Info-Atari16 Digest         Thu,  5 Sep 91       Volume 91 : Issue 468
 
Today's Topics:
                                4SALE
                   ARC.TTP (was Re: Atari <--> IBM)
              Fnordadel v1.32 uploaded to atari.archive
                             Gemini/Fonts
                gnu emacs keybindings and 50 line mode
                        Little Computer People
                    Little Computer People booboo
                 Lotus 123R3 compatible spreadsheet?
                       message to *DOUG WHITE*
                            nesting traps
                   RAM disks for Mega4/ste??? Yes!
                       Re: ST memory allocation
                        Stacey Advice, please
                             ST magazines
                         ST memory allocation
                          Super Charger 286?
               Tos 2.0x coming to an STf(m) near you...
                         TOS problem in STE?
                           TT Unix / TT TOS
          Uniter Version, is there a newer on than 2.0e 011
 
Welcome to the Info-Atari16 Digest.  The configuration for the automatic
cross-posting to/from Usenet is getting closer, but still getting thrashed
out.  Please send notifications about broken digests or bogus messages
to Info-Atari16-Request@NAUCSE.CSE.NAU.EDU.
 
Please send requests for un/subscription and other administrivia to
Info-Atari16-Request, *NOT* Info-Atari16.  Requests that go to the list
instead of the moderators are likely to be lost or ignored.
 
If you want to unsubscribe, and you're receiving the digest indirectly
from someplace (usually a BITNET host) that redistributes it, please
contact the redistributor, not us.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 04:27:04 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!spool.mu.edu!agate!boulder!horton.Colora
 do.EDU!chuj@arizona.edu (CHU JEFFREY)
Subject: 4SALE
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
ATARI 520 STfm with 1 Meg RAM, DS/DD drive, Battery backed clock,
        external mount cooling fan.  Excellent condition.
        Comes with 400 DD disks with at least $500.00 software
        invested.  Let say $.40 a disk.  Also a 2400 Baud Packard
        BELL modem.  With BEST mouse and pad, RF, also includes
        one extra spare internal drive.  Includes BOOKS, mags,
        manuals, original boxes.
        ALL for $425.00.
 
ICD FAST with Adaptec 4070A and a NEC 68 Meg HD incase in a
        Digital 40 Watt P/S, two cables to hook to ST or STE etc...
        ICD host manuals and all, Seats perfect under the monitors.
        Need $400.00.
 
All Hardware are in excellent condition, only the 520 is older than
a year old, everything else is about 7 months old.
 
Email me: chuj@horton.colorado.edu
          chuj@spot.colorado.edu
 
                                                Thanks,
                                                Jeff
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 09:59:53 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: ARC.TTP (was Re: Atari <--> IBM)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Are you using ARC 6.02?  This one requires more memory to run than the
older ARC 5.21.
 
[ Bravo for your Followup-To: defrain@ecn.purdue.edu !!  Makes things
difficult!!  So let's try again. ]
 
Cheers,
 
--
Ralph P. Sobek                    Disclaimer: The above ruminations are my own.
ralph@laas.fr                              Addresses are ordered by importance.
ralph@laas.uucp, or ...!uunet!laas!ralph
If all else fails, try:                               sobek@eclair.Berkeley.EDU
Phone: (+33-)61-33-62-66  FAX-1: (+33-)61-33-64-55  FAX-2: (+33-)61-55-35-77
===============================================================================
Got a Mega 4 ST.  Wishing it was a Mega STe!  :-| Do I *really* want a TT? ;
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 22:31:56 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!mips!atha!aunro!alberta!adrian@arizona.
 edu (Adrian Ashley)
Subject: Fnordadel v1.32 uploaded to atari.archive
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I have placed the binaries, documentation and source code for version 1.32
of an ST BBS package called "Fnordadel" on atari.archive.umich.edu.  This
somewhat whimsically-named system is a derivative of Citadel; specifically,
it's a much-improved system based upon David Parsons' "STadel".  It is
currently being run at a number of sites across North America.
 
The following is a brief excerpt from the binaries README:
 
 -----snip snip-----
 
   This, then, is Fnordadel.  It's for running bulletin board systems.  It is
of the Citadel flavour; in fact, it's linearly descended from the original
Citadel.  It's for the Atari ST/TT series of computers; minimum setup is a
512K ST with one disk drive, but more of both RAM and disk space always helps.
Like all Citadels, it excels at running conversation BBSes, though there is
also substantial support for file transfers.  It networks (using standard
Citadel networking).  It's easy to run (self-maintaining).  And, best of all,
it's FREE.
 
   Fnordadel comes in two archives.  The one you got this README from is the
main binaries archive, which contains everything you need to run Fnordadel.
It is named `fnXXXbin.zoo', where XXX represents the version number such as
`132' for version 1.32.  The other archive is `fnXXXman.zoo', which contains
the ASCII version of the Reference Manual.  It is quite large, which is why
it is packaged separately, but in our humble opinion it is quite worth
getting.
 
   There is a third archive called `fnXXXsrc.zoo', which is a huge thing
containing the full C source code to all Fnordadel programs and the associated
sources for the documentation, including the nroff source for the man pages
and the Texinfo source for the Reference Manual.
 
 -----snip snip-----
 
The specific files are named "fn132bin.zoo" (441k), "fn132man.zoo" (183k),
and "fn132src.zoo" (519k).  The archives are packed with Zoo 2.1, so you'll
need that to extract them.  I have also put "fn132-README" with the
archives, in case you want more info before grabbing the admittedly large
archives.
 
Mail me if you have comments or questions.
 
--adrian
--
Adrian Ashley    internet: adrian@cs.ualberta.ca OR adrian@secret.uucp (home)
Edmonton, Canada  citadel: elim@secret.alta (..!C-86 Test System!secret!elim)
           "The nice thing about standards is that there are so
            many of them to choose from."  -- Andrew S. Tanenbaum
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 05:58:03 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!unix.cis.pitt.edu!r
 jast1@arizona.edu (Robert J Anisko)
Subject: Gemini/Fonts
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
  Got a problem maybe someone can help me with:
 
  I wish to add some other fonts to be used with Gemini (other than
the SYSTEM and 2 Gemini fonts), but for whatever reason cannot figure
out how to do so properly.  Here's what I tried:
  - copy all the new fonts to the same directory as the Gemini fonts
    (C:\GEMSYS\FONTS\)
  - edit the ASSIGN.SYS file, adding the name of the fonts to each
    section (i.e. ST Low, etc)
  -and reboot
 
  But when I load up Gemini, it seems that only the original
3 fonts are there.  Am I doing something blatantly wrong?
BTW am using the AMCLIGHT file found with Gemini)...
 
  Any help would be appreciated...
 
                                        Robert Anisko
                                        rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:11:11 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: gnu emacs keybindings and 50 line mode
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
You normally need a termcap entry for your ST.  Just modify it to
allow 50 lines:  :li#50:  or some such (I'm doing this from memory).
 
Cheers,
 
--
Ralph P. Sobek                    Disclaimer: The above ruminations are my own.
ralph@laas.fr                              Addresses are ordered by importance.
ralph@laas.uucp, or ...!uunet!laas!ralph
If all else fails, try:                               sobek@eclair.Berkeley.EDU
Phone: (+33-)61-33-62-66  FAX-1: (+33-)61-33-64-55  FAX-2: (+33-)61-55-35-77
===============================================================================
Got a Mega 4 ST.  Wishing it was a Mega STe!  :-| Do I *really* want a TT? ;
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:25:08 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: Little Computer People
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Yeah!  My kid would also be interested?  Does it run on monochrome?
 
--
Ralph P. Sobek                    Disclaimer: The above ruminations are my own.
ralph@laas.fr                              Addresses are ordered by importance.
ralph@laas.uucp, or ...!uunet!laas!ralph
If all else fails, try:                               sobek@eclair.Berkeley.EDU
Phone: (+33-)61-33-62-66  FAX-1: (+33-)61-33-64-55  FAX-2: (+33-)61-55-35-77
===============================================================================
Got a Mega 4 ST.  Wishing it was a Mega STe!  :-| Do I *really* want a TT? ;
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 04:36:46 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!tulane!uflorida!mailer.cc.fsu.edu!nu.cs.fsu.ed
 u!boyd@arizona.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Subject: Little Computer People booboo
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Sorry to waste bandwidth, but this is to the kind person who is now waiting
for me to send him something via snail mail.  Kind person, could you please
resend your last email to me?  It did not survive a system crash, and it
contained my only copy of your address.  I do not even retain your email
address to ask you directly!!  Thanks in advance.
 
--
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "Kirk to Enterprise.  All clear
          FSU Computer Science       |      down here.  Beam down
        Technical Support Group      |      yeoman Rand and a six-pack . ."
       email:  boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu    |
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 1991 22:23 EST
From: aluminum foil ball <SKOLODZIESKI@VAXC.STEVENS-TECH.EDU>
Subject: Lotus 123R3 compatible spreadsheet?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Does anyone know of a 123R3 compatible spreadsheet for the ST? Is LDWPower
still being updated? And what is LDWPower compatible with?
 
 
                                        Many thanx,
                                        Scott Kolodzieski
 
                                        scott@sparc1.stevens-tech.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 20:24:11 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!hp-pcd!hpcvca.cv.hp.com!hpcvca!vovut@
 arizona.edu (Trung Vo-Vu)
Subject: message to *DOUG WHITE*
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
  Doug White,
 
     I've lost your email address.  Please email me.
 
 
  Thanks
 
    vovut@prism.cs.orst.edu
    vovut@hpcvcbf.cv.hp.com
 
------------------------------
 
 Date: 4 Sep 91 22:47:49 GMT
From:
 lll-winken!aunro!alberta!brazeau.ucs.ualberta.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!unixg.ub
 c.ca!ubc-cs!fornax!wolfgang@uunet.uu.net (Wolfgang Jung)
Subject: nesting traps
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Sep3.215714.7147@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> wwhy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
 writes:
>I know you can't nest trap calls, but is this because of TOS or because
>of the 68000?  If it is because of TOS is there any way to get around it?
>Any help would be much apprecaited...
 
This is due to TOS it is not written for nesting TRAP calls, but the 68K is
capable of doing that, why not it just pushs the Programcounter, Systemregister
and something else onte the Supervisor-Stack, and this can happen as long as
you have stackspace available and are not overrunning other Data.I read once
something about nesting BIOS and XBIOS (calling therm to out of IRQ) Calls
several times should bes possible, though i never checked that.
 
Wolfgang
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 01:48:34 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!news.cs.indian
 a.edu!nstn.ns.ca!ac.dal.ca!cordes@arizona.edu
Subject: RAM disks for Mega4/ste??? Yes!
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <GAUDREAU.91Aug30151919@juggler.East.Sun.COM>,
 gaudreau@juggler.East.Sun.COM (Joe Gaudreau {Dances with PostScript}) writes:
>
> Are there any RAM disks that *work* on a Mega4/Ste?  I've tried a
> couple, and they lock the machine up quite nicely!
>
> I remember something about the Mark Williams version being fixed to
> run properly but can't find the reference.
>
> Pointers to atari.archive would be welcome.
>
> Thanx.
>
> Joe
> -=-
 The only ones (of the reset-resistant variety) I've found are the Codehead
Ram Disk (on the Codehead Utilities Disk) and Keith Ledbetter's L-Ram, part
of his LUTILS, in utilities/lutils.arc on Terminator.
  The Codehead one is terrific, in that you can set it up at *and remove
it* at any time without re-setting.
 
John Cordes
Dept. of Physics
Dalhousie University
Halifax, N.S., Canada  B3H 3J5
email: cordes@ac.dal.ca
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 02:40:57 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!generic.physi
 cs.utoronto.ca!julian!ria.ccs.uwo.ca!ersmith@arizona.edu (Eric Smith)
Subject: Re: ST memory allocation
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Sep3.132149.7142@vax5.cit.cornell.edu> wwhy@vax5.cit.cornell.edu
 writes:
>The reason I need to call malloc and mfree inside an interrupt (trap #13 to
>be exact) is because I am writing a variable size ramdisk.  i.e. grows when
>you need it and shrinks when you need it.  So without being able to allocate
>memory on the fly the whole program is pretty usesless.
 
Perhaps you're thinking about this the wrong way. The reason you can't
call Malloc from inside trap #13 is that GEMDOS isn't re-entrant, i.e.
if someone does Fwrite() to your ramdisk, and GEMDOS calls the BIOS to
do your i/o, and your BIOS ramdisk routine calls Malloc, there's a
crash.
 
So perhaps what you should do instead (and it's a *much* cleaner
solution than fiddling with GEMDOS' allocated memory buffers) is to
catch the ramdisk calls at a higher level, i.e. at the trap #1 level
instead of trap #13. If the Fwrite/Fread/Fopen/whatever call is for
your ramdisk, you deal with it (and you can at this stage call Malloc,
since GEMDOS hasn't been entered yet; just be sure you set the GEMDOS
_run variable (which is documented) to the basepage of your ramdisk
program before calling it, and reset it to the old value after
returning). If the GEMDOS call isn't for disk i/o, or isn't for your
ramdisk, you pass it along.
 
  --Eric
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 12:49:07 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!ox-prg!oxuniv!ameij@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Stacey Advice, please
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hi chums,
 
My new employers have offered to buy me a computer. It's to use in work and at
home, so I would like a (trans)portable, and as I have used and liked ST's at
work and home for the last few years, my thoughts have turned to a Stacey.
 
There are just a few questions I have - I need to put my bid in to the
equipment committee in ten days, so it's fairly urgent...
 
1) I will almost certainly have to run DOS programs occasionally. Can any of
   the internal DOS emulators (PC-Speed, AT-Once) be used in a Stacey? Does
   anyone have any experience of doing so?
 
2) Same question, re internal modems
 
3) Same question, re Atari 68881 coprocessor
 
Any other first hand views on the Stacey (particularly cf the Mac portable,
which is probably the alternative) would be greatly appreciated.
 
 
 
Ian Johnston
 
ameij @ uk.ac.oxford.vax
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 04:09:14 GMT
From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!apple!netcomsv!seitz@arizona.edu (Matthew
 Seitz)
Subject: ST magazines
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <2226@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> ms@cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu (Mark
 Starvaggi) writes:
>Are there any good ST magazines still being published in the U.S., and if so
>does anyone have an address or phone number for them?
 
My current favorite is ST INFORMER.  12 Monthly issues cost $19.95.  This is
primarily a news and reviews newspaper, with some tutorials.  They are usually
the first magazine to carry news about new products.  Their address:
 
SUBSCRIPTIONS
909 NW Starlite Place
Grants Pass, OR 97526
 
Another good one I subscribe to is CURRENT NOTES.  This includes more columns
and tutorials than ST INFORMER.  The columns range from very good to very
boring.  It costs $27 for 1 year (10 issues, no issues in January or August).
Their address:
 
CN Subscriptions
122 N Johnson Rd.
Sterling, VA 22170
 
--
                                        Matthew Seitz
                                        seitz@netcom.com
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 20:43:25 GMT
From: imagen!atari!apratt@sun.com (Allan Pratt)
Subject: ST memory allocation
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
A variable-size RAMdisk basically Can't Be Done under TOS from outside
GEMDOS, for exactly the reasons you've discovered: you can't go around
allocating and freeing memory from inside a BIOS call or interrupt.
 
There's another problem: just allocating memory to your RAMdisk when
somebody copies a file there and deleting memory when they remove it won't
do the job, because this will fragment your RAM hopelessly and nothing will
be able to run.  You can ameliorate this by reshuffling memory to compact
your RAMdisk when you can, but that is a lot of work.  And you STILL can't
do Malloc's from inside BIOS, so this complication is academic.
 
Writing your own Malloc and Mfree is not the answer, because GEMDOS calls
its versions directly, not via trap #1, when it allocates memory for Pexec.
You'd have to replace Pexec, too.  If it sounds like you're going to have
to replace bloody great chunks of OS to do what you want to do, it's time
to think that maybe you should scrap the project and start another one.
 
============================================
Opinions expressed above do not necessarily     -- Allan Pratt, Atari Corp.
reflect those of Atari Corp. or anyone else.      ...ames!atari!apratt
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 15:04:16 GMT
From: munnari.oz.au!murtoa.cs.mu.oz.au!csv.viccol.edu.au!gjocc@uunet.uu.net
Subject: Super Charger 286?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <172536@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Robert J
 Anisko) writes:
>
>   I'm not very familiar with the "Supercharger 286", though I used to
> have a Supercharger (i.e. I sold it because of the $$$ it would take
> for the 286and AT slots expansion).  Before you buy one, you might
> wish to see how much actual IBM systems can be got for (check
> mail order or used - you could find some killer prices).  From what
> I understand though, the 286/expansion upgrade WILL letyou use any
> AT (or XT) card, thus including VGA, etc.  However, unless
> what I've heard is wrong (someone join in!) you could be paying
> like $600-$800 for this in all (you can pick up a 16mhz 286 with
> a harddrive for this much).
 
I don't want another full size computer cluttering up the place, I am prepared
to pay a premium for the ability to make my ST PC compatible.
Even if the ST is only acting as a glorified keyboard and floppy drive,
it will save me space, because I need to keep the ST anyway.
 
>
>   Justsome fair warning - I originally went with the SC because of
> the expansion possibilities, but when I finally got a whiff of the
> price, I said "no thanks."
>
>   I'm personally waiting for a AT-Speed16 (16mhz 286 emulator with
> 287 slot, does Color CGA and Tandy1000, and MONO Hercules, EGA
> and VGA).  It's twice as fast as the standard SC (not the 286),
> and costs ina similar price range to the standard SC...
 
I don't want an internal mod, the ability to use a SVGA card and other PC
cards is important to me.
 
 
>
>                                       Robert Anisko
>                                       rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu
 
Greg o'Sullivan
(gjocc@viccol.edu.au)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 16:44:08 GMT
From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!utgpu!utzoo!censor!isgtec!ken@arizona.edu (Ken
 Newman)
Subject: Tos 2.0x coming to an STf(m) near you...
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Aug29.153541.1519@usenet.ins.cwru.edu>
aa399@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Len Stys) writes:
> And will the upgrade board for the TOS only or will it allow you to
> get STereo sound, hardware scrolling, more colors, and a blitter?
 
 
Good grief, if you really want all that, buy a nice, integrated, CHEAP,
1040STe. You're talking about half the STe motherboard. (You forgot
memory upgradable with SIMMs, analog joystick ports).
 
- kn
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 20:55:26 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!atha!aunro!alberta!ubc-cs!news.UVic.C
 A!rwilson@arizona.edu (Rich)
Subject: TOS problem in STE?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I'm posting this for a friend without net access.  Please respond via email
to: mhorie@ra.uvic.ca
 
Your followups won't be seen by either of us, since he doen't have access,
and I don't have the time.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have an interesting problem on my ATARI 1040STE.  When I try to run a certain
program, TOS tells me that it can only be read (even though the program
has a .PRG extension).  When I cancel this message, and try to run the
program again, everything works fine.  This always happens, regardless what
disk I am using.  However, if I change the name of the file
or folder that it is in, this will not happen.  This did not happen
on my 1040STF.  Is this just my computer, or is there a bug in TOS?
 
Michael Horie
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rich (rwilson@ra.uvic.ca)
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 04:20:32 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!mips!apple!netcomsv!seitz@arizona.edu
 (Matthew Seitz)
Subject: TT Unix / TT TOS
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Sep3.174012.8275@umbc3.umbc.edu> chuck@umbc5.umbc.edu (Chuck
 Rickard; ACS (UGRAD)) writes:
>Most likely, the IBM emulator is in a same file with the card
>box, PromiseLAN, the Multitasking TOS, and the Tower TT/X.
 
Actually, PromiseLAN was released for the IBM PC, and then superseded by
ChosenLAN.  The ST version of PromiseLAN never moved beyond the drawing
board.
--
                                        Matthew Seitz
                                        seitz@netcom.com
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 22:59:14 GMT
From:
 lll-winken!aunro!alberta!brazeau.ucs.ualberta.ca!kakwa.ucs.ualberta.ca!unixg.ub
 c.ca!ubc-cs!fornax!wolfgang@uunet.uu.net (Wolfgang Jung)
Subject: Uniter Version, is there a newer on than 2.0e 011
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hi.
 
Is Uniterm version 2.0e 011 still the lates or is there a newer one,
which I want to have then. please mail me the answer too
 
Wolfgang
PS: mails to be sent after 25th of September shoulb be direkted to:
woju@mist.sub.org
 
------------------------------
 
Date: Wed, 4 Sep 91 18:49 EDT
From: SYUROFF%ALBION.BITNET@CUNYVM.CUNY.EDU
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Subscribe SYUROFF
 
------------------------------
 
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************
