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PsL Monthly 1994 December
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PSL Monthly Shareware CD-ROM (Public Software Library)(December 1994).bin
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1994-11-08
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PsL Monthly CD
> To view this file, use the PgUp and PgDn and cursor keys.
> When done, press ESC to exit this file.
> Then PSL_SHRD will run. That is the program that accesses the CD.
> Next time, you can just run PSL_SHRD to skip seeing this file.
> PSL_SHRD is a DOS-based program. To access the CD from Windows,
> run PSL_SHRW.EXE by using File-Run from Program Manager's menu bar.
> Run SETUP.BAT from the DOS prompt before running the Windows version.
Welcome to the PsL December 1994 CD. This month's CD contains over 1000
programs received by PsL in the last 30 days. In addition, this month's CD
includes all the programs from our Windows and DOS sections related to
Programming.
1. License & Warranty:
Run PSL_SHRD's start-up screens or PSL_SHRW's HELP menu to read the CD-ROM
usage license and warranty.
2. File Format:
All programs are in ZIP format. Some very large programs may have also been
installed on the CD so that individual users of the CD (as opposed to BBS
users) can more easily try them out without having to go through a long,
disk-space eating installation. For the benefit of BBSs, these programs
are also included in ZIP format for easier downloading.
The "preinstalled files" directories do not have FILES.BBS files, as they are
not intended for downloading (because the same files are in ZIP format in
other directories).
All of the new ZIPs have FILE_ID.DIZ files for easier BBS use; however, some
older files in the Section of the Month do not have FILE_ID.DIZ files.
3. Here is the directory structure of this CD:
DOS\
BUSINESS - general business apps.
COMMUNIC - communications
DATABASE
EDUCA - education
ELEC_PUB - electronic publishing
GAMES
GRAPHICS - clip art, graphics displays, etc.
HOME - various home apps.
MUSIC - music and sounds and related programs.
PRGMMING - programming.
PRINTING - printer utilities/apps.
RELIGION
UT_DskFi - disk drive and file related utilities.
UT_Systm - hardware related & operating system related utilities
WORDS - word processing programs and utilities, editors, etc.
WIN\
BUSINESS - general business apps.
COMMUNIC - communications
DATABASE
ELEC_PUB - electronic publishing
GAMES
GRAPHICS - clip art, graphics displays, etc.
HOME - various home apps.
PRGMMING - programming.
PRINTING - printer utilities/apps.
SOUNDS - music and sounds and related programs.
UT_DskFi - disk drive and file related utilities.
UT_Systm - hardware related & operating system related utilities
WORDS - word processing programs and utilities, editors, etc.
OS2\
AP - General Applications
PG - Programming
UT - Utilities
PRGMMING\
DOS\
WIN\
The PRGMMING directory contains all the programs in PsL (except those
new/updated files which are in the directories above) related to
Programming.
4. FILES.BBS files:
For BBS use, we have added FILES.BBS files listing the contents of each ZIP
file directory. We have been told a dozen different formats to use, but the
format we used was the one most common to the various formats mentioned:
FILENAME.EXT --SIZE-- --DATE-- Description----------------------------------
^1 21^ ^24 | description continued.-----------------------
^32
The FILES.BBS files are in the directory FILESBBS.
You can generate custom FILES.BBS files by running PSL_SHRW (in the PSL_NEWS
directory) and looking in the Files menu. (Requires Windows.)
See READ.ME in the FILESBBS directory for more information.
5. The \SCREENS Directory
The Screens directory contains screen shots of some programs on this CD.
The screen shots can only be viewed by the Windows program PSL_SHRW, not the
DOS program PSL_SHRD.
6. RUNTIMES
The RUNTIMES directory contains run-time files required by some other
programs.
7. Problems
All the programs on this CD have been tested and should run. If you have
difficulties, write or call PsL's Tech Support department. Most difficulties
can be cleared up over the phone in a couple of minutes. There is normally no
waiting to talk to a technician.
(1.) "My machine locks up or reboots when I try to install a program
using the PSL_NEWS program."
You have one of the small percentage of systems with a CD-ROM driver that is
incompatible with PKUNZIP. To get around that problem, we have placed a public
domain unzip program on the CD. To invoke it with the DOS-based program,
run it using the syntax: "PSL_SHRD /U" (without the quotes). In the Windows
based program, select UNZIP in the window that appears after pushing the
Install button.
We have recently heard from a couple of people who "upgraded" to DOS 6.2
only to find that our Windows access program would not work any more. Because
the program is written in a "high-level" language (Visual Basic), there is
nothing we can do on that level to either cause such a problem or to solve
it. All we have been able to suggest is booting up with a floppy that has
an earlier version of DOS on it when you want to access the CD. We know this
is not a very satisfactory solution, but we did not write the operating
system, Windows, nor Visual Basic.
(2.) "PKUNZIP tells me to insert another disk when I try to unzip the
file from the CD."
The programmer used a PKZIP flag that he shouldn't have when zipping
the program. To get around this, copy the ZIP file from the CD to your
hard disk and use PKUNZIP to unzip it to the same directory on your
hard disk as the ZIP file.
(3.) "There are no files on the CD."
"There are no files in one of the directories."
"I get an error trying to copy a file from the CD."
We have only had a few such complaints, but in all cases, there was nothing
wrong with the CD. Some of the users who made the complaints were able to
read the CDs without error on other machines or even when trying later on
the same machine.
We suspect that the problem is with dust or dirt in the drive or, more
specifically, on the laser lens, or on the CD-ROM disc itself. If you do not
have a CD lens cleaner, get one from your dealer. Also inspect the non-printed
side of the CD for dust or debris.
One caller took the CD out, wiped it off, put it back in, and it worked.
Maybe it was dirty or maybe just re-seating it helped.
8. Frequently Asked Questions:
(1.) "Why don't you install the programs on the CD ready to run instead of in
ZIP format?"
There are many reasons:
- Many programs try to write back to the directory that they
are installed in, which cannot be done on a CD.
- Many programmers require that their programs be distributed
in archived format.
- Some installation programs configure the software to the system they
are installed on, so that a program installed on our system may not
work on yours.
- Because we add a section of PsL's disk-based library to the CD each
month, there is not room to have all the programs dearchived.
- For use of the CDs on BBSs, files must be in archive format.
Distributing the programs in archive format makes for a much neater
package, making programs easier to find. Dearchiving a program to
hard disk only takes a few seconds and by using a temporary directory,
you can easily delete the files when done.
(2.) "Are the same programs repeated on each month's CD?"
No. The \DOS and \WIN directories contain only the new programs received
by PsL during the last 30 days. In addition, we put a different section
of our disk-based library on each month's CD. These sections do repeat
every six months, but they are updated for the thousands of new files
received during the previous six months.
(3.) "I'm not interested in the section of PsL being added to the CD this
month. Why should I have to pay for a CD with a section I don't want
in order to get the lower subscription price?"
For the same reason that a magazine purchased from a newsstand costs twice
as much as the same is