Crawly Crypt Collection 1/crawlyvol1.bin/utility/patch/stkr_206/changes.206

Text File | 1990-04-14 | 25KB | 463 lines

                         STalker Changes for 2.06
                         ========================

Your distribution diskette contains version 2.06 of STalker.  A copy of
version 2.00 is included in the file STALKER.200 - keep this file since you
may need it in the future for applying upgrade patches.

This file describes the changes to STalker that were made in version 2.06
and therefore do not appear in the user's manual.  Please read this file
carefully before calling or sending e-mail since it will hopefully answer
most of your questions and therefore save us both some time.

Don't forget to read the CHANGES.203 file also - it lists the changes to
STalker made in version 2.03.

As you can see from the version number designation this is *not*
considered to be a major upgrade to STalker.  This means that a patch
program is available which will automatically update a version 2.00 STalker
to version 2.06.  A disk swap update is also possible by sending your
*original* STalker/STeno disk (keep a backup!) to Strata Software along
with $5 to cover the handling and return shipping costs.  As this is a
minor update, registered owners will not be getting a mail notification, so
if you know someone who has STalker/STeno and might not know about the
update please pass the word.  Obviously you don't need an update since
you're reading this file now.  As always you can call Strata Software at
any time to ask questions or find out what the latest versions are.

o   Your version 2.03 STALKER.INF file is upwardly compatible with version
    2.06 of STalker - simply install the new STALKER.ACC and STALKER.RSC
    and reboot.

o   In Remote mode the "Start your transfer now" message appears
    before a download also.  It used to appear only before an upload.

o   If you're using Charles Johnson's excellent shareware file selector
    called the "Little Green Selector" the title will now display
    properly.  Note that this only applies to systems with TOS 1.4 or
    greater since LGS ignores the extra prompts if the TOS 1.4 file
    selector call is used.  If you're using TOS 1.0 or 1.2, or if STalker
    is loaded into MultiDesk (which tricks STalker into thinking it's not
    running on TOS 1.4) you'll see "Strata Software" where it normally says
    "Little Green Selector".

o   A bug that caused STalker's cursor to keep blinking even sometimes
    when it shouldn't have was fixed.

o   A new chime was added - it goes off when a remote user issues the
    "[T]alk mode" command.  This lets the local ST user (if any) know that
    the other person wants their attention.

o   STalker now actively watches the Carrier Detect signal and will change
    the window/acc title to "Off-Line" when carrier is lost.  Note that
    this only applies if "Modem Sets DCD Properly" is selected in the
    Modem Configuration settings.  If your modem doesn't set DCD properly
    you can get the "Off-Line" title back by issuing the "Hang-Up" command.


                         STalker Changes for 2.05
                         ========================

o   Wouldn't you know it, a minor bug was found just after 2.04 started
    shipping - the "Clear Screen" command Control-Clr didn't work all the
    time.  This fix is the only change for version 2.05.


                         STalker Changes for 2.04
                         ========================

o   Thanks to the new "Preferences" dialog and the addition of a SORT
    button to the autodialer dialog the CONFIG.PRG utility is no longer
    necessary, and is therefore not included on the diskette.

o   Startup activities are different now, and as a result the STALKER2.ACC
    and STALKER3.ACC versions are no longer necessary for DC-Port owners.
    STalker now will do an appl_find() call on the names "STALKER0"
    through "STALKER9".  If it finds one and the returned application ID
    matches its own it will use the corresponding STALKERn.INF file.  If
    it doesn't find a match it will use STALKER.INF.  Note that if STalker
    is loaded into current versions of MultiDesk it will always wind up
    using STALKER.INF.

o   The serial port is not initialized until the STalker window is opened
    the first time.

o   The "state" is saved in the STALKER.INF file, meaning that if you want
    STalker to come up in "Disabled" or "Remote" mode it now will.

o   When the "Hang-Up" command is executed STalker will return to the
    startup terminal and port settings.

o   A new short-cut keystroke has been added:  ALT-E (for Echo) will
    toggle STalker between Full duplex mode and Echo duplex mode.  If
    STalker is in Local mode an ALT-E keystroke will put it in Full mode.

o   The STalker accessory and window titles now change to show the service
    (if any) that STalker is currently connected to.  The prefix can be
    changed via the "Preferences" command in case you want to see more or
    less of the service name in the desk menu, or need to distinguish
    between multiple STalkers.

o   ANSI Video attributes are now supported via the "ESC [ p1;p2;...;pN m"
    sequence, where pX is a decimal digit with the following meanings:

         0  All attributes off
         1  Bold on
         4  Underscore on
         5  Blink on [displays as 'light' text]
         7  Reverse video on
        30  Black text
        31  Red text
        32  Green text
        33  Yellow text
        34  Blue text
        35  Magenta text
        36  Cyan text
        37  White text [results in Black text]

    Any colour which is not available will display as Black.

    The attributes controlling the cell background colour are not
    supported since VDI does not provide a simple way to have anything
    other than colour 0 as the text background.

o   The following ANSI/VT100 sequences are now recognized:

    Device Attributes:  STalker will respond to a host sequence of
    "ESC [ c" with "ESC [ ? 1 ; 2 c".  This sequence is sent by the host to
    query the terminal type; STalker responds like a VT100 would.

    Device Status Report:  A host sequence of "ESC [ 5 n" will cause
    STalker to respond with "ESC [ 0 n".  The host asks if the terminal is
    feeling OK and STalker says "no problem dude".

    Request for Cursor Position:  A sequence of "ESC [ 6 n" is responded to
    with "ESC [ Pv ; Ph R" where Pv is the line number the cursor is on and
    Ph is the column number the cursor is on.  Lines and columns are
    numbered from 1.

    Printer Status Report:  A sequence of "ESC [ ? 15 n" is responded to
    with "ESC [ ? 13 n".  The host asks if there is an attached printer and
    if it is functioning properly.  STalker tells it that there is no
    printer attached since STalker can't currently handle the printer
    related control sequences.

    User Defined Keys:  A sequence of "ESC [ ? 25 n" is responded to with
    "ESC [ ? 21 n".  The host asks about the status of user-definable
    function keys.  STalker tells the host they're locked (not changeable).

o   Support has been added for the DEC extended character set, primarily
    used by hosts for putting boxes around things.  Since the ST character
    set does not have any of the line drawing characters these are mapped
    into either '+', '-', or '|' as appropriate.  A nice side-effect of
    this is that you can print text received in this mode on any printer
    since STalker maps things into standard ASCII characters.

o   You can now Paste text selected from the screen directly to STeno
    rather than having to switch to STeno and invoke its Paste command.
    When you release the mouse button after selecting text from the
    STalker window the "Action" popup now includes "Paste to STeno".  This
    will be disabled if STeno isn't active.

o   A Paste-Binary command (Shift-ALT-V) has been added.  This allows you
    to do an XMODEM upload of the current scrap if the spirit so moves
    you.  The current terminal settings are checked to determine if XMODEM
    or XMODEM 1K should be used.

o   Trailing blanks are no longer stripped from lines that are:

    - sent to STeno during Capture Mode
    - printed via the "Printer On" setting or the "Print" action after
      selecting text from the STalker window.
    - copied to the Clipboard
    - Pasted directly to STeno.

o   The autodialer now has a "Sort" button which will sort the dialer
    entries in ascending order.  This capability plus the "Preferences"
    dialog makes CONFIG.PRG obsolete.

o   STalker 2.04 can be installed as a "NeoDesk Accessory", and installed
    on the NeoDesktop as an icon.  Simply add a line containing "STALKER"
    (no quotes) to the NEO_ACC.INF file in the same folder as NEOMASTR.PRG.
    If you don't have a NEO_ACC.INF file then you can use STeno to create
    one.  The next time you run NeoDesk you'll be able to drag a copy of
    STalker's icon onto the desktop and leave it there.  Double-clicking on
    the STalker icon will open STalker's window.  Dragging a file or the
    printer or trashcan icons over the STalker icon has no effect on
    STalker.  For more info on NeoDesk accessories please contact Gribnif,
    or refer to the notes supplied with the freeware NeoDesk recoverable
    trashcan accessory, distributed by Gribnif.

o   If you hold down Control, Shift, or Alternate while clicking on the
    window "full" gadget the STalker window will return to its startup
    size.

o   If you hold down Control, Left Shift, AND Alternate while clicking on
    the window "close" gadget STalker will shutdown, releasing its
    resources and allocated memory.  This is really only useful right
    before a resolution change in order to help avoid 'lost' memory.

o   Function keys can now be "chained", and they can be used from the
    number field of an autodialer entry.  This was added at the request of
    a user who needed to enter long dialer strings in order to manipulate
    a PBX.  To use this simply type the "Clr/Home" key (unshifted) while
    in the Function Key or Autodialer dialogs.  A script-like 'f'
    character (ƒ) will be inserted at the cursor point - follow this with a
    one or two-digit function key number.  For example, "f1" will cause
    the text for function key 1 to be sent and "f20" will do likewise for
    the shifted F10 key's text.  You can have several function key
    invocations in a row if you like, for example "f1f3".  If you want to
    send function key text followed by a digit simply use two digits for
    the function key specifier.  For example, use "f017" rather than "f17"
    if you want to send function key 1's text followed by a "7" - the
    latter sends the text for F17 (shifted F7).

    Function key invocations can be nested - STalker will abort the
    expansion if it detects a circular reference.

    A function key invocation is valid in function key text, the dialer
    "Number" field, the modem init/prefix/suffix strings, and the hang-up
    string.

o   A couple of relatively minor changes have been made to the XMODEM
    code:

    If the remote host kicks off an upload by sending the characters "CK"
    rather than simply "C" or NAK, STalker will send using XMODEM 1K.
    This is a relatively common XMODEM extension.

    Host-initiated cancellation of an upload or download is now
    recognized.  Excessive retries or the UNDO key were the only ways to
    abort a transfer before.

    When a transfer is aborted STalker sends 4 CAN (^X) characters
    followed by 4 backspaces to the remote host.  Previous versions sent 2
    CAN characters.

    If STalker gets a timeout after NAKing the first EOT it will assume
    that the remote host doesn't handle NAKs on EOTs and will consider the
    download complete.  The XMODEM spec states that the first EOT should
    be NAKed by the receiver in order to prevent a false EOT from ending a
    transfer prematurely, and virtually all systems will retransmit the
    EOT correctly, but apparently some Amiga BBSes don't handle this hence
    STalker [or any other comm. package that handles EOTs the proper way]
    times out after 10 retries waiting for another EOT and cancels the
    transfer.

    The new "Keep Aborted Downloads" preference setting will stop STalker
    from deleting the received file if the download fails or is aborted.

o   The new "Preferences" command brings up a dialog box that lets you
    change the following things:

    The size (in lines and columns) of the scrollback buffer and the size
    (in K) of the file transfer buffer.  All of these have the same
    meaning as before when they were only alterable via CONFIG.PRG.
    Changes in either only take effect the next time STalker is started
    [don't forget to do an ALT-G before rebooting!].

    The drive to store the clipboard file on can now be specified.  If the
    drive you specify does not exist the current drive will be used.

    The name of the STeno accessory that you wish STalker to communicate
    with (for Capture, ALT-Tab, and Paste to STeno) can be specified.
    This should be the same as the STeno file name without the .ACC or
    .PRG extension.  You would normally not change this unless you are
    using multiple STalker/STeno pairs.

    The window and Desk menu title prefix can be changed.  This is mainly
    to allow you to make the Desk menu prefix shorter since the menu text
    is limited to only 20 characters.  It would also be useful to change
    it if you're running 2 or more STalkers at the same time [presumably
    with a DC-Port and a couple of modems/phone lines].

    There is a selection box to enable "destructive backspacing".  If this
    box is selected (black) a received backspace will move the cursor left
    one column and overwrite the character in that position with a blank.
    If this box is not selected (the default) a backspace simply moves the
    cursor position.

    A selection box was added to allow files from aborted downloads to be
    kept.  See the description above in the XMODEM section for more
    information.

    A selection box was added to allow 7-Bit extended ANSI characters to
    be enabled.  If this option is selected a SHIFT-OUT (Control-N)
    character tells STalker that subsequent characters are to be
    interpreted as extended ANSI codes until a SHIFT-IN (Control-O) is
    received.  If this option is not selected SHIFT-IN and SHIFT-OUT are
    ignored.  This capability was previously always enabled, and was the
    source of a fair bit of inconvenience to some users since a spurious
    Control-N character could suddenly cause STalker to start showing
    "Greek" text.  ALT-ESC was and still is the way to get back to normal
    text (assuming that you didn't want to be in the extended character
    set) but this new option allows you to stop strange things from
    happening.  Note that extended characters can still be used if the
    host sends the full 8 bits per character.

o   A whole new world was added - Remote Mode.  This essentially turns
    STalker into a mini-BBS, complete with passwords and file transfers.

    If you save the STalker configuration while in remote mode then
    STalker will automatically start up in remote mode, ready to accept a
    caller.  If your system crashes while you're away or you have a power
    failure you'll still be able to access it remotely provided that your
    system autoboots and loads STalker correctly.  Your remote terminal
    should be set to 8 bits, No parity, and 1 stop bit in order to call
    STalker's remote mode.

    Remote mode is invoked via the ALT-B (for BBS) keystroke and is exited
    by hitting the UNDO key.  ALT-B presents you with a dialog which lets
    you configure remote mode operation.  If you simply wish to configure
    the remote mode parameters but do not wish to enter remote mode simply
    make your changes and then click on the OK button rather than the
    Remote Mode button.

    When STalker enters remote mode it begins by sending your Modem Init
    string, so include any necessary "auto-answer" modem commands such as
    "S0=1" if necessary.  When you quit remote mode and return to normal
    operation STalker will send your modem the initialization string from
    the Autodialer "Modem Configuration..." dialog.  This way you can have
    your modem only auto-answer during remote mode - for a Hayes-
    compatible modem simply put ATS0=1 in the remote mode Modem Init and
    include S0=0 in your Modem Configuration modem init string.  Once the
    initialization string has been sent STalker will wait for a connection
    the same way it does after dialing.  If your modem sets the DCD signal
    properly STalker will recognize the DCD line becoming active and start
    prompting the remote user (the modem settings from the Autodialer
    dialog are used to determine if your modem handles DCD).  If not, it
    will wait for a response from the modem that matches one of the
    profiled "Connect" strings.  One note of caution is in order - you
    don't need a DCD-aware modem but it certainly helps.  If your modem
    does not handle DCD then STalker can't recover from a dropped phone
    line since it has no way of knowing that the other end has hung up.
    With DCD it can tell and will return to its idle state and wait for
    another call.  STalker will also pay attention to the "Drop DTR"
    setting or whatever is indicated in order to hang up the modem.

    You can optionally configure two passwords for remote mode:  one for
    initial logon and another one for the "Run CLI Shell" command - either
    or both can be blank in which case access will be unrestricted.  Both
    passwords are case sensitive.  When the remote mode dialog is
    displayed these passwords display as <Hidden> to protect them from
    being seen by the wrong people.  If you change the text to anything
    other than <Hidden> your password will be updated, hence you have to
    type your complete password any time you wish to change it.  If you
    leave the text as <Hidden> the passwords will stay as is.

    There is a full set of Port Settings for remote mode similar to those
    in the autodialer entries.  STalker will configure itself according to
    these settings when entering remote mode.

    You can configure any external CLI Shell program you wish - STalker
    will attempt to invoke whatever program you specify when you use the
    "Run CLI Shell" command from a remote terminal, so obviously you can't
    pick just any program.  Here are some guidelines:

    o   it should be a .TOS or .TTP program.  Actually, what's really
        important is that it be a non-GEM program, so something like
        GULAM.PRG or PCOMMAND.PRG is fine since they don't use GEM.

    o   if your machine has TOS 1.0 then it should be something that uses
        GEMDOS-level console I/O routines rather than BIOS-level routines
        since the latter can't be easily redirected to the serial port.
        On machines with TOS 1.2 or higher STalker can redirect even the
        BIOS routines [although programs like QuickST intercept BIOS I/O
        at a higher level so you'll have to disable them if you want to
        run a shell that uses BIOS calls remotely].  Generally there's no
        way other than trying it to see if a CLI program can safely be
        redirected, especially on TOS 1.0; so your best bet is to test a
        program by having a friend call into your machine before you rely
        on it working remotely yourself.  The PD program called COMMAND.TOS
        included with NeoDesk is one of the few we've found that works
        reliably under TOS 1.0.  Gulam and most others work relatively well
        on TOS 1.2 or higher equipped machines, although you may find that
        you need a VT52 compatible terminal to use some of the features.

    o   in general, the simpler the CLI the better your chances of having
        everything work properly.  Remember that this feature is primarily
        intended to allow you to access a CLI to do file maintenance or
        run a utility such as ARC.  Don't expect anything more than that
        and you won't be disappointed.

    o   you'll need to make sure that there is enough memory available for
        the CLI program to function.  If you start remote mode from within
        a word processor and leave the word processor running you may find
        that the WP has grabbed all of the free memory, preventing the use
        of the CLI remotely.  You can check the amount of free system
        memory by typing ALT-M in STalker.

    The "Bypass System Error Handler" check box allows you to decide if
    you want STalker to bypass what TOS refers to as the "Critical Error
    Handler".  You probably know this by the alert boxes that it displays:
    "Please insert disk B: into drive A:", "Data on the drive may be
    damaged - check your connections.", and so on.  In 99% of the cases
    you will want STalker to bypass this, because if you're accessing your
    system remotely and accidentally try to access drive B: or get a disk
    error there will be no one sitting at the console to click on the Retry
    or Cancel button.  If so configured STalker will save the Critical
    Error vector and replace it with an empty routine, restoring it only
    when you exit remote mode.  The only reason you might NOT want this
    option enabled is if you are using some other program that intercepts
    these errors and deals with them accordingly.

    You can select any number of "candidate" baud rates ranging from 300
    to 19,200 baud.  When STalker detects a connection it will set the
    port to the highest selected baud rate, output "Hit Return..." and
    wait up to 2 seconds for a carriage return character.  If one is not
    encountered it will repeat the process with the next lower baud rate
    and so on until a carriage return is correctly received or 1 minute
    has elapsed.

    Another important point to know about remote mode is that you can use
    many of the features without being at a remote terminal.  STalker
    looks at the Initial Port Settings "Mode" buttons (Full, Echo, or
    Local) and acts differently depending on the selected value.  In Full
    mode you will only see modem commands and responses in the STalker
    window.  In Echo mode you will see everything that is sent to and
    received from the remote terminal (you can keep a log by turning on the
    Printer or Capture settings), except of course during file transfers
    and CLI operation.  In Local mode you can do all of the things that a
    remote user would do right from the ST keyboard, although commands like
    file transfers, talk, and Run CLI which don't really make sense this
    way are not available.

    Something else to keep in mind when leaving STalker in remote mode is
    that you may need to disable your screen saver, or tell it to watch
    for modem activity if possible.  You may end up suspending STalker
    otherwise.


    The commands available to the remote user are pretty much
    straightforward:

        "[B]rief file listing" gives a list of the files in the current
        directory, 5 per line.  A subdirectory is displayed with an
        backslash ('\') beside its name.  The listing can be terminated by
        typing ^C.

        "[C]hange directory" allows you to display and optionally change
        the current drive and directory.

        "[D]ownload a file" allows you to download a file using ASCII or
        one of the XMODEM variants.

        "[F]ull file listing" gives a list of the files in the current
        directory, one file per line, with the file's date and time of
        last modification and its size shown.  The listing can be
        terminated by typing ^C.

        "[G]oodbye" causes STalker to hang up the modem and wait for
        another call.

        "[R]un shell program" will prompt you for the CLI password (if one
        is configured) and then attempt to run the specified shell program
        with its I/O redirected to the serial port.

        "[T]alk mode" allows the remote caller to 'chat' with the person
        sitting at the ST.  The local user will get a split-screen view of
        the conversation.

        "[U]pload a file" allows you to upload a file or files using
        ASCII, XMODEM, or Ymodem-Batch.