FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:25 Page 1 Volume 2, Number 25 5 August 1985 +----------------------------------------------------------+ | _ | | / \ | | - FidoNews - /|oo \ | | (_| /_) | | Fido and FidoNet _`@/_ \ _ | | Users Group | | \ \\ | | Newsletter | (*) | \ )) | | ______ |__U__| / \// | | / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / | | (________) (_/(_|(____/ | | (jm) | +----------------------------------------------------------+ Publisher: Fido 107/7 Chief Procrastinator: Thom Henderson Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 107/7. You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in Fidonews. Article submission standards are contained in the file FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 107/7. Disclaimer or don't-blame-us: The contents of the articles contained here are not our responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them; everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING received. Backwards vs. Upwards Compatible There's a bit of a battle that starts up whenever people get together and start discussing upgrading a piece of software. The question being, how should the new package be compatible with the existing package? (Or even, should it be compatible?) The two main ways to make a new package compatible with its older cousins are "upward compatibility" and "backward compatibility". A package is upward compatible if the new version will still work wherever the old version worked. An example of this might be a new compiler that can still compile programs written for an earlier version of the language. Upwards compatibility means that the newest version will always work. A package is backward compatible if the old version will still work wherever the new version worked. An example of this would be a squeeze utility whose output is acceptible to older versions of the unsqueezer. Backwards FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:27 Page 2 compatibility means that the older versions will always work. In the micro community, where program updates sometimes percolate slowly through the user base, backwards compatibility is clearly desireable. But is it always acheivable? Upward compatibility is usually not hard to implement. If necessary, older format data files can be converted to the newer format as they are needed. The price (everything has a price) is in added program complexity and in larger program size, since the program may have to deal with a large number of data formats, commands, and so forth that are no longer needed in the new version. Backward compatibility is usually much harder to achieve. It often calls for fancy tricks (ie. kludges) to fit in new data, commands, structures, and so forth in a way that won't choke the older programs. An ingenious example of this is a method someone came up with for tucking date and time data into a squeezed file by putting it AFTER the squeezed data (where a normal USQ doesn't even look). In a great many cases this sort of trick is not possible. There also comes a time in every program's life where you just have to chuck the whole compatibility issue and start fresh. Versions and variations proliferate -- especially in the micro community -- to the point where it becomes nearly impossible to accomodate them all. Sooner or later the price to pay for compatibility (of ANY sort) grows too high. As an absurd example, imagine if you will a far-future program (call it ZUSQ1e3) which can unsqueeze any squeezed file ever created by any of several hundred different variations (present and past) of SQ. Who in their right mind is going to want to save, load, and use a 300k program to perform a basic task that a 16k .COM file can handle? We'd all like to think that our programs are immortal, but the sad fact is that everything eventually fades away. The machine you use today will be obsolete in five years (if it isn't already!) The true answer to the question of compatibility is to give it an honest try, but don't go nuts about it. FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:29 Page 3 ============================================================ NEWS ============================================================ A CRY FOR HELP - FOUR UNRELATED QUESTIONS By Steve Lemke, Sysop, Fido 102/378 Voice Phone: (805) 968-7360 ===================== IBM PC-AT SPEEDUP CRYSTAL SET: Recently, although I can't remember exactly where or when, I read an article or letter from someone in some magazine about speedup crystals for the IBM PC-AT. They mentioned that they had tried a Radio Shack crystal and had nothing but problems. Then they said that there was a place in the Los Angeles area somewhere that sold a set of three (3) crystals for the IBM PC-AT. Included in the set was a 8 Mhz. crystal, a 9 Mhz. crystal, and a 10 Mhz crystal. The idea is, try the 10 Mhz. first, and if for some reason you have problems, you can drop down to the 9 Mhz. or even the 8 Mhz. Any one of these three crystals is easy to plug in after removing the existing (socketed!) 6 Mhz. crystal from the system board of the PC-AT. This is all fine and dandy, except that I can't for the life of me remember where I saw this article, letter, or whatever it was. If anyone knows where I can get this set of crystals, or a similar set, please let me know A.S.A.P.!! Thanks. ANYONE WRITING A BBS FOR MS-DOS PLEASE READ THIS: I am in need of a BBS for a PC-Compatible. It must be written in either Turbo Pascal (preferably) or "C", with the source code available. Hopefully this BBS will be able to both send and receive FidoNet Mail. I don't want this system for a BBS, but to modify it into an electronic ordering system for a mail-order company. The system would then be installed on a toll-free phone number where people could call and get listings of products available. Then, by hitting a few keys, they could call up a more extensive product description, and by hitting a few more they could place an order for the product. If the program were compatible with FidoNet, then orders could also be placed via FidoNet Mail. If you are writing or have written a program that might work for me, please contact me A.S.A.P.!! I also have a friend who is in the process of converting the CP/M "Citadel BBS" program (written in "C") to MS-DOS. He is in need of a communications driver that will work with MS-DOS and "C" for use in this Citadel BBS. Please contact me if you can be of assistance to him. SHOULD USERS BE ALLOWED TO DOWNLOAD FIDOLIST & FIDONEWS? I realize that many systems offer FidoNet software, documentation, newsletters, and nodelists in their download areas, but if I'm running a board that does not have Fido available for downloading, should I let my users download FidoNews and FidoLists? There are often some sensitive articles in FidoNews (like things Sysops should be aware of that users don't need to know about) that lead me to believe FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:31 Page 4 that users shouldn't be allowed to read it. Other times, there are general articles that seem like the users might benefit from. I never really liked the idea of having to 'censor' the FidoNews just to make it available for downloading, but there are times when they don't need to see everything. I recently decided to make the FidoList avail- able to users so they could download the whole list of Fido systems (minus the private ones) and see where they can send mail to. I think with the recent articles about Anti-BBS laws, I'm going to allow users to download FidoNews also. I'm not really asking for a "YES" or "NO" answer to this question, but just trying to open this up for discussion. LASTLY, WHAT IS THIS HALLEY'S COMET STUFF?? What is the purpose of the Halley's Comet and Voyager event listings in "The Interrupt Stack"? Perhaps just something to fill up what would otherwise be an empty calendar? Well, if we're that desperate for events, you could always list my next birthday - May 19, 1986. FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:32 Page 5 ------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:33 Page 6 BBS PRESS SERVICE OFFERS FREE ISSUE OF INFO-MAT MAGAZINE TO FIDO-NET SYSOPS FIDO-NET sysops run one of the finest BBS packages ever written and they know it. Now, thanks to THE BBS PRESS SERVICE, they can make their systems TRULY unique -- attracting REGULAR callers who can count on their local FIDO-NET for the very latest news, information, and features. It's easy with INFO-MAT Magazine, from The BBS Press Service (BPS). INFO-MAT is an exciting new weekly electronic publication that FIDO-NET sysops can post on their own BBS's. Each issue of INFO-MAT serves up a generous helping of text (50 - 70K). The topics covered include computer and software news, video and consumer electronics news, movie, software and hardware reviews, informative features about ANYTHING electronic, and editorials to get your users thinking. The best news, however, is that a FIDO-NET sysop can put EVERY issue of INFO-MAT on his or her BBS for as little as $3.12 per week! INFO-MAT can be downloaded directly from The BPS BBS, a 24- hour bulletin board system, or delivered on disk, in formats compatible with most popular computers. According to BPS' publisher, Alan R. Bechtold, their affiliates regularly report increases of 20% to 25% in the number of callers accessing their systems once INFO-MAT is put online. This makes it the perfect addition to a board, and it doesn't matter to BPS whether an affiliate charges an initial access fee or runs it wide open and free. Businesses and computer clubs easily draw regular callers by running INFO-MAT, too. Many BPS affiliates pay the entire cost of carrying INFO- MAT, including the monthly fee and all telephone or postage charges -- often with a profit -- by charging their users a small yearly access fee of $5 - $15. Others have found local merchants more than willing to pay the entire cost, in return for mention as an INFO-MAT Sponsor. Since BPS doesn't force their affiliates to charge for access or tell them how much to charge if they do, INFO-MAT can be put online any way the affiliate sysop wants to -- reaping the benefits he or she wants most from it. Each issue of INFO-MAT is a series of ten or more separate ASCII text files, including a separate file for each week's headlines and table of contents. Affiliate sysops place the headlines for the week in a Bulletin file, let their users know where they can go to find INFO-MAT, then watch them call in regularly to get their favorite "printless magazine." FIDO-NET users can use FIDO-NET'S "Type" option to read the magazine online or download it to read at their leisure. For a limited time, the BBS PRESS SERVICE has posted a special FREE sample issue on their BBS, just for FIDO-NET sysops. Give it a call. FIDO-NET Sysops are invited to look the magazine over, then download it and put it on their systems, to see for themselves how much their users would like to have each weekly issue available on their local FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:35 Page 7 FIDO-NET BBS. Affiliate subscriptions can even be ordered online with Visa or MasterCard. Complete pricing and disk format information is alsso always online, and names and addresses can be left in a message to the sysop, to be placed on the BPS mailing list, to receive the latest information about other exciting new BPS text features that you can purchase on a regular basis, or one at a time. Call the BPS bulletin board NOW, by dialing: ============== (913) 478-9239 ============== -- To see the free sample issue and order online. Or, for more information via first class mail, send your name, address and BBS information to: INFO-MAT Magazine The BBS Press Service 8125 S.W. 21st Street Top ------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:36 Page 8 PUBLIC vs. PRIVATE BULLETIN BOARD SYSTEMS By Steve Lemke, Sysop, Fido 102/378 ============================= One thing that's really bugged me lately is the number of FidoNet systems that are either private or semi-private. Recently, I wanted to get the latest NODELIST and FIDONEWS files without waiting for my host to get them for me. I called all over Southern California (and even out of state) and all I could find were private systems! I could see that some systems had it, but the download command was not available to me until I had been "verified" or sent in some written agreement, or something like that. It was rather annoying to have to "identify" myself and then call back later. Other systems that were public didn't have the file. I used to run a system where people would have limited access until they answered the system questionnaire and I had a chance to check it. I found it to be a real pain to have to go through the answers file and then upgrade everyone manually to a higher status. Recently, I changed the system to a _COMPLETELY_PUBLIC_ system, where all new users can do anything (upload, download, enter messages, kill messages, etc.). I added the QNEWUSER.BBS file so they have to answer the questionnaire before they get into the system, and if I ever find a set of answers that are not acceptable, I can delete the person. My system has been *PUBLIC* for about two months now, and I've had *NO* problems related to this change. I trust FIDO, and I believe that it is pretty-much crash-proof. The only problem I had occurred when someone broke into another local system (RBBS) and the password of my other Sysop was discovered. (Now he uses different passwords on each system!) That enabled our crook to drop into DOS (I've since made that harder!) and find out my password and cause all kinds of problems. But, _THAT_WOULD_HAVE_HAPPENED_EVEN_ _IF_MY_SYSTEM_WERE_PRIVATE!_ I enjoy having a public system, and I like being able to trust the users of my system. Incidentally, my system is running on a 30MB Compaq DeskPro 286 (a PC-AT Compatible, but 30% faster: 8 Mhz). _THIS_SYSTEM_REALLY_FLIES!!_ Our specialty here is IBM PC files of all kinds, and we also have some Macintosh stuff. The system is up 24 hours/day (except when the machine is being used locally), so give it a call if you want to see "THE FASTEST FIDO IN THE WEST" (& WORLD?) The number is (805) 569-2459. (That number again is (805) 569-2459!). FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:38 Page 9 ------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:39 Page 10 From: David Horowitz Fido 107/2 Subject: Shipuser.com Date: July 30, 1985 To all SysOps, In the last fidonews there was an article about shipuser. The article made comments about how I did not use Hex number to represent the file name (Like TJ does in Mail). Well, all I can say is I messed up... When I wrote the program I put alot of thought and time into designing a name that would be unique for all systems, yet still have the same extension, for easy processing. I came up with NodeNet.USR. It seemed like a good idea, and I did not remember that TJ does similar things with mail. I figured under the new scheme that my name would leave enough room for 1000 squared nodes, and if we even can close to 1000 nodes the Master User List would become too big anyway. I figured that Nets would renumber starting with one. It made sense at the time, but noooooo.... Anyway, the program really has to stay this way. It would mean changing the way we process the incoming userlists if we changed the name of the files, so the way it is - is the way it stays. However. I am in the process of making some changes to SHIPUSER: 1) Removed the question are you running 10i or greater, so the whole program is controlled from the command line, 2) Added a feature to allow you to select users greater than or less than a given privilege level. 3) Added a feature to allow you to select users who have called more than a given number of times. The new program will be making its way around soon, please use it! We are getting a fair response, but it could be better. If you would like to make a suggestion to other features for SHIPUSER contact me at: Fido 107/2 : (201) 750-3748 300/1200 ------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:40 Page 11 From Spiv's Fido #346 in Region #10 (408) 972-8164: (The ONLY FIDO devoted to the IBM PC AT) ******************************************************** IBM ADMITS HARDWARE FLAW IN PC-AT! IBM finally admits that approx 10% of the PC-ATs shipped may have a defective hard disk controller card. (IBM is rumored to have shipped about 300,000 PC-ATs so far.) IBM will replace FREE OF CHARGE any controller that is defective. Suspected units are in the following serial number range: 5019001 to 5141250 and 0054001 to 0146900 You can check if your system needs a new board by running a new IBM diagnostic program. Every IBM PC dealer is supposed to send this program to every customer that might have a PC-AT in the suspect serial number range. THIS FILE IS ON-LINE HERE IN THE UPLOAD SECTION. SO GRAB AND IT QUICKLY PUT YOUR MIND AT EASE OR GET IN LINE AT YOUR DEALER TO GET A REPLACEMENT BOARD. [Note: "Here" means on Fido #346 at 408-972-8164] It is also possible to identify defective controller boards by visual inspection. If the Texas Instruments IC in position U-19 has a suffix code of "-10" then the board should be replaced. ------------------------------------------------------------ FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:41 Page 12 Fido Utilities by Ben Baker - Fido 100/10 I am aware of a number of home-grown programs designed to perform utilitarian functions for Fido sysops. I'm sure there are twice as many that I haven't heard about. I usually find out about them by stumbling across them on someone else's board. Sometimes they drop in from the blue via FidoNet mail. It struck me that there is no mechanism for disseminating information about these utilities. I have therefore appoin- ted myself a committee of one to rectify the situation! I am beginning a directory of Fido utility software which I will publish in this newsletter from time to time. And with this article, I begin a semi-regular series of reviews of this software. Now, to make this work I am going to need help from all of you. If you have a favorite Fido utility program you want to share, send it to me at 100/10 for inclusion in the directory and possibly for review here. For the directory I need the program name, author, hardware and/or software constraints, language, where it can be obtained, whether or not source is available and a brief abstract. Please limit it to Fido specific utilities. There are so many good general utilities that without this limitation, we could quickly saturate. Now, on to my first review: Program Name: SYSREPT, V1.30 Author: Alfred Anderson Constraints: none Language: Generic TURBO Pascal Download From: 14/61, 100/10 or 100/51 Source Available? NO Abstract: Produces up to five reports based on an analysis of the SYSOP.LOG file. The reports include a condensed system log, a download report, an upload report, an export data file and a utilization summary. This is without doubt the best Fido reporting utility I have seen. It produces several useful reports in a clear, concise well designed format. It has been successfully tested on the IBM and the DEC Rainbow, and I expect it will run OK on any machine. The only minor annoyance is that TURBO insists on initial- izing the screen. Compiled with IBM TURBO, any program is machine-specific. Compiled with Generic TURBO, the program slows significantly, but is machine-independant. The reports may be directed to any device, or to files in FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:43 Page 13 any directory. Page headings contain a user-defined "board name" for a personal touch. Defaults are established in a control file, but all may be overridden by command line switches. The input log data may span several days (I run mine on a weekly basis), but the program assumes that it begins with the first call after midnight of the first day and ends with the last call before midnight of the last day. I force this to happen with an external event at 23:59 each Saturday night. The condensed system log is, as its name suggests, a conden- sation of SYSOP.LOG in the form of a very readable daily log. Each call is numbered and usually receives a one line entry containing user name, time on, call duration, number of files downloaded and comments. It is the comments field which causes some entries to occupy more than one line. Here such things as invalid password entries and uploaded files are noted. The "export" file is essentially the same data as the con- densed log, but without page formatting or comments. It may be produced in comma-delimited form with ASCII string data enclosed in quotes suitable for input to 1-2-3 or dBASE, or in a fixed field format for sorting or processing by other programs. The download report is a sorted list of all files downloaded during the period, and the number of times it was down- loaded. It is produced two columns to a page, making it compact but quite readable. The upload report is a sorted list of uploaded files with the name of the user who uploaded it and the date and time of upload. The one page utilization report is perhaps the most impress- ive of the lot. Most Sysops have only a vague notion of how much activity they get on their boards. Here's the report that will give them precise information. It begins with a histogram of percent utilization vs. hour of the day. It then lists several useful statistics such as number of calls at each baud rate, total number of calls, total total avail- able time, total logged time overall percent of utilization, average call duration, etc.. For one page, it is chock full of useful information. In summary, Anderson has put a lot of careful thought into this one, and I don't think any Fido Sysop should be without it. FIDONEWS -- 05 Aug 85 16:04:45 Page 14 ============================================================ NOTICES ============================================================ The first edition of the National Fido User List is now available! Download your copy now from 107/1, 107/2, or 107/7. It is called FIDOUSER.LST in the 300k expanded form, or FIDOUSER.ARC in the 80k compressed form. ------------------------------------------------------------ The Interrupt Stack 27 Nov 1985 Halley's Comet passes closest to Earth before perihelion. 24 Jan 1986 Voyager 2 passes Uranus. 9 Feb 1986 Halley's Comet reaches perihelion. 11 Apr 1986 Halley's Comet reaches perigee. 19 May 1986 Steve Lemke's next birthday. 24 Aug 1989 Voyager 2 passes Neptune. If you have something which you would like to see on this calendar, please send a message to Fido 107/7.