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- -read.me 7/16/86
-
- TurboROM patches for Kaypro Software
-
-
-
- This disk contains files that are used to "patch" several appli-
- cation programs that were either bundled by Kaypro or are
- specific to the Kaypro. The files that are required for the
- patches are located on USER area 0:
-
-
- 1. TRPATCH.COM Executable program that does the patching.
- 2. TRPATCH.DAT Data file that contains the patch info.
-
-
- To use the patch program, the files TRPATCH.COM and TRPATCH.DAT
- should be copied to the same drive and user as the application
- programs. At the operating system prompt enter "TRPATCH" and a
- RETURN to execute the TRPATCH.COM program. The TRPATCH program
- will present a menu of files to patch; just follow the
- instructions.
-
- The files on USER area 1 are the assembly language source files
- that are used for the patches. These source files are provided
- for the curious and are not required for the proper operation of
- the TRPATCH program.
-
-
- <<< WARNING >>>
-
-
-
- Do not use the TRPATCH.COM program to patch your original copies
- of your application programs. Use the TRPATCH.COM program only
- on backup copies of the programs (if something goes wrong you
- don't want to risk destroying your originals).
-
-
- The current version of the TRPATCH.DAT file contains patches for
- the following programs:
-
-
- +------------+-----------+-------+
- | Program | Version | Notes |
- +------------+-----------+-------+
- | Automite | Vers 1.60 | 3 |
- | Automite | Vers 1.61 | U,3 |
- | CalcStar | Vers 1.46 | U |
- | DataStar | Vers 1.42 | U |
- | FastBack83 | Vers 1.1 | 1 |
- | FastBack84 | Vers 1.1 | 2 |
- | FastRest83 | Vers 1.1b | 1 |
- | FastRest84 | Vers 1.1b | 2 |
- | Formgen | Vers 1.42 | U |
- | MasterMenu | Vers 4.51 | 3 |
- | MasterMenu | Vers 5.22 | 3 |
- | MasterMenu | Vers 5.30 | U,3 |
- | Redit | Vers 1.03 | U |
- | Report | Vers 1.03 | U |
- | Rinstall | Vers 1.03 | U |
- | WordStar | Vers 3.30 | U,4 |
- | WordStar | Vers 3.00 | WSK |
- | WordStar | Vers 3.30 | WSK |
- +------------+-----------+-------+
-
- Notes:
-
- (1) These patches are used to modify FASTBACK and
- FASTREST for use on an '83 Kaypro with an added
- hard disk drive.
-
- (2) These patches are used to modify FASTBACK and
- FASTREST for use on an '84 Kaypro with an added
- hard disk drive.
-
- (3) These patches ensure that the 25th line is cleared
- correctly.
-
- (4) This patch for WordStar is not specific to the
- versions of WordStar bundled with the "U ROM"
- software. The patch will work with nearly all
- variations of WordStar 3.30 and simply insures
- that the arrow keys function within WordStar.
-
- (U) These patches are used to modify the versions of
- these applications that were bundled with the "U
- ROM" machines from Kaypro.
-
- (WSK) These patches for WordStar are identified with the
- "(WSK)" symbol in the TRPATCH menu. These patches
- provide multiple key re-definitions for the Kaypro
- arrow and numeric key pads. These patches require
- the use of the WSCONFIG program included on this
- diskette. Additional information on the use of
- these patches is found in the TurboROM manual and
- in several manuals from Plu*Perfect Systems.
-
- Background Information On the Patches
-
- Many of the application programs bundled by Kaypro with the "U
- ROM" computers are incompatible with the Advent TurboROM. There
- are there areas of compatibility problems addressed by the
- TRPATCH.COM patches:
-
- 1. Function key definitions.
-
- The "U ROM" operating system software (BIOS) handles the
- translation of the arrow and keypad keys completely dif-
- ferently than the operating system software used with any
- previous Kaypro computer. The TurboROM fully supports the
- arrow and keypad conventions established by the previous
- (pre-U ROM) computers. All of the "U ROM" application
- patches, except for MASMENU and AUTOMITE, modify the arrow
- key translation.
-
- 2. CRT screen handling
-
- TurboROM treats the CRT screen as either a 24 line scrolling
- region with a fixed 25th status line or as a 25 line
- scrolling screen with no status line. Although, this des-
- cription seems reasonable and follows conventions set by
- terminal manufacturers, the handling of the CRT screen by
- the original Kaypro ROM and the associated application pro-
- grams is at times different and inconsistent at best. The
- patches for MASMENU and AUTOMITE deal primarily with the CRT
- handling problem.
-
- 3. Subtle problems
-
- Some of the application programs such as AUTOMITE and
- various versions of the MASMENU program have some very odd
- operating system dependencies. The dependencies usually
- result in the programs not exiting to the operating system
- in a reliable manner to ensure that a "Warm Boot" is exe-
- cuted. Changing the CCP portion of the operating system
- from Digital Research's CCP to ZCPR1 or Plu*Perfect Systems
- 2.2E tends to aggravate the subtle problems with these pro-
- grams.
-
-
-
- FASTBACK / FASTREST
-
- Fastback and Fastrest are low cost and very fast hard disk
- backup and restore utilities written for the Kayrpo 10.
- These programs can back up a 10M hard disk in 8 to 10
- minutes. The backup utility does not require pre-formatted
- diskettes!!!.
-
- Fastback works fine with and without the TurboROM. FastBack
- is not picky about the hard disk drive. Fastback can be
- used to backup a stock Kaypro 10 hard disk drive and then
- restore the data to the same Kaypro after dropping in the
- TurboROM and a 20M drive. We've also used Fastback to load
- and unload our RAM Disk very quickly.
-
-
- Fastback and Fastrest are hard coded for the Kaypro 10. The
- patches provided here, modify Fastback and Fastrest to run
- on both '83 and '84 Kaypros that have had hard disks added.
- These patches read and write using the first floppy disk
- drive and this drive MUST be a double sided 48TPI drive.
-
- Fastback is a commercial product available from:
-
-
- eSOFT (Phil Becker)
- 4100 South Parker Road #305
- Aurora, CO 80014
- (303) 699-6565.
-
-
- WordStar Patches
-
- Kaypro has distributed two different releases of WordStar
- (3.00 and 3.30). Dealing with two different releases would
- not have been a big problem if it wasn't for the fact that
- Kaypro made numerous patches to the program. We have seen
- over 8 different sets of patches installed by Kaypro.
-
- The goal for the patches presented here are the same: to
- ensure that the Kaypro arrow keys will move WordStar's
- cursor about predictably. The only versions of Wordstar
- that ABSOLUTELY require patches to run with the TurboROM are
- the versions that were bundled with the "U ROM" machines.
- The "U ROM" versions call non-existent subroutines and
- generally will "lock up" your TurboROM-equipped TurboROM.
-
- The first patch for WordStar 3.30 provides for the simple
- re-mapping of the arrow keys to match the MicroPro up, down,
- right, and left definitions. This patch is identified with
- the "(U)" symbol. Although, this patch was intended for the
- "U ROM" version of WordStar 3.30 it will work with any
- version of WordStar 3.30.
-
- The last two patches for WordStar are identified with the
- "(WSK)" symbol in the TRPATCH menu. These patches provide
- multiple key stroke definitions for the Kaypro arrow and
- numeric key pads. These patches require the use of the
- updated WSCONFIG program included on this diskette.
-
- The "(WSK)" patches are updated versions of the WSKEY
- patches included with the TurboROM and with several of the
- Plu*Perfect Systems products. The original version of the
- patch for WordStar 3.30 was buggy. The bugs would show up
- when you tried to use the "R" command at the WordStar
- opening menu to run a CP/M program. If you have installed
- previous versions of the WSKEY patches you MUST go back to
- your original WordStar diskette and get an original version
- of WordStar to install these new patches.