC, just the cable)
          CD is asserted [pin 8].
      - Nothing changes when I connect the PC.
      - Nothing happens when I try to DOS PRINT using COM1.
      - Writing assistant asserts:
          DSR [pin 6] and
          CTS [pin 5].
      - I then see a blip of activity on TD [pin 2] and nothing.

Does anybody have any experience with the Okidata Super-Speed card and/or
connecting it to an IBM-PCjr?  Does anybody know what the pin outs are for
the PCjr and what protocol it wants to use (XON/XOFF or Ready/Busy)?  Any
and all experiences will be appreciated!

Please respond directly to me since I am not a subscriber to this list.

thanks,
-chip
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+
|Chip Roberson                ARPANET:  csrobe@icase.arpa                 |
|1105 London Company Way      BITNET:   $csrobe@wmmvs.bitnet              |
|                                       (soon to be csrobe@wmcs.wm.edu    |
|Williamsburg, VA 23185       UUCP:     ...!uunet!pyrdc!gmu90x!wmcs!csrobe|
+-------------------------------------------------------------------------+

      "One world is enough, for all of us..."         - The Police.

------------------------------

Date: Sun, 10 Jul 88 19:51:28 CDT
From: moore@ncsc.ARPA (Moore)
Subject: Logitech mouse question

Has anyone successfully changed the parameters for Logitech's C7 mouse
within a batch file?  The default protocol is Mm, which I'd like to change
to 5b to be compatible with the PC mouse.  No matter how I fiddle with the
parameters in AUTOEXEC.BAT, nor how many times I put the line MOUSE 5b in
that file, the protocol is always set to Mm; but if I manually type the
same command, the pro- tocol is properly changed...

I've also tried changing the protocol within a regular batch file, to no
avail.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Jim
moore@NCSC.arpa

------------------------------

Date: Thu, 07 Jul 88 11:56:42 CST
From: Don Branson <C08922DB%WUVMD.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: MS-DOS 3.3 and FAT Handling

Can anyone tell me how MS-DOS 3.3 handles the FAT differently than
previous versions?

Thank you.
Don Branson
x5320
C08922DB@WUVMD.BITNET

------------------------------

Date: Fri, 8 Jul 88 18:47:07 EDT
From: weikert@nadc.arpa (J. Weikert)
Subject: PC-based C cross compiler for M68008 chip.

Does anyone know of a C cross-compiler for the M68008 running on the
PC-AT?


------------------------------

Date: Wed, 06 Jul 88 11:31:24 CST
From: Don Branson <C08922DB%WUVMD.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU>
Subject: PSP and Child Process PSP

Can someone tell me the difference between a PSP and a child PSP?
Specifically as it relates to process termination...

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 88 17:16:17 cdt
From: wucs1!wubios!david@uunet.UU.NET (David Camp)
Subject: BACKLOG.C

     Here is a little something I cooked up.

-David-

/* BACKLOG.C -- program to copy latest portion of BACKUP.LOG */
/* Written by David J. Camp of the Washington University
                                   Division of Biostatistics */

/*
     I have sent you BACKLOG.C and BACKLOG.EXE, which does something
useful.  Whenever I use the MS-Dos 3.3 BACKUP command, I like to specify
/L to get information appended to C:\BACKUP.LOG indicating each file
backed up.  I have routinely edited this file, placing the latest portion
on the last disk of my backup.  Now there is BACKLOG, which takes two
arguments, the source drive and the target drive, e.g.:

     BACKLOG c: a:

It will copy just the part pertaining to your latest backup into a file
named \BACKUP.LOG on the target drive.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
| (314) 362-3635                     Mr. David J. Camp                    |
| Room 1108D               ^         Box 8067, Biostatistics              |
| 706 South Euclid       < * >       Washington University Medical School |
|                          v         660 South Euclid                     |
| Bitnet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl  Saint Louis, MO 63110                |
| Internet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl.edu                                 |
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

[BACKLOG.C has been forwarded to SIMTEL20 for inclusion in file
PD1:<msdos.C>BACKLOG.ARC]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 88 17:45:08 cdt
From: wucs1!wubios!david@uunet.UU.NET (David Camp)
Subject: CWD.C

/* CWD.C -- program to implement Kermit-like CWD command for MS-Dos */
/* Written by David J. Camp, Washington University Division of Biostatis-
tics */
/* 1988 for Microsoft C 5.0 */

/*
     I have sent you CWD.C and CWD.EXE.  CWD works much like the Kermit
CWD command.  It lets you change both the drive and the directory with one
command.  Its main advantage is that it allows a trailing slash '/' or
backslash 'c' after the specified path.  This allows for easier MAKE
files.  If you have a MAKE macro defined to be a pathname, you may wish to
do several things with it.  For instance, you may wish to change
directories, or append it to a file name.  If you append it to a file
name, you must insert an intervening backslash.  If the selected directory
is the root, you will wind up with two backslashes.  An alternate method
is to end all pathnames with a backslash.  Then appending to filenames
works (without the intervening backslash), but you cannot change
directories.  CWD solves that problem by allowing an optional trailing
backslash in the selected pathname.  I believe CWD will allow the use of
slashes instead of backslashes in the pathname.  Enjoy!

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
| (314) 362-3635                     Mr. David J. Camp                    |
| Room 1108D               ^         Box 8067, Biostatistics              |
| 706 South Euclid       < * >       Washington University Medical School |
|                          v         660 South Euclid                     |
| Bitnet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl  Saint Louis, MO 63110                |
| Internet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl.edu                                 |
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

[CWD.C has been forwarded to SIMTEL20 for inclusion in file
PD1:<msdos.c>CWD.ARC. ]

------------------------------

Date: Tue, 12 Jul 88 17:58:23 cdt
From: wucs1!wubios!david@uunet.UU.NET (David Camp)
Subject: MSC.C


/* MSC.C -- A program to pass arguments from a file to CL */
/* written by David J. Camp */
/*     of the Division of Biostatistics, Box 8067 */
/*            Washington University Medical School */
/*            Saint Louis, MO 63110 */

/*

     While attempting to preprocess a file with the Microsoft C 5.0 CL
command, I wanted to use a command line with many '=' signs.  I
encountered the Dos line limit.  I tried to use the CL environment
variable to extend the line, but the SET command would not allow '=' signs
in the assigned string.  Thus I wrote MSC.C, a program to read command
line options from a file, and call CL as a child process (using the
system() function).  I tested it on my data, and it seems to work well.
Just edit a file with one or more lines of CL command line options, and
type 'msc filename' at the Dos prompt.  It is suitable for inclusion in
MAKE files.  I use ECHO options >file, ECHO more-options >>file, msc file.

Good Computing!

-David-

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
| (314) 362-3635                     Mr. David J. Camp                    |
| Room 1108D               ^         Box 8067, Biostatistics              |
| 706 South Euclid       < * >       Washington University Medical School |
|                          v         660 South Euclid                     |
| Bitnet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl  Saint Louis, MO 63110                |
| Internet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl.edu                                 |
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

[MSC.C has been forwarded to SIMTEL20 for inclusion in file
PD1:<msdos.c>MSC.arc.]

------------------------------

Date: Wed, 13 Jul 88 13:39:20 cdt
From: wucs1!wubios!david@uunet.UU.NET (David Camp)
Subject: XXENCODE.C and XXDECODE.C

     Here is the source for XXENCODE and XXDECODE, replacements for
UUENCODE and UUDECODE that use a better character set.  I use them to
transfer files between VM/CMS and my PC and Unix.  They were developed by
Phil Howard <PHIL@UIUCVMD.BITNET>.  I adapted them for MS-Dos and VM/CMS.
They are public domain.

Notice that under VM/CMS, these require the Waterloo C compiler.  Under
MS-Dos they require the Microsoft C compiler.  The usual cc command works
under Ultrix.

*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*
| (314) 362-3635                     Mr. David J. Camp                    |
| Room 1108D               ^         Box 8067, Biostatistics              |
| 706 South Euclid       < * >       Washington University Medical School |
|                          v         660 South Euclid                     |
| Bitnet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl  Saint Louis, MO 63110                |
| Internet: david%wubios@wucfua.wustl.edu                                 |
*-------------------------------------------------------------------------*

[XXENCODE.C and XXDECODE.C with associated documentation have been for-
warded to SIMTEL20 for inclusion under file PD1:<msdos.c>XXENDEC.arc.]

------------------------------

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