Info-Mac-Request@SUMEX-AIM.STANFORD.EDU (Jon Pugh and Lance Nakata) (09/24/88)
INFO-MAC Digest Saturday, 24 Sep 1988 Volume 6 : Issue 90
Today's Topics:
System Software 6.0.1 *WARNING*
The NeXT Machine
SUMFIXes crashes mac
re: software for theatre work?
Suggestions for Technical Drawing/Illustrating Programs?
Fortran Test Results: Absoft, DCM and Lang. Sys.
Mail Programs Summary
REFLEX+ problem
Name that SCSI controller!
Front & Center 1.03
macps & prepfix - print Mac files on Unix
FontShow 1.1
Pennant Fever
DAFont
Continuum Version 1.01
Reposting of DriveLock (now with customization instructions)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: 21 Sep 88 01:41 EST
From: PCHRISTENSEN%ATL.decnet@GE-CRD.ARPA
Subject: System Software 6.0.1 *WARNING*
Two weeks ago, Apple's shipment of System Software 6.0.1 started to arrive
in the mailboxes of their certified developers. This latest system upgrade
was shipped as two "supplement disks" containing a new System Tools
disk, and a second "catch-all" disk for updates to the remaining three
6.0 distribution disks. Included in the update was the new System and
various updated utilties with over 60 bug fixes, and the new LQ drivers.
This last week, Apple warned NOT TO USE SYSTEM 6.0.1!
Apparently one of the bugs fixed in 6.0.1 (making stylized PostScript
screen fonts match the actual output) happened to change the line
spacing (and in extreme cases the pagination) of documents that had been
created under previous systems. Because of the impact this would have
on the DTP industry, Apple decided to withdraw 6.0.1, correct the spacing,
and release System 6.0.2.
System Software Version 6.0.2 is scheduled to ship sometime this week, and
should be the version that arrives on dealer's shelves, also. It will be
shipped as the traditional 4-disk set (unlike 6.0.1).
Paul Christensen
GE Aerospace/Advanced Technology Laboratories
: :
: PCHRISTENSEN%ATL.DECNET@GE-CRD.ARPA :
: :
------------------------------
Date: Fri, 23 Sep 88 09:45:43 PDT
From: PUGH@NMFECC.ARPA
Subject: The NeXT Machine
Well, I promised not to confirm or deny any rumors, but they said I could
give my impressions, so here is what I thought of the NeXT machine.
It will take the Macintosh II and thrash it within an inch of its life!
Remember that I am a dedicated Macintosh affictionado. I spend a lot of time
using and programming Macs and I am convinced, with a single day's demo, that
the Macintosh II is going to be superceded. The NeXT machine will walk all
over the MacII and the low end Suns. I think there is enough market to keep
all the machines, but Apple and Sun are going to have to scramble to keep up
because the NeXT machine is a blindingly fast machine! They have done the
hardware right, it appears. Add to this some revolutionary software that
makes programming it as easy as programming Hypercard but with all the power
of C, and you have a machine of your dreams.
Be prepared world. NeXT is going to be deadly.
Jon
Don't ask me anything until October 12th when I can reveal all.
The great secret is not having bad manners or any other particular sort of
manners, but having the same manners for all human souls.
-- George Bernard Shaw
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 88 08:50:28 EDT
From: "Drew M. Powles" <dpowles@ccd.bbn.com>
Subject: SUMFIXes crashes mac
I recently fetched the SUMFIXes hqx file for the SUM disk utilities
from SUMEX. They unbinhex and unstuffit just fine, resulting in the
two inits: SHIELD and HDPARTITION. SHIELD is the init that allows you
to keep an map of your volumes for later easy recovery if necessary.
Apparently there were some problems with it and partitions blasting
the disk out of the water under certain circumstances. Anyway, I
booted with the new SHIELD init (I don't use partitions, so I don't
use the other INIT), then tried to change the settings on the SHIELD
init with the Disk Clinic(tm) tools. Everytime I opened the SHIELD
init, my Mac would crash with an ID=02. Needless to say, I'm going
back to the old init. Has anyone else had this problem?
thx,
dmp
------------------------------
Date: Tue 20 Sep 88 15:30:13-PDT
From: Brodie Lockard <I.ISIMO@MACBETH.STANFORD.EDU>
Subject: re: software for theatre work?
The TheatreGame, developed at Stanford University, lets you arrange and
animate characters and props against a variety of stage backgrounds. It's
primarily for blocking, and even lets you play back one animation (e.g.,
Ophelia walks downstage and sits down) while recording another (Hamlet runs
onstage and stops next to her). Characters can be made to stand, sit, kneel
and lie down facing forward, backward, left, right and at 45 degree angles
in between. Their heads can turn independent of their bodies. A variety of
characters, props and stages are provided, and you can create your own.
The TheatreGame is available through the Academic Courseware Exchange at your
local Kinko's copy store.
Brodie Lockard
Courseware Authoring Tools project
Stanford University
I.ISIMO@LEAR.STANFORD.EDU
------------------------------
From: siegman@sierra.STANFORD.EDU (Anthony E. Siegman)
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 1988 16:40:11 PDT
Subject: Suggestions for Technical Drawing/Illustrating Programs?
The drafting room in our lab produces primarily technical illustrations of
the kind you see published as figures in archival publications like Physical
Review, Journal of Applied Physics, or IEEE Transactions--for example:
--plots of numerical data on linear or log axes (usually starting from
originals produced by Cricket Graph or by BASIC or Pascal programs)
--simple block diagrams, sketches of experimental apparatus, etc.
--simple sketches of physical concepts or phenomena
--some freehand sketching (but not a lot)
There are very few fancy pieces of artwork with airbrush shading, or clip
art, or exploded views; no color stuff; and also very little "mechanical
drawing" in the sense of blueprints or shop drawings. We do need
publication quality output that can be photographed and submitted as
"glossies" for articles going to technical and archival journals, as well as
PICT or bitmap files that can be pasted into TeX source files for internal
use. We don't need desktop publishing in the full sense, just the graphics
part.
We're gradually trading in our drafting tables, T squares, and Leroy
lettering sets, and converting to Mac SEs and LaserWriters; but the question
is: What will be the best program (or programs) for our graphics people to
adopt as their standard tools? MacPaint and MacDraw? SuperPaint? One of
the expensive desktop publishing programs?
How about 3D programs (for perspective views of a microwave waveguide setup,
or a train of lenses and light beams, or some similar experimental setup)?
Again, we'd only need this to generate the basic structure of a sketch, to
be polished in a drawing or painting program.
Suggestions will be appreciated.
--siegman@sierra.stanford.edu (internet)
--aesiegman@stanford (BITNET) (I _think_ this address will work)
------------------------------
Date: 20 Sep 88 20:22:00 EDT
From: "Charles E. Bouldin" <bouldin@sed.ceee.nbs.gov>
Subject: Fortran Test Results: Absoft, DCM and Lang. Sys.
This is a set of tests of Fortran compilers which is exerpted from an
article to appear in Mactutor. Here I give a short description and the
test results. I tested: DCM Mactran 77, Language Systems 1.1 MPW
Fortran, Absoft MacFortran 2.4 (beta) and Absoft Risc Architecture
Technology (RAT) in pre-beta for MPW, available now under A/UX. I ran
standard benchmarks: Sieve, Whetstone and Linpack. Therefore I test
efficiency of compile speed, compactness of code generation and exection
speed of "vanilla" Fortran. I do NOT test: (1) Ability to do Mac
interface, (2) Freedom from bugs, (3) Macish-ness or "feel" of the
compilers. First, the objective tests and then my subjective comments at
the end.
Compile and Link Linked Code Size Execution Time
Sieve 5.2 sec (DCM) 155 Kbyte 12.1 secs
9.5 sec (MacFortran) 13 Kbyte 9.8 secs
29.0 sec (Lang. Sys.) 53 Kbyte 13.5 secs
8.6 sec (RAT) 20 Kbyte 9.1 secs
Whet. 11.5 sec (DCM) 160 Kbyte 632K whets
11.6 sec (MacFortran) 16 Kbyte 545K whets
40.2 sec (Lang. Sys.) 55 Kbyte 540K whets
23.0 sec (RAT) 22 Kbyte 830K whets
1054K whets (VAX)
Linpack 14.5 sec (DCM) 171 Kbyte 16.0 secs
13.2secs (MacFortran) 19 Kbyte 12.4 secs
52.8 sec (Lang. Sys.) 59 Kbyte 12.4 secs
26.0 sec (RAT) 24 Kbyte 9.2 secs
4.9 secs (VAX)
If you can't stand MPW, get MacFortran 2.4. A clear winner over DCM in
my opinion, in the stand-alone compiler arena. RAT is also a clear
winner over Lang. Sys. for MPW compilers, but you can't get it until MPW
3.0 appears. God knows when that will be (thanks, Apple).
If you need to work NOW, you have to choose between LS and Absoft.
Absoft definitely is buggier, although 2.4 is much improved. Hard to
give a recommendation about bugs, as one man's bug-ridden nightmare of a
compiler is another's workhorse.
The one to avoid: DCM (again, this is my OPINION). Interface feels
clunky and I just don't LIKE it. Also, the only one for which you cannot
use FaceIt, an interface programming aid. Also, note that "hello, world" takes
155K due to the size of the "runtime".
The future belongs to RAT in my opinion. This is Absoft's response to
the age and bugginess of the present compiler. It is written in C, so
maybe they can maintain this one better. Does a lot of fancy
optimization, as the test results show. Compiles as fast as MacFortran
and generates compact code. If I could get this one now, I would put up
with MPW in order to use it. I am far less convinced that Lang. Sys. is
enough justifications for me to use MPW. I hope that LSF and RAT will
generate a healthy competition in the Mac Fortran arena.
------------------------------
Date: Tue, 20 Sep 88 16:15:09 EDT
From: "William C. DenBesten" <denbeste@ANDY.BGSU.EDU>
Subject: Mail Programs Summary
>
> Does anyone out there have any experience with (and/or opinions about)
> the various Mac Mail programs? I'm in a group with lot's of Macs and some
> Suns. Are there any that let you forward to-from some Mac and a remote
> machine? Ideally, we'd like the mailer to be transparent between Unix
> and Mac sytems. Let me know via e-mail; I'll post a summary if there's
> much response.
Here is the text of an article that I compiled and posted about a month ago:
I have not yet purchased a mail system for our macintosh network, but have
been looking at all the options and trying to find one that is able to
talk to our existing unix mail system. I know of 5 systems:
D------ DaynaMail
|I----- Inbox
||M---- Microsoft Mail
|||Q--- Quickmail
||||S-- Stanford SMTP
|||||
S Talks to unix
DIMQ Talks to other Macs
DI Talks to PCs
Q Will talk to PCs (announced)
IMQ Will talk to unix in the future (announced)
Q Talk to ASCII/Serial hosts (this may be a way to get unix connectivity)
D MQ Requires Macintosh running Mail Server full time
MQ Mail Server can coexist with AppleShare and LaserShare
DI Q Can substitute AppleShare Server for Mail server
DIMQ Always Accessable (DA)
DIMQ Incoming message notification (INIT)
DIMQ Attach other documents (Write/Paint/Draw etc)
DIMQ Return Receipts
IMQ Password and Automatic logon
--------
Stanford's program, from tidbits that I have found on the net is an
application (as opposed to a da), can not notify you of incoming mail,
and is not suitable for mac to mac mail. I have not seen the package,
literature on it, or anything else concrete, so I can't be sure of my info
on it.
--------
I have looked closest at quickmail. The company impresses me. I have
QuickKeys by them, and am impressed by it. They sent me gobs of
information about Quickmail and the rest of their product line (I have
one page of info that the others sent).
---------
I have only listed items that interest me, and that I have found in
the information that I have. Although I have tried to be thorough ,
may be missing some features of some packages, or marked some features
that are not there.
--------
Current market trends have everyone scurrying to interface to SMTP or
other large scale networks, so I expect that the everyone will
eventually have the connectivity that I want (just not now :-( ).
--------
A company, Star nine, is putting a gateway between AUX and QuickMail into
beta testing. They estimate that with in a year they will have a version
working on a vax with 4.3BSD, and maybe sooner if the interest is there.
I said that I was very interested. If you have any questions about this
or want to encourage them along, you can contact Elizabeth McGee at
starnine%mcgee@uunet.uu.net
--------
Let me know if you come up with anything else interesting.
--
William C. DenBesten
denbeste@bgsu.edu
------------------------------
Date: 22 Sep 88 18:42:54 GMT
From: wouk@romeo.cs.duke.edu (Arthur Wouk)
Subject: REFLEX+ problem
I am posting this for another person who does not have access to
news. Please reply to her. If you can't get through, I can forward
email to her, but direct transmission is best.
From: wouk@beaune.ling.ucla.edu (Fay Wouk)
I am trying to set up a database system using reflex+, and have run
into a problem which I can't seem to solve using the manual. What I
want to do is set up a file, which I will call MAIN, which has as its
key field a sequence field. MAIN is to be linked to several subsidiary
files. Each subsidiary file is to have as its key field the link field
to MAIN. I find that I can create these files as in this way, and I can
open the entry form for the subsidairy files with no problem. But every
time I try to open the entry form for MAIN I get the following error
message:
There was an error calculating repeating collection 'r1' in report
'MAINentry': Empty Repeating Collection
Does anyone out there know what is going on? If so, could you please
give me some advice as to what I have to do to make my database work.
------------------------------
Date: Thu 22 Sep 88 15:38:19-EDT
From: FAUSETT@RADC-TOPS20.ARPA
Subject: Name that SCSI controller!
After long service, my old Tecmar serial drive finally gave up the
ghost. Upon taking it apart, I found what appears to be a SCSI
controller board: a 50 pin connector on one side, and a ST506
controller connection with 2 data connectors (and what appears to be a
place to put a third?).
I'd really like to build a SCSI drive using the controller and the
Tecmar power supply/chassis, but I need to get Tech data on the
controller, and to do that I need to figure out what kind of
controller it is. The only Identifying marks are 3 40-pin IC's, one
labeled "3198-0025, BD8350-06" the second "XEBEC, 3198-0009, 8402WPA"
and the third is a Z80 CPU.
This probably isn't something that everyone is interested in, so please
reply directly to me.
Mark Fausett
arpa: fausett@radc-tops20.arpa, fausettm@radc-lonex.arpa
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 88 13:13:03 PDT
From: PUGH@NMFECC.ARPA
Subject: Front & Center 1.03
Here is a new version of Front and Center, a cdev that centers
dialog boxes around the cursor. It now works with multiple
monitors so that the dialog box will appear wholely on the screen
with the cursor. Shareware $10.
Jon
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>CDEV-FRONT-AND-CENTER-103.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon, 19 Sep 88 17:52:46 PDT
From: edmoy@violet.Berkeley.EDU
Subject: macps & prepfix - print Mac files on Unix
Macps is a Unix program that takes a PostScript file created on a Macintosh
by typing Command-F to the LaserWriter dialog box and includes an
appropriately modified LaserPrep file so that the result can be sent to a
PostScript printer from Unix. Unlike most of the other versions of this
program, this one includes a second program, prepfix, that converts
LaserPrep files to a form compatible with Unix (and can even be
electronically mailed).
Enjoy,
Edward Moy Principal Programmer - Macintosh & Unix
Workstation Support Services Workstation Software Support Group
University of California
Berkeley, CA 94720
edmoy@violet.Berkeley.EDU
ucbvax!violet!edmoy
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>UNIX-MACPS-PREPFIX.SHAR
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon 19 Sep 88 09:27:58-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR.SLB.COM>
Subject: FontShow 1.1
[ Uploaded from Delphi by Jeff Shulman ]
Name: FONT SHOW 1.1
Date: 15-SEP-1988 21:50 by RDCLARK
This program, which shows a selected font (at a selected size) in a grid on
the screen, is intended as an advanced programming demonstration. It shows
how to manage multiple windows, avoid "out of memory" crashes, set up Font
and Size menus (with the available sizes outlined), and more. Written in
Turbo Pascal. This is in the public domain.
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>FONTSHOW-11.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Mon 19 Sep 88 12:56:39-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR.SLB.COM>
Subject: Pennant Fever
When will the Mets and A's clinch the titles? Do the Yankees or Giants
have a chance? These questions and more are answered by "Pennant Fever!"
a Hypercard stack that helps you keep track of the baseball pennant races.
It keeps updated team records, division standings, and magic numbers, and
makes predictions about the division races by computing the most likely
date for teams to clinch the division titles. "Pennant Fever!" includes a
complete schedule of games remaining to be played in the 1988 baseball
season.
"Pennant Fever!" is shareware for only $10. Please send a check to:
David Barstow
64 Heather Lane
Wilton, Conn. 06897
"Pennant Fever - 89" will include a complete schedule for the entire 1989
season and will be available in the spring. Write for more information.
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>HC-PENNANT-FEVER.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Wed 21 Sep 88 08:27:28-EDT
From: Jeff Shulman <SHULMAN@SDR.SLB.COM>
Subject: DAFont
[ Uploaded from Delphi by Jeff Shulman ]
Name: DAFONT 3.1
Date: 15-SEP-1988 00:20 by KENWINOGRAD
DAFont is a shareware desk accessory that displays (or prints) all
available fonts (including those brought it by utilities such as
Suitcase(tm)) or will show statistics about the fonts (such as fontname,
font pointsize, size in bytes, fontnumber and font ID.) If desired, only
System File fonts can be used.
All info is sorted before being displayed or printed. Supports Imagewriter
or LaserWriters. Keep a permanent record of available fonts handy! Show
fonts in any style (bold, italic, etc). Color supported (if you have a
color mac.) Enjoy and Thank You.
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>DA-DAFONT-31.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 88 03:25:13 PDT
From: Randy Wilson <rwilson@polya.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Continuum Version 1.01
Here is Continuum Version 1.01. This version just fixes some bugs in
the initial release. Among them-
- It now warns the user when the second graphics screen is
in use, with an option to play anyway, using
- I included a reserve-2nd-screen INIT from sumex for those
of us who don't want to turn off the RamCache every time
we want to play.
- It no longer crashes on a MacII with the sound off.
- It quits more gracefully when it runs out of memory or gets
other system errors.
For those who don't know, Continuum is a go-in-flaming-hot-death fast
action style game for the Macintosh. It will run on any Macintosh
other than a 128K, but is not compatible with Multifinder, Appleshare,
and various INITs, RamCaches, etc.
Enjoy!
Randy Wilson
rwilson@polya.stanford.edu
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>GAME-CONTINUUM-101-PART1.HQX
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>GAME-CONTINUUM-101-PART2.HQX
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>GAME-CONTINUUM-101-PART3.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
Date: Thu, 22 Sep 88 12:22 MET
From: Thomas Fruin <FRUIN%HLERUL5.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU>
Subject: Reposting of DriveLock (now with customization instructions)
My DriveLock INIT (that "locks" floppy drives) only lets you lock the
internal drive, at least in the version that I distributed. I've been
receiving requests, however, on how to customize DriveLock so that it
will lock other floppy drives as well. These requests came from
people who probably aren't programmers or don't have the MPW assembler
to reassemble the DriveLock source.
So ... for non-programmers I've rewritten the documentation and added
a section on how to customize DriveLock with ResEdit. It's really
very easy. And while I was at it, I iconized DriveLock as well.
The new bundle is included below, as a hqxed StuffIt archive. Enjoy.
-- Thomas Fruin
fruin@hlerul5.BITNET University of Leiden
thomas@uvabick.UUCP University of Amsterdam
hol0066.AppleLink
2:512/114.FidoNet (MacSaga Motherboard) The Netherlands
[archived as
[SUMEX-AIM.Stanford.Edu]<INFO-MAC>INIT-DRIVELOCK.HQX
- Lance ]
------------------------------
End of INFO-MAC Digest
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