Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (02/07/90)
Info-Mac Digest Tue, 6 Feb 90 Volume 8 : Issue 24
Today's Topics:
Any ideas?
Downloading GIF
Generic SCSI disks on a MacPlus
Help wanted on LocalTalk/PC
Hypercard Developer's Stack
LaserWriters and VendaCard systems
Mac C Development Options?
Math Equation Editors
More on serial line LaserWriter
Naughty Code warning from Virus Rx 1.6
Pascal matrix routines
pause in animation
Postscript on the LaserJet?!
Request for help
Scroll bars in lists
SIMM questions
Startup Colors
Stuffit directory utility?
Writing on Macs vs PCs
Your Info-Mac Moderators are Bill Lipa, Lance Nakata, 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 are in /info-mac/help. Indicies are in
/info-mac/help/recent-files.txt and /info-mac/help/all-files.txt.
Please send articles and binaries to info-mac@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
Send administrative mail to info-mac-request@sumex-aim.stanford.edu.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 90 17:41 EST
From: <DANNY%BCVMS.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu> (Lassaiz les bon temps rouler!)
Subject: Any ideas?
Greetings,
Does anyone in the audience have any experience with Mac software that
"emulates" an X-terminal (lets you use your Mac as an X-terminal) so that you
can run X-Windows on it using a UNIX workstation as a host?
I understand there may be a product out (CAD related, perhaps?) that lets you do
just this, but I'm not sure. Any ideas anyone?
Thanks,
Dan Henderson
Boston College
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 90 09:26:22 EST
From: Michael LeBlanc <MLEBLANC%UOGUELPH.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Downloading GIF
I've been trying to download some GIF files from remote sources using FTP.
The wisdom here on the net concerning GIF downloading has been most helpful.
I'm using Giffer 1.03, and I've managed to get Giffer to recognize the file
once I've downloaded it to my Mac, but it comes out to the screen as garbage.
First question: I've noticed that these files list differently than most in my
CMS readerlist, with block sizes of 8196 and 4098 rather than something like
64. Am I supposed to alter this number somehow before or after FTP'ing?
Second question: I'm using Red Ryder 10.3 Kermit to download these files. It
starts the download and recognizes the first 3 or so blocks as binary, then it
switches back to text. Should I have changed any of the kermit prefs?
------------------------------
Date: 03 Feb 90 0214 PST
From: Tovar <TVR%CCRMA-F4@sail.stanford.edu>
Subject: Generic SCSI disks on a MacPlus
[This message may be excessively long for general posting. Perhaps there
should be a SCSI sublist, but i've been too lazy/busy to start one. If you
think this would be better as a seperate file, please give guidance on format,
etc., and i will compose a separate message to reference it suitable for
general posting. In any case, i tried to send one to the person directly,
which may or may not get there, but this is probably of interest to others
as well. You may decide the easier and/or best thing is to just post this.
Make sure you delete this preface if you do. -- TVR]
As documented in Tech. Note. 96, there are a number of problems with many SCSI
drives before System 4.1 and especially during the boot process. There are two
problems you may be seeing, which may or may not be easy to fix. Technical
details follow and many may want to skip the rest of this paragraph. The first
one is that many non-"Platinum" MacPlus's do a SCSI Reset in the loop looking
for valid boot volumes. This causes some drives to react with an SCSI Attn,
which the MacPlus ROM is not expecting. The fix for this is described below.
The second is the MacPlus ROM doesn't handle complex TIBs (pseudo-DMA command
lists) properly in some cases, and certainly don't do "blind" transfers
properly for most drives. This is all corrected once the system is fully
initialized. Nonetheless, as another writer recently pointed out, this type of
problem is particularly difficult to track down, since during the boot process
MacsBug doesn't handle keyboard I/O properly, if one even gets far enough to
load MacsBug. These problems require changes to the disk driver to fix, or
using another disk driver. You may be able to use the drive in the interim, if
you're lucky.
There is a two fixes to the SCSI Reset bug, one of which is clean and the other
crude but effective. The clean fix is the tell the drive not to issue the SCSI
Attn, assuming both the setup program and the drive know how to do this. The
crude fix is to suppress SCSI Reset, preferrably on the drive end of the SCSI
bus. If the drive uses 50 pin flat cable, there are commercial adapters which
you can use to switch out certain pins (locally, Fry's Electronics has them,
and other places probably do as well). If not, you can put one on the back of
the MacPlus, which suppresses SCSI Reset for the entire SCSI bus.
You can make an adapter to do this with a matching pair of DB25 (usually used
for RS232) connectors, one "short-tailed" wire-wrap and the other solder type.
Clip the offending wire-wrap pin in half (see I-M V4 for exact pin) and solder
the remaining 24 wire-wrap pins straight through to the solder socket, to make
an adapter which connects everything else except RESET. It does not matter
(obviously) which type is male and which is female, so long as you have one of
each. Attach this between MacPlus and your SCSI cable, and this will suppress
SCSI Reset entirely. The disadvantage of this is that you will probably have
to power cycle your SCSI devices if things ever got badly wedged (unlikely if
your configuration is simple). The mechanically inclined may want put a box
around the adapter and add a momentary contact switch to allow RESET to go
through selectively, so as to avoid power cycling (bad for disks), if this
becomes a problem.
As mentioned before, you'll need to change your SCSI driver if that doesn't fix
it, as it is probably not checking ROM version and/or doing too complex an
operation too early. You may have to go to another driver. I'm not familiar
with it, but SF&I has been around long enough that it probably does the right
thing. Others may as well. Meanwhile, as you have observed, you can often
boot from another drive, as then patches to the SCSI calls are been loaded.
I booted from floppy for a month or so until i was able to fix my problems, so
you do have that option. Make a System Folder with all your INITs, etc., but
minimal fonts, and running almost anything off the hard disk will switch to
the hard disk system, with a full set of fonts and desk accessories.
One of the few things i agree with Bo3b about, (at least on a MacPlus) if you
are not technically inclined and don't have time to mess around for awhile, you
should probably use a commercial product, or at least have someone who suitably
knowledgable do the initial setup for you. You will probably also get good
backup and partitioning software as well that well. But if you are a hacker
[in the traditional rather than media sense], it can be satisfying to do your
own work, particularly if you can change things to suit your individual
situation. Good luck whatever route you choose.
-- Tovar <TVR@SAIL.Stanford.Edu>
P.S. Needless to say, you follow this advice strictly at your own risk! Exact
details omitted both for brevity and to insure technical competence.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 90 17:34:57 EST
From: williams@cbl.umd.edu (Bill Williams)
Subject: Help wanted on LocalTalk/PC
I'm quite a novice in the LocalTalk business, and so I hope I have a simple
problem that someone else can solve for me quickly:
We just got (finally, after a loooong wait) our new AppleShare/PC soft-
ware, and I installed it and the card on the NEC Powermate it was destined
for. The sole purpose of this installation was to allow the NEC to talk
with our NEC Silentwriter, which is connected to the Macs, without having
to switch manually back and forth between parallel and appletalk modes on
the printer (thus making the printer disappear to all the Macs). We have
no server. Anyway, it doesn't work. Usually, the PC hangs up with the
message "Registering Name" displayed on the screen. Very occasionally, it
gets past this message, but the Silentwriter isn't displayed on the DA
screen as a printer I can connect to. Once, it did, and I even got a
document to the printer, but nothing printed.
But the typical situation is hanging up at "REgistering Name" time. Any
suggestions? My dealer is working on it, but she's 50 miles away and
takes a week to return phone calls (to be honest, I'm pretty hard to get
on the phone).
-Bill Williams
St. Mary's College of Maryland
(Out in the Sticks!)
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 90 13:29:33 EST
From: Mike Fessler <ST801723%BROWNVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Hypercard Developer's Stack
Does anyone know where I can FTP the latest version of the Hypercard
Developer's Stack? A few months ago, I FTP'ed a copy of it from somewhere,
but it wouldn't work with my version of Hypercard, so I canned it. Not a week
later, someone gave me a copy of the program that would fix the developer's
stack. So now, I have the means to repair and use it, but not the stack
itself. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks!!!
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 90 23:31 PST
From: SAM@pomona.claremont.edu
Subject: LaserWriters and VendaCard systems
We have recently invested much time and money on installing vendacard systems
to our lab laserwriters in an attempt to become cash free. We use the same
company that our libraries use and get reimbursed through the vending company.
My question is: "Has anyone else in the education community done this?"
Although the vending company promised no problems, we have encountered many.
We have installed the units on IIntx's and Plus'. If anyone has a company
or a technician who we can refer our problems to, we would certainly appreciate
it.
Please send responses to me directly. Thank you.
Sam Cropsey
Microsystems Manager, Pomona College
BITNET:SAM@POMONA
INTERNET:SAM@POMONA.CLAREMONT.EDU
------------------------------
Date: 3 Feb 90 12:00:22 PST
From: gunther.PA@xerox.com
Subject: Mac C Development Options?
I have a pile of C source that was developed under my Megamax compiler a
few years ago. Megamax is amongst the dear departed now and the compiler
does not run under Sys 6.0.2 which I am now using. I would like to
recompile some of the old C applications. You've all heard this question
ebfore - no doubt ... Do I spend the money on yet another 3rd-party C
compiler (which seems to mean THINK-C these days) or move over to (the more
expensive, but Apple supported) MPW (assuming C is available there)???
Any other suggestions are welcomed. Also whatever happened to Aztec-C??
My current configuration is: Mac+/1MB RAM/40MB Quantum HD.
Neil Gunther
Principal Scientist
Strategic Performance Group
Pyramid Technology
Mt. View, CA
------------------------------
Date: 03 FEB 90 14:36 CET
From: UG142BC%DM0LRZ01.BITNET@cunyvm.cuny.edu
Subject: Math Equation Editors
In V8I21 siegman@sierra.stanford.edu (Anthony E. Siegman) writes:
> In response to a recent inquiry on this subject, I'd strongly urge
> anyone wanting to do mathematical equations in papers, and especially
> in a thesis or dissertation, to learn TeX and acquire Textures for the
> Mac. It's not that hard to learn (doing simple things can be very
>
> [deleted]...
While I agree that it's a good idea to learn TeX, I think it's a bad
idea to acquire TeXtures. The last version I worked with was 1.01
(I don't use TeXtures anymore), and it had several major problems,
I remember only the following:
- After quitting and clicking `Cancel' to the question
`Save changes to xxx?' all program windows disappeared, and menu
selections were simply ignored. The only way out was the reset button,
and the changes to xxx were lost...
- Although the documentation stated that IniTeX was included,
it was not possible to dump a complete new format file,
because TeXtures refused to accept the `\hyphen' command.
(With the message: `The \hyphen command is only allowed in IniTeX', or so)
We contacted Blue Sky Research and waited six month for an answer,
then they sent us a LaTeX format file with german hyphenation pattern
loaded -- we were still not able do dump our own formats.
Perhaps the biggest problem with TeXtures is that the programmer(s)
decided to use a Macintosh font format (FONT resources) for the
Computer Modern Fonts, instead of using one of the TeX (.pk or even
pxl) formats. This was easy to implement (since QuickDraw does
most of the work), but it eats up your hard disk ,and you have to
write a program to convert between these formats if you need a font
not provided with TeXtures, e.g. if you need an AMS-font in a size
other than 10pt. Worst of all, TeXtures does not notify you if a
requested size is not available, it just allows QuickDraw to scale
it. It is a real fun to discover this in the printed output...
There is more to say (on the built-in `editor', on FONT resource
numbering conflicts, on the speed, on the price...) but I think
it's time to stop now.
If you need TeX on the Mac, save $$500 (or so) and take a look at
the PD OzTeX.
Markus Fest, FB Math, LMU Munich, West Germany
Bitnet: ug142bc@DM0LRZ01
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 90 00:12:26 PST
From: Ray_Davison@cc.sfu.ca
Subject: More on serial line LaserWriter
A few issues back in Info-Mac, I gave a description of turning the
LaserWriter driver into a serial port PostScript driver. Since then
I have received a couple of messages, mostly asking for similar
updates for the version 6.0 driver (are you people never satisfied :-)
I also recieved a hint on doing one thing differently (see below).
In light of that, I have applied the updates to version 6.0 of the
driver, and present the new formula below:
Resource PDEF number 125
(first always write to a "file")
location From To
v5.2 v6.0
B96 C78 '57C0' '51C0'
B9A C7C '56C0' '50C0'
BA2 C84 '57C0' '50C0' ('51C0' for Laser Prep)
BAA C8C '57C1' '51C1' ('50C1' for Laser Prep)
BB8 C9A '57C1' '50C1'
(the hint on doing this part differently was to modify resource
DITL number -8191 to make the "Disk File" box visible. The
problem I had with this is that the box doesn't stay "ticked"
between uses of the driver, so you have to retick the box each
time. This didn't do me much good since I always want to send
the print job to the serial port. If I am missing something, I
hope someone will let me know.)
(next don't create a file (still in resource PDEF/125))
location From To
v5.2 v6.0 V5.2 V6.0
D96 E9E '554F' '558F' '6038'
(next, don't do _SetEOF)
location From To
v5.2 v6.0
142C 1860 '660C' '600C'
Resource STR number -8191
Change this from "PostScript" to ".BOut" for the printer port,
or ".AOut" for the modem port.
Resource STR number -8159
Change to a useful message instead of "Creating PostScript File".
For example "Sending print job to Unix".
Resource PAPA number -8192
Change the name of the printer if you want to.
Ray Davison
Simon Fraser University
Ray_Davison@cc.sfu.ca
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 90 16:21:30 PST
From: dplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt)
Subject: Naughty Code warning from Virus Rx 1.6
The "naughty code" warning indicates that your Desktop file contains a
resource whose type matches that of a valid "executable code" class.
You probably have either or both of two specific applications on your
hard disk: Adobe Separator (which has a signature-code of 'ADBS', matching
the type used for ADB driver code) or an old version of the FKEY Manager
application (which has a signature code of 'FKEY', matching the type
which holds command-shift-N function-key code).
I'd suggest using Disinfectant 1.5 or later... I believe that it "realizes"
that the six-byte 'ADBS' or 'FKEY' resource in the Desktop file is really
an application signature, not a virus. Virus Rx is a bit more sensitive,
and reports even these small signatures as being "naughty".
--
Dave Platt VOICE: (415) 493-8805
UUCP: ...!{ames,apple,uunet}!coherent!dplatt DOMAIN: dplatt@coherent.com
INTERNET: coherent!dplatt@ames.arpa, ...@uunet.uu.net
USNAIL: Coherent Thought Inc. 3350 West Bayshore #205 Palo Alto CA 94303
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 3 Feb 1990 10:52:50 EST
From: MON2IER@sunrise.acs.syr.edu (Mark Monmonier)
Subject: Pascal matrix routines
Does anyone know of a library of Pascal (preferably Turbo, or compatible)
functions for matrix manipulation (including inversion) and statistical
processing of matrix data?
------------------------------
Date: Sun 4 Feb 90 15:35:47-PST
From: Gregg Kasten <P.PROTEUS@macbeth.stanford.edu>
Subject: pause in animation
I own a MAC SE with a hard drive and an internal 800K disk drive. I run the
following INITs and CDEVs: Gatekeeper, Gatekeeper Aid, Superclock!, and
AutoBlackINIT. I also startup with Superspool. My problem is this: When I
run programs that involve animation, such as games and animation demos,
there is a noticeable pause in the animation sequence about once every
5 seconds. I know people with similar configurations on the SEs, but none
report this problem. Does anybody else have a similar problem and/or
solutions? Any suggestions will be much appreciated. Thank you.
Gregg L. Kasten
proteus@portia.stanford.edu
-------
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 2 Feb 90 23:07 EDT
From: Veljko Roskar <ROSKAR@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu>
Subject: Postscript on the LaserJet?!
Hi there!
In a recent issue there was posted a ResEdit patch for the Laserwriter 5.2
driver so that you can drive a Laserwriter through one of the serial ports
as opposed through Appletalk.
This brings up an interesting thought on an inexpensive way to get Postscript
output on an HP Laserjet II printer. For about $500 you can buy Pacific Page's
Postscript emulation cartridge for the Laserjet and hook up your Mac with a
serial cable to it.
My guess is it should work (although probably much slower), perhaps with a
different patch, but hey, the total cost can be kept under $2200! You will
need 2.5Mb of memory in the Laserjet, though. The Pacific Page cartridge
emulates a Laserwriter IINT for a PC, so maybe it will do the same for
the Mac!?
If anybody has done what I described above please tell me about your
experience and I'll summarize for the Digest.
Regards,
Veljko Roskar
Dept. of Chemical Engineering roskar@jhuvms.bitnet
The Johns Hopkins University roskar@jhuvms.hcf.jhu.edu
------------------------------
Date: Sunday, 4 February 1990 15:42-MST
From: John Gilbert <Gilbert@redstone-emh2.army.mil>
Subject: Request for help
I have a source program written in Megamax C that I am converting to
Think C. I don't have the Megamax headers and I am losing a lot of
time figuring them out. I can't find any reference to Megamax. Can
anyone tell me how to reach them, or, if they are out of business,
send me a copy of the headers? The ones I need are:
tooutils.h
events.h
files.h
devices.h
osutils.h
asym.h
Thanks in advance. This is getting pretty frustrating.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 90 11:36:10 CST
From: Michael Hanrahan <C09615MH@wuvmd.bitnet>
Subject: Scroll bars in lists
Hi,
I'm trying to design a list (as in List Manager) which lists
members of a group of strings. I can add things to the list and
have the list displayed with a scroll bar, but for some reason,
I can't get the scroll bar activated so one can scroll through the
list. This is true even if there are more items in the list than
the list can display in the window I have given it.
I can't see any List Manager-specific calls to make to activate a
scroll bar for a list. I've even gotten the handle to the scroll bar
and passed it to the Control Manager routine which is supposed to
activate it to no avail. Any ideas?
THANKS!
Michael Hanrahan
Educational Computing Services
Washington University
St. Louis, MO 63130
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 90 19:04:14 EST
From: Toshi_Shoji@ub.cc.umich.edu
Subject: SIMM questions
I have an SE w/2.5MB. Since the price of SIMMs became lower,
I am considering to upgrade my memory to 4MB. I got the current
SIMMs from Canon Sales in Tokyo in December '88. (Since no chips
were found in the U.S., I got them from Tokyo, which cost me
about $700 plus shipping.) Problem is that I don't know the speed
of the RAM that I bought from Canon. (It may be 80ns, but I don't
know.) Please let me know the following:
1) Is there any problem if SIMMs of different speed are used ?
2) Does anyone happen to know how fast the Canon's SIMM speed is?
3) Is there any reliable mail-order company which deals with
SIMMs (and please let me know their price, if possible)
Appreciated if you could let me know directly.
Thank you in advance. Toshi
***GO BLUE***
Toshi Shoji, University of Michigan
Internet: Toshi_Shoji@ub.cc.umich.edu
BITNET: USER6R89@UMICHUB
***GO BLUE***
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 02 Feb 90 22:58:09 EST
From: mjkobb@media-lab.media.mit.edu
Subject: Startup Colors
In V8 #21, Espen Jarle Vestre writes:
>After being upgraded to IIX, two machines in our department now display
>black and white startup screens (one of them has a StartupScreen file, the
>other one shows the standard screen in black and white). The man who
>did the upgrading has no idea what this could be. It is of course a minor
>problem, but, it makes me curious.
I've seen this behavior exhibited on My IIx when it is set to 24-bit color.
I suspect (don't quote me) that the StartupScreen routine is run before the
System loads 32-bit QuickDraw. Since the System doesn't know how to deal with
most 24-bit color cards without 32-bit QD, it throws the image up in B&W. The
solution, then is to shut the Mac down with it in 8-bit mode. There's a
terrific fkey called Switch-a-Roo which toggles the screen between different
bit depths at the stroke of a key. Furthermore, its changes do not last after
you shut down. So, you can set the Mac to 256 colors from the Control Panel,
then switch it to 24-bit when you need it (or 1-bit, or 2-bit, or whatever),
and when you reboot, you'll be back in 256-color, and your startup will work
fine.
If the machines in question don't have 24-bit cards, well, make sure that
they're actually in 8-bit when you shut down. Otherwise, I don't know.
Version 1.2 of Switch-a-Roo is available for anonymous ftp from
sumex-aim.stanford.edu. Login anonymous, password guest. It's in
/info-mac/fkey.
Hope this helps,
--Mike
P.S. I'm cross-posting this to the net since it may be of general interest.
------------------------------
Date: Sun, 4 Feb 1990 12:38:39 EST
From: RICH@suhep.phy.syr.edu (Richard S. Holmes)
Subject: Stuffit directory utility?
Is there a utility that will display, and let you store as a text file, the
contents of a Stuffit archive -- including folder contents?
This would be useful to people who store infrequently-used files to floppies.
Rich Holmes
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Richard S. Holmes Phone: (315)443-3891 or
Physics Department -2701
Syracuse University Bitnet: rich@suhep
Syracuse, NY 13244 Internet: rich@suhep.phy.syr.edu
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
DISCLAIMER: I have no opinions.
------------------------------
Date: Sat, 03 Feb 90 16:59:38 CST
From: Graeme Forbes <PL0BALF@vm.tcs.tulane.edu>
Subject: Writing on Macs vs PCs
Those of you who teach classes where students have to write essays will be
interested in an article in the January "Academic Computing", "Can the Machine
Maim the Message?" by Marcia Peoples Halio. Halio is Assistant Director in
the Writing Program at the University of Delaware. For some semesters she
taught freshman composition using IBM PCs and then in Spring '87 she taught
a section using the Mac. I quote her reaction to the first batch of essays:
"...never before in twelve years of teaching had I seen such a sloppy bunch
of papers."
The thesis of her article is that the Mac makes for bad writing in a way
that the PC doesn't. Though students can choose which machine they use
in the course, she thinks that they all start out with equal writing skills
(because they all have comparable SATs - is this a good reason?). Yet the
Mac papers are littered with violations of English grammar, have short para-
graphs and short sentences resulting in lack of developed or complex thought,
and are written in the English of the advertising industry (which presumably
aims for the lcd). She confirmed these impressions by running 20 randomly
selected essays from both IBM and Mac sections through a VAX text analysis
program. She also noted a difference in choice of topics: Mac students write
about fast food, dating, the idiot box etc., PC students write about capital
punishment, teenage pregnancy, nuclear war.
Why the differences? Various possibilities are suggested. Students tend to get
sloppy if something is too easy. A command line interface makes you concentrate
and makes you sensitive to a demand for precision. The Mac seems like a toy
while sitting down in front of an IBM means serious business (what will happen
when they all run Windows or PM?). The Mac focuses too much attention on
appearance and too little on content. And so on.
(My own observation about Mac writing is the compulsion some people have
to use "it's" (abbreviates "it is") when they mean "its" (possessive).)
Does anyone have similar experience to Halio's or ideas about explanations?
Is anyone at a school where the writing classes use Macs with full-page dis-
plays?
A final note: Halio doesn't know if the effect wears off, and if it does,
how long it takes.
Graeme Forbes
Bitnet: pl0balf at tcsvm
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
******************************