Info-Atari16 Digest Sat, 1 Jun 91 Volume 91 : Issue 308 Today's Topics: ASCII text on UNIX is OK now. ATARI Disk Drive Power Supply Computer Eyes/Digispec format GEM-based UUE/UUD, with sources Gemini Standard Usages (3 msgs) Hard disk booting IMG gormat Lattice C Personal Pascal 2 (2 msgs) Publishers (II) (2 msgs) ST code or C source for uncompressing .hqx & .sit files: Wanted! TT/68882 Weekly posting of new stuff 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: Sat, 1 Jun 91 12:48:01 BST From: TAN JUN Subject: ASCII text on UNIX is OK now. To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I am sorry to have posted a request on the newsletter about the strange manner happened text files on UNIX after transferred from Atari ST, (i.e., there are ~M in the end of each line.). Last night, I found out that there was a difference between UNIX and Atari on dealing things like `newline' and 'carriage-return' in ASCII text files. It seems to me that Atari uses both `\r' and '\n' to denote a newline, whereas UNIX only uses `\n` to do it. Therefore, it reminds me to write a C filter to convert ASCII text files on UNIX after transferred from Atari, in which every `\r` in Atari text file is omited in UNIX, i.e., only `\n` is kept. Guess what ? It really works. The following is the C source-code, ##################### /* Delete carriage-returns in Atari text file */ #include main() { int ch; while ((ch=getchar())!=EOF) { if(ch!='\r')(putchar(ch)); } } ##################### Forgive me to have posted this if the method had been well-known before. I just wish that it might be useful to somebody. All the best. Jun Tan ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 18:46:23 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!lll-winken!taco!eos.ncsu.edu!smisra@arizona.edu (SAURABH MISRA) Subject: ATARI Disk Drive Power Supply To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu For ATARI SF314 or SF354 $20 Delivered PS: All other components have been sold that were posted in my previous message (ATARI 520ST, Drive, Monitors) Thanks Saurabh ------------------------------ Date: 2 Jun 91 00:19:40 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!caen!hellgate.utah. edu!dog.ee.lbl.gov!ucsd!sdcc6!sdcc13!gknauss@arizona.edu (G. "Maddog" Knauss) Subject: Computer Eyes/Digispec format To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Argh. Kick me in the head. I can't find the listing I had of the Computer Eyes raw data format, the one that Digispec uses. Anybody have it? Is it part of the Formats posting? Thanks... -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg "Maddog" Knauss "Aiee!" gknauss@sdcc13.ucsd.edu ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 18:42:10 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!spool.mu.edu!cs.umn.edu!thelake!steve@a rizona.edu (Steve Yelvington) Subject: GEM-based UUE/UUD, with sources To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I've mailed a GEM-based uuencoder/uudecoder and sources for same to the moderator of comp.binaries.atari.st/comp.sources.atari.st. It handles split files, concatenated files with junk between the ``takes,'' etc. Look for it in the appropriate newsgroups. ---- Steve Yelvington, Marine on St. Croix, Minnesota, USA / steve@thelake.mn.org ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 14:04:34 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!think.com!mintak a!pogo.gnu.ai.mit.edu!entropy@arizona.edu (maximum entropy) Subject: Gemini Standard Usages To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1991May31.184317.26514@lsuc.on.ca> jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura) writes: >Also, I have no idea what they are intending to use the "CDPATH" >for. I've never seen it on a Unix system or an OS-9 system and >I don't know what program would look for it. Is that supposed to >be a path for CD Rom applications? I don't use Gemini, but I do know what CDPATH is, from using ksh and bash. The CDPATH variable contains a list of directories to scan for a directory name given to the 'cd' command. For example, if my CDPATH is ":/usr:/usr/entropy:/usr/bob/pub/bin/bsd4.3/recreation" then if I type "cd games" the shell will: 1) cd to ./games if it exists (some shells don't do this if you have a CDPATH) 2) otherwise, cd to /usr/games if it exists 3) otherwise, cd to /usr/entropy/games if it exists 4) otherwise, cd to /usr/bob/pub/bin/bsd4.3/recreation/games if it exists CDPATH is very useful if you have long paths to very common storage areas and don't like typing them all the time. entropy -- entropy@gnu.ai.mit.edu entropy. . .it's not just a good idea, it's the second law. Boycott Lotus, Apple, Ashton-Tate and Xerox. Join the League for Programming Freedom! Write to league@prep.ai.mit.edu for more information. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 21:44:09 GMT From: noao!asuvax!ukma!wuarchive!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!atha!lsuc!jimomura@ar izona.edu (Jim Omura) Subject: Gemini Standard Usages To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article entropy@gnu.ai.mit.edu (maximum entropy) writes: >In article <1991May31.184317.26514@lsuc.on.ca> jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura) writes: >>Also, I have no idea what they are intending to use the "CDPATH" >>for. I've never seen it on a Unix system or an OS-9 system and >>I don't know what program would look for it. Is that supposed to >>be a path for CD Rom applications? > >I don't use Gemini, but I do know what CDPATH is, from using ksh and >bash. The CDPATH variable contains a list of directories to scan for >a directory name given to the 'cd' command. For example, if my CDPATH >is ":/usr:/usr/entropy:/usr/bob/pub/bin/bsd4.3/recreation" then >if I type "cd games" the shell will: > >1) cd to ./games if it exists (some shells don't do this if you have a CDPATH) >2) otherwise, cd to /usr/games if it exists >3) otherwise, cd to /usr/entropy/games if it exists >4) otherwise, cd to /usr/bob/pub/bin/bsd4.3/recreation/games if it exists > >CDPATH is very useful if you have long paths to very common storage >areas and don't like typing them all the time. > This point has become sort of interesting. If you read exactly what I said, it was a sort of a trick comment. Truth is, I was being sarcastic. I did realize that they were using it to define a search path for an empty 'cd' call. Truth is, also that I really haven't seen CDPATH used personally (though apparently it's 'csh' as well as 'ksh'. What I was getting at though is that it's not classic Unix standard because 'sh' simply looks for HOME. Though I'm starting to wonder now if some versions of 'sh' might have been re-written to go either way. But I was getting at a couple of points, albeit in retrospect, in an overly cleverly manner. First, it's simply unnecessary. If you think about the purpose of HOME and the purpose of CDPATH, they are essentially duplcations of each other. Second, as I pointed out earlier in my message, the Gemini team doesn't seem to understand what HOME is for, and if they did, they would have realized the unnecessary duplication. And I was hoping that it would become clear, in a Zen sort of way that unnecessary clutter in the environment is to be avoided. And also, as I said in my earlier posting, if you don't get your standard uses properly organized, you end up writing applications that look in the wrong places for things. For example, if you have one fellow using CDPATH and HOME for different purposes arbitrarily and someone else somewhere else using them differently, you could wind up with 2 applications that conflict. Like if 1 is looking for a '.signature' file in your HOME directory which is '/usr/grp1/user1' but CDPATH is 'usr/projects/contract1'. After all, if you have both then why not use them? Now if you're going to *look* like you're copying Unix usages, then you better be careful that you get some idea what standard usages really are. And that may go beyond the manuals. And I guess in this case I suggest that people simply define CDPATH=${HOME} unless they have a really good reason not to do so. And thinking about it, the best definition for the CONSOLDIR (I think that's what it was called) is simply "." rather than whatever they did (I think they set the console directory to the GEMINI directory or something like that). But it was really sloppy of me. I rarely post things so deliberately obscure, and frankly I just plain botched it. -- Jim Omura, 2A King George's Drive, Toronto, (416) 652-3880 lsuc!jimomura Byte Information eXchange: jimomura ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 22:24:08 GMT From: mcrware!mwca!bill@uunet.uu.net (Bill Sheppard) Subject: Gemini Standard Usages To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <1991May31.184317.26514@lsuc.on.ca> jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura) writes: ->I've been working with Gemini off and on for a while now and ->I hope somebody can pass these comments to the programming team. ->It's all regarding the "mupfel.mup" file: ... ->Also, I have no idea what they are intending to use the "CDPATH" ->for. I've never seen it on a Unix system or an OS-9 system and ->I don't know what program would look for it. Is that supposed to ->be a path for CD Rom applications? If I recall, CDPATH is the path that mupfel will search when you type "CD directory". It's sort of like Norton CD under DOS - you can type "CD directory" without a partition letter and CD will look on the various paths specified by CDPATH for that directory name, regardless of which drive it is on. -- ############################################################################## # Bill Sheppard -- bills@microware.com -- {uunet,sun}!mcrware!mwca!bill # # Microware Systems Corporation --- OS-9: Seven generations beyond OS/2!! # ######Opinions expressed are my own, though you'd be wise to adopt them!###### ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 10:31:24 GMT From: VMS.HUJI.AC.IL!seran@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (ERAN MEGIDO) Subject: Hard disk booting To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hi, Please tell me if this is a good idea or are there better ones. Recently I , in a very tired and uncarring state, put a program in my boot drive c: of my hardisk. It was an ACC. When I rebooted the program caused the computer to totaly crash. I am using desk manager so I was not too worried and went into the ACC selection and unmarked this program. But it did not help. The ACC still ran and still crashed the computer. After many hours of working and trying to get rid of the program or around it in some way, I gave in to the thought that I will have to reformat my hard drive. The next day I came up with a simple, obvious idea which saved me. I only formatted drive c:. Then I put in C: as a boot drive again and reloaded from my back-up which was almost fully entact. I avoided losing all 60 megs but I also came up with a diff idea. Why not partion the HD so that drive c: is the smallest amount of memory possible. make it a boot up drive and stick _only_ desk manager there. Then make a drive d: or whatever that will contain all the prg's and acc's that desk manager acceses. Then if ever I get a program which kills on booting I can just format drive c: and only need to restore desk manager. It sounds good to me, perhaps I am wrong. Any ideas, suggestions, or comments would be appreciated. Also, what is the procedure of putting dos on the hardisk for pcditto? And is there also a way to do the same for aladin? Thanks, Eran.. (please answer to my email adress bellow if possible as I cannot read the list often) SERAN@VMS.HUJI.AC.IL ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 22:42:53 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!well!fh@arizona.edu (Fabian Hahn) Subject: IMG gormat To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu jimomura@lsuc.on.ca (Jim Omura) writes: >>1 word pixel width in microns (1/1000 mm, 25400 microns per inch) >>1 word pixel height in microns > Does most software actually take this into account for anything >or can you leaave the pixel dimension 0? No, do not do this. All programs that import .IMG images should at least use these values to calculate the aspect ratio of the picture. Our product, Wordflair II uses them if they seem reasonable to display images correctly when the preserve aspect-ratio option is selected. If you do not have any information about the original pixel size put in something like 72dpi x 72dpi. > No matter how you feel about the Amiga/Atari/Mac wars, >the IMG "standard" just isn't sufficiently defined and has not real >underlying rational. You are probably right, but .IMG is the only format currently supported by the GEM functions in the ATARI. So it will be around for quite some time more. We should try to get all programs that support .IMG's to use them cosistent, this would take care of at least some the problems that we are having with .IMG's. Fabian Hahn Goldleaf Publishing, Inc. ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 01:36:01 GMT From: noao!ncar!gatech!bloom-beacon!eru!hagbard!sunic!isgate!krafla!adamd@arizona.edu (Adam David) Subject: Lattice C To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu > I have been offered a 2nd hand copy of Lattice C version 5. >Unfortunately the registration card has been sent in. Does >anybody know what Lattice' policy is regarding transfer of >registration (for updates and such)? I would have thought that a written transfer of rights from the previous licensee to the new one could be sent to Hisoft or their appointed agent for changing the registration details. The person who originally sent in the registration card will then be unable to claim any support because he is no longer registered. It didn't ought to cost anything, did it? -- Adam David. (adamd@rhi.hi.is) ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 13:35:22 GMT From: IFI.UIO.NO!larserio@ucbvax.berkeley.edu (LarsErikOsterud) Subject: Personal Pascal 2 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Personal Pascal 2 Question """""""""""""""""""""""""" I just read that HiSoft is going to drop Personal Pascal 2 and as a true Personal Pascal lover I wondered about some things that I think someone out on the net migth help with: When I bought Personal Pascal 2 i got it with these program versions: Gem shell 2.02 (the newest version of the whole package Compiler 2.0 is 2.05 and I desperatly need this !!!!) Linker 2.02 However - There is a bug i the Compiler that messes up something with the GEM system. After x number of compilations everything locks up. Even if I run the compiler only once som programs go bananas afterward if I try to run them. If I run the compiler without GEM (as a TOS program) this does not happend.... Is there anyone out there who knows WHERE I can get the NEWEST versions of the GEM SHELL, the COMPILER and the LINKER. I know there is a newer version of the compiler and I simply MUST have it. I could ask HiSoft, but I won't switch to their new Pascal (to many programs to convert and to expensive to buy a whole new system..) Any help would be great !!!! Lars-Erik / ABK-BBS +47 2132659 / ____ ______ ________________________ Osterud / larserio@ifi.uio.no / /___ / The norwegian ST __________/ ______________________/ ____/ / Klubben, user association ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 23:33:58 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!rex!uflorida!mailer.cc.fsu.ed u!nu!boyd@arizona.edu (Mickey Boyd) Subject: Personal Pascal 2 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article , larserio@ifi.uio.no writes: >Personal Pascal 2 Question >"""""""""""""""""""""""""" >I just read that HiSoft is going to drop Personal Pascal 2 and as >a true Personal Pascal lover I wondered about some things that I >think someone out on the net migth help with: > ICD distributes Personal Pascal. If you do find out anything about an upgrade policy (or lack therein) could you please post or email me? -- ---------------------------------+------------------------------------- Mickey R. Boyd | "Kirk to Enterprise. All clear FSU Computer Science | down here. Beam down Technical Support Group | yeoman Rand and a six-pack . ." email: boyd@fsucs.cs.fsu.edu | ---------------------------------+------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 02:09:30 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!apple!portal!cup.portal.com!Bob_BobR_ Retelle@arizona.edu Subject: Publishers (II) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu David Paschall-Zimbel writes: >Not exactly true, Bob. ST Log was making money when it was folded into ANAL >and was still making money when the publisher decided to discontinue publish >the magazine. Likewise, STart's parent company was still making money from >magazine --- it was 'killed' by cash draw-off to other publications within t >same company (or so I am led to believe from the conflicting press reports t >which I've had access.) Well, from speaking with the editor and publisher of ANALOG/STlog, LFP, Inc. was reluctant to put the kind of money into the publication that it would tak to really promote it, given the ill health of the Atari marketplace (and that was then... things have gotten steadily worse since..). Their Videogames magazine was given plenty of support and is thriving today in the Nintendo/ Sega/NEC world. I don't recall specifically whether they said if STlog was still making money when it was folded, but just taking a look at the last issue demonstrates that they were in trouble. Much of the ad space was ANALOG ads.. the actual number of advertisers was very small.. a very bad sign. Reports on CompuServe from Paul LeFevre of Antic indicate that STart had been losing money steadily for months. The decision was finally made to halt production and avoid any further losses. Again, taking a look at the last issue, much of the advertising was from ANTIC itself, and you can't pay the bills with free ads. ST User and ST Format are nice, but have little to do with MY world, here in the U.S. It's frustrating to read about products I either can't even buy, or which have no local support, assuming I can find them. I've run up some nice phone bills calling MirrorSoft in England because there is no local support for their Atari products. Seeing their new programs in English magazines does me little good at all. BobR ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 16:29:56 GMT From: tellab5!chinet!saj@uunet.uu.net (Stephen Jacobs) Subject: Publishers (II) To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu >>In article <42806@cup.portal.com>, Bob_BobR_Retelle@cup.portal.com writes: >> >>> You're seeing effects of the death of the Atari marketplace in the US. Sick != dead. Atari US is still selling every machine they can get, with no obvious sign that that's going to change. I sure don't know what software all those machines are running, but there are pretty good numbers of them. Sick I'll agree with readily: clearly, too sick to support a glossy magazine devoted only to Atari computers. Sick implies 'might die', but it leaves open the possibility 'might recover', too. I'll list some hopeful signs. 1)Atari Corp. has finally cleared away the wreckage of the Federated disaster. 2)The applications which look like the next corporate fads, DTP and combining sound with animations (desktop multimedia) are better supported on Atari hardware than the old fad applications (graphic spreadsheets and professional wordprocessing) were. 3)The game machine segment doesn't seem to have any nasty surprises left. 4)Portfolio looks like a nice steady money generator, but its market niche has become cut-throat enough that Atari is unlikely to put excessive (from an ST fan's viewpoint) effort into follow-ons. 5)There's finally a commercial development system for the TT (Lattice). You pays your money and acts accordingly. I know that a little fella has to be nuts to try to crack the PC software market today. Mac is tough too, but maybe possible. ST and Amiga are still at the stage where a good idea (software or hardware) could be pushed with a limited budget, and have a chance of making a profit. The biggest successes may go on to try other markets; at least the foundation will be in place. Steve saj@chinet.chi.il.us ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 22:50:24 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!mips!apple!well!fh@arizona.edu (Fabian Hahn) Subject: ST code or C source for uncompressing .hqx & .sit files: Wanted! To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu redmond+@cs.cmu.edu (Redmond English) writes: >I'd like to try converting some mac fonts to GDOS format, but all the >ftp font archives have the mac fonts compressed using something that >creates .sit and .hqx extensions. There is a program called mcvert for unix that will convert .hqx files to mac binarys. Once you are there you need some utility that will convert the Mac fonts to GDOS format. The .sit files are created by StuffIt!, the Mac equivalent to arc files. The details for StuffIt! files are available, but I do not know of any implementations on the ATARI. You might have to "unStuff" them on a PC or a Mac. Fabian ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 20:12:56 GMT From: nsc!pyramid!apalmer@hplabs.hp.com (Albert "Earthquake" Palmer) Subject: TT/68882 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <27361@know.pws.bull.com> CSULLOGG@CRL.AECL.CA writes: >One netter asked if the TT includes the 68882; mine did and the TT manual >stated that it is a TT standard feature, not an option. It has a clock >speed of 32MHz, just like the 68030. The MegaSTE manual states that the >68881 is an option. Note, for firm believers that Atari never delivers; >THIS MESSAGE CREATED ON A TT. Now, if only the software base would >expand (yeah, I know I can run Macware, after all I use GCR!!!!!). This message is also being posted from a TT. My TT manual also stated that I have a 68882, but Mac software says I have a 68881. Has anyone else seen this? My machine came with TOS 3.01. I purchased it just 3 weeks ago. I wish I knew why Atari is shipping machines with down rev TOS and the wrong math co-processor. On a positive note, I love the new desktop. I'm the legal owner of both DC Desktop and NeoDesk. Gribnif lost me as a customer when they wanted more for the upgrade to 3.0 than I could buy it mail order. I prefer the TT desktop. The TT is fast and Mac/Spectre is even faster. (much Mac software uses the 68881) I am very happy with the purchase. Both local stores are sold out of TT and waiting for more from Atari. (B&C and SJC) al palmer ------------------------------ Date: 1 Jun 91 20:44 +0100 From: Robert Weissenfels Subject: Weekly posting of new stuff To: Hi there from outside the fast nets (only runnin' packet switched) I'm getting some of the stuff, listed in the message by 'atari archive robot' BUT NOT EVERY MESSAGE!! THAT IS BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAD!!! Where can I get it from? I can't do ftp on my side, it's just mailing... (Did you think, I couldn't do single line skips? ;-)) Please help Robert +--+--+--+ | | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ weissenfels%bauelemente.e-technik. | | | | | | | | uni-dortmund.dbp.de --+- . __ ___ ___-+-- @relay.cs.net (CSNET, ARPANET) | | / /_ /__/ /_ | | @dfngate.bitnet (BITNET, EARN) +--+ /__ __/ /__/ /__ +--+ @unido.uucp (UUCP) | | __ __ . . __ | | +--+ /_/ /_ /|// /_ +--+ | | / / /_/ / / /_ | | The *A*C*I*D* House --+- -+-- | | | | | | | | +--+--+--+--+--+--+--+ if it's got any meaning, it's mine... |__|__|__|__|__| ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************