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1998-05-02
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=================================================================
= v2.00 WhyGuru 15-May-97 =
=================================================================
(1) Introduction
You certainly have already got one of this nasty red blinking bo-
xes to inform you that your computer has crashed. This is the ti-
me where you hate your Amiga. But what you perhaps don't know is
that she tries to tell you something.
Unfortunately, she does this by giving you the coded cause of the
crash, coded in an 8-digit-hexadecimal. But who knows all these
different codes in mind? So you have to use either a book where
you look for the specified code or a program which does the same
for you. Such a program is WhyGuru.
Since the first version in February '96 I have tried to improve
and to expand this program. Unfortunately :(( version 1.3 got the
victim of a bad disk read/write error before I have been able to
publish it.
This version has been totally rewritten as the code of earlier
versions has been (a) a little bit ugly and (b) a little (?) bit
buggy and non-system-conform (except version 1.3).
I would say you read the manual even if you are already used to
an older version of WhyGuru since it isn't still the same.
(2) How to start WhyGuru
Running WhyGuru is an easy thing. Just double-click it's icon on
the workbench or enter its name in a CLI-window. WhyGuru runs on
any Amiga with at least 512kB RAM and KS1.3 (??), although I had
not the chance to get it tested on other models than my A12oo.
(I doubt that it runs any longer under OS1.3 ??? If anybody could
test this and inform me I would be very pleased.)
(3) The window
You've either the choice to run WhyGuru in a window or a shell.
By using an Intuition window, the layout looks a little bit
better. The layout's been created with David Benn's ReqEd. Using
a shell will give you the same informations (ooops, without s; if
my English teacher would see this ;-), but just as text. In the
former case you need the thinpaz.font in your FONTS: directory.
(4) Options and tooltypes.
I tried to make WhyGuru as comfortable to use as possible. As
said above, version 1.3 has been "killed", so many functions have
been gone again ;-(
I will try to add them again in the next version if anyone is
interested (font sensitivity, set window location, ...).
At the moment there are only three options/tooltypes:
(a) Only start if there has CLI : AUTO
been a guru WB : AUTO=ON/OFF
This option is for including WhyGuru in your StartUp-Sequence
or in your WBStartUp drawer, since it will check whether there
was an alert and if there has been none it won't start.
Furthermore, WhyGuru overwrites the last alert code with zeros
when finished (but _only_ when using "AUTO") since if you are
going to do a reset via CTRL-LA-RA, the last code will still be
in memory and Whyguru would explain it again. By overwriting the
code this problem is fixed.
(b) Toggle display CLI : WINDOW
WB : -
If WhyGuru has been launched from a shell, no window will be
opened but a text will be printed. By using WINDOW WhyGuru will
not do that but will open the same intuition window as if it has
been launched from WB.
(c) Sensitive mode CLI : SENSITIVE
WB : SENSITIVE=ON
It may be that you get regularly crashes you don't want to be
shown (i.e. after having made a reset, guru 14041004 [trackdisk.
device can't open a device] appears within WhyGuru, although
EXEC didn't show this guru. This does happen on my 12oo.)
So you have the possibility to create a file called WhyGuru.not
in your S: directory where you can specify an unlimited number
of guru codes which won't be displayed anymore when using the
sensitive mode.
The file's structure is easy. Lines starting with a # are
comments. A guru number is specified by beginning a new line and
typing the 8 numbers of it. There MUST be NO space after the
number, otherwise it is ignored. Just save the file than as
S:WhyGuru.not and it will be ready for use.
P.S. : Make sure that there's a free line at the end of the data
file.
P.S.S. : When using the SENSITIVE mode and a guru appeared which
is specified in s:WhyGuru.not, WhyGuru won't start (as
if no guru occured and the ALWAYS mode is on).
(6) Known bugs
This bug is no bug (but could lead to misunderstandings): If you
press the right mouse button or do a warm reset when your Amiga
displays an alert, it might be that the guru number is lost !!!!!
Do always "answer" an alert by pressing the left mouse button!
I was told that the bottom lines of the bevelboxes are sometimes
destroyed. This did NOT happen on my A5oo but since I am having
my new 12oo :-))))) I have also been able to watch this -> fixed.
Another problem could be the position of the guru number in memo-
ry. It should be in ExecBase->LastAlert. Curious, but this is not
the case on my A12oo. Here it is at $100 (interrupt vector). This
version does read its value from $100 as I have not heard any
complaint until now (1.x versions got it from $100 as well). If
WhyGuru does not work on your machine, please, contact me!
As to my knowledge there are no more bugs, but one can never be
sure. So if you find one -> my address can be found below.
(7) Future features
Well, I'd like to hear YOUR ideas and I want your help. If you
have any idea, suggestion or even bug reports, improvements or
adding or better explanations for alert codes please contact me.
And what I really need are texts for a <Detailed>¹ function. So
if you can explain an alert code in no more words than fitting on
a HiRes screen with Topaz 8, perhaps with some typical examples
which cause such a guru in ACE, Assembler and/or C PLEASE!!! tell
me!
¹ I thought of a button which
will deliver more! than one
line of explanation. When I
have enough texts, I'll add
this feature.
(8) History
version date description
-----------------------------------------------------------------
1.00 16-02-96 first try
18-02-96 finished
1.10 20-02-96 removed 2 awful bugs : in the developed source
I forgot a } and all hexadecimal codes in the
data lines were handled as decimal :(
1.20 12-03-96 created window layout with ReqEd1.11s by David
Benn, so that WhyGuru can now be launched from
the workbench.
1.21 16-03-96 How could that happen!? I have just found out
that there is _again_ an awful bug: instead of
the subsystem the detailed explanation code is
printed :((( Fixed.
17-03-96 Added feature to change the font for display-
ing the explanation texts
1.22 13-05-96 Added 39 (!) new explanations. Found in books'
14-05-96 appendices and in other guru programs.
1.30 15-05-96 Created new layout
19-05-96 added the "new alert code" gadget but had some
20-05-96 problems converting the input
26-05-96 fixed also some problems with the graphics
27-05-96 optimizing
28-05-96 wrote manual
29-05-96 lost the whole source -> the only survivors
were the manual and the ReqEd file :-(
Perhaps I should not have used NoName disks ?
I am happy to have a harddisk now :-))
2.00 28-03-97 Rewrote the whole source
31-03-97 After having had a nice Easter weekend I fixed
some bugs and wrote the manual. Furthermore I
added some more (30) alert codes ;-)
04-04-97 Added the AUTO function
05-04-97 Fixed a bug when reading the tooltypes
03-05-97 Fixed a bug.
05-05-97 Fixed a bug (actually a bug in NAP but this
lead to some unprocessed defines and ACE just
put some random value in these "variables")
08-05-97 Added the sensitive function.
15-05-97 Fixed a bug in the sensitive function.
(9) Copyright / Disclaimer
This program is fully copyrighted by the author (see below) and
NO changes are allowed to made, neither in the program itself, in
the source code or in any further file belonging to the official
program package.
It is allowed to copy the program freely² but you are not allowed
to sell it alone or together with other programs on a disk for
more than 5,00 DM or the same in any other currency (20 SEK or
3 US$ or £2 or ...). The author of this program is reserving the
right to forbid special persons or even firms to sell or to dis-
tribute this program in any form and in any way (as of now:
military organisations and non-democratic persons / firms, ... do
NOT have the right to use WhyGuru [although I can not image why
they should like to do this ? ])
² before that I'd like to hear from you how
you like WhyGuru, if possible.
Furthermore, this program is distributed without any warranty. If
you lose datas or get anything damaged, ... by the direct or in-
direct influence / activity of this program the author cannot be
made responsible in any kind. Even as the program has been tested
detailed as it has been possible you use it on your own risk !!!!
As of version 2.0 the source code is no longer included. Dis-
assembling is of course strongly forbidden. If anyone is interes-
ted in the source code s/he can send me 5,00 DM (20 SEK, 3 US$ or
£2) in cash and I'll E-Mail the code.
(A) Thanks ...
My thanks goes to ...
... David Benn for having developed ACE and ReqEd 1.11, as well
as the WBarg submodule
... Herbert Breuer for his advanced help in programming the
Amiga.
... all the people who invented and developed the Amiga. Great
work!
(B) Contacting the author
My name is Daniel Seifert and I'm born in 1978. At the moment I'm
studying at the "1st Grammar School Hellersdorf" (Leonard-
Bernstein-Gymnasium) whereas Hellersdorf is the eastermost suburb
of Berlin, which is the capital of Germany, as you probably know,
don't you? ;-))
My favourite subjects are Maths, English and, of course, compu-
ting.
If you want to contact me, there are three possibilities:
(a) E-Mail (preferred)
You can reach me at my school: dseifert@hell1og.be.schule.de
Please give me some time to answer -> holidays, exams or
problems with the school computer (no Amiga :-(
After June '98 this EMail address might have gone (hm, well,
if not I'll have a little problem ;-) so use the snail mail
address instead to ask for my new address (or look out for
new programs by me ;-)
WWW
Well, as of now I do not have my own home page :-( But if
you are interested in a (German) math corner, which I helped
to create, take a look at :
http://members.aol.com/fuzzymathe/index.htm
(b) snail mail
Please do only expect an answer if you enclose some money
for my costs (postage, ...). I am a little bit out of money
(aren't student always ? ;-)) so I just don't want to spend
my money on this.
(Err, I almost forgot my address ;)
Daniel Seifert
Elsenborner Weg 25
12621 Berlin
GERMANY
(c) telephone
Well, I cannot imagine that anybody wants to contact me
this way. But anyway: call (+49) ([0]30) 5669471 and ask
for Daniel. ^ Berlin
^ Germany (check this!)