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Volume 3, Number 16 21 April 1986
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
| _ |
| / \ |
| - FidoNews - /|oo \ |
| (_| /_) |
| Fido and FidoNet _`@/_ \ _ |
| Users Group | | \ \\ |
| Newsletter | (*) | \ )) |
| ______ |__U__| / \// |
| / FIDO \ _//|| _\ / |
| (C) Copyright 1986 by IFNA (________) (_/(_|(____/ |
| (jm) |
+---------------------------------------------------------------+
Editor in Chief: Thom Henderson
Chief Procrastinator Emeritus: Tom Jennings
FidoNews is the official newsletter of the International FidoNet
Association, and is published weekly by SEAdog Leader, node 1/1.
You are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
FidoNews. Article submission standards are contained in the file
FNEWSART.DOC, available from node 1/1.
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them.
Everything here is subject to debate.
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL
Spaghetti Coding
2. ARTICLES
Information needed on Fidonet compatible clones
Automated File Relays
Fido lives on a Zenith Z-100
3. COLUMNS
Notes from Abroad
The World of Computing: Copy protection and book reviews
PC Week reviews ARC
4. WANTED
Texarkana Regional Coordinator
5. FOR SALE
Entertainment Software for your PC!
Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
Special Offer to FidoNet Sysops
6. NOTICES
The Interrupt Stack
FidoNet does NOT observe Daylight Savings Time
Fidonews Page 2 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
EDITORIAL
=================================================================
Jim Butterfield
Spaghetti Coding
I recently received a letter from Syd Bolton, who was
most enthusiastic about "free-form" programming. You know the
sort of thing -- the first step is to turn the computer on. The
next is to write a dozen lines or so; after that, decide what you
want to do. Under no circumstances is any planning to take place
before switching on, and work with pencil and paper is
unthinkable.
I'm overstating the case, of course. The point is -- and
several writers have pointed this out lyrically -- it's great fun
to horse around with code and see how (or if) you can get things
to come out. I've even been quoted myself as saying that one of
the marks of a virtuoso programmer is the ability to convince
people that the program you ended up with was really what you
intended to do in the first place, more or less. To put it
poetically, it's a heck of a hacker who can hook the hawks of
hoke code for hicks.
Fooling around can be a lot of fun, whether you do it in
school, at the beach, or while programming. If your object is to
have a good time, go ahead, with my blessing. If your object is
to have a good program, well...
It's a lot of fun to eat a good meal: it's not so much
fun to plan and prepare it beforehand, or to wash the dishes
afterward. I suspect it's the same thing with programs. It's
more fun to dive in and chop at the code: it's much less fun to
plan before and document afterward. When I look at some
programs, I sometimes wish that the programmer had worn a bib
when writing it. I can see the litter of leftover and patched-up
code in there.
If you are writing a one-shot program for your own use,
go to it. If it slugs away for two minutes and then reports
?SYNTAX ERROR IN LINE 5870, chop in a repair and run it again.
And if the repair doesn't work, try another chop. If THAT
doesn't work, sit down and think. Sound familiar? That's what
you get when you hack at a program, and it can be lots of fun.
But be aware that free flight coding does have its
problems. Such as: (i) you drag the program out six weeks later
and can't read it yourself; (ii) you make a small change and the
whole thing collapses for no apparent reason; (iii) you give away
or sell copies, and people phone you telling you things that
don't work properly; (iv) your program wins a prize in "worst
code of the year"; (v) somebody sends you a "cleaned up" rewrite
of your program that uses one-third of the lines; (vi) you wrote
it for ten provinces, and it turns out that it cannot be
converted to fifty states without a total rewrite.
Fidonews Page 3 21 Apr 1986
It's okay to write green slime coding. But keep in mind
the following thoughts. If you want to publish or sell it,
you'll also want to do massive cleaning up. Also, well-shaped
coding gives you a good feeling; you feel proud of not just the
program, but also the coding it contains. Moreover, if you get
into trouble, you can scrap the old program and start over. When
you rewrite it you may have nothing written down, but you'll have
a plan: the organization of the program as you perceived it on
the previous write.
If you write "natcheral" code and enjoy it, and if your
programs work, good for you! It's hard to knock a working
program. But there's another factor: pride of workmanship.
Sometimes you just feel good about a program that you have
written. You may not know why, but you'd like to show the coding
to others because the parts fit together so neatly. When this
happens, it's usually a question of style. Often, you've solved
a specific program in a general way. For example, you might have
calculated the average value of five numbers, but you've done it
in such a way that a minor change would perform the same
calculation for a hundred values. You've gone from the specific
task to a general solution, and that makes you a more powerful
programmer.
You might have heard a lot of talk about "structured",
"goto-less", or "top-down" programming. These are essentially
concerned with planning, rather than programming as such
(although it's easy to be misled by the mechanics). Their
general objective is to encourage you (or shove you) into
creating a program that flows in an orderly way, rather than
hopping around. A program should be something like a railway
line, with main line, spurs, and sidings clearly identified; it
shouldn't be like a city map with no clear path from one point to
another. I see programs in which the programmer seems to have
arrived in a maze of twisting little passages, all the same.
You might think that you write only one line at a time,
but it's not so. If you write FOR J=1 TO 10 in a program, you're
engaged in planning ahead. You plan to repeat the next new
statement ten times, and you've committed yourself to eventually
writing a NEXT J. There's no such thing as truly barefoot
programming -- your mind is always thinking a few lines ahead,
and you're always planning. The real danger is to write IF X>10
GOTO 575 hoping that when you get to 575 you will have figured
out what to do when X is greater than 10.
But whether or not you admit to planning, whether or not
you do more of it or less of it, do continue to have fun with
your programming. And if you can break the rules and still come
up with a neat program that works well, more power to you.
Copyright (c) 1985 Jim Butterfield. Permission to reprint is
hereby granted, provided this notice is included in the reprinted
material.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 4 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
ARTICLES
=================================================================
Bill Allbritten, 11/301
Information needed on Fidonet compatible clones
As a not too technically sophisticated user, I find that
documentation is a necessity to get anything done. It was good
to see Tom Jennings call for an udpdate on Fidonet protocols.
One other area that, if it has not already been updated, that
could stand some attention is compatibility between Fido and the
proliferation of clones, PC,XT, and AT, that have hit the market.
Ditto for all of the so-called Hayes compatible modem clones out
there. If you live in the boonies and do most of your purchasing
mail order, you need to hit things right the first time or suffer
a lot of inconvenience if not expense. Therefore, I would like
to update the documenation on compatible computers and modems.
If you are running FIDO on a machine NOT listed in the original
documentation and/or using a modem NOT described in the original
FIDO documentation, would you send the following information to
me at 11/301? I will then compile the list and send in to this
journal. Please set up your information as follows so I can read
it into my database. A carriage return and line feed should
appear between fields. I think this will help a lot of us
looking at the very inexpensive machines now on the market.
Specific machines being sought are the generic clones, the AT
clones, and any exotics such as the Apricot that folks have had
some luck with.
For computers, please send the following: (no commas in fields,
please)
BRAND NAME
DEALER NAME
DEALER ADDRESS (City State ZIP)
DEALER PHONE
RAM currently installed
ACCESSORY BOARDS (up to 65 characters)
ACCESSORY BOARDS (up to 65 characters)
TYPE of VIDEO card
MULTITASKING SOFTWARE (if appropriate)
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS (each comment line up to 65 characters
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE (data or voice, please indicate--Last three items are
optional)
For modems, please send the following: (no commas in fields,
Fidonews Page 5 21 Apr 1986
please)
BRAND NAME
DEALER NAME
DEALER ADDRESS (City State Zip)
PROTOCOLS SUPPORTED
MODEM MASK SWITCH SETTING (16, 32, 64, 128, etc)
OTHER SWITCH SETTINGS ( 1U 2D; 1ON 2OFF as appropriate)
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS
COMMENTS (each comment line up to 65 characters)
YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
YOUR PHONE (date or voice-please indicate--Last three items
optional)
You do not need to respond to all fields. Just enter a blank
line for any field not use. Thanks.
I look forward to hearing from you on 11/301. I will collect
this material until MAY 1, 1986, and then send it in. It will be
available sooner on my board in file area 4 as COMPAT.TXT.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 6 21 Apr 1986
Thom Henderson, 107/8
System Enhancement Associates
Automated File Relays
A common problem faced by FidoNet sysops is how to reliably
automate the relaying of files, particularly the node list and
newsletter. Our Robot program has assisted greatly in this task,
but problems sometime arise when file mailings are delayed.
In a typical case, a sysop will expect to receive the node list
on, say, Sunday morning, and will pass it on by placing entries
in the Robot control file like so:
Sun input\nodelist.a* 107/4
Sun input\nodelist.a* 107/5
Sun input\nodelist.a* 107/6
This works, but has a drawback. If the node list isn't received
when expected, then the relay messages are still sent. A
somewhat better approach makes use of the EXIST keyword, like so:
Sun exist input\nodelist.a* 107/4
Sun exist input\nodelist.a* 107/5
Sun exist input\nodelist.a* 107/6
This is a bit better because the relay messages won't be sent
unless there is a node list to be relayed. In most cases this
will work properly. But consider the case where the node list is
delayed a day, for whatever reason. Robot won't create the
messages because the node list wasn't there on Sunday.
A more reliable method involves two directories, and makes use of
Robot's "demand mode". Assuming two directories called INPUT and
OUTPUT, an external event can be set to run immediately after the
national mail hour, like so:
:relay
if not exist input\nodelist.a* goto nolist
del output\nodelist.a*
copy input\nodelist.a* output
del input\nodelist.a*
robot list
:nolist
if not exist input\fnews*.arc goto nonews
del output\fnews*.arc
copy input\fnews*.arc output
del input\fnews*.arc
robot news
:nonews
Fidonews Page 7 21 Apr 1986
The Robot control file to go with this would look something like
this:
list: output\nodelist.a* 107/3
list: output\nodelist.a* 107/4
list: output\nodelist.a* 107/5
news: output\fnews*.arc 107/3
news: output\fnews*.arc 107/4
news: output\fnews*.arc 107/5
The advantage to this approach is that the file relay messages
are triggered by the receipt of the file to be relayed. The
outgoing messages will be sent ONLY when a new file is received,
regardless of when that happens. If a node list is delayed a
day, or two, or four, it will still be properly sent.
Special note: In DOS 2.0 and 2.1 and IF EXIST cannot take a path.
If you do not have DOS 3.0 or 3.1, then it will be necessary to
change directories to test for the presence or absence of a file.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 8 21 Apr 1986
Joseph E Rock, Jr; 128/15
Z-Fido. Z-Fido? Z-Fido!
From what I have seen, most of the Fido BBS's are hosted on IBM
PCs or clones. I was not much of a BBS person until very
recently. When I went to the local Heath Users Group (HUG)
meeting the sysop of the local Fido Host (Richard Evers) was
there. During the discussion, he brought up the idea of getting
Fido to run on a Z-100. He said that the necessary software (an
interrupt handler) was not available for the Z-100. I thought:
"that can't be very difficult to write." And promptly volunteered
to produce the driver on my Z at home. Well, the warning that Tom
Jennings gives in the Generic.doc and Generic.asm files is true -
writing the driver is not a piece of cake. However, I did manage
to write and debug the software within one week. Now, my Z is
running as a FidoNode (128/15) except the times when I need to
use it for other things (like writing articles or trying to chase
the bugs out of programs).
Writing the interrupt handler was a very interesting experience.
The first attempt was written in C. This is a "great" idea and
almost (as in not quite) worked. The bugs that it had are those
frustrating type. You load the driver, run your test program and
if you run the test program once or twice it appears to be all
right. But run it three or four times and look out - I would get
the "WILD INTERRUPT" message scrolling all over the screen.
After spending three fourths of an entire weekend working on the
C version of the handler I decided that it was time to learn how
to use assembler (I had some experience, but not more than
changing 10 lines in an already working routine). From the first
attempt, I had a good feel for what the driver had to do to get
the job done. The second attempt was then underway. I wrote the
driver, assembled it, corrected all the dumb mistakes, and then
debugged it. The debugging process used simple test programs that
called the handler for one function at a time and a borrowed DEC
VT-100 terminal (it's real difficult to see what characters are
sent by watching the modem lights). Anyway, I got it working and
had Richard Evers call in to test the handler when Fido was
running. It worked!!!
I was feeling real good when Richard asks "What about the 0 or
Outside command?" We tried it and no, it didn't work. So, back to
the editor I went and within two hours I had the problem solved
and when we tested it and everything worked fine it "made my
day." I did run into a few minor problems after the initial
success, but they were all easily corrected (like using the right
/J switch for Fido).
So now all you Z-100 owners need not despair - you too can run
Fido. The interrupt handler and documentation can be retrieved
from the Colorado Springs HUG board (128/11). All you need then
is Fido_gen and all the necessary support files and
documentation. Good luck and long live Z-Fido!!!
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 9 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
COLUMNS
=================================================================
Notes from Abroad
The Continuing Modem Saga
As I'm sure you all know we have a modem crisis in Europe. Here
are my latest contributions to the saga.
After hearing reports that the Dataflex modem was finally working
with Fido, I decided I would try it out for myself. I had a very
early version of this modem, and had been testing it six months
ago, but no joy. Then I heard that Helge Vindenes (4703) had
been so exited by the Dataflex modem that he had jumped on a
plane and flew over to London just to pick one up!
I went to see Dataflex and they seemed very keen to help out. I
spoke at length to Bob Manekshaw, the guy who wrote the ROM
software for the modem, and he demonstrated the modem calling
Jersey_Fido (formerly Hughs_Fido 4406). The Dataflex supports
300 and 1200/75 and as far as I can tell it is fully Hayes
compatible. It's an internal (card) modem, but there is a boxed
version coming shortly.
We called Jersey_Fido at 1200/75 and 300 baud but the 12/75 link
was a bit shaky. We got through a couple of times at 1200/75 but
other times we weren't so lucky. As I said Dataflex seemed keen
to help and in fact are going to run a Fido of their own shortly
(4412).
After spending the whole day at Dataflex I went home and set up
the Dataflex modem on the Compulink Board. I had a few problems
but it was my fault. I had another Dataflex multi-function card
in my machine which had two COM ports attached. When I fitted
the modem card it clashed with the existing COM ports. The modem
can be set up as either a modem on startup, or a COM port (a
standard 25 way D type is provided). After realizing my mistake
with the clashing COM ports I set the modem to COM2, and as a
modem on startup and plugged it in.
The modem needs a full length slot and took a little fiddling to
get it in straight. The telephone lead (British Telecom modular)
is at the top of the mounting plate, and there is a volume knob
at the bottom. Between these two is the 25 way "D" type
connector when the board is used as a COM port.
Once fitted in my Compaq I booted up and ran the QMODEM comm
program to do some testing. The modem is actually supplied with
PC-TALK but I prefer QMODEM. I had a preliminary version of the
manual which had known mistakes. None the less the manual proved
very informative and gave good coverage to the "AT" command set.
The manual also contains the complete PC-TALK manual.
So far so good! Now came the big test, I had spoken earlier with
Hugh Ashborn (Jersey_Fido) and he suggested I use his FIDOMDM.BBS
Fidonews Page 10 21 Apr 1986
string. I did this and sure enough it worked fine.
The first few callers came in at 300 which worked OK, and then I
got a call from Bob Manekshaw to test the modem at 1200/75. This
worked also much to my relief and I happily left the modem
running all night. I set the volume pot to full (very loud!) and
let it get on with it. The first few calls were OK but then
things went a little strange. I could hear the modem auto-baud
rate selecting but the tones seemed to be shorter in length that
before. I sat watching and listening for the next few minutes
and the same thing happened time after time. Of course I
couldn't tell what baud rate the caller was using as he didn't
actually get in, but I suspect it was 1200/75.
I then got a call from Martin Read (LaserMail 4410) and we
decided to test the modem at 1200/75. We had various problems at
1200/75 ranging from no connection to problems I can best
describe as "strange". The modem seemed fairly reliable at
detecting an incoming call at 1200/75 but it did not always
trigger Fido at the correct baud rate. I could hear that the
tones were 1200/75 but Fido had connected at 300 baud.
Occasionally Fido did connect at 1200 and things went smoothly.
More often than not though callers at 1200/75 were connected at
300 baud.
This is an improvement over my other modems that refused point
blank to even work at 1200/75 with the Compaq. From the callers
point of view a connection even at 300 baud when he is using
1200/75 is better than failing to connect.
I'm sure that all the modem manufacturers are extremely upset at
IBM's lack of support for split baud rates as it has caused them
(and us) a lot of unnecessary aggravation. I think Dataflex
should be congratulated an making their modem operate as well as
it does at 1200/75. It is a full-fledged computer in its own
right. Unfortunately, in the fickle world of computing nothing
but the best is good enough, and even then it's probably too
expensive. I see the Dataflex IDM modem as one of the best so
far, and I'm going to stick with it. Sure it has a few problems
but it performs pretty well even though.
From the sysops point of view the fact that it doesn't work at
1200/75 properly is an aggravation. You can of course disable
the auto-baud rate selection (as I have done for the time being)
and just let it work at 300. I have had it on line for about a
week and apart from the problems I had when I was testing at
1200/75 it has connected and worked very well for about 95% off
the time.
From the non-sysop's point of view it works (almost) perfectly.
Most people will be using it to originate calls, which it does
very well. I think I have struck up a good relationship with
Dataflex and with their cooperation (and ours through feedback) I
think we all could be onto a winner.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 11 21 Apr 1986
THE WORLD OF COMPUTING
written by Reuven M. Lerner
FidoMail 107/33
Hello, and welcome to The World of Computing #4! This week
will be devoted to a new copy-protection scheme as well as
reviews of two books that I read recently.
About mail: I love to get mail about what I'm writing, be it
positive or negative. Unless I'm absolutely overwhelmed by
FidoMail, which hasn't happened yet, I promise to reply within
two days of my reading it.
Copy Protection....sometimes
What is one of the most interesting new forms of copy-
protection has been introduced by MECA, whose best-selling
program "Managing Your Money" has received good reviews by most
magazines. I read about "Russian Roulette Pirating" in Personal
Computing magazine, and was intrigued by the problems that it
causes while solving old ones.
To understand their form of protection, let me review one of
the similar types of copy-protection, the key-disk technique.
The idea is that you can make as many copies as you want of a
product, but you must show the original disk when you start up
the program. Many software companies have started using this
system recently, mostly on the IBM and Macintosh computers.
The idea is that it allows you to make copies, and thus
prevent trashing the original disk, without actually letting you
roam free handing copies out to your friends (which,
unfortunately, some people do when there is no protection at
all). It does its job well, but there is still the problem of
what happens when you spill coffee on the original disk and have
to wait two weeks for a new copy.
The new MECA system is similar to the key-disk, except that
it doesn't ask you for the key disk every time. Every few uses,
from 1 to 300, the computer asks you to insert the key disk.
That allows for copies to be functional, and the originals to be
safe most of the time.
If you don't have the key disk, you can either run out to
your friend who copied it for you, or buy a new copy of the
program for $200 from MECA, no questions asked (they must be
pretty confident that this is going to work if they won't ask a
single question about why the person needs a new key disk).
Of course, random key-disk protection is much less
objectionable that regular key-disk protection, and it shows
remarkable caring on the part of the company for what the
consumer wants. The only problem is that it still doesn't allow
Fidonews Page 12 21 Apr 1986
the person to make fully functional backups, something which
keeps me from wholeheartedly recommending the system.
As I said before, it means that the companies are trying to
make the consumers happy, and are willing to lose a few customers
in order to do so. MECA is a company to be emulated, especially
by the companies that put out those terrible worm-code programs
that destroy disks physically.
One such worm program was written up in a recent InfoWorld,
and it's such an example that I'll share it with you here.
A company executive recently bought a package for his company
that used the Hard Disk Prolok scheme, one which physically
damages disks if copies are made, but allows you to make copies
onto hard disks. Unfortunately, the company had several copies,
and their entire hard disk was wiped out because of the Prolok
protection.
That is not only terrible to hear about, but is downright
unethical as well. How can a company such as Vault, who makes
the Prolok program, eithically distribute programs that they know
might damage hard disks containing literally megabytes of crucial
data?
If I were handing out awards as some other columnists do,
Vault would get the Crumpled Diskette Award.
Whole Earth Software Catalog
I don't remember where I first read about the Whole Earth
Software Catalog. I do remember, though, that it didn't get such
great reviews. Well, despite all that's been said, I bought the
catalog for 1986, interestingly called the 2.0 edition.
First off, I don't know why they call it a software catalog.
It's primarily software, but they have hardware reviews, magazine
and book reviews, predictions for this year, and a lot of other
things that, in my mind, don't exactly fit into the "software"
category.
Stuart Brand, the Editor in Chief of the catalog, obviously
spent time on this book, but in my mind, not enough. The book
reads more like a long magazine than a real book, with short
reviews, lots of pictures, and slick magazine-type pages. Each
review is preceeded by a cute, but unnecessary quip about the
product.
The way that it is organized is one of the catalog's
redeeming factors. It has eleven main chapters, each devoted to
another kind of activity (e.g. writing, playing, programming,
learning), which makes it easy to look up products that you need.
There is an index for most major computers, as well as a full
index for those of us who like to browse through indexes and see
Fidonews Page 13 21 Apr 1986
what's in the book.
Can I recommend this book? Not unless you get it for much
less than the recommended $17.95. I can't see its value being
much more than $9 or so. Better luck next time, in 1987.
The Complete Handbook of Personal Computer Communications
This is the best book of its kind that I've ever seen,
anywhere! From plugging in your modem, to understanding bits and
baud, to error-checking protocols, to a two-page description of
Fido, Alfred Glossbrenner deserves to charge more than just
$14.95 for this masterpiece of a book.
In a huge book that details everything that you'd ever want
to know about telecommunicating, Mr. Glossbrenner has done a
fine job in his research and in his writing.
I saw the first edition of the book (the second edition has
been out only about four months), and used it constantly whenever
I didn't know what was happening. The second one corrects
mistakes that were in the first edition, gives more hints (called
"Online Tips"), and much more!
It's almost impossible to describe this book, but once you
get it, I think that you'll agree that it's the ultimate resource
material for people like you and me.
Next time
That's about it for this week. Next time, I'm going to talk
about educational programs that I've tested, and the future of
computers in schools. Until next week, happy computing!
(c)1986 Reuven M. Lerner. All Rights Reserved. Permission
is given to copy this column so long as it is for non-profit use.
If you wish to use it for other than non-profit use, write to the
author at 21 Old Westbury Road, Old Westbury, NY 11568, or at
FidoMail 107/33.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 14 21 Apr 1986
REPRINTED FROM PC Week, March 04, 1986
Copyright (C) 1986 Ziff Davis Publishing Company
License and permission to reprint per terms of contract number
PCW2-198 dated March 13, 1986 have been granted to Ken Kaplan,
Executive Director, International FidoNet Association.
File-Compression Program Lowers User's
Connect Costs While Increasing Disk Space
By Garry Ray
One of the problems with PC disk files is they never stop coming.
The more floppies you have, the more you need. The larger your
hard disk, the smaller it seems to get. And it probably goes
without saying that adding a modem to any PC system at least
doubles the monthly telephone bill.
ARC, a unique utility program from System Enhancement Associates,
of Wayne, N.J., solves many of these problems. Originally
released in early 1985, the program has quickly become a standard
on the PC bulletin-board circuit, replacing other popular "public
domain" programs such as Squeeze (SQ), Unsqueeze (USQ) and
Library Utility 86 (LU86).
The primary function of all these utilities is to compress and
link disparate files into a single, smaller whole. The immediate
and most significant benefit passes to those who regularly
transfer files from one PC to another via telephone lines. With
ARC, you can lop off excessive telephone-connection charges by
converting, for example, 300K bytes of text files into a single
file of less than 160K bytes.
The result? A simple 1,200-bit-per-second file transfer between
the East and West coasts would cost about $7 less than otherwise
(based on AT&T day-rate charges). Do that just a few times and
you've paid for the program. A few more and you're making money.
Connect charges aren't the only things you'll save with ARC.
Floppy- and hard-disk space can be vastly increased by storing
like files in archives. It's fairly evident that converting that
same 300K bytes of files into a 160K-byte archive file will pay
off in two ways_better disk organization and more optimal use of
the storage device.
Using ARC is about as simple as anything could be. The program is
invoked from the DOS command line by typing "ARC," with a series
of command-line switches and file specifications determining the
action the program will take.
When invoked without any commands, ARC will merely display a
copyright notice and a command summary, and then return the user
to DOS. The command summary is the only "on-line help" the
program displays, though it certainly is sufficient, given the
simplicity of ARC.
Fidonews Page 15 21 Apr 1986
The most important program commands are Add, Move and Extract.
Like the rest of the ARC commands, these are invoked by typing
the first letter of the command on the DOS command line,
immediately after the command "ARC."
A typical command sequence might be "ARC A TEXT *.TXT," which
means "add to an archive file called `TEXT.ARC' all the files on
the current subdirectory and drive with the file-name extension
`.TXT'." The Move command, specified on the command line with
the letter "M," would simply delete all the desired files from
the DOS directory after they had been added to the archive file.
While it's creating and adding to archive files, ARC performs a
number of additional tricks. Every file is individually examined
to determine its type and structure, at which point ARC selects
one of three built-in file-compression techniques. The
compression algorithms are extremely complex, but suffice it to
say that text files are usually reduced in size by 40 to 60
percent, and binary files by anywhere from 15 to 35 percent.
Files can be added to an archive with no compression at all
(using the "suppress" command), and later packed and squeezed by
invoking the "convert" command switch.
Finally, the Extract command (invoked with either "x" or "e" on
the command line) is the tool that allows users to remove files
from the archive. Using the above example, the entire contents of
an archived file can be extracted to original form by typing "ARC
X TEXT," in which case all files are "uncompressed" and placed in
the current subdirectory as individual files.
Users can also use standard DOS file-specification commands to
select individual or groups of files for extraction. For
instance, all 1-2-3 worksheet files could be extracted by the
command "ARC X LOTUS *.WKS".
In any case, the original archive file retains all its original
contents, though unneeded files can be subsequently deleted with
the ARC "delete" command.
If you've forgotten which archive file contains what, two ARC
commands allow you to get either short or long archive
directories. The short listing displays the file name, length,
original file creation date, and the uncompressed length of each
file.
Inherent Verbosity
The long listing (available through the "verbose" command), shows
more detailed information, such as each file's compressed size,
the compression technique used, the creation date and time, and
the Cyclical Redundancy Check (CRC) value for each file. The CRC
value is used by ARC to determine the integrity of the file
during compression and extraction, though a user command, "test,"
also uses the CRC value for the same purpose.
Fidonews Page 16 21 Apr 1986
In addition to all the primary archiving and compression
commands, ARC allows the archived file contents to be either
viewed, printed or even executed with the "run" and "print"
commands. Run does exactly that -- it runs the .COM, .EXE, .BAT
or .BAS file specified on the ARC command line.
This did not seem to us a highly useful command, since the
processing overhead required by ARC just didn't seem to be worth
the trouble. Instead, it seems easier just to "unarchive" the
appropriate file and run it in the normal manner. Additionally,
the "run" command does not accept command-line parameters for the
program being invoked.
Last but not least is ARC's "garble" command, which allows the
user to encrypt files as they are added to the archive. A user-
supplied password of any length can be used for encryption and
must be subsequently supplied for any other ARC operation
regarding the file(s).
Excellent Support
System Enhancement Associates' technical support for ARC is
outstanding. The program is regularly updated to incorporate new
features, or to repair bugs that may have entered into previous
versions. A $50 maintainance fee provides five annual update
disks.
Program documentation, license policies and revision histories
are included in a DOS text file distributed with the program in
ARC format. Those who purchase ARC directly from the developer
also receive a number of "free" utility programs and the source
code (in both C and 8086 assembler) for all programs.
In sum, ARC is a fairly sophisticated and eminently useful
product for which savvy users will find a number of applications.
The fact that it is distributed as a "shareware" program and that
reasonable site licenses are available makes this a good
candidate for at least a trial run.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 17 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
WANTED
=================================================================
HELP WANTED
REGION 19 TEXARKANA COORDINATOR
We are now looking for a Fido sysop to assume the position as
Region 19 Coordinator supporting the states of Oklahoma, Texas,
Arkansas, and Louisiana. This person will be responsible for all
of the duties of a Region Coordinator as described in the current
POLICY1.DOC. This sysop must have adequate time to devote to
supporting Region 19.
This Fido will be the first to receive the NODEDIFF.Ann,
FidoNews, etc. and will be expected to make them available to the
other Networks in Region 19. This Fido will be responsible for
taking applications for and encouraging the formation of new Nets
in Region 19. This Fido will be expected to resolve disputes in
Region 19 so she/he must be a good problem solver.
We would prefer someone with a 2400 baud modem, and that has been
up and running for no less than three months. We will accept
applicants from any node within the Region 19 area. Please do
NOT apply if you are already a Net coordinator.
Please submit your qualifications, including a paragraph on why
you think you would do a good job as the Region 19 Coordinator,
to Ken Kaplan at Fido 1/0.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 18 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
FOR SALE
=================================================================
ENTERTAINMENT SOFTWARE FOR YOUR PC!
SUPERDOTS! KALAH!
Professional quality games include PASCAL source! From the
author of KALAH Version 1.6, SuperDots, a variation of the
popular pencil/paper DOTS game, has MAGIC and HIDDEN DOT
options. KALAH 1.7 is an African strategy game requiring
skill to manipulate pegs around a playing board. Both games
use the ANSI Escape sequences provided with the ANSI.SYS
device driver for the IBM-PC, or built into the firmware on
the DEC Rainbow. Only $19.95 each or $39.95 for both
exciting games! Please specify version and disk format.
These games have been written in standard TURBO-PASCAL and
run on the IBM-PC, DEC Rainbow 100 (MSDOS and CPM), CPM/80,
CPM/86, and PDP-11. Other disk formats are available, but
minor customization may be required.
BSS Software
P.O. Box 3827
Cherry Hill, NJ 08034
For every order placed, a donation will be made to the Fido
coordinators! Also, if you have a previous version of KALAH
and send me a donation, a portion of that donation will also
be sent to the coordinators. When you place an order, BE
CERTAIN TO MENTION WHERE YOU SAW THE AD since it also
appears in PC Magazine and Digital Review.
Questions and comments can be sent to:
Brian Sietz at Fido 107/17
(609) 429-6630 300/1200/2400 baud
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 19 21 Apr 1986
Now available from Micro Consulting Associates!!
Public Domain collection - 300+ "ARC" archives - 10 megs of
software and other goodies, and that's "archived" size! When
unpacked, you get approximately 17 megabytes worth of all kinds
of software, from text editors to games to unprotection schemes
to communications programs, compilers, interpreters, etc...
This collection is the result of more than 10 months of intensive
downloads from just about 100 or more BBS's and other sources,
all of which have been examined, indexed and archived for your
convenience. Starting a Bulletin Board System? Want to add on
to your software base without spending thousands of dollars? This
is the answer!!!
To order the library, send $100 (personal or company check,
postal money order or company purchase order) to:
Micro Consulting Associates, Fido 103/511
Post Office Box 4296
200-1/2 E. Balboa Boulevard
Balboa, Ca. 92661-4296
Please allow 3 weeks for delivery of your order.
Note: No profit is made from the sale of the Public Domain
software in this collection. The price is applied entirely to
the cost of downloading the software over the phone lines,
running a BBS to receive file submissions, and inspecting,
cataloguing, archiving and maintaining the files. Obtaining this
software yourself through the use of a computer with a modem
using commercial phone access would cost you much more than what
we charge for the service...
Please specify what type of format you would like the disks to be
prepared on. The following choices are available:
IBM PC-DOS Backup utility
Zenith MS-DOS 2.11 Backup Utility
DSBackup
Fastback
Plain ol' files (add $50, though, it's a lot of
work and takes more diskettes...)
Add $30 if you want the library on 1.2 meg AT disks (more
expensive disks). There are no shipping or handling charges.
California residents add 6% tax.
For each sale, $10 will go to the FidoNet Administrators.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 20 21 Apr 1986
SEAdog Electronic Mail System
Special Offer for FidoNet Sysops
System Enhancement Associates, the makers of the popular ARC file
archive utility, are proud to announce the release of the SEAdog
electronic mail system.
SEAdog is a PC-based electronic mail system which is fully
FidoNet compatible. In addition to all the functionality of
FidoNet mail, SEAdog adds the following:
o User directory support, for automatic lookup of node numbers
o Return receipts
o Audit trails
o Message forwarding, with or without a retained copy
o Twenty four hour mail reception
o High priority mail for immediate delivery
o The ability to request files and updates of files from other
SEAdog systems.
o No route files needed!
o A full screen user interface that our beta test sites fell in
love with!
SEAdog is NOT a bulletin board system, but it can be used as a
"front end" for Fido (version 11q or later), allowing you to add
the full functionality of SEAdog to your existing system.
SEAdog normally sells for $100/node, but for a limited time only
we are offering SEAdog to registered FidoNet sysops for only $50!
Orders may be placed by sending a check or money order to:
System Enhancement Associates
21 New Street, Wayne NJ 07470
Or by calling (201) 473-5153 (VISA and MasterCard accepted).
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Fidonews Page 21 21 Apr 1986
=================================================================
NOTICES
=================================================================
The Interrupt Stack
27 Apr 1986
2 AM - Beginning if Daylight Savings Time; DO NOT change your
clock!
3 May 1986
FidoBaby's first birthday.
19 May 1986
Steve Lemke's next birthday.
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.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Daylight Savings Time
This coming Sunday, the 27th of April, most of the country goes
on Daylight Savings Time. FidoNet does NOT observe Daylight
Savings Time, so do NOT advance your system clock.
If you want to advance your system clock anyway, then you must
also advance all of your mail events.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
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