========================================================================= INFO-ATARI16 Digest Sat, 2 Dec 89 Volume 89 : Issue 740 Today's Topics: 520ST Piggyback upgrade Comments on STE -- (un)known facts Did I come from the desktop? Diff between TOS 1.0 and 1.2? GFA compiler Line F Modula2 MOUSE PROBLEM Quite floppy disk on boot Rainbow Tos Porblems (2 msgs) Still searching... Stunt Car Driver Timeworks DTP What Kermit/UNITERM bugs? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 01 Dec 89 21:18:26 PST From: EESD11O%CALSTATE.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU (Ed Krimen) Subject: 520ST Piggyback upgrade Could a kind soul please send me a textfile on doing 512K piggyback upgrades for ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 22:09:30 GMT From: portal!atari!kbad@uunet.uu.net (Ken Badertscher) Subject: Comments on STE -- (un)known facts Message-ID: <1842@atari.UUCP> rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) writes: | Is there an approved method for software to discover what | platform it's running on, other than (KLUDGE ALERT!) checking the TOS | revision #? Yes, there is a new OS service offered in the ROM, beginning with STE TOS, called the Cookie Jar. The startup code in the new ROM versions set up an area of memory with "cookies" which describe various system configuration options, and with values for the cookies that describe what's actually there. The Cookie Jar documentation is available to developers now, and we will be making it available to the general public shortly. -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 02:09:11 GMT From: portal!atari!apratt@uunet.uu.net (Allan Pratt) Subject: Did I come from the desktop? Message-ID: <1846@atari.UUCP> dal@syntel.mn.org (Dale Schumacher) writes: >I check for the text-base pointer pointing to ROM, as >recommended by Alan Pratt @ Atari. Yeah, well, that was before there were RAM TOSes running around. Caveat hacker. No RAM TOS is supported by Atari (at this time) and most are illegal copies, making their users pirates, so it's not that great a hardship. ============================================ Opinions expressed above do not necessarily -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp. reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else. ...ames!atari!apratt ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 22:35:16 GMT From: portal!atari!kbad@uunet.uu.net (Ken Badertscher) Subject: Diff between TOS 1.0 and 1.2? Message-ID: <1843@atari.UUCP> daveba@hpsad.HP.COM (David Ballo) asks: | Would some knowledgeable person kindly outline the differences | between [ROM TOS (1.0) and Mega TOS (1.2)]? The major difference between the original ROM TOS and Mega TOS is BLiTTER support. Some VDI operations were optimized a bit in Mega TOS as well. GEMDOS uses a larger amount of memory by default in Mega TOS, so some programs which barely fit in a 520ST ran out of memory in Mega TOS. | Also, is it worth it to upgrade to TOS 1.4 (for a hundred bucks!)? Well, I'll let the rest of the netters who have the upgrade answer this, because anything I say on this subject is tooting Atari's horn . But I'll offer the following: Many, many TOS bugs are gone in Rainbow TOS. Many internal limits in TOS have been lifted. Hard disk I/O is much, much faster. Program launches can be made much faster. You can rename folders, no more making a new folder and then copying all the files in, then removing the old folder. The Desktop is much more convenient, preserving the time/date stamp of your files on copies. The Rainbow TOS Desktop lets you _move_ files and folders, using Control-drag. You can abort a file copy or move operation by pressing [Undo]. A lot of the dialogs are more intuitive. The AES gives you a much nicer item selector, with buttons for all the drives, and an optional title string when supported by software. The Rainbow TOS AES also lets you auto boot a GEM application, configured by the "Set Preferences" menu item in the Desktop. That's only the stuff that came to mind as I was typing, there's more... -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 14:41:47 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!vms.macc.wisc.edu@tut.cis .ohio-state.edu (Neil Gilmore) Subject: GFA compiler Message-ID: <2749@dogie.macc.wisc.edu> Hi. On Tuesday, I tried to order the compiler for GFA BASIC 3.0 from Computability (no one I know has had problems with them). They told me that it exists, but was not available, and it was rumored to be included with the interpreter. My interpreter was the older MichTron release, and I have no desire to shell out for it again. I have the compiler for the original release, however. Does anyone out there have additional information? I really would like to get this, as C makes me gag, although I have Laser C. (Too many class projects in C.....) +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Kitakaze Tatsu Raito Neil Gilmore internet:gilmore@macc.wisc.edu | | Jararvellir, MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3 | | Middle Kingdom Madison, Wi | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 22:04:28 GMT From: portal!atari!kbad@uunet.uu.net (Ken Badertscher) Subject: Line F Message-ID: <1841@atari.UUCP> rehrauer@apollo.HP.COM (Steve Rehrauer) writes: | I know what you mean by "Line F", but what's the "compression" refer to re: | ST ROMs? (Usually I'm only this dense on Mondays & national holidays...) The line F compression I refer to is a method we used in ST ROM which basically replaces common operations with line F instructions. The line F handler is able, by decoding the $Fxxx instruction, to determine what operation to perform. The handler then dispatches the exception to the appropriate OS routine. -- ||| Ken Badertscher (ames!atari!kbad) ||| Atari R&D System Software Engine / | \ #include ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 12:23:41 GMT From: ncrlnk!ncrcam!system!mike@uunet.uu.net (mike reiss) Subject: Modula2 Message-ID: <556@system.Cambridge.NCR.COM> In article <449@obs.unige.ch> bartho@obs.unige.ch (PAUL BARTHOLDI) writes: >In article <24423@cup.portal.com>, buggs@cup.portal.com (William Edward JuneJr) writes: >>>A while back I did a translation of the Modula 2 docs from German to >>>English. I'll happily send it to anyone who wants, but if there are a lot >>>of copies, I stick it on the newsletter. >> >> I DEFINATELY WANT ONE! *8~) >Me too ! Thanks, Paul I would think tha there is a lot of interest here. I would like a copy. mike P.S. I tried to send mail to the person who did this conversion (William), but the message bounced. I think this may have happened to others who answered this request. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 1 Dec 89 19:55:29 EST From: "Gerry Greenberg: 315-443-5378" Subject: MOUSE PROBLEM Well, I'm having a problem that I would have never expected (the cause of which, I believe, is my daughter's playing one of her favorite games): it seems that it is hard to get the mouse to recognize button clicks. It doesn't seem to be a problem with the contacts themselves, because I can take apart the mouse and press the contacts with my finger---and those clicks are recognized consistently. It seems to be a problem with the plastic housing. When I look at the mouse from where the cable comes out of it, the left button (which is on the right when viewing the mouse from this perspective) is definately lower than the other...especially toward the middle of the mouse. I was really scared for a few minutes at first, because the ST wasn't recognizing the clicks AT ALL...After taking it apart, however, I seem to have gotten it back to a point where it recognizes clicks...but it is not consistent. Does anybody have any suggestions? or do I just have to continue to click hard, until the thing dies altogether? As always, thanks in advance for any advice. ---Gerry maxg@suvm (bitnet) ggreenbe@rodan.acs.syr.edu (internet) ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 18:23:36 GMT From: ncrlnk!ncrcam!system!mike@uunet.uu.net (mike reiss) Subject: Quite floppy disk on boot Message-ID: <557@system.Cambridge.NCR.COM> Recently I have heard that there is a program that will shut off the floppy disk during boot up. This is suppose to be for stopping it from spinning when booting from a hard disk instead of having to put a disk in and accessing it. Does anyone know of or have a copy of this program. I would like to get a copy of it. Source or binary: it would be interesting to see what is done, but all I really want is something that I can use. many thanks, mike ------------------------------ Date: 1 Dec 89 22:55:50 GMT From: portal!atari!towns@uunet.uu.net (John Townsend) Subject: Rainbow Tos Porblems Message-ID: <1844@atari.UUCP> in article <1384@uniol.UUCP>, rode@uniol.UUCP (Dirk Rode) says: > yesterday I got a version of the TOS 1.4 as a disk version. > It runs very well on my 520 ST with 2.5 MB RAM, but there was a > littele problem: I started Omicron Basic and it told to me about > 400kB of free memory. By using the developer version of the 08/08/88 > it tolds me sthing. about 2MB of free memory. Is this an error in my copy > or a bug in the TOS 1.4 ???? > > mfG Waldi > -- [longish signature deleted..] Warning! The TOS version that you are using on disk is an early BETA version of TOS 1.4 and is probably LOADED with lots of nice bugs. Please destroy that disk ASAP and then goto to your local dealer and purchase the real upgrade on ROM. This will probably clear up any problems you are experiencing.. -- John Townsend ames!atari!towns Systems Test, Atari Corporation ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 17:36:43 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!vms.macc.wisc.edu@tut.cis .ohio-state.edu (Neil Gilmore) Subject: Rainbow Tos Porblems Message-ID: <2753@dogie.macc.wisc.edu> In article <1844@atari.UUCP>, towns@atari.UUCP (John Townsend) writes... >in article <1384@uniol.UUCP>, rode@uniol.UUCP (Dirk Rode) says: > (original deleted) > >Warning! The TOS version that you are using on disk is an early BETA version >of TOS 1.4 and is probably LOADED with lots of nice bugs. Please destroy >that disk ASAP and then goto to your local dealer and purchase the real >upgrade on ROM. What's a local dealer? >This will probably clear up any problems you are experiencing.. > >-- John Townsend ames!atari!towns > Systems Test, Atari Corporation (this prevents me from even thinking about the upgrade) +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Kitakaze Tatsu Raito Neil Gilmore internet:gilmore@macc.wisc.edu | | Jararvellir, MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3 | | Middle Kingdom Madison, Wi | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 02 Dec 89 00:03:36 PST From: EESD11O%CALSTATE.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU (Ed Krimen) Subject: Still searching... Re: Still searching... Spieu! wrote: > You silly goose, if 50% were taken off the price of a TT, then > everyone would send in the $500 to become a registered developer! During Thanksgiving vacation I went to an ST dealer in San Francisco and the technician told me that he ordered two TTs the previous day at $1000 a piece. He said that when he got them at the end of December, he wanted to be locked up in a room for a month to develop on it. He said that the retail price would be $2000. STart magazine said they would be sold for $1500. So, I guess Atari's going to be getting a lot of registered developers, according to Spieu. :?) The tech also ordered an STe, he said. The dealer said his Portfolios were selling like crazy. No word on the STACY. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 2 Dec 89 13:04:02 EDT From: BAILEYS%FSU.BITNET@Forsythe.Stanford.EDU Subject: Stunt Car Driver Message-ID: <891202130042340.GKWQ@RAI.CC.FSU.EDU> (UMass-Mailer 4.04) Anyone looking for a great game to give to themselves for X-mas?? Well, I have seen a real doozy! It's called Stunt Car Driver, and is roughly a cross between Falcon and Pole Position. You are the driver of a stunt car in a 3-D gamespace, jumping and swerving, etc. Excellent graphics, and has an option for connecting two ST's via (null) modem for some really good two player action. All in all, worth the price (rare for a game). Bob Marley ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 05:02:47 GMT From: mg40+@andrew.cmu.edu (Michael Jeffrey Garland) Subject: Timeworks DTP Message-ID: I have Timeworks DTP and two printers. One printer is a relatively new Panasonic which has 9 pins and works very well. However, my other printer is an old BMC with only 8 pins. It so happens that the 8 pin printer is the one I have here at college. Every time I print something using it, I get lines through the printing (I assume this is from having 1 less pin than I'm supposed to). In the setup program I didn't see any 'Epson 8-pin' selection. My question is quite simple, can I make TDTP work with my BMC (eliminate those white lines)? +--- Michael Garland ---+ + mg40+@andrew.cmu.edu + +-----------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 2 Dec 89 14:28:32 GMT From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wuarchive!dogie.macc.wisc.edu!vms.macc.wisc.edu@tut.c is.ohio-state.edu (Neil Gilmore) Subject: What Kermit/UNITERM bugs? Message-ID: <2748@dogie.macc.wisc.edu> In article <8912010813.AA04349@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, 01659@AECLCR.BITNET (Greg Csullog) writes... >One netter mentioned problems with UNITERM's Kermit. On our site, which >has a CYBER 830/990 combo and various VAXs, such as an 8550, the only Kermit >that works flawlessly with full server support is UNITERM's Kermit. Some >20 - 40 people use it almost daily. I use UNITERM Kermit in text or binary >mode almost every day and I have never had one problem. I've tried Versa-Term >Pro and Red Ryder under Mac emulation but they do not have server support. >Neither does ZSTEM or SmarTerm 240 for the PCs. The ONLY Kermit I trust is >UNITERM's so WHAT problems are there? Exactly the same here. Through various strange machination I discovered that our VAXes had both Kermit and Xmodem. Out of 6 programs for 2 machines, ONLY Uniterm's Kermit is able to transfer binaries. The only Kermit I have for the Amiga does not transfer correctly, and ABSOLUTELY NONE of the Xmodems will work. I must say I was surprised to read that it had bugs, since it's the only one which works for me... +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ | Kitakaze Tatsu Raito Neil Gilmore internet:gilmore@macc.wisc.edu | | Jararvellir, MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3 | | Middle Kingdom Madison, Wi | +-----------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #740 *****************************************