1123 lines
43 KiB
Plaintext
1123 lines
43 KiB
Plaintext
FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:48 Page 1
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Volume 2, Number 13 13 May 1985
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+----------------------------------------------------------+
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| / \ |
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| - FidoNews - /|oo \ |
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| Fido and FidoNet _`@/_ \ _ |
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| Users Group | | \ \\ |
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| Newsletter | (*) | \ )) |
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| ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+----------------------------------------------------------+
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Publisher: Fido #375
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Chief Procrastinator: Thom Henderson
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Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 107/375. You
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are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
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Fidonews. Article submission standards are contained in the
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file FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 107/375.
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Disclaimer or don't-blame-us:
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The contents of the articles contained here are not our
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responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them;
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everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
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received.
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Electronic Hate
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Computer bulletin boards exist for almost every special
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interest group, from ham radio to ban-the-bomb. Now we even
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have bulletin boards dedicated to spreading the gospel of
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hate.
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Some of you may have heard about this already. For the rest
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of us, this comes as a shock. There are boards in this
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country which are dedicated to using computers to spread
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vicious neo-nazi propaganda. I've had the dubious privilege
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of logging onto a board in Texas that has (among other
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things):
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1) A section giving addresses of "patriotic" groups,
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including several offices of the Ku Klux Klan.
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2) A section of essays on topics such as Klan philosophy, a
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proposed "point system" for determining extermination
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targets (based on "value to the anti-Christ, pro-
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Communist system"), the Biblical basis for extermination
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of homosexuals, and the use of computer bulletin boards
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to establish an "Aryan nations brain trust".
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:50 Page 2
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3) A section titled "Know Your Enemy", listing the offices
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of the Anti-Defamation League.
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4) A "hit list" of Federal witnesses who have informed on
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the Klan and other "patriotic" groups.
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5) A restricted section titled "Names and addresses of race
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traitors".
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I think that the Tcimpidis case -- and other related
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incidents -- has shown us that electronic bulletin boards
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are in a rather precarious position in the eyes of the
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public. I don't really feel that we can afford to be
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associated with this sort of element, however tenuously.
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But I must confess that I am at somewhat of a loss as to
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exactly what we should do about it.
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Does anyone have any suggestions? I would especially
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appreciate some input from any lawyers out there who can
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advise us on the legalities of the situation, but ideas from
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any quarter are welcome.
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Fido 10i Update
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Even as you read this, Fido 10i may be spreading across the
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country. It was delayed because a large crop of bugs
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suddenly sprang up when Tom Jennings made a couple of minor
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changes. After much hair-pulling, it was discovered that
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his master copy of the DEC support library had been
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corrupted. He went back to his backup copy, and the bugs
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vanished.
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The DEC version of 10i has already passed Beta testing, and
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Fido 10i will be released as soon as the IBM version also
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passes Beta test, which should happen at any moment.
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Tom Jennings has also promised to provide documentation for
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the upgrade, so check that out as well. With any luck, the
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transition will go smoothly.
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There is also a new(er) version of NODELIST available. It
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won't handle some of the fancy stuff Fido 10i is doing, but
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it WILL handle up to seven hundred nodes. (This is
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important, as I am told we now have five hundred nodes!)
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:52 Page 3
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============================================================
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NEWS
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============================================================
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*** PROBLEM REPORT: Microsoft Macro Assembler v. 3.0 ***
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by Tom Hanlin, from the Bears_Den (FIDO 74)
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The Macro Assembler is virtually the standard tool
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for writing assembly code for MS-DOS systems. It's all
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the more shocking, then, that Microsoft has introduced a
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compatibility problem into version 3.0 of its assembler,
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which makes it practically useless for producing linkable
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libraries for public use.
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Background:
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There are many times when a project needs the speed
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or flexibility of assembly language, but doesn't have to
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be done entirely in assembly code. For this purpose,
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there is a standard utility called LINK which allows you
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to link object code produced by higher-level languages
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(such as BASIC, FORTRAN, Pascal, C, et al) with assembly
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language subroutines. This gives you the flexibility and
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speed of assembly language, combined with the power and
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ease of programming of the higher level language. Also,
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since there may well be many routines which need to be
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linked, there is a utility called LIB which combines the
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separate object modules into a library, from which LINK
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can pull the appropriate routines as necessary. LINK is
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needed in every case, and so it is provided not only with
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the assembler and higher-level languages, but even with
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MS-DOS itself. LIB, on the other hand, is needed only by
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the person creating the linkable library, and is provided
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only with the assembler. Therein lies the problem.
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Problem:
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The LIB utility provided with the Microsoft Macro
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Assembler, version 3.0, has a nasty compatibility problem
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in that produces code that can't be used by any version
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of LINK prior to 3.0. This means that the only people who
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can use the libraries it produces are those who have either
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the Macro Assembler v3.0, or possibly MS-DOS v3.x (although
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I haven't tested its linker, it may not work). In other
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words, the great majority of users will be totally unable
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to use the library. It can't be linked with the linker
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provided with MS-DOS version 1.x or 2.x, or the linker
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provided with the higher-level language. Microsoft is now
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releasing the appropriate linker with its FORTRAN and
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Pascal compilers, but if you use their BASIC or C com-
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pilers, IBM's BASIC Compiler, or other products... tough
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luck, dude. Microsoft doesn't care. They know about the
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problem, and have no intention of doing anything about it.
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Phone up the tech hotline at (206) 828-8089, and ask them
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:55 Page 4
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about it.
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Solution:
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Personally, I'm going to look for an earlier version
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of the LIB utility which is compatible with the versions of
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LINK that are more widely available. As for anyone who's
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thinking of buying the Macro Assembler version 3.0... think
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twice, if you're planning to ever use it to produce libraries
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for public distribution. Not much of a solution, but what
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can you do with a software company that won't support its
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own languages? (Read the licensing agreement sometime).
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------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:55 Page 5
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Tom Jennings
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Fido #1
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9 May 85
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NETWORK CHANGES and FIDO VERSION 10I
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Surely you have heard that there is a new version of
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Fido coming out, with tremendous changes in the network.
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There are a lot of rumors floating around, so I thought I'd
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clear some up.
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The changes are major, and not that big a deal at
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the same time. For users the changes will be simple, and
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will make entering messages a lot easier.
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For sysops, the changes are slightly more. You have
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to get a net number (later on that) and set it with the 4
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command. No big deal.
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The real change is in the net organization. FidoNet
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has DOUBLED in size every two months; this is ridiculous,
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but true. Things are totally crazy, some areas of the
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country never get newsletters, have a hard time finding node
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lists, and believe it or not, have never heard of
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NODELIST.EXE and ROUTEGEN.EXE!
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Sysops who belong to a local net such as SoCal,
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Boston or St. Louis have a lot of benefits. They get node
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lists, a bunch of other sysops they can talk to about
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getting help or missing files, and other little things that
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add up to a lot. The "stragglers" (sysops out in the
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boonies) get screwed, they have to scrounge around for
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themselves.
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Basically, the new network is about making sysops
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who aren't in a local net part of a "region". The bad news
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is, each region will have to keep it's own node list. (This
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should only be for about 5 - 10 systems though in each
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region.) Each region will send it's nodelist to Fido 51, who
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compiles the biggie that gets distributed.
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The good news is that all of a sudden the guys in
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the boonies have some power and other advantages. Each
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region hub will get the following files on a regular basis:
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Newsletter, on time
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Node lists, on time
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Latest version info
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Hopefully, each region hub will have enough disk
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space to stock all the Fido files, NODELIST, ROUTEGEN, etc.
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On a day to day basis, a region, like a local net, will be
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somewhat self contained. Most of the advantages are small,
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but make all the difference in the world. If you are
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creative, I'm sure you can think of all sorts of things you
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can do with the region and net setup.
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:57 Page 6
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"Current" Fidos (10g and older) are compatible with
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the new stuff, though it is highly recomended that you get
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the new stuff as soon as possible. You can't do region stuff
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until you get it, you'll have to remain out in the boonies.
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Also, 10I will fix most if not ALL of the bugs in 10G. The
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reason for the delay in releasing 10I is that it is actually
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being TESTED before release. (Previous versions were NOT
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tested first.) Eventually, it will become "mandatory" that
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you use 10I or later, since we are going to have to rely on
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the new features very soon. In two or three months, everyone
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should be swapped over to the new network version.
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"Regions" and "nets" can be any sort of thing. There
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is a seperate "pee cee junior" net, currently not in the
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nodelist, that assigns their own nodes. They can have a net
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number, pass out their own node lists and all, and still be
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in the national net.
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The only difference between a "region" and a "net"
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is that in a net, all mail for all nodes in that net get
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routed through the host automatically. Regions don't; if you
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send a msg to a node in a region, it goes directly, like it
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does now. A region is a "logical entity" only. A net means
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that some group of nodes, usually all in the same city or
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whatever, has an incoming host.
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So, the changes are both complex and simple. My
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guess is that things will be confusing for about two weeks,
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then settle down into a smooth conversion.
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NEVER FORGET that FidoNet is supposed to be FUN,
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that is it's ONLY purpose. It has NO OTHER PURPOSE. I did
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this for shits and grins, I don't make any money from it, it
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was just for the hell of it. If it starts to get too
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serious, please make suggestions and yell a lot, but keep in
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mind that even though it is for FUN, it does take some work.
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The work that is done by the St. Louis group and I is not
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magical, we didn't take it on, it started out simple and
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just grew. (Now YOU get to do some of it ...)
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Never for a minute think that we know what we are
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doing; we are winging it like any other honest person will
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tell you. We learn as we go, and make mistakes. The new
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network organization will eliminiate some work, and push
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some of it onto net and region hubs. Keep in mind that
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FidoNet has doubled every two months since May 84 ... we'll
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get it right yet!
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------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:00:59 Page 7
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===========================================================
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IBM PC-AT Failures. Again....
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===========================================================
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Greetings once again from Fido 59, Washco Fidonet. I am
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writing to ask all Fido users who have purchased an IBM PC-
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AT to assist me in gathering some data by filling out and
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sending in the questionnaire below.
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The reason I write is because recently, a friend of mine
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laid down $6,000 (wow...) for a NEW PC-AT and no sooner had
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he gotten it home and started using it when it promptly and
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summarily failed. The cause of the failure is unknown, but
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it is hard-disk related. The system had about 8 or so hours
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(roughly) of use when it died. At last report, he was going
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to take it back and get a full refund. One ramification
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of this is that he lost a LOT of credibility by recommend-
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ing this machine to a client, who in turn put out the order
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for another half-dozen or so machines. This is extremely
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disturbing. What we are doing is gathering any and all data
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related to ANY failures of the AT for any reason whatsoever.
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Your help is MUCHLY appreciated. Please take a few minutes
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and fill this out and send it back via the net or thru the
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U.S. Postal Service. We want to make a case that IBM is
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STILL shipping defective machines. Thank you for your time.
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-----------------------------------------------------------
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Has your PC-AT failed for any of the following reasons:
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(Enter an "X" on the appropriate line).
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1)A physical hard-disk failure _____
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2)A harddisk controller logic failure _____
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3)Operating system failure _____
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4)Scrambled FAT table _____
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5)RAM failure _____
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6)What is the disk-type in your AT?
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:__________________________________
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7)What is the date of purchase?
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:____/____/____
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8)Serial #:________________________
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9)Do you have any other comments ?
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:__________________________________________________________
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:__________________________________________________________
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:__________________________________________________________
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===========================================================
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*Please send all replies to Fido 59, 1-503-643-2284, or:
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Sysop, Fido 59
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:01 Page 8
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13787 SW Farmington Rd. #148
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Beaverton, Oregon 97006
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Again, THANKS!
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===========================================================
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:02 Page 9
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WATCHDOG -- THE ULTIMATE IN SYSTEM SECURITY -- 05/08/85
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Recently we obtained WATCHDOG, and as a result can now
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breath a lot easier. For those of you not familiar with the
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software, it provides TOTAL system security. While it will
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not stop someone from removing your computer, it WILL STOP
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someone from removing software or files stored on your
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computer.
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The software comes on 2 disks, with a COMPREHENSIVE manual
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divided into 3 parts. Sections one and three are for your
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system users, and section 2 is for the person who will run
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the system.
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Installing the software entails several steps. The first
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step is simply running the install program which asks you
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questions about your systems configuration, and is
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generally finished in 5 minutes or less.
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To enter the second stage requires a little more thought on
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your part. It helps for you to have planned what software
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will go into what AREA (15 areas allowed) before you reach
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this stage, although you can do it as you go along, which
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is the way we proceeded. Now you will create some or all of
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the 15 areas WATCHDOG allows you use. An area can consist
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of many programs, and is not limited to one program per
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area.
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You create the area name, primary, alternate, and one time
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passwords at this time, for each area you wish to activate
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at this time. Each one of these areas are considered
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<protected> and we will discuss that later. You must also
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set up the user file deciding on user access and passwords
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if you desire to use them. Each area set up can be password
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protected, as well as hidden from any user not entitled to
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access that area, as pre-determined by the system operator.
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Now, all you have to do is establish a UNIQUE And hopefully
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easy to remember password for use by the Sysop ONLY. DO NOT
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WRITE THIS DOWN ON THE SIDE OF YOUR COMPUTER, OR ANY WHERE
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IT CAN BE FOUND. The whole purpose of WATCHDOG is to
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provide security, and this is the FIRST step to take to
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make sure the system is secure. Once you have finished this
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the system will revert to the <A> prompt. Now, just re-boot
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the system and WATCHDOG is in control.
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At this time enter your I.D. and then your password, and
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just hit return for the next prompt and viola' you are now
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at the main menu. The areas you just set up are all listed
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by number, and WATCHDOG is waiting for you. From here on in
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it is easy sailing !
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Now comes the easy part, that is copying the software into
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the protected areas. It is simple, just log into the area
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on the main menu, hit F9 to drop to Dos, and copy the
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software from drive A, or from another NON-WATCHDOG area on
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the disk. As the software is copied, WATCHDOG encrypts it,
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and only writes the encrypted form to the disk. Once all
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the programs have been copied, simply type WD MENU to set
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up the actual menu for those freshly copied programs.
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But you ask, What if the program I want to copy into this
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area is already in another area on the disk, that I have
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previously set up as a WATCHDOG area ? Can I still copy
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freely between security areas ? Yes can still copy between
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:04 Page 10
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areas, but not like we just copied from the A drive. Part
|
|
of WATCHDOG's internal security prevents anyone from using
|
|
the Dos command CD\ and the reason should be obvious. The
|
|
only way for you to access the WATCHDOG areas is from the
|
|
main menu, so viola' the authors have provided the F8 key
|
|
for you to use. This brings up the utility menu and we can
|
|
use function 5, Inter area copy, to effect the copying we
|
|
want to do. When WATCHDOG makes a copy from area to area
|
|
the data is maintained in ENCRYPTED form AT ALL TIMES to
|
|
safeguard system security.
|
|
Once all the areas, and menus are set up and you have
|
|
assigned the user passwords, and checked out all passwords
|
|
and menu functions, it is time to make a back up. The
|
|
easiest way to backup the disk, is again the F8 key, and
|
|
select the Encrypted Backup Function. This uses the regular
|
|
backup program supplied with Dos, and provides full prompts
|
|
for all disk changes, etc; and then returns you to the main
|
|
menu when finished.
|
|
Well we are almost finished now. Just one last thing to do,
|
|
so place the S.A. disk in drive A and type WDSYSADM. Select
|
|
the option that controls disk booting, and lock the hard
|
|
drive(software lock) that boots the system. THIS PREVENTS
|
|
THE SYSTEM FROM BOOTING FROM THE FLOPPY DRIVE THUS ASSURING
|
|
THAT ALL USERS MUST GO THROUGH THE WATCHDOG SECURITY
|
|
ROUTINES!
|
|
Why did we purchase WATCHDOG ? Well the program is now set
|
|
up with our three bulletin Boards running in one section of
|
|
WATCHDOG, with only BBS programs in that area. A separate
|
|
account was established for the Bulletin Boards, and that
|
|
account is authorized to enter only the BBS area. When
|
|
someone drops to DOS FROM the BBS, or goes to play one of
|
|
the several on-line games, I am confident that he/she will
|
|
not be able to change areas, download any of my software,
|
|
or otherwise wreck havoc, since the account id used to
|
|
start the BBS is locked into that area.
|
|
I hope this review has helped some of you decide whether or
|
|
not WATCHDOG is the software for you.
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:06 Page 11
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============================================================
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COLUMNS
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============================================================
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From: Tim Meyers Fido #365 & #442
|
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Fido Source Code.
|
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|
|
For about 2 months now I have an operational Fido look-a-
|
|
like written in Turbo-pascal. The commands are quite
|
|
different from Fido, The situation started when I asked Tom
|
|
Jennings if he had considered writing a CP/M version of
|
|
Fido, but of course he hasn't got the time, so I took it
|
|
into my hands to do the best that I could. Since then I have
|
|
2 versions, the generic CP/M version and the MS-DOS version.
|
|
I am going to turn over the CP/M version to Doug Good,and
|
|
Scot Aschraft of Fido #50, I just do NOT HAVE THE TIME to
|
|
keep up with 2 different versions. Although the source is
|
|
not yet available, it should be as soon as I get it
|
|
debugged.
|
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|
|
The CP/M version contains almost everything Fido contains,
|
|
even Kermit, but the MS-DOS version lacks Kermit. I just did
|
|
not know anything about Kermit, so I took and existing
|
|
KERMIT ext. and incorporated it into the CP/M version,
|
|
wasn't too lucky with the MS-DOS version. Also I need lots
|
|
of help. If anyone knows of an async handler that can
|
|
handle buffered input/output please send it to fido #442, or
|
|
at least give me and idea where I can get a copy of it.
|
|
I'll consider writing my own later, but at this point it
|
|
seems everyone would just like the source code to mingle
|
|
thru, and that,s just one more thing to debug.
|
|
|
|
Hopefully by the time this has been printed I will have
|
|
already sent 60 or 70% of the files to Fido #50. Now about
|
|
the source, Fido Isn't one of the greatest BBS programs
|
|
around, it has many nice features and many disadvantages,
|
|
Mr. Jennings will agree it's not very nice to first time
|
|
users, and neither are many BBS programs. Here is my idea of
|
|
how a Fidonet compatible should be written.
|
|
|
|
First, sort of a standard. As all bbs program's everyone
|
|
knows of the standard Read, Write, and File Commands, within
|
|
little diffrences all BBS programs are somewhat in the same
|
|
bounds of commands, but are they enough? What should be
|
|
added? Where ? Why? These are all questions that should be
|
|
asked before writing a BBS. For instance, Fido uses the (+)
|
|
to read a reply to that particular message allowing you to
|
|
keep track of a story, but why not a (+N) that will read all
|
|
messages from that reply on? What we need is a common place
|
|
were people if any, are going to meet and get ideas about
|
|
creating a Fido!
|
|
|
|
2nd. The biggest question is, what do people wish to have on
|
|
a Fidonet compatible system or a Fido BBS compatible system.
|
|
I asked the users of both of my systems and they had about
|
|
the same answers; we like Fidonet, but things could be
|
|
changed in the way the BBS runs. How true, Mr. Jennings has
|
|
written a great piece of software! What makes Fido so
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:08 Page 12
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unigue is the network. It's a first, but surely not a last.
|
|
He has set a standard on which everything from now will
|
|
probably be based.
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|
|
3rd. Problems, when I started my Fido compatible system I
|
|
was totally dismayed by routing. I had no idea of what it
|
|
involved, and still have no idea. My BBS works great as a
|
|
whole but has no way of routing, a major function, so with
|
|
this in mind, I think, why not give the source to someone
|
|
who knows a lot more about routing (hint Mr. Baker.). It
|
|
requires you to know the concept and ethics behind the
|
|
operation before you can start writing the software.
|
|
|
|
4th. The idea of taking in modules and compiling them
|
|
together, forget it! It causes many problems, and after you
|
|
have had 300 different people pulling and changing code you
|
|
are invoked with a massive piece of trash. I tried the
|
|
idea, I gave the source to 3 people in Huntsville, a
|
|
software consultant, computer science major, and a former
|
|
NASA programmer. Each week I sorted at least 25 changes of
|
|
which all took the approch, eliminate this, delete this and
|
|
its 40% faster, BUT, you give up this, and no more this and
|
|
sorry can't do that anymore. Havoc! Within about 3 weeks, I
|
|
decided that it was'nt going to be worth the time and/or the
|
|
effort to allow several people to be changing the program.
|
|
You run into non-compatible changes, changes no-one knows
|
|
about, and 400 different versions, one for each node. My
|
|
idea would be to have a national vote, get the best in all
|
|
areas, one programmer writes the async routines, Comm
|
|
controls, after this is done another writes the message
|
|
areas, another the file area and then routing, not 10
|
|
different people writting the message area, 20 the file area
|
|
and so on. This presents many problems that everone can see.
|
|
Once the software is written, give it out only to the people
|
|
who will assure that any revision will be reported to the
|
|
headquarters. A great example of this is RBBS-PC. It has
|
|
been changed so many times, there is no idea how many
|
|
changes good or bad has been made, this is exactly what
|
|
causes a BBS program to vanish from existance. Fido is sort
|
|
of a family, everything is kept at one point and everyone
|
|
knows almost everything that goes on. If you create 65
|
|
different versions and let everyone change that then you
|
|
create many problems. This field is open, I beleive this is
|
|
a problem, how does everyone else think?
|
|
|
|
5th. Languages, lets say for instance we are going to have
|
|
to write somthing in a universal language. Here is a listing
|
|
and what I think about each:
|
|
|
|
Language #1, BASIC. This is very much universal.
|
|
Everyone can at least program and make changes as
|
|
needed, and almost everyone owns the product. It has
|
|
problems tho. It just cannot handle modem I/O as well as
|
|
many other languages, it's slow, and cumbersome. Many
|
|
people will agree it isn't what someone would wish to
|
|
write a BBS in, but come to reality people not everone
|
|
know's C or Pascal or Ada, nor do they own it, so the
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:11 Page 13
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|
|
question is here, give up speed or knowlege, which is
|
|
it? If you have several good programers BASIC will do
|
|
almost everything that any other language will do, minus
|
|
the speed.
|
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|
|
Language #2, Forth. I chipped this in to stump
|
|
everyone. I happen to know Forth, so do 5 other
|
|
programmers out there, But again the programmer who is
|
|
doing the routing doesn't. We have presented ourselves
|
|
with 2 problems. First, do we pick another language or
|
|
do we pick another programmer, and the answer is another
|
|
language! We are creating a masterpiece, only the best,
|
|
so we wish to use only the best people and ideas. Not
|
|
the best tools. Remember Rome wasn't built in a day,
|
|
neither will a compatible Fido system, If it takes 5
|
|
months to write it in C and 3 months in Forth but we
|
|
have lost one of the programmers it just wasn't worth
|
|
it.
|
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|
|
Language #3, Lattice C. My favorite, but what about the
|
|
guy who is doing the message section? C will be great
|
|
for the guy doing the files area, but again what about
|
|
the guy doing the message area? We just have to pick
|
|
who can do what and make sure that they can use that
|
|
particular language.
|
|
|
|
Language #4, ASM. This Is another favorite, great speed,
|
|
and without a doubt the smallest. But, another
|
|
compatible change there, it's a pain to program in and
|
|
impossible to debug. Many people have not even got the
|
|
faintest how it works.
|
|
|
|
Language #5 Turbo Pascal. It has already been done. As I
|
|
look to the right, I see 135 pages of pure hell. I spent
|
|
many late nights and unbearibly long compiles before
|
|
finding out I had left off a ';' at the end of the
|
|
program, or a careless error in my fault. This is not a
|
|
language that best suits the needs of a Fidonet
|
|
compatible system. I have little room free with it now,
|
|
6 Inc. files and 10 minutes of compiling before I find
|
|
out, NA, that's not the way I wanted that to work. One
|
|
great point is the generic version, we open a range of
|
|
computers not there if we create it in another language.
|
|
My idea is to create a Fidonet compatible CP/M version.
|
|
Once I have it finished, ship it off and not bother with
|
|
it again. Once it has been created one person will have
|
|
the rights to change it and now it looks like it will be
|
|
Doug Good of Fido #50. He has shown the most interest
|
|
and spent much of his time communicating with me by long
|
|
distance, thanks again Doug and Mr. Ashcraft the sysop
|
|
of Node #50.
|
|
|
|
Language #6 Better basic. This is what I wish to see
|
|
the language written in. The speed is comparible to that
|
|
of C or Pascal. Structure and matrix arrays are
|
|
completely supported unlike Microsoft Basic. Anyone not
|
|
owning a version can modify the program via text editor
|
|
|
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:14 Page 14
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|
|
send it to the host and get it compiled. I realize this
|
|
can be done in all other languages too, but you can even
|
|
use Microsoft BASIC to test it out before you ship it
|
|
off. Full DOS 2.xx support, and the file handling is
|
|
great. We are still presented with the problem of
|
|
buffered input/output, but that can be overcome. Size
|
|
is dependent on memory and can be up to 640k. It
|
|
supports windowing, Errorlevel, Xmodem Control thru the
|
|
BASIC interpreter itself. Varible listings with size
|
|
and definitions, what lines are used how many times etc.
|
|
etc. It's without a doubt the best BASIC that I have
|
|
seen in many days. Unless IBM presents us with a new
|
|
compiler to handle most of the DOS 2.xx features then we
|
|
may be stuck with this.
|
|
|
|
There are many others out there, but let's face the facts.
|
|
These are the most favorite and at least the most usual. It
|
|
would be interesting to know how many people prefer which
|
|
language to which. Remeber tho, we cannot give up
|
|
programers. That's what makes the strength of the program
|
|
itself.
|
|
|
|
6th. Outline of what happens, why, when, where, etc. This
|
|
is very very brief. It just gives and example of what could
|
|
possible happen if a Fido look-a-like was to be created.
|
|
|
|
I. Choosing the People.
|
|
A.Who Does what.
|
|
B.Ask if they Wish to participate.
|
|
II.National Vote
|
|
A.Each Sysop of the Node votes.
|
|
III.Calculations.
|
|
A.Chosen programers are notified.
|
|
B.Each confirms each others role.
|
|
IV.The language.
|
|
A.Decide who can do what.
|
|
B.Decide what will do the best for what cost.
|
|
V.The Program.
|
|
A.Inital creation.
|
|
B.Message addition.
|
|
C.File section.
|
|
VI.Program Changes.
|
|
A.By individual.
|
|
B.Updates sent to host.
|
|
C.Distributed from there.
|
|
|
|
7th. After all of this has been done we have a nice neat
|
|
package that can be changed as needed. For Fido to continue
|
|
to be a family of independent nodes it might be a big
|
|
mistake to actually give out the source code, as you can see
|
|
from RBBS, the Fidos will no longer be a family it will be a
|
|
mass of confussion bad or good. Any one that has any ideas
|
|
please send it to Fido #442. Thanks Tim Meyers.
|
|
|
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:16 Page 15
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|
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============================================================
|
|
FOR SALE
|
|
============================================================
|
|
=========================================================
|
|
=========================================================
|
|
We now have our Lottery Analyzer available for public
|
|
sale and use after a long period of testing.
|
|
This product is the result of several years of intensive
|
|
work, and is based on the contributions of several authors
|
|
all of whom play the Lottery for a living. The software is
|
|
hueristic in nature, and learns from past experiences. The
|
|
software stores more than a years worth of data, and
|
|
allows you to select numbers based on several criteria.
|
|
You may also store your frequently played numbers and then
|
|
check each game's results at the touch of a key. You may
|
|
also generate SIMULATIONS for each weeks games based on
|
|
the past drawings data. Available now for the IBM PC and
|
|
XT Computers with a special AT version coming soon.
|
|
To order send a check or money order for $ 29.95
|
|
Lotto
|
|
137 Prospect Street
|
|
Nanuet, New York 10954
|
|
=========================================================
|
|
=========================================================
|
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------------------------------------------------------------
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:17 Page 16
|
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|
|
==========================================================
|
|
Date: May 9, 1985
|
|
From: Allen Miller
|
|
Fido 85
|
|
|
|
I have made up a Fido 'business' card displaying the
|
|
Fido doggie logo, Fido system name, node number and tele-
|
|
phone number. I print a sheet of these on a laser printer
|
|
with 'cut on the dotted lines' lines. This can be used as a
|
|
master to run copies on a copy machine to create nice
|
|
2" x 3.5" cards to carry in your wallet to hand out your
|
|
phone number.
|
|
|
|
For any sysop that is interested and willing to send
|
|
$10.00 and a Self addressed stamped envelope, I will produce
|
|
a similar master sheet with your system information and
|
|
return to you.
|
|
|
|
Mail your inquiries to me at:
|
|
|
|
Allen Miller
|
|
3153 Hanna Avenue
|
|
Cincinnati, Ohio 45211
|
|
|
|
Be sure and indicate your 1) System name, 2) node
|
|
number, 3) Sysop name, 4) system phone number and 5) baud
|
|
supported. Here is an enlarged sample of the card.
|
|
|
|
---------------------------------------------------------------+
|
|
__
|
|
The World's First / \ A l l e n's B O A R D
|
|
BBS Network /|oo \ F I D O 8 5
|
|
* FidoNet * (_| _/_)
|
|
_ @/_ \ _ Allen Miller
|
|
| | \ \\ Sysop
|
|
| (*) | \ ))
|
|
______ |__U__| / \//
|
|
/ FIDO \ _//|| _\ / 513/579-2587
|
|
(________) (_/(_|(____/(jm) 2400/1200/300
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---------------------------------------------------------------+
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FIDONEWS -- 13 May 85 00:01:18 Page 17
|
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============================================================
|
|
NOTICES
|
|
============================================================
|
|
*** W A R N I N G *** W A R N I N G *** W A R N I N G ***
|
|
|
|
PSHIFT Piracy Warning
|
|
|
|
Someone has been spreading around a library called PSHIFT
|
|
(for Program/Shift), consisting of the files PS.EXE and
|
|
PSINST.EXE. This is being billed as a freeware version of a
|
|
package called Memory/Shift.
|
|
|
|
THIS IS STOLEN SOFTWARE!!!
|
|
|
|
Someone apparently took an early copy of Memory/Shift, broke
|
|
the copy protection, and patched in a new name and the
|
|
banner "PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE". The code is identical to
|
|
the original. Reported versions of the pirate copy give the
|
|
author's name as "Ali Mulsti".
|
|
|
|
Ezra Shapiro has spoken to Jim Buckley at North American
|
|
Business Systems (the owners of the package), and they are
|
|
aware of the problem. NABS has no intentions of going after
|
|
sysops or BBS operators, but they would like to know who is
|
|
behind this. If you know anything, please contact Jim at
|
|
314-534-7404, or write to him at:
|
|
|
|
North American Business Systems
|
|
3840 Lindell Blvd.
|
|
St. Louis, MO 63108
|
|
|
|
This appears to be a vicious act of vandalism, aimed at both
|
|
the software industry and BBS operators. Please, if this
|
|
package has been uploaded to your system, GET RID OF IT!
|
|
|
|
------------------------------------------------------------
|
|
*** Calendar of Events ***
|
|
|
|
17 May 85 The Next Occasional New York/New Jersey Sysop
|
|
Meeting. Same place as before, but we need a new
|
|
host.
|
|
|
|
19 May 85 Submissions deadline for next issue of Fidonews.
|
|
|
|
27 May 85 through 31 May 85; Spring 1985 DECUS symposium,
|
|
New Orleans, LA. Among other events, Kurt Reisler
|
|
(sysop Fido 74) will give a 1 hour talk on Fido.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you have any event you want listed in this calendar,
|
|
please send a note to node 107/375.
|
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