Info-Atari16 Digest         Thu,  5 Sep 91       Volume 91 : Issue 469
 
Today's Topics:
                     Atari 2600 + Carts For Sale
                 Best PD BBS software for UUCP/Usenet
                          espredit passwords
                             Gemini/Fonts
                Gplot - A scientific graphing program
                          help running oxyd
                        IBM <--> Atari summary
                              maccel3.4
                       MX2 Multitasking Kernel
                       Need questions answered
                    PC Emulators- Worth the money?
       Spectre 256k ROM support (was: System 7 and Spectre GCR)
                             ST/STe & HDs
                              TeX Advice
                             TeX troubles
                   two bugs in PBMPLUS (ST-version)
 
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 14:46:17 GMT
From: noao!asuvax!gatech!taco!hobbes.catt.ncsu.edu!happy@arizona.edu
Subject: Atari 2600 + Carts For Sale
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
  I have an Atari 2600 and carts for sale.  Please note the following
conditions of each sale:
 
- All merchandise is in excellent shape.
- Buyer pays shipping.
- It's first respond, first serve.
- A purchase of 5 or more carts earns 10% discount.
- Prices are negotiable ONLY if you are buying in volume or after some
  carts don't sell within a give time.
- I will sell the entire package (system, cart holder, and carts) for $125
- No joysticks, paddles being sold.
- An * means that instructions are included with the cart
- If you want specific info about a cart, just e-mail me.
 
 
 
                              Items for Sale
                              --------------
 
Atari 2600 System (including cords, power supply, owner's manual, etc.)
Price : $25
 
Cartridge holder (16 cap.)  Price : $5
 
 
                              Carts for Sale
                              --------------
 
Defender*...............4.00               Star Voyager*...............2.00
Video Olympics*.........2.00               Journey Escape..............2.00
Dig Dug*................6.00               Star Strike*................2.00
Berzerk*................4.00               Cosmic Ark..................4.00
Video Checkers*.........2.00               Venture*....................4.00
Zaxxon*.................6.00               Astroblast..................2.00
Starmaster*.............4.00               Chopper Command*............4.00
Vanguard*...............6.00
Space Jockey*...........2.00               Buck Rogers*................6.00
Enduro..................4.00
Lock 'n' Chase*.........4.00
Turmoil.................4.00               Missile Command.............2.00
E.T.....................6.00
Armor Ambush*...........2.00               Tutankham*..................6.00
Space Attack............2.00               Asteroids...................2.00
Adventures of Tron*.....6.00               Air Sea Battle..............2.00
Haunted House*..........2.00               Space Invaders..............2.00
Bump 'n' Jump*..........6.00
Ms.Pac-Man..............6.00
Ghostbusters............4.00
Night Driver............2.00               Real Sports Football*.......4.00
Sword Quest.............6.00               Donkey Kong*................6.00
Basketball*.............4.00               Kaboom!*....................2.00
Moon Patrol*............6.00               Infiltrate*.................4.00
Gyruss..................6.00               Yar's Revenge...............4.00
Dragonfire*.............4.00               Phoenix.....................6.00
Reactor.................2.00               Superbreakout*..............4.00
Super Challenge Baseball..4.00             Video Pinball...............4.00
 
 
   Well, that's it.  Let me know what you're interested in and we'll get down
to business.  E-mail me at   happy@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu
   Thanks for your interest.
 
                                                                RUSSELL
 
 
--
*******************************************************************************
RUSSELL J. SOOTS - North Carolina State Univesity - SED+BLS, minor GN
happy@garfield.catt.ncsu.edu_____________________North Carolina Teaching Fellow
*******************************************************************************
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 13:55:44 GMT
From: math.fu-berlin.de!unidui!unido!mcshh!malihh!pfunk!blackbox@uunet.uu.net
 (Michael Kistenmacher)
Subject: Best PD BBS software for UUCP/Usenet
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In <A3200325410@thelake.mn.org>, Steve Yelvington writes:
>
>Correct me if I'm wrong, Michael, but this combination is not a BBS. It's
>capable only of providing you with personal access to the network. You can
>forward mail and Usenet messages to other sites if they're willing (and
>able) to run UUCP-compatible software, but Joe Average can't call your
>computer using Flash or Uniterm and read Usenet news over the phone line.
>I think that's what the original poster asked for.
>
Oh sh*t, looks like I didn't read the subject. You are right, my
configuration doesn't do things like that. A way could be to run
the remote-login delivered with HERMES and then automatically start
the nn ported by some guy from Kiel, Germany, which should be able
to redirect it's output to the serial port.
 
My host, malihh, was running as a UUCP-BBS on an ATARI, since the
sysop bought and installed his NeXT. You should ask him about his
software. He wrote a Newsreader and all other software and as I
remember, he was offering the whole system for some bucks. His
address is:  clu@malihh.hanse.de
 
Bye.....Michael
 
--
/------------------------------------\
| Michael Kistenmacher /  blackbox   |
| 2000 Hamburg 61  / Schippelsweg 64 |
| West Germany / ++ 49 40 552 37 66  |
\------------------------------------/
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 19:20:38 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rphroy!cae
 n!malgudi!uoft02.utoledo.edu!cscon105@arizona.edu
Subject: espredit passwords
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
How do I play previously saved levels on espredit??
Or is it just an editor??
 
Thanks...Bryan Kruzynski
cscon105@uoft02.utoledo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 11:37:35 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-
 state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!ysub!psuvm!frmop11!dearn!dmswwu1c!onm07@arizona.e
 du
Subject: Gemini/Fonts
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <172870@unix.cis.pitt.edu>, rjast1@unix.cis.pitt.edu (Robert J
Anisko) says:
>
>  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
With the current version of Gemini, you can only use monospaced fonts.
All other fonts won't be displayed. Might this be your problem?
 
___________________________ cut here _____________________________________
Julian F. Reschke, Hensenstr. 142, D-4400 Muenster, Phone: ++49 251 861241
fast eMail: ONM07@DMSWWU1A.BITNET,    slow: jr@ms.maus.de (++49 251 77216)
____________________ correct me if I'm wrong _____________________________
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 17:28:22 GMT
From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!jarthur!dcrevier@arizona.edu (Dan Crevier)
Subject: Gplot - A scientific graphing program
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
You may remember me attempting to post gplot earlier this summer.  I went to
Japan this summer and tried posting it before I left, but failed to get a
good version out there.  I'm back, and I think I have sent a good version to
atari.archive.umich.edu.  Try checking this file out, I think it can be very
useful to students and people who need to do scientific graphing.  I'd
appreciate any comments about the program and I'm willing to do more work
on it.  Oh yeah, and please upload this program anywhere you can.  I don't
have access to GEnie or anything.  What follows is the original message I
posted about the program.
 
Dan (dcrevier@jarthur.claremont.edu)
 
I have sent a scientific graphing program to atari.archive in the
file GPLOT.ARC.  It is something that my father and I worked on for
the last couple of years.  I am a student at Harvey Mudd College, and
have used it for many labs and homework assignments.  My father is
a physicist and has used it for many reports and briefings.  We were
planning to try to sell it commercially, but have decided to release
it as shareware instead since we haven't had any luck finding someone
to sell it, and it isn't completely bug free.  It is very good for
scientific graphing.  It will graph sets of x-y data, functions, and
differential equations.  It has a powerful spreadsheet type editor
for entering and manipulating data.  It uses GDOS, so the graphs are
printed at very high resolution to the printer and look very good.
It will work on both color and monochrome monitors.  I know that it
works with 1040's and Mega's, but it may not work with a TT or a
moniterm monitor.  Also, I think it needs 1 meg (someone please post
once they have tested it).  The included documentation is not as
thourough as I would like it to be, but it talks about all of the
features of the program.  It has no information about setting up
GDOS.  We are asking for a $15 shareware fee.  Please distribute
this program as much as possible, and send any comments to:
 
dcrevier@jarthur.claremont.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 4 Sep 91 19:18:23 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rphroy!cae
 n!malgudi!uoft02.utoledo.edu!cscon105@arizona.edu
Subject: help running oxyd
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I downloaded and extracted oxyd from atari.archive.
 
There doesn't seem to be any docs, and I can't seem to get it to run.
 
Anybody else been successful??
 
Thanks...Bryan Kruzynski
cscon105@uoft02.utoledo.edu
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 14:22:04 GMT
From:
 noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com
 !news.cs.indiana.edu!noose.ecn.purdue.edu!root@arizona.edu (master guru)
Subject: IBM <--> Atari summary
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
The problem: Not being able to read IBM floppies from the ST
 
The solution: First, when possible format disks on the IBM rather then
the Atari. Programs exist as well as TOS versions which can do this
but why bother -- just format on the PC with the drive configured as
a 720KB unit. Regarding FTPing -- use a binary mode for data transfer.
Sometimes we all ignore the obvious... This will work.
 
thanks for all your help,
 
pdd
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:26:51 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: maccel3.4
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
what's this?  what's the difference from maccel 3.3?
 
--
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 01:08:34 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!nstar!towers!grafted!tony@arizona.edu
 (anthony lewis)
Subject: MX2 Multitasking Kernel
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
jmack@b11.ingr.com (Cery McCormick) writes:
 
>
>       I recently got a copy of MX2, the multitasking kernel, from the
> Atari.archive. I am running Gulam as a shell with it. Some things work
> kind of screwy, particularly the commands related to processes (status,
> kill) or related to the rs232 port. The system always crashes when I
> start the script that sets up a background shell that gets I/O to/from
> the modem and then hit a few <returns> in rapid succession.
>       Is there a newer version of this software? Should I toss it and
> spend the bucks to get Minix? Am I doing something wrong? Any
> information on MX2 would be appreciated. Thanks.
>
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
> | J. Cary McCormick      | Intergraph Corp. |
> | Senior Systems Engr.   | Huntsville, Al   | "The Rules are Different Here."
> | Problem Assessment and | 35894-0001       |
> | Solutions Engineering  | M.S. CR1105      |    - Florida state slogan.
> | Department.            | (205) 730-6185   |
> <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
 
Before you go out and get STMinix, take a look at MiNT, I think you will be
be much happier....
                                Tony.
 
--
anthony lewis
The Grafted Branch BBS
317-881-4369
internet: tony@grafted.UUCP
uucp: ..!uunet!grafted.UUCP!tony
    -= newsfeeds available, contact robert@towers.rn.com =-
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:53:52 GMT
From: CompuServe.COM!72347.2767@ucbvax.berkeley.edu ("Robert Royar, Cratylus
 Software")
Subject: Need questions answered
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I own a 1985 vintage 1040ST with the 3D Z-Ram (populated to 2 meg) and
Rainbow TOS (6 chip set).  I use my ST for writing (2-3 hours a day when I'm
not teaching), programming (as much time as I can squeeze out), DTP (run a
small national newsletter for writing teachers), and telecommunications
(moderate the Computers and Composition Digest).  I'm thinking of upgrading
parts of my system.  I've thought of a number of possible options but need
some advice.
 
Upgrading the Monitor
=====================
One upgrade path involves the monitor.  I like to use color because I can see
it better.  I currently have the SC1224 monitor (and like its crispness in
spite of the lower resolution).  I've thought of upgrading the monitor to one
which could handle higher resolutions in color or monochrome.  I suppose I'm
talking about a multi-sync here.  However, a colleague has a 386SX with a high
res VGA (640x480?) color which to my eyes is not as crisp as my lowly 1224.
Question 1:
  What type of monitor will work on an ST, providing high res mono, and
  medium or low res color with at least the same crispness as my lowly
  1224?
Question 2:
  Which monitors from question one will also work on an STE with its new
  resolutions or on a TT?
Question 3:
  How do high res color monitors handle monochrome? Do they get fuzzy?  Do
  they allow me to assign a given color for the background and another for
  the foreground (say grey and black respectively)?
 
The ST itself
=============
I'd really like to have an ST with more resolution choices.  I'd also like a
larger case (like those PC-AT machines) with a power supply capable of
driving the ST with 4 megs of memory on the Z-Ram, one floppy, and my two
Supra drives.  One way to get some of this is an STE; another is the TT--a
68030 would be a treat for this old 68K hobbyist.  I hesitate buying an
all-new system because I already have two "stand-by" machines from the early
80s.  It would bother me just to set the old ST aside.
Question 1:
  What upgrade paths are there for making my ST act like an STE or TT?
Question 2:
  Does Integrand (or some other company) make a box that can hold the ST
  main board, floppy, hard drives, &c.?  How would I connect a keyboard
  to such a modified ST?
 
ST Software
===========
I have a gigantic hypertext capable program that supplies a CLI, a full text
editor, disk management, C-like (byte-compiled) macros--the whole nine
yards.  My teacher colleagues have all been sucked into the PC world.  They
like my program, but it only runs on the ST.  Much of it would port to
another system.  (I ported an early version to the ST from CP/M 68K in
1986.)  But recently I've added user installable menus and all that
nifty-keen GEM stuff (that I never use).  I'd like to port this code over to
the PC (and, dare I say, the Mac).
Question 1:
  Are there any source-code translators that can convert GEM calls into
  source that a C compiler for MS-Windows (or for the Mac toolbox) will
  compile?
Question 2:
  I mentioned the program does hypertext stuff.  Are there any Spectre users
  familiar with StorySpace on the Mac?  I'd like to write a conversion program
  that will convert the CONTEXT files and macros from my ST program into a
  form that StorySpace will recognize.
Question 3:
  Are there any writer/programmers with 2meg or more systems interested in
  helping me beta-test this software before wide release.  A version is
  available on CIS, but the ST user community on CIS is rather small.  Very
  few have downloaded the 400K+ total files the program relies on.
Question 4:
  What is the current ST development C compiler?  I use Alcyon--I know
  everyone thinks it's a dog, but I've found it to be (with the proper
  cajoling) practically bomb proof--which I've used since the old CP/M-68K
  days.  I also have a copy of GNU-C, but it requires so much memory, that
  large programs that Alcyon compiles just fine won't compile on my system
  (2.5 megs!) because it runs out of memory.  I only use it when I'm verifying
  a program before porting it to a Vax--easier to develop on the ST and then
  just compile the code on the Vax.
 
If you've gotten this far, thanks so much for your time.  If you can help me
out with answers, you can reach me at the addresses in the signature or
through the `comp.sys.atari.st.tech' newsgroup.  While I am cross-posting this
to the `comp.sys.atari.st' newsgroup, I don't have regular access to it.
______________________________________________________________________________
 Robert Royar
 Department of English
 New York Institute of Technology
 Old Westbury, New York 11568
 
BITNET:   R0MILL01@ULKYVX       CIS: 72347,2767          Voice: (516) 686-7751
Internet: 72347.2767@CompuServe.Com
 
   "Colorless green ideas sleep furiously."
                                                                  Noam Chomsky
   "Io venni in luogo d'ogni luce muto;"
                                                               Dante Alighieri
______________________________________________________________________________
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 11:47:03 GMT
From: mcsun!ukc!newcastle.ac.uk!catless!ndch@uunet.uu.net (Dave Halliday)
Subject: PC Emulators- Worth the money?
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <o0Nq84w164w@cellar.UUCP>, revpk@cellar.UUCP (Brian 'Rev P-K'
Siano) writes:
|>longj@lonex.rl.af.mil (Jeffrey K. Long) writes:
|>
 
[ stuff deleted ]
 
|>        However, for me to get replacement or upgrade boards for the
|>currently-available ST based IBM emulators, I'm stuck with getting
only THEIR
|>boards. Those companies might be as likely to fail as Avant-Garde did, and
|>their rices are higher to boot.
|>
|>        In short, if someone marketed an IBM emulator that used real
|>IBM-compatible PARTS-- like a super-VGA board, 386 accelerators, hard drive
|>controllers and the like-- I'd get it. But as for now, I'll have to save up
|>to buy a real PC clone.
|>
 
Doesn't Supercharger SC do just that?
 
Dave.
 
 
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave      Address:  Computing Dept. Newcastle University, NE1 7RU. UK.
Halliday  EMail  :  D.C.Halliday@newcastle.ac.uk
          Phone  :  +44 91 222 8214            Fax :  +44 91 222 8232
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:44:37 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: Spectre 256k ROM support (was: System 7 and Spectre GCR)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Just a simple question: does Spectre GCR work on the TT, and, if so,
in what modes?
 
Thanx,
 
--
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 03:23:14 GMT
From:
 noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!caen!nstar!ka3o
 vk!irscscm!mlake@arizona.edu (Marshall Lake)
Subject: ST/STe & HDs
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
I'm having a screwy problem.
 
I have a 520ST and a 1040STe.  I also have 20 meg and 80 meg Supra HDs
which I normally run daisychained.  Everything works fine with the
520ST.  But when I plug the HDs into the STe I can't boot, in fact I
can't even power up.  The busy light on the 80 HD (the first drive in
the daisy chain) freezes on (the busy light also freezes on if I try to
power up the 80 HD with the connector not plugged into either ST).  If
I connect the 20 HD directly to the STe then I can boot up but I can't
access all the files on the drive.  I get read errors with certain
files.
 
Here's the screwy part ... if I boot everything with the 520ST, then
unplug the HD and plug it into the STe, then boot the STe everything
comes up fine and I can access all the files!!  But I have to do a
complete boot (bring up the desktop).  If I only power up and then
unplug the HD from the ST then the busy light will freeze on once I
plug it into the STe.  Why is all this happening?
 
Also, it seems I need a floppy disk in the internal drive of the STe
even with autobooting turned on for the system to come up.  Is this
normal?
 
--
Marshall Lake
mlake@irscscm.UUCP
..!uunet!media!ka3ovk!irscscm!mlake
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 16:27:52 GMT
From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!helios!tamsun!tamuts!n160ao@arizona.edu (Mark
 Lehmann)
Subject: TeX Advice
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
What I'd like to here is a success story.
 
My prof got me interested back in TeX and LaTeX today.  I want it for
my St.  I have aboiut 9 Meg of space left on my hard disk and 1 Meg of
memory that I want to upgrade to 2.5 Meg.  Should I do this.
 
I see so many complaints about TeX on the ST.  Should
I even try?
 
Thanks.
Mark
tamuts.tamu.edu
 
Please respond on the new this time.  I think others are interested in this one.
.
 
------------------------------
 
Date: 5 Sep 91 10:54:31 GMT
From: mcsun!corton!laas!ralph@uunet.uu.net (Ralph P. Sobek)
Subject: TeX troubles
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
In article <1991Aug20.111006.1@simvax.labmed.umn.edu>
 davidli@simvax.labmed.umn.edu writes:
|
| Perhaps Frank (or someone with a lot of disk space and memory) can upload an
| archive of newly generated format files using the new binaries on the
| atari.archive server?
 
I have discussed this with Frank and proposed to upload the .fmt
files.  He stated that anyone with a reasonable amount of memeory to
run TeX would most probably be able to dump the .fmt files.
 
Now, if people with 2 Mb or 2.5 Mb still can't get their .fmt files, I
can look into uploading them.  I remember that when I tried to create
a .lzh or .zoo file, it would not fit onto a standard floppy.
 
--
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 14:12:15 GMT
From:
 math.fu-berlin.de!uniol!unido!iraun1.ira.uka.de!fauern!faui43.informatik.uni-er
 langen.de!lsmichae@uunet.uu.net (Lars Michael)
Subject: two bugs in PBMPLUS (ST-version)
To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu
 
Hi folks,
 
I've downloaded the PBMPLUS package from atari.archive not
long ago and last night I've found two 'bugs':
 
I tried a
        giftoppm foobar.gif > foobar.ppm
Worked well so far. The next try was
        ppmtogif foobar.ppm > foobar2.gif
Now, here occured an error. I checked the output file - one byte
long. The error message was something  like:
"Found junk were an integer should be".
Hmmm ...
Thank god I had the sources and did a 'grep' for the error line.
I've found it in libpbm2.c. And there located the problem.
All tools accept TAB, NEWLINE and SPACE as hard spaces this works
fine on UN*X systems (EOLN marker is one NEWLINE). But the ST
builds a EOLN by concatenation of two chars, CR *and* NEWLINE.
 
So obviously ppmtogif chokes on the additional '\r'. There are
two possibilities to fix this, if you don't have the sources.
 
        - build a filter which converts the first two `\r` into
          ` ` (spaces).
 
        - patch all ppmto***.ttp. Seek for the above error message.
          Count to about 25 from the end of the string. Look for
          the byte stream 20 0C 00 09, change to 20 C0 00 0D. Now
          all tools accept CR instead of TAB.
 
The other bug is very mysterious. I tried doing a
ppmquant 256 foo.ppm | ppmtogif > foo.gif
The error message was:
"Too many colors. Try ppmquant 256."
 
'ppmquant' seems buggy ... 8-(
 
Any ideas, comments ?
---
 
                                                                Lars
 
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------+
|     lsmichae@faui43.uni-erlangen.de    |    | | |                         |
|             Lars Michael               |    | | |   "Down with ATARI,     |
|  Graduate Student of Computer Science  |   /  |  \  Long live the ST !"   |
|    at University of Erlangen/Germany   |  /   |   \                       |
+----------------------------------------+----------------------------------|
|  Bones: "Damn it, Kirk, I'm a doctor, not a very good actor."             |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
 
------------------------------
 
End of Info-Atari16 Digest
******************************
