Info-Atari16 Digest Sat, 11 Jan 92 Volume 92 : Issue 12 Today's Topics: Atari MegaST4 computer forsale, $550 Cheetah3 problems (2 msgs) Conference on Free-net Current TOS version? DB9 cables for sale (joystick/mouse/etc) Hard Drive Backup Help me get PC VGA Color! How can you get Composite Video from Atari 1040ST letter invaders game recently posted to comp.sources.unix Lynx for Sale Parting out Mega 4 PD C compilers for ST Populace help (was Re: The best game...) RFI: Music Tutor Programs STBook (Notebook computer) Two (2) 256k SIMMs for free, almost What are .msa files? What works with Mega STe? Welcome to the Info-Atari16 Digest. The configuration for the automatic cross-posting to/from Usenet is getting closer, but still getting thrashed out. Please send notifications about broken digests or bogus messages to Info-Atari16-Request@NAUCSE.CSE.NAU.EDU. Please send requests for un/subscription and other administrivia to Info-Atari16-Request, *NOT* Info-Atari16. Requests that go to the list instead of the moderators are likely to be lost or ignored. If you want to unsubscribe, and you're receiving the digest indirectly from someplace (usually a BITNET host) that redistributes it, please contact the redistributor, not us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 10 Jan 92 22:27:43 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!wupost!csus.edu!beach.csulb.edu!stevela@arizon a.edu (Steve La) Subject: Atari MegaST4 computer forsale, $550 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Atari Mega4 ST Computer with accessories * Jin mouse * Kraft Joystick (brand new) * Stereo sound board installed * Dual OS on ROMs with indicator * front reset button * Keyboard The system is in perfect condition. I am asking $550 for the system and I will pay for shipping fee (UPS Insured). Send me email if you are interested... Thanks, -Steve ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 18:56:00 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!cs.utexas.edu!tamsun!rigel.tamu.edu!maf4003@ar izona.edu (Startled Squid, esq.) Subject: Cheetah3 problems To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hi folks, I have a problem. I've used Cheetah 3 extensively for a while now without any problems but recently something has gone wrong. When I create a folder in a hard drive partition with Cheetah 3 then copy files into it with Cheetah everything seems okay....until I exit to desktop and try to access the files that I just copied. The folder shows up but when I open it it is empty and I can't delete the folder from desktop. I have to go back into Cheetah which shows all of the files that I had copied to into the folder! Then I can delete the folder from Cheetah. Wot's the danged deal?!?!!? BTW: I'm using a 520stfm w/ 2.5megs and a supra 48meg hard-drive. Michael Fitch maf4003@zeus.tamu.edu ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 22:56:07 GMT From: mcsun!news.funet.fi!sunic!corax.udac.uu.se!tdb!m91der@uunet.uu.net (Daniel Eriksson) Subject: Cheetah3 problems To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu maf4003@rigel.tamu.edu (Startled Squid, esq.) writes: : [stuff deleted] : When I : create a folder in a hard drive partition with Cheetah 3 then copy files : into it with Cheetah everything seems okay....until I exit to desktop and : try to access the files that I just copied. The folder shows up but when I : open it it is empty and I can't delete the folder from desktop. : [stuff deleted] The problem is that Cheetah (among others) doesn't notify the OS of the changes it has made to the file-system so that when you exit from Cheetah the desktop can't see you have changed anything. The best thing for you to do to avoid trouble (and man, you can have REAL trouble if you try to write to the disk when the OS isn't "up to date") is to set "Reset at exit". That way you won't forget about it. It's the same with most older software that doesn't use the OS as intended. The only "low level" disk-mess-about program I know of that correctly updates the OS is Check-Disk from Atari. *** | Daniel Eriksson - Delta Force | m91der@bellatrix.tdb.uu.se | *** | Uppsala University/Sweden | IRC: DanielDF | *** |-------------------------------| Voice: +46 18 370024 | * * * | "Fighting for peace is like | Voice weekends: +46 26 72901 | * * * | fucking for virginity!" | Fidonet: 2:205/218 (T.A.R) | ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 20:18:18 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!malgudi.oar.net! yfn.ysu.edu!ysub!psuvm!jjl101@arizona.edu (J.J. Lehett) Subject: Conference on Free-net To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Yes, VERY soon, we will be conducting regular freenet-conferences! Watch this space for further info in the near future! ------------------ J.J. Lehett : Atari's, puzzles, games, chaos, fractals, math.... - jjl101@psuvm.psu.edu Penn State CAC Lab Operator - aa400@cleveland.freenet.edu Atari 16/32 bit SIG Sysop ------------------------------ Date: 11 Jan 92 01:26:03 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!cronkite.Central.Sun.CO M!jethro!zatch!cjd@arizona.edu (Chris Drake) Subject: Current TOS version? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I am planning on resurrecting a rather old 520ST (yep, only 512K), but since I have very old ROM's in there I was curious as to the current level of TOS - the latest which will run on a 520, if that makes a difference; plus what's changed dramatically in the last few years... I assume these are available from Atari? For a price; any ideas on what they charge for these things? Thanks - Chris Drake Sun Microsystems Software Support ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 23:46:24 GMT From: george.poly.edu!gpinzone@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Gerard Pinzone) Subject: DB9 cables for sale (joystick/mouse/etc) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu After a few years of building projects on the Atari and Amiga line of computers, I would like to get rid of some joystick/mouse cords I bought. Here's a list: 10 foot Atari/Commodore extension cables: contains ALL 9 wires for ANY controller. Great to cut up for projects or use as a plain extension cord! .........................................I paid: $6.00 - You pay: $3 3 foot ATARI(tm) joystick wires with +5V wire: These are original and genuine Atari cables that have all the wires nessasary for a joystick PLUS the +5V needed for projects, like rapid fire or to drive TTL chips, etc. These also have built in strain reliefs, true color coded, and clips at the end (just like the ones on all Atari joysticks), so they are completely compatable with the Atari line of controllers. ..............................................I paid: $4.00 - You pay: $2 Atari/Commodore female plugs: these allow you to plug any Atari/Commodore controller into whatever project you are building. They are the female parts of the extension cords and are perfect for building a "mouse master" or whatever. ..................................You pay: $.50 Minimum order $4, P&H is 75 cents. On orders over $10, postage is FREE. Yours truly, ___ ___ / ) /) / ) / ___ _ __ __ __ _// /__/ _ _ _ _ \___/_:+:<{([ Gerard Pinzone ])}>:+:<{([I])}>:+:<{([ gpinzone@george.poly.edu ])}>: _______ ________ ________ Just on the border of your waking mind / ___/\ / _____/\ / __ /\ There lies another time / ___/\// /____ \// __ / / Where darkness and light are one /______/\//_______/\ /__/ /__/ / And as you tread the halls of sanity \______\/ \_______\/ \__\/\__\/ You feel so glad to be unable to go beyond (everything 'cept anchovies!) I have a message from another time... -=:)>}] EAST COAST ANIME [{<(:=- ELO: "Prologue" -=- Daicon IV ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 16:53:29 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!hobbes.physics.uiowa .edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!matt.ksu.ksu.edu!news@arizona.edu (Ray Cole) Subject: Hard Drive Backup To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Help!!!! My hard drive has gotten a few flaky spots on it and is in need of reformatting, but I have no backup software. Can anyone recommend any to me? I'd prefer PD, available through ftp; but will take recommendations on any and all software available. If it makes a difference I'm using a homebrew hard drive with an ICD Host Adaptor and a Maxtor LX-90 hard drive. I've tried using the ICD utilities shipped with the adaptor to rebuild the partitions (after shuffling all the data from one partition to another) but it gets so far and then stops and gives an error of sense code $FF then suggests reformatting. Any and all help will be greatly appreciated. -- Ray Cole | raycole@matt.ksu.ksu.edu Computer Consultant | This space for rent or hire Manhattan KS USA | Make an offer ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 11 Jan 92 04:22 EST From: Subject: Help me get PC VGA Color! To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Ok, I would like to know if there is a 386 emulator with VGA Color, that I could haveinstalled in my Mega 4 ST. I know all about AT-speed 16. And that looks most promising, but still the VGA is only mono, not even gray scaled. 16 color tandy is emulated on the color monitor, that would be better for games i suppose. I'm asking because I have a Tandy 1000RLX (1 meg, 286-10, and VGA color), that I would like to give to my dad when he comes home from the hospital (he's got M.S.) and I'd still like to be able to play my PC games, and do pascal programming. I had bought a Supercharger awhile ago, but it was too slow, and now it is fried, not even worth getting fixed as Talon uses parts that my local service guy can't get anywhere, and when he asks Talon, they say send it to them (a nominal $300 charge plus parts!!!!) I paid over $600 for that piece of junk, because i had to have a math co-processor and the external ps (actually i didn't need the co-processor after all). Any suggestions? ------------------------------ Date: 8 Jan 92 04:42:36 GMT From: noao!ncar!gatech!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!moe.ksu.ksu.edu!hobbes.physi cs.uiowa.edu!news.iastate.edu!sharkey!wybbs!therip!FredGate@arizona.edu (Rod Fulk) Subject: How can you get Composite Video from Atari 1040ST To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu >"composite video signal from an ST" KS> I am sure that this signal was only available on STFM's. I know this KS> doesnt make a lot of sense, cos the composite signal KS> has nothing to do with KS> a modulator, but I am sure that this is the case. The fm modulator does too have something to do with the composite video. It is the reason the ST has it. Part of the modulators function is to offer support for composite video. * Origin: The R.I.P. (616)235-2313 [HST] (1:228/24) ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 21:01:56 GMT From: ubc-cs!ubc-cs!flinn@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Scott Flinn) Subject: letter invaders game recently posted to comp.sources.unix To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <4097@tekig7.MAP.TEK.COM>, georgew@tekig1.PEN.TEK.COM (George Walker) writes: |> Letters, the "Letter Invader Game", was recently posted to comp.sources.unix. |> It's got Amiga ifdefs in it, but I don't know how to go about porting it to |> an ST. (I've got a compiler, but no termcap library, and very little |> experience actually programming the ST.) |> |> Has anybody tried porting it? Or has the original PC version already |> been ported to the ST? For information, here's a summary from what the I have an almost working version, if you're interested. I liked the game a whole lot, so I started with the Unix source and just did what was necessary to make it work. I stripped out all the term cap stuff and just replaced it with simple xbios stuff (Cconin (or some such thing) etc.) The version I started with recorded the highest score for each user on the system. I replaced this by the usual prompt for the name of whoever just got a new high score. The version I have also makes sure two words don't overlap on the same line. Finally, my hard drive died long ago, so I work from floppies and ram disks. The original source fetched words from the dictionary one at a time which is fine from a ram disk but completely unplayable from floppy. So I fixed it to pre-fetch enough words for the current level, causing the game to make a longer pause at the beginning of each new level. The main problem is that when launched from the desktop, one has to type the first word a couple of times before characters start to register. After that it works fine. The problem is surely a simple one, but I really didn't want to spend much time on it. When launched from a shell, everything is fine. Anyway, if you want it, such as it is, let me know. Cheers, -- Scott Flinn Department of Computer Science flinn@cs.ubc.ca The University of British Columbia (604)822-8572 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 18:05:15 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!csus.edu! ucdavis!othello.ucdavis.edu!ez000942@arizona.edu Subject: Lynx for Sale To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I know this isn't the appropiate, but if there's anyone out there who wants a Lynx, I have one for sale.. Lynx with Klax and Ms. Pac Man: $80 obo mail to ez000942@othello.ucdavis.edu ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 19:58:48 GMT From: noao!ncar!ico!ispd-newsserver!laidbak!ericth@arizona.edu (Eric Thiele) Subject: Parting out Mega 4 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Posted for a friend... Atari Mega 4 ST/mouse/pad $750 Megafile 30MB hard drive 250 SM124 HiRes Mono Monitor 100 SF314 3.5" floppy 75 SLM804 Laser Printer 575 (needs Drum Replacement Kit, $200) Software Pagestream 1.8 $ 50 1st Word Plus 25 Turbo ST accelerator 15 Diamondback II 25 Cardfile 3 25 Universal Item Selector 25 Thunder spell checker 25 DEGAS paint program 10 Touch Up graphics program 25 Scan Art clip art program 25 Data Manager ST 25 and more...! Package Price: $1500 Call Darryl Hedges (708) 369-3656 ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 16:19:07 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!wupost!darwin.sura.net!haven.umd.edu!wam.umd.e du!dmb@arizona.edu (David M. Baggett) Subject: PD C compilers for ST To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Jan10.145622.8488@wam.umd.edu> dmb@wam.umd.edu (David M. Baggett) writes: >>Shouldn't this be: ... any segments more than 64K ... ? Most 68000 C >>compilers will use 16 bit address register relative addressing in this >>case, and 16 bits --> 64K (one of them being Lattice C, if I remember >>correctly). > >Yeah, but offsets are relative, so you need a sign bit. > >Dave Baggett >dmb@wam.umd.edu I suppose I should really qualify that: It seems like Megamax C _could_ have been made to handle 64K segments, but they _chose_ to restrict segements to 32K. It's all because the Megamax compiler was ported from the Macintosh, which has such restrictions for other reasons. Dave Baggett dmb@wam.umd.edu ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 10:05:46 GMT From: mcsun!uknet!edcastle!hwcs!neil@uunet.uu.net (Neil Forsyth) Subject: Populace help (was Re: The best game...) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1992Jan8.014029.2563@milton.u.washington.edu> iho@cac.washington.edu writes WRT Populous: >I've gotten to the mid 100's and can't seem to beat the computer any more. >Any clues on how to do better? Dunno? I think the game is unfair. When water is harmful, ie. prolonged exposure causes death, and there is a flood the computer just scans the map array and instantly puts a small piece of land under as many of its people that it has energy/mana to do so. No human player could do that. >Il Hwan Oh >Univ. of Washington, Tacoma >iho@cac.washington.edu +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! DISCLAIMER:Unless otherwise stated, the above comments are entirely my own ! ! ! ! Neil Forsyth JANET: neil@uk.ac.hw.cs ! ! Dept. of Computer Science ARPA: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk ! ! Heriot-Watt University UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!neil ! ! Edinburgh, Scotland, UK "That was never 5 minutes!" ! +----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 16:00:08 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!tamsun!tamvm1.tamu.edu!X049B C@arizona.edu Subject: RFI: Music Tutor Programs To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu ------------------------- Original Article ------------------------- A company called MIDI-Mouse produced a whole series (Chord Wizard, Note Wizard, Scale Wizard) that I bought and am quite happy with. My local dealer got them for me no problem. (As to how my playing's going, I dropped the keyboard and took up French Horn, since I played one in school. I hope to get back, though. My main dissatisfaction was with my tiny Casio keyboard. Another example of going cheap ruining the whole deal!) Bill ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 21:24:19 GMT From: mcsun!news.funet.fi!sunic!ugle.unit.no!nuug!fenris!sofus.dhhalden.no!jonal@uune t.uu.net (JON ARVID LOVSTAD) Subject: STBook (Notebook computer) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article Stefan_Rupp@ac2.maus.de (Stefan Rupp) writes: [stuff about the Book deleted] >> 5. What memory configurations and how is memory added? >1 MB, but i have heard of a 4 MB-STbook. Z-Net Online Magazine reported that the 1 megs were dropped, only 4 megs will be made. Some 1 meg test machines are around. >> 6. What TOS level does it run? >TOS Release 2.06, the latest release with the new Desktop. >> 7. Has anyone seen one of these yet? >Nope, just at the Atari-Show at Duesseldorf, Germany in October 91. >> 8. Where can I find a complete review? >In the German magazines "ST Magazin" and "ST Computer". >Ciao, > struppi Spidey Jon Lovstad | Sorry, but this part of my .sig file has been jonal@sofus.dhhalden.no | retconned by DeFalco... | SnailMail: Storgata 18 | If Batman can have 2 Crays, then why can't N-1750 HALDEN, NORWAY | I get a humble TT030? ------------------------------ Date: 11 Jan 92 01:45:57 GMT From: sparkyfs.erg.sri.com!csl!fernwood!portal!cup.portal.com!Azog-Thoth@ames.arpa (William Thomas Daugustine) Subject: Two (2) 256k SIMMs for free, almost To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu For no reason known to man, Im just posting this to c.s.a.st. I just upgraded my 520STe from 512k to 4mb, and now have some useless to me 256k SIMMs I dont really need. Free to the first person who contacts me at this address. The almost free part? You pay shipping, maybe a buck or two at most. Useful for someone who also has a 520STe but only wants to go to 1mb (why, I dunno) Billy D'Augustine Azog-Thoth@cup.portal.com ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 23:43:33 GMT From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu!mmiller@uunet.uu.net (Mark Miller) Subject: What are .msa files? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I have seen these files at atari.archive that have a .msa extension, under the sound directory. I got one called zeppelin.msa, and while I do have steplay, I haven't tried it with that yet. What program is supposed to play these? |Mark Miller, computer science |"I was just thinking of the immortal words | |major at C.S.U. | of Socrates...'I drank what?'" | |millerm@mozart.cs.colostate.edu |"What a waste it is to lose one's mind..." | | / Atari friend! ||| |"If we do not succeed, we run the risk of | | \/ --- The Mark )|( | failure." | | World Peace / | \ There's nothing else quite like it. | ------------------------------ Date: 10 Jan 92 23:38:49 GMT From: mnemosyne.cs.du.edu!isis.cs.du.edu!mmiller@uunet.uu.net (Mark Miller) Subject: What works with Mega STe? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu > Hi, > I own a STE and i have no problems with FALCON. Still though, i used to have > a problem when i had an extra diskdrive connected to the machine. > It's a roctec that took it's power from the joystick port, so i had to > disconnect it, then it worked. Maybe this will help?? > > > Jack Really?? Hmmm. This is interesting. What STe do you have (512K or 1MB)? What version of TOS? I assume you mean that it doesn't work if you have a hard drive hooked up? Is it alright to have a second floppy drive hooked up? When you encountered your problems with it, what happened? As I said, when the dealer tried it on a 1040STe, which I'm pretty sure just had the internal floppy drive, it basically crashed when it prompted for the next disk to be inserted. He put in the second disk, clicked on OK, and it just came back with the prompt, and the disk drive light stayed on. One of the guys there WAS able to get it to run successfully (partially) on the Mega STe they had. They couldn't get it to boot from the floppy. They tried to run it from the desktop out of the AUTO folder. This only got so far, and then it crashed. I forget whether the guy said it actually loaded the second disk, and crashed during gameplay, or not. The Mega STe they have at the store is a Mega 4/50, with internal hard drive, the kind that comes with most Mega STe's. I have a Mega 1 STe, so I don't have a hard drive yet. The next upgrade I will make to my system will be hard drive though. In any case this was a disappointment. I have heard such good things about Falcon. I've tried mailing to you, but it keeps bouncing. I read a post by someone else who said that when they just put the 2nd disk in the 2nd drive it worked. He said he had similar problems as the dealer was having (I think), before he found out how to do it. The problem I would have if this were the only way to run it is that I have only one floppy drive, and no hard drive. I am still not quite clear on what needs to be done in order to get Falcon to run on my system. Do I need two floppy drives? Do I need a particular version of TOS (I have 2.05)? How much memory is needed? I have one Meg. and one double-sided drive. Thanks guys! |Mark Miller, computer science |"I was just thinking of the immortal words | |major at C.S.U. | of Socrates...'I drank what?'" | |millerm@mozart.cs.colostate.edu |"What a waste it is to lose one's mind..." | | / Atari friend! ||| |"If we do not succeed, we run the risk of | | \/ --- The Mark )|( | failure." | | World Peace / | \ There's nothing else quite like it. | ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************