creps@silver (Steve Creps) (05/11/88)
[ I'm including comp.sys.ibm.pc because this discusses something
other than a posting to comp.binaries.ibm.pc, and follows up
to previous articles. ]
Due to the problems with PC NetHack 2.3, I have uploaded my last
version of 2.2 to the simtel20.arpa archives. There was another version
of 2.2 (which I had previously put there), but it had a few annoying bugs,
although not fatal for most people. This newer version of 2.2 has had
all reported bugs in 2.2 fixed, and I have not received any bug reports
on it. Also, the runfile for it is under 360K.
I understand that simtel20.arpa is also accesible from bitnet through
LISTSERV@RPICICGE.BITNET, but don't ask me how; I don't know.
If you don't know what NetHack is, it's a visual display adventure
game (some say like D&D) derived from Hack. The original such game
was called Rogue.
My relationship to this game. I'm not in charge of distributing the
source for this. That task belongs to Mike Stephenson, who takes code
improvements, modifications, and fixes from people all over the net, and
integrates them into the game. I have volunteered to get a working version
of the PC executable to the net whenever new releases of the source come out.
When I get ahold of a new source distribution, it hasn't yet been tested
for the PC, since the development work is done mainly on Unix systems.
About the buggy 2.3 version that was on simtel20 for a while. Sorry
about that one. Sometimes freaky things happen when testing things. The
freaky thing that happened was that I kept leaving my dog behind when I
went down into the dungeon levels, and not one problem came up over a
couple hours play. Now I've discovered that the bugs seem to appear only
when I take the dog with me. If you have that buggy version and want to
play it, I'd suggest leaving the dog on the first level.
I'll try to get that bug fixed as soon as possible, but it's not always
easy with other people's code. I don't put these bugs in here, I just try
to take them out. Right now I have over 120K of context diffs on this
program for various fixes and improvements, but not one of them fixes the
main problem with the game crashing.
Finally, about requests for sending source code to people: please don't.
I am swamped with requests like this, and don't have time to even reply to
say, "sorry, no" anymore. Sending this code to someone via e-mail is not
impossible, but I won't do it when it's 1.4 megabytes of files that would
have to be packaged up for each person who requested it. PC NetHack source
is in the same files as the Unix version. You should get the source when
it's posted to comp.sources.games, like I do, or else ftp it from an archive
site, such as uunet.uu.net. All the changes I make to get it working on the
PC will be sent back to Mike, and eventually be posted with other fixes to
comp.sources.games (or .bugs). It's a major effort for me just to get
all the files off the net, so just think what it would take to have to
mail them to someone.
For those of you unable to get the files by the net, I usually am
willing to handle floppy disks, but not during the period in which I am
still debugging. When I have everything ready, I will post some kind of
announcement giving details on where to send what. That way I don't have
to write the same set of instructions over and over again.
Bug reports are welcome (although I don't say "All right! A bug!" :-) ).
Bug fixes are even more welcome, but it would also be a good idea to post
them to comp.sources.games.bugs or send them to Mike. Ideas for new features
would best be posted to rec.games.hack or maybe comp.sources.d. New code
won't get as far with me as it would if posted or sent to mike@genat!genpyr.
The same things I have said about not requested me to send code have also
been said by Mike, so don't ask him to send you code either.
I guess what I am saying here is that when I am ready to make things
available I will, but not before. I think I am already putting more than
my fair share of effort into this project by just making the executable
available to people. Please don't try to take advantage of this. I have
to get my own work done sometime.
- - - - - - - - - -
Steve Creps, Indiana University, Bloomington, home of the "Hoosiers"
creps@silver.bacs.indiana.edu (192.12.206.2)
{pur-ee,ihnp4!inuxc,rutgers,pyramid}!iuvax!silver!creps
creps@iubacs.bitnet (forwarded)
"To dream... the unlintable dream..."dani@ritcsh.UUCP (Dani Kadoch) (05/13/88)
In article <1741@silver.bacs.indiana.edu> creps@silver (Steve Creps) writes: > I understand that simtel20.arpa is also accesible from bitnet through >LISTSERV@RPICICGE.BITNET, but don't ask me how; I don't know. The following is a copy of instructions I received a little while ago: Selected portions of the SIMTEL20 public domain software archives are available via a file server at RPICICGE.BITNET. At present the collections include the following directories: PD1:<CPM.*> -- The Info-CPM archive (CP/M machines) PD1:<SIGM.*> -- The SIG/M User Group archive (CP/M machines) PD1:<MISC.*> -- The Miscellaneous archives PD1:<MSDOS.*> -- The IBM-PC/MSDOS archives PD1:<PC-BLUE.*> -- The PC-Blue User Group archive (MSDOS machines) Planned: PD1:<CPMUG.*> -- The CP/M User Group archive. The way all this works is by sending a mail message with a list of commands to a user called LISTSERV at RPICICGE. The two basic commands have the following form: /PDGET <format> simtel.filename < ( encoding > /PDDIR simtel.pattern The <...> mark things that are optional. * "simtel.filename" specifies the name of a file to be delivered to the user. Names are usually of the form "PD1:<dir.subdir>name.type" * "simtel.pattern" specifies a search pattern used in generating a directory listing. The form of the pattern is like the filename mentioned above, but asterisks (*) may be used freely in the subdir, name, and type parts as wild cards (but not in the dir field.) * "format" specifies the method of transmission to be used: NETDATA -- suitable for transfer to Bitnet hosts that can accept files in IBM Netdata format. PUNCH -- suitable for transfer to Bitnet hosts that can accept files but cannot decode the Netdata format. Files are sent as 80-byte card-images. MAIL -- suitable for transfer to hosts that can accept only mail or are accessible to Bitnet only through gateways. Large files sent via mail are split into several smaller files that the recipient must reassemble. If the format is omitted, NETDATA is assumed for Bitnet hosts and MAIL for all others. * "encoding" specifies any special encoding of the file data: ASIS -- suitable for hosts that can receive binary data. The file is sent exactly as it is stored on RPICICGE: CP/M sector images, binary mostly. ASIS may be used only with format NETDATA. UUENCODE -- suitable for hosts that cannot receive binary data. The file is sent uuencoded. TRANSLATE -- suitable for any host, but only when the file actually represents readable text. The file is translated into character data format. If the encoding is omitted, files are sent ASIS if the transmission format is NETDATA, and UUENCODEd otherwise. /PDDIR Examples: ================ (1) The user is looking for the ARC programs. /PDDIR PD1:<MSDOS.*>ARC*.* (2) The user wants a listing of the full MSDOS collection. /PDDIR PD1:<MSDOS> /PDGET Examples: ================ In each of the following examples the user wants the -FILES.DOC file to examine on his host and the PKX35A35.EXE file to download to his micro, both from the MSDOS collection. Note that none of the examples have a closing parenthesis! (1) The user is on an IBM host directly connected to Bitnet: /PDGET NETDATA PD1:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE /PDGET NETDATA PD1:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (2) The user is on a non-IBM host directly connected to Bitnet and can receive Netdata files: /PDGET NETDATA PD1:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE /PDGET NETDATA PD1:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE (3) The user is on a non-IBM host directly connected to Bitnet and can receive punch files: /PDGET PUNCH PD1:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE /PDGET PUNCH PD1:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE (4) The user is on some host somewhere: /PDGET MAIL PD1:<MSDOS.STARTER>-FILES.DOC (TRANSLATE /PDGET MAIL PD1:<MSDOS.ARC-LBR>PKX35A35.EXE (UUE You may also want to send a "HELP" request, which will cause LISTSERV to mail you a copy of its list of commands, with brief explanations. -- +/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/+ > Dani Kadoch @ Computer Science House @ Rochester Institute of Technology < > UUCP: {allegra,seismo}!rochester!ritcv!ritcsh!dani BITNET: dnk8842@ritvax < +\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\+