Giga Games 1/Giga Games.iso/net/usenet/volume10/intro10

Internet Message Format | 1990-06-08 | 20.6 KB

Path: uunet!zephyr.ens.tek.com!tekred!saab!billr
From: [e-mail] (Bill Randle)
Newsgroups: comp.sources.games
Subject: v10INF1:  Introduction to comp.sources.games
Message-ID: <[e-mail]>
Date: 23 May 90 18:52:55 GMT
Sender: [e-mail]
Lines: 538
Approved: [e-mail]

Submitted-by: Bill Randle <[e-mail]>
Posting-number: Volume 10, Info 1
Archive-name: intro10

    [Thanks to Dan Heller, from whom I stole this format which he
    uses in comp.sources.x and to <?> from whom he got it.  -br]

This is the first of five introductory messages about comp.sources.games.
There are *many* things covered in this posting -- each new topic is
preceded by a Subject: line.  If you get bored reading a particular
section, fast forward to the next Subject: line and read that one.
Please don't submit sources without having read -everything- in this
file (you'll be tested and graded later :-).

Most of all, this posting describes how to submit sources to comp.sources.games,
where the archive sites are, and how to contact them.  The second and
third postings list the sources that have been published in this
newsgroup (one by volume/issue number, the other alphabetically by
name).  The fourth posting is a cross index of patches that have been
posted in c.s.g.  The fifth and final info posting is an index of games
in the archive on 'saab' (my "main machine").

I am always looking for suggestions on how to improve the usefulness
of the newsgroup.  Please do not hesitate to send suggestions to
[e-mail].

--------------------
Subject:  The structure of comp.sources.games articles

Each posting in comp.sources.games is called an "issue"; there are roughly 100
issues to a volume.  The division is arbitrary, and has varied in
the past.  There are two types of articles in comp.sources.games; sources
and "information postings."  They can be distinguished by the subject
line:
    Subject:  v03INF1:  Introduction to comp.sources.games

This first word in the title identifies this as the first info posting of
volume three.  Similarly, the subject line shown below:

    Subject:  v01i060:  war - intergalactic simulation, Part01/40

identifies this as the 60th source article in Volume 1.  All sources are
broken up into pieces.  This is done so that there could be a proper storage
directory when patches are issued. This is part 1 of a 40 part posting.

The first few lines of an article are auxiliary headers that look like this:

    Submitted-by: [e-mail]
    Posting-number: Volume 7, Issue 82
    Archive-name: monopoly/Part01

The "Submitted-by" is the author of the program.  IF YOU HAVE COMMENTS ABOUT
THE SOURCES PUBLISHED IN COMP.SOURCES.GAMES, THIS IS THE PERSON TO CONTACT.
When possible, this address is in domain form, otherwise it is a UUCP bang
path relative to some major site such as "uunet."

The second line repeats the volume/issue information for the aide of NOTES
sites and automatic archiving programs.

The Archive-name is the "official" name of this source in the archive.  Large
postings will have names that look like this:

    Archive-name: zork/Part01

Please try to use this name when requesting that sources be mailed to you.
Also, note that the "part number" given in the title, and the archive name
given in the auxiliary header need not be identical.

-----------------
Subject: Patches Handling

Patches will be handled as swiftly as possible. Authors of sources posted
to c.s.g should send all patches to me so that I can post them back through
the newsgroup in order that the patches can be archived. This has not been
done in the past in other sources groups and has lead to lost patches. If
the patches must get out *real* fast, post them to comp.source.bugs and
send me a copy at the same time so that they will be available when they
are needed in the future.

To support the tracking of patches, the Patch-To: line is used in c.s.g.
The Patch-To: line exists for articles that are patches to previously posted
software. The Patch-To: line only appears in articles that are posted,
"Official", patches. The initial postings would not contain the Patch-To:
auxiliary header line.

Patch-To: syntax
    Patch-To: package-name: Volume X, Issue x[-y,z]

Patch-To: examples. These are examples and do not reflect the
accurate volume/issue numbering for rkive.

In the first example, the article that contains the following line
is a patch to a single part posting.
    Patch-To: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122

This example shows that the 122-124 indicates the patch applies to
a multi-part posting. The '-' is used to mean "article A through article
B, inclusive..
    Patch-To: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122-124

If a patch applies to multiple part postings that are not consecutive, the
',' is used to separate the part issue numbers. It is possible to mix both
',' and '-' on a single Patch-To: line.
    Patch-To: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122,125,126,127
    Patch-To: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122,125-127

If a new release is posted instead of a large set of patches, then the
posting will ontain a Supercedes: header line with a format similar to
the Patch-To: header.

Supercedes: syntax
    Supercedes: package-name: Volume X, Issue x[-y,z]

Supercedes: examples
    Supercedes: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122-124
    Supercedes: rkive: Volume 22, Issue 122-125,127

--------------------
Subject: Reporting and tracking bugs.

You should subscribe to comp.sources.games.bugs.

Sometimes, when new versions of previously-published software is available,
just patches are put out, usually in the form of shar files containing
input for the "patch" program, new files, etc.  Sometimes complete new
versions are put out.  Which method is used depends on the poster and
the moderator.  Minor updates must be in patch form and update the
patchlevel.h file.  Major updates should be the guidelines for postings.

To report bugs, contact the person listed in the Submitted-by header.
Often there is a contact address in a README file, too.  I do not maintain
the sources I moderate, so don't send your bug reports to me.
Likewise, I normally do not post patches for a package from anyone
except the author. If you have patches you would like to see included
in the package, send them to the person listed in the Submitted-by
header. If the original author is incommunicado I will consider posting
patches submitted by other people.

--------------------
Subject: Submitting source for publication

Items intended for posting or queries and problem notes should be sent to
[e-mail]

If you want verification of arrival, say so in a cover note, or at the
beginning of your submission, if it is small.  I try to verify that a
program works, and if I can't get it to work, I may hold up posting it
for a couple of days.  Please note that, except in rare cases, source
that doesn't meet the guidelines will not be published.  The backlog
from receipt to posting varies from one to three weeks depending mostly
on the set of submissions currently in my queue and my current work load.

-------------------
Subject: Guidelines

To make life easier for both myself and the users of the comp.sources.games
newsgroup, I request that all submissions follow the following guidelines.

Initial Submissions:
    1.  Source filenames need to be 12 or fewer characters in length.
    2.  Source files need to be less than 50K bytes in size.
    3.  A Makefile is highly desirable.
    4.  A manual page is desirable.
    5.  A README file is required. This should contain a brief
        description of what the posting is and any special
        considerations in building it. The README should
        also contain a list of authors and the distribution
        and copying policy.

Updates, patches, etc.:
    It is up to the author to determine if there have been major enough
    changes to warrant a complete reposting. This may be necessary if the
    size of the patches exceeds the size of the source, but in most cases
    only patches are posted. Total repostings should be treated as an
    initial posting. What follows pertains to patches...

    1.  When patches are submitted, they should be in context diff
        format.
    2.  A patch to patchlevel.h should be done to reflect that the
        patch has been applied.
    3.  Include information about which previously posted issues
        the patch pertains to if they were initially posted to c.s.g.

    For more information on patch see patch.man in util/patch/patch.man
    in the X11 Release 4 distribution or in volume7 of the comp.sources.unix
    archives.  Patches can be made with diff -c on 4.XBSD based machines and
    with diffc on others. Diffc can be found in volume 1 of comp.sources.unix
    archives. GNU diff can also be used to create context diffs.

------------------------
Subject: Becoming an archive site

If you collect comp.sources.games postings and are willing and able to make
your collection available to other people, please let me know.  Benefits
include the undying gratitude of your colleagues, and a promise from me to
try to make sure you never lose an article.

--------------------
Subject: Accessing the archives

The complete archives are fairly large; an average volume is three to
four megabytes.

There are several active archive sites around the net, but more are always
welcome - especially outside the US.

Some sites below will send tapes through the mail.  For those sites, send
a 1/2" mag tape WITH RETURN POSTAGE and RETURN MAILER.  Tapes without
postage or mailer will not be returned.  No other methods (COD, etc.) are
available; please don't ask. Other sites may make 1/4" mag tapes or
floppy disks. It doesn't hurt to ask.

--------------------
Subject: Listing of archive sites in no particular order

Here is what each field means:
Site:          The name of the site nice enough to act as an archive site.
Contact:      The name of the person to contact and their mail address
Location:     The general area of the world the site is located in.
Modems:          For providing UUCP access, what types of modems are available.
UUCP:          Type of UUCP access is available.
FTP:           Type of FTP access is available.
Mail Server:  Account address of the automated mail server if available.
Additional:   Additional information pertaining to accessing the archive.

            ************************
                 U S A - EASTERN
            ************************

Site:          acf3.nyu.edu
Contact:      Gary Rosenblum ([e-mail])
Location:     NY
Modems:          N/A
UUCP:          None
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Has 800/1600 bpi tape drive and can support tapes for 4.2,
    4.3, System V, etc.

Site:          madhat
Contact:      Phil Harbison ([e-mail])
Location:     Huntsville, AL
Modems:          N/A
UUCP:          Anonymous
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Will also make 96tpi 5.25" floppy disks using cpio or tar.
    Phone: [phone].

Site:          mgse
Contact:      Archive Administrator ([e-mail])
Location:     Metairie, LA
Modems:          N/A
UUCP:          None
FTP:          None
Mail server:  [e-mail]
Additional:   To get the archive help file, and an index and Unix ls -lR
    style file listing, send the following mail to archive@mgse:
        help
        send comp/sources/games/index
        send comp/sources/games/list
    You will get back 80K of text files. The archive server offers
    several types of data compression and ascii file encoding. The
    information is in the help file about the different options
    available.
    If you are having problems with the archive server, send mail to
    archivea@mgse, the archive administrator.

Site:         uunet.uu.net
Contact:      Rick Adams ([e-mail])
Location:     Fairfax, VA
Modems:       Telebit
UUCP:         uunet uucp customers only
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  netlib@uunet
Additional:   Files are stored by volume number and game name:
    comp.sources.games/volumeN.  Newly posted articles may
    be in the directory comp.sources.games/new. Check there if
    it's not in the proper volume.

            ************************
                 U S A - CENTRAL
            ************************

Site:         attctc
Contact:      Steven Parker ([e-mail])
Location:     Dallas, TX
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         Anonymous
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Phone: [phone], also accesable via PC Pursuit. A sample
    L.sys line follows:
        attctc Any ACU 2400 1-214-741-2130 in:--in: uupdsrc word: Public
    Modify as necessary to fit local circumstances, of course. To
    get more information, request file attctc!/bbsys4/README.

Site:         mcf
Contact:      Sharan Kalwani ([e-mail], [e-mail])
Location:     Michigan
Modems:       1200/2400, Telebit
UUCP:         On Request
FTP:          None
Mail server:  archives@mcf
Additional:   Sharan Kalwani at the Michigan Cancer Foundation ([e-mail])
    has set up a mail-based server.  The archive resides on mcf's
    machine. Comp.sources.games, comp.sources.unix and other stuff
    are available.  Mail to "[e-mail]" and supply the text
        send index from comp.sources.games
    for some help on how to access the files and an index of the
    files currently online.  For human help, mail to [e-mail].

            ************************
                 U S A - WESTERN
            ************************

Site:         aeras
Contact:      Jason Winters (jason@aeras), 408-432-1200, ext, 365
Location:     San Jose, CA
Modems:       1200, 2400, Telebit
UUCP:         Anonymous
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   SnailMail tapes (Under duress)
     Systems/L.sys information:
     aeras Any 1200  4089439152 "" "" ogin:--ogin: uugarch word: freebee
     aeras Any 19200 4089439246 "" "" ogin:--ogin: uugarch word: freebee
     aeras Any 2400  4089439396 "" "" ogin:--ogin: uugarch word: freebee

     Suggested places to get additional information:
         /u3/archive/sources/LISTING
     LISTING contains the names of all the programs stored in the
     archives, and the sizes.  Note: all archives have probably been
     stored in compressed form, with 12 bit compression (for machines
     that can't handle 16 bit).  All multiple file programs have been
     stored in seperate directories, then compressed.

     More information about the files stored in a particular volume are
     kept in files called LOGFILE. Such as:
         /u3/archive/sources/games/vol1/LOGFILE
     would be the one to get to examine the exact contents of volume 1
     of the games section.  Additional information from files:  sample command
     to recover files:
         uucp aeras!/u3/archive/sources/games/vol1/LOGFILE /tmp/.
     Special note:  wild cards have been proven to not be reliable, so
                    to assure success they are not recommened tools.

Site:         hoptoad
Contact:      John Gilmore
Location:     <SF Bay area>, CA
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         None
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Will email to local sites. To get copies of archived stuff,
    mail to: [e-mail]. (Don't ask me for things if you
    have to mail through uunet to get to hoptoad -- why send it
    through an extra hop?)

Site:         otto
Contact:      Rex Jolliff ([e-mail]), 702-454-4636
Location:     Henderson, NV
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         None
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Can make 1600/6250 bpi tar/cpio tapes, 1/4" cartrige tapes
    (either format) and VMS (1600/6250 bpi) BACKUP format tapes
    (in a pinch, if you grovel...). Contact for details.

Site:         pyramid
Contact:      Claudia Dimmers/Carl Gutekunst (usenet@pyramid)
Location:     Mountain View, CA
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         On Request
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Somewhat willing to make tapes for people to come by and
    pick up, provided you call WELL in advance and bring lunch money.

Site:         saab
Contact:      Bill Randle ([e-mail]), 503-923-4422
Location:     Redmond, OR
Modems:       Courier HST
UUCP:         Anonymous
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Can make 1600/6250 bpi tar tapes, 1/4" cartrige tapes,
    3 1/2" and 5 1/4" floppys. A sample L.sys file for anon uucp:
       saab Any ACU 2400 5039234494 in:-\r-in: ugames ssword: letmein
    An index can be retrieved by (example):
       uucp saab!/usr1/ftp/games-archive/Index /usr/spool/uucppublic/Index
    The Index file also contains further uucp instructions. Will
    email selected missing parts for desperate people.

Site:         sandia
Contact:      Mike Arms (marms@sandia)
Location:     New Mexico
Modems:       N/A
UUCP          None
FTP:          None
Mail server:  None
Additional:   Will email to other NM sites.

            ************************
                  Unknown US
            ************************

Site:         schizo.samsung.com
Contact:      N/A
Location:     N/A
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Files save by volume number:
    usenet-archives/comp.sources.games/volumeN. Only volume2 and
    volume9 are present.

Site:         wuarchive.wustl.edu
Contact:      [e-mail]
Location:     N/A
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Files saved by volume number:
    usenet/comp.sources.games/volumeN. Archive access also available
    via NFS. Contact [e-mail] for more info.

Site:         xanth.cs.odu.edu
Contact:      N/A
Location:     N/A
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Files save by volume number:
    usenet/comp.sources.games/volumeN.

            ************************
                  Austrailia
            ************************

Site:         munnari
Contact:      Robert Elz ([e-mail])
Location:     Australia
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          N/A
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Access for Australian sites only. Contact Robert for more
    info.

            ************************
                    Belgium
            ************************

Site:         blekul11
Contact:      Philippe Bekaert ([e-mail])
Location:     Belgium
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         None
FTP:          None
Mail server:  [e-mail]
Additional:   All files are compressed. Example archive retrieval commands:
    For VM/CMS:
        TELL LISTSERV AT BLEKUL11 INDEX U-GAMES
        TELL LISTSERV AT BLEKUL11 GET U-GAMES ARCHIVES
        TELL LISTSERV AT BLEKUL11 HELP
    For VMS:
        SEND LISTSERV AT BLEKUL11 INDEX U-GAMES
    For other, send an email message containing one or more
    commands, e.g.:
        HELP
        INFO
        INFO GENINTRO
        INDEX
        INDEX U-GAMES
        GET U-GAMES INDEX
        GET POSTERS PART01 F=UUENCODE
    For additional information on the BLEKUL11 archive, send email
    to the moderator ([e-mail]) for an info file.

            ************************
                    France
            ************************

Site:         irisa.irisa.fr
Contact:      N/A
Location:     France
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Files stored by volume number:
    News/comp.sources.games/volumeN. Missing volume1, volume5 and
    volume6.

            ************************
                    Sweden
            ************************

Site:         sunic.sunet.se
Contact:      N/A
Location:     Sweden
Modems:       N/A
UUCP:         N/A
FTP:          Anonymous
Mail server:  N/A
Additional:   Files stored by volume number:
    comp/sources/games/volumeN.

---------------------------------------
Subject: Editorial comments

I generally accept any game (or entertaining diversion) software without
regard to host architecture or operating system. There are some exceptions,
as there are specific newsgroups for many architectures. Thus if your
game is IBM PC specific or Mac or Atari only, it is generally better
to post it in the comp.sources.<favorite architecture> newsgroup. The
other exception is games that are specific to the X-Windows windowing
system. They should be generally posted to the comp.sources.x newsgroup.
If the moderator will not accept it for posting there, send it to me.
Games that utilize more than one display system, e.g. X11 and SunView
should be sent to me. Although there is a comp.sources.sun newsgroup,
SunView based games have historically been posted in the comp.sources.games
newsgroup.


    "Top 6 pet peeves of the comp.sources.games moderator."

1.   Programs that don't compile right the first time.
2.   Programs that don't execute right the first time.
3.   Patches that don't apply correctly.
4.   Individual source files larger than ~50K bytes.
5.   Submissions that do not contain a README or Makefile file.
6.   Submissions that do not contain a man page.