INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Tue, 28 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 712
 
Today's Topics:
                Abbreviations (was: languages (IMHO))
                  Atari ST MultitaskingMultiuser OSs
                    GEM help needed over here, too
                       Is Spectre going MIDI>?
                            Shareware Mac
                    Someone at Sozobon listening ?
                           TOS 1.4 Eprom'd
                 What/Where is the latest version of
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Nov 89 22:59:24 GMT
From: mips!prls!pyramid!infmx!robert@apple.com  (Robert Coleman)
Subject: Abbreviations (was: languages (IMHO))
 
>
>Some common abbreviations:
>
>   BTW    By The Way
>   RSN    Real Soon Now
>   IMHO   In My Humble Opinion
>   ASAP   As Soon As Possible
>   RCSU   Richard Covert Shut Up
>
>:-?
>
 
OK, THX.
 
BTW, IMHO RCSU ASAP.
 
:~)    :~)     :~)
 
C U RSN,
 
RC
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Nov 89 19:11:00 GMT
From: nis!pwcs!stag!daemon@UMN-CS.CS.UMN.EDU  (Dale Schumacher)
Subject: Atari ST MultitaskingMultiuser OSs
 
[mark@rpp386.cactus.org (Mark Lehmann) writes...]
> I just ordered MINIX today.  Got it through a Book Store called "BOOKSTOP"
> which gives its members a 20% discount on products purchased there.
>
> Is MINIX really that bad.  You make it sound like the worst kludge you
> ever saw.  I wanted MINIX for multiuser, multitasking?  Does it really
> destroy the hard drive?  Is it compatible with the TOS file partitioning,
> or am I stuck to MINIX only when I install it on my hard drive.  I was
> hoping to be able to use MINIX from one boot up and TOS from another
> boot up.  Of course not running both OP/SYS simultaneously.
 
Minix has a few "design flaws" which limit it performance, notice I did
not say limit it CAPABILITY, only its PERFORMANCE.  I've been hacking on
Minix for a while now working on improvements in this area.  As with most
*NIXes, it doesn't protect you from yourself, thus you can slip-up and
trash lots of data if you do something you don't understand, or even if
you do something that should be reasonable but hasn't been tried by the
authors, if there's a bug hiding.  There is a special program which allows
Minix to read/write TOS filesystems, but not vice-versa, and the partitioning
information is compatible.  I have 106Mb divided into 5 TOS partitions and
3 Minix partitions.  I run both OSes with a simple reboot to switch.
 
> From being a UNIX administrator, I am use to re-compiling the kernel.
> Is it really as tough as you say it is?
 
If you're used to recompiling the kernel to make changes, you should be
just fine.  Most "end-users" aren't prepared to do this.
 
> The second reason that I am purchasing MINIX is to learn how to write
> operating systems.  People have told me that MINIX is well supported.
 
I think Minix is a very useful platform for learning about OS internals.
Don't count on it being a shining example of the best way to do everything,
but it does get the job done and there's a lot to be said for "working
code" over "theoretically ideal designs".
 
> Thanks for the previous comments and any comments that you wish to append
> to this message.
>
> Mark Lehmann
 
In summary, Minix is _NOT_ currently an end-user OS.  It's for people who
want to tinker with the OS, or the supporting tools, and who don't mind
getting their hands dirty to make changes.  It is reasonable well supported
in the sense that there are a lot of very active users (and authors) in
the comp.os.minix newsgroup who can be very helpful and there is a steady
flow (or should I say FLOOD) of new hacks you can try from other people.
It is _NOT_ supported in the way most end-user would expect.  The publisher
treats is basically like a book, and what kind of "support" is needed for
a book?  You get the idea... :-)
 
\\   /  Dale Schumacher                         399 Beacon Ave.
 \\ /   (alias: Dalnefre')                      St. Paul, MN  55104-3527
  ><    ...umn-cs!midgard.mn.org!syntel!dal     United States of America
 / \\   "What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out,
/   \\  which is the exact opposite." -Bertrand Russell
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Nov 89 13:04:07 GMT
From:
 mcsun!ukc!kl-cs!nott-cs!cat.fulcrum.bt.co.uk!masalla.fulcrum.bt.co.uk!chrisl@uu
 net.uu.net  (Chris Parkin Lilley)
Subject: GEM help needed over here, too
 
I have several queries regarding the ST and GEM. My major question is:
 
        How the heck do I get text into my GEM application windows??
 
I've managed to hack an example application so that it will make several
windows and allow them to be moved around using the mouse, resized, fulled,
and closed. My next major requirement is to get text into the windows. How
do I do it? How do I change fonts? Please help -- it's getting urgent.
 
I'd also like to know more about operating the serial port. I tried to use
the stdio functions (I'm using MWC 3.?), like fopen(), but I kept getting
errors like `fundamental error' and `no error'. Eventually I resorted to
using bios calls, but the program I've got still loses characters (presumably
because it's not running fast enough). Can I get at the port without going
through bios? Is there any way of installing an interrupt service routine and
persuading the serial device to interrupt when there's a character or when
it's ready to transmit? That way, I wouldn't have to poll it.
 
Thanks in advance...
 
-Chrisl.
--
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Chris Parkin Lilley, CS1.2, BT Fulcrum, UK               chrisl@uk.co.bt.fulcrum
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 27 Nov 89 16:49:56 GMT
From: att!drutx!druwy!dlm@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (Dan Moore)
Subject: Is Spectre going MIDI>?
 
in article <8911220809.AA09458@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU>, UUCJEFF@ECNCDC.BITNET
(jeff beer) says:
> I heard a rumor that David Small is working on making Spectre handle
> MIDI in its Mac emulation.  Is this true?  Can sources close to Small
> confirm this?
 
        Dave is considering supporting MIDI.  But then he is
considering lots of different things.  There is also a 3rd party who is
writing some MIDI software that works on either the Spectre or a real
Mac.  (Don't remember his name, he talked to Dave about some problems
on Compuserve about a month ago).
 
        Getting most Mac MIDI software to work may be impossible since
most of the programs go directly to the Mac hardware timers for
interval control.  The STs hardware timers work differently and are at
different addresses than the Mac programs expect.
 
        I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for the Spectre to support
MIDI.  If (a really big if) it does happen it won't be anytime soon.
 
 
                                Dan Moore
                                AT&T Bell Labs
                                Denver
                                dlm@druwy.ATT.COM
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 28 Nov 89 01:39:14 GMT
From: att!cbnewsd!tainter@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (johnathan.tainter)
Subject: Shareware Mac
 
In article <5466@orca.WV.TEK.COM> jeff@quark.WV.TEK.COM (Jeff Beadles) writes:
>In article <6997@portia.Stanford.EDU> zimm@portia.Stanford.EDU (Dylan Yolles)
> writes:
>>- It would hurt the ST. David Small has done a great job with the Spectre,
 
>Does this mean that I should not go out and write a share-ware
><insert generic type of program here> because it might hurt
><insert generic software house/publisher/author>'s business?
 
    [Analogy substituting Lotus for Spectre deleted]
 
>Jeff Beadles           jeff@quark.WV.TEK.COM
 
There are two significant differences here.  Lotus is sold for a premium price
so a shareware version could be expected to be successful and therefore
desirable and probably would be supported.  Spectre is reasonably priced and
therefore a shareware version is not going to be particularly competitive
and therefore should be expected to be poorly maintained.  Thus substituting
a poor piece of work for a good piece of work.
 
Lotus is sold high volume at high returns.  It would not be expected that
a reduction in its sales would destroy the company.  Spectre is sold low
volume with small margin, a reduction by 1/3 would probably be fatal to
Gadgets by Small.
 
--johnathan.a.tainter--
   att!ihlpb!tainter
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 28 Nov 89 01:13:10 GMT
From: mcsun!unido!altger!watzman!michaelv@uunet.uu.net  (Michael Vishchers)
Subject: Someone at Sozobon listening ?
 
[sorry for using this group. Please: NO FLAMES]
 
Could anyone at Sozobon Inc. please reply to this message ?
I've tried several times to send bug reports to you, but all mail bounced.
Thanks.
 
 
--
_____________________________________________________________________________
Michael Vishchers                                     (michaelv@watzman.UUCP)
"Wer fuer alles offen ist, kann nicht ganz dicht sein." (unbekannt)
_____________________________________________________________________________
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 28 Nov 89 10:45:07 GMT
From:
 cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!ux1.cso
 .uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!glk01126@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu
Subject: TOS 1.4 Eprom'd
 
        I've already seen advertisements for not only TOS1.4 epromed,
        but bug fixed as well for $65.00.  If I decide to upgrade, you
        can be sure that I'd trust a pirated EPROM bugfixed version
        from some guy who I know KNOWS how to program than a corporation
        selling me another version with bugs for 60% more money!  I'd
        offer up the address, but some law abiding reader would probably
        turn him in.
 
 
        -Spieu!
 
        KUDOS to people who see a need and fill it.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 28 Nov 89 10:44:54 GMT
From:
 swrinde!cs.utexas.edu!wuarchive!brutus.cs.uiuc.edu!rpi!uwm.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu
 !ux1.cso.uiuc.edu!uxa.cso.uiuc.edu!glk01126@ucsd.edu
Subject: What/Where is the latest version of
 
        In the docs for 2.0e it states that it is probably the last version
        as it is bug-free to his knowledge and finished as far as his
        needs go...
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #712
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