Floppyshop 2/Floppyshop - 2.zip/Floppyshop - 2.iso/diskmags/0022-3.564/dmg-0040/m26480.txt

Text File | 1997-04-16 | 17KB | 407 lines

Info-Atari16 Digest   Saturday, October  7, 1989   Volume 89 : Issue 480

This weeks Editor: Bill Westfield

Today's Topics:

                         Re: fortyfolderlimit
                          Re: adding a 68881
                Re: Mavis Beacon doesn't like TOS 1.4
                      Nethack 3.0 missing parts
       Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)
                             Gif Viewers
                         Word Perfect 4.1 bug
                               DataFree
              Re: TOS 1.4 problems, here we go folks...
                         Atari blows it again
       Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)
       Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)

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Date: 15 Sep 89 20:26:05 GMT
From: zephyr.ens.tek.com!tektronix!sequent!mntgfx![e-mail]  (Dave
 Clemans @ APD x1292)
Subject: Re: fortyfolderlimit
To: [e-mail]

From article <[e-mail]>, by [e-mail] (Jos Vermaseren):
>
>
> Recently Allan explained us that the 40 folder limit has been solved
> in TOS 1.4. This makes me wonder. What has been done about the Fsfirst
> call and the DTA. The existence of hanging pointers to file structures
> makes it kind of difficult to clean up those structures. Can I safely
> do many Fsfirst calls? (locally we have seen some crashes that look
> suspiciously like the 40 folder limit even though tos1.4 was running).
> Or did I miss something in the docs? (Atari Benelux does send updates
> around to devellopers).
>
> Jos Vermaseren
> [e-mail]

To my understanding TOS 1.4 works similarly to MS-DOS in this regard.
There is a limit on the number of resources that can be "open" simultaneously,
but those resources do get correctly freed when the resource is "closed".
(This was the big problem in TOS 1.0 and 1.2).

Under MS-DOS you can control these limits with lines in the config.sys file.
Under TOS (since it doesn't have a config.sys file) you have auto folder
programs like cachexxx.prg (which I think is comparable to the config.sys
line BUFFERS=) and foldrxxx.prg (which under 1.4 has an effect comparable
to the config.sys line FILES=).

dgc

------------------------------

Date: 15 Sep 89 21:39:31 GMT
From: portal!atari![e-mail]  (Allan Pratt)
Subject: Re: adding a 68881
To: [e-mail]

The product you want is the Atari SFP004 Floating-Point Math Peripheral
or some such name.  SFP004 should be sufficient for your dealer to
order one if he doesn't already have one.  It only goes into Megas; it
fits on the internal expansion bus.

Of course, on a 68000 you can't talk to it as well as a 68020 can;
you have to use it in "peripheral mode" where the handshaking protocol
is handled in software, not directly by the CPU.  Only programs compiled
specifically with the SFP004 in mind will run faster; others won't notice it.
(In that respect it is unlike the Blitter.)

The SFP004 comes with a disk, I think, containing the guts of a library
you can merge with Alcyon's libm to make lib81; link your Alcyon C
programs with that library and they will use the SFP004 if it's
installed, and Alcyon's software routins if it's not.  There is also
source for those routines, as examples you can use in assembly language
or for other compilers.  I *think* that disk is part of the SFP004
package; if it's not, it should be available from Atari.

============================================
Opinions expressed above do not necessarily     -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else.      ...ames!atari!apratt

------------------------------

Date: 15 Sep 89 20:24:57 GMT
From: hpda!hpcupt1!hprnd![e-mail]  (Steve Whitney)
Subject: Re: Mavis Beacon doesn't like TOS 1.4
To: [e-mail]

Well, it turns out that Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing _doesn't_ work
on TOS 1.4.  I have no idea why this is, but it doesn't work, and
the Software Toolworks tech person I talked to gave me two options:

They'll replace it or refund my money...  But I just bought it.  Anyone
who bought it awhile ago may be out of luck.  They didn't seem to be
interested in fixing the problem.  Oh, well....  Sigh.

--Steve "destined to hunt and peck forever" Whitney

------------------------------

Date: 16 Sep 89 14:44:15 GMT
From: image.soe.clarkson.edu![e-mail]  (Scott K. Opiela,,,2684025)
Subject: Nethack 3.0 missing parts
To: [e-mail]

Recently I got all the pieces to Nethack Version 3.0 that were posted to
comp.binaries.atari.st.  I recieved uaa-uao, and the last part wants part
uap.  How many parts remain unposted? And when can they be posted? (Or where
can I find them?)

Sorry if I seem anxious, but I am...

AAron nAAs
[e-mail]
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 16 Sep 89 14:54:34 GMT
From:
 mailrus!uwm.edu!dogie.macc.wisc.edu![e-mail]
 (Neil Gilmore)
Subject: Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]>, [e-mail] (B. S.
 Oplinger) writes...

>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] writes:
>>In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (William
 David Haas) writes:
(how they do it deleted)

Well, I have the uud from panarthea and this is how I do it.
1. Send mail to panarthea.
2. Wait for reply.
3. Repeat as needed to get all the files.
4. Since this account is on a VMS machine, use EDT to edit out the
headers, and for multi-part things, edit the include at the end to
specify b:, cause I don't have a harddisk.
5. Go home.
6. Log in at home.
7. Save the files by capturing screen output.
8. Put fresh disk w/ only UUD in a:.
9. UUD specifying that the first file is on b:.
10. De-ARC form A: to a new disk on b:.

If anyone has a better idea (especially for the transfer from my work
account to my ST) please tell it to me. It might just allow me to get
some of the ARC'ed files from some of the other sources (I don't seem to
be able to transfer them to my ST).

I agree that the archive at panarthea is run very well.

>Good luck
>Brian
+-----------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Kitakaze Tatsu Raito  Neil Gilmore     internet:[e-mail] |
| Jararvellir,          MACC, UW-Madison bitnet: gilmore@wiscmac3       |
| Middle Kingdom        Madison, Wi                                     |

------------------------------

Date: 16 Sep 89 15:19:46 GMT
From: mentor.cc.purdue.edu!mace.cc.purdue.edu![e-mail]  (Kareth)
Subject: Gif Viewers
To: [e-mail]

A friend of mine is looking to get his hands on a gif viewer for his ST.
If anybody could direct me to an ftp source for one, or even mail me
one, I'd greatly appreciate it.  I don't read this newsgroup, so don't
reply to me here.

Thanks.

-kareth
[e-mail]

------------------------------

Date:     Sat, 16 Sep 89 17:28 CDT
From:     jeff beer <[e-mail]>
Subject:   Word Perfect 4.1 bug
To:       <[e-mail]>

I have been having this problem with Word Perfect 4.1.  I am working on
a file of about 70K, and it seems to have problems with the length.
Sometimes when I save it, it doesnt get save, and then inside the edit
buffer, the end of it gets mangled.  Sometimes it gets truncated, other
times the last few pages get rewritten at the end.

I am working on my master's thesis, so this is a royal pain in the
dairy air.   I havent called Word Perfect yet, will probably do it monday.
But has anyone else heard of this?

Jeff Beer, Chicago Il.

------------------------------

Date: 14 Sep 89 16:10:05 GMT
From: asuvax!mcdphx!udc![e-mail]  (Dan Cripe)
Subject: DataFree
To: [e-mail]

I seem to have lost the phone number for DataFree.  Can someone help me
out?

                        Dan Cripe

------------------------------

Date: 16 Sep 89 00:17:55 GMT
From: asuvax!ellymae![e-mail]  (John Waycott)
Subject: Re: TOS 1.4 problems, here we go folks...
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Peter Ted Szymonik)
 writes:
>Went down to my 'local' ST store (70 miles) to have TOS 1.4 installed in
>my Mega 2.  Came home, booted the system, trouble immediately.  Almost
>NONE of my programs would run from the HD, some ran from floppies but
>the machine was extremely erratic - bombing for no reason, rebooting for
>no reason - programs would give TOS error 35 or -66.

The dealer in Phoneix (Computer Works) installed the six-chip set in my
Mega 2 about two weeks ago. He had to install four sockets and before
he did the work, said he may need to replace a chip. I don't know if he did
that, or what chip he was talking about, but my machine works fine with the
new roms. I am also running with a hard disk.

It sounds like your dealer may not have installed the chips properly.

------------------------------

Date:         Sun, 17 Sep 1989 01:24 +02
From:         <[e-mail]>
To:           <[e-mail]>

Subject: Spectre 128 & Lightspeed Pascal, help.

I've purchased a Spectre 128, Version 1.9F a few weeks ago and am very
heappy with the nice little thing. No problems so far.

But then I transfered Lightspeed Pascal Version 1.0 from my MacPlus to
the Spectre and tried to run a little project.

LSP responded with "Can't run your project due to a memory blockage, perhaps
a desk accessory?" - But there was no deskaccessory active. Decreasing the
stack and zone sizes didn't do any good.

I'm running Finder/System 5.3 which does fine with LSP on my MacPlus
on an Atari Mega 1 (1MB RAM) with 837KB free in MacMode. Can anyone
give me some hints on how to get LSP running a project?

Thanx for any help,

Steve  (MERTENS@DB0TUI11) or (MUELLERD@DB0TUI11).

------------------------------

Date: 16 Sep 89 22:52:18 GMT
From: microsoft![e-mail]  (Darek Mihocka)
Subject: Atari blows it again
To: [e-mail]

What are kids going to be getting this Christamas? Certainly not a video
game with an Atari label on it. I've seen a lot of local stores already
carrying the Nintendo Gameboy. The machine itself is a piece of garbage, with
a pathetic grey LCD display that looks like a cheap watch display. Although
I haven't seen the Lynx (and probably won't for a long time) if its color
backlit LCD display is as good as those used in the Sony Video Watchman and
similar pocket TV's, it'll blow away the Gameboy's display.

But, with only about 100 days left till Christams, what's Atari waiting for?
The 1990 Christmas season? All the stores I've been to in the last few weeks
are carrying 3 machines: the Gameboy, the regular Nintendo machine, and the
Sega Gemini. All three look and feel like garbage. But the Gameboy comes
with Tetris which is the hottest thing around these days. I have yet to see
anyone carrying the XE game machine or even carrying any sort of promotional
items about the Lynx.

I'm not a video game fan by any means. I shudder to think of the consequences
of having a generation of kids growing up illeterate and cross eyed because
they spend 24 hours a day glued to these NFG handheld game machines, which
I also feel are an incredible step _backwards_ in technology. In 10 years
we've gone from some pretty decent hi res color stereo arcade video games to
handheld low resolution monochrome 2 inch screens. Although I'm not in favor
of the things, since they do exists and are a source of money for Atari, why
don't they just get of their butts and sell the things. This will probably
be one of the hottest items of the season, and while Atari has been splashing
big posters and ads about the Lynx in magazines, Nintendo has quietly stolen
the market.

We already know from past experience that the majority of consumers couldn't
give two hoots about the technical quality of the machines. Otherwise Atari
8-bit machines would have ruled the market. What consumers want is something
they can buy an give to their kids to shut them up until next Christmas. All
the technical marvels of a vaporware Lynx aren't going to generate any
income for Atari, and I'm sure this will be yet another convenient excuse
for them to delay the release of the vaporware Stacy, vaporware Portfolio,
and vaporware TT machines.

I still want to know why Sam Tramiel can't type for himself at GEnie
conferences and what he'll have to say to us next month when he can't keep
the promises he made at last month's conference.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Darek Mihocka                   ST Xformer II                  CIS: 73657,2714
Box 2624, Station B            Quick Utilities                   GEnie: DAREKM
Kitchener, Ontario          MegaBlit   SSG   SPX                DELPHI: DAREKM
N2H 6N2                   Shareware, not Vaporware                 BIX: darekm
Canada                              CheapNet: ...!uw-beaver!microsoft!w-darekm
(519)-747-0386     A mind is a terrible thing to waste, so just say no to TOS.
Opinions expressed are my own and not those of anyone not named Darek Mihocka.

------------------------------

Date: 17 Sep 89 00:32:27 GMT
From: helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!cory.Berkeley.EDU![e-mail]  (Jonathan
 Lemon)
Subject: Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (Neil Gilmore)
 writes:
]Well, I have the uud from panarthea and this is how I do it.
]1. Send mail to panarthea.
]2. Wait for reply.
]3. Repeat as needed to get all the files.
]4. Since this account is on a VMS machine, use EDT to edit out the
]headers, and for multi-part things, edit the include at the end to
]specify b:, cause I don't have a harddisk.
]5. Go home.
]6. Log in at home.
]7. Save the files by capturing screen output.
]8. Put fresh disk w/ only UUD in a:.
]9. UUD specifying that the first file is on b:.
]10. De-ARC form A: to a new disk on b:.
]
]If anyone has a better idea (especially for the transfer from my work
]account to my ST) please tell it to me. It might just allow me to get
]some of the ARC'ed files from some of the other sources (I don't seem to
]be able to transfer them to my ST).

What you need is something that handles protocol transfer.  You can use
your current method for uu'ed files, since the intention of uuencoding is
to enable a file to be sent via mail, using only printable ASCII chars.
When you try to do the same with ARC, or any other random binary file,
your terminal might interpret it as a command, or the character is not
displayed.  (Common example: /000 or NUL).  I believe that there is a
well-liked pd program called uniterm that will handle different xfer
protocols, avalible from terminator.  You can use this on your Atari.
If you don't have a protocol on your UN*X end, (don't laugh, I've seen
systems without kermit, for example) then I can get mail you a pd version
of xmodem to use.

What I do:
1. Get the files
2. run them through uud or uudecode(UN*X)
3. run the binaries through arc
3. xfer them to my Atari.
4. un-arc them (arcing them saves me xfer time)
5. run.

Much simpler.
--
Jonathan   ...ucbvax!cory!jlemon   or   [e-mail]

------------------------------

Date: 17 Sep 89 00:10:00 GMT
From: cs.dal.ca![e-mail]  (Bill Silvert)
Subject: Re: Dumas encoding (was Re: SAME OLD SAME OLD VOLUME 2)
To: [e-mail]

In article <[e-mail]> [e-mail] (B. S. Oplinger)
 writes:
>I got UUD from the terminator archive i beleive. I save messages
>from the net in the form 'nethck30.uag', just like it says on the
>begin line. I then say uud nethck30.uaa and uud does the rest! No
>file editing or anything, it just works. I suggest you try it.
>The uud documentation says it looks for a file in the current
>directory with the name that is in the include line. You don't
>have to do anything special.

Great if you only decode ST postings which were encoded with UUE.
My version of UUD works with PC postings also.  In addition, I can
decode all of the encoded files in a directory with one command -- it
finishes one and goes on to the next.  It even skips files with no
encoded material (often part 0 of a posting is like this).


--
Bill Silvert, Habitat Ecology Division.
Bedford Institute of Oceanography, Dartmouth, NS, Canada B2Y 4A2
        UUCP: ...!?uunet,watmath?!dalcs!biomel!bill
        Internet: [e-mail]      BITNET: [e-mail]

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End of Info-Atari16 Digest
**************************