info-mac-request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (06/25/91)
Info-Mac Digest Mon, 24 Jun 91 Volume 9 : Issue 145
Today's Topics:
Abatron Multi-Port Box / Publish Serial Port?
Control Key confusion... help!
Cricket Graph & tabs ...
Font & Sound Valet update?
Font Monger problem?
ftp from ftp.apple.com
FYI: Deskwriter and 7.0
Go Master
Higher resolution laserwriter printing ?
IFF format
Info-Mac Digest V9 #144 (2 msgs)
Info on InterCon NFS/Share
jGNEFilter
Librarian query
More on ATC Support Policy
more on RZSZ
mounting a DEC RZ55 disk
Move ICON Images ?
PostScript file printing
ResEdit 2.1 - Can't send over net
ResEdit 2.1 and System 7.0 - some answers...
ResEdit Colour Picker and System 7.0
Shiva systems SE/30 Etherport board
SLIP and NCSA Telnet
Sony disk problems
SuperClock & System 7
TrueType INIT crashes Chinese OS 607
Universal README format redux
The Info-Mac newsgroup is moderated by Bill Lipa and Jon Pugh.
The Info-Mac archives are available (by using FTP, account anonymous,
any password) in the info-mac directory on sumex-aim.stanford.edu
[36.44.0.6]. Help files and indices are in /info-mac/help.
Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 10:36:53 CDT
From: paulr@planet8.planet8.sp.unisys.com (Paul Raulerson)
Subject: Abatron Multi-Port Box / Publish Serial Port?
Two quick questions folks. :)
Does anyone know the name of the company supporting the Abatron
Multitalk box? It is supposedly some company in France, with a
fax that is only up during business hours. A friend of mine bought
one at a computer show and needs to find some software for the
beastie. (Obviously, Abatron doesn't know a thing about them. :)
Also, I am pretty desparate to find some kind of software product
that will let me publish a Mac serial port over an Appletalk network.
Does *anyone* have any info about a product that will do this?
A friend in New Zealand mentioned a product called "ComServe" and
someone somewhere else mentioned something called "SilverServer"
but I have no company name or contact info on either. Any help
would be greatly appreciated! Please either e-mail responses to me,
or post in info-mac since I don't get all the other Mac newsgroups.
Yours,
-Paul
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1991 19:02:32 GMT
From: jjz34245@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Cub Fan - Zim man)
Subject: Control Key confusion... help!
Hi,
While running various programs over the network, I have run into the need
to use the control-K sequence. But when i type these keys on my mac plus,
is pulls down a menu from the desktop called "suitcase".
How can I tell the computer to stop doing this, and send the control-K over
the network?
-Zim
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 07:04:08 PDT
From: Les_Ferch@mtsg.ubc.ca
Subject: Cricket Graph & tabs ...
>...if you have columns where there are blanks, and you use a
>conversion method that changes space runs or white space to tabs,
>wherever there is a blank in a column, your data will shift right
>one column. Yuck.
Left should read "will shift *left* one column".
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 91 20:02 PDT
From: Chris Thomas <CSMSCST@mvs.oac.ucla.edu>
Subject: Font & Sound Valet update?
Can anyone tell me what the current version of Font and Sound Valet
is? The updater I have is 1.1, dated 4/21/89, and there seems to
be nothing recent in the SUMEX archive. Thanks.
Chris Thomas
CSMSCST @ MVS.OAC.UCLA.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1991 09:41:00 +0200
Subject: Font Monger problem?
Hi netters,
I have made some work with the Font Monger program, in order to convert
PostScript files into True Type format. The problem comes with the LaserWriter
fonts from Adobe.
I loose the characters 128 to 141 (ASCII) in converting ZapfDingbats. They
appear in the "ZapfDingbats 12" bitmap file, but they are replaced by a square
when printed.
I also loose the characters 173, 176, 178, 179, 182-186, 189, 195, 197, 198,
202, 215 and 240 in the Avant-Garde, Bookman, Palatino, Zapf Chancery fonts.
They also appear in the bitmap file but not in the True Type file...
Can anybody help me ? What is the problem ?
Thanks for the help !
Keep smiling
Sincerely,
Steve Jordi
University of Geneva
Switzerland
jordi@sc2a.unige.ch
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 91 14:39:32 -0400
From: jones@estsc1.dnet.nasa.gov
Subject: ftp from ftp.apple.com
Dear net landers,
I have still not yet been able to get any files from ftp.apple.com,
though i never had any problems from the old apple.com.
My main problem is that i do not have direct connection to the
internet, and have to work through a gateway. This means that i
do not really see what is going on, i just request a file and
wait for it to arrive. This does not work on ftp.apple.com as i
always get a "network partner exited" error mesage.
Would somebody please help me with this problem, or point me to
who can.
many thanks
andrew Jones AJONES@SOLAR.STANFORD.EDU
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 1991 12:34:09 GMT
From: tlt38517@uxa.cso.uiuc.edu (Terry Lee Thiel)
Subject: FYI: Deskwriter and 7.0
>I have a HP Deskwriter ink jet printer connected to a Mac IIsi. I have
>found out that the current printer driver (Release 2) will not work with
>System 7.0 using virtual memory.
>I have contacted HP customer support, and they told me that it is a known
>bug, and that they didn't know if it was Apple's problem or theirs. They
also
>told me that the AppleTalk Deskwriter driver would work with virtual
>memory, but of course you have to run an appletalk cable to your printer.
>I have not yet tried this.
There has been some discussion of this problem on the net. There are currently
two solutions to this problem.
1. Buy two phonenet connectors for about $13.00 each and hook up your
DeskWriter via Appletalk. Make sure you use the Appletalk printer driver. I
am using this setup and it works very well.
2. It has been reported on the net that setting your Mac to 32-bit mode will
also eliminate the problem. Since I have an SE/30 with dirty ROMs and I have
not tried this myself. It should work for you since the IIsi has clean ROMs.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank Apple for screwing those of us
with dirty ROMs by not providing an upgrade.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 11:48:15 -0400
From: ctchou@kodak.com (JOE CHOU, CTCHOU@KODAK.COM, INTERNET)
Subject: Go Master
Does anyone know how well this game Go Master perform? Is it easy to beat
the computer? Are there other Go game programs that are tougher than Go
Master?
Thanks for any reply.
Chou
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 17:23 N
From: <HEWAT%FRILL.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> (HEWAT@FRILL51, F-76-48-72-13 [or26] FAX 76-4...)
Subject: Higher resolution laserwriter printing ?
Distribution-File:
info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu
Does anyone have experience of laserwriters with better than 300 dpi ?
For example, Xante advertises their Accel-a-Writer upgrade that is supposed to
increase the resolution to 1200 x 300 dpi, and is also supposed to be faster.
Alan Hewat, ILL Grenoble France (HEWAT@FRILL.BITNET)
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 11:36:22 GMT
From: Andrea Viscovich 259872/SM <turner@alessia.dei.unipd.it>
Subject: IFF format
Does anybody know if is it possible to change IFF format into 'snd '?
IFF is a standard file format for Amiga(I have recorded some sound,
and I want to know if it's possible to hear them in the
Mac.Thanks
Andrea.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 91 14:25 CST
From: WILLIAMS@gamma.is.tcu.edu
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V9 #144
I have seen numerous requests for information regarding cables for USRobotics
and other high-speed modems. These modems require a special cable that
connects the RTS of the modem to the DTR of the mac.
If you want to build it yourself, here is the pinout for the cable that I have
been using for almost a year with a Dual Standard HST:
Macintosh MINI DIN-8 Male --------> RS-232 DB-25 Male
1--------> 20, and 4
2--------> 5
3--------> 2
8,4------> 7
5--------> 3
7--------> 8
6 is not connected.
Where to buy a cable as described:
One source I have found to purchase a custom cable is...
Cables & Chips
121 Fulton Street
New York, NY 10038
(800) 843-4117
(212) 619-3132 (in NY)
FAX: (212) 619-3982
The price will be around $20.00 and they will charge to your credit card
or ship COD.
[this description is from the Hermes bbs documentation (c) 1990-1, F. Price]
Mark Williams
gamma.is.tcu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 1991 11:19:25 PDT
From: Jesse_M._Evans.El_Segundo@xerox.com
Subject: Info-Mac Digest V9 #144
Hi,
I recently purchased a IIsi to replace my aging PlusEquivalent Mac and
I have a few questions:
I had a neat init on my Plus that would install a random picture in
place of the standard desktop pattern. This no longer works in the IIsi. (I
was running 6.0.1 on the Plus, I think, and the IIsi runs under 6.0.7.) Can
anyone tell me why or if there is something similar available?
Also, I've been following the "leave it ON vs. OFF" thread for a while
and I got to wondering if ON means plugged in or up and running? Since the
IIsi is always ON, at least enough to be able to read the power switch on the
keyboard, I be somewhat confused.
'til next we type
HAVE FUN!! -- Jesse
------------------------------
Date: 21 Jun 91 10:30:39 AST
From: ga_black <GA_BLACK@bionet.stanford.edu>
Subject: Info on InterCon NFS/Share
Hi Folks,
I am interested in receiving comments or 1st hand experiences about
using the InterCon NFS/Share to emulate AppleShare from NFS hosts.
Is this the product that does not require additional host software
on top of NFS? Would it work ethernetted to a Cyber 860?
Please respond directly. If there is a substantial response, I will
summarize to the net.
Thanks
Jerry Black GA_Black@bionet.bio.ns.ca
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 11:25:14 GMT
From: Andrea Viscovich 259872/SM <turner@alessia.dei.unipd.it>
Subject: jGNEFilter
Can anybody help me and tell me how to use jGNEfilter to do
an INIT that beeps every 3 second or when key pressed?
Thanking in advance ,BYE BYE from Italy!
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 91 0:32:37 EDT
From: "Sid B. Bernstein" (AED-EWD|ARCS) <sidb@pica.army.mil>
Subject: Librarian query
Hi,
A friend, a librarian in an elementary school, has just received a
new Mac. Unfortunately she has no software to go with the Mac to help
support librarian type duties that she is interested in doing. Are there
any good programs out there that can be recommended for her use?
Anything would be helpful. She has seen nothing in her catalogs
for use on the Mac. She also has an old Apple II, but the software is
not usable on the Mac. I know that the new board to do II type stuff on the
Mac is coming out or has just been released but that doesn't help her, she
has no work type stuff for the Apple either.
Thanx,
Sid
------------------------------
Date: Saturday, 22 Jun 1991 18:29:52 EDT
From: "Jeffrey N. Fritz" <JFRITZ%WVNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: More on ATC Support Policy
Bill Cockayne responded to my concerns regarding the loss of the ATC program.
For Bill's information (and others)his assumption that "universities usually
have a large help staff already on-site and therefore do not need a full-time
ATC" is dead wrong. Maybe SOME universities have large staffs to support their
Macs, but ours certainly doesn't. Although we are the largest higher ed in the
state, we don't have a full time ATC, an Apple account exec, or a dedicated SE.
It is the ATC VOLUNTEER program that has sustained and keep Apple alive on our
campus. I suspect that we are in no way unique.
Bill maybe interested to know that we have had an official response from within
Apple to our concerns. Apparently quite a few Apple execs agree with our
concern over the elimination of the free tech support access to the ATCs.
(Let's be correct, it's not that the ATC program has been eliminated as Bill
says - ATCs can still access AppleLink tech operations if they or their company
forks over $2K per year to Apple for the privilege.)
We are recommending to Apple that they provide a two-tiered approach to support.
Those who want or demand direct telephone contact and immediate answers from
Apple should pay for it. $2,000 is not unreasonable for those who demand such
support. For the rest of us (pun intended!), we should be able to get free
support provided we are willing to use AppleLink and wait a day or so for a
response.
We are following through with our attempts (feeble as they might be) to get
Apple to reconsider its policy. If that doesn't work it is likely that Apple
machines will be entirely unsupported on our campus. When that day comes, a
number of us who count ourselves as Apple boosters will have no choice but to
recommend that departments and individuals stay away from Macs. That would
indeed be tragic!
**** As always these words are from my own head and do not represent ****
West Virginia Universities or my department
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 12:26:33 -0400
From: ctchou@kodak.com (JOE CHOU, CTCHOU@KODAK.COM, INTERNET)
Subject: more on RZSZ
Someone just posted a note to Info-PC saying that RZSZ only worked with
Omen's product (DSZ that is) but if you sent in registration fee, they
would send you a copy that would work with other company's programs.
Also I have received mails from people who claim they have RZSZ and Zterm
working together flawlessly. I don't know if that was registered version or
not.
Chou
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 91 11:07:28 EDT
From: adobe!ais.tsd.eds.com!ceb@labrea.stanford.edu (Charles E. Bess)
Subject: mounting a DEC RZ55 disk
Is there anyway to get the DEC RZ55 drive mounted on the Mac? All the
SCSI formatting tools I have don't even see it, althought the SCSI
utility I have knows there is a DEC RZ55 out there.
Thanks
Charles E. Bess Internet: ceb@ais.tsd.eds.com
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 21 Jun 91 15:55:11 EDT
From: Steve Greenfield <FEATS%VTVM1.bitnet@ricevm1.rice.edu>
Subject: Move ICON Images ?
I picked up a stack that someone created that has hundreds of ICON images.
I also have an application called Calendar Maker 2.2.1 that allows one to
create customized monthly calendars. The Calendar application has 20 or
so pictures (icons ?) that can be put into a day's square so when you print
the monthly calendar you get a picture to remind you of some event! For
example, if my wife's birthday is July 7th, I can put the birthday cake
picture into the square for the 7th and after printing the month I have
a visual reminder. Am I making sense? Anyway, what I would like to do is
copy some of the icons that came with the stack, I mentioned previously,
and use them in the calendar for visual reminders! Is this possible? Thanks!
Internet: feats@vtvm1.cc.vt.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 91 19:58:58 JST
From: Dr. Paul Fons <paul@bk.tsukuba.ac.jp>
Subject: PostScript file printing
I was wondering if anyone found a "clean" way to print postscript
files (of the sort that sendPS was used for) under system 7.0. I
was under the impression from reading here that it was possible
to print a file by dragging its icon on top of the appropriate
print manager (laserWriter for example). This apparently doesn't
work. I did get sendPS to work by putting another copy of the laserwriter
extension in the system folder proper, but this is not particularly
elegant. Is there a better way to print a postscript file under 7.0?
Paul Fons, University of Tsukuba, Institute of Applied Physics
------------------------------
Date: 22 Jun 91 18:02:25 GMT
From: draphsor@medisg.stanford.edu (Matt "Rollie" Rollefson)
Subject: ResEdit 2.1 - Can't send over net
Info-Mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu writes:
>Joshua J Hart <STUHART%EKU.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> writes:
>>Subject: ResEdit???
>> I am actively looking fo the most recent version of ResEdit that i can get
>>my hands on.
>The most recent version is 2.1. It is very nice.
>>As i understand it, the program is "Shareware" (or equivelant --
>>written by apple and all :) )
>Wrong. ResEdit is a commercial program marketed by APDA. It is
>available for purchase from APDA and authorized groups/services
>that have paid a licensing fee. We went through this quite a while
>ago here on info-mac.
>>I have version 1.2 , but need the most recent
>>version available. (I looked in Macserve@pucc .. No luck in finding it there)
>Of course, as Info-mac does NOT charge a fee for the downloading.
Well, not necessarily true. I don't think that whether the service
charges for downloading is directly related to whether or not they can
get a license to distribute it. (Actually, I'm pretty sure it's not.) If
you mean, 'of course, because the maintainers of Info-Mac have no desire
to pay the licensing fee to allow it to be downloaded from their site'
I'd buy it.
>> Does anybody know where i might be able to find it?
>APDA, America Online, CI$, and maybe Genie, as well as from a few
>distributed programming disks, like d e v e l o p from APDA,
>and some others.
It's also available directly from apple, for free. ftp ftp.apple.com.
login is anonymous. Resedit 2.1, including examples, some sample source
(I believe) and other goodies is in the /dts/mac/tools/resedit
directory.
>>Or could someone send it to me direct? Mail, or Vmsdump
>>would be greatly appreciated!
>
>And also illegal.
>
>Greg Trimper Trimper@I.Wish.Things.Were.Simpler
--
Draphsor vo'drun-Aelf draphsor@medisg.stanford.edu
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 17:57:35 SDT
From: ALexander Falk <FALK2%EDVZ.UNI-Linz.AC.@@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: ResEdit 2.1 and System 7.0 - some answers...
In a recent posting Reinder Verlinde <reinder@nueretp.biol.ruu.nl> asked
about ResEdit 2.1 and System Software 7.0 features. I'll try to give
some answers wherever I know them:
1) Starting with System Software 7.0 Apple is using a dynamic resource
decompression technique that saves a lot of disk space, yet does not
result in a performance decrease during runtime. On the contrary, on
machines with slow I/O this techique increases the speed at which
resources are loaded into memory, because loading and decompressing the
compressed resource takes less time than loading an uncompressed version
of the same resource. This dynamic resource decompression is optimized
for both code and graphics and is patched directly into the resource
manager and is thus transparent to all application and system functions.
The decompression code is stored in resources of type 'dcmp' and there
are different decompressors for different types of data (code, graphics,
etc.). A flag in the extended resource attributes indicates if a resource
is compressed or not and what kind of decompressor is to be used. Since
ResEdit has to be able to edit System 7.0 resources even while running
under System 6.0.x (at least it had to do just that while 7.0 was still
under construction...) those decompression patches are also temporarily
installed by ResEdit whenever it detects that it does run on a pre-7.0
system. Since ResEdit is capable of dynamically decompressing resource
whether System 7.0 is present or not, ResEdit itself also contains
a lot of compressed resources (all pictures and almost all of the code
resources). There is, however, one disadvantage to this compression
technique: while yielding high decompression rates the compression
algorithm itself is rather slow (as far as I remember ResEdit itself
needed about 4 hours on a IIci to be compressed...). To the best of
my knowledge the program that compresses resources is so far not being
made available to 3rd party developers. Oh, by the way, ResEdit does
NOT contain the compression code, so whenever you edit or copy a
compressed resource it will automatically be decompressed!
2) About auto-positioning: I believe I once saw a technical (or human
interface note) about this, but I don't exactly remember where it was
so I'll need to check and I can hopefully write more later.
3) These unnecessary color animations you are experiencing on a IIsi
are probably caused by ResEdit's own palette which is used for all
the picker windows. It is most definitely a bug and will hopefully
be fixed in the forthcoming 2.1.1 release. It could also be connected
with the pixel-depth of the screen you are using. Try switching the
screen to 16 or 256 color mode and see if the behavior changes.
Hope this explains some things a bit.....
(A)(L)exander (F)alk <FALK2@edvz.uni-linz.ac.at>
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 23 Jun 91 13:13:43 +0100
From: Darkinbad The Good! <hpj%cxa.dl.ac.uk@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: ResEdit Colour Picker and System 7.0
I have been using ResEdit 2.1 with 6.0.7 for a couple of months and found that
it had a really useful feature. This was that it allowed me to choose a colour
for a dialog for instance even though I am using a B/W machine (Classic).
It does this my invoking some kind of pretend colour picker which allows me to
at least choose a colour albeit in B/W. This colour picker is just like the
one found in the color Cdev on Colour Machines except the colours are shades.
This mean't that I could develop software on my B/W machine at home and then
test it later my Mac IIx at work. So What the problem?
Well with system 7.0 ResEdit 2.1 quit unexpectedly when I try to choose a
colouras I have been doing before. It dosen't warm me that I am not using a
colour
machine or even try to put up the pseudo colour picker. It just quits. I
then get System Error 29 Resedit has quit unexpectedly!
What is error 29? It's not listed in System Errors DA 3.0 or in any of IM 1-5.
I hope someone can shed some light on this problem. Is there any way that I can
patch this pseudo color picker into my own programs? Is it just a patch to
a ROM call?
Thanks. Peter Hardman hpj@cxa.dl.ac.uk
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 91 15:04:51 JST
From: Dr. Paul Fons <paul@bk.tsukuba.ac.jp>
Subject: Shiva systems SE/30 Etherport board
Has anyone out there gotten Shiva systems SE/30 Etherport board to work
with system 7.0?
Paul Fons, paul@bk.tsukuba.ac.jp, Inst. of App. Phys.
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 14:35:01 -0700
From: "Donald R. Proctor (415/987-0356)" <spgdrp@ganges.ucop.edu>
Subject: SLIP and NCSA Telnet
I've heard that NCSA Telnet v2.3 supports a SLIP connection if you
specify hardware=slip9600 in your config.tel file. Has anybody had
success using this over a dialup line?
If so, I'd be interested in any hints you might be able to share.
Thanks, Don.
------------------------------
Date: Friday, 21 Jun 1991 21:53:48 EDT
From: "Jeffrey N. Fritz" <JFRITZ%WVNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Sony disk problems
A netter recently wrote:
I had a problem translating one of three files that were on a diskette from
work. After retrying, the one file was successfully translated. I was
backing up my hard drive to get ready to install System 7.0. I started to
reformat some DOS formatted disks to do my backups when three disks in a row
would not initialize! I've only had the MAC for 60 days and I doubt that
dust would be causing the problem. The diskettes were sold by SONY.
This may not be the same thing, but it seems that FDHD drives are very
senstive to media problems. After continued failures with 3Ms and
Memorex HD disks, I switched to Sony. I still have 3 or 4 failures
per month. Most Sonys fail after a month or two of casual use. This
can happen on any of the 4 Macs that I regularly use. Have others had
problems with Sony? What disks seem to be the most reliable?
Interestingly, I've never seen a review of disks in any computer mag
(Mac or otherwise). I sent the disks back to Sony with a letter of
explanation. So far there has been silence.
What has your experience been?
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 08:16:22 EST
From: Murph Sewall <SEWALL%UCONNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: SuperClock & System 7
Does anyone know if Steve Christensen is planning on improving SuperClock?
System 7's sound manager (which also is incorporated in 6.0.7) permits
more than one sound to occur at once (at least on 68030 Macs). I assume
that SuperClock could be fixed so that that the chime can sound without
bringing everything else to a halt for the duration.
Also, I've encountered a strange little glitch with a file transfer
protocol (TinCan's PC Trans). If SuperClock is installed TinCan "quits
unexpectedly" as soon as an upload is attempted (oddly enough TinCan's
kermit and XModem transfers don't experience the problem).
Nothing that comes with SuperClock indicates a domain address for Steve;
perhaps someone can contact him on AOL, Genie, or ALink??
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 22 Jun 91 13:24 N
From: MBFYS_NU%HNYKUN51.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: TrueType INIT crashes Chinese OS 607
Hi,
I have just installed Chinese OS 6.07 on a Mac Classic
with 2M RAM and a 40MB hard driver. Since I have a Style Writer
I want to use TrueType fonts with Chinese 607. But if I drag
True Type INIT into Chinese System folder and reboot the system
again, the Chinese character display is disabled. It appears that
TrueType INIT only works with English OS. Does anybody have a
solution to this problem or any suggestion?
Thanx in advance,
hong@galba.mbfys.kun.nl
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 19:25:13 EDT
From: jeteye@cbl.umd.edu (James Love)
Subject: Universal README format redux
The latest edition of the "Diskette Gazette" [Vol. 25] includes a
brief review of a nifty new utility called "Make...Notes" v1.2 that would
seem to be an ideal solution to the on-going debate re: a universal README
format. Make...Notes [Acropolis Software] is described as "a simple text
processor with the application built into the document. It thus generates
SELF-OPENING documents and makes each one double-clickable. No external
application program is required. This allows you to send [or post] data,
information, notes, instructions, etc. .... to any Mac user without worrying
whether the recipient has an appropriate application that will open the
document .... just double-click .... and it opens itself."
"When a Make...Notes document is opened, it makes use of the regular
Macintosh File and Edit menus. A read-only version can be created using the
Save as... dialog, as can a conventional text-only document. [Its] icon is
a combination of the standard document and application icons [with] two
check marks that represent the double-click needed to open it."
If such a program became the standard for archival text files much as
StuffIt [and later Compact Pro] became the de facto compression standard,
the ongoing debate re: TeachText vs. MacWrite vs. DOCMaker vs. [insert your
favorite text processor here] for archival README files could be resolved
quite satisfactorily. Best of all, the price for this bit of magic is only
$17.00 through the Diskette Gazette, probably less if ordered directly from
the vendor. Comments, flames, etc. welcome .... Disclaimer: I have no
affiliation with either the Diskette Gazette or Acropolis Software, and post
these comments only to more widely disseminate what seems to me to be an
ideal solution to a vexing problem.
For more information contact:
The Diskette Gazette
International Datawares Inc.
2278 Trade Zone Blvd.
San Jose, CA 95131
(800) 222-6032 [orders only]
(408) 262-6660 [information/customer service]
(800) 322-9331 [24 Hour Fax]
Jim Love <jeteye@cbl.umd.edu> Univ. of Maryland System / Solomons, MD (USA)
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Date: Mon, 24 Jun 91 16:37:53 CDT
From: jdw4374@cec2.wustl.edu (Jeff Wolman)
Hello to all those out in the Net!
I was curious if someone could recommend a good piece of software
that could do system accounting. Basically, I'm looking for a INIT/
CDEV/app/whatever that can track which user has used a Mac, what
applications were run, how long they were on the Mac, etc. There are
a couple of hitches, however.
1) If it's an INIT (like I think it should be), it will have to fit on
a 800K system disk with System 6.0.3.
2) The applications that will be run will (eventually) migrate to a
Unix machine running K-AShare. If this accounting can be done
from the Unix side, so much the better. If it can be done on the
Unix side, can a system like the C2 Unix accounting system (or
something similar) be used to do the accounting?
I know that is quite a mouthful, but I think that something like
what I want is out there, and I just need to be show where it is.
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