=========================================================================
 
INFO-ATARI16 Digest         Tue, 20 Feb 90       Volume 90 : Issue  237
 
Today's Topics:
                    Anyone know about MT C-shell?
                              Dead SM124
               Discontinuation of Info-Atari16 digests
                        GCR, Uniterm questions
                             ibmpc-->st?
                         PC BOARD DESIGNING.
          Problems with HP and other MS-DOS formatted disks.
                      Switcher-type program....
                         The 'PHANTOM TYPIST'
                What's a filename.Z archive? (2 msgs)
                        Which? (Was: ST World)
                               XEP80's
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 17:20:30 GMT
From: nsc!pyramid!athertn!alex@decwrl.dec.com  (Alex Leavens)
Subject: Anyone know about MT C-shell?
Message-ID: <18604@laurel.athertn.Atherton.COM>
 
>I've been trying to get a hold of Beckemeyer Development by phone for
>some time now.  I got the number out of a recent STart magazine and
>dialed the number.  It was disconnected, but gave a new number.  I then
>called the new number and have only succeeded in getting an answering
>machine saying that Beckemeyer Development was not available and would
>get back to me soon.  I left a message twice, but have not heard a
>thing.  Anyone know what happened to Beckemeyer?
 
Dave is very much alive and well.  It kinda depends when you call
him whether he's there or not.  Try late afternoons, PST, as the
best bet.  Also, if you e-mail him (Hope I get this right:
uunet!unisoft!bdt!david) he responds pretty quickly.
 
>So, I only know what the advertisement said about MT C-shell, which was
>that it is multi-user, multi-tasking, runs GEM programs and as an
>option, UUCP is available.  Sounds good (maybe too good).  Is it really
>multi-user, multi-tasking? I doubt this because someone told me that he
>didn't think the Motorola 68000 chip had memory protection mode and, in
>light of that, it would be impossible for a 68000 to run multi-user.
>Also, does the MT C-shell come with any Unix utilities and, if so, which
>ones? What do people think of it? Is it just as good to get a public
>domain, multi-tasking kernal such as MX2?
 
Dave wrote a multi-tasking kernel (Micro RTX) which is what he bases
his stuff on.  Micro RTX is available as shareware here on the net.
His stuff does indeed support multi-user multi-tasking (I'm running
his stuff on my system at home), although you do come to appreciate
the limitations of an 8-mhz 68000.  (Hmmmm...I need some more processor
horsepower here!).  His UUCP stuff works, too (I have my own UUCP
site setup and can recieve mail, and everything! :-).  If you want
to get a flavor of his stuff, get his single tasking C-shell and
tools;  I've been using them for more than 5 years now, and have
nothing but good things to say about them.
 
Highly recommended.
Note: I'm not connected with BDT in any commercial way, although I
do know Dave.
 
 
--
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|--alex | alex@Atherton.COM |  Caution!  Falling Opinions, next 6 miles   |
|     New Net Address!!: UUCP: ?uunet,ucbvax?!unisoft!bdt!dsdeng!alex     |
|  "Mmmm...Ooo, say...Yummm......Blewuechh! Tiggers _don't_ like honey."  |
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 16:35:31 GMT
From: zephyr.ens.tek.com!orca.wv.tek.com!pogo!bluneski@uunet.uu.net  (Bob
 Luneski)
Subject: Dead SM124
Message-ID: <8581@pogo.WV.TEK.COM>
 
Larry in <900216.14370871.037058@SFA.CP6> you write:
 
 
>power the modem off and power it back on.  Upon powering it back up, my
>SM 124 monochrome monitor suddenly gyrated, displaying the screen in
>two halved parts.  A few seconds later, everything went black.  No, it
 
>    I have no idea how switching modem off and then back on caused my
>monochrome monitor to die but, at any rate, I don't have monochrome.  And
>nope, there are no other STers within 250 miles of me so that I can test
>the monitor on their equipment.  I assume the monitor is dead and not something
>on the computer.  But I don't know.  If anyone with some documentation (what
>is documentation on an ST???) can come up with a clue, please let me know!!!
 
The SM 124 appears to be very sensitive to sudden power surges such as the one
induced by turning your modem off and on. The culprit is generally a small
2 amp fuse located on the base of the board near where the wireing for the
speaker attaches to the monitor board.  I have had this fuse blow 6 times
over the last 4 years on my early SM124.  I suggest replacing the fuse with
a slow-blo type 2 amp, this seems to make them last longer. You will have to
remove the monitor case to replace the fuse and as with all high voltage
equipment, if you don't know what your doing ask a friend who does. At the
very least trying a .20 cent fuse beats an expensive service call.
 
I hope this helps,
 
____________________________________________________________________________
  Bob Luneski
  Diamond Back Support Hotline:  bluneski@pogo.WV.TEK.COM
                                 Genie: B.LUNESKI1
 
  The opinions expressed herein are my own and in no way reflect the
  opinions of Tektronix, Inc.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 18:24:22 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!uflorida!news@think.com
 (USENET Master)
Subject: Discontinuation of Info-Atari16 digests
Message-ID: <22370@uflorida.cis.ufl.EDU>
 
From: cr1@beach.cis.ufl.edu (Christopher Roth)
Path: beach.cis.ufl.edu!cr1
 
--
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
*     Christoper Roth                         *  "Machines have no
*     InterNet  :  cr1@beach.cis.ufl.edu      *   Conscience..."
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-Post No Bills-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 10:01:32 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!dcl-cs!gdt!exspes@uunet.uu.net  (P E Smee)
Subject: GCR, Uniterm questions
Message-ID: <1990Feb20.100132.2611@bath.ac.uk>
 
In article <15981@orstcs.CS.ORST.EDU> warningm@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (MICHAEL
 WARNING) writes:
>I just got Uniterm via ftp from someplace, and there's a couple of things I
>haven't been able to figure out.  First, what is the name of the default
>setup file?  It's annoying having to specifically load the setup file each
>time.  How do you stop an autodail?  Finally, when I try to do a view history
>buffer, it says that I don't have enough memory (I've got 2 megs...)
 
Default setup file is UNITERM.SET.  (Default phone number file is
UNITERM.TEL.) For stopping autodial, note that in some versions of
Uniterm the 'retry count' set in the phone-number list is actually a
'try' count, and 0 means try forever.  If it is hanging, try setting
retries to 1.  To forcibly stop an autodial, use control-C.  Far as
buffers go, one of the things saved in your setup is your buffer
sizes.  Uniterm allots your memory to buffer uses *statically* when you
start it up.  Check the BUFFERS sub-menu in the SETTINGS menu to see
how much space you have alloted for history.  Adjust to taste, and
save.
 
--
Paul Smee, Univ of Bristol Comp Centre, Bristol BS8 1TW, Tel +44 272 303132
 Smee@bristol.ac.uk  :-)  (..!uunet!ukc!gdr.bath.ac.uk!exspes if you MUST)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 09:54:48 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!dcl-cs!gdt!exspes@uunet.uu.net  (P E Smee)
Subject: ibmpc-->st?
Message-ID: <1990Feb20.095448.2087@bath.ac.uk>
 
In article <36263@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu> cline@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Nicholas
 Cline) writes:
>This is probably a novice question, but... Could anyone tell me how
>I can transfer files from a PC to an ST? Are the disk formats
>compatable? Is there a program for either that will allow it to
>read the other's disks? Thanks,
 
The disk formats are compatible-ish.  You must, of course, have
compatible physical media on both machines.  Normally, this means that
your ST must have a double-sided (3.5 inch) drive -- PC 3.5 inch drives
are all double-sided.
 
For ANY version of TOS you can then transfer files by swapping disks
between the two machines, if you follow two rules.  First, the disk
MUST be formatted on the IBM PC; ST's are happy with PC-formatted
disks, but PC's don't like standard (desktop-formatted) ST disks.  (If
your PC has a Quad (or High) Density drive -- 1.4 Meg -- you must make
sure you format in 'normal' density mode.) Second, you must not use
subdirectories.  Put all the files on the top level of the disk (the
root), not in folders.  (Folders sometimes work and sometimes not when
interchanging.  Best to avoid them.)
 
For some of the later versions of TOS these restrictions are not
necessary and you can simply swap disks with no problem.  Also, some
public domain formatters on the ST will format a disk so that a PC will
accept it.  However, if you heed these restrictions, you don't have to
worry about your TOS level, and you can do the swap using only standard
parts.
 
--
Paul Smee, Univ of Bristol Comp Centre, Bristol BS8 1TW, Tel +44 272 303132
 Smee@bristol.ac.uk  :-)  (..!uunet!ukc!gdr.bath.ac.uk!exspes if you MUST)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 17:04:53 GMT
From: hpl-opus!hpnmdla!glenne@hplabs.hp.com  (Glenn Elmore)
Subject: PC BOARD DESIGNING.
Message-ID: <810020@hpnmdla.HP.COM>
 
  The "Tango" package from ACCEL seems pretty good. It has schematic
pc layout and autorouting. Unfortunately it does *not* run on
an ST. I had to buy an IBM AT just to run it. I've had no luck
finding anything for the Atari which is even remotely similar.
 
 
Glenn Elmore -N6GN-
 
N6GN @ K3MC
glenn@n6gn.ampr.org
glenne@nmd.hpcom
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 12:56:40 GMT
From: sun-barr!newstop!texsun!texbell!letni!dms3b1!dave@apple.com  (Dave Hanna)
Subject: Problems with HP and other MS-DOS formatted disks.
Message-ID: <218@dms3b1.UUCP>
 
In article <16035@well.sf.ca.us> dsmall@well.UUCP (David Small) writes:
 
<[The basenote discusses using ST disks in MSDOS machines, and the troubles
<thereof].
<
<       I've had trouble under TOS 1.4 with Toshiba disks as well -- double
<sided, MS-DOS, DOS 3.3, off a Toshiba 1200HB. One time I read a file into
<the ST, and got the 1st sector repeated for the length of the file. Many
<times directory changes (cd) fail or act weirdly. ...
 
<       I've been told that Toshibas do something especially strange that
<makes things worse, but do not recall the details.
 
    I've encountered similar problems with disks written in (supposedly)
IBM compatible format with Mtools on a UNIX-PC.  One problem that I
have determined with Mtools is that it only writes the first copy of
the FAT.  I've got plans to correct that short-coming and see if it
fixes the problem.
    At any rate, could that be the problem with the Toshipa?
>       -- thanks, Dave / Gadgets
 
    Dave Hanna
 
 
--
Dave Hanna,  Infotouch Systems, Inc. |  "Do or do not -- There is no try"
P.O. Box 584, Bedford, TX 76095      |                        - Yoda
(214) 358-4534   (817) 540-1524      |
UUCP:  ...!texbell!letni!dms3b1!dave |
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 19:55:01 GMT
From: zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!oxy!kurt@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu  (Tod Edward
 Kurt)
Subject: Switcher-type program....
Message-ID: <77619@tiger.oxy.edu>
 
   Hi Everyone,
 
       Has anyone "out-there" seen a public domain (or shareware) program
   that does a memory switch like Revolver, Juggler, or Multi-Finder for the
   Mac?
       I used to have one (many years ago) called K-Switch that went under the
   guise of a desk accessory.
 
           If anyone knows anything about this, could you please e-mail
       your knowledge to me?  (I don't get on comp.sys.atari.st much)
 
                            Thanks in advance,
                                               Tod
 
Tod E. Kurt            |   kurt@oxy.edu                |
Occidental College     |   oxy!kurt@csvax.caltech.edu  |  Ka--Pwing!
Los Angeles, CA 90041  |                               |       (ha! missed me!)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 19 Feb 90 16:44:04 GMT
From: uvm-gen!pegram@uunet.uu.net  (pegram r)
Subject: The 'PHANTOM TYPIST'
Message-ID: <1396@uvm-gen.UUCP>
 
> I have seen the Phantom strike in both Word Writer and 1st Word Plus.  In
> both cases, his appearance always immediately followed some keyboard
> confusion on my part.  In particular, I would type too fast and botch it
> up, try to backspace quickly, botch that up, try to type the correction,
> generally just hitting an awful lot of keys in quick succession.  It's
> kind of spooky the way the Phantom seems to get fed up with my
> incompetence and begins to do the typing himself.  Unfortunately, he is
> a much slower typist than me.
>
> Has anybody else noticed any correlation between rapid sequences of
> keystrokes (involving multiple backspaces) and the appearance of the Phantom?
>
> --
> Me:      Scott Flinn                   /  "If it doesn't fit, force it.
> Domain:  wsflinn@watcgl.waterloo.edu  /  If it breaks, then it didn't
> UUCP:    watmath!watcgl!wsflinn      /  fit anyway."
 
        Ok, time to add my 2 cents.  I have never seen the Phantom
typist as described on the net recently, but I *do* have problems when
I have been using the mouse extensively (lots of movement for 2+
hours) in some programs - Michtron's Cards comes to mind first, but I
can also lose it when reorganizing files.  What happens is that the
mouse and keyboard stop responding, the mouse pointer stops in mid
move, then no mouse clicks or moves work and keys do not sound or show
up on the screen (perhaps I don't wait long enough).  A warm reboot
cures the problem for a minute or so, then it shows up again.  The
real work around is to turn off my 1985 vintage 520 for a minute or
two and then turn it on again.
 
        It looks like a hardware problem - lost communication between
IKBD and motherboard.  Either the IKBD is a little sick, or the
reciever uart is flakey (If I knew which was at fault, I'd fix it,
unless it's a firmware problem).  Is this related to the Phantom
typist?  If not, what is the fix if known?
 
 
Bob Pegram (Internet: pegram@griffin.uvm.edu)
 
P.S. I have Word Writer version 1, if the typist affects it, I will be
looking for it.  Does anyone know if the bug is version dependent in
the programs it affects?  If so, which versions?  RBPIII
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 00:19:13 GMT
From: ucsdhub!hp-sdd!hp-pcd!hplsla!andyc@ucsd.edu  (Andy Cassino)
Subject: What's a filename.Z archive?
Message-ID: <5440105@hplsla.HP.COM>
 
| ...I was going to ftp
| some stuff from   wuarchive.wustl.edu and I noticed that all the archives
| ended with a .Z extender.  What do I need to unarc these type files? (I've
| got ARC and ZOO).  Any help  would be greatly appreciated.
|                 Todd Miller - millert@tramp.Colorado.EDU                     |
 
Those *.Z files have been compressed with the UNIX "compress" utility.
You need the "uncompress" utility to decode them. As far as I know, neither
compress nor uncompress has been ported to the ST, you'll have to do this on
a UNIX machine.
 
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
    % Andy Cassino                                                  %
    % uucp: hplabs!hplsla!andyc  domain: andyc%hplsla@hplabs.hp.com %
    % Hewlett-Packard              Lake Stevens Instrument Division %
    % 8600 Soper Hill Road                   Everett, WA 98205-1298 %
    % (206) 335-2211                                                %
    %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 22:13:43 GMT
From: usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!math.lsa.umich.edu!hyc@ucsd.edu  (Howard
 Chu)
Subject: What's a filename.Z archive?
Message-ID: <11072@stag.math.lsa.umich.edu>
 
In article <5440105@hplsla.HP.COM> andyc@hplsla.HP.COM (Andy Cassino) writes:
>| ...I was going to ftp
>| some stuff from   wuarchive.wustl.edu and I noticed that all the archives
>| ended with a .Z extender.  What do I need to unarc these type files? (I've
>| got ARC and ZOO).  Any help  would be greatly appreciated.
>|                 Todd Miller - millert@tramp.Colorado.EDU
 |
>
>Those *.Z files have been compressed with the UNIX "compress" utility.
>You need the "uncompress" utility to decode them. As far as I know, neither
>compress nor uncompress has been ported to the ST, you'll have to do this on
>a UNIX machine.
 
They're available for the ST, honest! Just check terminator!
 
The files on wuarchive are the actual usenet articles, compressed. That means
that to get a usable file out of 'em, you need to uncompress, uudecode, and
then unarc.
 
The ST version is a full compress-4.3 utility, it'll compress and uncompress
with up to 16 bits of hashing, Just Like Real Unix.
--
  -- Howard Chu @ University of Michigan
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 14:01:41 GMT
From: maytag!water!ljdickey@iuvax.cs.indiana.edu  (L.J.Dickey)
Subject: Which? (Was: ST World)
Message-ID: <3007@water.waterloo.edu>
 
There has been some talk lately about ST World.  Writers, please
be careful about identifying which publication you have in mind.
 
One magazine is
        ST WORLD
        (ISSN # 088-1057 )
        2463 Latona Court NE
        Salem OR
        USA  97303
 
 
and the other is
        ST World Magazine
        (no ISSN # ?)
        Gollner Publishing Ltd
        10 Theatre Lane
        Chichester, West Sussex
        UK  PO19 1SR
 
My recollection is that "ST World Magazine" changed its name from
"ST User" to "ST World" to avoid confusion with another magazine,
which I now presume to be "Atari ST User".  I suspect that
Mr. Hugh Gollner was informed about the existence of "ST WORLD",
and changed the name from "ST World" to "ST World Magazine".
The name "ST World Magazine" appears at the bottom of each page
but not in the masthead.  In fact there is no name of a magazine
in the masthead!  There is a small "TM" near the name "ST World"
on the cover, but I hve not seen it inside the magazine.  Amusing.
 
--
    L. J. Dickey, Faculty of Mathematics, University of Waterloo.
        ljdickey@water.UWaterloo.ca     ljdickey@water.BITNET
        ljdickey@water.UUCP             ..!uunet!watmath!water!ljdickey
        ljdickey@water.waterloo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 20 Feb 90 03:32:59 GMT
From: imagen!atari!portal!portal!cup.portal.com!Metalist@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU
 (Bryan Jones Woodworth)
Subject: XEP80's
Message-ID: <27134@cup.portal.com>
 
Hello I would be interested in knowing at what price you would expect to get
for an XEP80.  I have been wondering about the usefulness of XEP80z.
 
metalist/Bryan Jones Woodworth
 
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End of INFO-ATARI16 Digest V90 Issue #237
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