ftp.wwiv.com/ftp.wwiv.com.zip/ftp.wwiv.com/pub/HATCH/WWIVNEWS.ZIP/9403_3.NWS

Text File | 1994-03-02 | 27KB | 501 lines

Step Two
────────

   Each Sysop is requested to:
      (a) use INIT option N to create a new network called WW4NET with
          its own separate network directory.
      (b) Each Sysop should enter the new node number for WW4NET in
          INIT with option N


Step Three
──────────

    The new BBSLIST.* and CONNECT.* files will be distributed to all
    network members. The actual method of this distribution will be
    announced by the GC's. It might be a UUencoded distribution from
    @1 similar to the distribution of the new DE1.EXE last July, or
    it might be via uploads/downloads in a cooperative fashion throughout
    the network.


STEP Four
─────────

    The Sysop must then create a CALLOUT.NET file in the WW4NET directory.
    Run network3 Y on it to insure that it analyzes properly.

Step Five
─────────

    Each GC will send out Source Verified Mail to each group member. The
    group member should respond to this mail so that the GC can tell which
    nodes are "successfully converted."

    This will end phase one and it should not take more than 2 weeks at the
    most. WW4NET traffic during this time should be limited to e-mails
    from GC's; replies from nodes, and updates if any.


PHASE TWO
─────────

The purpose of this phase is the conversion of Subscriber lists and Host
info. People who have been using numeric subtypes may continue to do so;
however do NOT change numeric subtypes to another number!  Any new subtypes
to be added after the network is converted or any subtype changes should all
be SUB-BY-NAME.

Step One
────────

    All Hosts should notify their subscribers on the old network of what
    their new NODE NUMBER will BE. Subscribers can now enter this info
    into their boardedit such that each sub will show on both networks.

    The subscriber should send auto-subscription or e-mail on the new
    network requesting each sub that he wishes. As soon as the subscriber
    gets confirmation from the host, he may drop that sub off of OLD NET
    and be receiving it on the new net.

    The host should promptly ADD nodes to the new network and DROP them
    from the old network in order to facilitate this process.


Step Two
────────

   Once the host feels that there are no more subscribers in old net,
   and/or that all conversions that are going to occur have actually
   occured, the old sub may be killed.

   Eventually there will be little or no traffic on the Old Net.


Step Three
──────────

   At some point and hopefully no longer than one month after we
   start this process, 1@1 will instruct everyone to delete all
   the old BBSLIST.*, CONNECT.*, CALLOUT.net, FBACKHDR.net,
   contact.*, etc., from their old directory (the data directory).


Step Four
─────────

   Remove WWIVnet from the INIT.


Step Five
─────────

   Rename WW4NET to WWIVnet in INIT but leave the path to the now
   renamed WW4NET unchanged in INIT.

   One advantage of this process is that the network oriented files in
   DATA (if WWIVnet is setup there) will be removed to another directory
   that is network specific. This will make backing up certain crucial
   data files in DATA easier.


Step Six
────────

   Shortly after the instructions above have been issued from @1, a
   "ping" will be sent out by him to generate a new SUBS.LST for the
   network.

─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

So, as you can see, the "Great Renumbering" is not a simple process, but
it's not *that* complex. I'll be posting more on the progress of this project
on the Sysop subs, and a complete update will be in the next issue of WWIVnews
as well.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

GETTING THE BUGS OUT OF WWIV
────────────────────────────

Some of you have been asking about the debugging procedures that the beta
testers for WWIV go through. To give you an idea of how it works, I kept a
running list of bugs, and posted it daily on the BETA sub, where all BETA
testors have access, and on the WWIV_DEV sub, where just the developers
have access.

The list for 4.23 looked pretty much like this about two weeks prior to
the release of 4.23:

Error   Person   Status  Short Title                           Ref in BETA
─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
1       Tolkien    1     Callout.net parameters                1@3314
2       Random     1     Delay on Connect for error correction 1@13600
3       Random     1     Ansi detect (same as above)           1@13600
4       Random     0     CTRL O Help Files                     1@8350
7       Tolkien    1     User Kicked out of Transfer area      1@7400
8       All        0     Games and log files                   1@7400
9       Jim        0     ErrorLevels on command line           1@7366
10      Jim        1     FSED                                  1@1
11      Tolkien    1     //WHO                                 1@6961
12      Jim        0     File list                             unref
13      Random     0     Fix.EXE Problem                       1@5284
14      Random     0*    Message Limit                         1@3953
15      Tolkien    0     Qscan pointer sw nodes                1@6961
16      Jim        0**   War Dial from WFC                     1@7663
17      Wayne      1     Tasm with TC for Window detect        unref
18      Filo       1     Onhook/offhook bats for maintenance   unref
19      Jim        1     Config.002 under Windows              1@8135
20      Tolkien    0     3rd Instance after Removal            1@5284
21      Jim        0     WWIVnode and OPT_AUTOVAL              unref
22      Random     0     Pause randomly going on               1@8350
23      Tolkien    0     New File Search                       1@7663
24      Random     0     INIT bleed through at WFC with DV     1@5284

*  = Deferred until 4.24
** = Can anyone replicate this error?


The Person column is for the person who is assigned to fix or check out the
bug. Status 0 means unfixed so far; status 1 means it has been fixed. The
short name is just something I give it for reference.  The Reference column
refers to who posted the problem on the BETA sub in case the person assigned
responsibility for "fixing" it needs more detail.

Some, like #4, are not really bugs but serve as reminders that something
needs to be done (update help.msg) before the official release to public.
Some, like #16, are such that the development team (and others) have
been unable to replicate the error...and so we cannot be sure that it is an
actual error.

I keep a directory also for suggested changes in the docs. Although I have
rewritten the docs entirely, as with any set of documentation there are some
errors and omissions that manage to creep in, and some points where things
are just not clear enough.

I really believe that this release is the most thouroughly tested, most
completely documented, new release that WWIV has ever experienced. I feel
that it reflected a new level of professionalism that is possible through
use of a team of programmers and a team of BETA testers. The product, of
course, speaks for itself.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

FUTURE PROJECTS FOR WWIV
────────────────────────

WWIV Software Services is working with someone on an OS/2 port, and we hope to
have a product released around mid summer to early fall. The price for this
port is projected to be $100 for pre-compiled versions and $125 for source
versions. Unlike the DOS version, WWIV for OS/2 will NOT be available in
shareware versions. Persons with v4.xx registrations may "trade up" by paying
the difference between what they originally paid ($50 or $80) and the price of
the OS/2 version.

We also have a "WWIVLite" in the works. No release date has been set, but the
intent is to have something that a person could run sort of like a point.node
on the network without running a full-scale BBS.

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────

That's all for this month! If you have any questions, they should be directed
to WWIVnet 1@2050.


───────────────┬─────────────────────────────────────────────┬───────────────
               │                 TechnOTES                   │
               │        Compiled by the WWIVnews Staff       │
               └─────────────────────────────────────────────┘

...Wow, since our last issue, it seems that everyone decided to sue everyone
else. Let's see how the scorecard went, eh?

...In case you skipped over it, go back and read the article on the Stac vs
Microsoft trial. The verdict has a lot more impact on the industry than the
news media has been letting on. For starters, it's a heralding sign to the
major industry leaders that the courts aren't going to let you walk all
over the smaller guys any way you please. At the same time, it's a sure sign
to everyone that while it's perfectly fine to get rich at what you do, don't
go out of your way to sabotage or steal from your competition with abandon,
especially if you can't do the job right yourself in the first place!

...The WWIVnews Staff has been raising several toasts to Stac and its CEO,
Gary Clow, since the verdict was announced, and in an admitted fit of biasness
our congratulations go to the Stac staff. At the same time, the traditional
Brooklyn salute & Bronx cheer go to Bill Gates and all the "hammerers" at
Microsoft - the only "hammering" that was done was to the nails in the coffin
of their case!

...From the "Look deeply into my eye, Bill!" department: As mentioned earlier
in this issue, Stac Electronics has announced Stacker 4.0 for Windows and DOS.
Stac claims that Stacker 4.0 offers compression ratios of better than 2:1,
with the average being improved to 2.8:1 in most cases. The new version also
includes a new Stacker Windows Toolbox, which offers a toolbar with the
various Stacker commands available at the click of the mouse. The product also
offers both audio and visual cues can now alert users to how fragmented the
disk has become or how much free space is available.

...While the program requires the same amount of memory space, it now takes
up less of the critical memory space below the one megabyte (MB) level,
freeing up memory needed by many software applications. By incorporating
Novell's DOS Protected Mode Service (DPMS), Stacker now needs 17 kilobytes
(KB) below 1MB, while the Stacker device driver is moved to extended memory
and executed in protected mode on 386 and 486 computers. According to Stac,
protected mode execution has the added benefit of making the Stacker device
driver less susceptible to interference from other applications - read:
certain graphic-intensive games, and anything from Microsoft.

...The product also offers an Autosave feature, maintaining a duplicate set
of both the DOS and Stacker file system information in an uncompressed state.
There is some controversy as to how much good this does, because in a crisis
the question arises as to which file to use, the original or the duplicate.
However, Stacker officials maintain that if anything, the duplicate files
offer an added degree of confidence.

...at press time, Stacker 4.0 was reportedly compatible with MS-DOS v3.2
through v6.2, and with Novell's DOS - DR-DOS to the rest of us - through
v7.0. This meaning that 4.0 can replace Doublespace or IBM's Superstor/DS
compression. While there's no concern where Superstor/DS is concerned -
after all, Addstor is now out of business - it remains to be seen whether
Microsoft will seek an injunction against Stac over Stacker 4.0's backwards
compatibility with Doublespace.

...Stacker 4.0 for Windows & DOS has an MSRP of $149, but previous users may
upgrade for $49.95. Street prices have already been seen as low as $99,
with the upgrade going for $39.95.

...Speaking of lawsuits, from the "Gee, I wish Intel would lose their ass so
I could afford a 486!" department: By now, most of you know that Intel was
forced into conceding a $10 million out of court settlement to Cyrix over the
rights to produce and market CPU's using Intel's 80x86-based microcode. What
many of you may not be aware of is that demand for the Cyrix Cx486DRx2 386
upgrade processors shot through the roof the day after the settlement was
reached.

...Cyrix claims these chips will breath new life into 386DX systems by using
a pop-and-drop replacement for the original processor. These chips use the
same internal clock doubling concept as the DX/2 series - operating at roughly
twice the speed of the external clock - but due to limitations in the 16-bit
bus structures most older 386's implemented, the average speed increase over
the original processor is only about 70% on the average.

...Right now, these chips exist as replacements for the 16, 20 and 25MHz
versions of the 386DX. Support for 386SX chips is expected sometime in 3Q '94,
although there are no plans to support the 386SL in the forseeable future.
Since most 386SL's were surface mounted to their motherboards, pop-and-drop
replacement is not a viable option, and what few weren't isn't enough to
justify the expense of manufacturing the replacements.

...If you know what you're doing, installation of the DRx2's is relatively
simple. Simply pop the top off your computer, remove the 386 processor - most
dealers sell the DRx2 with a removal tool - and pop the new chip into place.
As these chips do run a little hot, Cyrix has included a small self-stick heat
sink to stick on the top. You need to run a software utility to enable the
internal 1K cache, but like Cardinal's DMS activator it unloads after it's
finished and there is no RAM loss.

...The MSRP for the 16/32MHz version is $299, the 20/40 and 25/50 versions are
priced at $349 and $399 respectively. The street price for the 16/32, though,
has been seen as low as $189 mail-order, while the 20/40 has leveled off to
around $299. The 25/50, however, has remained pretty close to MSRP as demand
is high and quantities are low. A 33MHz version is also reportedly in some
stage of development, but is not expected to see production anytime in 1994.
Industry experts suspect this has to do with the still-high demand for AMD's
386DX-40, and Cyrix would rather milk the "gee, I've got this old, still
really good but *slow* motherboard..." market. Based on the production levels
for the 16/32 and 20/40 chips, this may well be a very accurate assessment!

...On a side note from the Caveat your Emptor department: Be aware that there
are reports left and right that are somewhat negative regarding the DRx2
upgrades and compatibility with OS/2. Reports are that OS/2 1.3 or below
won't even boot, and that 2.0 and 2.1 have problems where none existed with
the previous processor. No official comment has been made by either Cyrix
or IBM regarding these reports, although one late-breaking report to WWIVnews
stated that both Windows NT and the beta for "Chicago" won't run properly
on the DRx2's either.

...Bottom line on these chips appear to be this: if you've got a 16 or 20MHz
board that's still behaving itself, and the price is right, these chips might
be the way to do a quick upgrade on a system without doing a complete CPU
and motherboard replacement. However, the 25/50 version is nowhere near
cost effective. A good VLB motherboard will run you about $139, while an
AMD DX-40 will run you about $289 if you shop around. That's only about
50 bucks more than the 25/50 replacement, and you'll be getting VESA Local
Bus slots to boot!

...Of course, there's the third-party 286 upgrade modules to consider, but
we'll save that for a later techNOTEs, eh? Besides, by that time Intel vs
AMD should be a settled issue as well.

...Speaking of Intel, IBM insiders have informed WWIVnews that Big Blue has
informed the maker of the Pentium that in no uncertain terms the next major
line of IBM-manufactured PCs will all be using the PowerPC 601 and 603
as the CPU. After testing the 60MHz and 66MHz versions of the renamed P5,
the chip was found wanting when compared to the PowerPC. Thus, "Thanks, but
no thanks" was the final reported decision on the Pentium.

...This is another blow for Intel, as per the contract agreement between the
two companies over chip development, IBM had the option of either using the
Pentium for a really *low* royalty, or having Intel *purchase* IBM's
low royalty rights for a seriouly high sum! WWIVnews' advice: buy Motorola
stock. A *lot* of it.

...From the "Berkeley Brethed is *still* a stupid name Department: A lawsuit
filed by Berkeley Systems in a San Francisco Federal Court claimed that a
new screen saver from Delrina Corp. violates Berkeley' "Flying Toasters"
screen saver software copyright. That lawsuit was recently awarded in favor
of Berkeley Systems, and has forced Delrina to rework the screen saver to
eliminate the copyright offense.

...The screen that caused all the ruckus was the one that shows Opus, the
penguin created by Pulitzer Prize winning cartoonist Berkeley Breathed for the
gone-but-better-return-SOON-whether-he-wants-to-do-it-or-not comic strip
"Bloom County", shooting down a flock of flying toasters, which then return
fire with burnt toast. The changes to this screen involved changing the shape
of the toasters, and replacing their wings with a helicopter rotor.

...From the Legal Eagles Statue Droppings department: Speaking of Lotus,
remember when Lotus won their "look and feel" lawsuit against Borland over
Quattro Pro's compatibility macro for 1-2-3? Well, in an additional slap in
the face of the retail industry, a federal judge recently ruled that resellers
must immediately stop selling copies Quattro Pro which infringes on Lotus
development's copyright.

...For those taking notes of such things, the list of affected products include
practically the entire line of Quattro versions! Quattro, Quattro Pro 1.0, 2.0,
3.0, 4.0, 4.01, and SE are all on the list of things you can't sell. Borland
is producing a new version which does not infringe on Lotus copyrights, and
version 5.0, will ship by the time you read this.

...Of course, what makes this matter far more idiotic is that the judge's
ruling effectively infringes upon free trade. When Apple won their suit
against Digital Research over the Gem desktop environment, Apple asked that
the judge in that case also issue rulings to force retailers to quit selling
that product. The judge told Apple to basically get stuffed, as that would
be punishing retailers for transgressions the product manufacturer was found
guilty of, and it would be like punishing the child for the sins of the
father!

...Keep an eye on this one, folks. There's grounds for a serious restitution
suit by the major retailers here, whether it be against Borland or Lotus, or
both!

...From the "My School Box" department: Before enrolling in college, TechnOTES
advises you to check and see whether or not you're going to need to buy some
sort of laptop. With computer prices dropping for x386-based systems - read:
Windows-capable - more and more colleges have started including lightweight
notebooks on the "required" school supply list. Courses are also becoming
more tailored towards computer assistance, with professors being urged to
make their lecture notes available on disk for ease of access and data
enhancement.

...Some colleges and universities have gone one step further in making
portable computers mandantory. Depending on the degree, students attending
Hartwick College, University of Minnesota, Bentley and Nichols Colleges, and
Drew University must own or rent an IBM-compatible laptop with at least a
386 processor or better. Other universities, such as Texas University, Notre
Dame and Miami(Fla) have begun investigating such requirements, although
the word is that these three major institutions are leaning towards Apple's
Powerbooks, with the possibility of requiring Newtons when the new PDA
becomes more readily available.

...From the "Why Johnny Can't Hack" department: Looking to dump that old
PC that'll cost more to upgrade than to buy a new one? Call Computers-4-Kids
at [phone], They'll take your old PC for use in schools where the
local taxpayers are too cheap to maintain the quality of technical
education to acceptable levels. If you're a bit queasy about giving away
something you probably paid a couple grand for, keep in mind that
donations such as these are tax-deductable!

...From the "Internet Meets Pete Townsend's 'Tommy'" Department: CMP
Publications, publishers of Network Computing and Communications Week, has
launched a newsletter for corporate strategists interested in using the
Internet as a channel for information products and services and/or as a means
of extending support for current operations. In light of the success of
Clarinet - and despite their horrendously overpriced surcharges - it's
expected that perhaps 30% of Internet will be accessable through commercial
services by the end of 1995, and that by the end of the decade the 'net and/or
its "electronic highway" successor will be nothing *but* one big commercial
service battleground.

...first salvo in this war for your Internet dollars is the Internet
Business Review. The IBR is published monthly in an 8-page hardcopy format,
and a complimentary sample issue can be had simply by sending Internet E-Mail
to [e-mail]. Be sure to put "free copy" in the subject line, eh?

...Thinking about buying a Floptical? Well, hold on to your horses for a
bit, because things are about to shake up on that market. Eight of the
major movers and shakers in the still-looking-for-acceptance Floptical market,
including #1-seller IOmega, are meeting in March to define a new Floptical
standard. The preliminary work has already been done, and the promise is a
new breed of Floptical that can store up to 100MB on a single disk, with the
initial cost not to exceed the current costs for a complete Floptical setup!

...Floptical drives are nice. They're fast, backwards-compatible with regular
1.44MB floppies, and can actually be used as a small, slow hard drive in
a tight situation. However, despite the fact that the 20MB disks are perfect
for those of us still stuck in floppy mode for backups or sneakernets, the
cost per disk still seems restrictive, not to mention the cost per drive.
Hence the Flopticals have only sold about 75,000 units among all the companies
that are producing them, and less than 200,000 Floptical disks total.

...So, while it's still a niche product that needs a bigger niche, the
new standards will give the initial setup costs a bigger bang for the buck
in the long run. After all, for $20-$25 for 100MB of storage - removable
at that - the $400 per drive will be a bit more acceptable by the masses.
If drive prices also drop as result of the new standards, all the better.

...Remember a few issues back where TechnOTES discussed Bill Gates' plans for
the "Windows Kitchen"? Well, Intel Corp. has decided they can take the heat
as well. Intel's own recipie calls for a low-cost embedded version of a 386-SX
to act as the "brains" for various kitchen appliances. Home entertainment and
phone services are also expected to benefit from the specialized chips, and
Intel has already begun soliciting designs in hopes of attracting interest
from the telecommunications and cable-TV industries.

...Plans also call for the chips to appear in the workplace, as controllers
for smart office equipment, such as air conditioners, printers, copiers, fax
machines and cellular phones. The first of these implementations is expected
to be marketed near the end of 4Q '94.

...Intel hasn't forgotten the 586..er..P5...er..Pentium. Plans are underway
to build Pentium Overdrive processors for release in the third quarter '94.
The Overdrive Processor concept, introduced for Intel's 486 chip line last
year, are - in most cases - customer-upgradeable processors with which, users
can either replace the existing CPU, or insert into a socket originally
reserved for the 80487 math coprocessor.

...For those still confused about all these overdriving upgrades, these
particular chips are different from the DX2 CPUs which are designed for OEMs
to install into existing system motherboards. Both the Overdrive and DX2 chips
have the same objective, which is faster performance by doubling the clock
speed of the CPU they replace. The end result allows users and OEMs alike to
get a boost in performance without expensive system redesign or motherboard
replacements.

...Of course, these chips will not be available until supplies of the Pentium
itself can be supplied to meet the demand. Pentiums will be limited in
availability until Intel's planned production ramp-up occurs in 2ndQ '94.
Pentium Overdrive chips will see production once supplies of the base Pentium
meet the demand.

...From the "Hey, sumbody stole yo' bat'try!" Department: Honda is now
offering an in-dash cellular phone kit. When a call is received, the phone
mutes the car's stereo system and the phone can be answered automatically.
Other options include an answering machine feature and programmable speed
dialing, and Honda is reportedly doing R&D into a cellular modem function
for this unit as well.

...Most importantly, if the car is stolen, the phone automatically calls home!
If the CelModem becomes an option, you can have it send you MCIMail as well!

...From the "If you can't sell it, give it away! department: Last July, Novell
acquired Unix Systems Laboratories from AT&T. In what some people see as either
a bold move or a sign of defeat, Novell has announced it will give the Unix
trademark away, free and clear to the public domain.

...Claiming that it wants to unify the Unix community, Novell will render the
Unix trademark - and possibly the command structure itself - unto public
domain, where all the various flavors of Unix can finally combine into one
cross-portable taste. Until this announcement, most of the differences between