lacsap@media-lab.MEDIA.MIT.EDU (Pascal Chesnais) (03/01/91)
Pretty much everything has been modified in one way or another, in
future FAQ we will clearly mark new material and revisions. This
FAQ would not have been possible without the numeros contributions
that have come from the net, you all know who you are, and the
rest of you can easily guess! The FAQ should be available soon
from Purdue in pub/next/FAQ as well as other useful information.
pasc
FAQ 910301: Frequently Asked Questions pertaining to the NeXT computer.
The information contained in this post is a compilation of answers to
questions posted by participants in the comp.sys.next USENET group.
No guarantees are made regarding the correctness of these responses.
This will get posted to comp.sys.next about every other week. There
is currently no particular order to this list, items get added and
removed over time.
Note:
We are not affiliated with any of the companies mentioned in this
posting. If you have any corrections, additions, questions, or
answers to add to this list, please send email to
next-faq@media-lab.media.mit.edu
TOC:
0. Where can I find additional questions and answers regarding
the NeXT computer? (this question is really never asked but
really should be :-)
1. How may I contact NeXT Computer, Inc.?
2. Is there a mail order company that sells NeXT-related peripherals?
3. Is there a NeXT specific magazine?
4a. What are the names of some of the ftp sites that have NeXT-related
files?
4b. If I am not on the internet, how can I get to the ftp sites via email?
5. Why does my 030 NeXT system using Release 1.0 hang a few seconds
after attempting to boot from the optical disk? (this problem
also happens with scsi disks as well)
6. What is the claimed performance of the new 040 NeXT machines?
7. Where can I get the most recent version of Kermit?
8. How much free disk space is available on the NeXTstation and NeXTcube?
9. What software is bundled with the new 040 NeXT machines?
10. What type of microphones will work with the NeXT?
11. How do I connect a modem to the NeXT?
12. Where can I obtain a NeXT version of X-Windows?
13. Where can I obtain a NeXT version of SLIP or PPP?
14. What type of memory may be installed in a NeXT?
15. What can be done about older 030 NeXT cubes that have a fan that
turns in the "wrong" direction?
16. Are there any alternative sources for the SCSI-II to SCSI-I cable
required to attach external SCSI devices to the 040 NeXTs?
17. What disk drives will work with the NeXT?
18. What fax modems will work with the NeXT?
19. Can I run DOS software on the NeXT?
20. What comes with the 040 Upgrade?
21. What comes with the 1.0 -> 2.0 software upgrade?
22. What alternative printers (laser or otherwise) may be used with
the NeXT? Are there limitations or other considerations of which
I should I be aware.
23. How may I attach more than two serial ports to the NeXT?
24. Can I run Macintosh Programs on my NeXT?
25. Can I run tcsh or bash on my NeXT?
26. What are some good references on Objective C?
27. What fonts can I use on my NeXT?
28. How much does the NeXT cost?
29. Where can I buy a NeXT?
30. How can I save my WriteNow [or other printable] documents to a
postscript file?
31. What is the best and/or cheapest way to connect a NeXT to a thick Ethernet?
32. Can sound files be used on the Suns and NeXT interchangeably?
33. What has happened in release 2.0 with the versions of Franz Allegro
Common Lisp, the Sybase SQL Server, and Mathematica that were
distributed with OS1.0?
34. Is there any way to change the text in the title bar of a terminal window?
35. How do I customize BuildDisk to create a bootable disk of my own
configuration?
36. Can I put both an 030 and an 040 system board in a single NeXT cube?
37. Under 2.0 running UUCP and other incoming connections hangs the
modem serial line, what can I do?
38. Where is libc.a under 2.0?
39. How can I print only the even or odd pages of a document? I wish
print on both sides by feeding the paper through twice.
40. How do i become a NeRD? What does it cost? What is involved? Who
do i contact if i am interested?
41. Can I delete /odmach or /sdmach (depending on whether i boot
from od or hard drive) and save 700K?
42. How do I start an official NeXT User Group?
43. The 2.0 machines keep getting an error on the console that says
loginwindow: netinfo problem - No such directory. Is this a problem?
0. Where can I find additional questions and answers regarding
the NeXT computer? (this question is really never asked but
really should be :-)
Readers of comp.sys.next should be aware that not everyone
has the complete on-line manuals on their systems. So responses
like RTFM are inappropriate.
Get NextAnswers for Digital Librarian from one of the many
ftp sites (see below) that have NeXT software. NextAnswers
is a series of questions and answers that the NeXT technical
support staff has compiled. They tend to clarify issues not covered
or poorly covered in the on-line documentation. Anyone can send bugs
or suggestions to bug_next@next.com
Another good source of information is the archives of previously
posted notes from the comp.sys.next newsgroup. All articles sent
to comp.sys.next are archived on brownvm.brown.edu. Send a note
to listserv@brownvm.brown.edu containing the command "INFO ?"
on a single line (by itself). The list of articles is called
NEXT-L.
1. How may I contact NeXT Computer, Inc.?
NeXT Computer, Inc.
900 Chesapeake Drive
Redwood City, CA 94063
Phone: 1-800-848-NeXT (Redwood City #)
1-408-437-0400 (BusinessLand)
1-800-800-NeXT (NeXT Connection-software and peripherals)
44-81-565-0005 (U.K. #)
44-81-565-0016 (U.K. fax #)
81-44-549-5295 (NeXT marketing div. of Canon - Japan)
81-44-549-5462 (NeXT Japan fax #)
+41-22-788-2890 (NeXT Europe - Geneva, Suisse)
note: numbers abroad are listed with the country codes first. You will
need to dial the international access number of your long distance carrier
before proceeding to dialing the country code, area code and phone number.
2. Is there a mail order company that sells NeXT-related peripherals?
Yes, its called NeXTconnection. Address: 9 Mill Street, Marlow, NH 03456
Phone: 1-800-800-NeXT
3. Is there a NeXT specific magazine?
Yes. There are also many NeXT specific newsletters, many of which
are available via ftp from the NeXT specific ftp sites (look in
pub/next/newsletters on cs.orst.edu and pub/next/Newsletters
on sonata.cc.purdue.edu - purdue seems to carry more newsletters
on line than orst.). Some cost money, others don't.
Available from purdue:
SCaNeWS - Souther California NeXT Users Group Newsletter, first issue
came out January 1991. Edited by Mike Mahoney (manhoney@beach.csulb.edu)
BaNG - Bay Area NeXT Users Group, one item on-line on Purdue. Edited by
Robert Nielson (nielsen@everest.portal.com).
Tao - an irregular newsletter written by Robert Lin. Last issue on line
is from August 24 1990.
rmNUG - Rocky Mountain NeXT Users Group Newsletter, latest issue
February 1991. Edited by David Bowdish (73340.2146@compuserve.com).
NeXTVieW - Vancouver NeXT Users Group
NeXT Users' Journal, latest issue December/January 1990-1. Edited by
Erica Liebman (erica@hung.gatech.edu).
Hardcopy:
The Boston Computer Society NeXT User group produces a NeXT newsletter
called "What's NeXT?". BCS may be reached at 1 Center Plaza,
Boston, MA 02108.
The first magazine is called NeXUS and is published bi-monthly for $36/year.
Contact Alfonso Guerra at {emory|gatech}!nanovx!nexus.
The second is called NeXTworld and is published six times a year ($23.95).
NeXTWORLD, 501 Second Street, San Francisco, CA 94107
415 978 3182 (phone), 415 978 3196 (fax)
NeXTworld email address: nextwrld!ddinucci@uunet.uu.net
Letters to the Editor should be sent to the above address with:
attn: Letters to the Editor
Or electronically to: nextwrld!dlavin@uunet.uu.net, with a subject
field of "Letters to the Editor"
There is a third called NeXT on Campus which deals with NeXT
developments in academia. Call NeXT at 1-800-848-NeXT for
free subscription info.
4a. What are the names of some of the ftp sites that have NeXT-related
files?
There are too many to list them all, so are here are just a few:
NeXT: cs.orst.edu, nova.cc.purdue.edu, sonata.cc.purdue.edu,
umd5.umd.edu, and eesun1.arl.utexas.edu
MIT GNU: aeneas.mit.edu
music: princeton.edu
See NextAnswers for more sitenames.
4b. If I am not on the internet, how can I get to the ftp sites via email?
cc.purdue.edu is configured as an email archive server. This means
you can upload and download files via email. Send mail to:
archive-server@cc.purdue with the subject line help and you
will get a complete description of this service.
submissions:
Mail should be sent to archive-server@cc.purdue.edu with the
subject of 'submission' (no ticks) if a person is submitting
material to the archives. They need to include a 1-2 sentence
description of the submission, the OS release the product runs
on, and if it is source, binary, newsletter, etc.
5. Why does my 030 NeXT system using Release 1.0 hang a few seconds
after attempting to boot from the optical disk? (this problem
also happens with scsi disks as well)
Release 1.0 contains a bug that can corrupt the kernel /odmach
if a user attempts to launch /odmach from the browser. The
solution is to copy a clean /odmach from another NeXT system.
Be sure to change the permissions of the newly installed /odmach
to remove execute permissions to prevent future occurrences of
the same problem. Release 1.0a and 2.0 do not have this problem.
It is possible for the sdmach to get corrupted in the same way.
Boot from the OD, copy an uncorrupted version of the kernel
to the hard disk, and remove the execute bits from sdmach.
6. What is the claimed performance of the new 040 NeXT machines?
NeXT advertizes the new 040 machines at 15 MIPS and 2 MFLOPS.
[industry accepted benchmarks will be posted here... anyone?]
7. Where can I get the most recent version of Kermit?
The source for the latest version is available via ftp from
watsun.cc.columbia.edu in the directory named kermit/sw. Get the
file ckaaaa.hlp to get started and see what files are required.
Note that this version of Kermit does have a NeXT specific
compile option. A binary only version is available via ftp from
cs.orst.edu as kermit5a.tar.Z. This file is currently stored in
the /pub/next/sources directory but may be moved to /pub/next/binaries
at some point in the future.
8. How much free disk space is available on the NeXTstation and NeXTcube?
As shipped, the 105MB NeXTstation has approximately 25.2 MB free.
Note: The swap space is by default configured to 16MB with a low water
mark of 20MB (the system does not attempt to reduce the size of
the swapfile space until the swapfile grows past the low water
mark).
The extended release takes 179M, including a 16M swapfile, and not
including Mathematica or Sybase (this is from a virgin install of
2.0 extended from an optical).
9. What software is bundled with the new 040 NeXT machines?
Both the 105MB and 200MB systems come with Release 2.0 preinstalled.
The systems with larger hard disks have Release 2.0 Extended
preinstalled. The price of all of the new systems includes the cost
of the software license. Note that the price of the 040 upgrade for
030 machines does not include the cost of the software license.
RELEASE 2.0 includes
*End User Applications
Workspace Mgr(tm), NeXT Mail(tm), WriteNow(r) Word Processor,
Digital Webster(tm) (9th Collegiate Dictionary(r) and Collegiate
Thesaurus(r)), Digital Librarian(tm), Edit, Mathematica(r)-for
higher education customers only, DataViz/Bridge(tm), Installer,
FaxReader, Preferences, Preview for Post Script, PrintManager
*Developer Tools
VT100(tm) Terminal Emulator [based on Stuart]
*System Administration Applications
BuildDisk, InstallTablet, Mail Manager, NetInfo Manager, NetManager,
Printer Tester, User Manager, Installer
RELEASE 2.0 (extended) adds....
*End User Applications
Oxford(r) Dictionary of Quotations, William Shakespeare-The Complete
Works (for Digital Librarian), TEX(tm) Document Processing System
(Radical Eye Software), Improv (Improv is only free if 040 NeXT
machine or upgrade ordered before end of March 1991)
*Developer Tools
Interface Builder(tm), Objective-C(r) Language Compiler,
C++ Language Compiler, Objective-C Class Definitions,
56001 DSP Tools, GNU Emacs, GNU Debugger, BUG-56(tm) Debugger (Ariel),
Malloc Debugger, AppInspector(tm), PostScript Tools, Application Kit(tm),
Music Kit(tm), Sound Kit(tm), On-line technical documentation
You are allowed to copy software from the extended release from a
friend if you are licensed to run 2.0.
10. What type of microphones will work with the NeXT?
Some NeXT owners use the RadioShack (Realistic) Tie Clip Microphone
($19.95) cat 33-1052. Others have successfully used WalMart (~ $6) and
Sony brands (~ $60). [please send us model numbers and more exact prices
for the WalMart and Sony brands...]
11. How do I connect a modem to the NeXT?
Previously, we suggested that people use Mac modem cables; however,
it has come to our attention that there is no one standard Mac
modem cable. Since correct modem operation on a NeXT depends upon
a correctly wired modem cable, buying a Mac cable is not a good
idea. Some Mac cables do not allow dial-in and no Mac cable allows
the use of hardware flow control. For these reasons, we are
recommending that only cables that meet NeXT specifications be
used. [however, if you have a Mac modem cable lying around and
don't care about dial-in or hardware flow control, then by all
means....]
These cables are available commercially from NextConnection, and from
Computer Cables and Devices, or can be custom built. Note that no Mac
cable will allow hardware flow control.
Most people use tip or kermit to control the modem. SLIP and/or UUCP may
also be used (but are more complicated to set up and require the
remote machine to also have SLIP and/or UUCP (respectively)).
The 2.0 Network and System Administration Manual, which is available
in hard-copy (shipped with each machine) contains an extensive
description of how to use modems with the NeXT machine. Additionally
NeXT in their TechSupportNotes series called SerialPortDoc.wn and UUCP
for 1.0/1.0a systems . This document is available from most FTP sites
that carry NextAnswers. Also, try to obtain the comp.sys.next note by
Mark Adler entitled "How to connect a modem" (reposted 5 Jan 91)
[Adler's note does contain info on the changes required to connect a
modem to the 040 NeXTs]
12. Where can I obtain a NeXT version of X-Windows?
There is a X11R3 version named XNeXT developed by MIT. This version
is available in binary only and does not work under Release 2.0
of the NeXT OS. XNeXT is a 1-bit black and white server. XNeXT
is available from most ftp sites that have NeXT software.
McGill University (der Mouse) has produced a beta version of
an X11R4 server named mouse-X available via ftp from 132.206.1.1.
cd to X/XNeXT and fetch one of the files with names beginning
with "distribution". This version only uses NeXTstep for keyboard
and mouse events. This version does not work under 2.0
Pencom Software of Austin, TX has announced and has a working
beta version of X11R4 called "co-Xist". A release version is
scheduled for March 1991. Color is planned in a future release.
Cost has been announced at $149 educational, $249 commercial.
Co-Xist runs inside of a NeXTstep window. The Motif window
manager and libraries are also available from Pencom. Contact
Pam O'Neal at pensoft!pam@cs.utexas.edu.
13. Where can I obtain a NeXT version of SLIP or PPP?
There is no publically available version of SLIP or PPP for the NeXT;
however, versions are under development by several sources.
14. What type of memory may be installed in a NeXT?
Use Mac II-style SIMMS, 100ns or faster. SIMMS must be
installed in groups of four. The NeXT can use either 1MB or
4MB SIMMS. Most people are buying 80ns SIMMS in order to be
more sure of future compatibility. Also, note that the low-profile
vertically mounted 4MB SIMMS are easier to install in the NeXT cube than the
horizontally mounted 4MB SIMMS because of the small height clearance
above the SIMM slots. It is possible to install the horizontally
mounted 4MB SIMMS but you will be required to slide the CPU board
and the hard drive in simultaneously. Note that parity (9-bit)
RAMS can be used in both the 030 NeXT and the 040 NeXT. Parity
and non-parity SIMMS can be mixed in both the 030 and the 040
(however, the boot on 040 boxes will generate a warning). Only
the 040 NeXT can use the parity memory to detect parity errors
(parity and non-parity may not be mixed if you wish to have
parity errors detected).
Color NeXTstations, and the NeXTdimensions will be using a different
packaging for memory. They will be in a 72pin housing, are organized
256kx32 or 1Mx32 for non-parity systems, and 256kx36 and 1Mx36 for
parity. They must be 80ns or faster. As of 2-28-91, we are aware
of only one supplier (other than NeXT) of this type of memory. Until
the number of vendors known to offer this type of memory increases, we
will list that one supplier here for the benefit of those on
constrained budgets: SouthCoast Electronics (213) 208-3260.
Given how dynamic the prices are in the memory market we can not provide
an accurate compilation of suppliers and prices.
15. What can be done about older 030 NeXT cubes that have a fan that
turns in the "wrong" direction?
The fan on older 030 NeXTs cubes sucks air out of the back of the cube
which means that it draws unfiltered air in through the optical
disk on the front of the cube. This causes optical disks to
succumb to dust must sooner than cubes with the new-style fan
which turns in the opposite direction.
NeXT has apparently reversed their decision regarding fan
reversal in the case of machines that have been upgraded to 040
processor boards. It is now considered okay to reverse the direction
of fans in these machines. If you have many third-party cards
installed in your cube or an older processor board, you may wish
to consider not reversing fan direction (overheating could become
a problem). In any case, do not reverse the fan's polarity, only
reverse the fan assembly itself. Perhaps the best solution is
obtain the cleaning kit and OD filter from NeXT.
16. Are there any alternative sources for the SCSI-II to SCSI-I cable
required to attach external SCSI devices to the 040 NeXTs?
Yes. This cable is the same as the one used by Sun SparcStations and
DecStation 5000's (but not DecStation 3100's which use 68-pin micro
rather than the 50pin micro connector used on NeXT 040, Suns and
DecStation 5000).
17. What disk drives will work with the NeXT?
Most scsi disk drives will work with 2.0 without modifying disktab.
You should read the Network and Systems Administrator manual provided
with all new systems and available on-line on 2.0 extended. There have
been problems with the installation of boot blocks and badly formed
fstab generated by BuildDisk. A disk connected to the NeXT will need
to have a NeXT specific label written to it before it can be properly
recognized by the system. If you get an error message "Invalid Label..."
this indicates that the drive was successfully seen by the NeXT machine
but it does not have the proper label, to install a label use the
/usr/etc/disk program on the raw disk device that the system assigned
to the device and use the label command to write the label onto the disk.
[how the NeXT assigns disk devices is explained in the N&SA manual]
NeXT provides a low level disk formatter with 2.0, most drives are
already formatted at the factory. The sdform program does not offer
much flexibility.
[If someone is keeping a list of drives that work with the NeXT we
would like to know about it. Also there was talk about Mac drives
*not* working on the NeXT due to their implementation of the
SCSI standard.]
18. What fax modems will work with the NeXT?
The following fax modems are currently available for the NeXT Computer:
Manufacturer/Model Supplier/Phone Avail. Type
------------------ -------------- ------ ----
Abaton Interfax 24/96 NX Abaton 800-444-5321 Now Class 2*
DoveFax for NeXT Dove Computer 800-622-7627 March Class 1
Ricoh DX-1 VISUS 412-687-3800 Now Proprietary
In order to use a fax modem with the NeXT Computer, a NeXT compatible
fax driver must be available to operate the modem. Modem control
procedures may be proprietary or conform to one of the following
EIA/TIA standards:
Class 1: CCITT T.30 session management and CCITT T.4 image data
handling are controlled by the driver.
Class 2*: CCITT T.30 session management and image data transport are
handled by the modem. CCITT T.4 image data preparation and
interpretation are controlled by the driver.
Release 2.0 of the NeXT system software includes a Class 2 modem
driver which will work with any fax modem which meets the EIA/TIA
Asynchronous Facsimile Control standard. Other fax modems must supply
a NeXT compatible driver.
The following are notes by Alan Marcum of NeXT Tech Support
concerning the Class 2 modem driver:
---
Note that there's a small bug in 2.0: a symbolic
link is missing for the file Class2_Fax_Modem_Driver
in /usr/lib/NextPrinter.
The simple fix: create the link; it should reference
Interfax_Fax_Modem_Driver, also in the
/usr/lib/NextPrinter directory.
An alternative workaround for Class 2, especially useful for
novices: just use InterFax as the modem type in PrintManager,
rather than Class 2*.
Additionally Alan tells us:
- After installing a fax modem using PrintManager one must
repeat setting things in the Fax Options panel in order for them to be
stored correctly. In particular, these include the Rings to Answer
and Number of Times to Retry. This affects all fax modems being
installed.
- If one uses illegal characters in the Modems Number field in
the Fax Options when configuring an InterFax modem then the modem will
not answer the phone. Legal characters are digits, spaces, and plus
signs (+). This does not affect the Dove modem.
---
(*)Note that the Class 2 is not yet approved; it is still out for ballot,
after having failed in an October 1990 round. The Abaton InterFax
24/96 NX driver supports Class 2 as it was in that draft; there are
expected to be very few changes prior to approval.
19. Can I run DOS software on the NeXT?
Yes, there is a product called Soft-PC that has been announced
for the NeXT and publicly demonstrated on the NeXT. Contact
Insignia Solutions Inc 408-522-7600
In addition NeXT machines equipped with 2.88Mbyte floppy drives
are able to read and write DOS diskettes (3-1/2" variety!) at
1.44MB or 720Kb.
20. What comes with the 040 Upgrade?
An anti-static disposable bracelet, installation guide, new OD cable,
OD filter, 040 board, a SIMM extractor tool, Fed-Ex return slip
and registration card to get a free copy of Improv and NeXTWorld.
21. What comes with the 1.0 -> 2.0 software upgrade?
The 2.0 upgrade comes with an optical disk with 2.0 extended, a bunch of
manuals, and keyboard tilt feet.
There is a mail back cards to get Mathematica 2.0 and Sybase (eventually).
This may change, of course, and may be different for non-educational
users. The 040 upgrade requires the 2.0 upgrade.
22. What alternative printers (laser or otherwise) may be used with
the NeXT? Are there limitations or other considerations of which
I should I be aware.
[a more meaningful response is needed here] If you are using 2.0 and
you use remote non-next printers, there is a bug that can be simply
corrected by doing "dwrite system PrinterResolution 1" for each user
trying to access non-next printers on the network.
23. How may I attach more than two serial ports to the NeXT?
Neil Gorsuch (neil@uninet.cpd.com) reports in comp.sys.next that his
company is working on a port of their SCSI-based serial/parallel box
to the NeXT. For more information call Uninet (800)433-6784.
24. Can I run Macintosh Programs on my NeXT?
No. There is a third party company working on reading and writing of Mac
diskettes.
25. Can I run tcsh or bash on my NeXT?
If you are simply looking for emacs-like command editing
you can do this with the csh distributed by NeXT by
typing:
set editmode=emacs
In addition it is possible to bind control keys to commands
with a .bindings file. Users should seek the csh(1) man page for
more information.
People have ported tcsh and bash to the NeXT. A patch for Bash 1.05
by Jacob Gore (jacob@gore.com) is in the archives, the rest can be ftp'ed
from prep.ai.mit.edu. tcsh binaries for all kinds of machines are
available on tesla.ee.cornell.edu , including binaries for NeXT.
26. What are some good references on Objective C?
Object Oriented Programming - An Evolutionary Approach, Brad J. Cox,
Addison-Wesley, 1987 ISBN 0-201-10393-1 [Glenn Reid mentions the existence
of the book, but does not label it as a "good reference", lacking
other references it is noted here] NextAnswers has a good reading list
too long to include here.
27. What fonts can I use on my NeXT?
Properly packaged Type 1 or 3 postscript fonts will work on the NeXT,
certain conversions may be necessary to get them to work. Freeware
and shareware fonts are available on sonata.cc.purdue.edu. There
are utilities on the next to download fonts into postscript printers.
Purdue (nova and sonata) have freeware and shareware type 1 and 3
fonts in pub/next/misc
Each file unpacks into it's own directory. Within each directory is a
ReadMe.rtf and a Makefile. See the ReadMe.rtf for more font descriptions and
installation instructions. (You may also find comments in the Makefile of
interest.)
These packages were prepared by Doug Brenner <dbrenner@umaxc.weeg.uiowa.edu>
Fonts generated by Fontographer don't work in Display PostScript
immediately. They use a memory management trick that screws everything up
in a multitasking environment like DPS. However, there is a simple, though
kludgy, way to make them work, worked out by Glenn Reid. Contact Jacob
Gore <jacob@gore.com> for details. You will probably also want to modify
the .afm file headers to make the fonts fit better in the organization used
by the NextStep Font Panel (i.e., separate the weight and angle from the
title).
Fonts may be purchased from Adobe (800-USA-FONTS), RightBrain Software (800-
4-RBRAIN), and The Font Company (800-442-FONT).
28. How much does the NeXT cost?
A retail price list may be obtained by contacting NeXT at the
number or address mentioned in a previous question. Educational
prices vary depending upon the university. The typical educational
discount is between twenty and thirty percent. NeXT offers
registered developers a significant discount.
29. Where can I buy a NeXT?
From NeXT, Businessland, Computer Attic (in California), and
possibly from your university if you are a student, faculty or staff.
If your university does not offer the NeXT, you may be able to buy
from a "hub" university if the hub program is available in
your state (contact NeXT for more info).
30. How can I save my WriteNow [or other printable] documents to a
postscript file?
Its easy. Just select PRINT from the main WriteNow menu, then select
SAVE from the resulting print panel.
31. What is the best and/or cheapest way to connect a NeXT to a thick Ethernet?
There are many possible solutions. For example, here are three:
A) The University of Waterloo [Audio Research Group] uses an old door-stop
PC XT clone with two Western Digital cards (WD8003E Ethercard Plus, $250 CDN
each; you should be able to get them for under $200 (US$)) running Vance
Morrison's PCRoute (available via ftp from accuvax.nwu.edu in pub/pcroute).
You will also need a thickwire transceiver and a drop cable (about $300).
In addition, you will need Internet addresses for the NeXT and both PC
Ethernet cards (and a subnet address). The documentation for PCRoute
contains quite a bit of information on the performance of this setup.
B) Cabletron sells a MR-2000C Singleport Repeater for $695 that does
exactly what you need. Their number is (408) 441-9900.
C) MESTA is an IEEE 802.3 Ethernet Transceiver that converts thickwire
ethernet to a thinwire (RG58) transceiver. It is the smallest thinwire
transceiver available today. MESTA incorporates an Auto-Jabber,
Sequence Quality Error Test, SQE/Heartbeat and a Receiver Mode Collision
Detect (RXC). [see Digital Review Magazine, Dec 3/90].
contact: Micro Technology; 5065 East Hunter Ave.;
Anaheim California, 82807; (714) 970-0300 or 1-800-999-9684.
32. Can sound files be used on the Suns and NeXT interchangeably?
A comparison of <multimedia/audio_filehdr.h> on the Sun and
<sound/soundstruct.h> on the NeXT shows the formats to be compatible--
just rename *.au to *.snd for the NeXT.
If you have raw soundfiles (e.g. from SunOS 4.0.3 systems, or
converted from the Macintosh), you can use raw2audio on the Sun
or sndconvert -r on the NeXT to add a sound header.
33. What has happened in release 2.0 with the versions of Franz Allegro
Common Lisp, the Sybase SQL Server, and Mathematica that were
distributed with OS1.0?
These products are no longer bundled with the NeXT OS. Owners of old
cubes are, however, entitled to continue using them.
Allegro Common Lisp: When upgrading from 1.0 to 2.0, the upgrade
program offers the opportunity to save your copy of Common Lisp. You
can do this, and it will still run on the '030 cube except that the
Foreign Function Interface no longer works. The hardware upgrade from
the '030 to the '040, however, breaks this version of Common Lisp
completely and it will no longer run. With the OS2.0 upgrade, there is
a postcard to return to NeXT requesting an updated version of Common
Lisp which (when released) will run on the '040 under 2.0. Future
enhancements to Allegro Common Lisp (including the soon-to-be-released
version with CLOS support) will only be available directly from Franz
Inc. Owners of old cubes can obtain upgrade service as
"maintenance/support" at a lower cost than buying a new Allegro Common
Lisp license (which is what owners of new cubes and slabs must get).
Contact Franz Inc. for details and prices.
Sybase: The release 1.0 Sybase SQL Server is completely broken by
release 2.0, and the upgrade program will delete this from your disk
(without asking permission) in the course of upgrading. Release 2.0
contains an SQL client, which can be used to connect to SQL servers on
your network (perhaps older cubes still running 1.0, for example). A
new SQL server (with some modified features) will be sent to owners of
old cubes who request it by means of the same postcard that gets you a
new version of Common Lisp.
Mathematica: The upgrade program offers you the opportunity to save
your old version of this, and the old version still runs under 2.0
(on both '030 and '040 hardware). Sending in the postcard referred to
above from the OS2.0 upgrade kit will get you a new version of
Mathematica, too. This version will be available free to academic
users with new cubes and slabs as well.
All of the upgraded programs referred to above will be provided on
NeXT floppies, not OD's. You will need either to buy an external
floppy drive or to have someone else transfer them from floppy to OD
in order to make use of them. The release date is scheduled for
all the above is April.
34. Is there any way to change the text in the title bar of a terminal window?
No. Not even in Stuart 2.0... However Scott Hess may be working on this
in the future.
35. How do I customize BuildDisk to create a bootable disk of my own
configuration?
The BuildDisk application is extremely limited in terms of the
types disks configuration it knows how to build. Essentially it
"knows" about swapdisks, optical disks, 330 and 660 MB SCSI disks.
If you wish to do custom configurations you should look at existing
BLD script files in /etc/BLD.* There is a script which you can
use to specify which BLD script you are using, which disktab entry,
and other useful parameters in /usr/etc/builddisk
Some things to note:
- the fstab installed on the target disk is specified in the newclient
command in the BLD script. standard fstabs are extracted from
/usr/template/client/fstab.*
- the BLD scripts do not put down a new boot block on the scsi disk,
you may want to install one by hand using the /usr/etc/disk program.
- some disks boot fine but NeXTstep comes up with a blank window and
no login window. This is due sometimes to forgetting to install
an accessible /NextLibrary/{Fonts,Sounds} In general you need
quite a lot of things to make a bootable disk.
36. Can I put both an 030 and an 040 system board in a single NeXT cube?
[Note that we have no first hand experience with this problem, we
have compiled what we consider to be an accurate report. We acknowledge
conflicting reports where appropriate.]
In general Mach may be configured as a multiprocessor operating system;
however, the NeXT kernel is only configured to deal with one processor.
This configuration can not be changed without access to the kernel
sources. [hopefully NeXT will offer a multiprocessor version of the NeXT
operating system at some future date]
Some have asked about the possibility of installing the 030 board
for use as a printserver or other CPU-intensive task server. In this
hypothetical setup, each CPU would run its own copy of the operating
system (essentially two different computers sharing the same cube).
This might be workable except for the fact that even if the NBIC
(NextBus Interface Chip) chip is removed, the CPU board probes the
bus for slot ID [**a conflicting report comes from Richard Dib who
states that he ran his cube with the CPU in another slot].
You could do hardware modification to the 030 board which would
isolate it enough to use only the cube as a power supply, however
you can not run two monochrome monitor heads off the cube power supply.
In this case you would probably want to first boot the 030 with a
display head, set the boot prom to boot off ttya, and attach an
ascii terminal to that serial port.
37. Under 2.0 running UUCP and other incoming connections hangs the modem
serial line, what can I do?
There is a bug in the serial driver which causes getty to get stuck.
The situation arises after a successful uucico connection, subsequent
connections via modem will get a connection with the modem, but no
login prompt. This is caused by getty hanging. A simple work around
is to have a process run in cron to reset the getty every 15 minutes:
#! /bin/sh -u
PIDS=`ps -ax | bm getty | grep -v bm | awk '{print $1}'`
kill -TERM $PIDS
Of course trying to connect when the script is running will not allow
you to connect, try again a minute later. This fix will not affect
on-going UUCP or interactive connections. This will probably be fix
in the next kernel release.
38. Where is libc.a under 2.0?
From the developer's release notes concerning the 2.0 NeXT Operating System
Software available on-line with 2.0 extended:
/NextLibrary/Documentation/NextDev/ReleaseNotes/OperatingSystem.rtf
- libc.a is not shipped with release 2.0. All routines contained in
libc.a are also contained in the shared library libsys.a which
should be used instead of libc.a. libc.a is not shipped because
as a normal archive it is impossible for improvements and system
interface changes made to library routines to be applicable to
existing applications without those applications being relinked.
Applications referencing shared libraries, because they are bound
at runtime, always access the most recent release. Release 1.0
applications linked against libc.a may not be compatible with
release 2.0 until they are relinked with libsys.a.
39. How can I print only the even or odd pages of a document? I wish
print on both sides by feeding the paper through twice.
We must recommend against re-using laser printed paper in your
printers. The reason is that the toner which is used is not very
robust, in that when heated again (which happens when you print) it
can come off the other side of the paper. This causes a mess to
accumulate in your printer, and probably some pretty rude things to
happen.
Now to address the even/odd stuff, essentially you need to write
a postscript filter which extracts every other page. So you
would save your WriteNow document to postscript file, run the filters, and
then print the two documents with lpr. There is no packaged filter
on the NeXT to do this. Corey Satten <corey@cac.washington.edu> wrote
a toolkit to deal with this issue. It is on ftphost.cac.washington.edu
ps-* in the local/bin-next{1.0,2.0} directories.
40. How do i become a NeRD? What does it cost? What is involved? Who
do i contact if i am interested?
NeRD - NeXT Registered Developer
1- Call the 800 number to get a registration form, fill it out and
send it back to NeXT.
2- NeXT will assign an "advocate" from within the company to review your
needs.
3- Register to go to a 5 day developer's camp either in Pittsburgh or
or Redwood City. Cost is $995 They will teach you the essential
information needed for developing applications on the NeXT. [It is
excellent -pasc]
4- Once you have gone through the above, you will get technical support
directly from NeXT via email or phone (in urgent cases!). Their support
is quite comprehensive.
41. Can I delete /odmach or /sdmach (depending on whether i boot
from od or hard drive) and save 700K?
Go ahead and delete it if you want. However, you might as
well leave it there since sdmach and odmach are links to the same file
(i.e. you won't save much space by deleting it).
Better to look for random core files! Icon.app generates quite a lot
of core dumps.
42. How do I start an official NeXT User Group?
Conrad_Geiger@next.com:
To start a NeXT group, just send email to "user_groups@next.com". We are
up to 85 groups!
43. The 2.0 machines keep getting an error on the console that says
loginwindow: netinfo problem - No such directory. Is this a problem?
The netinfo problem is because the /keyboard directory is missing.
It's benign.
Editors:
Pascal Chesnais lacsap@media.mit.edu
John Garnett garnett@cs.utexas.edu
Erik Kay erikkay@athena.mit.edu
Copyright 1991 Massachusetts Institute of Technology
This compilation is meant primarily as a service to the comp.sys.next
community. Newsletter editors wishing to excerpt from this work
for publication should contact us via email for details.
--
Pascal Chesnais, Research Specialist, Electronic Publishing Group
Media Laboratory, E15-351, 20 Ames Street, Cambridge, Ma, 02139 (617) 253-0311
email: lacsap@plethora.media.mit.edu (NeXT)