Info-Atari16 Digest Wed, 20 Mar 91 Volume 91 : Issue 156 Today's Topics: *RELIABLE* write-through hard disk cache wanted... 40 folder problem CeBIT impressions DVIPS 5.47 on the ST Forcing the scan rate to 50Hz [Sure wish they wouldn't!] games (3 msgs) IFF converters? lynx MIDI Software for ATARI ST - Stereo Leslie Effect Names Database wanted Read only (Was: SM124 Monochrome monitor problem) REXX for the Atari-ST? ST for Sale This is just a test. Turning off Zoom ? Ultrascript, availability and support needed Uniterm & Kermit (2 msgs) Welcome to the Info-Atari16 Digest. The configuration for the automatic cross-posting to/from Usenet is getting closer, but still getting thrashed out. Please send notifications about broken digests or bogus messages to Info-Atari16-Request@NAUCSE.CSE.NAU.EDU. Please send requests for un/subscription and other administrivia to Info-Atari16-Request, *NOT* Info-Atari16. Requests that go to the list instead of the moderators are likely to be lost or ignored. If you want to unsubscribe, and you're receiving the digest indirectly from someplace (usually a BITNET host) that redistributes it, please contact the redistributor, not us. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: 19 Mar 91 16:12:44 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!su nic!mcsun!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!mantis!mathew@arizona.edu (mathew) Subject: *RELIABLE* write-through hard disk cache wanted... To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I'm looking for a hard disk cache program for my ST, to speed up things a little. I'm sure that there are hundreds of such things, so I wondered if anyone had any recommendations... I want a write-through cache (I don't trust the things _that_ much :-) which is reliable. Ideally it should be written 'by the book'; i.e., XBRA-conformant and so on. If it has lookahead that would be an added bonus. Replies by mail, please. Thanks. mathew -- "These kinds of remarks are wholly inappropriate and are the mark of a bigot." -- Theodore A. Kaldis ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 01:10:50 GMT From: comp.vuw.ac.nz!actrix!Roger.Sheppard@uunet.uu.net Subject: 40 folder problem To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <051358.839@timbuk.cray.com> fields@uktriton.cray.com (Mike Fields) writes: > > Does anybody know whether the famous '40 folder problem' is fixed in later > version of TOS ?? > > I have a 4Meg STe with a 40M FA.ST Hard drive, with about 100 folders. > Occasionally > files get corrupted, different files get into the middle of files..It > looks very much > like the problems when, with my 1040, I encountered the 40 folder > problem. > > I have tried with foldr150.prg but that didn't seem to change anything, > but it could > be because the problem has already happened and until I ZERO the > partition it > will continue regardless. > > Anybody any ideas ?? > > Thanks > Mike Fields > fields@uk.cray.com From what I know , if it was the Folder Problem you will get a Warning with the New TOS 1.4/1.6. But there could be a Problem with the ICD Booter, if you have Write Caching on, Try turning this Off, This I have seen quoted to otheres by ICD, you don't have any thing to loose by trying it.. -- Roger W. Sheppard 85 Donovan Rd, Kapiti New Zealand... ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 14:13 From: "Thomas Koenig" Subject: CeBIT impressions To: Info-Atari16 Discussion Some more impressions from CeBIT: One of the Atari people was talking about a multitasking version of TOS for the TT, which he said was in the planning stage, but he stressed that it was too early to say wether it would ever come out. Some people at Atari wonder wether a TOS window under Unix would be a good idea. Maxon GmbH, the people who write the "ST COMPUTER" magazine, showed a program called MultiGEM. If you run it, you can have up to 7 windows on your desktop. The different windows may belong to different applications, which may run at the same time, or to the desktop. Input switching between different applications is done with the accessory menu, which means that at most 6 different applications may be active at any time. The active application gets the menu bar. Just how far actual multitasking goes, I don't know; one guy was typing something into one window while a grapics demo was running in a different window. It is also possible to configure Gemini as the standard desktop. Price is DM 159.- (US$100). Maxon claimed that all programs which do only output to windows and don't mess with the menu bar will run without problems; they did not say wether any particular program would run under MultiGEM. A large monitor may come in handy :-), TOS 1.2 or higher needed. TOS - programs run in a window. BTW, somebody said Leonard Tramiel went back to the States with a MultiGEM disk in his baggage. Karsten Isakovic, the guy who built OverScan, said the CeBIT developer's conference was 'very constructive', much better than last year's. Norman Kowalewski, one of the authors of KAOS and now a member of Atari's software support team, said that there was very intensive development going on with TOS. He called for bug reports, as complete as possible, with sample code. Since more than 60 TOS bugs have been fixed in KAOS, I think he is a guy who knows what he is talking about. He also said that KAOS had been necessary to show what was wrong with TOS and that it could be fixed, but he did not advocate KAOS as a TOS replacement because of - guess what? - incompatibilities in AES and GEMDOS. Also, in his official capacity as an Atari employee, he admitted Atari mistakes, promising things would be better in the future. As an example, he cited the fast arrival of the Mega STE and the bug fixes in TOS 3.05. Thomas Koenig EARN/BITNET : UI0T@DKAUNI2.BITNET INTERNET : UI0T@IBM3090.RZ.UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE : ib09@RZ.UNI-KARLSRUHE.DE X.400 : S=UI0T;OU=IBM3090;OU=RZ;P=UNI-KARLSRUHE;A=DBP;C=DE ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 11:45:01 MET From: Bruno BARSELLA Subject: DVIPS 5.47 on the ST To: Info Atari16 Digest I have seen a renewed interest on TeX since the generation of a lot of TeX programs after the 2.9 to 3.xxx release upgrade and the availability of the GCC in the ST world. I use a DVI to PostScript driver in the MS-DOS and Unix world (The DVIPS program by Thomas Rockiki) and I have tried to port the 5.47 (maybe the last :-) ) version of it to the ST. I must say that the presence of GCC has permitted to do that absolutely without pain, with only very small modifications of the Unix makefile. I think that this dvi driver is the best of the world, in particular if you have a PS printer with a relatively large amount of VM (my printer has 4 MB but 2.5 are quite adequate). I have not sent the port to atari.archive (I will ask Rockiki for permission if people ask this) but if some ST-netter is interested I can send him my files for testing. The installation of DVIPS is not completely easy, but if you get the .tar.Z sources by anonymous ftp at neon.stanford.edu (directory pub) you will find a very good manual in PostScript (dvips.ps) which permits a gentle introduction to DVIPS use. People interested may e-mail me at the addresses in the signature (the IPIFIDPT address is preferred) ..... Bruno BARSELLA - Astronomy and Astrophysics Section Department of Physics - University of PISA Piazza Torricelli, 2 --- 56100 PISA ITALY BITNET addresses : BARSELLA at ICNUCEVM.CNUCE.CNR.IT BARSELLA at IPIFIDPT.DIFI.UNIPI.IT ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 05:26:58 GMT From: haven!wam.umd.edu!dmb@purdue.edu (David M. Baggett) Subject: Forcing the scan rate to 50Hz [Sure wish they wouldn't!] To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu >European TVs work at 50 Hz. We make up for the fewer frames per second by >having more vertical resolution and properly-encoded colours. The only real reason game writers alter the scan rate is so the game play timing won't change. Games run 16.3% faster on U.S. ST's because the scan rate is 60Hz here. This means Joust, e.g., is more difficult in the U.S. than it is in the UK, something I always make clear when comparing high scores with my British competitors. :-) An example of a problem caused by the scan rate difference is the treasure room in Guantlet II. U.S. players will notice that the timer only counts down to about 4 or so, then the level ends. This is because the countdown code stupidly relies on the scan rate being only 50 frames per second (it counts a second by waiting for 50 vblanks to elapse). On U.S. machines 50 vblanks occur in 5/6ths of a second, so the timer counts down too quickly, and you only get 16.6 seconds in the treasure room instead of the normal 20. (Or is it 25?) To avoid the timing problems, some European programmers force U.S. machines into 50Hz mode. (This is accomplished by twiddling a bit in one of the video hardware registers.) Unfortunately, many early ST monitors (those made by GoldStar, I think) just can't handle the switch, and the monitor goes completely off sync. (We're talking "instant headache mode".) It's a shame too, because the GoldStars had better picture quality to my eyes. Many European games and demos are completely unuseable on my machine -- I can only assume that European folks just don't know their stuff doesn't work on a substantial portion of U.S. machines. Thank God Speedball II doesn't change the scan rate... (Hmm, this sounded a bit technical. Followups to c.s.a.s.tech...) Dave Baggett dmb%wam.umd.edu@uunet.uu.net ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 05:18:05 GMT From: ubc-cs!alberta!aunro!ersys!ggranger@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Greg Granger) Subject: games To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu KRR102@psuvm.psu.edu writes: > > Hey out there, can anyone tell me if there is a ST version of the follow > g 8bit games: Castle Wolfenstein I and/or II, and M.U.L.E.???? > > > Aloha, > MW If you're looking for a ST version of M.U.L.E. from Electronic Arts, you are SOL. A person in New York State is in the process of making a clone of it (called M.O.L.E.), but I don't know how far he is. As far as CW I or II go, you know as much as I do in that regards. You must have had either a Commodore 64 or an Apple II at one time in your life to have experiences with those 2 games. Greg Granger = INet: ersys!ggranger@nro.cs.athabascau.ca = = Fnet: Greg Granger (Node 532) Dark Knight (Node 595)= = Post: 5906-188 Street Edmonton, AB Canada T6M-2A9 = = Tele: +1 403 481-0803 OR +1 403 481-5110 = P. S. Dave L., if you have your UseNet feed up and running on your Sun yet, and you are reading this msg., please let us know about your progress on M.O.L.E. Greg Granger ersys!ggranger@nro.cs.athabascau.ca Edmonton Remote Systems: Serving Northern Alberta since 1982 ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 14:48:46 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!ai-lab!life.ai.mit.edu!j ohnb@arizona.edu (John Bunch) Subject: games To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu CW was also available for the 8-bit.. I had it... I think I had II, I know nothing about it being availabe for the ST. Sorry... John -- ************************************************************************ * John Bunch * 610 Morris St. * To be filled with a nifty * * johnb@gnu.ai.mit.edu * Albany,NY * quote at a later date... * * * 12208 * * ************************************************************************ ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 15:06:15 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!thunder.mcrcim.mcgill.ed u!quiche!depeche@arizona.edu (Acme Instant Dehydrated Boulder Kit) Subject: games To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article ersys!ggranger@nro.cs.athabascau.ca (Greg Granger) writes: >KRR102@psuvm.psu.edu writes: >> Hey out there, can anyone tell me if there is a ST version of the follow >> g 8bit games: Castle Wolfenstein I and/or II, and M.U.L.E.???? >As far as CW I or II go, you know as much as I do in that regards. You >must have had either a Commodore 64 or an Apple II at one time in your >life to have experiences with those 2 games. speaking of games by Silas Warner, it seems lots of us have roots back in the 8 bit days, has anyone seen a good game which is like ROBOTWAR which came out by the same company/author who wrote Castle Wolfenstein and MULE? -- |S. Alan Ezust : McGill University School of Computer Science | |depeche@cs.mcgill.ca : Montreal, Quebec, Canada | |---------------------------------------------------------------------------| ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 04:09:48 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcsp e!cs.uq.oz.au!warwick@arizona.edu (Warwick Allison) Subject: IFF converters? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In <8278@mentor.cc.purdue.edu> youngmw@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Michael) writes: >Is there a good iff converter that someone could recommend? >I would like one that converts to Spectrum 512 format. >If anyone has a PD or shareware one could they upload it to >atari.archive? There is a GIF to SPECTRUM converter on atari.archive, so just find a IFF to GIF! You'll probably have such tools at your University. -- _--_|\ warwick@cs.uq.oz.au / * <-- Computer Science Department, \_.--._/ University of Queensland, v AUSTRALIA. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Mar 91 16:18:53 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.m it.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!mcsun!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!mantis!mathew@ar izona.edu (mathew) Subject: lynx To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu schweigl@edvvie.at (Johnny Schweigl/2113674) writes: > From article <7868@crash.cts.com>, by chuckie@pro-odyssey.cts.com (Chuck Schu > > anyone know much on the atari lynx and how it is doing worldwide? > > Hmm. Nice thing, color, sound, could have been a success. If not Nintendo > had thrown it's GameBoy into the market [...] > [...] and up to now some 20 Games available, far more than for the lynx, > new ones coming continuosly. There are quite a few Lynx games out now. I was pleasantly surprised. I'm almost tempted to blow some money on one... Maybe this summer... > Lynx lost the battle, at least here in Austria. Must become smaller and > cheaper and be there before Nintendo builds a color GameBoy. It *has* become smaller and cheaper. The latest model of the Lynx is about 2/3 of the length, and 20% cheaper. They're also no longer forcing you to get California Games along with the thing; I'd much rather have Gauntlet III. I wouldn't buy a GameBoy for the same reason I won't buy a Mac. Manufacturer's too obnoxious. I can put up with stupid companies like Atari [ducks :-) ] but deliberately monopolistic companies? No way. mathew -- "These kinds of remarks are wholly inappropriate and are the mark of a bigot." -- Theodore A. Kaldis ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 14:29:23 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!caen!news.cs.indiana.edu!ux1.cso.uiuc.edu! m.cs.uiuc.edu!vela!swood@arizona.edu ( EVENSONG) Subject: MIDI Software for ATARI ST - Stereo Leslie Effect To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I had some trouble with my elm filters, so I have not been receiving any mail for a couple of days. I would appreciate if anyone that replied to the original postings is still interested, that they reply again now that I am once again receiving mail. Sorry for the bandwidth.... >Article 15606 of misc.forsale: >Path: vela!swood >From: swood@vela.acs.oakland.edu ( EVENSONG) >Newsgroups: rec.music.synth,comp.sys.atari.st,misc.forsale >Subject: MIDI Software for ATARI ST - Stereo Leslie Effect >Message-ID: <5438@vela.acs.oakland.edu> >Date: 17 Mar 91 23:04:05 GMT >Followup-To: poster >Organization: Oakland University, Rochester MI. >Lines: 31 >Xref: vela rec.music.synth:9523 comp.sys.atari.st:13403 misc.forsale:15606 Software for ATARI ST MIDI Master Tracks Pro (one week old - not what I needed) original box, etc. (bought for $289) UltraMIDI total control workstation (MidiMouse Music) Never used - controlled midi prompting from your synth (cost $249) MichTron SuperConductor Sequencer ($49) Sell as Package for $300 or $175 for either of the first two, and the first reply will get the supercharger program thrown in. Would rather sell as a set though Also: Stereo Leslie style effects generator Foot button style switch. Mono input, stereo output I bought it used and have not even tried to hook it up. I ended up running mono anyway, and thus have not had a need for it. I paid $35 dollars for it on the network, and would like to get $25 for it. mono input, and stereo output. Power plug included, or run on batteries. swood -- ---- Insert favorite .signature here ---- | swood@argo.acs.oakland.edu | swood@vela.acs.oakland.edu Bitnet: swood@Oakland | swood@unix.secs.oakland.edu UUCP: ...!uunet!umich! ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 13:04:50 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!news.cs.indiana.edu !know!pluto.hemel.bull.co.uk!keithb@arizona.edu (Keith Bedford) Subject: Names Database wanted To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Does anyone know of a database (or ASCII file) of Christian Names I can download (for naming a child, not Junk mail!) for processing on an ST? A program to manipulate it would be nice but I could write that. Please email me - keith.bedford@bull.hemel.co.uk -- Thanks in advance, Keith. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Mar 91 16:21:51 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!usc!snorkelwacker.mit.edu!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!su nic!mcsun!ukc!slxsys!ibmpcug!mantis!mathew@arizona.edu (mathew) Subject: Read only (Was: SM124 Monochrome monitor problem) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu johnj@hijg.prl.philips.nl (John Janssen) writes: > I was in the same position for some years. > I could read many newsgroups, but was not allowed to post. > Even email outside the company was not allowed. > This was for security reasons of the research center I was then. I used to have Email access but not posting privileges. For the benefit of others in the same position, it's possible to post to Usenet by mailing your article to a suitable backbone site. For example, you can post to comp.sys.atari.st by mailing your article to comp-sys-atari-st@ucbvax.berkeley.edu... mathew -- "These kinds of remarks are wholly inappropriate and are the mark of a bigot." -- Theodore A. Kaldis ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 17:20:32 MEZ From: Wolfgang Ley Subject: REXX for the Atari-ST? To: Atari Discussion List Hello Atari-User Few moths ago i have asked a question about REXX for the ATARI-ST. I'm looking for a REXX-Interpreter for the Atari. All i got was an info, saying that there *was* a discussion about such a programm called something like "REXX-ST" in the Fidonet. I haven't found something about REXX in the Fidonet (perhaps my mailbox doesn't store the massages long enough). Is there someone who can help me? Thanks, Wolfgang Ley. (BWWL AT DCZTU1.BITNET) ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 05:08:28 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!ariel.unm.edu!c ie.uoregon.edu!michaelw@arizona.edu (Michael Weston) Subject: ST for Sale To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu 520 ST System for sale: Includes: --------- 520ST CPU Floppy Drive Color Monitor Panasonic KX-P1080i Printer box of tractor-feed paper Cables Joystick WordPerfect 4.1 (Orig. Disks, Manual, minus Thesaurus Disk) Miscellaneous Software (70 disks, commercial and PD) Modem (Auto Answer, Non-Auto Dial) Flash 1.52 (Communications Program) Any reasonable offer for all or part of the package will be considered. If interested, send mail or call Michael at (503) 344-9392. ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 08:28:20 GMT From: castle.edinburgh.ac.uk!eang62@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (Herbert Sauro) Subject: This is just a test. To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu This is jsut a test HMS ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 11:34:15 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!munnari.oz.au!brolga!uqcsp e!cs.uq.oz.au!warwick@arizona.edu (Warwick Allison) Subject: Turning off Zoom ? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I remember seing a program a while back that turned off those time consuming `Zoom' lines when programs are run and windows are opened. Does anyone know of such a program? I looked around on the archive, but found nothing. Warwick. -- _--_|\ warwick@cs.uq.oz.au / * <-- Computer Science Department, \_.--._/ University of Queensland, v AUSTRALIA. ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 20 Mar 91 17:58 N From: Subject: Ultrascript, availability and support needed To: INFO-ATARI16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Comment: Mail not returnable through this path, use the list address Author: AEOLUS::NOTES3C "meyerpm Peter" Topic 403.0 Time: 20-MAR-1991 17:45 ZRH Could anybody send me some information about ULTRASCRIPT (eg. newest Version, * producer's FAX-number * etc) ? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please reply via E-mail: pm@bs.id.ethz.ch ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 11:43:15 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!utgpu!watserv 1!watdragon!watyew!badorion@arizona.edu (Brian A. Dorion) Subject: Uniterm & Kermit To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <2KY-+Z@irie.ais.org> ty@ais.org (Ty Zucker) writes: >Help! I'm having big problems trying to get Uniterm to download >files with kermit. Can someone send me a detailed message on what to >do? > I'd be interested in any advice people have as well. I download some- thing to my ST, and when I try to unarc it, the arc usually comes up with a comment like "This uses 13 bits I can only handle 12." Can anyone tell me why the files I try to downloaded after ftp'ing keep getting smashed? The text files are ok, its just the binaries that are getting creamed. Brian Dorion Kitchener, Ontario Canada ------------------------------ Date: 20 Mar 91 15:51:12 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnus.acs.ohio-stat e.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!bgsuvax!jbernat@arizona.edu (Jim Bernatowicz) Subject: Uniterm & Kermit To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu From article <1991Mar20.114315.19825@watdragon.waterloo.edu>, by badorion@watyew.uwaterloo.ca (Brian A. Dorion): >>Help! I'm having big problems trying to get Uniterm to download >>files with kermit. Can someone send me a detailed message on what to >>do? > > I'd be interested in any advice people have as well. I download some- > thing to my ST, and when I try to unarc it, the arc usually comes up > with a comment like "This uses 13 bits I can only handle 12." Can anyone > tell me why the files I try to downloaded after ftp'ing keep getting > smashed? The text files are ok, its just the binaries that are getting > creamed. I suspect you did not tell the remote kermit server to send in Binary mode. Both the local and remote systems MUST be set to binary mode because the default is text. (LF's are converted to LF/CR or the other way around.) SET FILE TYPE BINARY Enter the above command for both the remote and local kermit. If you are using Kermit to Xfer files from a Vax, you may wish to look for sx,sb,sz (Send Xmodem, Batch (Ymodem), Zmodem, respectively.) Also, rx,rb,rz are the receive counterparts. Once I found these, I found Kermit to be too annoying and slow to deal with. ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************