Info-Atari16 Digest Sat, 19 Oct 91 Volume 91 : Issue 541 Today's Topics: .MOD Players/Creators with >16 samples? 1040 STe for sale! Atari Abaq auto folder woes - thanks DataLink 1.00 DC Data Diet -- Ordering! Falcon IBM 3780 Emulation Last TeX font question Notator 3.1 Panther & Jaguar. PC DITTO I Problems in I/O-Redirection U.S. Atari magazines WANTED: GIF --> SPC converter Weekly Posting of New Stuff What are... 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 Oct 91 00:25:48 GMT From: noao!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!magnu s.acs.ohio-state.edu!usenet.ins.cwru.edu!cleveland.Freenet.Edu!at731@arizona.ed u (Troy L. Nothnagel) Subject: .MOD Players/Creators with >16 samples? To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Has anyone seen any .Mod programs that support more than 16 samples? I've got all this memory to play with... Even less likely- has anyone seen any that will support more than four tracks on an STe? -- Troy L. Nothnagel at731@cleveland.Freenet.Edu "And for a gorilla, his English wasn't half bad." - Den of Earth "No, now go away or I shall taunt you a second time-a!" - Guard, MP&tHG ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 01:08:34 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!uwm.edu!og icse!milton!england@arizona.edu (Gregory Miller) Subject: 1040 STe for sale! To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I've got the following hardware for sale: 1040 STe (FOUR MEGS installed, also battery backed clock) sm124 monochrome monitor GTS-100 external floppy drive All for $550 (OBO) -- ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 20:45:43 GMT From: zazen!doug.cae.wisc.edu!carter@decwrl.dec.com (Gregory Carter) Subject: Atari Abaq To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <4948@tamsun.TAMU.EDU> n160ao@tamuts.tamu.edu (Mark Lehmann) writes: >This is an old and probably dead issue. > >What happened to the Atari Abaq. > >A friend told me putting 10 of these Atari Abaqs together would give a >user more power than a Cray Y-MP computer. He then proceeded to inform >me how Atari products are so good, that Atari will own the computer market >by 1989. I even saw a picture of the Atari Abaq in an atari magazine. > >Do anyone have the scoop on this? Atari Abaq? Oh yeah, I remember that piece of junk. The whole idea with that machine was the concept of "processor farming". You could add as many processors you like to get some form of scalable architecture..(from ATARI, WOW Huh?). Well, it was a cruel joke, and I think only the most die hard of people ever got one, short of sucking up and kissing Jack's behind. It was an amazing machine though, as far as I could tell. Just another failure thats all. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Greg Carter - Undergraduate - United States Amatuer Wrestler (149.5 lb) ONLY 9 months to go for State tournee - Kick Butt Time! ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Employed: Computer Aided Engineering Center - University Wisconsin - Madison Major: Computer Science - Emphasis: System Design Tools, User Interfaces Phone Home: (608) 264-3622 - Work: (608) 262-5349 Employed: Atari Corporation Third Party Licensed Developer - Current Project: NO, ITS NOT a VIDEO GAME. Thank You. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My Current Girlfriend: Atari MEGA STE 4/50 16Mhz 68000 1.8 Mips Runs all Mac Software, quite nicely. (Third Person in the US to own one) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- My advice for the week: Don't tell me how hard you work, tell me how much you got done. ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 14:46:11 GMT From: mcsun!hp4nl!esatst!wg!chris@uunet.uu.net (Milquetoast) Subject: auto folder woes - thanks To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Thanks for all the replies. My hard disk is now accessible again. Regards Chris ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Chris Rouch chris@wg.estec.nl Serco Space Ltd. Tel: +31 1719 84672 ESTEC, The Netherlands. Fax: +31 1719 84192 He's not the messiah, he's a very naughty boy ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 21:06:27 GMT From: lll-winken!aunro!ersys!mforget@uunet.uu.net (Michel Forget) Subject: DataLink 1.00 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hello. DataLink 1.00, a new communications program, has just been uploaded to atari.archive.umich.edu and will soon be available. The filename is currently DATALINK.ZOO. Following is an excerpt from the text file included in the DataLink archive. D I S T R I B U T I O N ----------------------- You may upload this archive anywhere you please, so long as the information contained within it is not altered in any way. DataLink *can* be included on User Group disks that are being sold, but may not be sold for profit. D A T A L I N K F E A T U R E S --------------------------------- Welcome to the wonderful world of telecommunications! DataLink is the newest program to hit the market, and chances are it's just right for you. Some of the best features found in commercial telecommunications programs are now at your fingertips. An easy to use Group Dialer will let you select a group of BBS systems to call, and then dial each one in the sequence until you have connected to every board in the chain. The normal dialer used by DataLink will dial a BBS system until you connect, keeping track of how long you have been dialing, how many "BUSY", "NO CARRIER", and "NO DIALTONE" messages have occurred, and how many times you have dialed. Both of DataLink's dialers show the name, the number, a comment, and the baud rate of the BBS being dialed. You can store up to fifty BBS systems, along with the appropriate information, in each dialing directory. There is no limit to the number of dialing directories you can maintain. DataLink also provides you with a complete set of disk utilities, including copy, move, delete, rename, print, make folder, delete folder, touch file, append file, and free disk space. Do you ever get tired of typing in your name and password every time you want to log-on to a BBS system? Sure you do. DataLink will allow you to put this annoying problem behind you forever. You can enter up to ten strings which DataLink will search for, and up to ten strings to reply with when the search strings are found. DataLink also provides you with a 32K buffer so that you don't miss important information. The buffer is saved automatically when it fills. Or, if you want to save disk space, you can set the buffer not to save until you tell it to from terminal mode. Using the latter method, the buffer empties when it fills. This buffer is also used in disk operations, so it is saved before every disk operation that uses it. Can there be more? Yes! DataLink provides you with twenty function keys, which let you send a string with a single keypress. Have you ever wanted to run a program from inside your terminal program, but found that the program only gave you a few spaces to enter a command line, or made it so difficult to use the execution feature that it wasn't worth it? DataLink makes this problem a thing of the past. With one keypress from terminal mode, you can run any of ten pre-defined programs. It's that simple! Want more? So did I, so I kept adding to the program! From terminal mode, you can look at the date and time, set the date and time, select full and half duplex, echo mode, execute a file, load an external editor, and even access accessories! DataLink also has a Notepad mode, which lets you make notes while you are online. You can save the notes too! DataLink allows you to use RTS/CTS, XON/XOFF, both, or neither. DataLink will even let you select the path where downloads go! [Note: This feature has been removed. See reason at end of file.] S Y S T E M R E Q U I R E M E N T S ------------------------------------- DataLink will run from a single sided floppy drive. It has been compressed using PFX Pack 1.8 (Thomas Quester) and uses about 270K of memroy (including the 32K data buffer and the 32K screen buffer) so it will easily run on a 520ST. You can un-PFX Pack DataLink with PFX Pack if you want to. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ The selection of download paths was removed because I changed the way DataLink handled transfers. It now allows you to press Alt-G from terminal mode to call XYZ, and you enter the command line. This allows you to use all the protocols, all the options, and even a different program if you want. Alt-I calls YMG, for the same reason. I think that this method will allow for greater flexabilty, even though you have to type a little. I mention in the text file included in the archive my address (for various reasons) and I would be glad to here comments, criticisms, etc. from anyone who uses it. A lot of people who read comp.sys.atari.st and comp.sys.atari.st.tech have offered advice on how to utilize certain parts of the ST operating system, and I would like to thank them now. They know who they are. << ------------------------------------------ >> << mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca >> << ersys!mforget@nro.cs.athabascau.ca >> << Michel Forget >> << "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, >> << for they are not happy campers!" - UNKNOWN >> << ------------------------------------------ >> ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 20:21:18 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!menudo.uh.edu!uace0@ arizona.edu (Michael B. Vederman) Subject: DC Data Diet -- Ordering! To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca (Michel Forget) writes: >Hi. Does anyone know the telephone number (toll-free) for ordering >programs from Double Click Software? I'd like to buy DC Data Diet, and I >don't think it is available in the stores around here. > HA! Toll-free! :-) I got a chuckle out of that one. I wish we were doing well enough to have a toll-free order line. Alas, all our money gets spent on real things like rent and food, and development of more products... >Anyone have any idea? > I have an idea. Call (713)977-6520 between NOON and 6 pm WEEKDAYS and we will be glad to take your order. Remember, the retail price of Data Diet goes up on December 1, so get your copy today. The introductory price is only $59.95. Thanks for asking, BTW. ><< ------------------------------------------ >> ><< mforget@ersys.edmonton.ab.ca >> ><< ersys!mforget@nro.cs.athabascau.ca >> ><< Michel Forget >> ><< "Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, >> ><< for they are not happy campers!" - UNKNOWN >> ><< ------------------------------------------ >> - mike -- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Double Click Me | Double Click Software | P.O. Box 741206 | Houston, Tx, 77274 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Voice: (713)977-6520 | DC DESKTOP | DC FORMATTER | DC UTILITIES | and others ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 01:53:30 GMT From: arizona.edu!cerritos.edu!nic.csu.net!usc!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!@arizona.edu (Drew Whitehead) Subject: Falcon To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Has anyone heard of the supposed Atari 68040 machine - The "Falcon"? John Nagy referenced it in his "News" article in the October issue of AtariUser mag. Has any heard any rumors about its release and its specs? Just Curious, Drew Whitehead Purdue University ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 19:23:14 GMT From: noao!ncar!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!qt.cs.utexas.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!malgu di.oar.net!yfn.ysu.edu!ysub!psuvm!umab!jcromwel@arizona.edu Subject: IBM 3780 Emulation To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I may not been clear as to what I was looking for with my last post. I'll try again. Are there any programs (comercial or PD) that will allow me to emulate a 3780 terminal with my Atari? Any info appreciated. Thanks in advance. ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 06:09:30 GMT From: arizona.edu!cerritos.edu!nic.csu.net!usc!cs.utexas.edu!tamsun!tamuts!n160ao@ari zona.edu (Mark Lehmann) Subject: Last TeX font question To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Ok, this should be my last annoying TeX question (I hope). Lots of people has responded with good information about TeX fonts. I need to verify this combination of the information and ask just one more. The ".tfm" fonts are used by TeX (and maybe Metafont). These are called TeX font metrics. The "pk" fonts are "raster" fonts. The number associated with them describes the dots per inch (dpi), so "cmr10\96pk" is a 96dpi format of the computer modern roman 10 point font. The "flib" facility merely packs in the "pk" files into an archive. It is faster and uses less disk space, but is only used by a few types of atari screen previewer's and dvi printer programs. Please comment on the accuracy of the above. Now is the part I am still confused about. The "flib" archives are store in files like "pk0083", "pk0100", "pk0120", and other multiplicatiosn of 1.2. Also, when I loaded the German version of the 24pin fonts, they all were store in directories in the format of "mag____1.200" and so on. Now my question is, since these 24pin fonts are labeled for 360dpi, how do I place them in my font directory. Should I put all of these in the form of "cmr10\360pk" and so on. And since "cmr10" is repeated in Magstep 1, 1.2, 1.44, 1.72... should I just store the 1 magstep font. I was thinking of storing these fonts in an "flib" (still need to learn how to make a flib with the flib.ttp program), because the "dviatari" fonts are store in the form of "pk0100", "pk0120,..., but that again brings up the questions of how I am going to let "dviprint" know that these are 360dpi fonts. Can someone clear up this last question. Maybe telling me how to create a "pk" raster font would clear things up. THANKS THANKS THANKS for all of the help so far. I think my goal now is provide a document summarizing several peoples experiences installing and using TeX, LaTeX, and the atari pre-view and printing programs. (Unfortunately I lost all of my Mail logs when I hit the 300 folder limit of foldr300.prg, so I am going by memory on much of this.) Mark Lehmann tamuts.tamu.edu!n160ao ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 06:25:26 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!rpi!pinelr@arizona.edu (Robert Jeffrey Pinelli) Subject: Notator 3.1 To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In article <91857@bu.edu> selick@bucsf.bu.edu (Steven Selick) writes: > >I just received a mailing from Alexander Publishing about a notator 3.1 >update from 3.0 for $45 or something. What did they update in 3.1? Is it >worth $45 or whatever they want? I've just received my 3.1 version, and it is very nice. What you get for the extra bucks is new manual pages to add/replace in the binder, the new 3.1 disk and and a tutorial disk, which seems very nicely done. One thing I should warn you about though, is that Alexander Publishing gave me a lot of trouble. They sent me a batch of bad disks and when I complained to them, they said they would mail out a prepaid postage box so I could have the disks replaced. Two weeks later, I called to find out where my box was and was told that I'd have to deal with C-Lab directly. So I did, and they took care of it very quickly and professionally, with the parting comment "We're gonna have to talk to those guys at Alexander Publishing." 3.1's additional features include the ability to export notation as DTP type files to be used as parts of other documents (.IMG files) plus lots of other hardware support and display options (page preview, etc.) It is worth the money, but you have to get both 3.0 and 3.1 since 3.0 comes with the new manual and the fonts disk that you'll need. My suggestion though is to order it directly from C-Lab instead of those clowns as Alexander. C-Lab's number is: 415-738-1633 That's tech support. They can answer all of your 3.1 questions plus how/where to get it etc. Good luck with it, I'm very impressed! .sigless, Rob ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 18:52:36 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!uflorida!sol!mikal@arizona.edu Subject: Panther & Jaguar. To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Someone mentioned two machines Atari is/was (rumored?) to be working on called Panther and Jaguar. Does anyone know what they are or where rumored to be? ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 02:35:57 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!usc!apple!netcomsv!yonder@arizona.edu (Christopher Russell) Subject: PC DITTO I To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu I just got a catalog from TOad computers. They are now selling PC Ditto I. Boy, I thought this was long gone. Anyways, I'd like to get it. I was just wondering if somebody could let me know how useful is to a guy with 1Meg and a double-sided drive (no hard-drive). No, I don't plan on using it to run AutoCAD or anyting. Just simple stuff -- wordprocessors, utilities, etc. thankx.... -- Christopher L. Russell (yonderboy) Phone: (408)378-9078 Campbell,CA yonder@netcom.COM or clr40@amail.amdahl.com or chrisr@leland.stanford.edu ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 18 Oct 91 23:27:53 CET From: Ulf Rimkus Subject: Problems in I/O-Redirection To: info-atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Hallo! I have a problem by using I/O-Redirection in a child-process. The problem is that when I close the disk-file fclose returns the value -65 (internal GEMDOS-Error), and it consumes filehandels until you get the "No internal memory..."-message from TOS. Did I programm anything incorrect? Or is this a TOS-bug? If it should be a bug then ,maybe, someone knows a nice TOS-independant workaround or if I made any error then I hope someone could be so kind and send me a working version of the listing you can find below. I use TOS 1.04 (RAINBOW-TOS) and PureC 1.0. The programm below should redirect any output to the screen to a file on disk. Greetings, Ulf (rimkus_u@dmrhrz11.bitnet) -----------------------------Cut here------------------------------------- /* FILE: IOREDIR.C */ /* Example of redirection in a child-process */ /* Ulf (DB1OM) */ #include #include #include #define COUT 1 int main(void) { int handle, dup; long ret; int retc; int i; for(i=0; i<80; i++) /* Don't terminate too early */ { if((handle=Fcreate("A:\\consolea.out\\console.dat", 0)) < 0) { puts("Cannot create file"); exit(-2); } /* Need a non-standard-handle for stdout */ if((dup=Fdup(COUT)) < 0) { puts("No extra-handle available"); exit(-1); } if(Fforce(COUT,handle) < 0) { puts("No redirection possible"); exit(-3); } ret = Pexec(0,"ausgabe.tos",NULL,NULL); /* COUT back to its origine */ if(Fforce(COUT,dup) < 0) puts("Redirect back unsuccesful"); /* Close extrahandle*/ if(Fclose(dup) < 0) puts("Cannot close extrahandle"); /* Close file */ if((retc=Fclose(handle)) < 0) /* somethings being odd at this place */ puts("Cannot close file"); if(ret != 0) puts("Child terminated != 0"); printf("Filehandle: %d, Extrahandle: %d, Return fclose: %d\n", handle, dup, retc); printf("Step %d\n",i+1); } /* end of for-loop */ puts("Press any key"); Crawcin(); /* Wait */ return 0; } ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 18:54:12 GMT From: noao!ncar!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!gatech!uflorida!sol!mikal@arizona.edu Subject: U.S. Atari magazines To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu Does anyone know what the last issues (#; Vol #; date) of the following U.S. Atari mags: ANALOG, ST-Log, ST X-Press ?? Does anyone know of a source for back issues of these mags?? ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 00:47:50 GMT From: arizona.edu!cerritos.edu!nic.csu.net!usc!apple!netcomsv!bryanw@arizona.edu (Bryan Woodworth) Subject: WANTED: GIF --> SPC converter To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu In <3915450@MVB.SAIC.COM> steveg@cseic.saic.com (Stephen Harold Goldstein) writes: >I'm looking for a *high-quality* GIF to Spectrum converter that runs in a >BATCH mode. (Feed it a list of files to convert, and let it fly). >DMJ GIF 2.0 produces the best conversions I've seen to date, but takes up to >1/2 an hour to perform the conversion on a stock ST, or 17 minutes with >AdSpeed running @ 16MHz, but that's still too slow to wait around for. >Even if it's slower, the ability to convert overnight will provide me with >better 'throughput'. DMJ Gif 3.0 should be (I'm praying every night. I want it THAT BAD!) released by the end of October or the first few weeks in November. It will have batch mode; feed it a bunch of GIFs to convert, and a destination path, and it will automatically convert 'em. It's supposed to offer a few more dithering modes, a totally rewritten interface, and there's an emphasis on flexibility of options. Really complete, thorough program. As an aside, if you don't pay your Shareware dues for this program, you really are the lowest form of life on the planet. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that Shareware for the ST is being produced in lesser quantities each year. By supporting what little quality stuff is being produced (DMJ Gif is a glowing example), you are ensuring the speedy demise of the ST. No computer is useful without continuous software support. {Getting off soap box.} >-- >--- >Stephen Goldstein steveg@cseic.saic.com >My first Atari system? A 24K Atari 800, Rev. A ROMS, C(not G)TIA graphics >Disclaimer: That's not what I said. -- Bryan Woodworth Mail: bryanw@netcom.COM Netcom - Online Communication Services San Jose, CA ------------------------------ Date: 19 Oct 91 08:09:17 GMT From: elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!swrinde!@locus.ucla.edu (Atari Archive Robot) Subject: Weekly Posting of New Stuff To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu drwxrwxr-x daemon 1024 Oct 14 18:11 . -rw-rw-r-- weiner 95749 Oct 14 09:31 ./Index -rw-rw-r-- jon 3081 Oct 15 01:04 ./Help -rw-rw-r-- weiner 75551 Oct 14 09:28 ./ls-lR.Z -rw-rw-r-- weiner 47829 Oct 14 09:31 ./CompInd.Z drwxrwxr-x jon 512 Oct 16 12:38 ./magazines drwxrwxr-x jon 2560 Oct 16 12:36 ./magazines/streport drwxrwxr-x jon 2048 Oct 16 12:37 ./magazines/znet drwxrwxr-x swood 512 Oct 16 16:52 ./portfolio/support lrwxrwxrwx swood 24 Oct 16 16:52 ./portfolio/support/porttost.lzh -> ../telecomm/porttost.lzh drwxrwxr-x swood 512 Oct 16 16:52 ./portfolio/telecomm drwxrwxr-x weiner 1024 Oct 17 08:28 ./ste ------------------------------ Date: 18 Oct 91 22:42:29 GMT From: noao!asuvax!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!midiline!jared@arizona.edu ('286 Highlander) Subject: What are... To: Info-Atari16@naucse.cse.nau.edu the fastest SIMMs available for the STe? 80ns? I've seen SIPPs and SIMMs, I think, that are as low as 60ns! Anyone know if these SIMMs will work at their effective speed on an STe? By the way, what do SIMM and SIPP even stand for...? If I haven't forgotten, then I was never told! :-) ------------------------------ End of Info-Atari16 Digest ******************************