Info-IBMPC@C.ISI.EDU.UUCP (04/15/87)
Info-IBMPC Digest Tuesday, 14 April 1987 Volume 6 : Issue 27
This Week's Editor: Billy Brackenridge
Today's Topics:
DOS 3.2 COPY
IBMPC Macintosh Answers
Source of Simple grep in Lattice-c
Sources for ls, lf, and ll in Lattice
New version of NCRC for TOPS-20
Default ECHO OFF Patch for Heath/Zenith MS-DOS 3.1
Echo off Default in DOS 3.3
MS PASCAL Read of Com Port
Free-Text Database Programs
Attempting to use /E vdisk on a Sperry XT Clone
LinePrnt in Norton Utils
Patch MASM 4.0 to Write Errors to Stdout
Ibm's new machine (model 30 and 50)
Norton Commander
RussianStar
LEX and YACC
Notes Taken at IBM Announcement
Today's Queries:
DOS 3.2 Editing Patch
Okidata 84 Serial Cable
Logitech Mouse and Windows
DIP Switch Settings for Miniscribe 2012
Copy Problems
Microsoft DIAL
Paradise Graphic & Autoswitch EGA boards
Epson to Postscript
IBM PC Network vs. Shift-PrtSc
Memory Speed of IBM's PS/2 models 50 and 60
Linear Algebra package in C.
Drive Speed Adjust - How?
47th St. Mail Order
INFO-IBMPC BBS Phone Numbers: (213)827-2635 (213)827-2515
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri 10 Apr 87 18:03:02-PDT
From: JOHN R. THOMPSON <WOOLFORD.THOMPSON@BIONET-20.ARPA>
Subject: DOS 3.2 COPY
Several people responded to my report of a problem using DOS 3.2
COPY to copy a large file suggesting that the /b option would solve
the problem. I should have been more specific. The 1.3 megabyte
file I was trying to copy is a text file with only 1 ctrl Z at the
end. The size reported by DIR for the source and destination files
was identical yet COMP reported data had been altered during the copy
even with verify set on. Hardware or media would not seem to be the
problem as PCTOOLS was able to copy the file correctly.
Incidentally I placed a control Z in the middle of a text file and
used DOS to copy the file and found that even without the /b option
the entire file was copied.
John R. Thompson
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 08:36:17 pst
From: reynolds@ames-prandtl.ARPA (Don Reynolds)
Subject: IBMPC Macintosh Answers
1. The "MacCharlie" product is a Macintosh add-on consisting of an
emulation of IBM PC motherboard and disk hardware, etc. interfaced to
the Macintosh display. This hybrid runs some IBMPC software, but the
cost exceeds a separate PC clone. Further, you still have to buy a
Macintosh, and it doesn't seem to address your need.
I suspect you may not see emulation hardware produced. So far,
different versions of applications programs (Sidekick, Microsoft
Word, Thinktank, etc.) have been written for the different Macintosh
and IBM PC hardware and operating systems. The hardware and
operating system software are so different it is unlikely that
emulation will be a viable commercial product.
2. Though I would expect software to convert data formats between PC
and Macintosh to appear shortly. 3 1/2 inch diskette drives are
available to add to PC, PC-XT and PC-AT, clones and compatibles.
With IBM recently endorsing the smaller diskettes in its latest
announcement, data format conversion programs to/from Macintosh are
more likely. Please post to this list if anyone suggests some.
But rather than try to mix hardware peripherals between IBM PC and
Macintosh, have you considered networking? TOPS by Centram in
Berkeley, CA produces a distributed server system (half size card +
software on IBM, software only on Mac) with printer and file sharing.
It runs on PhoneNet (or Appletalk). Assuming the 230 Kbaud rate is
adequate for you, this approach would appear to be more economical
(assuming you have 1 Macintosh available). I think Centram was
recently bought out by Lotus, or one of the other "heavy hitters", so
support should be a "given". Ethernet may be another solution if you
need higher rates, though the cost is much higher.
TOPS handles file format translation between DOS on the IBM and the
Macintosh formats. At the application program level, Microsoft Word
versions exist for both the Macintosh and PC, and formatted text
(including the style sheet information) can be exchanged between
them. Similarly, Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets from the PC can be read on
and converted from Microsoft Excel on the Mac. The last prices for
TOPS I have are $149 per Macintosh and $379 per PC node.
Centram, Inc.
2560 9th
Berkeley, CA
Phone (415)549-5900
Best,
Don
------------------------------
Date: Sun 12 Apr 87 03:38:43-PDT
From: jchvr@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Hartong)
Subject: Source of Simple grep in Lattice-c
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Please find included the sources for a simple version of GREP
for MSDOs and LATTICE-C
When linked with PARSE.C (also included) you can say:
grep key *.c
Regular expressions are not supported just simple keys.
Feel free to use or abuse this program at your own risk.
[Since we already have grep.c DeSmet we are calling this grep.lat in our
lending library. -wab]
Good luck.
------------------------------
Date: Sun 12 Apr 87 03:39:22-PDT
From: jchvr@ihlpg.ATT.COM (Hartong)
Subject: Sources for ls, lf, and ll in Lattice
Organization: AT&T Bell Laboratories - Naperville, Illinois
Please find included the sources for MSDOS and LATTICE-C of the routines for
ls,lf, and ll. You define the symbols LF LL or LS and the whole thing should
build.
Feel free to use or abuse at your own risk.
[LX.C has been added to the info-ibmpc lending library. -wab]
Good luck!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 20:36:52 MDT
From: Frank J. Wancho <WANCHO@SIMTEL20.ARPA>
Subject: New version of NCRC for TOPS-20
There is a new version of NCRC (10) in PD:<MISC.TOPS-20>. This
version has two new switches: /FORCE and /WRITE.
The /WRITE switch (which implies /FORCE) causes the computed CRC value
to be stored in the .FBUSW of the FDB. Of course, the user must have
write access to the file for this switch to have effect.
The /FORCE switch will cause NCRC to compute the value for the file.
If the value of that word is non-zero, NCRC will skip the computation
and display the value found in the .FBUSW word.
All publicly readable files on our PD: structure now have that word
set with the computed CRC value for that file. If you FTP any of
these files directly to another TOPS-20 system, and your FTP program
provides the option to retain all FDB information, be sure to turn
that option on.
The primary motivation for adding this feature was to decrease the
amount of time the Archive Server spends processing requests for files
which include a CRC listing. In the past few hours this feature has
been available, the performance improvement has been rather dramatic.
It may, once again, be possible to start seeing a much improved
response time instead of the 5-7-day turnaround of the past few weeks.
--Frank
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 20:58:44 pst
From: tweten@ames-prandtl.ARPA (Dave Tweten)
Subject: Default ECHO OFF Patch for Heath/Zenith MS-DOS 3.1
There is an INCREDIBLE number of articles on ECHO patching distributed
throughout the Info-IBMPC archives! For PC-DOS 3.1, the best I found was
in Volume 4, Issue 103, dated September 7 1985. Its title was "DOS 3.1
Patches, Update". So why am I writing?
Well, I just got Heath/Zenith MS-DOS 3.10, which is (naturally)
sufficiently different from Blue PC-DOS to make the patches wrong. If
there is nothing to plagiarize, every once in a while I HAVE to do
something (at least a little) original.
My version of MS-DOS from Heath/Zenith responds to "ver" with
IO.SYS Version 3.12
MS-DOS Version 3.10
which makes it different from even the versions which have been given
the single-byte patch, which leaves ECHO on during AUTOEXEC.BAT.
So, starting with the PC-DOS 3.1 patch and a copy of the IBM 3.10
COMMAND.COM, I disassembled the code around the two patches, and
searched the Heath/Zenith COMMAND.COM for the same code sequences
(modulo memory addresses). The critical sections are shown below, with
both the IBM and H/Z addresses.
The classic single-byte:
IBM Addr. H/Z Addr.
--------- ---------
xxxx:1962 xxxx:19C2 26 ES:
xxxx:1963 xxxx:19C3 A0xxxx MOV AL,[xxxx]
xxxx:1966 xxxx:19C6 2401 AND AL,01
^^ ^^ Change to 00
xxxx:1968 xxxx:19C8 50 PUSH AX ------------
xxxx:1969 xxxx:19C9 E89600 CALL xxxx
The extra byte which turns off ECHO during AUTOEXEC.BAT:
IBM Addr. H/Z Addr.
--------- ---------
xxxx:1052 xxxx:1122 7268 JB xxxx
xxxx:1054 xxxx:1124 A3xxxx MOV [xxxx],AX
xxxx:1057 xxxx:1127 C606xxxx03 MOV BYTE PTR [xxxx],03
^^ ^^ Change to 02
xxxx:105C xxxx:112C 8EC0 MOV ES,AX ------------
xxxx:105E xxxx:112E 33FF XOR DI,DI
Interestingly, though the DOS 2.xx version of the second patched byte
causes the prompt to disappear for subservient copies of COMMAND.COM,
it doesn't with DOS 3.1, either the IBM version or the Heath/Zenith
version. A "subservient" COMMAND.COM is what you get when, for example,
you type "push" at a Kermit prompt.
To apply my modified version of the patch, duplicate the following debug
dialog:
debug a:command.com
-e 19c7
424F:19C7 01.00
-e 112b
424F:112B 03.02
-w
Writing 5B1A bytes
-q
Be sure to operate upon a COPY of COMMAND.COM, NOT your working version.
Also, since my review of previous messages on the topic suggests that
Heath/Zenith has dispensed at least one other version of COMMAND.COM,
check your "ver" output against mine, above, before trying this. Of
course, if "ver" tells you your 3.1 isn't the same as mine, you can do
the same sort of search I did.
No warranty is expressed or implied, including any implied warranty of
merchantability or suitability for a given purpose. Your mileage may
vary. Etc., ad nausium.
In other words, you're on your own but good luck anyway!
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1987 22:16 EDT
From: LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
Subject: Echo off Default in DOS 3.3
Note that the echo off default is not as important for DOS 3.3, as you can
turn off echo from the batch file without the "echo off" itself echoing.
With 3.3, any line beginning with @ does not echo, so start your batch files
with "@ECHO OFF" for real no-echoing without patching COMMAND.COM.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 08:40 EST
From: PICARD%gmr.com@RELAY.CS.NET
Subject: MS PASCAL Read of Com Port
Richard,
Maybe I didn't make my original posting clear, I was originally trying to do
just what you are describing. I set clock.trap := true and then try to read.
The error isn't severe enough to trigger the error trapping. From the
description in the MS manual (and from my tests) it looks like only errors
that would cause the program to abort are trapped. All other errors are
handled by their own error recovery routines.
I'm not sure why they act differently, but the BASIC ON ERROR statement does
catch this error. I have successfully read the time via a basic program but
haven't been able to code the corresponding routine in PASCAL.
Ron
------------------------------
Date: 13 Apr 87 09:43 EDT
From: David A. Potter / McDonnell Douglas <DAP.MDC@OFFICE-1.ARPA>
Subject: Free-Text Database Programs
In a recent issue of Info-Mac, Mark Zimmerman described Tiny Browser,
a free-text database program he's worked up to the alpha-test phase.
I'm interested in this program -- but am also wondering what similar
programs might exist for other environments -- specifically, MS-DOS
and the DEC-20 world (Tenex/TOPS-20).
Any information would be greatly appreciated. If I get enough
information back I'll be glad to summarize for the net(s).
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 13:08:28 EDT
From: Frank Cooley <fac@burdvax.PRC.Unisys.Com>
Subject: Attempting to use /E vdisk on a Sperry XT Clone
"Stever- 45N, 93W, +870 ft." <STEVER%sp.unisys.com@RELAY.CS.NET>:
David Stever
Unisys, Eagan
Minnesota
What is a Sperry XT? Sperry made HT's and XT's. When did you buy it?
I have an HT and use a home grown vdisk which is written in assembler
and can be changed for different mem sizes. Let me know some details,
and I will try to help.
Frank Cooley
Unisys (Sperry)
Paoli, Pa.
burdvax!fac
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 87 00:36:14 MEZ
From: Erich Neuwirth <A4422DAB%AWIUNI11.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: LinePrnt in Norton Utils
For us poor Europeans the LinePrnt program has a problem.
It crashes the printer when something line an umlaut is encountered
in the file to be printed.
Here is a patch so we can use the program also:
Change sector 2 offset 296 80 --> FF
4 149 80 --> FF
The sector addresses and offsets are DECIMAL.
80 and FF are the hexvalues to be changed.
sector 2 is the 3rd sector of the file.
It WORKS.
Erich Neuwirth
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 1987 22:10 EDT
From: LENOIL@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU
To: Jim Anderson <bilbo.jta@CS.UCLA.EDU>
Subject: Patch MASM 4.0 to Write Errors to Stdout
Here is a more general solution - ERROUT.C, written in MSC 4.0:
/* This program redirects stderr to stdout, then executes its command line.
* Robert Lenoil - 1/87
*/
#include <process.h>
main(argc,argv)
char *argv[];
{ dup2(2,3); /* redirect stderr (3) to stdout (2) */
++argv;
return execvp(*argv, argv);
}
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 87 13:01 CST
From: <KRANTZ%VUENGVAX.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Ibm's new machine (model 30 and 50)
I've read some of IBM's hype about the model 30 and 50 and they seem
like sound machines at fairly decent prices. However, I have not seen
the machines yet and people have not had many comments about them
on this digest. Does anyone have any comments about these machines
with respect to price/performance (esp compared to clones) and how compatible
are they to the current IBM line (i.e, are the I/O ports and screen memory
in the same locations, do they use the same uart chips and so forth...).
I would appreciate if people who respond to this query could CC their
responses directly to me...
Thank you
Alan Krantz
------------------------------
From: cy@ashtate.UUCP (Cy Shuster)
Subject: Norton Commander
Summary: Latest Norton Commander release is 1.01
Organization: Ashton-Tate, Torrance, CA
I use Norton Commander extensively, and it's one of the few pieces of
software that hasn't caused interaction problems with something else.
I couldn't reproduce the PRINT problem, using PC-DOS 3.2 and the
latest Commander release, 1.01. I got this release to fix a problem
with NCSMALL not returning to the automatic user menu. Norton readily
acknowledged the problem over the phone, but it took a while to get
the fixed disk.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 22:13:26 cst
From: tod4%sphinx.UChicago.BITNET@BERKELEY.EDU(phillip a todd)
Subject: RussianStar
Organization: U Chicago Computation Center
There have been several questions and comments on the net
lately about Russian word processors. My brother has written
a really nice Russian word processor called RussianStar, which
is basically a patch for WordStar that enables it to display
and print either Russian (Cyrillic) characters or English
characters or both. It works well and all WordStar features
are supported in both character sets, and the two standard
keyboard layouts for Russian are supported. It is also
inexpensive. If anyone is interested send me mail at
...!ihnp4!gargoyle!sphinx!tod4
tod4@sphinx.BITNET
Or you can call him at (201) 890-0656. Phillip Todd
------------------------------
From: fcp%btl.csnet@RELAY.CS.NET
Date: Tue 14 Apr EDT 1987 14:30
Subject: LEX and YACC
I would like to advise you that YACC and LEX programs
are copyrighted property of AT&T and are also protected
by proprietary licensing agreements. YACC source was
recently posted in the net.sources.d newsgroup as Public
Domain Code. IT IS NOT. It was subsequently 'retracted'. The
ensuing discussion prompted the AT&T Licensing organization
to post the attached response regarding AT&T's position
on its code.
Along the way, and to avoid repeating the discussion here,
several items have come to light:
1. The Austin Code Works have been distributing AT&T code
without permission. They have been asked to stop.
2. YACC and LEX appeared, once, on a DECUS distribution tape
with the copyright notices removed. They no longer appear on
current DECUS distributions.
3. Copies of YACC appearing on COMPUSERVE Bulletin Boards
have been removed.
4. Other sources of YACC and LEX [e.g, the IEEE bulletin board
identified by Mr. Coombs and others] will be contacted as they
become known to AT&T.
If you have copies of YACC and/or LEX in your code archives
they are most likely derivatives of AT&T code. I urge you to
make them private, to prevent further distribution, and to
contact the AT&T Licensing Organization [see below].
The following was posted in comp.sources.d on 2/26/87:
*****
AT&T SOFTWARE
Recently, there have been several comments and opinions given on this network
regarding AT&T protecting its source code software, and what rights AT&T
retains if someone exposes the software to unauthorized persons. Please be
aware that AT&T investigates each suspected violation of its source code
software agreements. We work diligently to protect our proprietary interests.
When unauthorized source code exposures are made, it is a result of someone
violating an AT&T agreement. Because the code was exposed does not make it
public domain, and the proprietary rights still remain with AT&T.
Please be aware we are tracing down a recent exposure of some of our
source code on this network, and we have, and will continue to take,
corrective action.
Questions regarding source code software licensing should be referred to
1-800-828-UNIX.
Otis Wilson
General Manager
AT&T UNIX(r) Software Licensing
As I am not a part of the Licensing Group I will refer any mail
sent to me to them for the appropriate response.
Frank Pirz
AT&T Bell Labs
[While not accepting the claims of AT&T to this particular code. I
have removed LEX.C. This could turn into a long discussion not
relevant to info-ibmpc. If anyone has any other claims on any other
code in our library please let us know. -wab]
------------------------------
From: nishri@gpu.utcs.toronto.edu (Alex Nishri)
Subject: Notes Taken at IBM Announcement
Date: 4 Apr 87 21:01:58 GMT
Organization: University of Toronto Computing Services
IBM made about 250 individual product announcements on April 2, 1987. This
is a summary compiled from notes I took at a seminar given April 3 by the
Toronto IBM Customer Center.
IBM announced a new line of personal computers which they called the
"Personal System/2 (TM)". Four models were announced:
Model 8530 8550 8560 8580
Configs 002/021 021 041/071 041/071/111
Code Name Palace Trailboss Roughride Wrangler
Available now in stores now in stores now in stores Summer 1987
Typical Config* $4300 $6400 $10,000 $17,000
Similiar config PC XT is $7000 XT286 is $10000 PC AT is $13000 --
Same "power" as PC AT -- -- IBM 370/168
CPU Chip 8086 80286 80286 80386
Clock Mhz 8 10 10 16/16/20
Wait States 0 1 1 1
Main Mem MB .640 1 1 1/2/2
Max Mem MB 2 7 15 16
Disk MB 0/20 20 44/70 44/70/115
Max Disk MB 20 20 88/185 88/185/230
Avg access ms 85 80 40/32 40/32/32
Trans rate/sec 5 5 5/10 5/10
Diskette (MB) .720 1.44 1.44 1.44
min/max number 1/2 1/2 1/2 1/2
Micro Channel no yes yes yes
Stands on desk desk floor floor
old I/O slots 3 - - -
* Example showing where "typical configuration" price comes from: a model 30
configuration 021 is $3600. For the price in table a $900 display was added.
You cannot upgrade a machine from one model to the next.
The model 80 has 3 32-bit slots and 5 16-bit slots.
The configuration numbers can be interpreted as follows. The first two digits
talk about the amount of fixed disk. The third tells you the number of
diskettes you have. So the 8530 configuration 002 has no fixed disks and two
3.5" diskettes. The 8530 configuration 021 has a 20 meg fixed disk and one
3.5" diskette. And so on.
The PS2 machines are "software compatible" with current programs.
The Micro Channel (TM) is a 32-bit parallel bus architecture. (The
architecture is 32-bit although the implementation on the 80286 based models
50 and 60 only handles 16-bits of data.) The new Micro Channel supports up to
15 processors using the channel, so that, for example, the CPU might be
talking to memory while the network card talks to your disks. There is an
arbitration scheme. There is a burst mode, so that a disk could send 16 bytes
of data to the processor at one time.
Other misc Micro Channel trivia:
- The Micro Channel is handled by the BIOS, not the operating system.
- Architected provision for more than one 80286/80386 on bus.
- I/O cards, both IBM's & other vendor's, will not be dependent on clock
speed.
- number of ground pins on I/O cards is increased.
- cards are self-configuring on bus.
Whereas the old PC family was built mostly with components off the shelf, the
PS2 has about 80% IBM designed and developed components. Many of the old
adapter cards have been replaced by chips on the planar. (So although the
model 30 only has three I/O slots, none of these slots are required for
a monitor adapter, a printer adapter, or a diskette adapter.)
All the PS2 machines use the same new graphics implemented in two
chips on the system board. For backward compatibility, these chips
will support CGA and EGA graphics. The input to the screen coming
from the chip is now analog instead of the digital signal which comes
out of the old PC monitor adapter cards.
IBM announced four new monitors. All use analog input signals and are usable
directly with PS2 machines without buying additional adapters. They are
usable with PC machines using a special adapter.
size 12" 14" 12" 16"
color monochrome color color color
resolution medium high high
price $389 $515 $1059 $2400
The color screens support images with up to 256 colors selected from a palette
of 262,144 colors. Monochrome graphics supports up to 64 shades of grey. The
graphics chips on the PS2 system board also do image smoothing.
Mode Type Colors Alpha Address
0+ 1+ A/N 16/256K 40x25 360x400
2+ 3+ A/N 16/256K 80x25 720x400
7+ A/N --- 80x25 720x400
11 APA 2/256K 80x30 640x480
12 APA 16/256K 80x30 640x480
13 APA 256/256K 40x25 320x200
Unity Aspect Ratio
The PS2 machines are ergonomically designed - the on/off switch is at the
front. The whole machine consists of parts which either snap together or are
held together by thumb screws. No screw driver necessary to take a PS2 apart
or put one together. There are also no dip switches to set.
All PS2 machines use 3.5 inch diskettes, not 5.25 inch. The model 30 uses
720K format, the model 50, 60, & 80 use the 1.44 MB format. The 1.44MB drive
can read the 720K format. For those with 5.25 inch floppies, IBM announced a
new outboard 5.25 inch drive for use with the PS2 machines. Another
alternative announced for 5.25 to 3.5 inch migration was a $50.00 connector by
which you connect the parallel port of your old PC to the parallel port of
your PS2, and then transfer data from one to the other.
There is new disk cache for PS2. Disk performance is also doubled by using
ESDI (enhanced small device interface). Interleaving on the PS2 is 1:1
instead of the PC/AT's 3:1 or the PC/XT's 6:1. (This means that a PS2 can
read a track of data in one disk revolution whereas a PC/AT takes three and
the PC/XT takes six.)
In the PS2 there can be up to eight DMA accesses going on at one time.
Memory is faster. And memory is now packaged as 512K x 9 SIPs instead
of as plug in chips as in the PC. A SIP (which stands for Single Inline
Packaging) is about the size of a pen.
The PS2 can provide security using the older key method and/or by
assigning an optional password. When you turn on your PS2 it will ask
you for your password and, if correctly entered, it will let you use it.
The IBM Enhanced PC keyboard is standard across all PS2 models.
The PS2 comes with the ABIOS (Advanced BIOS) to support the new hardware like
the 3.5" disk. ABIOS also has provision to work with the new operating system
which will be available later. For backward compatibility the CBIOS
(Compatibility BIOS) is available.
IBM will publish its BIOS interfaces, I/O Card interfaces, and Micro Channel
interfaces. IBM will not publish how its all put together.
IBM announced four new printers. The IBM Proprinter II (TM) is a near letter
quality 9-wire dot matrix (price $819), the IBM Proprinter X24 is a 24-wire
dot matrix letter quality with 240 cps (price $1100), the IBM Proprinter XL24
is a wide-carriage version of the X24 (price $1600), and the IBM Quietwriter
III (TM) is an "executive letter-quality" printer with eight on line fonts
(price $4300).
Also announced was a "solution pack for desk-top publishing". It consists of
a Personal System 2 model 30, all of the software you need, a mouse, and a new
IBM six page per minute printer designed for desk top publishing. (Price for
entire working package $13,000.)
IBM announced a new 200MB optical disk. You can put up to eight of these on a
system (for 1600MB max capacity.) It uses WORM (write once, read multiple
times) technology and the cartridge will be $60. You can install this device
on the PC or PS2 machines.
IBM announced a new streaming tape with a 55MB capacity. For backups, if its
small use diskettes, if there is more to backup use the more expensive
streaming tape, and if there is lots to back up use the still more expensive
optical disk.
In the software area, IBM announced DOS 3.3. Summary of the changes:
- attrib command has option to do subdirectories
- improvements to backup/restore including speedup and ability
to backup to unformatted disks.
- can partition hard disk into multiple DOS partitions. (This is the
method used to get around the old 32MB restriction. Multiple
partitions are used, each one being a logical disk. So drive C:,
D:, and F: might all be one physical drive.)
- support for 1.4MB 3.5" floppy.
- access to environ vars from bat files.
- new DEVICE=DISPLAY.SYS and PRINTER.SYS option in CONFIG.SYS.
- improvements in serial port support so can handle 19.2K bps.
- extensions so you can use more than 640K (example: if using TOPVIEW)
IBM introduced the "Work Station" (WS) program. Using DOS, WS and a
card, any PS2 will give you the capability of the current 3270/PC (i.e
four host sessions, six PC sessions, windowing, note pad, etc.)
Also announced was Operating System/2 (TM).
- no 640K memory limit.
- no 32MB limit on disk size.
- multi-tasking
- "standard edition" OS/2 will be out 1st quarter 1988.
- "extended edition" of OS/2 will be out 1st quarter in 1989. It will have a
database manager and a communications manager. OS/2 extended edition
will also abide by IBM's new Systems Application Architecture.(SAA will be
an evolutionary set of standards to provide common user access and common
programming interfaces to an application. For example, the PF keys might
finally be consistent! SAA also will prove cross system consistency and
source level compatibility for applications across operating systems on
PS2, S/3x, and S/370.)
- will run on existing XT 286 and PC AT.
The PC Network Baseband (over twisted-pair) was announced. (This runs the
same software as the Token-Ring and PC Network, but is much cheaper and
simpler to install.) Various other LAN announcements were made. Various
cards are available to use the PS2 with existing networks, etc.
IBM has indicated its intent to have its AIX operating system running on the
PS2 model 80 some day. (i.e Unix on the 386 processor only.)
(TM) IBM Personal Computer XT, Personal Computer AT, Proprinter, Quietwriter
and IBM PC Network are registered trademarks of International Business
Machines Corporation. Personal System/2, Operating System/2, and
Micro Channel are trademarks of International Business Machines
Corporation. IBM Canada Ltd., a related company, is a registered user.
DISCLAIMER: I do not work for IBM. I have not verified anything I
have written.
[Sorry this took so long to get here, but it is the best written
summary of the new announcement yet. -wab]
------------------------------
From: dayton!umn-cs!haberman@rutgers.edu (Joe Habermann)
Date: 10 Apr 87 19:10:17 GMT
Subject: DOS 3.2 Editing Patch
Organization: University of Minnesota, Minneapolis
I recently saw this on the net in comp.sys.ibm.pc, and I would like to
know how to "patch" DOS at the boot stage (with a .COM file?) I've
got an IBM AT running 3.2. I'm assuming that you make Debug write a
COM file. forcing those commands into DOS. I'd appreciate it if
someone could show me explicitly how to do this. We have MSC 4.0 and
MSA 1.1. It would be best if I could do it in C but debug or
assembler would be fine.
Not only are the editing features available in DOS 3.20 (patch below),
but I find it *extremely* hard to believe that the format program
could just occasionally replace four different non-consecutive bytes
of one of the system files with NOP's (which is what the difference
between having Ctrl-U & Ctrl-W and not amounts to).
The following code fragment is identical in both DOS 3.10 and DOS 3.20
-- it is located at offset (using DEBUG) 1DB9 in former and 1E96 in
the latter.
>> 3C 17 CMP AL,17
>> 74 5E JZ $+60
>> 3C 15 CMP AL,15
>> 74 51 JZ $+53
All that is really necessary here are the two JZ instructions. In
some versions of DOS it seems they were left out (but the CMP's are
still done!)
>>Brian Campbell
Joe Habermann
Systems Group
Dept of Computer Science
University of Minnesota, Mpls
haberman@umn-cs.ARPA
..haberman@umn-cs.UUCP
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 87 16:06:40 EDT
From: Kurt Fickie (IBD) <fickie@BRL.ARPA>
Subject: Okidata 84 Serial Cable
Message-ID: <8704111606.aa14365@IBD.BRL.ARPA>
I have an Okidata 84 serial printer which has
served me many years on a CP/M machine. I would
like to pass it on to another hacker for use on
an IBM PC. Unfortunately, my manual predates the
PC, so there is no wire diagram. We tried the
obvious things and got it to send a buffer but
did not get the XON/XOFF working.
I called Okidata, but their information of
IBM Okidata
2-------3
5 ------6&20
6-------11
7-------7
4 to 5
did not work for me. Would someone please send
me the correct pin-outs? I looked in a catalog
which suggests that the Star Gemini, Panasonic,
and TI serial printers will use the same cable
(whatever it is).
Please respond to me direct, since the whole
readership is probably not that interested.
Thanks.
Kurt
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 87 11:30:14 PDT
From: Dixon_Low%SFU.Mailnet@umix.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Logitech Mouse and Windows
I am using an IBM AT clone and if I first run my Logitech Mouse driver
and then attempt to run MS Windows, the mouse will not respond.
Windows still runs fine except I have to use keyboard commands since
the mouse for some reason does not respond.
Even if I run the Logitech mouse driver then do a Control-Alt-Delete
then run MS Windows, the program will not take any input from the mouse.
Note that it is a Serial Mouse on COM2.
Thanks.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 11 Apr 87 11:34:04 PDT
From: Dixon_Low%SFU.Mailnet@umix.cc.umich.edu
Subject: DIP Switch Settings for Miniscribe 2012
Does anybody have some kind of manual that tells what the different
DIP shunt settings do on the Miniscribe 2012 10meg drive.
That is the little IC socket jumper block on the Hard drive circuit board.
(The Miniscribe 2012 is the original IBM XT 10 meg drive).
I am trying to find out what combinations are for drive select 1 , 2 etc.
(Thanks for all the info you guys gave me on the Miniscribe 2012 on the
AT problem I had earlier. It now works!)
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 07:25:48 PDT
From: ROME%ORN.MFENET@nmfecc.arpa
Subject: Copy Problems
I have a real IBM PC with an IBM expansion chassis in which is mounted an
IBM 10 Mb hard disk. I'm running PC DOS 3.2. I am having trouble writing
certain files to ANY disk. For example, in Lotus's Manuscript, the setup
file does not write correctly. It has exactly the correct number of bytes,
but the beginning of the file has only FFh's in it. This also happens to
the WordPerfect Calendar file CALENDAR.FIL. I can even get into a state
where I have a good version of the file and can't copy it correctly to
any disk with COPY or XCOPY. The /V switch is on and reports no errors.
However, when I look at the copied file with the Norton Utility, the begin-
ning is filled with all FFh's. This problem persists even with a plain
vanilla system (i.e no resident programs). HELP......
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 18:35 EST
From: REILLY@wharton-10.arpa
Subject: Microsoft DIAL
Has anyone used this service? Microsoft doesn't seem to give
any quantity of use information, or offer one day to look around
free.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 12 Apr 87 21:39 EDT
From: Daniele Montanari <MONTAN1%BRANDEIS.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu>
Subject: Paradise Graphic & Autoswitch EGA boards
I have a Paradise Graphics Card with a C module on top, holding all the extra
memory (384K), the ports and the clock of my IBM XT.
I am considering buying the Autoswitch EGA, and I wonder:
1. how does this EGA perform? (I have read good reviews in several magazines,
but none of them was really enthusiastic). Both positive and negative
feedback would be appreciated;
2. if I install the EGA in my machine, can the two cards live together? How
can I switch from one to the other?
3. the graphics card needs a little piece of software to control the display
properly (this is perhaps the only thing that I don't like about this card).
Does the Autoswitch come with the same "feature"?
You may send the info directly to me, and I will summarize for the net.
Thanks.
Daniele Montanari
Dept of Math
Brandeis University
BITNET address: MONTAN1@BRANDEIS
(from ARPA it should be something like
MONTAN1%BRANDEIS.BITNET@WISCVM.WISC.EDU )
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 14:49:17 PST
From: dbercel@Sun.COM (Danielle Bercel, MIS Systems Programming)
Subject: Epson to Postscript
Is anyone aware of a program that will read a document
formatted with Epson (or other) escape sequences and
output a postscript file?
danielle
--
UUCP: {hplabs,decvax,}!sun!toto!{danielle,dbercel}
ARPA: dbercel@sun.com or dbercel@sun.arpa
/-------------------------------------\
| Toto, I don't think this is Kansas. | -- Danielle Bercel
\-------------------------------------/ Sun Microsystems, Inc.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 13 Apr 87 18:29:27 PDT
From: gts%violet.Berkeley.EDU@berkeley.edu (Greg Small)
Subject: IBM PC Network vs. Shift-PrtSc
The IBM PC Network Program specifically prevents Shift-PrtSc from printing the
screen if LPT1: is redirected to a network printer. This is quite annoying.
If the print screen interrupt, int 5, is reset to go to the BIOS (F000:FF54)
then print screen works to a network printer. Does anyone know any gotchas for
this patch or know why IBM prevented screen printing?
Greg Small (415)642-5979
Personal Computer Networking & Communications gts@opal.Berkeley.EDU
216 Evans Hall CFC ucbvax!jade!opal!gts
University of California, Berkeley, Ca 94720 SPGGTS@UCBCMSA.BITNET
------------------------------
From: <bet%dukeac%relay.cs.net@relay.cs.net>
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 87 04:26:31 est
Subject: Memory Speed of IBM's PS/2 models 50 and 60
I went to an IBM presentation, and they claimed that the memory system for
these critters, built around IBM's new 1Mbit chips, was 80ns. These are
supposed to be the same chips they are using in their mainframes.
-Bennett
Bennett Todd, Duke User Services, Durham, NC 27706-7756; +1 919 684 3695
UUCP: ...{philabs,akgua,decvax,ihnp4}!mcnc!ecsvax!dukeac!bet
BITNET: DBTODD@TUCC
[See other message in this digest. These new machines use SIPS which the ATT
machines have used for years. -wab]
------------------------------
Date: Tue 14 Apr 87 08:42:57-EDT
From: Serge A. Plotkin <PLOTKIN@XX.LCS.MIT.EDU>
Subject: Linear Algebra package in C.
I would appreciate any pointers to a reasonably good linear algebra
package.
I am using Lattice C and hence I would like to get
a package that is either written in C or interfaces directly to C.
- Serge Plotkin
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 14 Apr 1987 08:18 PST
From: PAAAAA7%CALSTATE.BITNET@wiscvm.wisc.edu
Subject: Drive Speed Adjust - How?
Here is an easy one: Where is the controlling pot for
the drive speed? It *used* to be on the analog board, but
I can't see it there anymore. Has it been moved nearer the
power supply?
Rich McGee
<PAAAAA7@CALSTATE.EDU>
[For which drives?? -wab]
------------------------------
From: Joseph G. Chin <genrad!panda!jgc.UUCP@seismo.css.gov>
Date: 14 Apr 87 14:49:05 GMT
Subject: 47th St. Mail Order
Organization: GenRad, Inc., Concord, Mass.
Lines: 12
Has anyone ever dealt with 47th St. Photo in New York? I
ordered something from them and have been waiting for the past
FOUR weeks! They keep telling me that the item is in and I should
receive it in 2 to 3 days. NOTHING! I can't even get thru to them
on their phone lines! Has anyone ever had these problems with them?
I can't even get thru to cancel the order!
Thanks,
Joe
[I assume they are closed for Passover. -wab]
------------------------------
End of Info-IBMPC Digest
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