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The Journal of IceNET November 1994
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Editor's Desk і
і The Upper Registers Will (1@6754) і
і Managing Editor's Notes Louie (6@1) і
і Letters To The Editors Louie (6@1) і
і IceNEWS Op-Ed Forum і
і Is it you, or is you ain't my baby? Tolkien (1@2000 WWIVnet) і
і і
і Feature Stories і
і The Facts About FAQs Deacon Blues (2@7653) і
і WWIV Services on the Internet IceNEWS Staff і
і A Day in the Life of an IceNET GC Music Man (1@9680) і
і і
і WWIV-Specific і
і WWIV Utility & Mod Review Calvin (1@8262) і
і Revolution 95! Spotnick (1@5497) і
і і
і Hardware і
і Lexmark LaserPrinter 12R+ Will (1@6754) і
і Oh, Those Upgrading Blues... Papa Bear (1@5079) і
і і
і Software і
і Borland Paradox 5.0 Review Will (1@6754) і
і Sidekick 1.0 for Windows Will (1@6754) і
і MS-DOS Memory Management Renob1 (5@7650) і
і і
і Programming і
і Tips on Sound Blaster Programming Odieman (949@2132 WWIVnet) і
і Advantages of C Over PASCAL Grim Reaper (2@8415 WWIVnet) і
і і
і Lite Bytes і
і Silly Strings Ima Moron (1@9661) і
і і
і Special! і
і WWIVnet Technical Documentation Midnight Tree Bandit (1@8411) і
ГДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДґ
і IceNEWS Staff For November 1994 і
і і
і "...Winners of the 1994 WWIVcon Award for Electronic News" і
і і
і IceNEWS Publisher - Jim 1@1 і
і IceNEWS Editor-In-Chief - Will 1@6754 і
і IceNEWS Managing Editor - Louie 2@7650 і
і і
і IceNEWS Contributing Editors і
і WWIV-Specific - Spotnick 1@5497 Lite Bytes - Ima Moron 1@9661 і
і Software - Music Man 1@9680 і
і і
і Editors-At-Large - Louie 2@7650 & Crave 1@7668 і
і IceNEWS Production - Help Wanted і
ГДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДґ
і IceNEWS is always seeking submissions from those who have і
і ideas for stories. If you have any ideas that you might і
і like to see published, contact any IceNEWS editor or і
і subscribe to IceNEWS Beat, subtype IceNEWS, host @1. і
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ E D I T O R ' S D E S K АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
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і The Upper Registers - "Warp Speed Now" і by Will 1@6754
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On October 11th, I had the good fortune to be able to attend the
official IBM announcement and launch of the latest version of the OS/2
Operating System, version 3.0, also known as Warp. The announcement took
place at the IBM Corporate Headquarters in New York State, but was
beamed by satellite to over a hundred cities in the US, and as far away
as Australia. Some highlights -
The Operating System itself was amazing. IBM has an amazing product
here, and all that they need to do is market it. On the surface, Warp
(now the official name of the product, a last minute change from 'v3'
ordered by IBM Chairman Lou Gerstner himself) looks a lot like the
OS/2 2.11. In fact, the only really noticeable difference is a launchpad
from which you can launch frequently used applications. The launchpad
allows you to have a set of "Drawers" beneath the icon you're using.
During the demo that took place at the announcement, they had Lotus
1-2-3 for OS/2 sitting on the launchpad, and the rest of the Smartsuite
for OS/2 programs in a drawer beneath it, hidden from view until you
click on the handle. This is an amazing way to keep frequently used
files available.
Performance is way up. I saw Warp running on a 486sx-33 machine
with four megabytes of RAM. While it wasn't lightning, it was fast. I fully
expect to be able to run Warp on my four megabyte laptop without any
difficulty. On an eight or sixteen megabyte dx2, the result is pure
speed. There are also a lot of little tweaks. The settings dialog has
been moved to its own place on the pop up menus for an object. You can
now assign different settings priority (so that my OS/2 .MOD Player
doesn't steal too many cycles from the BBS). Multimedia support, robust
to begin with in 2.1, has been fully integrated (previously you needed
to install it separately) into the installer, and support for a large
number of additional sound cards and CD-ROMs (including some non-SCSI
CD-ROM drives, and most major Sound/CD combinations). The movie player
will now play MPEG and FLI files as well as AVI.
IBM has dropped the applets it previously shipped with OS/2 2.x
(which, while powerful, were a bit too much or too little for many) in
favor of the Bonus Pack containing IBM Works. This includes full
featured word processor, spreadsheet, and database products, as well as
Internet support (we'll get to that in a minute). The applets support
complete DDE between them, and a common "address book". Drop an adress
into the PIM, and you schedule an appointment. Drag a spreadsheet into a
word processor document. It's a level of flexibility I'd never seen
before. If the link makes logical sense, you can do it. A friend of mine
was able to get an early copy of the program, and claims to have already
begun to do most of his work using the applications shipped with OS/2.
From someone who has some of the most advanced software extant floating
around his computers, this is high praise indeed. He's ecstatic.
The last big addition to Warp is Internet SLIP/PPP support.
Without going into too much detail, it's one button Internet. World Wide
Web, FTP, Gopher, Mail, and News clients are all included, with a Mosaic
interface due out next year (no word on pricing). You default connecting
through the IBM provider Advantis, but the software will work with any
SLIP/PPP connection. I'm planning on swapping my own Internet access to
the Boston based Internet Access Company as soon as I have the final
version of Warp installed.
Moving back, the announcement itself was spectacular. A real
sight and sound extravaganza. Leonard Nimoy did a very funny (pre taped)
introduction, with lots of jabs at how Windows makes you waste time.
They had Kate Mulgrew (the star of the latest Star Trek spinoff) on hand
to help emphasize the Trek connection. All told, it was a major event.
My conclusion - Warp is going to rock the industry. This is an
amazing piece of software. Everything Windows 95 promises, and much
more, now, instead of in the nebulous future. While availability was
pushed back a week due to the discovery of a minor bug (copies should be
hitting the stores as you read this), Warp has a serious jump on the
competition. IBM should even be able to market it, since they've hired
some of the marketing people who sold Windows 3.0 to the public a few
years ago. Imagine what these people will do when they don't have to
exaggerate the merits of the product!
-----
Lastly, I'd like to pass along an announcement that Morgul (1@8315) sent me
a while ago for inclusion in IceNEWS. I'd also like to remind everyone to
come by the WWIV Chat Session on the IRC every Sunday afternoon, and to
request the individual who's been locking the channel into invite only mode
to find something more interesting to do. You know who you are.... The chat
session is on #wwiv, and here's Morgul's announcement about the WWIV Mailing
List on the Internet:
In the ever expanding effort to make WWIV a cyber-household name, we now
announce....
W W I V - T A L K : T H E I N T E R N E T M A I L I N G L I S T !
We may not have our own newsgroup on Internet (yet!) but we now have our
own mailing list! Hosted from The Trading Post [SOUTH], this mailing list is
open to ALL internet users who are interested in finding out more about WWIV.
If you have an internet address, by all means, send in and join!
To join the mailing list, send email to:
mailserv@ttps.lakes.trenton.sc.us
And include the phrase "join wwiv-talk" in the body of the message.
Messages can be sent to the mailing list by addressing them to:
wwiv-talk@ttps.lakes.trenton.sc.us
Come join us, and help spread the word!
-----
That's it for this issue. Enjoy the rest of IceNEWS!
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Managing Editor's Comments і by Louie 6@1
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Well, this is the November 1994 issue of the IceNEWS Journal. There was
no October issue this year. Our last issue was September 1994. Various cons-
iderations meant that we didn't have the material to publish an issue last
month.
The main reason we did not have enough material was that the IceNEWS Staff
had shrunk in size. Deacon Blues and Spelunker left the Staff after the
August issue and while in the middle of producing the September issue Papa
Bear and Chris (now Crave) filed for extended leaves of absence. Papa Bear
got a great new job that has him doing a lot of traveling and Chris went back
to school.
That left the active members of the IceNEWS Staff as Will (1@6754), our
fearless Editor in Chief; Ima Moron (1@9661), our Lite Bytes Editor; and me,
Louie (6@1, 2@7650), Contributing Editor at-Large - no, I don't know what that
fancy title really means either. Three editors couldn't keep this show on the
road moving.
This month we have fixed that problem. We asked people from around
IceNET to join the all-powerful IceNEWS Staff. And, boy were we surprised when
two suckers...er, great all-around nice people, took us up on our offer. They
were:
Spotnick (1@5497) - The mod-king from Montreal, Canada. He is taking over
at Papa Bears old post of WWIV-Specific Editor on the staff. Watch out at PB's
old Desk, Spotnick. Jack Ryan used to have it and I am positive that the
lower left hand drawer still has a bomb in it that could go off at any time.
Music Man (1@9680) occupies the Software Desk. Yes, this is the same
Music Man who doubles as the IceNET Group Four Coordinator and backup singer
for Devo. So, if you are a sysop in Group Four and MM asks for an article, you
better give it to him or I'll have him throw you out of IceNET. <evil laughter>
That gives IceNEWS a good sized and capable staff once again. Or maybe
that is something we never had before. Well, we are sure to find out over the
course of the next few months. The IceNEWS Staff now looks like this.
Will 1@6754 - Editor in Chief
Ima Moron 1@9661 - Lite Bytes
Louie 6@1, 2@7650 - Contributing Editor at-Large,
Letters to the Editor
Spotnick 1@5497 - WWIV Specific
Music Man 1@9680 - Software
Crave (1@7668) and Papa Bear (1@5079) are still around. Just not
very active normally. Papa Bear popped up this month to hand in an article.
I hope Chris does something similar in the future as well. Both are just
considered inactive Staff members. Kind of the like the disabled list in the
NFL.
Deacon Blues (2@7653) our old Editor in Chief still writes for us. He has
an interesting article in this issue.
In other news from me... You may be interested to know that a friend of
mine decided to put up a new BBS in the 716 area. Jalpar (1@7650) asked me to
help him set it up and run the board with him. So, I do a lot of my IceNEWS
work off of Chaos Manor @7650 IceNET now.
Chaos Manor is a board for the technical minded computer person and
programmers a like in the main and this has helped me to recruit work from
techies and programmers around IceNET. If you are a computer tech or a
programmer and would like to write for IceNEWS, please drop one of the editors
a line. We would be glad to hear from you.
I went to the Buffalo Computer and Business Show on October 13th of this
past month with Jalpar and Renob1 (5@7650). Other than collecting lots of
sales literature to allow me nice bathroom reading material for the next,
oh...six or seven years I got to see a lot of new stuff from around the world
of computing. Two things did kind of stick out in my mind after going to it.
1. IBM was there pushing the heck out OS/2 3.0 Warp.
2. Microsoft was Not there and they were Not pushing
Windows/ Chicago. They were content to allow a small
local company to push Chicago for them.
Warp looked fantastic. It does Windows better than Windows does Windows.
It looks better than Windows. Now that I think about it, Warp's interface looks
more like the Macintosh interface than the Windows interface. I saw a 486/SX
lap-top with four megs of RAM run Doom ][ under Warp at a very nice speed. Now,
I know IBM will play-up their product but I was impressed with Warp even after
factoring in my cynicism of the whole "Business Hock the Wares" thing that was
going on everywhere.
Other things I looked out while hanging around with the IBM dudes was a
RISC System/6000. The "Dream Machine" for any bbser walking the earth today.
I even took a peek at AIX 4.1.1. IBM Unix to those of you who have no idea
what that is. It isn't anything a PC person like myself will ever use but what
the heck, while I'm at a Computer Convention I'll look at anything. Besides,
you never know what you'll run into in the business world. It is good to be
familiar with a little of everything once you get a "real" job.
As for all the "Info Superhighway" talk that is still going on in the
media the Internet is becoming a major topic for BBSers. Two local
Buffalo-based companies were that the Computer Show hocking their Internet
access service.
The guys I talked to from these companies didn't seem to understand BBSes
or BBSing. They kind of struck me as aging college students who had to have an
Internet account they couldn't make hide nor hair of for one semester but when
all the "Information Superhighway" talk started in the press they thought to
themselves "Hey, we could make a business out of this idea".
Another tidbit I picked up on is that a BBS has been set up for
distribution for information about stolen computers. "The Stolen Computer
Registry" (PO Box 1490, Madison Square Station, NY, NY, 10159) can be reached
at the following phone numbers 212-777-1291 (voice), 212-777-1290 (fax) and
212-505-7526 (BBS, 8-N-1). Their BBS has a list of stolen computer serial
numbers and provides info about recently stolen computers.
This is a little something everybody who owns a computer should know
about.
Now, in this issue of IceNEWS we have a lot of fun stuff for you to read.
Most important is probably the first of four installments of the new WWIV
Technical Documentation that was written by Midnight Tree Bandit (1@8411). MTB
did a great job and he deserves a round of applause from all of IceNET and
WWIVland.
Also, Deacon Blues (2@7653), our former leader, has an article about
everything you might have wanted to know about internet style FAQ (frequently
Asked Questions) text files. This is something that WWIVland folks should
start to do. FAQ's for WWIVnet, IceNET, WWIVlink, IceNEWS, NetXX, etc. might
be a good idea. Sure, in many cases lots of the questions are answered if you
read the doc's but sometimes the FAQ-style is easier for folks to understand.
Spotnick (1@5497) includes the inside scoop on WWIVsys. Music Man
(1@9680) tells us what the life of a GC is like. Papa Bear (1@5079) has
upgrading blues. Will (1@6754), our fearless editor in chief, has too many
articles for me to mention them all.
There are many, many good articles included in this issue of IceNEWS. I
do wish I could mention them all, really. We actually have some stuff
already lined up for the December issue though...but don't let that stop you
from writings for us if you get that urge.
Well, this is a rather lengthy version of M/E notes so I will end it here.
Enjoy the issue.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Letters to the Editor і by Louie #6@1, Will 1@6754, and Ima Moron 1@9661
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Firestorm, The Solar Destroyer #1 @5409 writes the following:
Dear Sir;
I have been reading IceNEWS with some great deal of enjoyment. The
stories are rather interesting. However, I've noticed that Icenews does not
have a line indicating a standardized filename format with the usual date or
vol. # reference when renaming the WWIVNEWS.NET file. I'd like to make
Icenews file available for my users who may want to read them, but without any
standard filename format, it'll stay offline....
I'd like to see this minor feature on the next issue of icenews.
How about it?
Louie, 6@1, the Letters Editor responds with:
Thank you for reading IceNEWS. I am glad you are enjoying reading
it.
We stopped having volume numbers on IceNEWS issues because there was
no standard usage of the volumn numbering system. The method we use in-house
is NEWSYYMM.TXT for the names of the various files. YY is the year, as in 94
for 1994, and MM is the month with 09 for September, 10 for October, etc. The
September, 1994 was called NEWS9409.TXT.
We encourage everybody who keeps back issues of IceNEWS around to
use this system of file naming as it is much superior to the old volume number
method. [EIC Note: And of course, we encourage everyone to keep old issues
around for users to download!]
Crazy Horse, #1 @8050, writes about IceNEWS Content:
I really like the tech stuff. Like how to max your memory and the little
things to make your bbs run faster and hog less memory. I really don't think
you could put too much tech stuff.
IceNEWS EIC, Will 1@6754, Responds:
Thanks for the comment! While we try to keep a broad range of items
available in IceNEWS, I'll admit that the technical articles are generally
my favorite as well (although, since I need to keep feet on all sides of
the fence, I'll admit I like everything we print!). We don't have quite
as much of it for this issue, but you might be interested in the "MS-DOS
Memory Management" in the Software/Programming section of this issue. Lots
of advanced tricks for getting more conventional memory without buying a
third party memory manager. Of course, you're encouraged to make your own
submissions!
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і The IceNEWS Op/Ed Forum - і by Tolkien, 1@2000 WWIVnet
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"Is You Is Or Is You Ain't My Baby?"
Some time ago, when people began importing one network into another (via
gating and the like), I had a premonition of problems to come. The feeling
was vague, unspecific, but would not go away. For some years I have thought
about that, tried to pin down my unrest. Finally, the source of the unrest
began to come clear: the problem is homogeneity between the networks, used
by unscrupulous people as a means of venting rage while escaping any punitive
consequences.
For example, let us say someone in WWIVnet gates nastygrams to a system
in IceNET. Who then deals with this problem? HOW do they deal with it? Clearly,
there is little that the system being abused can do, nor could any network
official in the "receiving network" do much, if anything, about it. The
abusing system, after all, might not even be a member of the destination
network for the hatemail.
What can the network officials in the originating network do about it?
Should they, in fact, do anything at all? The system being abused might not
even be a member of the network originating the abusive mail. There is no
standard convention for dealing with such problems at this time, at least in
any way other than something purely improvisational. Just whose problem is this
anyway, and who addresses it if it IS a problem, if anyone?
When this occurred to me, I was doing some research on copyright laws and
so forth, and looked at the Berne Convention. The Berne Convention is a set
of basic rules governing the protection of artistic, literary, and other
such copyrightable works. Before the Berne Convention (which the United
States signed in 1989), international copyright protection was only available
to members of countries who had signed the Universal Copyright Convention,
which the United States helped found and which went into effect on September
16, 1955. By joining the Berne Convention, the United States gave its
citizens additional copyright protection in foreign countries (especially
countries willing to join the Berne Union but who had not signed the UCC).
Now, let us backtrack a bit. I propose that members of a network have some
method to address the problem of hatemail originating in foreign networks.
Or perhaps it would be best to be more general: people should have a method
to cause unwanted network packets to stop coming to their bulletin board; it
need not necessarily be unwanted email, though that is the most likely
scenario.
The problem is that network administrators are generally hesitant to
provide such protection for systems not in their network at all, or to avoid
the responsibility of addressing such cross-network problems by pointing out
the fact that the network packets (probably email most often) cross network
boundaries. I say, "So what!" Regardless of the homogeneity of networks, the
members of ALL networks deserve at least a modicum of protection from
harassment, just as the members of ALL countries deserve some basic copyright
protection.
So, I propose a new convention. Since these things are traditionally named
after the place where they are discussed and signed into effect (Berne is
the capital of Switzerland, Geneva is a city, etc), and since we operate
in a "place" that is more virtual than actual (nd since the convention itself
is vastly more virtual than actual at this point), I will even propose a
tentative name: "The Virtual Protection Convention." Networks could sign it
and thus provide their members some form of cross-network protection against
network harassment, or could choose NOT to sign it, in which case joining
systems would know in advance that such protection would not be afforded
them if needed.
Obviously, before any network could sign such a thing, it first must exist!
There is the tricky part; the phrasing would need to be general enough that
the specifics of a network's functioning (either technically or politically)
are irrelevant, while being clear enough that protection from cross-network
harassment is still maintained.
So. I have pointed out a serious flaw with network homogeneity (which is
an ever-growing trend). I have also pointed out a method that network adminis-
trators can use to solve (at least in part) this problem - once the wording
of such a convention can be worked out. To that effect, network coordinators
interested in providing such protection from harassment for their member
systems are urged to contact me (1@2000 WWIVnet) with suggestions for
additions to such a convention (or for a better name than VPC, for that
matter). If enough people work at the wording, eventually it will be good
enough, and sysops and users can have at least some form of protection from
cross-network abuse.
In the end, I think this is a laudable goal, just as I believe that
joining the Berne Union was a good thing for the United States to do. Someday,
hopefully not long from now, we will see on network applications, "Member
of the Virtual Protection Convention" or somesuch, and will thus know
in advance whether we, as sysops and as users, have any protection from
cross-network abuse. Sysops can brag: member of only networks that HAVE
signed the VCP, thus assuring their users of some protection should THEY be
harassed across networks.
While this problem hasn't really been wide scale, I suspect that it is more
common than most of us think, but simply goes unreported (or is ignored as
even BEING a problem), since there is currently no real method of addressing
the problem. In any case, the problem is apt to grow, and it is my opinion
that creating some form of protection is better done early than late. The
growing homogeneity of networks is a mixed blessing; let us enjoy the good,
but let us not fail to address the bad.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ F E A T U R E S T O R I E S АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і The Facts About FAQS і by Deacon Blues 2@7653
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As the Internet, that Infobahn of Infobahns, slowly builds more and more
off-ramps into WWIV BBSes and networks, readers of gated newsgroups (subs, we
WWIVers call them) are going to notice something that they may not be accustom
to seeing; a "Frequently Asked Questions List," better known as a FAQ, or
sometimes FAQL.
FAQs have been a staple around the Internet for years, but the idea never
seemed to catch on much with WWIVers. It is generally considered good Internet
etiquette to post a message asking about the existence of a FAQ for that
newsgroup prior to the posting of any questions regarding the topic. This is
an issue which should not be taken lightly and is something that many WWIVers
who are just getting their first taste of newsgroup access through WWIV
network gating may be unaware of.
Simply stated, the purpose of a FAQ is to periodically inform others
reading a newsgroup (either newbies to the newsgroup or those who've been out
of it for awhile) of the answers to the most commonly asked questions
regarding the topic of the newsgroup. It may sound like a bit of a waste to
those accustomed to WWIV subs, but there is some good reasoning behind the
idea of the FAQ.
The FAQ was and is used by newsgroup moderators as a way to keep network
traffic to a minimum. This is something that is crucial, especially
considering the size and the logistics of the Internet. By periodically
posting a FAQ, the number of (I hate to put it this way, but I really can't
think of another way to say it) "stupid" questions that have already been
asked and answered on the newsgroup many, many times before are kept to a
minimum. This is particularly helpful on more popular newsgroups where there
are thousands (or tens of thousands) of sites (nodes) subscribing.
Think about the concept of the FAQ in WWIV terms. Let's say, for the sake
of argument, that you're a sysop and have just subscribed to a sub for
discussion of that hot, new (but fictional) TV comedy show "Sitcom: The
Series." The show is currently top-rated and the sub has many subscribers and
is very active. You've been successfully added to the sub and messages start
rolling in at a good clip.
However, after reading the new posts, you notice that many of the
questions asked are repetitive and the answers are sometimes contradicting.
Everyone is asking when the new season premier will air. Some say it's in two
weeks, some say three or four. Several people post saying they've heard rumors
that the show will be changing time slots. Many reply that the rumor is true,
others say it's false. Somebody asks what other shows the star of the series
has been in. Many people reply. Some answer with incorrect shows, but most
cite the one only other show that the actor has done.
Sound familiar? It should. There are a number of existing WWIV subs where
the message traffic is reminiscent of the scenario I outlined above, and not
all of these subs deal with popular television shows. The above could happen on
almost any given sub that has a topic matter that is rather specific in
nature. While not applicable to most "general"-type discussion areas, a FAQ
can really help to resolve the problem of repetitiveness and multiple
uninformed or misinterpreted answers on subs where there are problems with
such things.
Now, if you take this WWIV sub scenario that I outlined above and
multiply it ten- or twenty-fold, you then begin to have an understanding of
why a FAQ is considered almost a necessity for those who moderate Internet
newsgroups. As I implied, even the most popular WWIV-network sub has only a
fraction of the subscribers of almost any Internet newsgroup. When I used to
have regular Internet access, it was almost nothing to see a newsgroup blow in
50-100 new messages on a daily (that's right, I said daily) basis. If half of
the subject matter of the messages falls into the aforementioned "stupid"
question/answer category, then how much bandwidth is wasted and how much was
the cost of the transmission of it?
FAQs can be beneficial to everybody. They benefit the readers by providing
them with correct answers to popular questions, therefore minimizing the
number of new but spurious posts. By curtailing the need for spurious posts,
the sysop and the network benefit by the loss of the spurious data and the
need to distribute it.
A good FAQ is as informative but a concise as it can be. It asks and
answers as many questions as possible without going into excruciating detail.
A FAQ should not have the answer to every question ever asked about the
subject, but only the ones that are constantly asked, especially by those who
are new to the discussion or subject. After all, the idea of a FAQ is to
conserve space, so it doesn't do much good to post a 200+k FAQ every month.
Also, whenever possible, the source for the answer to the question should be
included, for those who really wish to verify the accuracy of the statement.
A good FAQ is also as accurate and up-to-date as it can be. This means
that the moderator or the individual in charge of keeping the FAQ should
always try to confirm the information in the FAQ and correct any errors that
may be contained in it. After all, it doesn't make much sense to create a FAQ
with erroneous information. Older questions that have not been asked in some
time or to which the answers are know by virtually all should be removed and
new, fresh questions should be added periodically.
A good FAQ does not contain opinions and hearsay. As we all know,
everyone has an opinion and everybody is a critic. A FAQ should not try to
pose or answer a question that is speculative or subjective by nature. FAQs
are meant to answer questions, not start arguments about the validity of an
answer because the answer is opinionated in nature or is second-hand news
heard from a friend, who heard it from another friend, who was told by his
long-lost cousin (twice removed), etc. If you're going to put it in a FAQ, you
should be able to substantiate your claims.
With that in mind, a good FAQ is also usually a group effort. Creating a
FAQ that contains current and accurate information can be a difficult and
time-consuming task in some cases. Certain information may be difficult for
only one person to research or confirm. Also, a group effort can help
stimulate interest of other readers of the sub or newsgroup. A moderator can
promote the building of a FAQ on his/her sub as a "project" for readers to
participate in and give the readers something constructive to do. There's an
old saying that everybody knows a little bit about something, and it's due to
this that many group-written FAQs are usually compiled in relatively short
order and with usually accurate and credible information.
Regardless of whether you build a FAQ alone or with others, one rule must
always be followed: stick with what you know and don't stretch it. Don't try
to be too diverse on an initial effort to compile a FAQ. Let it slowly grow
over time, just like a tree. Prune it every now and again by purging outdated
material. Keep feeding it a handful of fertilizer (as in new material and not
the fertilizer of the bovine category that we're all familiar with) every now
and again and it could thrive for years with relatively low-maintenance.
As with anything that demands a good degree of accuracy, the answers to a
successful FAQ must be researched and documented whenever possible. About the
best place to do this is through a local public library. Many have
computerized databases with published information on virtually thousands of
subjects. Regardless of where the subject matter of the FAQ lies, from
entertainment to computer programming and anything else, a library should
yield a good number of answers for you in one stop. And if you still need
more, chances are that you can use information from the library to help point
you in the direction for the answers that you still need.
A FAQ can be about any subject, and, in many cases, is a good way for
someone unfamiliar with the topic to at least learn some basics. In this
regard, a FAQ should be educational. In fact, I know of a number of people who
simply go around collecting FAQs to put them on their BBSes in g-files or for
downloading. Some CD-ROM discs for BBS use can also contain FAQs on them on
any number of topics. So, if you're considering writing a FAQ, look around
first. Somebody may have already written one on the subject you want to do one
on, thus saving you the trouble.
Now that you know what a FAQ is and how to go about creating one, I'll
conclude this article by creating an short sample excerpt of what a finished
FAQ may look like when completed. I'll again use the fictitious "Sitcom: The
Series" as the model. I hope that this article helps to raise the level of
awareness about FAQs, the purpose that they can serve, and the valuable asset
that they can be, especially to sub moderators.
=============================================================================
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS LIST
ABOUT "SITCOM: THE SERIES"
Compiled by: The users and readers of "Sitcom: The Sub"
FAQL Last Updated: 09/12/94
Q. WHAT IS "SITCOM: THE SERIES?"
A. "Sitcom: The Series" is a weekly half-hour television program based on
"Sitcom: The Movie," a 1992 feature film comedy about life on the set of a
popular television situation comedy. "Sitcom: The Series" premiered
09/27/93 and has been renewed for a second season. (Source: Mr. Knowitall,
1@685380)
Q. WHEN AND WHERE IS IT ON? <-- (Notice two questions on one line)
A. "Sitcom: The Series" airs in the US at 8:00 PM Eastern time each Wednesday
on cable's The Useless Programming Channel (UPC). Syndicated in all other
foreign markets. Check local listings for regional availability. (Sources:
Couch Potato, 142@6930731, The Useless Programming Channel Magazine)
Q. WHO ARE THE CHARACTERS IN IT AND WHO PLAYS THEM?
A. Burt Langhorne stars as Jack Hack, producer of "The Handy's," the show with
the show. Steve Odore plays actor Forrest Parkes, who plays Andy Handy,
owner of Handy's Mart on the fictional show. Pam Oleo portrays actress
Amanda Pumps/wife Mandy Handy. Dora Standpipe plays actress Sharon
Sharalyke/teen daughter Candy Handy. Jimmy Locke stars as heart-throb actor
Jason Mason/inept Russian immigrant store clerk Ivan Slakenoff. Various
guest stars appear as writers, directors, and as guest stars on the
fictitious show. (Source: Video Junkie, 26@8489670532)
Q. WHEN DOES THE NEW SEASON START?
A. October 27, 1994. (Source: The Useless Programming Channel Magazine)
Q. WHO WILL BE MAKING GUEST APPEARANCES IN THE NEW SEASON?
A. Asian comedian Sandy Chin, Italian race car driver "Goggles" Pisano,
football coach Buck Skin, and washed-up actor McLean Stevenson are
scheduled to appear so far. (Sources: Channel Surfer Dude, 846@48567683,
Idiot Box Magazine)
Q. IS JIMMY LOCKE REALLY LEAVING THE SHOW?
A. No. That was a rumor started by Locke's agent as a tactic to re-negotiate
Locke's contract. He has signed a new contract and will return. (Sources:
Fighting Oscar, 73@385897032, syndicated TV show "Tube Talk")
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і WWIV Services on the Internet і IceNEWS Staff
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
WWIV hasn't been left behind in the proliferation of Internet services
over the past year. Multiple FTP sites for WWIV support have been setup at
various locations, and efforts to organize a regular WWIV chat session over
the Internet are underway.
FTP (File Transfer Protocol) is an Internet service that allows users
to request and transfer files from remote machines. Currently, I am aware
of two Anonymous FTP sites accessible over the Internet. They are:
ftp.netcom.com - /pub/WWIV
Chris Yarnell (IceNET 1@2914) runs this site from the nationwide
Network Communications (netcom) service. While the size of the FTP site
is limited by space constraints, pub/WWIV contains virtually every major
WWIV utility, a large collection of FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) files
pertaining to WWIV, and even a few OS/2 related communications files.
Netcom also has virtually unlimited capacity, so response and transfer times
are always speedy.
helser66.res.iastate.edu -
This is a newer site, run by Backlash (1@5552 IceNET). While the
capacity for concurrent users is lower (and response times are somewhat
slower), there are no disk space restrictions applying to the site, so
a considerably larger number of files can be found here. The selection
includes all the current WWIV Software Services releases, WWCP (WWIV->
Internet gate software) files, and most popular utilities.
The IRC (#WWIV/#wwiv)
The Internet Relay Chat system (IRC) allows users all over the world
to chat with each other in near-realtime. At any given time of day, you can
expect to come across thousands of users from all over making use of the
service, often speaking German. There have been several attempts to setup
a set meeting time for sysops on #wwiv (or #WWIV - there seems to be little
agreement on which is preferred). Over the last few weeks, people have been
popping on and off almost at random. IRC servers vary in response speed and
quality. Some recomended servers are irc-2.mit.edu (port 6665) and
irc.colorado.edu. Some people have been pushing the "Undernet" (the sitename
is no.undernet.org). This should probably not be used, as it requires a
deliberate connection to a little-used server. Since the majority of
IRC users are on the normal ("over") network, this keeps the channel accessible.
Over the past few weeks, a meeting time of 1:00pm Pacific Time has
been generally agreed upon, and a large number of people have been showing
up for either the whole session or just for a segment.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і A Day in the Life of an IceNET GC і by Music Man 1@9680
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It's 7:00 am and all is well except for an irritating sound emanating from
somewhere unknown to this old man asleep on his somewhat firm bed. Again,
the irritating sound persists with a unrelentless screech as if to say, get
up you jerk. Being a not so argumentative type guy, I regain consciousness
again as I have for the last 45 years. Typically, I very much despise waking
out of my slumber, but oh well, it is dirty work, but someone has to do it.
I, Mr. GC4 of IceNET, begin my day. Hurry up honey, it is time to go
to work, yells my wife from the distance. I think to myself, "leave me alone,
yesterday was a long day and I want to enjoy one of life's choicest moments,
sleep." Though I try to fight it, I do get up. Off to the shower to wash
the previous day's wear and tear. Scrub a dub, scrub a dub, "maybe if I
scrub hard enough I will loose a couple more pounds." "Hmm... it didn't work!"
After a time in the bathroom I head to my Maestro BBS computer center to
check of the nights email and update requests that, hopefully, came in over the
night callouts through the wonderful software called Net 34. "Hmm... what is
this, a lock up?" I say to myself. Ah... what is the awful noise coming from
the inside of my tower case? Grind, Grind... another of those hard locks!
"I have simply go to get this bug fixed." I reset the computer and net 34
finishes it's grind and good old linker unlinks the collage of packet
information. "Ah Hah!" "It is fixed for another day." I anxiously go
through my mail. In the background I hear "honey, come eat your breakfast.
You have to be at work in 10 minutes." I, as any husband will do, I hurriedly
head to the dining room as ordered.
Arriving at my office I rush to my computer and call out to good old
Maestro BBS and quickly head to the mail again. "Oh, another new applicant,"
I think to myself. "Let's see, this update from the AC has an application
from this new connect but has no server listed. Hm...what should I do here?
I guess I will send mail off to the AC and ask to which node this new applicant
will connect to." So off to my faithful friend WWIVedit I go to write to the
AC. I think as I am writing, "boy, one of my directives as a GC is to have fast
updates. How is this going to look?" I put that off knowing that the problem
is not at my end. Thus I have a slight delay in this update.
I read through more of my mail. "What? Please drop XXXX and XXXX from
XXXX?" "Hmm... now that will orphan 30 systems from the network." So off to
WWIVedit again to write to all the potential systems that will no longer be
in the net with this update. I ask them whom they are planning connecting
to on this situation. I then proceed to write to the one who is requesting
the drop if he will wait till we find new connects for the orphaned systems.
"I sure hope he will hold off on this until these others get connected to.
I guess they can call here if they have to until they get another connect."
As a new GC, I find myself unsure of all the ins and outs, but know that
if there is a problem I cannot solve, I can go to my friend Jim, 1@1, for
advice.
I think to myself, "Boy, I sure hope I am doing the right things for Jim
and his great network. I would not want to let him down or those who depend
on me."
On to the next email. I find a request to be AC for an area. "Well," I
think, "this area doesn't have an AC and it sure would be great to have one,
and it would be much easier on me to see one there too." So I write back again
with my favorite editor. I tell him that it would be best to have an election
and to have someone nominate him/her for the position. "It is always best to
have support of others in your area code." As I write, I hope that the sysop
will understand that I am not against them being an AC, but that I want the
best situation for him and the area involved.
There is one more email. This is a request from a new system to be added
to IceNET. As I continue to look over the application I find that the system
has only been up for two days! I find that the system has only two users
and a total of 10 calls. Now at I think that this is a joke. Reading further
I find that this is an actual application. So, I proceed to email again.
"Thank you so very much for your consideration of IceNET to be added to your
bbs. We count it a compliment that you would consider our network. I would
like to suggest that you wait a while before adding any networks to your
system. It would be beneficial to you and your users to have more time to
get acquainted with the WWIV software and all the ins and outs. Since you
have only been up for two days at the time of this application, I would like
to suggest that you get more time under your belt. Also, it would be good
to consider registering your software ASAP although we do allow you a period
of time to be in IceNET before registration is required. Anyway, thank you
again for your application. I will keep this on hold until I hear from you
again in a month or so." After sending of this mail, I think to myself, "boy,
I hope they will understand and know we want the best for their bbs and
IceNET."
I finish my reading of update requests and proceed to edit the bbslist.*
and connect.* files carefully checking to see that no one is messed up or left
out. I then turn to a program called netup and send out the new files to Jim.
Knowing that Jim and I both desire that IceNET be a fast, friendly and
efficient network, I realize that Jim will send out this update to the rest of
the network within hours.
"Hmm... it is now 10 am. I guess I had better get to my rehearsals." Off I
go into the rest of my day knowing full well that tomorrow will bring another
day of updates and email from Group 4.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ W W I V - S P E C I F I C АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і WWIV Utilities and Modification Review і by Calvin 1@8262
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NAME OF MOD/UTILITY BEING REVIEWED: DREAM35B.MOD
AUTHOR'S NAME/HANDLE : Unca Scrooge @8398 WWIVNet
VERSION NUMBER : N/A
VERSION DATE (.EXE date stamp) : March 28, 1994
OVERALL SCORE : 8
INSTALLATION : 7
DOCUMENTATION : 9
PRESENTATION : 10
EASE OF USE : 10
CODING (mods only) : 8
STATED PURPOSE OF MOD/UTILITY:
------------------------------
To provide WWIV with an informative, colorful message header
REVIEWER'S PRO COMMENTS:
-----------------------
This mod LOOKS GREAT. When you have it installed on your BBS, the
information normally presented in a bland, non-informative, and frankly
cluttered format at the beginning of messages and mail suddenly comes to
life. I'm going to include a screen shot here, so be warned that
there's ANSI coming!!! This is a sample of a post header in a netted
message base.
ЙДДДДДДДДДДДДЛДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД»
і Title і Hey Unca! (: 74/75 і
і SubName і DreamWARE Comm. Support і
і Name і Dude #897 @1111 і
і Date і Sat Mar 19 10:21:04 1994 і
і From і WWIVnet - Always Down BBS [813-555-1122] і
і Location і Western Florida і
ИДДДДДДДДДДДДКДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДюД06:05:56 pmДюДј
Now, maybe that doesn't impress you, but look at how the stuff is laid
out!? I think it looks great, and it really adds a nice touch to your
message bases and your WHOLE SYSTEM in general. Mail and posts both get
this header.
REVIEWER'S CON COMMENTS:
------------------------
There are a couple problems with this mod, but they're quite small.
There is a bug that makes Source Validated Mail look screwy in the
header. Now, that was fixed in a later version, but that's the other
part of the problem: Unca Scrooges dang updates DON'T come through
ModNet! I had put this mod in right when it came out (March) and about
JUMPED for joy and excitement when I saw Unca Scrooge put out a new
version that fixed the Source Validated Mail thing. He also included a
new, ViSiOn-X-style header that could be used instead of the default one
through a simple define. I personally thought it looked terrible, but
someone must have liked it! <g>
Here's the problem again: Una Scrooges mods DON'T make it to my system
anymore. This mod requires a standard library he made for his mods.
For THIS mod, and old one is used, which I happened to have in ModNet
still. In the update, though, it requires a NEW version of his library
which I DIDN'T have. When I finally got it, I discovered that
DREAM35C.MOD would put garbage instead of message numbers in sub
posts!!! Then I heard talk of DREAM35E. Heck, I hadn't even seen _D_
come down the sub!!!!
That is why I chose to install this mod. Unca Scrooge has an excellent
series of mods that are well-written, fairly easy to install, and quite
functional as well as pretty. I WON'T put any of them in, though, until
he gets a version of this mod out compatible with the new library that
actually gets to me. I mean, this mod is GREAT!
FINAL THOUGHTS:
---------------
If you're not Unca Scrooge, put this mod in. If you ARE Unca Scrooge,
why on earth do you UUCode your mods, anyway? They AREN'T that big! I
REALLY would like to see the update of this mod. In the meantime,
except for the Source Validated Mail thing, I'll leave in this
EXCELLENT, PERFECTLY working mod!
REVIEW WRITTEN BY : Calvin
NET ADDRESS : @8262 IceNET
REVIEWER'S SYSTEM : Blarty-Toot BBS (WWIV v.4.23)
HEAP FREE @ //STAT : uh. Huh-huh. Didn't check.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
іRevolution Planned For '95!і by Spotnick 1@5497
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Firstly, I must welcome you to this first "WWIV Chronicles", I'm a new
editor in IceNEWS and I must say that this won't be easy for me because english
is my second language, but I'll do my best to be understandable. I thank the
IceNEWS staff for asking me to join this team, even if I'm not really good at
writing articles in english, this is a change to improve my skills.
As my first article, it wouldn't be fair to explain my group project to the
people. I will take this opportunity to introduce to everyone the WWIVsys
project.
WWIVsys project was developed many years ago by Dark Shadow, the co-author
of WWIVsys. He was trying to write his own BBS software and the editors were
external. We decided last summer to convert this project to WWIV for good, and
this is where the story begins.
WWIVsys stands for "WWIV SysOp Utilities", which is a local-only utility
for the WWIV system operator. A demo version has been released for SysOps to
see the environment and show what it should look like at the beginning, but
since that release, WWIVsys improved a lot and is far superior to what it was
supposed to be at the beginning.
WWIVsys is the most powerful tool to date for the WWIV SysOp, it replace the
entire SysOp functions from WWIV, puts them on an external program. Not only
it does this, but it also replace the INIT.EXE that comes with WWIV. All
functions are available in WWIVsys and there is some extra options also
available. All functions in WWIVsys are graphical, in ANSI mode, that allow
you to do everything will the minimum of keys. Mostly you will navigate with
the arrow keys and the spacebar.
One good note is that WWIVsys can allow Registered WWIV SysOps to remove
all the code for the SysOp functions of WWIV, which will free a lot of memory,
and save a lot of DGROUP space. But the main problem is that it doesn't work
remotely, so only local SysOps can use it, so if you have remote operators, you
can't remove WWIV internal functions.
To have a look at what WWIVsys can do, here is a list of the features in
WWIVsys (version is 0.4б):
Activity Log
НННННННННННН
A Graphical ZLOG viewer.
Auto Validation Keys
НННННННННННННННННННН
The ALT-Fkeys options editor, to validate users online.
BBS Information
НННННННННННННННН
All information about the BBS itself. Most of this information
is from INIT's screen 1 and 2.
Conference Editor
ННННННННННННННННН
The Conference Editor of WWIVsys.
Dir Editor
НННННННННН
The directory editor of WWIVsys.
Door Editor
ННННННННННН
The chain editor of WWIVsys, also a very good way to select the
registered user option.
External Editors
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The full screen editors editor of WWIVsys.
External Programs
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Allows you to edit archivers and events.
External Protocols
НННННННННННННННННН
Allows you to edit internal and external protocols.
File Editor
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File Editor, many options available, very good tool to do your file
maintenance.
Gfile Editor
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Allows you to edit the gfiles in gfiles sections.
Gfiles Section Editor
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The Gfile Section editor of WWIVsys.
Instance Editor
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Allows you to edit options of each instance you have. Won't allow to
add instances due to the protection of WWIV.
Language Editor
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The language editor of WWIVsys.
Mail Manager
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The email manager of WWIVsys.
Modem Init
НННННННННН
The modem strings & result codes editor of WWIVsys.
Network Information
ННННННННННННННННННН
The net editor of WWIVsys
Paths Editor
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The paths editor of WWIVsys.
Security Level
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This allow you to select the options for each security level, much
better than the INIT system.
SSM Manager
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This allows you to edit/delete/send small system messages.
Statistics
НННННННННН
Various Statistics of the WWIV system. Might be removed from release
version.
Strings Editor
НННННННННННННН
WWIVese integrated to WWIVsys. The freeware external string editor of
Dark Shadow is now included inside WWIVsys
Sub Editor
НННННННННН
The board editor of WWIVsys, with the net info editor embedded, which
is very powerful. Gives you more options than the normal WWIV system.
Sub List Selector
ННННННННННННННННН
The ultimate networked WWIV tool! This option is unique to WWIVsys. It
allows you to scan the SUBS.* files and press ENTER to the sub you wish
to install, and WWIVsys will automatically install the sub for you. A
very useful tool for SysOps.
Tetris
НННННН
The popular Tetris game, included to WWIVsys for relaxation and to
have another dimension in WWIVsys. You will be able to play from WFC!
User Editor
ННННННННННН
The most powerful user editor ever, you can simply edit ANYTHING you
wish, this is the perfect tool for WWIV SysOp. Very easy to use.
Vote Editor
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Finally a vote editor that allows you to change the embedded options
without having to delete the question. Was planned since a while, but
finally included into WWIVsys. This is the ultimate tool for voting
booth. Does not work currently with the Logicom Voting Booth.
WWIV.INI Flags Editor
ННННННННННННННННННННН
For the INI hater in you! This will avoid you to load an editor to
toggle WWIV.INI options. Yes! You can toggle the YES/NO field with
only the press of the Space Bar!
WWIV.INI Editor
ННННННННННННННН
To edit all other WWIV-native options, only the original ones included
starting v4.24
This is the current options available, but there are more to come. WWIVsys
is written in C, so it is fast. WWIVsys is our first real step in the
shareware market, and the price is fixed to 30$ CAN (22$ US) for the multi-
station software.
Our beta team is limited, but is also composed of great members:
Morbid Angel, an old friend, a very good bug finder!
Expos, SysOp of an FMD site called Best of the Best BBS.
Electron, SysOp of Electronic Avenue.
Tarkan, Author of the WWIVsys documentation.
Zu Digital, Part time beta tester, author of the WWIV.INI handling functs.
Morgul, WWIV Support SysOp, SysOp of the Trading Post [EAST]
Unca Scrooge, SysOp of DreamNET.
Without those people, the WWIVsys project wouldn't be at the level it is now,
this team is limited, but they do the job of 20 beta testers!
Authors: Dark Shadow (Martin Bourdages)
Spotnick (Nicolas LeBlanc)
Release Date planned: Christmas 1994 or earlier.
WWIVsys will be released as a demo. The demo version will have all options
enabled for testing purpose, but it won't save any data files. So you will be
able to test the entire software before buying it. Some options will be enabled
,
the string editor, the BBS Informations and the WWIV.INI flags editor.
There is a sub about WWIVsys for those interested to have the latest news
about it, it's of course available on IceNET and auto requestable.
WWIVsys Beta Discussion
SubType: WWIVSYS
Host: 5497
You can have the demo version of WWIVsys called WWIVSYS.ZIP on most support
boards, it will give you an idea of the way WWIVsys will work, but this demo
is from the v0.1б, many additions has been done since then, and the WWIVsys
software is getting better and better.
So, that's why we, in French Mod Division, tell you to be ready for the
revolution of WWIV management in 1995!
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ H A R D W A R E АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і IBM Lexmark LaserPrinter 12R+ і by Will 1@6754
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Laserprinters have always been a tricky purchase. While nobody
can really deny their usefulness and excellent document quality,
finding the best match of features and performance for a given task can
be daunting. While Laserprinters (usually lower resolution 300x300 dpi
models) have come down in price substantially over the past year, a
really good model will still cost more than the computer that's driving
it. This is changing.
Lexmark's (IBM spun their printer division off to this Kentucky
based company a few years back) printers are by no means the only choice
on the market. However, they provide one of the best mixes of features,
price, and performance currently available. Several new printers have
recently been added to the company's flagship 4039 line, the "Plus"
series, consisting of the 12 Page Per Minute 12R+ and 12L+ and the 16
Page Per Minute 16L+. After spending several months looking over these
and other products in the Laserprinter arena, we went ahead and bought a
12R+.
The 4039 series printers are large, well designed, boxes. These
are not machines to fit under your monitor lift, being fourteen by
fourteen by twelve inches (length/width/height) in dimension. This large
case is necessary to hold the fast print engine and make other options
available, but it did require significant shuffling on my desk. The
unit has a front mounted power toggle switch, and a four line, 19
characters per line LCD, with six control buttons (four of which change
function according to the current menu being displayed). The printer
uses a multi-menu system to access all configuration options. It's
extremely easy to do just about everything, including print font lists,
demo and test pages, and change printer defaults.
Accessing the innards of the printer is very easy. There are no
screws, sliders, thumbpresses, or other impediments. You simply grasp
the slider above the LCD, squeeze, and lift. Elapsed time, one second.
The toner cartridge (available in 10,000 and 20,000 page versions)
slides right out for easy replacement. The printer design lifts the
cartridge free of the printer body, reducing the opportunity for damage
or injury, as well as making the process virtually effortless.
In the standard configuration, the 12R+ includes two paper
insertion areas and two output areas. There's a standard paper tray
(again in the front, easily removable), and a sheet feeder attachment at
the rear for small numbers of envelopes, stationary, etc. Output is
usually produced at the top of the printer, which has a snap-on paper
block that can accommodate up to 14 inch stock (the block is removable).
Copy is delivered face down. Another front mounted toggle allows you to
have output ejected front the front of the printer onto a snap-on tray.
In this case, copy appears face-up.
In the standard configuration, the 12R+ comes with two megabytes
of printer RAM. The unit supports a maximum of 16 megabytes, more than
enough for virtually any project (upgrading past 10 megabytes does
require the removal of the two megabyte modules the printer ships with).
Four megabyte and eight megabyte modules (to raise total memory to 6 and
10 MB) have a street price of around $170 and $320, respectively. Access
to the printer mainboard to install these upgrades is more complicated
than toner removal, but not overly so.
The printer includes a fast RISC microprocessor to decrease the
amount of time one spends waiting for jobs to print. Maximum resolution
is 600x600 dots per inch, and the printer includes Lexmark's PQET
enhancement technology to smooth edges and lines. Lexmark advertises a
101 gray scale capability, and on my tests with 256 color grayscale
photos, the output was quite acceptable (in fact, it looked better than
the same images output on an Apple Laserwriter Pro 630). The fact
that the printer had only two megabytes of memory limited the size of
the image I could print (for the 256 greyscale image, about 4 inches by 5
inches), but did not degrade the quality. There was some slight banding
in the darker shades on a gradient fill test, but no more than on any
other printer I've seen. Fills looked excellent, as the solid blacks did
not appear as patchy as they do on many other printers.
The software included is also excellent. Full Windows and OS/2
drivers and installation software are included. Both installed and
functioned without problems, and offered a lot of functionality. The +
series printers also come with a set of other bidirectional printer
utilities for use in DOS and Windows. Postscript Level 2 and Enhanced PCL 5
(Page Control Language - the Hewlett Packard standard) emulations are
both included, and you can install any combination of Windows and OS/2
emulation drivers.
The printer includes 39 Adobe Type One fonts, 36 Intellifonts,
10 Truetype, and two bitmapped fonts (including bar codes). The printer
does not included matching screen fonts, but they can be ordered from
Lexmark at no charge - just check the boxes on a postage paid card, drop
it in the mail, and Lexmark will ship you what you need, including the
printer's technical reference guide, and a converter program to allow
you to convert Truetype fonts to downloadable form.
In short, the 4039-12R+ is an excellent printer and an excellent
value, working quickly, efficiently, and easily.
Product Statistics:
Model : Lexmark IBM LaserPrinter 4039-12R Plus
Pages Per Minutes : 12
Emulations : Enhanced PCL 5 and Postscript Level 2
Resolution : 600x600 dpi + PQET resolution enhancement
Memory : 2mb standard, 16mb max
Grayscales : 101
Fonts : 39 Postscript, 10 Truetype, 36 Intellifont, 2 Bitmapped
Supports HP type font cartridges
Software : Windows and OS/2 drivers, Windows/DOS/OS/2 Printer Utilities
Options Available : Network Support
100 and 500 Sheet Paper Trays
Duplexing
Flash Memory and Hard Disk Drive
Other : EPA Energy Star Qualified
Street Price : $1300
Contact : Lexmark International, Inc.
740 New Circle Road
Lexington, KY 40511-1847
(800)-358-5835,(606)-232-2000, Fax: 606-232-2000
In short : An excellent Laser Printer providing top notch print quality
and network upgradability as an excellent price.
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Oh, Those Upgrading Blues... і by Papa Bear 1@5079
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I recently came back from my trip in New Jersey, where I was working for
the past month, only to find that my precious BBS computer had some things
wrong with it.
During that month I had been in contact with my cosysop (and wife) talking
on the phone about the health and welfare of the family, and BBS. She had
mentioned a few weeks ago that there were things starting to get "flaky".
(With the BBS, not the family <grin>.)
Firstly, the tape back-up stopping backing up, for no apparent reason. It
wouldn't even take new tapes properly. To bypass this, and keep the BBS up,
she simply disabled the automatic backup routines that I had written before I
left.
Then the laser on the CD-ROM stopped firing (we're both Electronics
Technicians, and we're always up to our elbows in the computer). This was
VERY distressing since we do a *lot* of business off the CD-ROM. This news
by itself seemingly indicated that the CD-ROM was simply going bad on its own.
She then reported about this time that the 345 MB and the 540 MB hard drives
were acting very strangely. The boot drive would boot up fine during one
reset, and then it wouldn't during another. The machine would seem to forget
that both hard drives each had a partition on them, only to work fine an hour
later.
BIOS information would get lost for no apparent reason...
"Aha!", I though, I *know* the problem. A power supply going bad. I knew
the motherboard's CMOS battery was okay, since I had just bought a new
486DX-33 motherboard and CPU a mere month before. The power supply and case
(a full size desktop AT) were the *LAST* pieces of remaining hardware left on
my entire machine -- everything else had been upgraded throughout the years.
So she went out and bought me a "refrigerator" (larger than full size, 10
bays) size tower case with a new 300 watt power supply. She carefully, and
dutifully moved the guts from one machine to the other, and hooked it all up.
After it was done, around 4:30am, she thought it all worked...
I came home a week or so later, to find this GREAT case with a side that
swings open, allowing easy access to the insides, and a non-working tape
back-up. Remember that she had disabled the tape back-up software a week or
so before, and hadn't re-enabled it. Everything else seemed to work fine.
So I opened her up (now my wife was the one to be out of town, visiting
relatives in El Paso) to see what was up. Oh! The tape back-up's data cable
was disconnected. So I reconnected it. After hooking up the necessities --
being the keyboard, video, and power connectors -- I fired it up a found that
the tape back-up worked fine. Now the CD-ROM stopped working... This is was
strange. Thank goodness I never button up the case until after testing the
things I think I've fixed, as it saves a lot of time if something else needs
working on!
I doubled checked all the software first. Always a first step, since its
easier checking that than risking breaking something else by having my big
ole hands rummaging around inside the case. Everything looked great there!
Okay, time to go back into the case...
I thought I had found the problem when I noticed that there were some 8-bit
cards in 16-bit card slots with 16-bit cards in slots "before" them (before
meaning that they were in a position on the motherboard that is closer to the
power supply). Sometimes this will render a 8-bit card inoperable, especially
if the 16-bit card before the 8-bit "answers up" to a "call" from the CPU
that was destined for the 8-bit card. In this case the 8-bit card never
"hears" the call and doesn't preform its function.
Anyway, I rearranged the cards, making sure to use the 8-bit cards in 8-bit
slots whenever possible (one of my 8-bit slots is unusable due to the
placement of the CMOS battery -- something to watch for next time you're in
the market for a new motherboard), and also making sure that the 8-bit cards
were "before" the 16-bit ones...
Nope, still didn't work. Damn.
So I changed the base address, via hardware jumper, on the CD-ROM from 250h
to 260h. Success! Well, at first it worked. Upon rebooting, the CD-ROM
stopped working again.
Now its 5:30am Monday morning, and I'm beat. I've been working on this thing
since 9pm Saturday night (there was a host of other things to do, too) -- since
getting home from New Jersey. So I disable the CD-ROM's software device
drivers and get a few hours sleep.
Upon waking up, I call technical support. After describing my symptoms
(which are: When SBCD.SYS is called the drive takes a extraordinary long time
to pass and when MSCDEX.EXE is called, the machine will only proceed booting
up if you press the EJECT button on the drive), the Technician declares my
drive dead, and turns me over to the RMA department. (Yes, I'm getting it
repaired for free, it *is* still under warranty. <G>)
Needing a CD-ROM, I went out and bought another, different, CD-ROM. One
that would use the standard 50-pin SCSI connector that is on my sound card.
(The other one uses a funky kind of proprietary 38-pin SCSI connector that
requires its own interface card.) I get it home, slap on the rails, and
install it. After powering up, I find that the CD caddy will not insert
fully into the drive. The manual says its supposed to go in easily,
especially since it is motor driven when the caddy go in past a certain
point. No go, damn!
Resigned to my fate, I start to take the rails off so I can pack it up and
return it. By sheer luck, I notice that the screws (ones that came with the
rails for the case, not the ones that came with the drive) were long. I
replaced those screws with the ones that came with the drive and hooked it
back up. Finally! It works! Some final software tweaking, and buttoning up,
and we're all set.
But there's no audio cable to go from the CD-ROM to the sound card. Oh
well, I'll just pick one of those up tomorrow. For now I'll just use the
front panel mini-plug jack to plug into my stereo computer speakers.
So after more than a week, we're finally stable again. These are the
things that can happen when the power to your machine starts going bad. I
knew that from the beginning. What I didn't know was that the bad power,
which was beginning to fluctuate between unacceptable highs and lows, would
damage certain components in machine to the point where THEY would become
intermittent at a later date as well. And intermittent problems have to be
the WORST things to try and track down!
If you're going to be upgrading your machine a lot (in the past 4 years
I've had 4 hard drives, 3 motherboards, 3 floppies, 4 keyboards, RAM [DRAM
and SIMMs], etc...) keep in mind that the power supply needs to be taken into
consideration as well. For without stable power, a computer wigs out.
Also take into consideration the wattage you have to work with. The
motherboard (faster CPUs draw more, too!) and anything plugging into the
motherboard draws from the total amount of power you have. On my system I
have: 486/33 CPU, 8 MB RAM, sound card, video card, IDE interface, CD-ROM
interface, I/O interface, 2 hard drives, 1 floppy, 1 tape back-up, and 1
CD-ROM. With all of this, and a 200 watt power supply, I was most likely
pushing that power supply to major extremes. Adding a 300 watt power supply
alleviates the problem nicely!
Three last points: When installing new hardware, always try to use the
parts that they have packaged with what you're installing! Also make sure
that you have all the necessary hardware (like cables) to complete the job.
Finally, get rest. I made a lot of mistakes because I didn't get the sleep
over the weekend that I should have.
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ S O F T W A R E / P R O G R A M M I N G АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Borland Paradox 5.0 і by Will 1@6754
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
Borland's Paradox database has always been a powerful tool. It's also
popular, with over twenty percent market share as of June, 1994. With Borland's
other end-user database, Dbase IV/5, holding over 50%, Paradox is a clear
number 2. The new version, 5.0 for Windows, goes a long way towards resolving
the few problems with the program, and reasserts its lead over Microsoft
Access, Lotus Approach, and the rest.
Paradox 5.0 is a massive expansion on it's predecessor, version
4.5. It also runs faster, even though the minimum memory was raised from four
megabytes to six (experienced Paradox 4.5 users will know that the program
needed at least 10 to run with decent performance). Version 5.0 is usable with
eight. Much of the code is optimized, so the program compiles applications and
runs queries much faster than earlier versions.
Version 5.0 includes a host of new features designed to remove
the biggest gripe people had about it - usability. While earlier versions were
not bad in terms of usability, the learning curve was higher than in competing
programs. Version 5.0 includes three "Experts", equivalent to Microsoft's
Wizards, although in some ways more flexible, that allow for virtually hands
off design of forms, reports, and mailing labels. The latter, especially, had
been tricky to put together with 4.5. With the Mailing Label Expert, however,
all you need to do is select the data, select the data order, pick from a
selection of the popular Avery brand printer labels, and the program will take
care of putting everything together. The results are excellent - in two minutes
I put together an excellent label report.
Individuals developing Paradox 5.0 applications (see below) can now create
their own Experts as well, and add them to the Paradox Experts dialog. This
feature seems to be unique to Paradox, and will provide developers with an
excellent new selling point.
The other learning curve enhancements are the thirteen interactive
"Coaches" that lead you through the performance of various tasks. While they
don't teach you the most advanced aspects of the program, the coaches do an
excellent job of teaching all the everyday skills you'll need, such as
designing a database set, working with a table, query, or report, and linking
multiple databases. My only gripe with the Coaches was the lack of flexibility
- when I needed to change my working directory in order to run one of them, I
had to quit the Coach midway and start over. Since they will generally be used
first by people who haven't added additional database aliases, etc, this
really won't be a problem in the long run.
ObjectPAL, the Object-Oriented Paradox Application Language, has also
been expanded. The new version accepted forms and applications written in
version 4.5 flawlessly, but with over two hundred new methods (functions),
and over a hundred new properties, they didn't stay backwards compatible for
long. Using some of the new functions, I was able to cut several pages of code
from various applications. The IDE (Integrated Development Environment) has
been improved, and a new multi-Window Independent Debugger added. The new
debugger allows tracing, error stack tracing, Stop Execution and Run to End
of Method buttons, and quite a bit more, making it much easier to debug
complex applications.
ObjectPAL has always been a great tool, and the new methods make it even
more so. With the release of the forthcoming Developers Edition, which will
allow the release of precompiled applications, ObjectPAL's advanced features
(such as access to most of the Windows API, for functions like playing .WAV
files) will make it an increasingly important player in the programming
arena.
The Form and Report designers also contain a slew of new features that
make it even easier to design great looking screens and printouts. Most visible
are the several nice looking new frame styles, allowing for a much better
looking document. The standard dialog boxes (created with the msgInfo(),
msqQuestion(), and related ObjectPAL commands) have been changed to the
standard 3D Borland style. While they still look good, I would have liked
to be able to use the Paradox 4.5 type dialog boxes as well.
Paradox's overall usability has been increased with a Project Viewer
similar to the one found in dBase 5.0 for Windows. The Project Viewer allows
you to view all of the files of various types in your working directory
graphically. I found that with the Project Viewer available, I was able to cut
the amount of time I spent opening and closing reports and forms dramatically.
The database engine itself has also been improved. Beyond speed increases,
the already robust amount of field types has been augmented with Long Integer,
Time, Time Stamp, Logical, Byte, Binary, and Autoincrement fields. The last is
the most immediately useful - Autoincrement fields are Long Integer fields that
increase by one with each new record. Instead of simply adding one to the
highest value, however, they choose the highest value that has yet to be used.
The upshot of this is if you have order numbers 33, 34, and 35, and you delete
33 and 35, the next one you add will be assigned 36, not 35, keeping all values
unique. For one wholesaler's management application, I was able to remove
nearly a page of code designed to keep order numbers unique for new records
just by changing the key fields to Autoincrement and Long Integer.
Paradox 4.5 was packaged as a stand alone and as a separate networked
product. Paradox 5.0 comes in one version, with networking support and the
Workgroup Desktop, for the same list price as the networkable version of
Paradox 4.5. Borland has added support for Client Server computing and SQL.
It also includes local SQL which lets you treat local tables as SQL based
tables during application development. Paradox now supports SQL linking to
Borland Interbase, Oracle, Sybase, and Microsoft SQL servers, and Informix.
Of course, you can also use multiple copies of Paradox on a LAN, with the
purchase of the appropriate licensing.
In short, the program's a winner. The program makes up for its heavier
resource requirements with enhanced speed and functionality, and ease of use
has been improved to the point where a relative database novice can get started
with a little patience.
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ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Borland Sidekick 1.0/Win і by Will 1@6754
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For the last couple of years I've been pretty down on the concept of
Personal Information Manager programs (PIMs). Really, I've had this feeling
since the first ones came out. Whenever my information managing needs became
too great for the mass of paper and Post-It notes that surround my various
desks, I'd always pull one out of the pile (both Shareware and Commercial) and
give it a shot. Inevitably, after about a few days of religiously using the
thing, I gave it up, consolidated the various sheets of paper into a smaller
pile, and let the cycle repeat itself.
However, last week I broke the chain. While I was installing the new
version of Borland Paradox (see elsewhere in this issue), I noticed that
Borland had slipped in a promotional copy of Sidekick 1.0 for Windows. I'd
heard more good things about the various DOS versions of Sidekick, but since
the DOS program had fallen out of the update cycle, I'd never tried it out.
Since I had a little extra free time, I popped the single high-density
disk into my floppy drive and gave the program a shot.
My original plan was to start out using the program as little more than a
glorified Rolodex. I had a lot of jotted down phone numbers and business cards
that I'd just as soon get out of the way. The program has three main features,
a Cardfile, which functions as an amazingly functional mini-database for
contact management purposes, a calendar/appointment book, and "Notes",
which is essentially a pad of virtual paper for jotting down minor notes to
oneself, or larger projects.
The Cardfile was considerably more full featured than I though it would
be. Besides just entering data, and scrolling up and down to look things up,
it provides some very interesting features to access the data once you have it
in the program. The Print menu, for instance, will allow you to print labels
and address book pages (using the standard Avery label sheets and address pages)
for the entire database, the current record, or just the items you've marked
with a left-mouse click. You have complete control over what the resulting
printout looks like, as well. I had less trouble doing a label merge in
Sidekick than I did the first time I used Ami Pro for the purpose, and I've
always regarded the Ami Pro mailmerge functions as very usable.
After I decided I liked the Cardfile, I decided to see if I'd have any
use for the Calendar and Notes portions of the program. The Calendar/
Appointment Schedule was also powerful and easy to use. While I don't think
that I personally will be getting much mileage out of that part of the program,
I like having it available. The scheduling allows you to view the year from
daily/weekly/monthly/yearly perspectives, and click on the relevant location
to add an appointment. You can print summaries of available appointment slots,
FiloFax and DayRunner format summaries, set multi day and recurring events and
reminders, etc.
The Notes section of the program was probably the least impressive, while
still being impressive - it essentially functions like a stack of paper and
file folders. It's useful, especially since you can easily divide notes into
categories, and search through them for specific topics. You can also use
Cardfile data for a mail merge. What I didn't notice about Sidekick for Windows
until I'd been playing with it a while is the fact that it's obviously meant to
be a program that you can stay in 100% of the time. It has two features to
allow this - QuickMenus and the LaunchBar. QuickMenus are the most interesting.
It sits next to the Window control button in the upper lefthand corner of all
your applications. Clicking on it allows you to access all of the SideKick
functions, and quickly switch back and forth between open applications. I'm
eagerly awaiting an OS/2 version of this. It can be started independently from
your Startup Group in Windows, so you don't need Sidekick loaded to use the
utility, and you can launch Sidekick from it.
The LaunchBar is more straight forward - a gray bar (although all the
colors in the program are customizable) at the bottom of the screen that allows
you to select and launch various applications from within the program. I also
found several other, smaller, utility programs embedded within the Sidekick for
Windows framework, including a multi-function 13 digit transaction recording
calculator, and a phone auto-dialer that works with a modem and the Phone field
in the Cardfile.
I've also taken to bringing a laptop into classes, and using the Notes
feature of SideKick to keep my class notes. While I hadn't been overly
impressed with this aspect of the program when I first used it, I've realized
the value of the way it works. I can keep separate folders for each class,
separate, but easily accessed files for each note, and search through all the
notes in the system or for a subject for certain text (for instance, if I
want to find all the notes that mention Murmansk, I can search through the
Russian History folder, and it will provide me with a list of all the notes
files containing a reference to Murmansk. It's amazingly useful, besides
cutting clutter quite a bit.
In short, I've become a PIM convert. I'm in and out of Sidekick several
times a day on my main system, and I always have it loaded on my other,
Windows dedicated, computer. While I have a few problems still with the program
(I'd like to have some file management utilities built in, for instance, and a
more desktop based approach to icon placement for the LaunchBar and the icons
representing the internal programs), I'm quite happy with this first attempt.
The PIM may just have come into it's own.
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і MS-DOS Memory Management і by Renob1 5@7650
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The MS-DOS memory management system is good, but sometimes just not good
enough. Before running out to get a better memory management package like
Quarterdeck QEMM, Qualitas 386Max, or Helix NetRoom -- which can cost more
than a DOS upgrade itself -- this article will present ways to configure
the MS-DOS 5.0, 6.x, and Windows 3.1 EMM386.EXE memory manager to help you
get the most Upper memory possible. In most cases, those who are currently
unable to load everything they need into Upper memory on 386 or better
computers will benefit greatly from this information.
Unfortunately, MS-DOS doesn't provide memory management for 286 or lower
computers, other than Extended (XMS) memory services via the HIMEM.SYS
driver (and in most cases, it only works for a system with more than 1 meg
of memory installed). There's not much you can do on a 286 without the use
of Upper memory, which is where you could load device drivers and TSRs
high, out of conventional memory. There is hope, though! A few good
shareware Upper memory managers that support a lot of 286 systems do exist,
the best being LastByte, MemKit, UMB_DRVR, and UMM (all of which are
available online). Popular commercial offerings that support some 286
systems include Quarterdeck QRAM, Qualitas MOVE'EM, and Helix NetRoom.
If the following information doesn't help you load everything you need
into Upper memory, or one of the EMM386 configuration settings does not work
on your computer, then your only options are the following: Invest in another
memory management package (mentioned above); load only the device drivers
and TSRs that you absolutely need; or live with the reduced conventional
memory, but use a multi-config setup for running those huge applications or
games.
Now on with the show... The MS-DOS memory management system consists of
three parts:
First is the HIMEM.SYS device driver. HIMEM.SYS provides access to the
computer's Extended memory, which is that above 1 meg. HIMEM.SYS makes the
physical Extended memory accessible as XMS memory to programs that are
designed to take advantage of it. (XMS is short for "eXtended Memory
Specification"; XMS memory and Extended memory generally refer to the same
thing these days, but they are technically different.) HIMEM.SYS also
creates the High Memory Area (HMA) from the first 64K of Extended memory,
which DOS can use for loading its own kernel into and free up close to 50K
of conventional memory (which is that below 640K and being the most
important to programs). For the HMA to be available on most systems, there
must be at least 64K of Extended memory above 1 meg in the computer;
computers with only 1 meg of total system memory usually will not be able
to take advantage of loading DOS into the HMA.
Second is the EMM386.EXE device driver, which provides access to Upper
memory and/or Expanded (EMS) memory. Upper memory is what EMM386.EXE
creates from the areas of Reserved memory between 640K and 1 meg that are
not occupied by any ROM BIOS. Expanded (or EMS, short for "Expanded Memory
Specification") memory is a special type of memory in a computer, a
standard for extra memory that came long before XMS. On 386 or better
systems, EMM386.EXE simulates EMS memory from the XMS memory provided by
HIMEM.SYS. That's one reason why EMM386.EXE requires that HIMEM.SYS be
loaded first in CONFIG.SYS to work.
Third is the line DOS=HIGH,UMB in CONFIG.SYS. The UMB part is necessary
for DOS to be able to access the Upper memory provided by EMM386.EXE. The
HIGH part isn't really required, but it does perform a very important
function in that it frees up close to 50K of conventional memory by moving
the DOS kernel into the HMA created by HIMEM.SYS -- Its use is highly
recommended! Note that you can have separate DOS=HIGH and DOS=UMB lines if
you want (something MS-DOS 6 MemMaker likes to do), but combining them as
DOS=HIGH,UMB is a bit more tidy and it is one less line for DOS to process
at bootup.
So, lines similar to the following must exist in CONFIG.SYS for DOS to
manage the memory in the computer:
DOS=HIGH,UMB
DEVICE=HIMEM.SYS
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE
HIMEM.SYS must be the first of any DEVICE lines to load in CONFIG.SYS, and
EMM386.EXE must always load directly after HIMEM.SYS (in normal setups).
By the way, it actually doesn't matter where lines like DOS=HIGH,UMB,
FILES, BUFFERS, etc. appear in CONFIG.SYS; the only order that matters to
DOS is that of DEVICE and DEVICEHIGH lines. Note that the path to
HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE is not shown above, since that of course varies
per setup and depends on whether you're using MS-DOS 5.0, 6.x, or Windows
3.1. The MS-DOS 6.2 versions of HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE are the newest,
the MS-DOS 6.0 versions are older, the Windows 3.1 versions are older
still, and the MS-DOS 5.0 versions are the oldest. Even if you have
Windows 3.1 installed, always use the newest versions of HIMEM.SYS and
EMM386.EXE since they contain fixes and enhancements over previous versions
and are meant to replace them.
Now EMM386.EXE must be specially configured to get what we want: Maximum
Upper memory. To do this, one of the following EMM386.EXE lines is to be
used:
1) For Upper memory only, no EMS memory support:
- MS-DOS 5.0, 6.x, or Windows 3.1:
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF I=C800-F7FF
- MS-DOS 6.x only alternative:
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE NOEMS I=B000-B7FF I=C800-EFFF HIGHSCAN
This EMM386.EXE line is used when you want Upper memory only, and don't
need EMS memory support for DOS programs, which is specified by the NOEMS
parameter. You gain an extra 64K of Upper memory for loading things high
when not using EMS memory support.
2) For both Upper memory and EMS memory support:
- MS-DOS 5.0 or Windows 3.1:
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE [memory] RAM FRAME=C800 I=B000-B7FF I=D800-F7FF
- MS-DOS 6.x only alternatives:
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE MIN=0 RAM FRAME=C800 I=B000-B7FF I=D800-F7FF
or
DEVICE=EMM386.EXE MIN=0 RAM FRAME=C800 I=B000-B7FF I=D800-EFFF HIGHSCAN
This EMM386.EXE line is used when you need both Upper memory and EMS memory
support for DOS programs, which is specified by the RAM parameter. With
the MS-DOS 5.0 or Windows 3.1 EMM386.EXE, you must specify a value for the
amount of EMS memory you wish to have available to DOS programs if you want
more than the default of 256K. With MS-DOS 6.x, a number no longer has to
be specified to set the amount of EMS memory, because its EMM386.EXE will
dynamically allocate as much EMS memory as a program requests, and then
release it back to XMS memory when the program is done. Using the MIN=0
parameter means to not permanently reserve any EMS memory from the XMS
memory pool (otherwise the default is 256K reserved), thereby making the
largest amount of XMS memory available when EMS is not actually in use.
(This is just like how Quarterdeck QEMM has been working all these years!)
The following explains the parameters common to both EMM386.EXE lines:
The I=B000-B7FF parameter tells EMM386.EXE to convert the area of Reserved
memory that is normally for a monochrome video adapter into Upper memory.
This is perfectly safe to do if you do not use monochrome, and gains 32K
more Upper memory. The only major problems this may cause are when using
special high-resolution video modes or monochrome emulation modes of
certain SuperVGA video adapters; and with Windows 3.1, depending on the
Windows video driver used. The video mode problem will vary greatly with
the ton of video cards out there, but it is quite rare. The Windows
problem can be solved by using the MONOUMB.386 driver available from
Microsoft or included with MS-DOS 6.x, which involves adding the line
DEVICE=MONOUMB.386 under the [386Enh] section of the SYSTEM.INI file in the
Windows directory (either copy the MONOUMB.386 file to the Windows System
directory, or supply the full path to the MONOUMB.386 on the DEVICE line).
The I=C800-F7FF parameter (or alternate I=C800-EFFF HIGHSCAN parameters for
MS-DOS 6.x only; HIGHSCAN is really the same as I=F000-F7FF) converts the
largest free area of Reserved memory normally empty on most systems (with
one hard disk controller, no special expansion cards, and that are not IBM
PS/2s) into Upper memory. If the RAM parameter is being used, then D800 is
used instead of C800 because of the 64K EMS Page Frame required in Upper
memory for EMS memory support. The EMS Page Frame is placed at the lowest
free area by the FRAME=C800 parameter so the largest free area of Upper
memory is created. Either of these settings is the most common, but it
will of course differ per system. Some things to note about this memory
range:
- Including the F000-F7FF area (or using HIGHSCAN with MS-DOS 6.x) converts
the first half of the System ROM BIOS into Upper memory. This gains an
extra 32K of Upper memory, but unfortunately it causes problems on quite a
few systems. For example, many system will exhibit erratic floppy drive
behavior or plain old system lockups at some point. In my experience, I've
found it necessary with a 1990 AMI BIOS to use F6FF instead of F7FF (or
HIGHSCAN) to avoid floppy drive problems in certain DOS programs and in
Windows; however, F7FF (and HIGHSCAN) works fine with a Pheonix BIOS on
another system I use. You will just have to test it out on your system.
Some less-compatible systems may not like Upper memory in the System ROM
BIOS area at all.
- Adapter cards like secondary IDE hard disk controllers and SCSI
controllers may use 8K or more for their own ROM starting at the C800
address.
- Network interface cards may place their RAM buffers in the D000-DFFF
area.
- IBM PS/2 computers use the E000-EFFF range for their Advanced BIOS. Some
computers (such as Epsons) use this range for the VGA BIOS instead of the
normal C000-C7FF range.
To avoid memory conflicts, your best bet would be to first examine the
Reserved memory area for the spaces that do not contain ROM. This way you
can see if multiple I= parameters must be used instead of one big range,
and what would be the best range for the 64K EMS Page Frame (if using EMS
memory support). Such a utility to do this is called MSD (Microsoft
Diagnostics) and comes with Windows 3.1, MS-DOS 6.x, and most other
Microsoft products. There is also a utility from PC Magazine called
UMASCAN that displays a nice map of the Reserved memory area.
There is one more trick for MS-DOS 6.x users. Using the EMM386.EXE
parameter NOHI will prevent EMM386.EXE from taking 4K of Reserved memory
for its own code. That 4K will then take away from free conventional
memory, however if you have a device driver or TSR that requires just a
couple more K to load resident in Upper memory, then that trade off is well
worth it. I had to do this myself in order to fit SHARE into Upper memory;
EMM386.EXE now takes up 4K more conventional memory, but the 17K SHARE
driver fits into Upper memory now.
After you have configured EMM386.EXE for maximum Upper memory, you should
optimize the loading order of your device drivers and TSRs so hopefully all
of them fit into Upper memory now.
The easiest way to do this with MS-DOS 6.x is to run MemMaker in its Custom
mode, and then if necessary change the EMM386.EXE line back to the way you
configured it for maximum Upper memory. Since MemMaker puts a size value
(the /L parameter) on each device driver and TSR load line, you can easily
reorder them to load the ones with the largest size values first since they
require the most free Upper memory to initialize in before going resident.
Usually MemMaker does this reordering for you, but not always for the best.
If you are not using MS-DOS 6.x, then optimizing the loading order of your
device drivers and TSRs is a more involved trial-and-error deal. You first
have to check memory usage with the MEM /C command and note what device
driver or TSR is not loading into Upper memory. Then move the line that
loads that device driver or TSR higher up in CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT.
Reboot and check with MEM /C again. Keep trying if necessary until you
hopefully get everything to load into Upper memory. Remember that no other
device driver should be loaded before HIMEM.SYS and EMM386.EXE in
CONFIG.SYS (in normal setups).
If you use a certain device driver or TSR that must load after another one
to work properly, then you can't always optimize the loading order of them.
An example of this is the new SmartDrive 5.0 included with MS-DOS 6.2,
which can now cache a CD-ROM drive. In order to cache a CD-ROM drive,
SmartDrive must be loaded after the MSCDEX.EXE driver. Since MSCDEX.EXE
must be loaded first, and most load it into Upper memory, SmartDrive may
not be able to completely fit into Upper memory anymore (depending on what
else has been loaded into Upper memory already).
Hopefully the information discussed here will help you load everything you
need to load into Upper memory, without having to spend more on a third-
party memory management package!
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
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ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ P R O G R A M M I N G АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Tips on Sound Blaster Programming і Odieman 949@2132 WWIVnet
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Introduction
Two of the most popular sound cards for the IBM-PC, the AdLib and the
Sound Blaster, suffer from a real dearth of clear documentation for programmers.
AdLib Inc. and Creative Labs, Inc. both sell developers kits for their sound
cards, but these are expensive, and (in the case of the Sound Blaster
developers' kit) can be extremely cryptic. This article is intended to provide
programmers with a source of information about the programming of these sound
cards. The information contained in this article is a combination of
information found in the Sound Blaster Software Developer's Kit, and that
learned by painful experience. Some of the information may not be valid for
AdLib cards; if this is so, I apologize in advance.
Please note that numbers will be given in hexadecimal, unless otherwise
indicated. If a number is written out longhand (sixteen instead of 16)
it is in decimal.
Sound Card I/O
The sound card is programmed by sending data to its internal registers
via its two I/O ports:
0388 (hex) - Address/Status port (R/W)
0389 (hex) - Data port (W/O)
The Sound Blaster Pro is capable of stereo FM music, which is accessed
in exactly the same manner. Ports 0220 and 0221 (hex) are the address/data
ports for the left speaker, and ports 0222 and 0223 (hex) are the ports for
the right speaker. Ports 0388 and 0389 (hex) will cause both speakers to
output sound.
The sound card possesses an array of two hundred forty-four registers;
to write to a particular register, send the register number (01-F5) to the
address port, and the desired value to the data port. After writing to the
register port, you must wait twelve cycles before sending the data; after
writing the data, eighty-four cycles must elapse before any other sound card
operation may be performed.
The AdLib manual gives the wait times in microseconds: three point three
(3.3) microseconds for the address, and twenty-three (23) microseconds for the
data.
The most accurate method of producing the delay is to read the register
port six times after writing to the register port, and read the register
port thirty-five times after writing to the data port.
The sound card registers are write-only.
The address port also functions as a sound card status byte. To
retrieve the sound card's status, simply read port 388. The status
byte has the following structure:
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
| both | tmr | tmr | unused |
| tmrs | 1 | 2 | |
+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+------+
Bit 7 - set if either timer has expired.
6 - set if timer 1 has expired.
5 - set if timer 2 has expired.
The Registers
The following table shows the function of each register in the sound
card. Registers will be explained in detail after the table. Registers
not listed are unused.
Address Function
------- ----------------------------------------------------
01 Test LSI / Enable waveform control
02 Timer 1 data
03 Timer 2 data
04 Timer control flags
08 Speech synthesis mode / Keyboard split note select
20..35 Amp Mod / Vibrato / EG type / Key Scaling / Multiple
40..55 Key scaling level / Operator output level
60..75 Attack Rate / Decay Rate
80..95 Sustain Level / Release Rate
A0..A8 Frequency (low 8 bits)
B0..B8 Key On / Octave / Frequency (high 2 bits)
BD AM depth / Vibrato depth / Rhythm control
C0..C8 Feedback strength / Connection type
E0..F5 Wave Select
The groupings of twenty-two registers (20-35, 40-55, etc.) have an odd
order due to the use of two operators for each FM voice. The following
table shows the offsets within each group of registers for each operator.
Channel 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Operator 1 00 01 02 08 09 0A 10 11 12
Operator 2 03 04 05 0B 0C 0D 13 14 15
Thus, the addresses of the attack/decay bytes for channel 3 are 62 for
the first operator, and 65 for the second. (The address of the second
operator is always the address of the first operator plus three).
Explanations of Registers
Byte 01 - This byte is normally used to test the LSI device. All bits
should normally be zero. Bit 5, if enabled, allows the FM
chips to control the waveform of each operator.
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| unused | WS | unused |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
Byte 02 - Timer 1 Data. If Timer 1 is enabled, the value in this
register will be incremented until it overflows. Upon
overflow, the sound card will signal a TIMER interrupt
(INT 08) and set bits 7 and 6 in its status byte. The
value for this timer is incremented every eighty (80)
microseconds.
Byte 03 - Timer 2 Data. If Timer 2 is enabled, the value in this
register will be incremented until it overflows. Upon
overflow, the sound card will signal a TIMER interrupt
(INT 08) and set bits 7 and 5 in its status byte. The
value for this timer is incremented every three hundred
twenty (320) microseconds.
Byte 04 - Timer Control Byte
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| IRQ | T1 | T2 | unused | T2 | T1 |
| RST | MSK | MSK | | CTL | CTL |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bit 7 - Resets the flags for timers 1 & 2. If set,
all other bits are ignored.
bit 6 - Masks Timer 1. If set, bit 0 is ignored.
bit 5 - Masks Timer 2. If set, bit 1 is ignored.
bit 1 - When clear, Timer 2 does not operate.
When set, the value from byte 03 is loaded into
Timer 2, and incrementation begins.
bit 0 - When clear, Timer 1 does not operate.
When set, the value from byte 02 is loaded into
Timer 1, and incrementation begins.
Bytes 40-55 - Level Key Scaling / Total Level
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Scaling | Total Level |
| Level | 24 12 6 3 1.5 .75 | <-- dB
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bits 7-6 - causes output levels to decrease as the frequency
rises:
00 - no change
10 - 1.5 dB/8ve
01 - 3 dB/8ve
11 - 6 dB/8ve
bits 5-0 - controls the total output level of the operator.
all bits CLEAR is loudest; all bits SET is the
softest. Don't ask me why.
Bytes 60-75 - Attack Rate / Decay Rate
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Attack | Decay |
| Rate | Rate |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bits 7-4 - Attack rate. 0 is the slowest, F is the fastest.
bits 3-0 - Decay rate. 0 is the slowest, F is the fastest.
Bytes 80-95 - Sustain Level / Release Rate
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Sustain Level | Release |
| 24 12 6 3 | Rate |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bits 7-4 - Sustain Level. 0 is the loudest, F is the softest.
bits 3-0 - Release Rate. 0 is the slowest, F is the fastest.
Bytes A0-B8 - Octave / F-Number / Key-On
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| F-Number (least significant byte) | (A0-A8)
| |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Unused | Key | Octave | F-Number | (B0-B8)
| | On | | most sig. |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bit 5 - Channel is voiced when set, silent when clear.
bits 4-2 - Octave (0-7). 0 is lowest, 7 is highest.
bits 1-0 - Most significant bits of F-number.
In octave 4, the F-number values for the chromatic scale and their
corresponding frequencies would be:
F Number Frequency Note
16B 277.2 C#
181 293.7 D
198 311.1 D#
1B0 329.6 E
1CA 349.2 F
1E5 370.0 F#
202 392.0 G
220 415.3 G#
241 440.0 A
263 466.2 A#
287 493.9 B
2AE 523.3 C
Bytes C0-C8 - Feedback / Algorithm
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| unused | Feedback | Alg |
| | | |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bits 3-1 - Feedback strength. If all three bits are set to
zero, no feedback is present. With values 1-7,
operator 1 will send a portion of its output back
into itself. 1 is the least amount of feedback,
7 is the most.
bit 0 - If set to 0, operator 1 modulates operator 2. In this
case, operator 2 is the only one producing sound.
If set to 1, both operators produce sound directly.
Complex sounds are more easily created if the algorithm
is set to 0.
Byte BD - Amplitude Modulation Depth / Vibrato Depth / Rhythm
To further illustrate the relationship, the addresses needed to control
channel 5 are:
29 - Operator 1 AM/VIB/EG/KSR/Multiplier
2C - Operator 2 AM/VIB/EG/KSR/Multiplier
49 - Operator 1 KSL/Output Level
4C - Operator 2 KSL/Output Level
69 - Operator 1 Attack/Decay
6C - Operator 2 Attack/Decay
89 - Operator 1 Sustain/Release
8C - Operator 2 Sustain/Release
A4 - Frequency (low 8 bits)
B4 - Key On/Octave/Frequency (high 2 bits)
C4 - Feedback/Connection Type
E9 - Operator 1 Waveform
EC - Operator 2 Waveform
Byte 08 - CSM Mode / Keyboard Split.
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| CSM | Key | unused |
| sel | Spl | |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bit 7 - When set, selects composite sine-wave speech synthesis
mode (all KEY-ON bits must be clear). When clear,
selects FM music mode.
bit 6 - Selects the keyboard split point (in conjunction with
the F-Number data). The documentation in the Sound
Blaster manual is utterly incomprehensible on this;
I can't reproduce it without violating their copyright.
Bytes 20-35 - Amplitude Modulation / Vibrato / Envelope Generator Type /
Keyboard Scaling Rate / Modulator Frequency Multiple
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| Amp | Vib | EG | KSR | Modulator Frequency |
| Mod | | Typ | | Multiple |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bit 7 - Apply amplitude modulation when set; AM depth is
controlled by the AM-Depth flag in address BD.
bit 6 - Apply vibrato when set; vibrato depth is controlled
by the Vib-Depth flag in address BD.
bit 5 - When set, the sustain level of the voice is maintained
until released; when clear, the sound begins to decay
immediately after hitting the SUSTAIN phase.
bit 4 - Keyboard scaling rate. This is another incomprehensible
bit in the Sound Blaster manual. From experience, if
this bit is set, the sound's envelope is foreshortened as
it rises in pitch.
bits 3-0 - These bits indicate which harmonic the operator will
produce sound (or modulation) in relation to the voice's
specified frequency:
0 - one octave below
1 - at the voice's specified frequency
2 - one octave above
3 - an octave and a fifth above
4 - two octaves above
5 - two octaves and a major third above
6 - two octaves and a fifth above
7 - two octaves and a minor seventh above
8 - three octaves above
9 - three octaves and a major second above
A - three octaves and a major third above
B - " " " " " " "
C - three octaves and a fifth above
D - " " " " " "
E - three octaves and a major seventh above
F - " " " " " " "
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| AM | Vib | Rhy | BD | SD | TOM | Top | HH |
| Dep | Dep | Ena | | | | Cym | |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bit 7 - Set: AM depth is 4.8dB
Clear: AM depth is 1 dB
bit 6 - Set: Vibrato depth is 14 cent
Clear: Vibrato depth is 7 cent
bit 5 - Set: Rhythm enabled (6 melodic voices)
Clear: Rhythm disabled (9 melodic voices)
bit 4 - Bass drum on/off
bit 3 - Snare drum on/off
bit 2 - Tom tom on/off
bit 1 - Cymbal on/off
bit 0 - Hi Hat on/off
Note: KEY-ON registers for channels 06, 07, and 08 must be OFF
in order to use the rhythm section. Other parameters
such as attack/decay/sustain/release must also be set
appropriately.
Bytes E0-F5 - Waveform Select
7 6 5 4 3 2 1 0
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
| unused | Waveform |
| | Select |
+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+
bits 1-0 - When bit 5 of address 01 is set, the output waveform
will be distorted according to the waveform indicated
by these two bits. I'll try to diagram them here,
but this medium is fairly restrictive.
___ ___ ___ ___ _ _
/ \ / \ / \ / \ / | / |
/_____\_______ /_____\_____ /_____\/_____\ /__|___/__|___
\ /
\___/
00 01 10 11
Detecting a Sound Card
According to the AdLib manual, the 'official' method of checking for a
sound card is as follows:
1) Reset both timers by writing 60h to register 4.
2) Enable the interrupts by writing 80h to register 4. NOTE: this
must be a separate step from number 1.
3) Read the status register (port 388h). Store the result.
4) Write FFh to register 2 (Timer 1).
5) Start timer 1 by writing 21h to register 4.
6) Delay for at least 80 microseconds.
7) Read the status register (port 388h). Store the result.
8) Reset both timers and interrupts (see steps 1 and 2).
9) Test the stored results of steps 3 and 7 by ANDing them
with E0h. The result of step 3 should be 00h, and the
result of step 7 should be C0h. If both are correct, an
AdLib-compatible board is installed in the computer.
Making a Sound
Many people have asked me, what the proper register values should be
to make a simple sound. Well, here they are.
First, clear out all of the registers by setting all of them to zero.
This is the quick-and-dirty method of resetting the sound card, but it
works. Note that if you wish to use different waveforms, you must then
turn on bit 5 of register 1. (This reset need be done only once, at the
start of the program, and optionally when the program exits, just to
make sure that your program doesn't leave any notes on when it exits.)
Now, set the following registers to the indicated value:
REGISTER VALUE DESCRIPTION
20 01 Set the modulator's multiple to 1
40 10 Set the modulator's level to about 40 dB
60 F0 Modulator attack: quick; decay: long
80 77 Modulator sustain: medium; release: medium
A0 98 Set voice frequency's LSB (it'll be a D#)
23 01 Set the carrier's multiple to 1
43 00 Set the carrier to maximum volume (about 47 dB)
63 F0 Carrier attack: quick; decay: long
83 77 Carrier sustain: medium; release: medium
B0 31 Turn the voice on; set the octave and freq MSB
To turn the voice off, set register B0h to 11h (or, in fact, any value
which leaves bit 5 clear). It's generally preferable, of course, to
induce a delay before doing so.
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Advantages of C over PASCAL і Grim Reaper (2@8415 WWIVnet)
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
1. C is case sensitive by nature, that means you can't just type stuff any old
way. This promotes better coding and more standard naming conventions.
2. C has a very versatile preprocessor. Pascal has an extremely primitive one
that no one ever uses.
3. C has macros, which saves code for constants because the preprocessor seeks
out the macros and replaces them with the real code (i.e. in the code,
NUM_OBJECTS would be physically replaced with the number 7) whereas in Pascal,
constants must be used, which take up memory.
4. In C, functions can be manipulated and even passed as parameters. In order
to accomplish this in Pascal, you must use inline assembly.
5. C is more flexible in parameters, even allowing variable numbers of
parameters in some instances. You can call by value or by reference at any
time you choose. In Pascal when you use the VAR keyword it expects a variable
of the correct type and nothing else will do.
6. C is not strongly typed - Pascal is. That means that an int can be
replaced with a char or vice versa or almost anything, in most instances. In
many cases it is easier because you don't need useless functions such as the
2ord0 function in Pascal to accomplish what should already be available to you.
7. C can be made portable if it complies with certain standards. Pascal is
rarely (if ever) portable to UNIX or other operating systems.
8. C++ can allow overloading for operators or functions. That means that if
you pass the same function a different number, set, or types of parameters, it
will execute differently. An example would be creating a 1print0 statement that
prints different formats depending on whether it is passed a character, an
integer, or a floating point number. You could NEVER do this in Pascal.
9. C allows for different memory models, meaning it's good in a bind. Pascal
offers adjustable memory sizes but never changes the amount of memory it
occupies.
10. To the best of my knowledge, C is able to take advantage of 80386 and
80486 instruction sets (including 32-bit registers). Thus far I have only
encountered 80286 instruction set capabilities in Pascal and I own Turbo
Pascal 7.0 by Borland. (not sure about this though - can anyone confirm?)
11. C++ allows for temporary variables, meaning even within a specific
function they are not on the stack the entire time. An example is that
statement:
for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++)
...
This can save stack space and help coding at the same time, so you can
better name your temporary variables to suit each specific purpose but not
have to have 10 of them in memory at once.
12. C and C++ communicate on a logic much closer to that of the processor than
Pascal does. While it can look messy with all its funky symbols, it is less
abstracted than Pascal.
13. Knowledge of C and C++ is infinitely more valuable for obtaining a career
than knowledge in Pascal. I should know, I had a summer job working at Hughes
Training, Inc. They programmed the software for their flight trainers mostly
in FORTRAN, with bits of C every now and then to accomplish what FORTRAN could
not. That was for the 3-4 year old models. The newest flight trainers are
written entirely in UNIX C and OpenGL.
That's about all I could think of offhand. You could get down to the details,
like implicit operations:
j = i++;
and other fun things, but I think the list of arguments I have presented
should suffice to convince whoever it is you need. Hope I've helped!
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ L I T E B Y T E S АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і Silly Strings і by Ima Moron 1@9661
і From IceNET Sysops Everywhere і Lite Bytes Editor
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
This month we have the compendium of wit from the users and sysops of Icenet
and WWIVNet. If you have a tagline that you feel is funny, or if you've seen
a humorous tagline on another users posts, please send those taglines to
myself Ima Moron 1@9661 Icenet or 1@10331 WWIVNet.
From: Elite #8@15327 WWIVNet
"Could you continue with your petty bickering? I find it most intriguing."
From: Minnie Mouse #9@7763 Icenet, Eat-A-Byte BBS
I'll be glad to get an offline mail reader!!
From: "Yosemite Sam" #1@11561 WWIVNet
We don't want users with good taste, we want users that taste good!!!
From: Mr. Cheese #26@15116 WWIVNet
iwannabestereotyped!iwannabeclassified!iwannabemasochistic!iwannabeastatistic!
From: Joker's Wild #14@11809 WWIVNet
Just remember, stupid taglines don't kill people, people kill people.
From: Anthony #429@4501 Icenet
Drink more and fester...
From: The Fader #268@12000 WWIVNet
I've got something for you that I don't want anymore....
From: Sleepy #3@3074 Icenet
Ignorance is temporary...stupidity is FOREVER
From: Norplant #160@8312 WWIVNet
Once I thought I was wrong, but I was mistaken.
From: Firefighter #1@9660 Icenet
SysOp's Creed: Coffee is god, Juan Valdez is the messiah
ДДННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННННДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
ДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДЩ S P E C I A L АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
ЪДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДї
і WWIVnet Technical Docs і by Midnight Tree Bandit 1@8411
АДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДБДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДДД
[IceNEWS Serialization Note - This is part one of four. Internal page numbers
have been retained for ease of reference. Page breaks, however, have been
removed.]
WWIVnet Technical Documentation
Version 2.0.34
3 October 1994
Wayne Heyward aka Midnight Tree Bandit
(based on the original by Wayne Bell)
Copyright 1994 by WH and WWIV Software Services
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
CONTENTS
I. Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
A. History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
B. Purpose, Limitations, and other Info . . 1
C. Relevant Copyrights and Acknowledgements 2
II. General Overview of WWIV Networking . . . . . 4
III. Making Connections . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
A. Establishing Contact . . . . . . . . . . 6
B. Data Transfer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
C. Identification Block Examples . . . . . . 10
IV. Message Packets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
A. The Message Header . . . . . . . . . . . 12
B. Mail File Processing . . . . . . . . . . 14
C. Local Mail Processing . . . . . . . . . . 16
D. Main and Minor Message Types . . . . . . 18
V. BBSLIST/CONNECT Files and Message Routing . . 27
A. Old WWIVnet -- BBSLIST.NET & CONNECT.NET 27
B. New WWIVnet -- BBSLIST.x & CONNECT.x . . 30
C. Figuring the Routing . . . . . . . . . 31
VI. Tips for Writing WWIVnet Software . . . . . . 35
A. WWIVnet Interface Software . . . . . . . 35
B. WWIVnet Software Add-ons . . . . . . . . 37
Appendix A
Mail Packet Compression . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Compression Source Code . . . . . . . . . . . 39
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
I. INTRODUCTION
A. History
Back in 1989, Wayne Bell released the first technical documenta-
tion covering the technical workings of the WWIV networking
software. While much of the information in that document is
still relevant now, much has changed since 1989. The Group
structure has been added, support for more message types, and
support for preprocessors to the packet tossers has been added.
So in late 1992 or early 1993 Wayne asked for volunteers to
rewrite the WWIVnet Technical documentation. No one spoke up.
Then in March I started providing WWIV support on the GEnie
information service, and some people started asking about
getting technical information so they could get their non-WWIV
boards to communicate with WWIV networks. Looking around, I
found the original doc, and asked Wayne if anyone had answered
his call. As it turned out, I became the volunteer. After much
procrastination and "How's the doc coming?" from Wayne, here it
is.
B. Purpose, Limitations, and Other Info
The purpose for this document is to explain the WWIVnet interface
for those who wish to write software which communicates with
WWIVnet systems, either independently or as an extra utility for
the existing NETxx software.
The documentation that you are reading now is more an expansion
and clarification of the original docs than it is a total
rewrite. It looks a little neater too, thanks to Word Perfect.
Now that the bulk of the work is done, the plan is to update them
with each release of NETxx to reflect new features. The
information in this document is current with WWIVnet version 34
(NET34).
First clarification: in the context of this document, the term
"WWIVnet" refers to the software for interfacing WWIV-type
networks and any network which uses that software. Though
WWIVnet is also the name of the original and largest of the
dozens of WWIV networks out there, the use of the term here is
not meant to imply that this document is specific to that
network.
This documentation assumes that the reader at least:
a) has a good working knowledge of C and the various C data
types and data structures.
b) has a general familiarity of how file transfer protocols
work.
1
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
Due to the proprietary nature of Wayne Bell's WWIVnet software,
we will not cover the inner workings of the current networking
programs distributed in NETxx.ZIP. We will only discuss the
external requirements for any third party interfaces that may be
written for connecting non-WWIV systems to WWIV networks.
Likewise, we will not discuss the NETUP software, which generates
and sends out the network node lists and connect lists. You'll
just have to figure that out for yourself.
This document is not a replacement for Filo's WWIVnet Software
Documentation. This doc does not describe how to use the network
software, only how it works. For instructions on using the NETxx
software and familiarize yourself with how to use it, see Filo's
documentation, which can be found in the current NETxx release.
A note on the numbering for this document. This is version
2.0.34. The first number indicates that this is a major rewrite
from the original by Wayne Bell. Unless a major overhaul is
done, this is not likely to change. The 0 in the second part
indicates that this is the first version of this document. If
there are any major changes or additions made, this will be
incremented. The 34 indicates that this information is current
as of version 34 of the WWIVnet software (NET34). Minor changes
reflecting small interface changes in the WWIVnet software will
cause this number to be changed. This number will not always be
the same as the latest version of the WWIVnet software; if there
are no changes in the external interface, this document will not
be updated.
I welcome comments about this document -- suggestions for
additional information to include, things that could be explained
more fully, and so forth. I can be reached at the following
addresses:
WWIVnet: #2@8408
WWIVLink: #1@18411
IceNET: #1@8411
GEnie: TREE.BANDIT
Internet: tree.bandit@genie.geis.com
C. Relevant Copyrights and Acknowledgements
This document is Copyright 1994 by Wayne Heyward (aka Midnight
Tree Bandit) and WWIV Software Services (WSS). It may be freely
distributed provided it is not altered in any way. This is
copyrighted to prevent unauthorized (and possibly inaccurate)
changes from being made to this document by anyone other than
myself or any other appointed by WWIV Software Services (should I
be unable to continue updating this document).
2
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
WWIV BBS and the WWIVnet software (distributed as NETxx) are
Copyright 1986-1994 by Wayne Bell and WSS.
NETEDIT is Copyright 1994 by Black Dragon Enterprises.
DSZ is Copyright 1994 by Omen Technology INC.
HSLink is Copyright 1994 by Samuel H. Smith.
The PKWare Compression Libraries are copyright 1993 by PKWARE,
Inc.
The WWIVnet interface information and code in this document is
placed in the public domain, and may be freely used for the
purpose of interfacing with WWIV networks and network software.
I would like to thank Wayne Bell, not only for creating a top-
notch BBS program that is both powerful and easy to use, but
creating a networking scheme that is more painless to set up and
operate than any other out there. He has said often that if he
knew then what he does now, things would have been different. I
cannot help thinking that the result would have been less elegant
or easy to use.
I would also like to thank Wayne for his patience over the last
year and a half, waiting for me to get this document started.
I've fired thousands of questions at him the last few weeks in an
effort to make this documentation as complete as possible, and he
answered every one.
And finally thanks to Filo, who also provided vital information
and advice without which this documentation would be incomplete.
3
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
II. GENERAL OVERVIEW OF WWIV NETWORKING
A WWIV network is basically a loose confederation of WWIV BBS systems
that use the WWIVnet (or compatible) software. The software does not
limit the connection structure, so the member sysops can connect to
anyone they wish (subject to the rules of their network). For ease of
administration, the network may be split up into Groups, each with
their own coordinator. Node numbers are an unsigned short int, so
that nodes may be assigned a value from 1 to 65535.
The lists of nodes are distributed in two sets of files: BBSLIST.xxx
and CONNECT.xxx. There are two different ways of handling these
files. The old way has just one BBSLIST.NET and one CONNECT.NET file.
The CONNECT.NET file assigns costs to each connection for each system.
Some smaller networks still use this setup. The new way, implemented
in 1990, uses several BBSLIST and CONNECT files with extensions
indicating group number (e.g. Group 1's files would be BBSLIST.1 and
CONNECT.1). BBSLIST.0 contains a list of Group numbers, and CONNECT.0
contains inter-Group connections. It is important that any non-WWIV
systems be able to support both setups if they wish to connect to a
WWIV network.
Like all BBS networks, the primary purpose is to exchange private mail
and public posts between BBSes. The passing of files in binary form,
however, is not supported by the WWIVnet software, though there are
some third party programs such as Tolkien's PACKSCAN which can handle
files. All messages also have a maximum size limit of 32k.
The basic WWIVnet software distributed in NETxx.ZIP by WSS consists of
four programs: NETWORK.EXE, NETWORK1.EXE, NETWORK2.EXE and
NETWORK3.EXE. Any alternative software for interfacing with WWIV
should follow the same structure.
NETWORK.EXE handles connections between systems. On the sending end
of the connection, NETWORK.EXE calls out to another system, chosen
from the CALLOUT.NET file on that system. The answering system
activates NETWORK.EXE when it detects a network call. Once they're
talking, they make any mail packet transfers needed.
NETWORK1.EXE is the first of the two mail tossers. This one takes the
incoming packet received by NETWORK.EXE and distributed the messages
within to their rightful places. Local mail goes into LOCAL.NET,
while mail passing through to other systems is tossed into packet
files for the next hop.
NETWORK2.EXE tosses the local messages in LOCAL.NET. Most are
messages for email or local subboards, but there are also network
updates, sub REQuests, software "pings," and other special purpose
message types. It also has the ability to call on third-party
preprocessors for special handling of certain types of messages.
4
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
NETWORK3.EXE processes all the network updates that come in. This
helps determine what routing off-system mail will take.
Each WWIV network also has its own special encoding and decoding
programs for handling of updates and network mail from the Network
Coordinator and Group Coordinators. These are the DEmmm.EXE files
(mmm corresponding to the message type). The DEmmm.EXE cannot be
replaced, so any NETWORK2.EXE replacement must be able to recognize
the need for calling the appropriate DEmmm.EXE, as described below.
5
WWIVnet Technical Documentation 2.0.34 (NET34)
III. MAKING CONNECTIONS
A. Establishing Contact
Through some process, one system decides to call another.
Various techniques can be used for deciding when and who to call;
that should have no effect on the network. Any WWIVnet system
should be able to receive a network connection at any time (i.e.,
there is no network mail hour). For an example of a method for
limiting call out times, see the WWIVnet Software Docs.
However the decision is made, a call is made to another WWIVnet
system. If he connects, the connection protocol is then begun.