2211 lines
102 KiB
Plaintext
2211 lines
102 KiB
Plaintext
Volume 4, Number 26 13 July 1987
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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| _ |
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| / \ |
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| /|oo \ |
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| - FidoNews - (_| /_) |
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| _`@/_ \ _ |
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| International | | \ \\ |
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| FidoNet Association | (*) | \ )) |
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| Newsletter ______ |__U__| / \// |
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| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
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| (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
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| (jm) |
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+---------------------------------------------------------------+
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Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
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Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
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FidoNews is published weekly by the International FidoNet
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Association as its official newsletter. You are encouraged to
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submit articles for publication in FidoNews. Article submission
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standards are contained in the file ARTSPEC.DOC, available from
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node 1:1/1.
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Copyright 1987 by the International FidoNet Association. All
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rights reserved. Duplication and/or distribution permitted for
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noncommercial purposes only. For use in other circumstances,
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please contact IFNA.
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Five Weeks to FidoCon!
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Table of Contents
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1. ARTICLES ................................................. 1
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Hotline! (1) ............................................. 1
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2400 Baud At The Right Price ............................. 4
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Talking ASSEMBLER (Number #3) ............................ 5
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THE DIRTY DOZEN -- An Uploaded Program Alert List ........ 11
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Running 2 BBS's, or CHOOSEr.exe to have FUN! ............. 20
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International Vietnam Veterans EchoConference Anniversa .. 23
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2. COLUMNS .................................................. 25
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Borland's Turbo C: Review, part 2 ........................ 25
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From the Broadcasters Booth - routing .................... 29
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The Regular Irregular Column ............................. 32
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3. WANTED ................................................... 37
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INFORMATION "FEEDS" WANTED ............................... 37
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4. NOTICES .................................................. 38
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The Interrupt Stack ...................................... 38
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Latest Software Versions ................................. 38
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International FidoNet Conference Registration Form ....... 39
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IFNA Board of Directors Ballot ........................... 40
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 1 13 Jul 1987
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=================================================================
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ARTICLES
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=================================================================
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James Zachary
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Fido 115/537
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Hotline! (1)
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(c) 1987
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James Zachary
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On any given day, at any given moment, the phone at the water and
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sewage department can ring with a crisis call.
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Southeast Treatment Plant, this is Zack.
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"Ahem, err, why are ... uhhh are you adding ... uhhhmmm, why are
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you putting ammonia in our drinking water ...?"
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Pardon me?
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"Uhhh, in my drinking water ... in my fish-tank ..."
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You drink the water from your fish-tank?
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"Uhhhh, errr, nooooo, I uh ..."
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Sir, we have a terrible connection, sounds like you're talking
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into a garbage can ...
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"Hold on a sec ... THERE! IS THAT BETTER? I WAS ON MY NEW
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SPEAKER PHONE!"
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What else are you on?
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"'SCUSE ME?"
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Never mind. Don't shout, I can hear ya fine now. You said your
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fish-tank tastes funny?
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"Uhhhh, nooooo. All my fish died so I tested the water and it
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has ammonia in it."
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What's your point?
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"The water in my fish-tank came from our faucet ... it's regular
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drinking water from you. Your ammonia killed my fish!"
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We don't add ammonia to our water. Some of the large systems do,
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to form chloramines so they can carry a chlorine residual for
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great distances, but we don't do that.
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"Now wait a minute! I tested the water, both in the fish tank
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and from the faucet and it has ammonia in it!"
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I see. How much ammonia?.
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 2 13 Jul 1987
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"Five."
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Five ...? Five what? Five parts per million, parts per billion,
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parts per trillion...?
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"Uhhhhh, it just says five."
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What kind of equipment are you using?
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"Well, I dunno but it cost me PLENTY! I spent $12 on it to find
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out YOU killed my fish! It has test tubes and a color chart! I
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went to college, you know!"
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Uh huh, I'm sure your mother is proud. Look, friend, let me
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assure you our lab, as well as the EPA lab, cost a tad more than
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$12. Both labs are certified for technique and accuracy and
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their results show the drinking water has barely enough ammonia
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to measure.
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"You mean I wasted $12?"
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Looks that way.
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"But my fish are all dead! The tank even smells like ammonia!"
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How big was the tank and how many fish were in it?
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"It was a 10 gallon tank and I had 50 black mollies in it."
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Wonderful. You had 50 fish in a 10 gallon tank?
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"Sure! The book that came with the tank said ..."
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Whoa! Listen, ammonia may have played a part in bumping your
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fish off but the ammonia came from their own waste.
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"Their own waste? I don't understand!"
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Waste ... excrement ... in college terms, your fish made wee wee
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in the water...
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"Oooooh......."
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... and they made big poo poo ...
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"Ahhhh, but my filter removes all that!"
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Right. When was the last time you cleaned your filter?
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"Why, NEVER! This filter turns the waste into air by rotifer
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reaction so it never needs cleaning. It worked fine for a
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month!"
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Sir, have you ever considered changing hobbies to something other
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than tropical fish?
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 3 13 Jul 1987
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"Well, I USED to raise tropical plants until YOUR water killed
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them!"
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How often did you water them?
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"At least four times a day ..."
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Maybe you'd consider raising hydroponic pet rocks.
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"C L I C K ! ! "
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Sometimes it doesn't pay to be helpful ...
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 4 13 Jul 1987
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Jean Coppola 107/201
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2400 Baud At The Right Price
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Recently I was looking for a new 2400 baud modem and decided to
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look around a bit. After seeing the prices on Hayes and Courier,
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I knew I had to go with a clone if I wanted 2400 baud at this
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time!
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After searching around I found the MAXUM 2400 baud modem at a
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very reasonable $199.95 from a rather large discount store in the
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area. (47th Street Photo)
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So, I plunked down the green and took this little joy home to see
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if I had been ripped off or not. To my surprise, it turned out to
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be a rather good purchase!
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It claimed to be Hayes compatible, but many of us have seen that
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before, and I for one was a little wary. But I was wrong to
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worry! I opened the box, plugged it in, and set Opus for Hayes
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2400 and away we went. Both Opus and SEAdog recognized it as a
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Hayes 2400, and all the command sequences built into both pieces
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of software work fine with it!
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I have tested it now with both normal communications and file
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transfers with all the popular protocols, and have not found any
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increase in errors over 1200 baud transfers. But of course, it is
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much quicker, especially when you use the SEAlink transfer
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protocol and even faster when using some of the newer protocols.
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In all fairness, there was one problem that I could not solve by
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normal methods. For some unexplained reason, no matter what
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command sequence I fed it, I could not shut off the speaker, or
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lower the volume. Unlike most other external modems, there is no
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outside volume control. So a quick call to the dealer who was as
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stumped as I was.
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Being handy with tools, the speaker is now shut off!
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All in all, a very good purchase for someone looking for an
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inexpensive 2400 baud external modem.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 5 13 Jul 1987
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TALKING ASSEMBLER 3
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by Ned Sturzer
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Chattanooga, Tennessee
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OpusNODE 362/1
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The machine instructions are the soul of Assembler and we will
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examine them in great detail. Each instruction may have two
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operands, one operand, or even no operands. Most instructions
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refer to memory locations, registers, port addresses, or
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immediate data. The manner in which these locations are referred
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to are known as addressing modes. Some instructions allow for
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implied operands and the operand is not indicated. For example,
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the instruction
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cbw
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takes the high-order bit in the AL register and places the same
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value in all the bits of AH. In effect, cbw extends the sign of
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AL to AH. In this instruction the operands are in the implied
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addressing mode.
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Immediate data is allowed in the operands of many instructions
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as in
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int 9 or in mov pointer,417H
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where pointer is a label for a memory address. In direct memory
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addressing the operand is in the form
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segment:offset
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an example being
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test di,ss:4ee7H
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Based operands refer to the memory location computed by adding a
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displacement, disp, to the value in DS:BX, CS:BX, SS:BX, or
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ES:BX. You may also use DS:BP, CS:BP, SS:BP, or ES:BP. DS:BX may
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be written simply as BX, while SS:BP may be expressed as BP. If
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the displacement resolves to 0 it is not written. Among valid
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ways of writing based operands are
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disp.[BX]
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ES:[BP]+disp
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[disp][BX]
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Now consider the instruction xchg [bx-3],di where bx contains the
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value a06b. Our instruction will exchange the contents of the di
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register with whatever value is in the two bytes of memory
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ds:a069 and ds:a06a. If the displacement is 0 it need not be
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indicated.
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Indexed operands are treated similarly to based operands except
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the si and di registers are used. With either si or di the
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default segment register is ds. An exception to this is that if
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di is used in string instructions such as stos or lodsw then the
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 6 13 Jul 1987
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default segment register used with di is es. In this case es
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cannot be overriden.
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Based indexed operands use a displacement in conjunction with one
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register from either bp or bx and one register from either si or
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di. As you would expect by now the default segment register if bp
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used is ss and otherwise the default segment register is ds. Also
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if based indexed operands are used in string instructions then di
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forces the segment register to be es. As an illustration consider
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the instruction
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cmp byte ptr es:[bp+6][di],0feH
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where es:bp has the value b800:0147 and ds:di has the value
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0000:0200. This instruction then compares the contents of the
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memory location b800:034d with fe.
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If based indexed operands seem complicated - they are. However,
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they allow you to do some fancy footwork through memory. Before
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moving on to examine the individual instructions I need to tie up
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a loose end. Whenever register IP is used to refer to a memory
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location the reference is always to location cs:ip. Similarly if
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register SP is used to refer to memory the location ss:sp is
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intended.
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I'll group the machine op codes according to their function,
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indicate the flags affected after the operation is performed,
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give the nature and size of the operands, and give examples.
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I. Logical Operators
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The logical operators AND, NOT, OR, and XOR (exclusive or)
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perform the bit-by-bit logical operations their names imply. The
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result is stored in the first operand. They are used to gain
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access to the individual bits of a byte or word.
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A. AND ax/al,immed
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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B. AND r/m,immed
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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C. AND r,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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D. AND m,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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E. AND r,m
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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To explain the shorthand I'll use: In the operand area r is any
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register other than a segment register, m is any memory location,
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and immed stands for immediate data. Should a specific register
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be used it will be indicated as in form A. If the size of the
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operands (8 or 16 bits) is not implied by the form of the
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 7 13 Jul 1987
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instruction I have indicated it. The flags are affected as
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indicated where =? means the flag may be changed arbitrarily.
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Consider AND al,01101000B where ax contains 01000011B. After the
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instruction is performed al will contain 01000000B, C=0, P=0,
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Z=0, S=0, O=0, and A is arbitrary. Form A is distinguished from
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form B since it requires one less byte in memory to store the
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instruction. AND is used to clear specific bits to 0 while
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keeping the other bits intact.
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F. NOT r/m
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags: none
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NOT simply interchanges all the bits of the operand. Thus in NOT
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word ptr [bp+di] if bp contains 0050, di contains 0017, ss
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contains 0040, and 0040:0067 to 0040:0068 contain the word a51c,
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then after the operation this word will contain 5ae3. Note that
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it is here necessary to tell the Assembler that we are
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considering a word since there is nothing in the instruction
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which otherwise indicates the length of the operand.
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G. OR ax/al,immed
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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H. OR r/m,immed
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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I. OR r,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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J. OR m,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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K. OR r,m
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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L. XOR ax/al,immed
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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M. XOR r/m,immed
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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N. XOR r,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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O. XOR m,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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P. XOR r,m
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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The OR instruction allows you to set specific bits to 1 while the
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other bits are unchanged. XOR is used to reverse specific bits
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keeping the others as they were. Also the XOR instruction
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provides an efficient way of setting a register or memory
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location to 0. For example XOR bx,bx sets bx to 0.
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FidoNews 4-26 Page 8 13 Jul 1987
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II. Other Bit Manipulators
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The TEST instruction and the various shift and rotate commands
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are akin to to logical operators in that they perform bit
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manipulation.
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A. TEST ax/al,immed
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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B. TEST r/m,immed
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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C. TEST r,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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D. TEST m,r
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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E. TEST r,m
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C=0, P, A=?, Z, S, O=0
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TEST is similar to AND in that it performs an AND but does not
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alter either operand. Only the flags are adjusted. TEST may be
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used to determine the bit settings of specific bits.
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F. SHL r/m,1
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C, O
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G. SHL r/m,cl
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C, O
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The SHL command shifts the contents of the first operand either
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one bit left or by the number of bits indicated in the cl
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register. The low order bits vacated by this operation are
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replaced by zeros. Should cl contain a value greater than or
|
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equal to the length of the first operand then the operand will
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become 0. As long as no ones bits are shifted out then SHL
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multiplies by powers of two. For example,
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mov cl,3
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shl byte ptr ds:0143
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multiplies the contents of the byte at ds:0143 by 8 if ds:0143
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originally has zeros in its high order three bits. Be aware that
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the Macro Assembler, MASM, accepts the mnemonic SAL which
|
||
performs the same function as SHL. Oddly, SYMDEB and DEBUG do not
|
||
recognize SAL in the -a command. The convention used by the 8088
|
||
chip is that if an integer is regarded as signed then the high
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||
order bit is the sign bit. A 1 in the sign bit means a negative
|
||
number and a 0 means a positive number. With this in mind we can
|
||
understand the rules used to set the flag bits in shift and
|
||
rotate operations. The carry flag is set to the last bit pushed
|
||
out of the end of the operand. The overflow flag is undefined if
|
||
the second operand is a cl and cl has a value other than 1. if
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the second operand is 1 or if it is cl with a value of 1, then
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||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 9 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
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the overflow flag is set to 1 if the sign bit changes. Otherwise
|
||
the overflow flag is cleared to 0.
|
||
|
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H. SHR r/m,1
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C, O
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I. SHR r/m,cl
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8 or 16 bits
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Flags:C, O
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This is a shift right with the vacated bits replaced by zeros.
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||
SHR acts as an integer divide by powers of two as long as no ones
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bits are shifted out.
|
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|
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J. SAR r/m,1
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8 or 16 bits
|
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Flags:C, P, A=?, Z, S, O
|
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K. SAR r/m,cl
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||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, P, A=?, Z, S, O
|
||
|
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This is an arithmetic shift right instruction which functions
|
||
similarly to SHR. The difference, besides the effect on the
|
||
flags, is that the vacated bits are filled by the sign bit. Thus
|
||
the result of the sequence
|
||
|
||
mov al,8f
|
||
mov cl,3
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||
sar al,cl
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||
|
||
is that al will contain f1.
|
||
|
||
L. ROL r/m,1
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8 or 16 bits
|
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Flags:C, O
|
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M. ROL r/m,cl
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
|
||
This rotate left instruction acts like the SHL command except
|
||
that the value in the high order bit of the first operand
|
||
replaces the value vacated in bit 0. Therefore if dh contains 7e
|
||
and cl contains 2 then ROL dh,cl will leave dh with f9.
|
||
|
||
N. ROR r/m,1
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
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O. ROR r/m,cl
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
|
||
The rotate right instruction, ROR, is the analog of ROL except
|
||
that the value in bit 0 replaces the value vacated in the high
|
||
order bit of the first operand.
|
||
|
||
P. RCR r/m,1
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 10 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
Q. RCR r/m,cl
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
|
||
Rotate right through carry, RCR, is similar to ROR but here the
|
||
value in bit 0 is placed in the carry flag and the value in the
|
||
carry flag is placed in the high order bit of the first operand.
|
||
|
||
R. RCL r/m,1
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
S. RCL r/m,cl
|
||
8 or 16 bits
|
||
Flags:C, O
|
||
|
||
RCL is the left rotating version of RCR.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
IFNA, FIDONEWS, FIDO AND OPUS SYSOPS ARE GRANTED A NON-EXCLUSIVE
|
||
LICENSE TO COPY, PROCESS, AND DISTRIBUTE THIS ARTICLE IN ANY
|
||
MATTER THEY SEE FIT. COMMERCIAL RIGHTS GRANTED AT NO COST UPON
|
||
WRITTEN REQUEST TO THE AUTHOR. REQUESTS MY BE SENT BY FIDO MAIL
|
||
TO 362/1, CHATTANOOGA, TENNESSEE OR BY LOGGING ON AT
|
||
(615) 892-7773.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 11 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
THE DIRTY DOZEN -- An Uploaded Program Alert List
|
||
Issue #7 Compiled by Eric Newhouse
|
||
|
||
|
||
Recently, many unlawfully copied or modified programs have
|
||
appeared on various IBM PC bulletin boards across the country.
|
||
THE DIRTY DOZEN is a list of known examples.
|
||
|
||
There are four major categories of bad software: commercial
|
||
pirate jobs, unauthorized copies of otherwise legitimate freeware
|
||
programs, malicious "TROJAN" programs which damage your system,
|
||
and miscellaneous illegal software. Please look in the
|
||
definitions section of this document for a more detailed
|
||
explanation of these terms.
|
||
|
||
SysOps: Please be careful with the files you post in your
|
||
download libraries! An professional quality uploaded game or
|
||
disk utility should arouse your suspicions, especially if it
|
||
doesn't include the author's name, address, and distribution
|
||
policy. Such programs are probably NOT public domain! The BBS
|
||
community is already under legislative threat at the State and
|
||
Federal level. We cannot fight this trend effectively while our
|
||
directories sit stocked with cracked Sega games, wargames
|
||
dialers, and malicious "trojan horses!" Let's demonstrate a
|
||
little social responsibility by cleaning up our download
|
||
libraries.
|
||
|
||
If you as a SysOp have any of these files on your system, please
|
||
delete them and post "blocking" dummy file entries like this one:
|
||
|
||
|
||
ZAXXON.COM DELETED!! NOT PUBLIC DOMAIN!!
|
||
|
||
|
||
If everyone works together to fight this new brand of software,
|
||
the growing numbers of piraters and trojan horse writers may well
|
||
be put 'out of business!'
|
||
|
||
The idea behind THE DIRTY DOZEN is to bring this important issue
|
||
to the attention of more SysOps and users - to act as an
|
||
information "clearing -house" for the latest known examples of
|
||
"bogusware," so that an educated public can fight effectively for
|
||
safe downloadable files.
|
||
|
||
The Dirty Dozen is a big project, and it needs your help to
|
||
succeed! Please call in any updates of bad software that you
|
||
know of, but DO NOT modify this article yourself. If everyone
|
||
who discovers a pirated program starts modifying the DD, there
|
||
would be hundreds of issues in circulation.
|
||
|
||
Also, I think it's quite unfair, especially considering that
|
||
I've spent over a hundred hours of my time on this list, for just
|
||
anyone to put their name at the top of the list and say that they
|
||
write, or helped write, the DD. For example, someone named
|
||
Gerhard Barth added two files, both of which were already listed
|
||
in the DD, and proceeded to write "Updated by Gerhard Barth,
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 12 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
please send all further updates to Gerhard Barth," etc. If
|
||
everyone does this, how will anyone know which file is the latest
|
||
and TRUE Dirty Dozen? If you have an update, please see the end
|
||
of this article for information on how to reach me with new
|
||
information.
|
||
|
||
A word on TROJANS: I have been hearing more and more reports of
|
||
these "worm" programs, from all directions. While I don't doubt
|
||
their existence, do not get hysterical. Remember, a Trojan rumor
|
||
is much easier to START than it is to STOP. Some people have
|
||
accused legitimate *joke* programs, like DRAIN (which pretends to
|
||
be gurgling excess water out of your A drive) of being "killers."
|
||
|
||
If a program locks up your system, it isn't necessarily Trojan;
|
||
it might not like co-residing with Superkey, or your graphics
|
||
card. Ask around a little before you announce something as
|
||
Trojan. I would appreciate a bagged specimen of any real Trojan
|
||
program that you might have the (un)luck to find.
|
||
|
||
A word on Pirated programs: Recently many pirated programs such
|
||
as AUTODEX have been going under many different names. Although
|
||
I will try to keep all these names current in the DD, the best
|
||
way to check for piracy in a file is to run that file yourself --
|
||
checking for (C)opyright notices of commercial manufactures,
|
||
similarities in looks and operations of commercial programs, and
|
||
of course whether the name is in this list.
|
||
|
||
Finally I want to thank all BBS SysOps and users that notified
|
||
me of updates, additions, and/or corrections to DIRTYDOZ.006.
|
||
It's great to see so much support! In this issue more people
|
||
than ever called in with updates. Everyone else who reads this
|
||
list, along with myself, really appreciates the effort!
|
||
|
||
|
||
NOTE: If I do not supply a file extension, that means that the
|
||
file circulates under many different extensions. For instance,
|
||
users commonly upload with extensions of either: .EXE, .COM,
|
||
.EQE, .CQM, .LBR, .LQR, and .ARC.
|
||
|
||
|
||
TROJAN HORSE PROGRAMS:
|
||
|
||
Name Category Notes
|
||
|
||
ANTI-PCB *TROJAN* The story behind this trojan horse is
|
||
sickening. Apparently one RBBS-PC
|
||
sysop and one PC-BOARD sysop started
|
||
feuding about which BBS system is
|
||
better, and in the end the PC-BOARD
|
||
sysop wrote a trojan and uploaded it to
|
||
the rbbs SysOp under ANTI-PCB.COM. Of
|
||
course the RBBS-PC SysOp ran it, and
|
||
that led to quite a few accusations and
|
||
a big mess in general. Let's grow up!
|
||
Every SysOp has the right to run the
|
||
type of BBS that they please, and the
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 13 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
fact that a SysOp actually wrote a
|
||
trojan intended for another simply
|
||
blows my mind.
|
||
|
||
ARC513.EXE *TROJAN* This hacked version of arc appears
|
||
normal, so beware! It will write over
|
||
track 0 of your [hard] disk upon usage,
|
||
destroying the disk.
|
||
|
||
ARC514.COM *TROJAN* This is totally similar to arc version
|
||
5.13 in that it will overwrite track 0
|
||
(FAT Table) of your hard disk. Also, I
|
||
have yet to see an .EXE version of this
|
||
program..
|
||
|
||
BACKTALK *TROJAN* This program used to be a good PD
|
||
utility, but some one changed it to be
|
||
trojan. Now this program will
|
||
write/destroy sectors on your [hard]
|
||
disk drive. Use this with caution if
|
||
you acquire it, because it's more than
|
||
likely that you got a bad copy.
|
||
|
||
CDIR.COM *TROJAN* This program is supposed to give you a
|
||
color directory of files on disk, but
|
||
it in fact will scramble your disks FAT
|
||
table.
|
||
|
||
DANCERS.BAS *TROJAN* This trojan shows some animated dancers
|
||
in color, and then proceeds to wipe out
|
||
your [hard] disk's FAT table. There is
|
||
another perfectly good copy of
|
||
DANCERS.BAS on BBS's around the
|
||
country; apparently the idiot author in
|
||
question altered a legitimate program
|
||
to do his dirty work.
|
||
|
||
DISKSCAN.EXE *TROJAN* This was a PC-MAGAZINE program to scan
|
||
a (hard) disk for bad sectors, but then
|
||
a joker edited it to WRITE bad sectors.
|
||
Also look for this under other names
|
||
such as SCANBAD.EXE and BADDISK.EXE...
|
||
|
||
DMASTER *TROJAN* This is yet another FAT scrambler..
|
||
|
||
DOSKNOWS.EXE *TROJAN* I'm still tracking this one down --
|
||
apparently someone wrote a FAT killer
|
||
and renamed it DOSKNOWS.EXE, so it
|
||
would be confused with the real,
|
||
harmless DOSKNOWS system-status
|
||
utility. All I know for sure is that
|
||
the REAL DOSKNOWS.EXE is 5376 bytes
|
||
long. If you see something called
|
||
DOSKNOWS that isn't close to that size,
|
||
sound the alarm. More info on this one
|
||
is welcomed -- a bagged specimen
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 14 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
especially.
|
||
|
||
DPROTECT *TROJAN* Apparently someone tampered with the
|
||
original, legitimate version of
|
||
DPROTECT and turned it into a FAT table
|
||
eater.
|
||
|
||
DROID.EXE *TROJAN* This trojan appears under the guise of
|
||
a game. You are supposedly an
|
||
architect that controls futuristic
|
||
droids in search of relics. In fact,
|
||
PC-Board sysops, if they run this
|
||
program from C:\PCBOARD, will find that
|
||
it copies C:\PCBOARD\PCBOARD.DAT to
|
||
C:\PCBOARD\HELP\HLPX. In case you were
|
||
wondering, the file size of the .EXE
|
||
file is 54,272 bytes.
|
||
|
||
EGABTR *TROJAN* BEWARE! Description says something like
|
||
"improve your EGA display," but when
|
||
run it deletes everything in sight and
|
||
prints "Arf! Arf! Got you!"
|
||
|
||
EMMCACHE *CAREFUL* This program is not exactly a trojan,
|
||
but it may have the capability of
|
||
destroying hard disks by:
|
||
A) Scrambling every file modified
|
||
after running the program,
|
||
B) Destroying boot sectors.
|
||
This program has damaged at least two
|
||
hard disks, yet there is a base of
|
||
happily registered users. Therefore, I
|
||
advise extreme caution if you decide to
|
||
use this program.
|
||
|
||
FILER.EXE *TROJAN* One SysOp complained a while ago that
|
||
this program wiped out his 20 Megabyte
|
||
HD. I'm not so sure that he was
|
||
correct and/or telling the truth any
|
||
more. I have personally tested an
|
||
excellent file manager also named
|
||
FILER.EXE, and it worked perfectly.
|
||
Also, many other SysOp's have written
|
||
to tell me that they have like me used
|
||
a FILER.EXE with no problems. If you
|
||
get a program named FILER.EXE, it is
|
||
probably alright, but better to test it
|
||
first using some security measures.
|
||
|
||
|
||
FINANCE4.ARC *CAREFUL* This program is not a verified trojan;
|
||
there is simply a file going around
|
||
BBS's warning that it may be trojan.
|
||
In any case, execute extreme care with
|
||
it.
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 15 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
FUTURE.BAS *TROJAN* This "program" starts out with a very
|
||
nice color picture (of what I don't
|
||
know) and then proceeds to tell you
|
||
that you should be using your computer
|
||
for better things than games and
|
||
graphics. After making that point it
|
||
trashes your A: drive, B:, C:, D:, and
|
||
so on until it has erased all drives.
|
||
It does not go after the FAT alone, but
|
||
it also erases all of your data. As
|
||
far as I know, however, it erases only
|
||
one sub-directory tree level deep, thus
|
||
hard disk users should only be
|
||
seriously affected if they are in the
|
||
"root" directory. I'm not sure about
|
||
this on either, though.
|
||
|
||
NOTROJ.COM *TROJAN* This "program" is the most
|
||
sophisticated trojan horse that I've
|
||
seen to date. All outward appearances
|
||
indicate that the program is a useful
|
||
utility used to FIGHT other trojan
|
||
horses. Actually, it is a time bomb
|
||
that erases any hard disk FAT table
|
||
that IT can find, and at the same time
|
||
it warns: "another program is
|
||
attempting a format, can't abort!"
|
||
After erasing the FAT(s), NOTROJ then
|
||
proceeds to start a low level format.
|
||
One extra thing to note: NOTROJ only
|
||
damages FULL hard drives; if a hard
|
||
disk is under 50% filled, this program
|
||
won't touch it! If you are interested
|
||
in reading a thorough report on
|
||
NOTROJ.COM, James H. Coombes has
|
||
written an excellent text file on the
|
||
matter named NOTROJ.TXT. If you have
|
||
trouble finding it, you can get it from
|
||
my board.
|
||
|
||
TIRED *TROJAN* Another scramble the FAT trojan by Dorn
|
||
W.Stickle.
|
||
|
||
TSRMAP *TROJAN* This program does what it's supposed to
|
||
do: give a map outlining the location
|
||
(in RAM) of all TSR programs, but it
|
||
also erases the boot sector of drive
|
||
"C:".
|
||
|
||
PACKDIR *TROJAN* This utility is supposed to "pack"
|
||
(sort and optimize) the files on a
|
||
[hard] disk, but apparently it
|
||
scrambles FAT tables.
|
||
|
||
PCW271xx.ARC *TROJAN* A modified version of the popular PC-
|
||
WRITE word processor (v. 2.71) has now
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 16 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
scrambled at least 10 FAT tables that I
|
||
know of. If you want to download
|
||
version 2.71 of PC-WRITE be very
|
||
careful! The bogus version can be
|
||
identified by its size; it uses 98,274
|
||
bytes whereas the good version uses
|
||
98,644. For reference, version 2.7 of
|
||
PC-WRITE occupies 98,242 bytes.
|
||
|
||
QUIKREF *TROJAN* This ARChive claims that it will load
|
||
RBBS-PC's message file into memory 2
|
||
times faster than normal. What it
|
||
really does is copy RBBS-PC.DEF into an
|
||
ASCII file named HISCORES.DAT...
|
||
|
||
RCKVIDEO *TROJAN* This is another trojan that does what
|
||
it's supposed to do, then wipes out
|
||
hard disks. After showing some simple
|
||
animation of a rock star ("Madonna," I
|
||
think), the program will go to work on
|
||
erasing every file it can lay it's
|
||
hands on. After about a minute of
|
||
this, it will create 3 ascii files that
|
||
say "You are stupid to download a video
|
||
about rock stars," or something of the
|
||
like.
|
||
|
||
SECRET.BAS *TROJAN* BEWARE!! This may be posted with a note
|
||
saying it doesn't seem to work, and
|
||
would someone please try it; when you
|
||
do, it formats your disks.
|
||
|
||
SIDEWAYS.COM *TROJAN* Be careful with this trojan; there is a
|
||
perfectly legitimate version of
|
||
SIDEWAYS.EXE circulating. Both the
|
||
trojan and the good SIDEWAYS advertise
|
||
that they can print sideways, but
|
||
SIDEWAYS.COM will trash a [hard] disk's
|
||
boot sector instead. The trojan .COM
|
||
file is about 3 KB, whereas the
|
||
legitimate .EXE file is about 30 KB
|
||
large.
|
||
|
||
STAR.EXE *TROJAN* Beware RBBS-PC SysOps! This file puts
|
||
some stars on the screen while copying
|
||
RBBS-PC.DEF to another name that can be
|
||
downloaded later!
|
||
|
||
STRIPES.EXE *TROJAN* Similar to STAR.EXE, this one draws an
|
||
American flag (nice touch), while it's
|
||
busy copying your RBBS-PC.DEF to
|
||
another file (STRIPES.BQS) so Bozo can
|
||
log in later, download STRIPES.BQS, and
|
||
steal all your passwords. Nice, huh!
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 17 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
TOPDOS *TROJAN* This is a simple high level [hard] disk
|
||
formatter.
|
||
|
||
VDIR.COM *TROJAN* This is a disk killer that Jerry
|
||
Pournelle wrote about in BYTE Magazine.
|
||
I have never seen it, although a
|
||
responsible friend of mine has.
|
||
|
||
This is the end of the "bad files list." The rest of this
|
||
document contains instructions on what to do if YOU run a trojan
|
||
horse, an update history, a glossary, and information on how and
|
||
where to contact me with updates.
|
||
|
||
If you run a trojan horse..
|
||
|
||
While reading this, bear in mind that there is no better remedy
|
||
for a drive that has run a trojan horse than a recent backup..
|
||
|
||
The first thing to do after running what you think to be a
|
||
trojan horse is diagnose the damage. Was your [hard] drive
|
||
formatted? Did the trojan scramble your FAT table? Did every
|
||
file get erased? Did your boot sector on the [hard] drive get
|
||
erased/formatted? Odds are that the trojan incurred one of these
|
||
four disasters.. After the initial diagnosis, you are ready to
|
||
remedy the problem.
|
||
|
||
|
||
1) If the trojan low-level formatted your [hard] disk: Hope that
|
||
you have a recent backup; that's the only remedy for this
|
||
disease.
|
||
|
||
2) If the trojan high-level formatted your [hard] disk: There is
|
||
only one way out of this mess, and that is to use the MACE+
|
||
utilities by Paul Mace. MACE+ has two devices in it to
|
||
recover formatted disks, and believe me, they work! I will
|
||
talk more about the MACE+ utilities later.
|
||
|
||
3) If the trojan scrambled your FAT table: Once again, there is
|
||
nothing to do. However, there is a program called
|
||
FATBACK.COM (available on my board named as FATBCK11.ARC)
|
||
that will back up your FAT table in under a minute to floppy.
|
||
Using FATBACK, it is easy and non time consuming to back up
|
||
your FAT regularly.
|
||
|
||
4) If the trojan erased file(s), and the FAT table is undamaged:
|
||
There are many packages to undelete deleted files. Norton
|
||
Utilities, PC-tools, MACE+, and UNDEL.COM will all do the
|
||
job. I recommend the first three, but they are more
|
||
expensive than the Public Domain program UNDEL.COM. When you
|
||
are undeleting, be sure to undelete files in the order of
|
||
last time written to disk. I know that PC-tools
|
||
automatically lists undeletable files in the correct order,
|
||
but the other three may not.
|
||
|
||
5) If the boot sector on your [hard] disk gets erased/formatted:
|
||
There are four things to do if this happens, and the worst
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 18 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
that can happen is that you will go without a [hard] disk for
|
||
a while. To be on the safest side, back up everything before
|
||
even proceeding to step "A," although I can not see why it
|
||
would be necessary.
|
||
|
||
A) Try doing a "SYS C:" (or "SYS A:") from your original DOS
|
||
disk, and copy COMMAND.COM back onto the [hard] drive
|
||
after that. Try booting and if that doesn't work try step
|
||
B.
|
||
|
||
B) If you have the MACE+ utilities go to the "other
|
||
utilities" section and "restore boot sector." This should
|
||
do the job if you have been using MACE+ correctly.
|
||
|
||
C) If you are still stuck, BACK EVERYTHING UP and proceed to
|
||
do a low level format. Instructions on how to perform a
|
||
low-level format should come with your [hard] disk
|
||
controller card. Be sure to map out bad sectors using
|
||
either SCAV.COM by Chris Dunford or by manually entering
|
||
the locations of bad sectors into the low level format
|
||
program. After the low level format, if your have a hard
|
||
disk, run FDISK.COM (it comes with DOS) and create a DOS
|
||
partition. Refer to your DOS manual for help in using
|
||
FDISK. Then put your original DOS diskette in drive A:
|
||
and do a FORMAT <drive letter>:/S/V. Drive letter can
|
||
stand for "C" or "B" depending on whether you are
|
||
reformatting a hard disk or not. Finally you are ready to
|
||
attempt a reboot.
|
||
|
||
D) If you are still stuck, either employ some professional
|
||
computer repairmen to fix your drive, or live with a non-
|
||
bootable [hard] drive..
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
By now you may be saying to yourself:
|
||
|
||
"How can I get a hold of a 'MACE+' utilities package so that I
|
||
can guard against trojans? Why, MACE+ can recover a formatted
|
||
drive, undelete files, restore boot sectors, optimize a disk, and
|
||
provide a disk cache!
|
||
|
||
Anyone can obtain these marvelous utilities in one of two ways:
|
||
one is to call up the Paul Mace Software Company (tm) and order
|
||
them at a retail of $ 79.95. The other is place an order for
|
||
them at the WEST LOS ANGELES PC-STORE, which supports next day
|
||
UPS shipping! The BBS phone # for the PC-STORE is at the end of
|
||
this document.
|
||
|
||
Finally:
|
||
|
||
If you have any additions or corrections for this list, send them
|
||
to Eric Newhouse at any of the following places: (in order of
|
||
most frequented)
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 19 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
* The Crest RBBS (213-471-2518) (1200/2400) (80 MB)
|
||
* The West LA PC-STORE (213-559-6954)(300/1200/2400)
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 20 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Are you tired of the same old thing, are you catering to the same
|
||
old users and tired of maintaining the same old BBS? Well have
|
||
you ever thought of putting up a whole new BBS, cater to a new
|
||
group of users, but haven't wanted to lose the established crowd
|
||
you have worked so hard for? Well have I go a deal for you!
|
||
|
||
Why not leave your old BBS as it is and put up a second one and
|
||
use the same phone line for both? This was a problem presented
|
||
to me when one of the local syslops had to give up an adult board
|
||
when his parents found it.
|
||
|
||
The idea of two BBS's isn't new and I don't lay claim to it. The
|
||
OTHER Side was originally a second BBS that was invoked with the
|
||
'O' command.
|
||
|
||
This worked okay but had some definite problems. First when the
|
||
second BBS was called up it loaded one on top of the other and
|
||
used all available memory (DoubleDOS was out of the question).
|
||
It also had the tendency to screw up the on line time if you
|
||
switched back and forth.
|
||
|
||
I approached Randy Bush with the problem and after some gentle
|
||
reminding he built a little program called CHOOSER. What
|
||
CHOOSER does is sit between SeaDOG or Dutchie and the BBS.
|
||
SeaDOG answers the phone and then passes control to CHOOSER,
|
||
CHOOSER then asks the caller what he wants to do. Currently
|
||
there are 10 possibilities, depending on a reply of 0,1,,,,,9
|
||
CHOOSER passes the error level to a small batch file that then
|
||
invokes your regular BBS command line.
|
||
|
||
This has enabled me to effectively run two BBS's off of one phone
|
||
line. SeaDOG now calls up OSWEGO OPERA (Chooser) that then asks
|
||
you if you want OSWEGO OPUS (1) or OSWEGO's OTHER Side (2).
|
||
|
||
Think of the possibilities, you can run your regular BBS (OSWEGO
|
||
OPUS) and beta test another software package (FIDO V12) or maybe
|
||
run the same BBS but with two different bbs packages (Opus and
|
||
Fido, same files areas and message areas) or possibly become
|
||
demented like I have and run the same software but each side has
|
||
two different themes. (the OTHER Side is a sexually oriented BBS)
|
||
|
||
I have two sperate user.bbs and am able to keep OSWEGO OPUS at
|
||
the same level it has always been (whatever that is).
|
||
|
||
CHOOSER.ARC is file requestable from DawGone Disgusted 105/6. It
|
||
doesn't like X00 as a fossil driver and really requires the most
|
||
current version of OPUSCOMM.
|
||
|
||
I'm including my runbbs.bat and also the complete DOCs file for
|
||
CHOOSER.
|
||
so you can see just how simple the setup is.
|
||
|
||
|
||
; Chooser 0.04: Select a function via a FOSSIL driver
|
||
;
|
||
; Copyright 1987, Pacific Systems Group. All rights
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 21 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
; reserved.
|
||
;
|
||
; This program may be used by any member of IFNA, Inc. without
|
||
; further obligation to the author. Members of IFNA, Inc. may
|
||
; give it to other members as long as no fee is charged in any
|
||
; way.
|
||
;
|
||
; For use or distribution by or to others (e.g. non-m,embers of
|
||
; IFNA, Inc.), you must contact the author:
|
||
; Randy Bush
|
||
; Fido 105/6
|
||
; 9501 SW Westhaven Drive
|
||
; Portland, Oregon US-97225
|
||
; But, it will probably be easier to just join IFNA, Inc.
|
||
;
|
||
;
|
||
; The command line MUST look like
|
||
;
|
||
; CHOOSER <port> <prompt>
|
||
;
|
||
; where
|
||
;
|
||
; <port> is 1, 2, 3, or 4
|
||
; <prompt> is the string to be shown to the caller."~" will be
|
||
; translated to <cr><lf>.
|
||
;
|
||
; For example:
|
||
;
|
||
; CHOOSER 1 Welcome~ 1 - Randy's Fido~ 2 - Other Side~Choose
|
||
; one :
|
||
;
|
||
; will cause the caller on port 1 to be prompted as follows:
|
||
;
|
||
; Welcome
|
||
; 1 - Randy's Fido
|
||
; 2 - Other Side
|
||
; Choose one :
|
||
;
|
||
;
|
||
; A FOSSIL driver must have been installed to run this program.
|
||
;
|
||
; Returned errorlevels are:
|
||
; 12 - Bad command line or FOSSIL driver
|
||
; 11 - Carrier lost
|
||
; 10 - Response was <cr>
|
||
; 0..9 - Service 0..9 selected by caller
|
||
;
|
||
|
||
|
||
:Restart
|
||
CHOOSER %1 OSWEGO OPERA~~ 1 for OSWEGO OPUS~ 2 for OSWEGO's
|
||
OTHER Side~~~
|
||
IF ERRORLEVEL 11 GOTO End
|
||
IF ERRORLEVEL 10 GOTO Normal
|
||
IF ERRORLEVEL 2 GOTO Other
|
||
IF ERRORLEVEL 1 GOTO Normal
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 22 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
:Normal
|
||
OPUS DAY -p%1 -b%2 -t%3
|
||
GOTO End
|
||
:Other
|
||
cd\other
|
||
OPUS OTHER -p%1 -b%2 -t%3
|
||
cd\opus
|
||
GOTO End
|
||
:
|
||
:End
|
||
|
||
It should also be noted for any syslops not currently using a
|
||
front end like SeaDog of Dutchie that the events and maintenance
|
||
is handled by the your SEADOG/DUTCHIE.BAT Remember that the front
|
||
end answers the phone not CHOOSER or OPUS.
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bill
|
||
|
||
President and Chairman of the Board of FUN, an elite organization
|
||
for the elimination of UN_FUN.
|
||
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 23 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Todd Looney
|
||
Vietnam Veterans' Valhalla IFNA 143/27
|
||
|
||
INTERNATIONAL VIETNAM VETERANS' ECHOCONFERENCE ANNIVERSARY!!!
|
||
|
||
Well, here I am again, this makes about the fifth article I
|
||
published in this distinguished (?) newsletter over the past 12
|
||
months. Many of you probably at least recognize my name if not
|
||
already know who I am. But, for those of you who are not
|
||
familiar with my not-so-illustrious personage, I am the SysOp of
|
||
the Vietnam Veterans' Valhalla Opus BBS in San Jose, California.
|
||
I am also the founder and international coordinator of the
|
||
Vietnam Veterans' EchoConference. Without the indefatigable help
|
||
and support from the several dozen Fido/Opus/TBBS SysOps who host
|
||
the conference on their own bulletin boards making it's
|
||
intelligent and mature debates and communications available to
|
||
hundreds of readers across the continent. The conference network
|
||
has grown steadily from the one lonely BBS in San Jose,
|
||
California (then know only as the LooneyBin), to an organized
|
||
cluster of some 40 bulletin boards located from the far-off
|
||
islands of Hawaii, clear across the central United States to New
|
||
York and Canada. The ever-increasing visibility of the
|
||
International Vietnam Veterans' EchoConference offered by these
|
||
doughty SysOps contributes greatly to it's overwhelming
|
||
popularity and undeniable success.
|
||
|
||
It has been said that the Vietnam Veterans' EchoConference
|
||
has become "one of the most important and productive echomail
|
||
conferences available in the Untited States today." Frankly, my
|
||
own modesty makes me question the validity of that declaration,
|
||
but the depth and maturity of the conference message base
|
||
substantially demonstrates is the need for a support resourse
|
||
like it in todays often mis-directed, largely mis-informed
|
||
society whose level of collective familiarity with the era
|
||
surrounding the Vietnam conflict is practically non-existent.
|
||
|
||
A short while back I conducted a survey of the various
|
||
SysOps hosting the International Vietnam Veterans' EchoConference
|
||
in an attemp to gather statistical data related to their
|
||
individual caller bases. The results of my analysis indicate
|
||
upwards to 2000 people have read the conference message base, and
|
||
that approximately 40% of those are military veterans. The
|
||
remaining 60% are composed of a diverse variety of ex-protesters,
|
||
ex-supporters, ex-Vietnamese civilians and military, draft
|
||
dodgers, etc.
|
||
|
||
A significant number of vets have found solace in the
|
||
International Vietnam Veterans' EchoConference during the year
|
||
the echomail project has been in place. They have found a place
|
||
where they can "bare their souls" wihtout fear of having to deal
|
||
with someone else' reaction to what they have to say. They can
|
||
also take their time inputting their messages in the comfort and
|
||
safety of their own homes. They can also respond to sincere
|
||
questions placed in the conference by the numerous non-vets who
|
||
are interested in knowing about the Vietnam conflict and those
|
||
who served in the war. Some very meaningful communication has
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 24 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
taken place between the vets and non-vets, as well as every other
|
||
combination of the two. A lot of vets have found their way to
|
||
professional therapy and guidance through the VA Vietnam Era Vet
|
||
Centers. The entire continent-wide network acts like the one
|
||
massive support network it has become. We all lend comfort and
|
||
support to one another, even if our problem is not directly
|
||
related to Vietnam. We all need emotional encouragement at times
|
||
and many people have found a niche in the Vietnam Veterans'
|
||
EchoConference. And not all of them are veterans.
|
||
|
||
Last month the conference celebrated its first anniversary.
|
||
We were a year old on the 16th of June! We have grown. We are
|
||
stable. We are productive. We are a valuable service in this
|
||
country where most everything comes at a cost.
|
||
|
||
We are still trying to spread, too. If you are a sysop and
|
||
would like to host this conference, either contact me direct at
|
||
143/27, or contact one of the regional coordinators for the
|
||
Vietnam Veterans EchoConference listed below. Any one of us will
|
||
help you get aboard (with a full message base to boot!).
|
||
|
||
123/6 Memphis, TN
|
||
107/105 Staten Island, NY
|
||
17/43 Tacoma, WA
|
||
200/100 Redondo Beach, CA
|
||
113/1 Hawaii
|
||
143/27 San Jose, CA
|
||
|
||
If you are not a sysop of a Fido or Opus bulletin board,
|
||
please give us a call. You should be able to find a local sysop
|
||
carrying the conference listed in the ORIGIN statements listed
|
||
below each message, or ask your local sysop to host the
|
||
conference on his or her board!
|
||
|
||
We are looking forward to hearing from you!
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 25 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
COLUMNS
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
Eric Ewanco, private SEAdog 130/3
|
||
|
||
Borland's Turbo C:
|
||
Review, part 2
|
||
(continued from last week)
|
||
|
||
HARDWARE INTERFACE
|
||
|
||
Turbo offers more than you could ever imagine in the way of
|
||
interfacing with assembler, other languages, interrupts (calling
|
||
and being), TSRing, and everything else. Turbo offers (via MASM)
|
||
inline ASSEMBLY source which can reference any C symbol
|
||
accessible at that point (provided it makes sense in the
|
||
context), even labels to C statements. If that's not enough, or
|
||
is too much, all registers can be accessed through "pseudo-
|
||
variables," like _AX, _BX, etc., for all the general purpose
|
||
variables, not including IP and flags (which aren't very
|
||
accessible in assembler, either). If you need more power, the
|
||
documentation for writing your own assembler programs is clear,
|
||
complete, easy to understand, and all-encompassing. It is the
|
||
best I have ever seen, and I've seen a lot. In addition, Turbo
|
||
allows you to generate interrupts, write interrupt routines,
|
||
terminate and stay resident (and Turbo C programs can be
|
||
converted into .COM files), call bios routines very easily, set
|
||
interrupt vectors, set a control break handler, set a hardware
|
||
error handler ("Abort, Retry, Ignore?"), and a million other
|
||
things. MS C style DOS calls are offered, too. One example of
|
||
these routines is bioscom(), call the BIOS communications
|
||
routines. With this call, IT IS POSSIBLE TO INTERFACE TO ANY
|
||
FOSSIL DRIVER WITH NO ASSEMBLER PROGRAM SUPPORT! I have in fact
|
||
written a program dependant only on Turbo C's libraries to use
|
||
Opus!Comm, without the need of external assembler routines. One
|
||
statement does it all. THIS is POWER. Turbo Lighting can be
|
||
called just as easily using the bioskey(). And Turbo C also
|
||
offers Pascal-style parameter passing for those "older" routines
|
||
you've written.
|
||
|
||
DOCUMENTATION
|
||
|
||
The documentation for Turbo C, contained in two voluminous
|
||
manuals, is the User's Guide (300 pages, 2 centimeters thick) and
|
||
the Reference Manual (385 pages, 2.5 centimeters). Both are the
|
||
usual paperback, and are written so that beginners and experts
|
||
alike will love it. It offers an excellent step-by-step
|
||
introduction to the integrated environment for beginners, as well
|
||
as a short two-chapter coverage of the C language. There are two
|
||
chapters for interfacing with Turbo Prolog and a thorough
|
||
comparison with Turbo Pascal, complete with side-by-side code,
|
||
and, my favorite, caveats to avoid. Borland's insight is
|
||
incredible in the two sections they devote to "Common Pitfalls of
|
||
Programmers Using C," one for programmers in general, one for
|
||
Turbo Pascal programmers. They cover the usual screw-ups, like
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 26 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
using assignment for comparison, the difference between strings
|
||
and arrays, zero based arrays, leaving semicolons off last block,
|
||
case sensitivity, multi-dimensional arrays, omitting required
|
||
parens on function calls, using \ in constant path names, and
|
||
forgetting to pass addresses. All utilities are thoroughly
|
||
explained in plain language. Also included is a reference to C,
|
||
similar to the appendix in the C bible, with C bible cross
|
||
reference. Also included is a figure of C constructs, again like
|
||
the tail end of the C bible. It covers the ANSI C draft
|
||
implementation, too. In general, the documentation is the best I
|
||
have ever seen, covering everything you wanted to know. It
|
||
handles beginner to operating system developer. The very best,
|
||
written in the wonderful Borland style.
|
||
|
||
ENVIRONMENT
|
||
|
||
Let's start with the environment. There are two programs on
|
||
the Turbo C set; TCC.EXE and TC.EXE. One is the usual integrated
|
||
enviroment, close to but slightly different from Turbo Prolog and
|
||
Turbo BASIC. The other is the long-awaited command line
|
||
environment that the traditional compiler is written as, an
|
||
example of Philippe's insight for the programmers of C and care
|
||
for the customers who asked for it. Although Turbo C keeps much
|
||
of Borland's magic, they seemed to have lost the compiler code
|
||
size magic:
|
||
|
||
TC EXE 231257 5-20-87 1:00a
|
||
TCC EXE 169098 5-20-87 1:00a
|
||
|
||
As you can C, Turbo C is HUGE. So is Turbo BASIC and Prolog.
|
||
Borland has moved into hard disk territory. But the features
|
||
gained well outweigh it. Both programs put together beat MS C
|
||
whose 5 or 6 different files add up to more than a disk, although
|
||
they work in overlays (something we may expect from Borland,
|
||
hopefully).
|
||
|
||
The integrated environment is much like the other new
|
||
generation Borland programs, with an interface very similar to
|
||
TB's. There are two primary windows; one for editing, and one for
|
||
messages. All functions are available anyplace in the compiler.
|
||
However, the old familiar and much-praised compile to memory is
|
||
gone. It has been replaced by a shell-to-dos-and-run scheme,
|
||
which is functionally equivalent, but takes up a lot of memory.
|
||
|
||
One of the unique features of Turbo C is the multiple error
|
||
message capability, something long awaited. The Turbo C compiler
|
||
will compile and flag as many errors as you select then proceed
|
||
to put you, in Borland style, into the source code where the
|
||
first error is. Hitting F8 will move to the next place and the
|
||
next error found, and so forth. Editing the source does not
|
||
invalidate the error positions; further errors will always put
|
||
you in the correct place.
|
||
|
||
One unique thing about Borland's compiling: as you compile
|
||
and link, it keeps track of how many warnings and errors flagged,
|
||
source lines compiled, and amount of memory left, displayed in
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 27 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
real time. When it finishes, it displays all errors and warnings
|
||
and steps through the source code.
|
||
|
||
The environment also offers an extensive "project" utility,
|
||
similar to make, but simpler and easier to use. (A full-fledged
|
||
UNIX make is included as a standalone.) The included MicroCalc
|
||
has an example of a control file for this project manager:
|
||
|
||
mcalc (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcparser (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcdisply (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcinput (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcommand (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcutil (mcalc.h)
|
||
mcmvsmem.obj
|
||
|
||
This indicates that the source files on the left are dependent on
|
||
the file in parens. There is also an implicit dependency that all
|
||
executable files are dependent on all object files and the
|
||
project file itself.
|
||
|
||
Also included is a small CPP C Pre-Processor utility to
|
||
preprocess to a file (strictly no-frills). A Touch utility is
|
||
included to update a file's date and time; used to force a make
|
||
to occur.
|
||
|
||
Turbo C comes with its own linker. This linker is about 1/5
|
||
the size of the MicroSoft Linker (that comes with MS C) and is
|
||
much faster:
|
||
|
||
TLINK EXE 9753 5-20-87 1:00a
|
||
LINK EXE 47896 3-14-86 3:16p
|
||
|
||
As the manual puts it, "As we said earlier, TLINK is lean and
|
||
mean; it does not have an excessive supply of options. . . . it
|
||
is not a general replacement for MS Link." Boy, for 1/5 the size,
|
||
it sure packs an awful lot. Let me stress again the Turbo C
|
||
object modules are supposed to be compatible with every IBM or
|
||
MicroSoft linker, although in one instance I ran into problems
|
||
using a non-TLINK linker. Borland is working on the problem, as
|
||
well as a bigger linker.
|
||
|
||
CODE SIZE and BENCHMARKS
|
||
|
||
I am very impressed with Turbo C's "extensive properties," a
|
||
phrase I just invented to apply to such things as compilation
|
||
speed, code size, execution speed, and the like. For the most
|
||
part Turbo C is tight in it's code generation, the most notable
|
||
exception being floating point object (but not .EXE) files. Turbo
|
||
C always optimizes at least space. You can switch that to speed
|
||
or turn on various other optimizations aforementioned. The
|
||
compiler is FAST as usual; a moderately long floating-point low-
|
||
comment program (164 lines, 4329 bytes) took 48 seconds to
|
||
compile and link in TC, but 2 minutes 9 seconds to compile in MS
|
||
C. The same program had a TC OBJ size of 4191 and EXE size 28140
|
||
emulation, 18236 8087 only; MSC OBJ was 3648, EXE 29126
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 28 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
emulation, 22214 8087, and 3567/24812 for altmath, which Turbo C
|
||
doesn't offer, but neither have I found a need for it. As for
|
||
runtime execution, Turbo C wins. The same program (which
|
||
generates hi-res 3-d surfaces, see 80 Micro, May 83, p. 236) took
|
||
4:22 minutes TC and 5:45 minutes MS C (for reference, it takes 15
|
||
minutes TPascal 8087, 3 hours C without 8087, 15 hours TPascal
|
||
w/o 8087, and well near 24 hours in BASICA). It used square roots
|
||
and sines.
|
||
|
||
Other benchmarks: a UNIX grep utility, no floating point,
|
||
compiled in 49 seconds TC no options, 46 seconds no warnings, 41
|
||
seconds no floating point link search, and 40 seconds no warnings
|
||
or floating point link search; code size (obj/exe) 7025/12864.
|
||
MSC took 2 minutes 50 seconds, with code size 6795/13608. My
|
||
favorite, the null program ("main (){}"), took 28 seconds in TC
|
||
and 50 seconds in MS C; code size was 160/1694 TC and 276/1986
|
||
MSC. All times are for both compile and link.
|
||
|
||
I have had only one problem in the week or two I've had Turbo
|
||
C, and that was the handling of floating point exceptions. This
|
||
is the only problem I've seen; other than that it's flawless.
|
||
|
||
In conclusion, Turbo C is 99% the functionality of MS C in
|
||
some places, 101% in others, but at 20% the price (discount;
|
||
reference: PC Connection), and besides that, it took them one
|
||
version, not three or four. It is fast in both compiling and
|
||
executing, produces tight code, offers advanced warnings, can
|
||
produce .COM files, can be used to write TSRs, has several
|
||
optimization settings, and will be very well supported. Every
|
||
programmer should have a copy. However, if you do want to get a
|
||
copy, I recommend expedience, because Borland does not guarantee
|
||
the current price beyond July 1st, and Turbo C is sure worth a
|
||
heck of a lot more than $99.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 29 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Glen Jackson
|
||
Broadcast Software BBS
|
||
Fido/SEAdog 100/517
|
||
|
||
Echo mail routing
|
||
|
||
It's been 5 months now since I have been into Echo Mail. I run a
|
||
backbone on one echo (*plug on* - the Broadcast echos , also
|
||
including the Request Line for the Public - *plug off*), feed
|
||
another node across the country, and am down line on several
|
||
others. Because of this, I have run into several combinations of
|
||
software (SEAdog/TBBS, SEAdog/OPUS, SEAdog/FIDO, FIDO/OPUS, and
|
||
of course, FIDO by itself).
|
||
|
||
The biggest problem that most of the mail systems run into is
|
||
this:
|
||
|
||
Node A polls or sends some mail to Node B. Node B has
|
||
messages waiting for Node A, but when Node A calls, he isn't
|
||
given any mail packets.
|
||
|
||
Let's start with the route files. Here's how we want our route to
|
||
look every night:
|
||
|
||
at 1:00 AM we will poll 1000/1 for any mail
|
||
at 3:30 AM we will route outgoing mail to our host
|
||
at 4:00 AM we run National Mail hour
|
||
at 5:00 AM we will hold mail for 1000/2 to pick up.
|
||
|
||
This takes 4 seperate routes. If you run SEAdog, they can all go
|
||
into your one ROUTE.DOG file. Here's how they should look:
|
||
|
||
Schedule E ; (route.e) polls 1000/1
|
||
HOLD ALL except 1000/1
|
||
SEND-TO ALL
|
||
GIVE-TO ALL
|
||
POLL 1000/1
|
||
|
||
- the HOLD statement places all mail in a hold status in case
|
||
another node calls in looking for his mail. DO NOT HOLD any
|
||
mail packets to nodes you are sending to or polling.
|
||
|
||
- the SEND-TO statement allows HOLD mail to be released if an
|
||
incoming call comes in.
|
||
|
||
- the GIVE-TO will give the mail you have for 1000/1 to 1000/1
|
||
when you call him.
|
||
|
||
- the POLL statement makes sure that you will call 1000/1 whether
|
||
or not you have mail for him. If you only want to call 1000/1
|
||
IF you have mail for him, don't use the POLL statement.
|
||
|
||
Next, we want to route our mail to our host. But, in case we did
|
||
not connect with 1000/1, we still want to keep it here and not
|
||
route it. Run a route that looks like this:
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 30 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Schedule G ; (route.g) local routing
|
||
ROUTE-TO [your host net/node] ALL
|
||
NO-ROUTE 1000/1 1000/2
|
||
SEND-TO [your host net/node]
|
||
PICKUP [your host net/node]
|
||
GIVE-TO ALL
|
||
|
||
- the ROUTE-TO will route ALL to [your host net/node].
|
||
|
||
- the NO-ROUTE keeps mail you hold at a later time from being
|
||
sent over to your host for routing.
|
||
|
||
- the SEND-TO and PICKUP are here for you to be able to make the
|
||
call to your host if you have mail to send out.
|
||
|
||
- the GIVE-TO statement gives mail to incoming callers that have
|
||
mail waiting.
|
||
|
||
Next, we want to run the National Mail hour. Remember, we don't
|
||
want to send or route any of 1000/1 or 1000/2 mail, as they are
|
||
dealt with later. Here's the sample route file:
|
||
|
||
Schedule A ; (route.a) natl mail hour
|
||
NO-ROUTE 1000/1 1000/2
|
||
HOLD 1000/1 1000/2
|
||
SEND-TO ALL
|
||
GIVE-TO ALL
|
||
|
||
- the NO-ROUTE makes sure that the mail for 1000/1 and 1000/2
|
||
stays at your node.
|
||
|
||
- the HOLD keeps your node from calling these nodes directly.
|
||
|
||
- the SEND-TO calls the nodes you have not routed mail for, and
|
||
that you have mail at your location for.
|
||
|
||
- the GIVE-TO gives the mail to any incoming calls that have any
|
||
mail waiting.
|
||
|
||
You could also add a PICKUP ALL in the route so when you call a
|
||
node to drop off mail, you can pick up any mail for you that he
|
||
may have waiting.
|
||
|
||
Confused YET ? If not, I'll try harder.
|
||
|
||
Now, we're going to hold some mail for 1000/2. Here's where most
|
||
nodes get into trouble- the ability to actually give mail to an
|
||
incoming caller that has messages there.
|
||
|
||
Here's out holding route for 1000/2:
|
||
|
||
Schedule F ; (route.f) hold for 1000/2
|
||
HOLD ALL
|
||
SEND-TO ALL
|
||
GIVE-TO ALL
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 31 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
- the HOLD keeps your system from calling out.
|
||
|
||
- the SEND-TO releases packets to an incoming caller that has
|
||
mail waiting.
|
||
|
||
- the GIVE-TO actually gives the packet to the caller.
|
||
|
||
Ahhhhh, finished. Just remember this important rule:
|
||
|
||
* you MUST BE IN A MAIL EVENT TO GIVE MAIL TO A POLLING NODE, no
|
||
matter what type of system you run. *
|
||
|
||
Next week. we'll take a look at the schedule configurations, and
|
||
if you run SEAdog, how to put up a true 24 hour mail system with
|
||
your BBS.
|
||
|
||
Don't forget to call in and request our latest utility - MSGDB.
|
||
It can be requested by filename MSGDB.ARC . The arc file also
|
||
contains FIXDATE - a simple utility that corrects those off the
|
||
wall dates we see in the echo areas.
|
||
|
||
That's all for now. If you have any broadcasters calling into
|
||
your BBS, you may want to join one of our Broadcast Echos. Just
|
||
Net_Mail me at 100/517...
|
||
And that's the way it was...
|
||
from the Broadcast Booth,
|
||
Glen Jackson
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 32 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
-- The Regular Irregular Column --
|
||
Dale Lovell
|
||
157/504
|
||
|
||
Well, things have gone somewhat better this week. The new
|
||
system has been performing flawlessly, and I actually enjoy the
|
||
new keyboard. Things are looking up here, if things keep working
|
||
out I may even become a public access board again (right now I'm
|
||
a private node, so mail to me has to be routed). This has made it
|
||
necessary for me to look into a few new things, so I'm going to
|
||
start off by asking for your help.
|
||
|
||
-- What's a LAN? --
|
||
|
||
As you may recall, last week's problems were caused by a
|
||
keyboard failure and a lack of my old XT clone. In an effort to
|
||
prevent that from ever happening again, I bought a stripped down
|
||
clone at a hamfest this weekend (someone else had just upgraded
|
||
to an AT and wanted to get rid of their old machine). After I got
|
||
it home, I dug up some old cards and brought it up to 640K with a
|
||
20 meg hard disk. While this is primarily intended as a backup
|
||
machine, I've been thinking about using it as a public bulletin
|
||
board. After I got everything hooked up and tested, an idea
|
||
occurred to me. Instead of having two separate machines; one for
|
||
me to work on, and another dedicated to a bulletin board; why not
|
||
attach the two with a local area network. This way I could go
|
||
over my mail, maintain the board, and not have to duplicate
|
||
message bases on two different machines. There's only one problem
|
||
with this, I don't know the first thing about LANs.
|
||
|
||
This isn't to say I don't approve of (or rather haven't
|
||
approved of) local area networks. It has always sounded like a
|
||
great way to do some things (like sharing an expensive printer).
|
||
I've just never been in an environment where it was practical. At
|
||
my current job, there's exactly one PC in the office and it sits
|
||
on my desk. It's a small office and no one else really knows how
|
||
to use a computer. I got the AT at the office because my boss
|
||
noticed how long it took the computer to recalculate some
|
||
spreadsheets and re-index a database. He asked me if there was a
|
||
way to speed it up, and the company ended up buying an AT for me
|
||
to work on. Most of what I've learned has come through actual
|
||
experience, and I've just never has a chance to install or work
|
||
on a LAN. Since I now have a situation where one might be useful,
|
||
I'm going to look into buying one. In this endeavor, I ask for
|
||
your help.
|
||
|
||
I currently have an AT clone running at 10 mhz with a 42 meg
|
||
MiniScribe hard disk (using SpeedStor to make it look like three
|
||
drives; a 21 meg drive for my work, a 10 meg drive for files, and
|
||
a 10 meg drive for messages with 1K clusters). The "new" XT clone
|
||
is running at 4.77 mhz and has a 20 meg Seagate ST225 with a
|
||
Western Digital controller. What I'd like to do is set up the XT
|
||
as a bulletin board, with all BBS programs, utilities, file
|
||
areas, and message bases residing on it's own hard drive. The AT
|
||
should ideally be able to read the message bases (through
|
||
SEAdog's user interface), and be able to do the bulletin board's
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 33 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
maintenance. If possible I would also like the AT to be able to
|
||
use the modem in the XT for dialing out (mainly to the Unix
|
||
machine I use occasionally) although it wouldn't be necessary.
|
||
Since I don't expect any LAN to fill these needs perfectly, I'd
|
||
appreciate hearing from your own experiences with ANY LAN. At the
|
||
end of the column there are several different adresses for me,
|
||
just make certain you specify which LAN you're using and what
|
||
software is being used to run it. I'll sum up the opinions and
|
||
advantages between the different networks sometime in the future.
|
||
|
||
-- The AT clone --
|
||
|
||
My first comment on the new AT clone is WOW! Unless you have
|
||
ever worked on an AT before, you would never believe the
|
||
difference in speed. As an example of this, my echomail
|
||
processing has dropped to an unbelievably short time. In spite of
|
||
my private status, I pass along echomail to 5 nodes in net 157. I
|
||
start processing the echomail at 6:30 every morning (NMH + 30
|
||
minutes). As soon as it's done, I send it out to the four nodes
|
||
that are running SEAdog. In the past, my system usually finished
|
||
up the echomail processing between 7:30 and 8:30 depending on the
|
||
amount of mail being sent out. Since I switched everything over
|
||
to the AT, the mail has gone out by 7:00 every day (at least it
|
||
starts calling out at 7:00). I'm using this as a comparison only
|
||
because it will hopefully mean something to most of the sysops in
|
||
FidoNet, at least I think it means more than a straight out
|
||
benchmark (Norton's SI of 9.8, just in case you like that
|
||
"benchmark").
|
||
|
||
-- Speedstor (Storage Dimensions, $99.95) --
|
||
|
||
The Miniscribe 6053 hard disk came with SpeedStor, which is
|
||
a partitioning "program." With any drive over 32 meg you run into
|
||
a problem, DOS won't recognize a larger hard drive (PC-DOS 3.3 is
|
||
supposed to "fix" this, but I've heard that it has problems with
|
||
non-IBM equipment). While it is possible to do strange things
|
||
with FDISK and your controller card to make these larger drives
|
||
act like several different hard drives (C,D,E,etc) it was never
|
||
that easy. Speedstor makes this task easy, while also allowing
|
||
you to use a "non-standard drive." In an AT, all the information
|
||
on the type of hard drive is stored in non-volatile memory. There
|
||
are at least 14 different types of hard drives that the AT knows
|
||
about (IBM started off with 14 and everyone supports at least
|
||
those same drive types) that can be used with no trouble.
|
||
Unfortunately the Miniscribe 6053 isn't usually one of them. In
|
||
the past this meant part of the hard disk was wasted, as the AT
|
||
didn't know how to address the extra cylinders or heads.
|
||
Speedstor gets around this by keeping it's own information on the
|
||
type of hard drive being used (I think in the non-volatile RAM,
|
||
but I'm not certain). When the system boots up, it loads the
|
||
Speedstor software (one line in the CONFIG.SYS) and your system
|
||
now knows about this non-standard drive.
|
||
|
||
In addition to letting use your drive to it's full capacity,
|
||
Speedstor let's you do some more unusual things. While I'm fairly
|
||
certain that it will let you get past the 32 meg limit of DOS, I
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 34 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
didn't try it. What it does do very easily is allow each hard
|
||
drive partition act like a separate drive. Right now I have one
|
||
physical hard disk in the AT. But DOS "knows" about drives C,D
|
||
and E; and I don't have any RAM disks installed. Using Speedstor
|
||
I made three partitions on the hard disk. The first partition is
|
||
using one half of the hard drive and is a bootable DOS partition.
|
||
The other two partitions each have one quarter of the hard drive
|
||
and are usable by DOS (although I may change this in the future
|
||
to support XENIX). The nice thing is that the third partition has
|
||
a 1K cluster size. Under DOS 3.x cluster sizes are normally 2048
|
||
bytes (2K), this means your two line batch file is going to use
|
||
2K of your hard disk. If you're running a DOS 2.x it get's even
|
||
worse as those versions of DOS use an 8K (8192 bytes) cluster
|
||
size. Under Speedstor I can move the cluster size down to 512
|
||
bytes, although when I tried that with a 10 meg partition it gave
|
||
me some warning about not enough space in the FAT table and
|
||
CHKDSK would have problems (I chickened out and moved it up to
|
||
the next choice). Fido and Opus sysops take note, you don't have
|
||
to lose insufferable amounts of disk space (due to slack) because
|
||
of your message bases. I "gained" over 1 meg of disk space by
|
||
putting my message bases on this partition with it's 1K clusters.
|
||
If I had felt like spending a little more time I may have played
|
||
around with the partition size and cluster size and gotten
|
||
something with no warnings and a 512 byte cluster size, although
|
||
I don't think the space savings would have been as great.
|
||
|
||
If you aren't doing anything unusual, like I did, it
|
||
installs very quickly. I initially ran Speedstor's semi-automated
|
||
installation and ended up with two 21 meg partitions. All I had
|
||
to do was tell it what type of drive I was using. On the menu it
|
||
had a choice called manufacturer. After I choose it, I was able
|
||
to pick the drive out of a list of the three current Miniscribe
|
||
drives. Since my copy is the "Miniscribe version" I'd assume that
|
||
the full version would include a fuller list of drives from
|
||
several manufacturers. Other than that, about all I had to enter
|
||
was the bad track table for the drive. Almost everything else was
|
||
completely automatic. Miniscribe is now including Speedstor with
|
||
all of their larger drives, and from what my dealer tells me
|
||
Seagate is doing something similar with a program called Disk
|
||
Manager by OnTrack (Although he says it is nowhere near as
|
||
powerful as Speedstor). It's nice to see the hard drive
|
||
manufacturers are interested in the end user, not just getting
|
||
their money. While including Speedstor or Disk Manager with the
|
||
drive may kick up the price a few dollars, I feel better getting
|
||
everything I need at once rather than getting the drive and
|
||
finding out a need something else to really use it.
|
||
|
||
-- SYSEDIT and SuperKey --
|
||
|
||
After I got all the data transferred over to the AT, it came
|
||
time to change all my SYSTEM*.BBS files. Because of the different
|
||
way I set up the new system, I needed to change a lot of message
|
||
and file paths. In the past everything was on the same logical
|
||
drive (as opposed to a physical drive, of which I have only one),
|
||
while now it was on two logical drives. This wasn't too bad as I
|
||
dug up a copy of Eric Ewanco's SYSEDIT. SYSEDIT let's you go in
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 35 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
and edit the system files from DOS. It has a nice full screen
|
||
display and is very easy to use. I started doing every change
|
||
manually but quickly decided there had to be an easier way to do
|
||
things (I have over 20 echomail conferences going through my
|
||
machine). Enter SuperKey from Borland (list price $69.95) a
|
||
keyboard macro program. I quickly installed SuperKey and taught
|
||
it what needed to be done on all the message bases. I had to put
|
||
in what Borland refers to as a keyboard delay because SYSEDIT
|
||
didn't use the keyboard buffers, but that was the only
|
||
difficulty. In under five minutes I had all my system files
|
||
changed and was ready to go, or so I thought. I tried running
|
||
some of the echomail programs, but it couldn't find some needed
|
||
directories. After puzzling over this and checking the system
|
||
files I finally realized what I had forgotten. I had changed all
|
||
the system files, but had forgotten about SEAdog's CONFIG.DOG,
|
||
AREAS.DOG, and the Fido/Opus MAIL.SYS file. After correcting my
|
||
oversight it was finally changed over and everything has been
|
||
running fine since. SYSEDIT and SuperKey are both excellent
|
||
programs and helped make this switch over much easier than I had
|
||
anticipated. I've seen I program similar to SYSEDIT for OPUS
|
||
systems, but I haven't managed to find it in the Opus files
|
||
directory. Programs like SYSEDIT do a lot to make a sysop's life
|
||
easier, I'd encourage you to dig up a program like this (SYSEDIT
|
||
in particular for Fido sysops) if you are currently running a
|
||
bulletin board.
|
||
|
||
-- Winding down... --
|
||
|
||
Since I became interested in local area networks this past
|
||
week, the book I'm going to recommend is going to reflect my
|
||
current concerns. "Networking IBM PCs, A Practical Guide" by
|
||
Michael Durr (QUE books, $18.95) has provided me with a lot of
|
||
information on how a LAN works. While the copy I got ($10 at the
|
||
hamfest I attended) is somewhat out of date, many of the specific
|
||
LANs mentioned are still with us. It provides a description on
|
||
several different LANs (probably most of the one's available in
|
||
1984, the year it was written) and goes over the features
|
||
available under the network software. It covers many topics that
|
||
I have found to be of interest such as administration,
|
||
performance, maintenance and such. It has helped explain a lot of
|
||
what goes on in a LAN, and has helped me decide what I'll want
|
||
included in the LAN I buy (Such as a non-dedicated server). While
|
||
the book has raised many questions for me, it has gotten me to
|
||
start thinking about more than the brand name. I think I could
|
||
now shop intelligently for a LAN, and have a much better chance
|
||
of coming out with something that will do the job versus
|
||
something the salesman wanted to sell me. After all, isn't that
|
||
the whole idea behind learning a little about something before
|
||
you go out and buy it?
|
||
|
||
I once again welcome your comments, even ask for them if you
|
||
can help me out with information on LANs. Down below you'll find
|
||
several addresses for me. Some of you have asked about Compuserve
|
||
or The Source mailboxes or account numbers. Unfortunately I don't
|
||
maintain an account on any of these systems, only on the more
|
||
public access networks. Since I'm a private node in the nodelist,
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 36 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
all FidoNet mail to me should be routed through 157/1 or 157/0
|
||
(same board really). If you send me anything through US mail,
|
||
please make sure I have some sort of return address (are you
|
||
hearing this "Ender Wiggin?") in order to send you a reply. Next
|
||
week I should be looking at a game, so all you fellow gaming
|
||
people who have sent me mail be patient. I haven't forgotten you.
|
||
|
||
-- Late Breaking News --
|
||
|
||
Couple of quickies here that "came in" just as I was
|
||
finishing this column. First, the latest version of the echomail
|
||
conference list is now available from Thomas Kenny at 107/316.
|
||
You can file request under the name "ECHOLIST.ARC." Also, Hewlett
|
||
Packard Laser Jet printer owners will be pleased to hear that
|
||
Hewlett Packard hopes to have a PostScript update for all of
|
||
their laser printers available by the end of the year. I'm a
|
||
strong supporter of PostScript, even if IBM has endorsed it
|
||
(Whadda mean Thom? I thought everybody who wrote on the computer
|
||
scene was supposed ta hate IBM. You mean I can actually support
|
||
an IBM decision? S'Allright....)
|
||
|
||
|
||
Dale Lovell
|
||
3266 Vezber Drive
|
||
Seven Hills, OH 44131
|
||
|
||
FidoNet: 157/504 (or 1:157/504.1 for an extended address)
|
||
uucp:
|
||
decvax\
|
||
>!cwruecmp!hal\
|
||
cbosgd/ >!ncoast!lovell
|
||
/--!necntc/
|
||
ames---\ /
|
||
talcott \/
|
||
harvard /
|
||
sri-nic/
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 37 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
WANTED
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
INFORMATION FEEDS WANTED
|
||
|
||
I am currently involved in a project in which I have a need for
|
||
"information providers" who are willing to do the following.
|
||
|
||
1) Write to their State Lottery Commission and request a complete
|
||
history of all numbers drawn for each of the game(s) played in
|
||
that state.
|
||
|
||
2) Send a daily "crash mail" message containing a listing of the
|
||
game(s) played that day, and the number(s) drawn for those
|
||
games AS SOON AFTER THE DRAWING AS POSSIBLE!
|
||
|
||
At this time I am willing to pay $10 to the first person in each
|
||
of the following states who sends me the "history" listed in (1)
|
||
above. (Please send a "crashmail" message before you send the
|
||
data to insure that you are indeed the first.)
|
||
|
||
ARIZONA, CALIFORNIA, CONNECTICUT, DELAWARE, D.C., ILLINOIS,
|
||
IOWA, MARYLAND, MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, MISSOURI, NEW
|
||
JERSEY, NEW YORK, "N.NEW ENGLAND," OHIO, OREGON, RHODE
|
||
ISLAND, WASHINGTON & WEST VIRGINIA
|
||
|
||
As for (2) I am unable to promise any payment at this time,
|
||
however, if the concept is sold it may mean payment for this
|
||
information in the near future!
|
||
|
||
Please direct all inquiries to me, John Penberthy at 129/200,
|
||
129/28, or voice 412-364-3951.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 38 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
NOTICES
|
||
=================================================================
|
||
|
||
The Interrupt Stack
|
||
|
||
|
||
1 Aug 1987
|
||
Third Annual BBS Picnic in Edison, NJ. Please register before
|
||
July 10th. Admission is $7 for adults, $4 for 12 and under,
|
||
free for 5 and under. Contact John Kelley at 107/331 for
|
||
details.
|
||
|
||
20 Aug 1987
|
||
Start of the Fourth International FidoNet Conference, to be
|
||
held at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel in Alexandria, VA.
|
||
Contact Brian Hughes at 109/634 for more information. This is
|
||
FidoNet's big annual get-together, and is your chance to meet
|
||
all the people you've been talking with all this time. We're
|
||
hoping to see you there!
|
||
|
||
24 Aug 1989
|
||
Voyager 2 passes Neptune.
|
||
|
||
|
||
If you have something which you would like to see on this
|
||
calendar, please send a message to FidoNet node 1:1/1.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
Latest Software Versions
|
||
|
||
BBS Systems Node List Other
|
||
& Mailers Version Utilities Version Utilities Version
|
||
|
||
Dutchie 2.51 EDITNL 3.3 ARC 5.21
|
||
Fido 11w LISTGEN 05.25.86 ARCmail 0.60
|
||
Opus 0.00 Prune 1.40 EchoMail 1.31
|
||
SEAdog 4.00 TestList 8.3 FastEcho 2.00
|
||
TBBS 2.0M XlatList 2.81 Renum 3.30
|
||
|
||
* Recently changed
|
||
|
||
Utility authors: Please help keep this list as current as
|
||
possible by reporting new versions to 1:1/1. It is not our
|
||
intent to list all utilities here, only those which verge on
|
||
necessity.
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 39 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
OFFICIAL REGISTRATION FORM
|
||
FOURTH INTERNATIONAL FIDONET CONFERENCE
|
||
RADISSON MARK PLAZA HOTEL
|
||
ALEXANDRIA, VA.
|
||
AUGUST 20 - 23, 1987
|
||
|
||
Name _________________________________ Date _____________
|
||
Address ______________________________
|
||
City & State _________________________
|
||
Phone (Voice) ________________________
|
||
Net/Node Number ______________________
|
||
Phone (Data) _________________________
|
||
|
||
Number in Your Party _________________
|
||
Staying at the Radisson? _____________
|
||
Number of Rooms? _____________________
|
||
Arrival Date? ________________________
|
||
Departure Date? ______________________
|
||
|
||
Registration Fees: How Many Total
|
||
|
||
Full Conference $60.00 each ________ $________
|
||
Late registration $10.00 each ________ $________
|
||
(after Aug. 1)
|
||
|
||
Friday Night Banquet $30.00 each ________ $________
|
||
Saturday Luncheon $16.50 each ________ $________
|
||
|
||
Total Amount Included (Registration and Meals) $________
|
||
|
||
IFNA MEMBERS ONLY:
|
||
How many in your party will
|
||
be attending the Sunday morning
|
||
Board of Directors meeting? ________
|
||
|
||
Send your registration form and a check or money order to:
|
||
|
||
Fourth International FidoNet Conference
|
||
212 E. Capitol St., Washington, D.C. 20003
|
||
Attn: Brian H. Hughes -- voice: (202) 543-4200
|
||
|
||
This registration form does not include hotel accomodations. If
|
||
you wish to stay at the Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel, please contact
|
||
them directly and mention you are with the FidoNet Conference.
|
||
Conference room rates are $80/night for single or double
|
||
occupancy, and $20/night for an extra cot.
|
||
|
||
Radisson Mark Plaza Hotel
|
||
5000 Seminary Rd., Alexandria, Va. 22311
|
||
1-800-228-9822
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 40 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Bob Morris 141/333
|
||
Chairman, Elections and Nominations Committee
|
||
|
||
The next two pages are your Official ballot for the Election of
|
||
the IFNA Board of Directors. The following are the few rules
|
||
which must prevail in this election:
|
||
|
||
1. You must send a legible copy of this ballot to the address
|
||
listed on the ballot. It must be signed and bear your
|
||
net/node number.
|
||
|
||
2. You may vote for any one person in your region for the
|
||
position of Regional Director. This vote is to be cast in the
|
||
LEFT column of the ballot.
|
||
|
||
3. You may vote for any eleven people in any regions for the
|
||
position of Director at Large. These votes are to be cast in
|
||
the RIGHT column of the ballot.
|
||
|
||
4. Voting will continue until the end of registration at the
|
||
Conference in August. The results will be read during the
|
||
opening of the business meeting on the first day of the
|
||
conference.
|
||
|
||
5. Write-in Votes will be accepted and are requested during this
|
||
election.
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 41 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
IFNA Board Of Directors
|
||
Ballot
|
||
|
||
Regional At Large
|
||
Region 10:
|
||
Steve Jordan _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 11:
|
||
Ryugen Fisher _________ ________
|
||
Theodore Polczynski _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 12:
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 13:
|
||
Don Daniels _________ ________
|
||
John Penberthy _________ ________
|
||
Thom Henderson _________ ________
|
||
Gee Wong _________ ________
|
||
Brian Hughes _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 14:
|
||
Ben Baker _________ ________
|
||
Ken Kaplan _________ ________
|
||
Brad Hicks _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 15:
|
||
David Dodell _________ ________
|
||
Larry Wall _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 16:
|
||
Bob Hartman _________ ________
|
||
Hal Duprie _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 17:
|
||
Rob Barker _________ ________
|
||
Bob Swift _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 18:
|
||
Wes Cowley _________ ________
|
||
FidoNews 4-26 Page 42 13 Jul 1987
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 19:
|
||
Mark Grennan _________ ________
|
||
Wynn Wagner _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Region 2:
|
||
Henk Wevers _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Write-in candidates:
|
||
___________________ _________ ________
|
||
___________________ _________ ________
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
|
||
Name ______________________________ Net/Node ___________
|
||
|
||
Signature______________________________ Date ___________
|
||
|
||
|
||
Please complete this and mail it to:
|
||
|
||
Robert Morris
|
||
IFNA Elections Committee
|
||
210 Church Street
|
||
West Haven, Ct. 06516
|
||
|
||
or bring it with you when you come to the conference in August.
|
||
|
||
|
||
These ballots will be counted by myself since with 200 members
|
||
the charges for a CPA would be very high. Hard copies will be
|
||
made available to anyone wishing to insure that their vote was
|
||
included.
|
||
|
||
Thank You
|
||
|
||
Bob Morris
|
||
Elections and Nominations Committee
|
||
|
||
-----------------------------------------------------------------
|
||
|
||
|