Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (The Moderators) (08/26/89)
Info-Mac Digest Fri, 25 Aug 89 Volume 7 : Issue 150
Today's Topics:
[C44JMS%AVIARY.gm@hac2arpa.hac.com : Mac/Atari compatibility query
Bug in THINK C 4.0 "ANSI" library
CalendarMaker
Communications program query
Demo version of Stepping Out II
HOW CAN I ACCESS THE SERIAL PORT FROM HYPERCARD ?
in need of applelink addresses
Keeping a harddisk on 24 hours a day?
Mac Moria available
Modems
Password Protecting the Macintosh
Presentation Graphics
Radius Accelerator on Mac plus
Response: Z Format Decompression
Turning PostScript test page off
ugly vertical fonts revisited
Unzip.hqx
WaveMetrics address
XCMDs Compatability and SuperCard
ZipPop.Hqx
Your Info-Mac Moderators are Bill Lipa, Lance Nakata, and Jon Pugh.
The Info-Mac archives are available (by using FTP, account anonymous,
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----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 16:21:29 +0200
From: Ingemar Ragnemalm <ingemar@isy.liu.se>
Subject: [C44JMS%AVIARY.gm@hac2arpa.hac.com : Mac/Atari compatibility query
In comp.sys.mac.digest you write:
>At the risk of proposing heresy to the net, does anyone out there
>know of peripherals that will allow the Atari to run programs
>developed for the Mac?
>Joan M. Saniuk Disclaimer: opinions, when I
>c44jms@aviary.gmgate.hac.com have any, are my own.
Yes, there are at least three or four different ones. You'd better check out
the atari newsgroup. There were some postings about this recently.
I know about MagicSac, Aladdin and Spectre. (The names might be more or
less misspelled.) MagicSac is the oldest, I think, and I don't know if
it works properly. Maybe. Someone said that the Spectre could read Mac
disks using the original Atari drive. That sounds really good. It
would be an awful pain to transfer programs over the serial ports.
I hope this helps,
Ingemar
--
Dept. of Electrical Engineering ...!uunet!mcvax!enea!rainier!ingemar
..
University of Linkoping, Sweden ingemar@isy.liu.se
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 10:17:21 PDT
From: dplatt@coherent.com (Dave Platt)
Subject: Bug in THINK C 4.0 "ANSI" library
I ran across a bug in the THINK C 4.0 libraries last night. It affects
the "scanf" function (and its avatars "sscanf" and "fscanf") in the
ANSI library-set.
The bug lies in the floating-point numeric scanner. Floating-point
numbers that lie in the range (0.0, 0.1) may not be decoded properly.
If "scanf" scans the string "0.00235", for example, it will return the
value 0.235; in effect, the leading zeros to the right of the decimal
point are discarded.
Rich Siegal tells me that Symantec is aware of the bug, but has not
yet released an official fix. He's seen the one I used, though, and
suggested that I post it.
The fix is quite simple: move two lines in the "scanf.c" source file,
and then bring up to date the ANSI project and all of its cousins
(ANSI-small, etc.).
Here is the code as originally released in the THINK C 4.0 library set:
/* (floating) process each digit */
case -2:
if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') {
F.valid = TRUE;
if (c != '0' || D.sig[0]) {
if (D.sig[0] < sizeof D.sig - 1)
D.sig[++D.sig[0]] = c;
if (F.dot)
--D.exp;
}
}
else if (c == '.' && !F.dot)
F.dot = TRUE;
else if ((c == 'e' || c == 'E') && F.valid) {
base = 10;
F.valid = FALSE;
state = 0;
}
else
goto pushback;
break;
Here's the version after the fix is installed:
/* (floating) process each digit */
case -2:
if (c >= '0' && c <= '9') {
F.valid = TRUE;
if (c != '0' || D.sig[0]) {
if (D.sig[0] < sizeof D.sig - 1)
D.sig[++D.sig[0]] = c;
}
if (F.dot) /* moved by DCP */
--D.exp; /* moved by DCP */
}
else if (c == '.' && !F.dot)
F.dot = TRUE;
else if ((c == 'e' || c == 'E') && F.valid) {
base = 10;
F.valid = FALSE;
state = 0;
}
else
goto pushback;
break;
This fix appears to resolve the problem; as far as I can tell it has no
ill effects. Use at your own risk; your mileage may vary; void
where prohibited, taxed, or regulated.
Dave Platt FIDONET: Dave Platt on 1:204/444 VOICE: (415) 493-8805
UUCP: ...!{ames,sun,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: Thu, 24 Aug 89 18:12:01 PDT
From: PUGH@ccc.mfecc.llnl.gov
Subject: CalendarMaker
I'm looking at a demo of CalendarMaker from Don Brown and I was wondering if
the Import File option can read some sort of text file. We have a scheduling
program running on our Crays and it would be nice if we could just download a
file and have CalendarMaker read it and print out the finished calendar.
Does anybody know enough about CalendarMaker? Also, is this thing available
in stores or only mail order?
Jon
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 08:14:44 PDT
From: Robert_Slade@cc.sfu.ca
Subject: Communications program query
I am in need of a terminal emulator which has "scripting" capabilities to
automate complicated signons. I am currently testing Mac240 and MacKermit.
Neither are suitable to my needs. I also need VT240 emulation.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 89 13:06:24 PDT
From: HMICHEL%CALSTATE.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: Demo version of Stepping Out II
Here is the demo version of Stepping Out II. Bruce Burkhalter from
berkeley system design, inc. was kind enough to send it to me after a
I had called asking the usual mindless questions. The demo is fully
functional with the added feature of displaying an "About box" every
2 minutes for about 20 seconds. You get to see how it works but you'll
get pretty tired of the box.
As you Stepping Out users already know, it's slick! On my 1 meg Mac SE
a 20" virtual monitor uses 192K. Slide the mouse to the right--zip--you've
panned to the right margin. Ditto for up, down and left. On my miniscule
9" monitor I did notice that I did have to do a little thinking to keep
>From getting lost--which I'm sure would get worse with even bigger virtual
screens.
Speaking of bigger, just dinking around I found out the maximum size screen
it would let you define is 8399 by 4751 pixels which is approximately
10' by 8'. On my SE that would use 4940K. I, uh, wasn't able to try it out.
The binhexed stuffit file contains the init/cdev and a 2 page MacWrite
document.
Michael W. Fleming, Instructional Computing Consultant, Computer Services
California State University, 9001 Stockdale Hwy, Bakersfield, Ca. 93311-1099
Voice: (805) 664-2309 (24hrs) Fax: (805) 664-3194 (24hrs)
Home: 2408 Barnett St., Bakersfield, Ca. 93308, Phone: (805) 399-6542
Bitnet: HMICHEL@CALSTATE Internet: HMICHEL%CALSTATE.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Disclaimer: I directly represent only myself; indirectly, God and all creation.
[Archived as /info-mac/demo/stepping-out-ii.hqx; 89K]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 AUG 89 11:42 N
From: RONCHETTI%ITNVAX.CINECA.IT@forsythe.stanford.edu
Subject: HOW CAN I ACCESS THE SERIAL PORT FROM HYPERCARD ?
Does anyone know of a (possibly public domain) hyperstack allowing to access
the serial port? I'm interested in writing a Hypercard stack allowing to use
informations buried into a VAX sitting in the back of my Mac, but I
don't know how to read-from/write-to the serial port from Hypercard.
Please send answers to me (RONCHETT@ITNCISCA), I'll summarize for the net.
Thanks to everyone who can help me solve my problem.
Marco Ronchetti, Universita' di Trento, Italy
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 10:52 EDT
From: Maurice Volaski <V050FN5R@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu>
Subject: in need of applelink addresses
Someone recently asked about the Applelink address for Wavemetrics. Is there
anyone with a listing of who is on applelink. If there is such a list, it
should be posted to the archives.
In particular I am looking for the applelink addresses for Computer
Associates (Cricket Draw) and Aldus (Freehand).
Maurice Volaski
v050fn5r@ubvms
Department of Physiology
University at Buffalo
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 08:42:20 DNT
From: Jakob Nielsen Tech Univ of Denmark <DATJN%NEUVM1.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Keeping a harddisk on 24 hours a day?
What is the best current advice on whether to keep your harddisk running
all the time versus shutting it down for the night??
When I got my first harddisk a few years ago (an Apple SC20), the manual
advised keeping it on unless it was not going to be used for several days
since the spin-up/spin-down would wear it out faster than simply spinning
along. I followed this advice and never had any disk problems.
I now have a 140 MB CMS disk where the manual does not address this question
at all.
------------------------------
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 89 21:25:54 -0700
From: wilson@ucbarpa.berkeley.edu (James E. Wilson)
Subject: Mac Moria available
Here is a binhexed stuffit file containing the first release version of Mac
Moria, version 1.0. This Macintosh port was created by Curtis McCauley, and
is based on my UNIX Moria sources. Moria is a dungeon exploration game,
similar to, but very different from, the UNIX games rogue and hack.
Jim Wilson
wilson@ucbarpa.Berkeley.EDU
[Archived as /info-mac/game/macmoria-part1.hqx; 150K
/info-mac/game/macmoria-part2.hqx; 150K
/info-mac/game/macmoria-part3.hqx; 80K]
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 12:21:12 EDT
From: Michael_Webb@ub.cc.umich.edu
Subject: Modems
I am getting a modem soon, and want to know about some good pd, shareware
and maybe commercial communications packages. Most of what I do is connect
(emulate vt100 usually) to remote hosts (e.g. host ub here at Univ.
of Mich) for mail, etc. (I am currently doing that with terminals).
I also like to do file transfers (using Kermit) from these hosts.
When using Univ. computers here, I have used VersaTerm, which I like, but
I'm not sure I need to spend the $$; maybe there is a good shareware or
freeware program out there. I have two programs that I have never run yet
(no modem!) called QVT, and ZTerm. How do these rate?
On a related note, what are the relative merits of doing file transfer with
Kermit vs. Xmodem, Ymodem and Zmodem?
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Michael Webb University of Michigan Physics Dept. |
| 1038 Randall Laboratory |
| Michael_Webb@ub.cc.umich.edu Ann Arbor, MI 48109 |
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
------------------------------
Date: 24 Aug 89 19:16:00 EST
From: "EJN" <ejn@stc10.ctd.ornl.gov>
Subject: Password Protecting the Macintosh
When powering up a Macintosh, is there any way to password protect the
system so that a password will need to be provided before the system
can be used?
Earl Nall
Martin Marietta Energy Systems, Inc.
Oak Ridge, TN
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 10:58 EST
From: Thomas R. Blake <TBLAKE%BINGVAXA.BITNET@bingvmc.cc.binghamton.edu>
Subject: Presentation Graphics
Folks,
I have been given the following assignment:
Find us a slide maker to work with both Mac's and PC's (PS/2's). Also find
us software to run on both machines.
One slidemaker that could be used with both machines would be the most
desirable. But I am told that one for each would be acceptable.
MacWorld July 1989 had a review of File Recorders, and the reviewer places
Agfa Matrix's SlideWriter as the premier recorder for the Mac. I have played
with Aldus Persuasion a bit, and we are quite pleased with PageMaker. So I had
kinda figured on going with Persuasion.
Now, the subject of the IBM. I've heard of Harvard Graphics, and 35mm
Express. But I don't have a nice library of PC World's to search for reviews.
Some of you folks out there must be doing presentation graphics, and
producing 35mm slides. Please, drop me a line.
I need something to put in a lab where non-skilled/semi-skilled faculty and
staff will be able to use it.
1. What Slide Machines are you using (How, and what do you think):
A: Macintosh
B: IBM-PC (PS/2)
C: (Both)
2. What Presentation programs are you using (How, and how do you like them):
A: Macintosh
B: IBM-PC (PS/2)
Reply to me, and I'll gladly digest it for the list.
TBLAKE@BINGVAXA.BITNET (Prefered) Thomas R. Blake
TBLAKE@bingvaxu.cc.binghamton.edu Lead Programmer/Analyst
Academic Computing Services
SUNY Binghamton
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 24 Aug 89 22:12 EDT
From: DSchwartz@DOCKMASTER.NCSC.MIL
Subject: Radius Accelerator on Mac plus
I have to disagree with several of the recent statements about the
Radius Accelerator for the Mac Plus. Although I have been using the
unit for the last two years, I am totally frustrated by my inability to
get Radius to constructively respond to requests for improvements or
fixes. They seem to want to forget all about this product, and their
support is dwindling to being almost nonexistent. I still can't believe
that it's been over two years since I started these endless rounds of
telephone tag and MacWorld Expo huntdowns of Radius technical and
management personnel!
The Accelerator's biggest problem is it's interaction with the Dataframe
XP20 SCSI hard disk ( and several other SCSI disks as well, I believe ).
The installation of the unit on the Mac Plus causes the XP20's SCSI I/O
rates to slow down by a factor of 3 to 4 times! ( The increases in CPU
speed mask the slowdown for most users, who unfortunately never realize
the potential increased performance levels possible in their machines!
). The problems are due to timing and synchronization in the
implementation of SCSI I/O in the Apple Mac Plus ROMs. Radius is well
aware of the problem, but the changes in their software and/or ROM code
over the years have only degraded the speeds ( despite their marketing
claims to the contrary ). I wasn't even going to keep the last ROM
Upgrade ("V2.0+"), but my AppleCD SC Drive wouldn't work at all without
it.
The second, but less vexing problem for me, is that almost all sounds
come out slightly scratchy, whether or not the Radius FPD is installed.
Software upgrades have slightly improved the situation, but the static
is still annoyingly present.
The final problem is that on the Mac Plus, the Accelerator can't be
turned off! There is no CDEV as in the SE version, so in order to fully
demonstrate the above problems, the Mac must be disassembled and the
piggyback boards removed. ( Not a simple task ). Thus, the user has no
choice but to live with these problems or forget using this accelerator
completely!
Fortunately, the unit's low price tends to make up for its shortcomings,
but a potential purchaser should be aware of these possible problem
areas.
Dana J. Schwartz
Laurel, MD
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 1989 10:01 CDT
From: Kevin Coffel <KCOFFEL%UMINN1.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: Response: Z Format Decompression
For those of you interested, the application to decompress a Unix Z
format on a Mac is called MacCompress 3.2 by Lloyd Chambers. It is
available at various internet sites including Sumex and umn-cs.cs.umn.edu
Thanks for all-
Kevin Coffel
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 10:57:32 edt
From: abboud%cuavax.dnet@netcon.cua.edu (Hisham)
Subject: Turning PostScript test page off
Does anyone know what's the PostScript command that prevents the LaserWriter
>From printing a test page everytime it's turned on? I looked into "My Page
Setup v1.2", but it doesn't do it.
Thanks for any answers.
Hisham.
Hisham A. Abboud
Computer Center/Academic Services
The Catholic University of America
Washington, D.C. 20064
Bitnet: ABBOUD@CUA |
Internet: ABBOUD%CUAVAX.DNET@NETCON.CUA.EDU |
or ABBOUD%CUAVAX.DNET@192.31.193.2 |
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 10:05 EST
From: <FEASTER%IUBACS.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: ugly vertical fonts revisited
Several weeks ago I posted an inquiry asking why we could not get vertical
fonts to print at full resolution on our Cricketgraph output. After much
wailing and gnashing of teeth, we found the answer in an old issue of
MACazine. It is an inherent limitation of our Laserwriter IISC! Since it
isn't a Postscript printer, rotated text gets printed at a wimpy 72 dpi
resolution. We're upgrading to an NT now. Thanks to all who sent helpful
suggestions.
Mickey Feaster FEASTER@IUBACS
Speech Research Lab feaster@gold.bacs.indiana.edu
Indiana University, Bloomington
[Whoever wrote that didn't know what they were talking about. I have written
programs which print rotated text to an SC at 300dpi. It is simply a
software problem. However, if your software doesn't go the extra mile for
an SC, perhaps you are better off upgrading (either software or hardware).
-Bill]
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 89 16:46:10 -0500
From: Don Gilbert <gilbertd@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Subject: Unzip.hqx
UNZIP is a Macintosh Programmer's Workshop tool that I hacked
together from various sources to extract files from a ZIP
archive (as produced by the MS-DOS archiver PKZIP). It is free.
Don Gilbert dogStar Software
gilbertd@iubacs.bitnet gilbertd@gold.bacs.indiana.edu
po box 302 bloomington, in 47405
[Archived as /info-mac/lang/mpw-unzip.hqx; 43K]
------------------------------
Date: 25 Aug 89 09:15:00 EST
From: "ZZT" <zzt@stc10.ctd.ornl.gov>
Subject: WaveMetrics address
I have been able to send mail to Wave Metrics via a BITNET
gateway using the form:
TO: XB.DAS@STANFORD.BITNET
SUBJECT: WaveMetrics@applelink
Note that the Internet address is hidden in the BITNET "subject".
You may also be able to reach them using the direct address,
WaveMetrics@applelink.apple.com
which I have to send as:
wins%"<WaveMetrics@applelink.apple.com>"
or perhaps by an indirect address:
wins%"<WaveMetrics%applelink@apple.com>"
I hope that this helps.
Jon Tischler
BITNET zzt@ornlstc
ARPANET zzt@stc10.ctd.ornl.gov or zzt@ornl.gov
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 89 09:26:36 PDT
From: Paul Romaniuk <PROMAN%UVVM.BITNET@forsythe.stanford.edu>
Subject: XCMDs Compatability and SuperCard
I just received SuperCard this week, and have only started playing with
it a bit. One of the first things I did was convert a HyperCard stack
that I've been working on into a SuperCard project. This stack is
designed to do a bunch of useful things for molecular biologists, like
manipulate DNA sequences (long text strings), and I had written a number
of XCMDs and XFCNs in Think Pascal and TML Pascal to provide a variety
of these special manipulations. However, when I converted my stack to a
SuperCard project, I have found that some XCMDs work OK, and others
crash SuperCard unexpectedly. Needless to say, all of these XCMDs/XFCNs
worked flawlessly in the HyperCard stack. Are there special rules that
one needs to be aware of when writing externals for SuperCard ? The
XCMD that crashes the program opens a handle to a global variable
containing a long text string (typically 100-8000 characters), does some
text munging on it, and returns handles to two global variables - and
somewhere along the way crashes. An XCMD that I tried which work
similarly opens a handle to a global variable, does some other type of
text munging, and returns a handle to a global variable.
Two questions:
1. Can people write in and summarize their experiences in using
externals with SuperCard, and also share any special information they
may have come across?
2. Is there a way to contact the people at Silicon Beach from
Bitnet/Internet?
--Paul Romaniuk
University of Victoria
PROMAN@UVVM
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 89 16:45:37 -0500
From: Don Gilbert <gilbertd@silver.bacs.indiana.edu>
Subject: ZipPop.Hqx
ZipPop is a Macintosh application that I hacked together from
various sources to extract files from a ZIP archive (as produced
by the MS-DOS archiver PKZIP). It is free.
Don Gilbert dogStar Software
gilbertd@iubacs.bitnet gilbertd@gold.bacs.indiana.edu
po box 302 bloomington, in 47405
[Archived as /info-mac/util/zippop.hqx; 55K]
------------------------------
End of Info-Mac Digest
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