World of Ham Radio 1997/WOHR97_AmSoft_(1997-02-01).iso/windows/win_25/amsoft.iii

Text File | 1997-02-01 | 16KB | 400 lines

readme.txt v2.11 4/15/96

Visual PacketPeT Lite
Copyright (c) 1993 - 1996
Chuck Harrington Software, Inc
All Rights Reserved!


THANKS FOR TRYING Visual PacketPeT Lite!

PeT Lite contains a significant portion of the features of the
full retail version of Visual PacketPeT.

PacketPeT was written by Chuck Harrington, WA4GPF, of Orlando,
Florida, USA. The name PET, was derived from the name
Pack-Et-Term, the author's previous packet offerings, written for
the Atari ST computers. (Thank you loyal Atari users but there
are and will be no further upgrades to the ATARI version beyond
the last version, v4.5)

Visual PacketPeT Lite is shareware. Your PeT Lite test
drives are limited to 60 minutes each, until you register the
program. Your settings are saved though, and you are free to run
PeT as many times as you wish during the evaluation period as
spelled out in the License agreement. PeT is licensed by
amateur call sign. The cost of registration of PeT Lite is only
$25, and further information can be found in the file
register.txt or in the Online Windows type help.

Visual PacketPeT is written in C, and optimized / compiled with
Borland C++. Don't be fulled by slow / buggy software written in
Visual Basic. PacketPeT is faster and more robust! PacketPeT is
supported; in the USA you can get a programmer on the phone to
discuss your problems or ideas. We want PacketPeT to be the
product you need it to be. Have a problem? Call us, we want to
serve you!


1.0 New Features include:

A. New Toolbar with buttons that turn red when active.

B. Tnc Settings Editor - graphical way to display / Edit TNC
   settings.

C. Restartable Yapp file transfer.

D. Send & Receive files to disk (formerly just in full version).

E. Resizable windows - Drag yellow line that divides the
   IO, Mail, Receive, Transmit & Edit Windows to resize the split.

F: New Mbox (Mailbox) Menu - Graphical user interface to remote
   Mailboxes.

G: Mail Window / Browser - Collects Message Headers in separate
   Window. Click on Header to read the message it represents.
   These headers can be collected even while you are disconnected,
   which conserves valuable network bandwidth / resources!

   Right Click header to reply to a message. Starts the Reply
   dialog box!

H: Reply Dialog box (Mbox | Compose / Send Message) - The Reply
   dialog box is an entire application in its own right, which
   is integrated into Visual PacketPeT and supports the following
   features:

   1. Address book for CALLs / Addresses. Supports amateur calls
      as well as internet addresses.

   2. Signature Files - Insert the signature file of choice into
      your message. Could also be used for a blank NTS traffic
      form, that you now fill in the blanks!

   3. Subject - Automatically pulls subject out of the header, if
      you entered the dialog via the right click on message header
      in mail window.

   4. Message Body line length is adjustable, an will automatically
      hold message line length to a particular line length. (This
      in response to a user who requested this feature for MARS.)

   5. Access the Integrated spell checker!

   6. Logging - Save a copy of Mail Sent  - Saves a copy of your
      message (great for traffic) to the path \petlite\log\msg_sent\

   7. Many other features including printing, online help that
      presents a snapshot of the dialog box you can click on with
      the mouse in order to see an explanation of the objects
      function.

   This is a very large dialog box, but I hope that it makes your
   packeting more fun!

I: Integrated Spelling checker with 90,000 word dictionary, and
   a user dictionary that already contains some common HAM words,
   including Q - signals and so forth. The user dictionary can
   be edited with a text editor, like the one in PacketPeT.

J: New Fixed color pallet - Visual PacketPeT Colors.

K: Function Keys Macro Buttons - 12 Strings that can be sent
   by using a Ctrl-Function key shortcuts. Includes a graphical
   editor for the strings. Point mouse at button, and the text
   associated with the function button appears in the title
   bar. Left click to send, right click to open the Function
   key editor to edit that string!

L. Visual PacketPeT 3.0 is a better Windows Citizen. It uses
   less CPU time, and has improved serial IO that is more
   forgiving when it comes to operating on systems that have
   Video drivers that use a lot of IRQ time.

   (Note: that in some cases, high color drivers can still
   cause the loss of receive characters. Avoid video modes
   beyond 256 color when using Windows data communication
   programs!

M. Many little changes / fixes.

   1. A lot of outgoing text, even though it is not entered from
      the keyboard, is now routed through the Transmit Window
      for you to see.

   2. When the Online Editor is visible, you can now click on
      the Transmit Pane / Window and type directly into it,
      thus bypassing the Online Editor without hiding it.

   3. Wav files are now imbedded in the program as resources,
      and are not separate *.wav files as in previous versions.

   4. 'Connects:Y" and the Stream Button(s) now turn red when
      connected.

   5. PeT's new smart buttons, turn red to indicate selection /
      activity. For instance, click on the [R] button to select
      Receive Full, and the [R] button changes to red. Hit any
      key, and window split returns, and the [R] button is black
      again. On the version, Connect stream buttons are Red, and
      disconnected ones are black.

   6. The Update Connect Status button is now labels with a [U],
      rather than its former [?].

   7. The [*] the All IO button, has become [io] the RAW IO button,
      same purpose as before!

   8.

N. The PacketPeT voice now speaks the callsign at connections.
   This formerly in the full version only.




2.0 INSTALLATION:

You will require approximately 3.0 mb of free space on your drive
in order to install Visual PacketPeT Lite! You should allow
additional space to hold files that you download, logged message
and so forth.

Visual PacketPeT runs on Windows 95, Windows 3.1/3.11, Windows NT
and OS/2 versions 2.1/3.0.

PeT Lite now comes with a standard windows type SETUP.EXE program
to handle installation and setup of the program files.

Installing PacketPeT:

   1. Insert the Program diskette into drive A or B. (floppy install)

   2. Start Windows (if not already running).

   3. From the Program Manager select the File|Run menu item. (Or
      from Windows95 Start|Run...)

   4. Enter a:\setup (or b:\setup) into the command line edit box
      and click Ok or press <Enter>. (or c:\disk1\setup if on hard
      drive c:, must be in \disk1 directory if on hard drive!)

   5. Edit the installation path to reflect the desired install
      destination, and push the continue button.


3.0 RUNNING PET THE FIRST TIME

If another packet software package has been used with your TNC,
make sure you exited the program and left the TNC in COMMAND
MODE. If the software left your TNC in HOST mode, you will
experience difficulties! (This applies to PK/KA GOLD users and
others..)

1. Double Click on the PeT icon in the Visual PacketPeT Lite
   program group. A dialog box explains PeT's shareware message
   and provides a choice of answering "Yes" to view order
   information, or "No" to run PacketPeT. Answer No to run the
   program.

2. The next dialog box explains that you are about to be asked for
   serial port settings. You most likely have your mouse on COM1,
   and your TNC on serial port COM2. You must determine what
   COM port you have your TNC connected to, and it is very
   helpful to know the TNC's present baud rate, word length,
   parity and so on. Click OK to move on.

3. The serial port settings dialog box now comes up. Make any
   necessary changes and click OK.

The PeT Lite Application window will now open. Hit <return> and
hopefully your TNC respond with a cmd: prompt. If it does not,
try turning the TNC on and off and look for some gibberish kind
of stuff like 4453ljljl;jsg;ljksdfg .... This indicates that your
TNC and PeT are not both communicating with the same serial port
settings.

You can alter PeT's serial port settings from the SET|Serial Port
menu. Once PeT is talking to the TNC, make a note of your serial
port settings.

If you have problems in getting PeT to talk to your TNC, you most
likely have a serial port problem. This occurs even if you have
had DOS software working fine in the past. Window software is
different. Getting the Windows Terminal Accessory program working
with PeT first, can be a useful troubleshooting aid. Also, check
out the Readme Hardware file by double clicking the Hardware Icon.

(note: If you have installed an internal modem in your PC, this is
a good place to start looking. An IRQ conflict between the modem
and the PC's original serial card is likely! ie.. Serial card has
COM1 & COM2, and modem has been installed on COM3 or COM4. Each
COM port must have its own IRQ under windows, period!)


4.0 ONCE PET IS RUNNING, EXTENSIVE ONLINE HELP IS AVAILABLE.

SHIFT <F1> changes the mouse cursor to a pointer / question mark
and indicates you are in context sensitive mode. Just click any
button or menu item and the help application will be opened to
the topic you have just chosen!

or:
SHADE A MENU ITEM, then hit the <F1> key to go directly to the
shaded topic.

or:
Hit <F1> to bring up the HELP CONTENTS.

or:
From the menu bar HELP | INDEX to bring up the contents or HELP |

or
HELP | USING to get more information on how to operate a Windows
type help system. There is a great deal of illustrated help
available from PeT and the Windows Help System is well worth the
time it takes to learn how to navigate it!


5.0 Program Requirements

PeT requires some kind of hardware TNC, and will work with most
of them! Host or KISS Modes ARE NOT required, and even the RETAIL
VERSION of PeT, PacketPeT For Windows, is able to implement its
advanced features without resorting to the restrictions of Host
Mode.

PeT is a Windows program, and requires Microsoft Windows versions
3.1, Windows95, WindowsNT or IBM OS/2 2.1/3.0.

A Mouse or other pointing device is highly recommended!


6.0 Troubleshooting

A few users may experience difficulty in establishing initial
communication with the TNC. This type of problem is usually
caused by an improper Windows configuration or hardware conflict.

If you are unable to get the TNC to talk to PeT, try these
things:

Exit PeT and run the TERMINAL program which is included with
every copy of Microsoft Windows and is normally in the
ACCESSORIES program group. Verify that the TERMINAL program can
contact your TNC. Once you are able to communicate with your TNC,
go to the menu SET | COMMUNICATIONS and make a note of the
current settings (baud rate, data bits, parity, stop bits). You
can now exit the TERMINAL and run PeT. Enter the settings you
previously noted when prompted for the serial port settings. PeT
should now be talking to the TNC.

If you are unable to get the Windows TERMINAL program to talk to
the TNC, and have tried different settings combinations from the
SET | COMMUNICATIONS menu, make sure you have the TNC plugged in
to the proper port connector on the back of your PC!

If you still can't talk to the TNC, you may have a hardware
conflict. Check the jumpers on your adapter cards and make sure
no two cards have the same IRQ setting. Internal Modems, tape
backups, CDROMS, sound cards and other devices all use IRQs, and
could be a source of conflict

More information regarding hardware problems can be found in the
file hardware.txt.


7.0 Graphics

PeT can send and receive two types of graphics that are
frequently seen on packet networks. The first graphic, sometimes
known as a "brag", is a simple text file that contains characters
of the IBM OEM character set arranged in such a manner as to
appear to be a picture. To receive this, you must MAKE SURE YOU
ARE USING THE TERMINAL FONT, which is PeT's default. If you are
using Courier or some other font, the graphic will be displayed
incorrectly. You also must make sure that your TNC's 8BITCONV IS
ON, and you are using 8 bits for the DATA BITS setting on the
serial port link, so that the upper character bit is not
stripped!

The second type of graphic that has recently started to appear
is an ANSI Graphic. These are in color, and contain control codes
to control text and background colors. In addition to meeting the
conditions stated above, you will need to go to the menu
SET | ANSI Color to enable reception of color graphics. You
must also be on the A - STREAM, as ANSI color is not properly
displayed on the * - ALL IO stream. Registration is required in
order to enable the display of ANSI graphics.


Creating a Text graphic / Brag:

The simple text graphic can be created using PeT's editor.
Symbols not appearing on the keyboard may be entered by holding
down the <ALT> key, and entering the number 0254 on the numeric
keypad. This <Alt> 0254 combination, would enter the symbol for
the code 254! Another way, is to use the CHARACTER MAP accessory
that comes with every copy of Windows, and while displaying
the TERMINAL font, simply copy the symbols you want to the
clipboard, and use the EDIT | PASTE command to enter them into
PeT's Editor. Save your completed graphic as a file, or select
it, with the EDIT | SELECTALL command  <ALT>(Ctrl><A> and then
send it using the <ALT><CTRL><S>, EDIT | SEND SELECTED command.


Creating an ANSI Color graphic:

Making a color graphic is not as simple. A text editor, like that
contained in PeT will not display the graphic correctly. An ANSI
COLOR editor is needed to create this type of graphic. On many of
the phone Bulletin Boards, and at your shareware houses, there is
a fine program called THEDRAW. THEDRAW will enable you to easily
create your color graphics. If you continue to use THEDRAW, you
should register it, as it is shareware.

Once created, the ANSI color graphic may be loaded into PeT's
text editor, and sent using the method outlined above. ANSI color
is attractive and a lot of fun to play with!

NOTE: With PacketPeT, you DO NOT need to load the DOS ANSI
driver, ANSI.SYS!!


8.0 Additional Features

Some users will want support for multiple connections, modes
other than packet and other features. These features and more
will be found in the full retail version of PacketPeT.

For more information read the file RETAIL.TXT, or
consult the Online information. A liberal upgrade policy insures
that the money you invest in registration of PacketPeT Lite
Windows can be 100% applied to your upgrade!

Your comments and suggestion are appreciated! PacketPeT is
nearing its fifth year of development and is and will remain
"a moving target". Improvements are planned, for both the Lite and
Full versions.


9.0 !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HELP !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you still need additional help, Call:

Chuck Harrington at [phone] or leave EMAIL on internet.

Internet        - ID is  [e-mail]

If you elect to telephone, the best chance of talking to Chuck is in
the mornings after 10 am, Eastern Standard Time. At other times, an
answering machine is online and calls are returned as soon as
possible (to continental U.S.), usually within 24 hrs. If you leave
a message, please let us know when you are likely to be available to
discuss your problem.


73 Chuck Harrington