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Newsgroups: comp.sys.cbm,comp.answers,news.answers Subject: COMP.SYS.CBM: General FAQ, v3.0 Part 1/4 Summary: This posting contains answers to questions that commonly surface in comp.sys.cbm. This posting will tell you enough to get your computer connected to a network, fixed, and/or enhanced. This file should be read by new users of comp.sys.cbm before posting to the group. It should also be proofread by users who are currently active in comp.sys.cbm. Keywords: CBM FAQ Help List C64 C128 VIC Modem Followup-To: comp.sys.cbm Organization: Brain Innovations, Inc. Reply-To: brain@mail.msen.com Message-ID: <cbmmainfaq10895@msen.com> Supersedes: <cbmmainfaq10795@msen.com> Expires: 05 Sep 1995 Approved: news-answers-request@MIT.EDU Archive-name: cbm-main-faq.3.0.p1 Comp-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part1 News-answers-archive-name: commodore/main-faq/part1 Comp-sys-cbm-archive-name: main-faq/part1 Version: 3.0 Last-modified: 1995/08/04 Disclaimer: This file is maintained by Jim Brain (brain@mail.msen.com). It is composed of information gleaned from articles in the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm, the FidoNET echoes CBM and CBM-128, electronic mail messages, World Wide Web pages, and other mediums. All the authors have either directly or indirectly given their consent to use their work in this FAQ. All of the information in this file has been gathered and checked if possible for errors, but I cannot guarantee the correctness of any statement in this file. If in doubt, please bring up the subject in one of the Commodore forums. If you have suggestions, comments, or criticisms, please let Jim Brain know by sending electronic mail to brain@mail.msen.com. Keep in mind that new questions appear on a daily basis, so there is a finite time between a new question appearing in comp.sys.cbm, and its inclusion in this file. The latest version of this file may be obtained from the following places: ftp sites: ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/comp.sys.cbm/cbm-main-faq.3.0 ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/faq/cbm-main-faq.3.0.gz ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part* ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/commodore/main-faq/part* ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.answers/commodore/main-faq/part* World Wide Web sites: http://www.msen.com/~brain/faqhome.html Bulletin Board Systems: COMMODORE CEE BBS (916) 395-9733, FIDONET address: 1:203/999 VGA Cologne BBS +49-221-9808007 (ZyXel 19k2) -9808008 (V.FC) FidoNET address 2:2450/140 Mailservers: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu. First four lines of message: send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part1 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part2 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part3 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part4 Jim Brain's Mailserver (always has latest copy) Files: cbm-main-faq.3.0.p1 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p2 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p3 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p4 + Mailing List + To receive any major updates to the FAQ, mail: + To: brain@mail.msen.com + Subject: MAILSERV + Body: + subscribe cbm-main-faq Firstname Lastname + quit See Section 6 for directions on how to use these services to retrieve the FAQ. This file is posted to the groups comp.sys.cbm, news.answers, and comp.answers twice every month around the 5th and the 20th of the month. _Notes for this release_: ----------------------- Section 7.X needs work. The first 3 items in Section 13.8 need un-"tech"ed in the wording. I haven't had time to complete that. I will gladly accept rewrites from people. Section 14.X needs to be fleshed out considerably. + I am gathering a list of Commodore reference books together. If you + have a book, please send me the ISBN, Author, TItle, short description, + number of pages, whether it has illustrations, and whether it has + any code samples. Thanks. ----------------------- Lines preceded with a '|" have been modified since the last version of this file was posted. Lines preceded by a '+' have been added since the last version was posted. If readers of this FAQ wish to make changes, please precede formatted lines sent to me with a 'C' so that I can see the changes even if you enclose header and trailer text to show context. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents ----------------- 1. Introduction 1.1. What is a FAQ 1.2. What topics does this FAQ cover? 1.3. Who decides what goes in the FAQ? 1.4. How do I retrieve updates to the FAQ? 2. Overview 2.1. Do people still use Commodore 8-bit machines? 2.2. How many Commodore machines are there? 2.3. What do people do with Commodore 8-bit machines? 2.4. What Commodore 8-bit machines are most widely used? 2.5. What is the economic status of Commodore? 3. The BASICs 3.1. How do I format a Commodore disk? 3.2. How do I transform a BASIC program to a text file? 3.3. How do I transform a text file into a BASIC program? 3.4. How can I change my drive device number through software? 3.5. Can I get my 1581 drive to change its device number on startup? 4. Publications 4.1. What paper publications are available? 4.2. What paper publications have disappeared? 4.3. What is a Disk Magazine? Where do I find them? 4.4. What is an Online Magazine? Where do I find them? 4.5. Are there other publications I should be aware of? 4.6. How do I know which magazines to subscribe to? 5. Connecting Up 5.1. How do I connect my computer to the outside world? 5.2. What services can I use to get online? 5.3. What hardware do I need? 5.4. What kinds of terminal programs exist? 5.4.1. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 64? 5.4.2. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 128? 5.5. Can I use my Commodore computer on Amateur Radio? 5.6. Is there TCP/IP software available for Commodore computers? 6. The Online Information Reservoir 6.1. How do I download? What is a transfer protocol? 6.2. What is the difference between PETSCII and ASCII? 6.3. Where can I find Commodore programs? 6.4. What is a file extension, and what do they stand for? 6.5. What is electronic mail? 6.5.1. What are mailing lists and how do I join one? 6.5.2. What is a Mail Server? How do I use one? 6.5.3. How do I contact people on Compuserve, Genie, etc.? 6.6. What is USENET or NetNews? What is a USENET newsgroup? 6.6.1. What news groups cater to Commodore 8-bit machines? 6.6.2. What types of discussions belong in comp.sys.cbm? 6.6.3. Which issues does comp.sys.cbm discuss regularly? 6.6.4. How do I post in comp.sys.cbm? 6.6.5. How can I access comp.sys.cbm through email? 6.7. What is a FidoNET echo? 6.7.1. What echoes cater to Commodore 8-bit machines? 6.7.2. How do I post in an echo? 6.8. What is the World Wide Web? 6.8.1. What WWW sites have Commodore information? 6.9. What is File Transfer Protocol (FTP)? 6.9.1. What FTP sites have Commodore Information? 6.9.2. What is an FTP Mail Server? How do I use one? 6.10. What is Internet Relay Chat (IRC)? 6.11. What else is available online? 7. Exchanging Data 7.1. How do I exchange data among Commodore 8-bit machines? 7.2. How do I exchange data between an IBM(tm) and my Commodore? 7.3. How do I exchange data between an Amiga and my Commodore? 7.4. How do I exchange data between a Macintosh(tm) and my Commodore? 7.5. How do I exchange data between an Atari ST(tm) and my Commodore? 7.6. How do I exchange data between a UNIX(tm) machine and my Commodore? 7.7. Are there other ways to exchange data between computers? 8. Operating Systems 8.1. What Operating Systems are available? 8.2. What is GEOS? 8.3. What is UNIX? 8.4. What is CP/M 9. Demonstrations 9.1. Just what is a demonstration, or demo? 9.2. What does NTSC and PAL mean? 9.3. Where do I get demos? 9.4. What is a demo competition? 9.5 What does FLI, DYCP, etc. mean? 10. Emulators 10.1. What is an emulator? 10.2. What platforms do 64 emulators exist on? 10.3. What platforms do 128 emulators exist on? 10.4. Are any other Commodore computers emulated? 11. Troubleshooting 11.1. What do I do for my ill disk drive? 11.2. What do I do for my ill computer? 11.2.1. What do I do for my ill Commodore 64? 11.2.2. What do I do for my ill Commodore 128? 11.3. What do I do for my ill keyboard? 12. Modifications and Cabling 12.1. How can you alter which side a 1571 reads from? 12.2. How do I open a C128 power supply? 12.3. How do I make a cable to hook my CBM 1902A to my 64 or 128? 12.4. How do I build a simple RS-232 interface cable? 12.5. How do I build a 2400/9600 bps RS-232 interface cable? 13. Enhancements 13.1. How do I increase my disk drive's transfer speed? 13.1.1. What is a Fastloader? 13.1.2. What is a ROM replacement? 13.1.3. What are the disadvantages to using a drive enhancement? 13.1.4. What other things can I do to speed up the drive? 13.2. How do I expand my disk drive's capacity? 13.2.1. What is a Hard Drive? Who sell them? 13.2.2. What is 64NET? 13.3. How do I expand my computer's RAM capacity? 13.3.1. What is a Ram Expansion Unit? 13.3.2. What is a geoRAM Unit? 13.3.3. What is battery backed GeoRAM (BBGRam)? 13.3.4. What is a RAMLink? 13.3.5. What is a RAMDrive? 13.3.6. How do I expand my C128 Video RAM? 13.3.7. How do I expand my C64 internally? 13.3.8. How do I expand my C128 internally? 13.4. How do I increase my computer's speed? 13.4.1. How do I increase my Commodore 64's speed? 13.4.2. How do I increase my Commodore 128's speed? 13.4.3. Can I speed up other Commodore computers? 13.5. How do I increase my computer screen's resolution? 13.5.1. How do I increase my Commodore 64's screen resolution? 13.5.2. How do I increase my Commodore 128's screen resolution? 13.5.3. How do I increase other CBM computers' resolutions? 13.6. How do I increase my computer's serial transfer speed? 13.7. How do I increase my computer's sound quality? 13.8. What other ways can I expand my Commodore computer? 14. Programming 14.1. What Programming Languages are available? 14.2. What is a Cross Assembler? How do I use one? 15. User Groups 16. Sales and Service 16.1. Where do I purchase Commodore Equipment and Software? 16.2. Where do I get equipment serviced? 16.3. How do I know who to buy from or request service from? 17. Miscellaneous 17.1. How fast does a Commodore 64 run? 17.2. How can a turn my NTSC-M 64 into a PAL-B 64 or vice versa? 17.3. What does this IC number mean? 18. Credits --------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Introduction Welcome to the comp.sys.cbm "Frequently Asked Questions" (FAQ) file. Many news groups maintain a FAQ file which is posted monthly, and is a repository for general interest and common information that many readers of the news group, or new readers of the news group, might be interested in. 1.1. What is a FAQ FAQ is an acronym that stands for "Frequently Asked Questions". Shortly after the introduction of USENET, many people noticed that certain questions were repeatedly asked in newsgroups. To minimize the posting of answers to already answered questions, USENET developed the idea of FAQ files. After a question has been asked a number of times in the USENET newsgroup, it is added to the list of answered questions in the FAQ. Then, readers are encouraged to read the FAQ to cut down on posts of repeated questions. A FAQ file is not solely for newcomers. Experienced users are encouraged to glance over the FAQ every so often to check for errors and add items. Also, it seems that everyone gets a question answered by reading the FAQ, new user or not. 1.2. What topics does this FAQ cover? This FAQ answers questions on just about any topic concerning Commodore computers. Obviously, given the nature of the FAQ file, it is impossible to answer every question here, and some topics are too broad for discussion in the FAQ. However, when the FAQ cannot adequately answer a question, it does provide pointers to relevant people or materials. Even though a large number of people use their Commodore computer to program, the topic is much too broad for adequate coverage in the FAQ. For those interested in programming, however, please see Section 14, "Programming". 1.3. Who decides what goes in the FAQ? Typically, a FAQ file is editted by a single person or small group of people. These editors decide what should go into the FAQ. Obviously, for the FAQ to fulfill its intended purpose, any question that has been asked repeatedly should be included, as should updates to any questions already in the FAQ. The FAQ maintainer should try to provide as up-to-date information as possible in the FAQ. Above that, the FAQ maintainer can include any other information he or she deems or interest or value to the readers. For this FAQ, the FAQ maintainer is Jim Brain, brain@mail.msen.com. If you have information that you feel should be included, please mail it to Jim. Please be aware that it does take time to include new information. 1.4. How do I retrieve updates to the FAQ? The FAQ is posted twice monthly, on the 5th and 20th, to the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm. It is automatically archived on the FTP site rtfm.mit.edu and automatically archived on Jim Brain's mailserver. Most Bulletin Board Systems and User Groups have a recent copy of the FAQ, and numerous magazines and other publications have included parts or all of the FAQ on disk or in print in recent months. This FAQ is called the "COMP.SYS.CBM General Frequently Asked Questions List". The latest version of the FAQ may be obtained from the following places: ftp sites: ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/comp.sys.cbm/cbm-main-faq.3.0 ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/faq/cbm-main-faq.3.0.gz ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part* ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/news.answers/commodore/main-faq/part* ftp://rtfm.mit.edu/pub/usenet/comp.answers/commodore/main-faq/part* World Wide Web sites: http://www.msen.com/~brain/faqhome.html Bulletin Board Systems: COMMODORE CEE BBS (916) 395-9733, FIDONET address: 1:203/999 VGA Cologne BBS +49-221-9808007 (ZyXel 19k2) -9808008 (V.FC) FidoNET address 2:2450/140 Mailservers: mail-server@rtfm.mit.edu. First four lines of message: send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part1 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part2 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part3 send /usenet/comp.sys.cbm/main-faq/part4 Jim Brain's Mailserver (always has latest copy) Files: cbm-main-faq.3.0.p1 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p2 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p3 cbm-main-faq.3.0.p4 + Mailing List + To receive any major updates to the FAQ, mail: + To: brain@mail.msen.com + Subject: MAILSERV + Body: + subscribe cbm-main-faq Firstname Lastname + quit See Section 6 for directions on how to use these services to retrieve the FAQ. 2. Overview Obviously, we must walk before we run, and this principle applies to FAQ files as well. Here are some general questions we often receive in the Commodore community. 2.1. Do people still use Commodore 8-bit machines? Yes, people still do. Newer machines may have appeared and taken over the corporate world, but the Commodore 8-bit machines live on. 2.2. How many Commodore machines are there? If you are asking the quantity of Commodore machines sold, the simple truth is that we do not know. Commodore never officially released any such numbers for all models. It has been estimated that Commodore sold over 10 million Commodore 64 machines, but that has not been proven, as far as I know. So, if you ever determine exactly what quantity of each model was produced, please pass the information along. If you are asking the number of different models Commodore sold, we have a slightly better idea. Jim Brain has compiled a list of all known CBM products, marketed or not, into the "Canonical List of Commodore Products". This include all of the Commodore line, including the PCs and the Amiga systems. As it is much too large to fit in the FAQ, it can be requested from Jim Brain's mailserver as file cbmmodel.txt (See Section 6.5.2 for directions on how to access the mailserver). Alternately, the file is posted to the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm on a periodic basis. 2.3. What do people do with Commodore 8-bit machines? People use their machines for very different purposes: Game Console. Home Computer. Experimentor's machine. Small Business Computer. No matter what purpose they use them for, they use them because there is a wealth of programs available for the Commodore computer systems. The Commodore line of computers has a seemingly endless supply of quality programs available for it, and more are being created daily. 2.4. What Commodore 8-bit machines are most widely used? Well, it is a fact that all types of Commodore 8-bit computers are still in use, but the following machines get the most use: Commodore 64 (include SX64, DX64, and PET64) Commodore 128 (includes 128D and Euro 128D) The following systems manufactured by Commodore still have a devout following: Commodore VIC-20 Commodore PET series Commodore B series Commodore Plus 4 and 16 Commodore C65 The Commodore 65 is a recent addition and is the result of a liquidation of some ALPHA stage test machines. A number of people have purchased these test units, and they have a FAQ devoted just to this machine. The C65 faq is located in the same directory as this file under the name cbm-c65-faq.2.0. The Commodore 65 FAQ is maintained by Russell Alphey and a copy of this file can be obtained from him at r.alphey@dce.vic.gov.au. | In spite of rumors, No company is considering manufacturing the C65. If you own a Commodore C65, the following person is compiling a list of people who own them. Robin Harbon 542 West Donald Street. Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7E 5Y6 Canada If you currently use a PET series Commodore computer or just want to know more about them, one person is trying to start a magazine devoted to these machine. For more information or to submit articles for the magazine, please get in touch with: Mark J. Kingsbury 25 Latta Battle Creek, MI 49017 Mark_J_Kingsbury@fc1.glfn.org 2.5. What is the economic status of Commodore? On April 29, 1994, Commodore International announced that it had been unable to renegotiate terms of outstanding loans and were closing down the business. In the months that followed, the liquidation process drug on, owing to the large far-reaching size of the corporation. In addition, the fact that the company was incorporated in the Bahamas while a large share of the creditors were from the US made legal proceeding tense and drawn out. On April 20th, 1995, almost a full year later, Commodore was sold to a German company called ESCOM for approximately 10 to 12.5 million dollars. At present, the new acquisition has been named Amiga Technologies GmBh and is at the following address: Amiga Technologies, GmBh Berliner Ring 89 B-64625 Bensheim, Germany. The new head of Engineering is Dr. Peter Kittel, whome many know from his post in the liquidated Commodore Corporation. A press release by Mr. Kittel states that the company will care exclusively for the Amiga line of machines at present, although licensing for the 8-bit technology is possibly an option for the near future. If people would like to become part of the new company, plain resumes (no fax or email) can be sent to: ESCOM AG Personalabteilung Tiergartenstr. 9 D-64646 Heppenheim Germany I have word that the new company is licensing a manufacturer to produce C64s for the Chinese market, but these cannot be exported. Of course, since Commodore hasn't served the Commodore 8-bit community for quite some time, most Commodore owners are only interested in what will happen to Commodore Semiconductor Group (CSG), the fabricator for many of the special ICs in the Commodore 8-bit line. Below is the current status of CSG as of April 6, 1995: Commodore Semiconductor Group liquidated in December, 1994. The vast majority of the operational material and the real estate was purchased by GMT Electronics, a company formed by CSG's management. GMT has paid the $1 million lien that the EPA had levied against CSG, and is now operating as a for-hire chip production plant. CSG/GMT is holding approximately $5 million in Commodore parts. 3. The BASICs These are some questions we receive about "BASIC", the built-in programming language in all 8-bit Commodore computers, and the "basics" of using the machine. 3.1. How do I format a Commodore disk? To format a disk in drive 0 (older PET drives had drive 0 and 1) on disk device #8, you issue the following command from BASIC: open1,8,15,"n0:16char_name,12":close1 | The name can be 16 characters in length, and the disk id (12 in this example) can be any two alphanumeric characters. For more information on how to use the 1541 disk drive or compatibles, a complete manual is available at ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/documents. (See Section 6.9 for direction on how to use ftp.) 3.2. How do I transform a BASIC program to a text file? As you may know, Commodore BASIC stores programs in "tokenized" format, so they are unreadable from a standard text editor. To fix that, load up you BASIC program, and then type the following in direct mode: open1,8,2,"listing,s,w":cmd1:list The text listing will be placed on drive 8 in a file called listing. After the listing is finished, your cursor should return. Type the following in: print#1:close1 You now have an un-"tokenized" copy of your program, which you can edit with any text editor. 3.3. How do I transform a text file into a BASIC program? Since Commodore BASIC stores its programs in "tokenized" format, one cannot simply load text files containing BASIC statements and run the file directly. However, there is a solution. In direct mode, type in the following: C64: open1,8,2,"filename":poke781,1:poke812,73:sys 65478 C128: open1,8,2,"filename":poke7,1:poke812,73:sys 65478 This will read in each line of the text file and try to execute it (or store it if the line is preceded by a number). When the last line of the program is entered, hit RUN/STOP-RESTORE, and type in the following: close1:poke812,47:sys 65484 The file will now be loaded into memory. Immediately save the file to disk as a BASIC program. + If the above sounds too complicated for you, check out the seq-to-basic + program that is posted to comp.binaries.cbm every month. It will perform + the translation programatically. 3.4. How can I change my drive device number through software? To change the device number on Commodore drives, follow these steps: In the following examples, 'olddn' is the drive's current device number, and 'newdn' is the new number you wish to change it to. 1) Turn off all drives except one you wish to change device number of. 2) Type the following in, depending on drive type: 1540/41/42/4040/Most Compatibles: open 15,olddn,15 print#15,"m-w"chr$(119)chr$(0)chr$(2)chr$(32+newdn)chr$(64+newdn) close 15 MSD SD-1 (Old ROM): open 15,olddn,15 print#15,"m-w"chr$(117)chr$(0)chr$(2)chr$(32+newdn)chr$(64+newdn) close 15 1551/70/71/81 open 15,olddn,15 print#15,"u0>"+chr$(newdn) close 15 3) Turn back on other drives. The change is only temporary. It will revert back if the drive is turned off. 3.5. Can I get my 1581 drive to change its device number on startup? When the 1581 is initialized, as well as checking the boot sector of the disk, it also looks for a file "copyright cbm 86". This file, if found, can specify a device number for the 1581 disk. Whenever the 1581 is booted or initialized with this disk inserted, its device number will be changed to the specified number. The utility 1581-auto-dev by David W. Tamkin (can be found on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca in the utilities directory) will create this file. It can also do other stuff, so check it out. 4. Publications Commodore users are always wanting more information about their computer. They want to see articles about how to use it, program it, care for it, and expand it. Some use publications to gain knowledge, while others use them to find other people who have knowledge. 4.1. What paper publications are available? The Underground The Underground 4574 Via Santa Maria Santa Maria, CA 93455 underground@tcf.com (Contact) Scott Eggleston (Editor) The Underground is a small format (8.5" x 5.5", with an average 28 pages) publication which covers all sorts of Commodore topics. Each issue will usually have two feature articles and two reviews, as well as regular columns on GEOS, telecommunications, programming, news, commentary, and Public Domain and Shareware. One unique feature to the Underground is "Underware", which is all the PD/SW software mentioned in each issue which is provided "free" to those subscribers who send in a blank disk with return postage. We also pride ourselves on being the most affordable publication, as well as being completely produced on Commodore equipment. The Underground is produced using geoPublish and a TI Laser printer, and reproduced on a high-quality copy machine. It appears regularly every other month. Writers are encouraged to send articles in PETASCII or ASCII format (1,000 words is recommended) on a disk, or directly to the editor's e-mail box. The Underground pays $5 per article. Subscription rates: (All checks or money order in US funds) Type of Subescription US Canada/ International Mexico one year subscription (6 issues) $11.00 $12.50 $21.50 sample issue $2.00 $2.25 $3.75 Commodore World Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646 East Longmeadow, MA 01028 (800) 638-3263 (Credit Card Orders) This is a new magazine that supersedes the RUN magazine. It is packed with info about Commodore computers. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US Canada/ EC All Others Mexico one year subscription (8 issues) $29.96 $35.95 $45.95 $57.97 sample issue + shipping $6.95 $6.95 $8.95 $8.95 Twin Cities 128/64 (TC128/64) Twin Cities 128/64 (TC128) Parsec, Incorporated P.O. Box 111 Salem, MA 01970-0111 (508) 745-5855 Twin Cities 128 is (as of issue #29) published by Parsec, Inc. It features Commodore 128 iand 64 specific information, and attempts to cater to readers at all levels of experience, not just novices. Additionally, starting with Issue #31(February/March 1991), Twin Cities 128 comes with a companion disk. Subscription rates: (All checks or money order in US funds) Type of Subscription US Canada/ International Mexico one year subscription with disks $24.00 $24.00 $36.00 dieHard dieHard subscriptions P.O. Box 392 Boise, ID 83701-0392 (208) 383-0300 (Information) Magazine devoted to all 8-bit Commodore computers. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US Canada/ International Mexico one year subscription (10 issues) $16.97 $16.97 $16.97 subscription with SPINNER disk $55.97 $55.97 $55.97 Commodore Network Commodore Network Magazine Warren Naismith 9 Wadeson St Cobram Victoria Australia 3150 In U.S.: COMMODORE CEE P.O. Box 232115 Sacramento, CA 95823 EMAIL Jack Vanderwhite@cee-64.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Contact) Jack Vanderwhite, editor. Fidonet: 1:203/999 (916) 395-9733 (Bulletin Board System) Starting 1/95 subscriptions will be available in the U.S. from Jack Vander White at $40.00 per 12 issues. This is the same as the local price in Australia. Back issues and Compendium volumes will be advertised in the near future for U.S. subscribers. Subscription rates: (From Jack Vander White) Type of Subscription US one year subscription (12 issues) $40.00 Random (64/128 Magazine) Random 7161 North Maine Clovis, CA 93611-8200 random-mag@genie.geis.com (Contact) random-mag@delphi.com (Contact) random-mag (GENIE Contact) (209) 323-7841 (VoiceMail/Fascimilie) Random is a professionally published magazine which is printed bi-monthly. Each issue contains numerous articles on subjects affecting Commodore users such as modemming, maximizing your system, the Internet, GEOS, the effects of pirating and much more, along with countless columns on subjects such as GEOS, BASIC and ML progamming, Late Breakin' News, reviews of the latest Commodore commercial and shareware software and hardware, and much more. We also produce the Commodore Support Index, and are currently selling the remaining inventory of US Cities Volume One.(Sim City add-on). Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US Canada/ International Mexico one year subscription (6 issues) $23.70 $23.70 $23.70 two year subscription (12 issues) $46.00 $46.00 $46.00 sample issue $ 5.00 $ 5.00 $ 5.00 one year subscription with disk $35.70 $35.70 $35.70 two year subscription with disk $71.40 $71.40 $71.40 64'er (German) 64'er Magna Media Post Fatch 1304 D-85531 Haar bei Munich Germany +49 89 4613192 (Voice) +49 89 46135001 (Fascimile) mmatting@cube.net (E-mail Address) +49 89 4613266 (Bulletin Board System) Subscription rates: Type of Subscription Germany/ Others Austria/ Switzerland one year subscription DM105.00 DM129.00 (12 issues @ 64 p each, 12 disks) 8-bit 8-bit Atta Bitar (Anders Reuterswerd) 82 66 75 - 1 (Orders and Information) This is a Swedish magazine that tailors to Commodore 64 and 128 users. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription Sweden Scandinavia one year subscription (6 issues) 75.00sek 100.00sek + The Commodore GEOS Publication + The Commodore GEOS Publication + 713 East Main Street + Independence, KS 67301-3726 + User oriented magazine. 4.2. What paper publications have disappeared? Although the following magazines are no longer in print, most of the information is still timely. Some of these publications, such as Transactor, are highly sought after for theor technical content. Since some programs and information is not republished in newer magazines, these old magazines might have the only article about a given topic or problem. Ahoy! RUN Creative Micro Designs, Inc. P.O. Box 646 East Longmeadow, MA 01028 (800) 638-3263 (Credit Card Orders) Creative Micro Designs offers back issues of RUN magazine. Commodore Microcomputing-Power/Play GeoVISISON The Transactor Sure, it's dead, and has been for a few years, but this one was a classic. Calling itself the magazine for Commodore programmers, this magazine was enough to make any C64/C128 programmer drool. Featuring in-depth technical information and programming tutorials, as well as "out-of-the-way" topics (things along the line of Richard Curcio's 256K and 512K articles that appeared in TC128). If you are a programmer and can get your hands on back issues of this magazine, do so. Micro-Bytes Parsec, Incorporated P.O. Box 111 Salem, MA 01970-0111 (508) 745-5855 As of 25-May-1992, Parsec, Inc. has taken over the distribution of MB products, and back issues. More information about MB can be found in the /pub/cbm/micro-bytes directory on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca. COMPUTE'S Gazette COMPUTE'S Gazette P.O. BOX 3244 HARLAN, IA 51593-2424 (800) 727-6937 (Subscription Number) tomnetsel@aol.com (Gazette Editor, Tom Netsel) Yes, the Gazette is finally shutting down. They are trying to clear out old inventory, so give them a call for back issues. GEOJOURNAL COMMODORE CEE P.O. Box 232115 Sacramento, CA 95823 EMAIL Jack Vanderwhite@cee-64.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Contact) Jack Vanderwhite, editor. Fidonet: 1:203/999 (916) 395-9733 (Bulletin Board System) COMMODORE CEE has taken over publication of back issues of GEOJOURNAL. 4.3. What is a Disk Magazine? Where do I find them? A disk magazine is a publication that comes out as a text file(s) on a diskette. You load the reader program on a computer and view the magazine on the computer screen. COMMODORE CEE (was CEE-64 Alive!) COMMODORE CEE P.O. Box 232115 Sacramento, CA 95823 | Jack Vanderwhite@cee-64.wmeonlin.sacbbx.com (Contact) Jack Vanderwhite, editor. Fidonet: 1:203/999 (916) 395-9733 (Bulletin Board System) The magazine covers all the Commodore computer systems Also, a distibutor of both PD and original software in a catalog with magazines and demo issue. Distributes the Australian Commodore Network magazine. The magazine operates a Bulletin Board for subscribers. However, anyone can log on or download on first access. Speeds range from 300-14400 bps. the bulletin board maintains over 2000 files for the C64 and C128. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US Europe Australia one year subscription (6 issues) $36.00 $48.00US Order from Commodore (18 disks) Network demo issue $ 3.00 $--.-- Back Issue Information: Volume 1/1992 5 issues $20.00 Volume 2/1993 6 issues $25.00 Volume 3/1994 6 issues (15 disks) $30.00 LOADSTAR 64 Monthly and LOADSTAR 128 Quarterly SOFTDISK PUBLISHING P.O. BOX 30008 SHREVEPORT, LA 71130-00008 Jeff Jones (Associate Editor) EMAIL: loadstar@genie.geis.com (Contact) (800) 831-2694 (Phone) (318) 221-8870 (Fascimile) (318) 425-4382 (Bulletin Board System) Two disk magazines that feature C64/C128 programs, articles, news, music, and graphics. Available on 3.5" and 5.25" disks. The 64 magazine is currently offering a risk-free issue. Just call and sign up. Cancel if you are not satisfied. LOADSTAR pays a premium price for programs and is looking for good C64 and 128 programmers. LOADSTAR also pays for articles. Call for a risk-free issue. Each issue contains programmer's guidelines in a file called LOADSTAR BRIEFS. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US Other LOADSTAR 64 (12 issues) $ 89.95 $109.95 LOADSTAR 128 (4 issues) $ 39.95 $ 49.95 LOADSTAR 64 and 128 $119.95 $149.95 Driven Driven Steve Akers, steve@uunet.uu.net (Editor) Roger W. Lueck, coolhand@kaiwan.com (Editor) | Driven is a publication in a single disk file that can be downloaded | and run on a Commodore 64. The aim of each issue is to strengthen and unite | the North American (NTSC) demo scene through dissemination of information | about the scene, its participants, and the demos they make. The overall goal | is to add yet another means of keeping the C64 alive as a whole. | Each issue contains news about the demo scene (including what demos, | utilities, etc. get released), contact information for scene members, | interviews with demo authors, and demo reviews. In addition, the | magazine offers general interest articles describing C64 resources | available on Internet, commercial products, online services, and | software developers. Driven is FREE. Distribution is unlimited and encouraged. It can be found | at ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/c64/magazines/ and on IRC channel #c-64 on one of the many bots. In addition, the magazine can be retrieved from Corrosion of Conformity at (905) 385-8014. The editors can also uuencode and email each issue to you if wanted. As a last resort for people unable to find Driven by one of these preferred free routes, you can "subscribe" for $2 an issue (maximum of 3 issues at a time, please). Send subscription requests to: Threshold Productions 17730 15th Ave. NE Suite #229 Seattle, WA. 98155 (Each disk will include a few demos and Threshold Production new game previews along with each issue on one disk) + Vision + Rick Mosdell, rick.mosdell@canrem.com (Editor) + Saul Bottcher (Editor) + Founded in the summer of 1993, Visions is an all-original and constantly + improving magazine including not only articles, but also graphics + of high, medium, and low resolution, as well as fonts and music of all + styles. + A wide variety of information comes on every issue, ranging from + high-level technical research to social commentary to poetry. The graphics + and music in each issue are high quality original work, with the occasional + classic picture or song. The musical varieties available in the magazine + range from classicla to contemporary, including the Vision theme song. + All these elements are packed into a compact, efficent, and fast reader + program. Each issue's articles, music, and graphics are tweaked to + provide as much effect as possible. + Vision accepts nearly any subject matter, making it an open forum for + writers and reporters of all styles and genres. + Vision is FREE and can be acquired locally in the Toronto Ontario Canada + area on Electric City at 905-793-9699 (C/G board at 1200 8/N/1) or + on the Internet at ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/cbm/c64/magazines/Vision/ 4.4. What is an Online Magazine? Where do I find them? An online magazine is one which exists in a text file format and can be downloaded like a regular file off the network by the user for browsing and/or printing. Usenet C= Hacking Magazine An on-line magazine written by denizens of comp.sys.cbm, this features in-depth technical programming information on C64 and C128 computers. The creator and editor of the first 10 issues was Craig Taylor | (duck@nando.net), and the new editor is Jim Brain (brain@mail.msen.com). The issues of C= Hacking can be found on ccnga.uwaterloo.ca in the directory /pub/cbm/hacking.mag. Back issues can be retrieved from Jim Brain's mail server (See Section 6.5.2 for directions on how to use the mail server). If you have World Wide Web access, C=Hacking is at: http://www.hut.fi/~msmakela/cbm/hacking/ + http://www.msen.com/~brain/chacking.html + http://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/~csbruce/HACKING/Hacking.html 4.5. Are there other publications I should be aware of? No library of publications is complete without some reference materials, like programmer reference guides, user's guides, machine language tutorials, and BASIC tutorials. Also, don't overlook the many fine Commodore User's Groups in the world. These groups typically publish newsletters with timely information and help for troubled machines or users. See Section 15 for a list of Commodore User's Groups. The following publications are not "Commodore" publications, but do contain Commodore information periodically. Historically Brewed Historical Computer Society 2962 Park Street #1 Jacksonville, FL 32205 "Historically Brewed" is the magazine put out by the Historical Computer Society. From time to time, they have articles on Commodore equipment. Subscription rates: Type of Subscription US one year subscription (6 issues) $18.00 demo issue $ 2.00 4.6. How do I know which magazines to subscribe to? This list of magazines is included for informational purposes only. No attempt by the FAQ maintainer has been made to validate the information contained in this list. Also, the list is organized in a first-come, first-served order. The ordering does not imply the rating of the magazines by the FAQ maintainer, nor does it indicate the past or present business status of each magazine. Due to the somewhat dynamic nature of magazines, it is highly recommended that the prospective subscriber verify this information before subscribing. 5. Connecting Up 5.1. How do I connect my computer to the outside world? First, we need to define what "outside world" means. In this sense, we are referring to the process of connecting the Commodore computer up to another computer or computers and exchanging textual, binary, or graphical information. To connect to another computer, one must have a Commodore computer system, a modem, a phone line, and a telecommunications program (called a terminal emulator or terminal emulation program). While you can use this to connect to other individuals, to access great stores of online information you need to subscribe to an "online service", which can take many forms. This type of service allows you to correspond with many people with a single phone call, and may permit you to contact people out of your area without a long distance phone call. 5.2. What services can I use to get online? The following services can be accessed by a Commodore computer and allow the user to access online information. Bulletin Board System (BBS). - Small system usually with one phone line operated by an individual. Fees are optional. For a list of BBS systems in your area, contact Myles Skinner for a listing at mskinner@julian.uwo.ca. Compuserve Information Service. - CompuServe has two Forums designed specifically for Commodore 8-bit computer users. CBM Applications Forum (GO CBMAPP) deals with programming, geoProgramming, applications software, telecommunications, CP/M, utilities and hardware. CBM Arts/Games/Music & GEOS Forum (GO CBMART) deals with GEOS in general, music (including SidPlayer and MIDI), games, graphics and graphics utilities. Both Forums have full message boards and extensive data libraries, and both Forums have weekly real-time conferences. The CompuServe network is available virtually world wide. The Commodore Forums are attracting increasing membership from Europe and Australia, and have begun to tap into the vast variety of Commodore files available around the world (some of the best new Commodore programs are coming in from Europe these days). CompuServe has an extensive network of local numbers throughout the United States and Canada and is also available through supplemental networks such as SprintNet and DataPac. The number of direct CompuServe connect numbers in Europe is beginning to expand. While there is no standalone CompuServe navigator program available for Commodore users, CBMAPP has the CIS.EXE script set that automates Dialogue 128 on CompuServe, and also VIDAUT.BIN which will virtually automate Vidtex (which is available again through Software Support International). In addition there is OFFLIN.HLP, a text file in CBMAPP, that provides a method for semi-automating access with any standard comm program and word processor. CompuServe's rates are as follows: * The Standard Pricing Plan (also referred to as Basic Services) provides free unlimited access to a wide variety of news, reference, shopping, games, financial, communications and travel services for a monthly charge of $8.95. New members get their first month of Basic Services free (the $8.95 charge does not begin until their second month of membership). All other access is charged at standard hourly rates. * The Alternative Pricing Plan provides unlimited free access only to Membership Support Services (Customer Service, the Practice Forum, the Help Forum and the support Forums for CompuServe's software) for a monthly fee of $2.50. All other usage is charged at standard hourly rates. Standard Pricing Plan: Alternative Pricing Plan: 300 bps.........$ 4.80/hour 300 bps...........$ 6.30/hour 1200,2400 bps...$ 4.80/hour 1200,2400 bps.....$12.80/hour 9600,14400 bps..$ 9.60/hour 9600,14400 bps....$22.80/hour While these rates on the face of it appear to be much higher than some of the other competing services, it is important to remember that with CompuServe's threaded message structure it is possible to capture all messages, sign off, read and reply to them off line, and transmit the replies in a very short time, so that one's actual connect time and cost will be minimized. This is not possible on wholly-interactive services. Compuserve Information Systems P.O. Box 20212 Columbus, OH 43220 (800) 848-8990 (Information) Genie - GEnie is a general interest telecommunications service run by General Electric. For a monthly price of $9.00, you are given 4 hours of access time and then charged $3/hour for any service. The Commodore support area on GEnie is known as the Flagship Roundtable. While there are a few premium services on GEnie that charge an extra price, all of the Flagship is available at the basic rate. The Flagship RT includes some "Real-Time Conferences" (RTCs) featuring classes or discussion of issues associated with Commodore computers. Additionally, there is a BB (Bulletin Board), which works much like Usenets comp.sys.cbm (only the discussion is broken down into categories and topics). Finally, the Flagship has an extensive library of Commodore files. The BB messages can be read economically by capturing all the new messages in a terminal programs capture buffer, and reading the messages off-line. Wizard, the C= GEnie fron end, supports this. Because GEnie is a general interest service,it supports many different computers, and you can use any ASCII terminal program to connect to GEnie. Wizard is available, but not required. GEnie operates normally at 300, 1200, and 2400 baud, although for additional cost you can connect at 9600 baud. There are local access numbers across the country. GEnie 401 North Washington Street Rockville, MD 20850 (800) 638-9636 (Information) Delphi Internet Services. - Delphi is a commercial system that, while small in comparison to other systems, is growing rapidly. It has a large forum dedicated to Commodore computers, as well as access to the Usenet and the comp.sys.cbm newsgroup. Delphi has two plans. One, called the Standard Plan, costs $10.00 a month and gives the user 4 hours of non-prime time (6PM-7AM) free each month. Each additional hour is $4.00. The other plan, called the Advantage Plan, costs $20.00 a month and gives the user 20 hours of non-prime-time free each month. Each hour over 20 is $1.80. Access to the Internet via Delphi costs an additional $3.00 for both plans each month. Delphi Internet Services 1030 Massachusetts Avenue Cambridge, MA 02138 (800) 695-4005 (Information) Phoenix Network - Phoenix is a new network system. It is reviewed in Issue 3 of Commodore World, and other publications. (612) 537-5077 (Information) mystique@fyrebird.com (Contact?) Internet - The largest online service. The Internet is a collection of 4 million machines interconnected using a common protocol called TCP/IP. This service is the result of a U.S. defense experiment started in the late 1960's. Due to its distributed nature, the Internet is unlike most other online services. In some cases, as in universities, there is no cost to access the "net", as it is called, and some other online services offer access to the Internet. This is the home of all the FTP sites, the USENET and the USENET newsgroup comp.sys.cbm, Internet email, and the World Wide Web. When you use these services you are utilizing the Internet. QuantumLink - Q-Link was a Commodore specific telecommunications service. This service, while booming in the late 1980's, has now been discontinued. There was an effort to retrieve as many of the QuantumLink files as could be retrieved. Email Brenda G4 at b.gann1@genie.geis.com for more information. 5.3. What hardware do I need? To access online services you will need a functional Commodore computer that is physically able to have a modem of some kind attached to the computer. The more common C64 and C128 are able to be used with a modem, but computers like the Commodore C16, C116, some PETs and some older CBM business machines may require significant investments in order to be used. With a functional computer, you will need a modulator/demodulator (modem) unit of some kind. There are two basic kinds that can be used on the Commodore computers: A standard RS-232 (EIA-232) external modem. These modems are very common in today's market, as they are usable on all computer systems. They usually are constructed in a small rectangular box, have lights across the front, and have either a standard 9 or 25 pin D-style connector on the back of the unit. Speeds range from 300bps to 28,800 bps and above. This modem requires an interface cable of some kind to connect to the Commodore computer. A Commodore compatible external modem. These modems are much less common in today's market. Originally manufactured only by Commodore, some examples include the C1600 (300bps manual dial), C1650 (300bps, pulse dial), C1660 (300bps, DTMF dial), and C1670 (1200bps, AT commands, DTMF/Pulse dial). Although other companies manufacture compatible modems, it seems that the maximum speed is 2400bps for all models. This modem style plugs directly into the Commodore user port. Please note that all speeds marked are maximums. Most modems will operate at any speed up to the maximum. Most users agree that buying a Commodore compatible modem these days is an unwise move, except for special circumstances. The suggestion is to purchase a standard modem and an interface to use the modem with the CBM machine. If you chhose to purchase a standard external modem, you must also purchase or build a suitable interface. There are two major types of interfaces: Simple Cable Interface. This type of interface merely converts the nonstandard RS-232 pinout on the Commodore user port to the standard RS-232 pinout and performs voltage level translation as required by RS-232 specifications. This interface can be purchased for $20 to $40 new or built by the user. There are a number of homemade interfaces available. The TRANSACTOR published an interface in the Nov 87 issue (V8iss3) and Commodore Hacking Online Magazine published plans for one in issue 4 (See MailServer section for retrieval instructions. These are both supposed to emulate the VIC1011A that C= put out many years ago, and you might find one at a computer "flea market". Another version is designed by Stephen Coan. Send email to fred.mueller@att.com for a copy of the schematic in ASCII format. The differences between the two is the Transactor one has switchable options for some of the leads and the Coan one is hard wired. + (See Section 12.4 and 12.5 for interface designs) UART interface. To use a modem, a Universal Asynchronous Receiver Transmitter (UART) is needed. When Commodore designed the CBM VIC-20, C64 and C128, they emulated a UART in software to keep costs down. Although this works for slower speeds, there is a limit to how fast the software UART can function. For faster access, a real UART is needed. This type of interface provides a complete UART in a cartridge that plugs into the expansion port. To utilize it, all software must be written to take advantage of the real UART. UART interfaces can be purchased from CMD (Swiftlink), HART (HART Cartidge), or built from plans (DataPump). + Swiftlink: + Creative Micro Designs, Incorporated. (CMD) + 15 Benton Drive + P.O. Box 646 + East Longmeadow, MA 01028-0646 + (800) 638-3263 (Orders only) + (413) 525-0023 (Information) + (413) 525-0147 (Fascimile) + cmd-doug@genie.geis.com (Contact) + HART Cartridge: + Hatronics + 195 Lincoln Avenue + Montclair, NJ 07042 + (201) 783-7264 + Mark Hatten (Contact) + DataPump: + ftp://ftp.funet.fi/pub/CBM/documents/datapump.sfx (GEOS format) + ftp://hamsterix.funet.fi/pub/CBM/documents/datapump.sfx (GEOS format) + The decision of which interface to buy depends on the speed of your modem + and the software you are using. + If you are using 2400 bps or slower (4800 bps on a C128), the simple + interface cable will suffice, and most terminal programs can be used. + For speeds between 2400 and 9600 bps (4800 and 19200 bps on a C128), a + number of options are open. Some programs can use the simple interface + cable to allow this faster access. Newer terminal software may be written + to exploit Daniel Dallmann's 9600 bps access technique, which requires + some small modifications to the simple interface cable (see Section 12.5 + for more information). Finally, some programs allow the use of a UART + cartridge. + For speeds above 9600 bps, a UART interface and an approprite terminal + program is your only option. 5.4. What kinds of terminal programs exist? There are many types and versions of telecomunications programs (referred to as terminal emulation programs or terminal programs). Some are better than others, but individual users will ultimately decide which they like best. Most terminal programs available today are Shareware, but some are still sold commercially, and some new commercial terminal programs are being sold. All of these programs include emulations of the popular terminals such as DEC VT100, VT102, VT52, and ANSI. Also, each includes a number of file transfer protocols (See Section 6.1 for more information on transfer protocols). 5.4.1. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 64? Novaterm Novaterm 9.5 Nick Rossi 10002 Aurora Avenue North #1159 Seattle, WA 98133 $25 US for the program, now at version 9.5. voyager@isumataq.eskimo.com (Contact) | The version is available as shareware at ftp://ftp.eskimo.com/voyager/Novaterm/nova9.5-?.sfx Nick will be commercially releasing Novaterm 10.0, but plans an interim shareware release of Novaterm 9.6, which will include a faster 80 column screen mode and an 80 column connect timer, among other improvements. Kermit Kermit 2.2 Kent Sullivan 16611 NE 26th Street Bellevue, WA 98008 $12.50 US for the program, now at version 2.2. Note that Columbia University holds the copyright for the Kermit Terminal Software. You can get a copy of the Commodore version by ftp: | ftp://ftp.cs.columbia.edu/archives/kermit/c64* (for speeds up to 1200 bps) | ftp://ccnga.uwaterloo.ca/pub/cbm/telecomm/KERMIT/kermit-Notes.txt | kermit-v2.2a.sda | kermit-v2.2b.sda | (for 1660 modem users) kermit-c1660.sda | (for Swiftlink/DataPump modem users) kermit-v2.2s.sda 5.4.2. What kinds of terminal programs exist for the 128? Desterm Desterm 2.0/2.1 Matt Desmond mdesmond@can4.rcl.ray.com For more information on DesTerm or to get a copy by mail, contact Matt. Bob's Term Pro Dialogue 128 5.5. Can I use my Commodore computer on Amateur Radio? Yes you can. If you want to use your CBM system as a terminal for a standard RS-232 compatible packet radio Terminal Node Controller (TNC), you can hook it up in the same way as a modem. See Section 5 for more information on how to connect your Computer to a modem. In addition, the ICHPUG User Group (see Section 15 for address) has an extensive library of files for the C64/128 relating to Amateur Radio. If you would like to use the Commodore 64 as a Amateur Radio repeater controller, Engineering Cosulting manufacturers such an item: Engineering Consulting 583 Candlewood Street Brea, CA 92621 Robert Blumenkranz (Contact) radiobob@earthlink.net (Contact) http://www.earthlink.net/users/engcon/webdocs/ 5.6. Is there TCP/IP software available for Commodore computers? Unfortunately, there is none at this time. However, the following information is available: Jim Brain has performed tests that demonstrated the ICMP and IP protocol layers. Daniel Dallmann has now verified these tests and both of them, as well as Cameron Kaiser, are independently working on a TCP/IP protocol stack for the Commodore 64.