INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Fri,  3 Nov 89       Volume 89 : Issue 601
 
Today's Topics:
                              am I a DA
                      Atari ST software for sale
              Docs, gem, gdos, fonts and printer driver
                        GNU C and sizeof(int)
                 Memory upgrade affects performance?
                         question SPECTRE GCR
                            TT's VME-slots
                              TT and STE
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 11/03/89 15:58:40 GMT+1
From: UO04%DDAGSI3.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
Subject: am I a DA
 
H.Friedrich Kammer
0441/798-3467
FB Physik Theorie Universitaet Oldenburg
Postfach 2503
D-2900 Oldenburg FRG
 
I think that you do not have to worry about startup code and the
basepage to let a program find out how it is has been started
(as application or DA). It is right that the startup code should
do the right thing (mshrink or not), but there are startup codes
available (e.g. APPACC.A) which ensure the correct startup in both
cases. The other problem (find out the way the program is invoked)
can be solved simply by using the AES-function shel_read, which
returns a pointer to the string containing the program name
(xxx.ACC or xxx.PRG) and a pointer to the parameter string. I have
not yet tested this function (better look into  the GEM-documentation
about that) but when a program is started as a DA, either shel_read
should return a pointer in addrout(.0.) or an error code (0) in
intout(.0.).     Friedrich
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 2 Nov 89 22:19:41 GMT
From: mailrus!uflorida!unf7!comhex!sysop@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Joe E. Powell)
Subject: Atari ST software for sale
 
I have the following Atari ST software packages w/manuals for sale:
(I will pay the shipping)
 
Gridiron!: The Football Simulator                               $15
GFA Championship Basketball: Two-on-Two                         $10
Leader Board: Pro Golf Simulator                                $15
        w/Tournament Disk #1
Rogue                                                           $10
Phantasie III: The Wrath of Nikademus                           $12
Roadwar Europa                                                  $12
Roadwar 2000                                                    $12
Colonial Conquest                                               $12
Gauntlet                                                        $12
The ChessMaster 2000                                            $15
Breach                                                          $10
Dungeon Master                                                  $18
Carrier Command                                                 $12
Gunship                                                         $12
Jet                                                             $12
Flight Simulator II                                             $15
        w/Scenery Disk 7
Starglider                                                      $12
Harrier Strike Mission                                          $10
The Music Studio                                                $20
PC Ditto I                                                      $25
                                                   (or all for $225)
 
The following magazines w/disk:
        Compute!'s Atari ST
                February 1987 Volume 2, No 1, Issue 3           $3
                   April 1987 Volume 2, No 2, Issue 4           $3
                    June 1987 Volume 2, No 3, Issue 5           $3
                  August 1987 Volume 2, No 4, Issue 6           $3
                 October 1987 Volume 2, No 5, Issue 7           $3
                December 1987 Volume 2, No 6, Issue 8           $3
                February 1988 Volume 3, No 1, Issue 9           $3
                   April 1988 Volume 3, No 2, Issue 10          $3
                                                   (or all for $20)
        STart: The ST Quarterly
                Spring 1987 Volume 1, No 4                      $3
                Spring 1987 Volume 2, No 1                      $3
                  Fall 1987 Volume 2, No 2                      $3
                Winter 1987 Volume 2, No 3                      $3
                Spring 1988 Volume 2, No 4                      $3
                                                   (or all for $12)
 
--
Joe E. Powell, unf7!comhex!sysop@bikini.cis.ufl.edu
"You trip and fall down the stairs.  -more- "
"Your pet rock bounds down the stairs after you.  -more-"
"*crunch*  -more-"
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 16:04:23 GMT
From: cme!chang@uunet.uu.net  (Forrest Chang)
Subject: Docs, gem, gdos, fonts and printer driver
 
        Hi, I'm the thus far happy owner of a 1040ST for two weeks
now.
 
        Now that I've spent a bit of time familiarizing myself with
the machine, I'd like to start writing programs for it.  I'd like to
know if there is any documentation, hopefully PD for the following.
 
        1)  Gem.  Yes, I'd like to write a fairly gem intensive
program.  I'm thinking of using sozobon or gcc.  I'm a fairly
experienced X11 programmer, so I don't think this should be a
difficult task, I just need some reference guide.
 
        2)  Gdos.  Been hearing this and that about it on this group.
I don't really know what it is or how I can get it.  My aforementioned
program will want to print various non-standard characters (say
chinese).  And from what I've read about it, GDOS seems to be a good
thing to deal with such.  I see some gdos related stuff on some of the
archives, but unfortunately there's no detailed list of what all the
things are.
 
        3) Fonts and printer driver.  Well, I'd like to create,
convert some asian character fonts and be able to support them on a
printer.  The aforementioned program does exist for X, I'm hoping to
port it, and I'd like to support this.
 
        Could anyone mail me info on any of these topics, or at least
suggest source code of existing PD programs, of which I can look to as
examples.
 
        Many thanx.
 
 
        Forrest
 
P.S.  Please......
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 15:58:51 GMT
From: galaxy.rutgers.edu!argus!ron@rutgers.edu  (Ron DeBlock)
Subject: GNU C and sizeof(int)
 
In article <30975@watmath.waterloo.edu> rbutterworth@watmath.waterloo.edu (Ray
 Butterworth) writes:
>In article <1754@ruuinf.cs.ruu.nl> piet@cs.ruu.nl (Piet van Oostrum) writes:
>>Dlibs and Gemfast have been written for a 16 bit compiler.
>>I have a version of Dlibs that I adapted for use with GCC.
>>It has been modified for 32 bit integers.
>
>This reminds me of something I've been wondering about for a while.
>Why does GCC on the ST have 32 bit ints?
>Surely 16 is the obvious size considering it has 16 bit memory access.
>(Note that I don't consider
> "so that badly written code will still work ok"
> as a valid reason.)
 
[ problems associated with 32 bit ints deleted ]
 
This  isn't a flame, just a reminder:
 
If you want 16 bit ints, you must declare short ints.
 
If you want 32 bit ints, you must declare long ints.
 
If you just declare int, the size is implementation dependent.
 
You're right that a 16 bit int makes more sense in a 16 bit architecture,
but DO NOT depend on all compilers to do it that way!
 
GCC is supposed to be portable over a wide range of machines, many of
which are 32 bit.  Perhaps this is why GCC ST has 32 bit ints.
 
--
Ron DeBlock     N2JSO
Net: ...!rutgers!galaxy!argus
US Mail: 42 Davis Street, Phillibsburg, NJ 08865 USA
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 14:47:03 GMT
From: att!cbnewsi!dmk@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (daniel.m.kuster..jr)
Subject: Memory upgrade affects performance?
 
Hello all,
 
I just upgraded my 1985 vintage 520ST to 2.5 Meg of
memory and I've noted some system performance differences
that make me wonder if I've done the upgrade correctly.
 
First let me say that I've run a number of memory diagnostic
programs and all seems fine.  TOS recognizes the added memory
and the memory seems to be working.
 
The thing I don't understand is that the computer takes at least
4 times as long to boot (possibly longer).  Is TOS running some
kind of memory test, or is it just zeroing out RAM?  Even worse,
once that system is up and running, it takes a lot longer for
applications to load and run.  Is the system slowed down by the
dynamic RAM refresh cycle?  I thought that the MMU handles that?
 
The one thing that I noticed is that if I configure and install a
large RAM disk (?1.5 Meg) the loading and running of applications
goes much faster.
 
Any ideas on what's going on?
 
Thanks in advance.
 
dan
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 15:19:34 GMT
From: matthews@umd5.umd.edu  (Mike Matthews)
Subject: question SPECTRE GCR
 
In article <617@kubix.kub.nl> reus@kubix.UUCP (Dick de Reus) writes:
>
>Does anyone know anything about floppy compatibility between ATARI-1040ST with
>SPECTRE GCR and Macintosh II. I mean: can I port data from ST to Mac (vice
[stuff deleted]
 
I do it all the time.  Reading is no problem, writing will be slower on the
GCR due to the Mac II's skewing scheme.
 
Mike
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 08:45:01 GMT
From: cca.ucsf.edu!wet!logic@cgl.ucsf.edu  (Henry Kwan)
Subject: TT's VME-slots
 
In article <4695035f.14a1f@force.UUCP> covertr@force.UUCP (Richard E. Covert)
 writes:
>
>> The TT comes with most of what you'd ordinarily put into slots. Serial I/O.
>> High-performance video. A place to plug RAM SIMMs.
>
>Ethernet controller?? Nope.
>Tape backup controller?? Nope.
>Internal high speed modem?? Nope.
>
>You see there are lots of potential internal addons for the TT.
>
 
The TT already has a SCSI port.  Why would you need a tape backup controller?
With the proper software, you could hang an Exabyte or a RDAT off the port.
What more, in terms of tape backup, can you ask for?
 
Also, what good is an internal modem?  I know no one who has a high speed
internal modem.  Every high speed modem that I've seen is external.
(Including the Dual Standard I'm using to call this system.)
 
Besides, who wants to spend $700 (or whatever amount) for a high speed modem
that will only work on one machine?
 
>
>That's my point:
>       You can't just go out and buy the more expensive Atari computer.
>Because Atari introduces a new computer every two years, and if you don't
>like it you are stuck. You can't enhance it and you can't buy a more powerful
>computer. So, you are stuck.
>
>Richard Covert
 
You can't enhance an Atari computer?  Am I hearing this from the mouth of
someone has a Turbo-16 upgrade inside his Mega?  Or the Spectre GCR
emulator?  Or whatever else you might have inside that Mega?
 
Why can't you buy a new computer if Atari comes out with one?  What is
preventing you from doing just that?
 
--
Henry Kwan                |  AppleLink: D0690
FWB, Inc.                 |  CompuServe: 71320,1034
2040 Polk St.  Ste 215    |  Internet: claris!wet!logic@ames.arc.nasa.gov
San Francisco, CA  94109  |  UUCP: ?claris,hoptoad,lamc,ucsfcca?!wet!logic
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 3 Nov 89 15:23:17 GMT
From: pasteur!cory.Berkeley.EDU!soohoo@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU  (Ken "nmi" Soohoo)
Subject: TT and STE
 
In article <CMM.0.88.625974418.larserio@kyrre.uio.no> larserio@IFI.UIO.NO
 (LarsErikOsterud) writes:
>We all know that both the TT and the STE will run ST software,
>but will the TT run STE software ?
 
        The TT will not be able to run STE software that makes use
        of the STE's horizontal scrolling feature...
        Any software that doesn't need this, and uses either the
        extended color pallette (1 more bit R, G, and B) and/or
        DMA sound should work just fine.
 
>Will the STE run some STE software (i guess not) ?
 
        Yes, STE specific software is going to be developed.
 
>What I'm aiming at is:  Will TT-user have the possibility of using programs
>made for the STE (if the great TT user want to a game :-)
 
        In some cases, yes, in some cases, no.
        Say, for example, you've got a new STE Paint program, why
        then of course (as long as it doesn't scroll horizontally
        using hardware) you can use it, and the 4096 colors, on
        the TT!  Problem with games is that they'll _probably_ use
        the horizontal scroll...
 
>
> Lars-Erik  /  ABK-BBS +47 2132659  /   ____ ______ ________________________
>  Osterud  /  larserio@ifi.uio.no  /   /___    /            The norwegian ST
>__________/ ______________________/   ____/   /   Klubben,  user association
 
--Kenneth "kens" Soohoo                         (soohoo@cory.Berkeley.Edu)
  Atari Hacker (Atari's Hacker...)
  "It could be worse, you could get hit by a bus..."
  My opinions are my OWN, _not_ necessarily Atari's. But "hey", who knows?
 
------------------------------
 
End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V89 Issue #601
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