NetNews Usenet Archive 1992 #19/NN_1992_19.iso/spool/comp/sys/ibm/pc/digest/157

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Subject: Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #136
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Date: 21 Aug 92 21:39:29 GMT
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Info-IBMPC Digest           Fri, 21 Aug 92       Volume 92 : Issue 136

Today's Editor:
         Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <[e-mail]>

Today's Topics:
                    5.25" Disk Drive for a Model 56
                    All "Corrupted" Files Aren't Bad
                          Are 5 1/4" dead yet?
                 asking about the price of IBM PC PS/2
                  Battery packs for Zenith 183 laptop
                      converting from C to pascal
                  formatting 3.5 in DD diskettes as HD
              graphics databases running under windows 3.1
              Write protecting hard disk drives (V92 #126)
                Best Portable Backup Solution (V92 #127)
                PC-NFS daemon on HP 9000 and IBM RS/6000
                                 PGPLOT
                        question for info-ibmpc
                                Sideways
                              Chaos Corner
                         Using ARJ For Backups
                             video adapter
                       Re: 32-bit CRC calculator

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

Date: Sun, 09 Aug 92 11:18 HST
From: Bill Soong <[e-mail]>
Subject: 5.25" Disk Drive for a Model 56

> Any recommendations for an external 5.25" disk drive for an IBM PS/2
> Model 56 that will be running OS/2 ?

MicroSolutions "Backpack" external floppy drive CANNOT be used for OS/2
applications.  MicroSolutions only supports DOS, and have NO plans to
provide an OS/2 device driver.  Also, their DOS driver cannot be used
in an OS/2 DOS "box" session because of the driver's block-mode I/O.
It may run in the "Specific DOS" image environment from within OS/2
2.0, but I haven't tried it yet.

If you can spare an expansion slot for the adapter card, there's always
the IBM 5.25" 1.2MB external floppy drive.

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

Date: Wed, 5 Aug 92 12:28:15 EDT
From: David Kirschbaum <[e-mail]>
Subject: All "Corrupted" Files Aren't Bad

[From the FIDO Technical Echo, 31 Jul 92]

  From: Lazaro Millo        To: Wei Wen
  Subj: Re: dos error

Wei Wen said to All on 29 Jul 92  13:11:30

 WW> Does any one know what "packed file is corrupt" means?
 WW> This error message shows up sometimes when I try to run some .exe
 WW> files, even dos commands in .exe format.  I know that if I unload
 WW> himem.sys or emm386.exe can prevent this from happenning, but I
 WW> have to load  himem.sys or emm386.exe in order to get the most
 WW> from my computer.

001% of the time, the file is "messed up".

The other 99.999% of the time, the file is being confused because it is
being loaded into the first 64k of dos memory.  To fix the problem in
DOS 5.0, type the (undocumented) external command LOADFIX.

Example:
C:\>DIR
Volume xxx
 FILE.EXE     222
 1 file, 7 bytes free

C:\>FILE
 Packed file corrupt

C:\>LOADFIX FILE
 (File runs normally 99.999% of the time)

:End of example.

Hope this helps.
P.S.: If you do not have DOS 5.0, try running command.com a few times,
then loading the file.  The extra command.com(s) take up memory.

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

Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 16:59:39 GMT
From: [e-mail] (Mike Berger)
Subject: Are 5 1/4" dead yet?

[e-mail] writes:
>Do we need to support 5 1/4" disk formats?

>A little more background is in order.  We would prefer to package the
>product in a "videotape" sized package which is too small for the 5
>1/4" disk.  The MAC version of the product is obviously 3 1/2" and most
>of our sales of both versions have been 3 1/2".  One solution suggested
>is to allow folks to order 5 1/4" and simply have some "one-off"
>enveloping for the orders.

Although 3.5" diskette drives are popular on new machines, the vast
majority of the software sold through the University of Illinois
Computer Store (department sales only) is still on 5.25".  I find that
I frequently have to special order 3.5" versions of things.  So I'd
guess that 5.25" diskette support is still necessary.

Make it look like a u-matic video cassette package instead!

    Mike Berger
    Department of Statistics, University of Illinois
    AT&TNET     217-244-6067
    Internet    [e-mail]

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

Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 00:26:14 -0230
From: [e-mail]
Subject: asking about the price of IBM PC PS/2

 I am a student in St. John's, Canada.  I interest to have IBM PC with
PS/2 system. Here I have some questions.

 - Can I get a list of prices for IBM PC of the latest PS/2 system?

[Yes.  Contact your local IBM representative.]

 - Can I get  an education price for the system?

[99.8% of IBM systems come with an educational discount attached.  You
might try your local college bookstore.]

 Thanks in advance.

 Agung SOEHARNO
 [e-mail]

[Regretfully, I can't provide more info than this.  I couldn't -
because of the charter of the Info-IBMPC Digest - put something like
this in the Digest.  Perhaps someone from IBM (I know they get this
Digest) can help you out offline.  Also perhaps, someone else that has
firsthand experience with this might be able to provide more info...
gph]

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

Date: Mon, 10 Aug 1992 08:53 +0800
From: [e-mail]
Subject: Battery packs for Zenith 183 laptop

Several months ago I posted a query on this board concerning the
availability of battery packs for the Zenith 183 laptop.  I got quite a
few replies, and would like to thank all those on this board who
responded.

For the info of everybody, I essentially got two kinds of advice:

(1) Several people advised me that the battery packs may be available
from companies that advertise in publications like RADIO ELECTRONICS
and COMPUTER SHOPPER.

(2) And quite a few people suggested that I cannibalize the old battery
pack and rewire it with new NiCad cells.  A number of respondents
people also shared my like for the Z-183 and my concern about it
becoming an orphan.

As it happens, between the time I sent the query in and the time I got
the advice I made a trip back to the U.S. and was able to buy a new
battery pack from a store in Cambridge, Mass.  For those interested,
the pack bears a label indicating it was made by a company called Micro
Power Electronics.  There is no address, but the label does carry a
telephone number: 1-800-642-7612. This pack is a little smaller than
the original, but it fits with some spacers added.  So far, so good.

I hope this info helps somebody else who may be in the same boat.  And
again, thanks to everybody on the board for their concern.  Regards.
J.F.

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

Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 10:02:38 -0500 (CDT)
From: [e-mail]
Subject: converting from C to pascal...

I am looking for someone that is familiar with both C and Pascal since
I am trying to convert a lowlevel routine in C to a equivalent function
in pascal, since  I need a pascal version.  Or I need some help in
learing how to link to C routines.

The primary example is:

The C version looks like this...

void NetBios(NCB far *ncb_ptr)
     {
     _ES      = FP_SEG(ncb_ptr);
     _BX      = FP_off(ncb_ptr);
     _AX      = 0x0100;
     geninterrupt(0x5c);
     }

This is the pascal version I coded.
Is it correct?


procedure callnetbios(NCB : PNCB);
var regs : tregisters;
    aseg,aofs : word;
begin
   aseg := ptrrec(ncb).seg;
   aofs := ptrrec(ncb).ofs;
   ncb^.ncb_cmd_cplt := $FF;
   asm
     mov es,[aseg];
     mov bx,[aofs];
     mov ax,0100h;
   end;
   netbioscall;
end;

Any help would be highly appreciated.

My E-mail address is [e-mail]

Thankyou
Chris

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

Date: Sat, 08 Aug 1992 18:35:21 CDT
From: "David J Camp" <[e-mail]>
Subject: formatting DD diskettes as HD

I read an article in Info-IBMPC regarding the use of DD 3.5" diskettes
as HD, i.e. formatting them for 1.4MB use.

My experience is that diskettes formatted this way have a short shelf
life.  If you try to read them after a year, they probably will not
work.  -David-

# [e-mail]    ^     David J. Camp                #
# wupost.wustl.edu!campfire!david  < * >   [phone]              #
# campfire![e-mail]    v     "God loves material things." #
#         I am a member of the League for Programming Freedom.          #

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

Date: 6 Aug 92 06:49:00 EDT
From: "KAPLAN, J" <[e-mail]>
Subject: graphics databases running under windows 3.1

I suggest that the problem of a Windows compatible DB that can store
and display signatures might be solved as follows.  Get any Windows
compatible DB you like that supports OLE's.  Get the Windows Cardfile
application.  Store graphics signatures on the Cardfile.  Use the OLE's
to connect individual Cards to the appropriate cell(s) in your DB.  In
this way you can use a nongraphics DB and still call up graphics-based
signatures.  As far as I can tell each Cardfile stack will support
around 1250 Cards, and you can have any number of stacks.  You can
erase a graphic (signature) from a card easily.  Cardfile, itself,
supports OLE's.  Tell me how it comes out.

Jonathan Kaplan
[C
[C
[C


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

Date: Thu, 6 Aug 1992 12:13:26 PDT
From: Dominic Nardy <[e-mail]>
Subject: Write protecting hard disk drives (V92 #126)

There is a new company offering a very reliable security software
package called "V-Phage".

The company's name is A.C.C Inc. in West Orange, New Jersey, 07052.
Contact Wendy Schwartz at 1-201-325-7985 or 1-201-736-7109(answering
machine connected).  Their fax# is 1-516-378-6124.  It is an excellant
security boundary. It provides write-protection for users by simply
having a user log in at a level between 11 and 15.

Users will be able to read and execute from their hard disks, they just
won't be able to write to them.  All applications added to the security
boundary will be encrypted and all object files will be encoded.  Both
can be unprotected upon request by administrator of boundary.  Logging
in at levels 1-10 will write to hard disk.

 -- randy    \/   all generalizations are flawed    \/   [e-mail] --

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

Date: 10 Aug 1992 09:27:43 -0500 (CDT)
From: Maoee Tsen <[e-mail]>
Subject: Best Portable Backup Solution (V92 #127)

> From: Gordon Oppenheimer <[e-mail]>

> I am looking for the best portable backup solution.  I want to be able
> to go up to any IBM on campus and back it up.
>
> Cost and speed are valued over fancy software and large capacity.
>
> Send me your favorite solution and why.

    There are two ways to get this backup drive.

First, buy the parallel port based backup drive, the speed of this
drive is limited by the transfer speed of LPT port of AT bus.  There
are several vendors available, the price range from $400 to $1600, a
good one may be BackPack from MicroSolutions, Decalb, IL.

Second, buy the LPT port SCSI adapter and SCSI backup drive.  If the
system is equipped with SCSI adapter, then you don't need the LPT port
SCSI adapter.  Trentor make the LPT port SCSI adapter called miniSCSI,
trantor sell it at $179, it is also available from MicroWarehouse for
$119.

The above LPT port based devices are transparent to printing jobs.

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

Date: Wed, 1 Jul 92 17:34:29 +0200
From: Olaf Holthausen <[e-mail]>
Subject: PC-NFS daemon on HP 9000 and IBM RS/6000

We would like to use existing Unix-machines, a HP 9000 Model 720 and an
IBM RS/6000 as servers with PCs running Sun PC-NFS.

Has anyone ported versions of the required daemons ?

Thank You very much.

O. Holthausen
Inst. for brain research
University of Duesseldorf
Germany

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

Date: 6  Aug 92 16:26
From: <[e-mail]>
Subject: PGPLOT

I have a question concerning PGPLOT a public domain program developed
by T.Pearson (DOS-version).  Does anybody know a source for this
program??

Thanks for help in advance.
Joe Duske

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

Date: Fri, 7 Aug 1992 19:29 MET
From: [e-mail]
Subject: question for info-ibmpc

We have a Novell network with around 100 registered users. We are
desperately looking for a simple agenda program, to use on the network.

We need a program where it is possible for different people to work on
one agenda concurrently, and so that if one changes something in the
agenda, the other(s) immediately (or within a short time) see the
changes. Purposes are: keeping the agenda of staff members by their
secretaries; keeping the agenda of the cathlab, so that the people on
the ward (5 floors higher in the hospital) can see the changes so they
knwo when a patient is expected downstairs.

With simple I mean easy to use, without all kind of features not
necessary; just an agenda. I assume programs like WordPerfect's Office
will do this, but they include an E-mail program what we already have
and like, etcetera. Just the agenda. I am sure that such a program
exists, because I remember having seen ad's, but where? What about
Lotus Agenda? Will that program be able to do this on a Novell network?

Any help appreciated; please respond to me directly. I'll send a
summary to the list.

Thanks for the help!

Enno T. van der Velde
Department of Cardiology, Bldg 1, C5-P
University Hospital Leiden
P.O. BOX 9600, 2300 RC Leiden
The Netherlands
InterNet: [e-mail]

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

Date: Wed, 22 Jul 92 17:11:26 -0500
From: "John Boyd;LAHDI" <[e-mail]>
Subject: Sideways??

I have an '85 vintage program called Sideways which allows you to print
output that is horizontally wider than your printer, by running it
vertically down the paper.  Well, it doesn't understand a couple of the
printers that I'm now using, and I can't seem to find an ad for it
anywhere.  I think I remember hearing rumours that it rolled to a newer
product called 'Allways' and that it is only bundled with Lotus 1-2-3.
Is any of this true, or does anyone know where I can obtain this, or a
similar pkg??

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

Date: Fri, 7 Aug 92 11:07:16 MDT
From: Gregory Hicks - Rota Spain <[e-mail]>
Subject: test

I appreciated reading your Chaos newsletter...

To what do I owe the honor of being a recipient?  How did you come up
with my address <info-ibmpc>?

I'll be glad to run a blurb saying your newsletter is available, but
I'm afraid I can't (or don't think I can) publish your digest under the
Info-IBMPC logo...

Some thoughts:

1. You might try and limit line length to 70 or fewer chars.  Makes it
easy to print out and run around the paper-net in an office (I'm sure
you already do this though...)

You also might use fewer than 30 dashes "-" as a separator between
notes.  Most mail readers have an "undigestify" feature that triggers
on a line of dashes of 70 long (separates the TOC from the individual
messages) and lines of 30 dashes (separates individual messages).

I have no idea what it would try and do with your format...

It (the newsletter) is QUITE well written and humorous (as you
intended...)

I could run one and see what people think though...

Regards,
Gregory Hicks
Editor, Info-IBMPC Digest

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

Date: Tue, 4 Aug 92 12:13:16 EDT
From: David Kirschbaum <[e-mail]>
Subject: Using ARJ For Backups

[From the FIDO Dr. Debug Echo, 3 Aug 92]

  From: Gerry Pareja            To: Duke Normandin
  Subj: Tape Backup Advise

DN>I'm thinking of using ARJ to do the backup and subsequent
DN>incrementals. Do you see any problems there? Thanks!

Duke, I don't own a tape-backup unit, so am using only high-density
floppies.  However, I have recently implemented a backup routine using
ARJ, and find it very good.  Also, by carefully selecting the files I
need to backup, I am managing to fit the backups in one single 1.44Mb
floppy (that's out of a 64 MB hard drive with about 55Mb used).

How?  By de-selecting all the files I _already_ have on floppies, like
all bbs downloads, all utilities, all DOS files, all commercial
software.  However, I always backup configuration files (e.g.,
WP{WP}.SET, TELIX.CNF, CONFIG.DB, etc.).  Further, I de-select files I
can re-create, like *.NDX files and *.DBO which dBase can re-create
from the databases and program code.

The "selection" is done with ATTRIB (+A selects and -A de-selects).
When the routine (a batch file) has gone through all directories,
control passes to ARJ, which backs up everything left over with an A
flag.  The ARJ switches I use are -b1 (backup and reset archive bits),
-r, -a1 (all files & directories), and -v1440 (enable multiple volumes,
maximum size 1.44Mb).  I create the archive(s) on a different partition
of the h.d. (i.e., backup C: to D: partition and viceversa).

When all is done (about 15 minutes), I copy the ARJ files (one for C:
partition, one for D: partition) onto a floppy, and I still have 200kb
left over. I don't have to sit and feed diskettes, so it suits my lazy
nature.

Overall, I like ARJ for this purpose.  I have tried a partial restore
and it worked perfectly, tossing all the files onto the right
subdirectories.  I have just sent in the site license fee and will be
setting up a similar "selective backup" system at the office.

-!- Maximus 2.01wb
 ! Origin: VKUG/VPCC Doctor Debug Echo - Richmond, BC (1:153/151)


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

Date: Thu, 6 Aug 92 23:45:00 EDT
From: Etop Udoh <[e-mail]>
Subject: video adapter

   does anyone know how to convert a composite video adapter to an IBM
9 pin ????  need the required schematics ????

:    Etop Udoh                             [e-mail]            :
:    1112 Hudson Rd.               Southern College of Technology   :
:    Marietta, Ga 30060                   Marietta, Georgia         :

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

Date: Fri, 7 Aug 92 22:16:38 EDT
From: David Kirschbaum <[e-mail]>
Subject: Wanted: 32-bit CRC calculator

In Info-IBMPC Issue #126:

>Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 00:30:58 GMT
>From: [e-mail] (Doc)

>I would like to find a program to calculate a file's 32-bit CRC value,
>such as the one PKZIP calculates.  There are times when I have
>potential duplicate file both within and outside of a ZIP file.  They
>have the same name, time, size, etc.  But the only way I will be
>satisfied that they are the same is by comparing CRCs.
.
>Anyone know of any programs that calculate 32-bit CRCs?

Sure thing:  The following package at SIMTEL20 will do just what you
want:

PD1:<MSDOS.FILUTL>
CRC113.ARC    Displays 16 and 32-bit CRC's of files

It has full C source, compiled up just fine with Borland C++ v2.0
(minor tweaks to remove BC++'s warnings and mutterings).  It displays
CRC-16 and CRC-32 values of files named at the DOS command line (to
include wildcards).  I checked, and the CRC-32 *is* the same as PKZIP
calculates.

It isn't the *fastest* in the world (it's all C, no assembly language),
but it *does* calculate its own CRC tables, etc.

Just double-checked:  yes, the output is redirectable (normally
displayed to STDOUT), so that's handy.

If you have NO ftp access, yell and I can EMail a uuencoded (or ship'ed
if you have that conversion utility) copy to you.

David Kirschbaum
Toad Hall
[e-mail]

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

End of Info-IBMPC Digest V92 #136
*********************************
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