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Monster Media 1993 #2
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!README!.1ST
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1993-06-01
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============================================================================
RELEASE NOTES FOR GENIE PC ALADDIN(tm) VERSION 1.63
============================================================================
This version is NOT a mandatory upgrade.
The following files are included in the GEnie PC Aladdin distribution:
!README!.1ST This file list. Map to getting started. Special Notes.
STARTING.DOC How to configure Aladdin
USE_ALAD.DOC Introduction to using Aladdin
FAQS.DOC Frequently Asked QuestionS
CHANGES.DOC Modification History
ALAD.EXE The main Aladdin program
ALADCVT.EXE Program to convert pre-1.40 ALADDIN.CFG files
ALADDIN.CFG Default Aladdin CFG file (used for defaults and setup)
ALADDIN.EXE A loader program for ALAD.EXE
ALADDIN.HLP On-line help file
ALADDIN.MAC Empty Aladdin MACRO file (used to store keyboard MACROS)
SCRIPT.TXT Stub Script File
GENIE.LST GEnie product list (used to select and setup RoundTables)
C&CVAN.SCR Autologin script for PC-VAN gateway users
DATAPAC.SCR Autologin script for DATAPAC users
DATEX-P.SCR Autologin script for Datex-P PDN users
SPRINT.SCR Autologin script for SprintNet users
SPRINTAK.SCR Autologin script for SprintNet users RESIDING IN ALASKA.
SIGN-UP.DOC How to sign up for GEnie. Warranty. Permissions.
VALIDATE.COM McAfee's VALIDATE utility, V0.4
VALIDATE.DOC The documentation for VALIDATE.COM
VALIDATE.DAT The validation data for the GEnie PC Aladdin files.
============================================================================
WHAT TO DO NEXT
============================================================================
1. FINISH READING THIS FILE. It contains pointers on how to upgrade from
prior versions, provides information regarding Aladdin's requirements,
and some very important precautionary notes.
2. If you are a first-time user, proceed to STARTING.DOC after you've
completed reading this one. STARTING.DOC will lead you through the steps
you need to perform to set up Aladdin and customize it for your use.
3. Read USE_ALAD.DOC. It provides a short tutorial on using Aladdin and
shows what the different command options do.
4. If you are having trouble, refer to FAQS.DOC (Frequently Asked QuestionS).
If that doesn't help, try the PC Aladdin Support RT. It is located on Page
110. To get to it, type "PCALADDIN" or "M110;1" at any GEnie prompt.
Also, the F1 function key ALWAYS brings up context-sensitive help. If
you're not sure about something, press the F1 key first! Chances are that
the answer to your question is in one of the friendly F1 help screens.
============================================================================
UPGRADING FROM PREVIOUS VERSIONS OF ALADDIN
============================================================================
------------- If you are upgrading from any version of Aladdin higher than
FILES TO 1.01, you first need to replace the following files,
REPLACE
ALAD.EXE
ALADDIN.EXE
ALADDIN.HLP
GENIE.LST
ALADCVT.EXE
Extract the new Aladdin into a directory of its own, and type
COPY ALAD.EXE C:\ALADDIN
where c:\aladdin is the directory where your working copy of
PCAladdin is located. Do this for each file mentioned above.
------------- The format of the ALADDIN.CFG file was changed in version
PRE-v1.40 1.40. ALL USERS OF ALADDIN VERSIONS LESS THAN 1.40 MUST RUN
CONVERSIONS THE ALADCVT PROGRAM IN THE ALADDIN DIRECTORY TO CONVERT YOUR
OLD ALADDIN.CFG FILE TO THE NEW FORMAT.
If you are using any version of Aladdin earlier than 1.40, you
need to copy the ALADCVT.EXE program to your current Aladdin
directory and run it. It will convert your existing
ALADDIN.CFG to the 1.63 format, and make a backup copy of your
previous ALADDIN.CFG in a file called ALADCFG.OLD.
------------- If you are using a version of Aladdin earlier than 1.30, you
PRE-v1.30 must also update all the topic indexes for all the RTs that
CONVERSIONS you are accessing Aladdin with. This is accomplished by
moving to the terminal mode menu by pressing the F4 function
key and pressing "O". If you do not do this Aladdin will crash.
------------- ALADCVT.EXE will not convert an ALADDIN.CFG configuration file
v1.00 created by version 1.00 of Aladdin. If you are still using
CONVERSIONS version 1.00, you will need to write down your configuration
data, delete ALADDIN.CFG and run the new ALADDIN.EXE program
file to create a new ALADDIN.CFG (it will create one by
itself). You can then re-enter your configuration information.
------------- If you have your prompt character and/or break character set
USE OF to anything other than "?" and Ctrl-C, respectively, ALADCVT
ALADCVT.EXE will ask you if you want to change those parameters to the
default values mentioned above. You may choose to change the
values, leave them alone, or quit without updating the
configuration file.
You -must- eventually choose between making the change or
leaving the parameters alone. If you choose to leave the
non-standard prompt and break characters in your configuration
file, you must always use Aladdin with the /NOOVER command
line argument. This is because GEnie knows that you are using
Aladdin 1.63 and sets the terminal setup parameters for the
current session to the defaults that Aladdin uses. If your
prompt and/or break character are not "?" and Ctrl-C and you
do not use the /NOOVER command line argument, Aladdin will not
work properly with GEnie.
============================================================================
REQUIREMENTS, YOUR DOS CONFIGURATION, AND PRECAUTIONS
============================================================================
------------- Minimum free memory required for Aladdin to operate is
MEMORY 450-500K. Before starting Aladdin, verify the amount of free
memory available with the DOS command CHKDSK or MEM.
------------- Due to Aladdin's disk intensive nature, it is STRONGLY
HARD DRIVE recommended that it be run from a hard disk. Use in floppy-
only systems is complicated and prone to user error.
A loose recommendation is to have about 1 megabyte of free
disk space available, to accommodate the work files that
Aladdin may create and utilize (this will vary according to
your RoundTable participation).
------------- While it is disk intensive, Aladdin also utilizes your
BASIC DOS system resources to a maximum. For this reason, many common
CONFIGURATION utilities and TSRs (programs that terminate, but stay
resident) _may_ conflict with Aladdin and produce undesirable
results.
It is recommended that you use Aladdin under a "plain vanilla"
DOS configuration. This type of configuration, with the
minimum requirements for Aladdin, would be as follows:
CONFIG.SYS: FILES=30
BUFFERS=20
BREAK=OFF
AUTOEXEC.BAT: Your path statement (do NOT include
the directory where Aladdin is
located)
Consult your DOS manual for more information regarding these
two files and how to alter them, if necessary.
------------- While the majority of users do not tend to experience any
ADVANCED DOS major problems with Aladdin in a more advanced DOS config.,
CONFIGURATION there are some SPECIFIC PRECAUTIONS YOU SHOULD BE AWARE OF.
PRECAUTIONS
The following DOS utilities SHOULD NOT BE INSTALLED while
Aladdin is to be used, UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES (specifically
mentioned as DOS5 installs these by default):
FASTOPEN APPEND PRINT
Many of today's disk caches do "delayed writes" to disk, and
this for the most part is unacceptable to Aladdin. As a
general rule, you should disable delayed writes to disk, or
disable the disk cache entirely while Aladdin is loaded.
The following popular disk utilities will work well with
PCaladdin ONLY if the following guidelines are followed:
PC-CACHE -must include /WRITE=OFF in start up line
MIRROR -cannot have /T used in start up line
SMARTDRV -Must disable delayed-writes by using the drive
Win3.1 letter (only, no + or - sign) of Aladdin's
version location. Example, Aladdin is on drive C:
SMARTDRV C [InitCacheSize] [WinCacheSize]
...or enable double buffering as described in
the Microsoft documentation.
Details on the above mentioned utilities are covered in more
detail in the PRECAUTIONS topic in the PCAladdin Bulletin
Board.
Lastly, as is good practice for PC users in general, it is
highly recommended that you MAKE REGULAR BACKUPS OF YOUR DATA.