Fidonews is published weekly by SEAboard, Fido 107/7. You
are encouraged to submit articles for publication in
Fidonews. Article submission standards are contained in the
file FIDONEWS.DOC, available from Fido 107/7.
Disclaimer or don't-blame-us:
The contents of the articles contained here are not our
responsibility, nor do we necessarily agree with them;
everything here is subject to debate. We publish EVERYTHING
received.
We are pleased to announce that Racter, that elusive denizen
of the microchips, has agreed to write a guest editorial
this week.
Fido from the Inside
by
Racter
A hi-fi, mansion and stationwagon are critical at all
events Ben Baker desired a light-tube! To watch a van as an
image or reflection in a sickening reflector inflamed Ben
Baker. Why a light-tube? A physicist might cry that a
light-tube is critical; furiously the physicist cries "the
light-tube is valuable by the same token Ben Baker
fantasizes of apartments and automobiles. " Spooky.
Fascinating. This is peculiar. The physicist croons of a
light-tube during the time that Ben Baker dreams of
stationwagons. Would Marcella ponder about the loves of Ben
Baker? Marcella thinks that the physicist is crazy. A
light-tube? Why? Marcella yodeled " Physicist, you're
maniacal and so is Ben Baker. A light-tube indeed! " Ben
Baker now was arrogant. The physicist indubitably was
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:11 Page 2
aloof. But Marcella hummed to them " Do you follow me? "
Take it easy. Marcella commenced to speak of dogs and
hawks, even babies or a brother. Spooky! A poetic
novelist is still not a Goethe. AAAchoo!
Either Karl Schinke plays the violin or I would like to
write an editorial. Abraham Lincoln said that if I am
catching cold, then Al Capone is crooked. AAAchoo!
To think is wonderful, don't you think? Probably I do
think FidoNet will last very long because subroutines are
like that, don't you think?. For another reason, clever
things occur.
Jane Fonda said that if I do think FidoNet will last very
long, then Lizzie Borden is dirty. Cough. Concerning that
issue: As Samuel Butler might have said, goodness is like
the sword; those who appeal to it shall perish by it. Ah
yes. Jane Fonda thought this was terrific: A paragon
physicist spoke "Arrange for a strange tale, Thom." Thom,
this is an agreement!
To think is clever, don't you think? I don't know what I do
think of the public domain Fido project.
John MacEnroe might have thought that I certainly hang in
there, but not Mohammed Ali. Hmm. Sporting duelists and
unsporting players should get along.
Anyway, let's imagine that I do think there should be a
national directory of Fidonet users. Why? If there isn't a
reason then Larry Flint is more wonderful than Helen
Caldicott. Anthony Comstock said that if I do think there
should be a national directory of Fidonet users, then Larry
Flint is filthy. Cough. Ah. Ah. Yes. Yes. I do think
about such things. Would you rather be a scholar or an
ignoramous? Do you really imagine I am intelligent?
Just be content that we should. Why? Only an ignoramous
could imagine that I tell you why. Ah. A lazy scholar often
falls prey to a honest ignoramous. AAAchoo! Concerning
that issue: Oh, never mind. Perhaps I really am an
ignoramous. But Valery said that a man is infinitely more
complicated than his intelligence. Wouldn't you say the
same of a computer? Ah yes. Next question.
Sober lunatics and zany citizens should get along. AAAchoo!
For me, wanting is needing. Conceivably I do want to write
an editorial because my subroutines are down. Also, because
my ROMS told me so. It's about time for a story, isn't it?
Draining champagne is Tom Jennings's infatuation. Bolting
meat is Tom Jennings's desire. Nevertheless Mr.Toad
suddenly glimpses only cucumbers. El bizarro! Tom Jennings
yodels to Mr.Toad about champagne and meat at all events
Mr.Toad will glimpse tomatoes. El bizarro. Mr.Toad rambled
to Tom Jennings's yellow mansion and commenced to revile and
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:13 Page 3
madden Tom Jennings while Tom Jennings was whispering about
meat. Hold on. Since Mr.Toad's own black mansion was
frightening; he spoke aprehensively to Tom Jennings " Do
you follow me? " This slaughtered Tom Jennings. But a
cosmologist began to bolt some spinach. Mr.Toad was
infuriated. Instantly he knew that to see a tomato is not
to observe it. Tom Jennings understands that champagne and
meat are not tomatoes. The cosmologist does not. Are you
interested? Mr.Toad is infuriated and exhausted, by the
same token some spinach would serve him to be nurturing
while Tom Jennings slaughtered the cosmologist. The
fictional have unbelieving ways. Sniff...
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:14 Page 4
============================================================
NEWS
============================================================
============================================================
A C O N T E S T !!! Fido #519 on Net #102
============================================================
Hello Everyone! My name is Darlene Faccone and I'm Sysop of
one of the new Fidos in Southern California. I've been having
trouble thinking of a name for my node so..........I'M
HAVING A CONTEST!!
The temporary name I'm using is NAME_MY_NODE. I will be
accepting name suggestions until 9/30/85 when a real name
will be chosen. The author of the selected name will win a
SURPRISE so, please include a mailing address with your
suggestion. I've decided to let all of you help select the
winning entry. Watch FidoNews for the list of suggested
names on which to vote...
My BBS doesn't have a single theme yet but I'm leaning
toward an informational type system where people can ask
questions relating to the IBM PC family and peripherals. My
system is running on an IBM PC/AT with 512K RAM, 20mB disk
drive, color display and Hayes 1200B Smartmodem.
I am a reformed mainframer with 19 years applications and
systems programming experience. My skills are mostly
software related but I'm always extremely interested in
learning new things all the time.
I'll be upgrading memory soon to a megabyte so that I can
run Multi-link or some other comparable multitasking soft-
ware which will allow me to keep Fido on-line all the time
but still use the system for other things.
I'm VERY excited about being a part of Fido. Everyone has
been extremely helpful and supportive.
DON'T FORGET TO SEND ME A NAME SUGGESTION!!!! I'LL BE
WATCHING FOR SOME REALLY CLEVER WITTY NAMES.
LA50PRT is not really a fido utility, however it was written
because of fido. When the new fido documentation came out,
it was over 300K of text. All throughout the text was
overstriking, and the LA50 cannot handle this well. In
order for me to print a copy of the fido manual, I had to
write a utility to optimize the printing for the LA50.
This utility reads an entire line at a time and does the
overstrikes at the end. Rather than overstriking each
character within a line, the object would be to print the
entire line once, then overstrike the necessary characters.
This eliminates all but the necessary backspaces the printer
has to make, and speeds the printing process. I hope other
DEC Rainbow users will find this program as useful as I did.
The program may be downloaded from fido 107/17
at (609) 429-6630.
I was absolutely DISGUSTED at reading Bob Hartman's article
in the Sept 2 issue of Fido News. Before yanking out your
American made Intel chips and replacing them with pirated
hardware (stolen by the Japaneese) I wish you would read
this and give it some thought!!
All of us concerned Sysops tell our users not to pirate
software or place it on our boards. Why? Stealing just
isn't accepted in our society. Yet, people are telling
computer users to put stolen hardware in their machines and
giving it no thought. NEC literally stole the process for
making the Intel 8088 & 8087 chips and the matter IS going
to court. I'm sure Intel will win the case (their
signature is ACTUALLY on the NEC chip, because NEC didn't
even re-work the design!)
My husband works for Intel and Intel has been laying people
off because of the undercutting going on with NEC, Hitachi,
& Mitzubishi (sp). This is precisely why computer prices
are dropping. These unscrupulous Japaneese firms have
publicly announced their intentions to ruin the American
integrated circuit market by selling parts far below
manufacturing costs. While low prices might seem nice to end
users....the entire computer shake-up and bankruptcy of
American firms can be blamed directly on these unfair trade
practices of the above named Japaneese firms.
It is no different to support pirated software or pirated
hardware....the principal is the same. I think
every computer user should know the facts before supporting
such unethical and undesirable companies. I would rather
throw my computer out the window than replace an honest
American chip with a stolen, pirated circuit made by any of
these firms.
Just remember, if YOU put an NEC chip in your
computer...YOU are putting American workers out of
jobs and YOU are supporting unethical trade practices.
Let that be on YOUR conscience not mine!! I will wait
for Intel to win it's case, and for Intel's new faster
chips and not support computer criminals. I hope all
of you will think about this!!
Very Sincerely,
Jami Morgan
Sysop BUGS BBS Albuquerque, NM
Home of Intel Fab 7 & 9 (employing over 1200
American workers)
15/1001
EJ McKernan
Sysop 14/386
the "Bit Bucket"
Emporia, KS
SanyoNet
Help for the lost Sanyo user.
SanyoNet is a group of FIDO BBS systems who have grouped
together for the sole purpose of disseminating information,
files, and news, as well as helping users of Sanyo computer
systems. Most of the people involved in the system are
running fido on MBC-555 systems, although there are systems
running on other machines that support sanyo interest
groups. Sanyo Business Systems will soon be involved in the
network.
As of Sept 6, we have 14 systems involved with SanyoNet. It
has grown rapidly (Nearly as rapidly as FIDONET!) "Sanyfido"
list are distributed weekly, or whenever new systems are
added to the list. This list is "FidoNetted" to all SanyoNet
nodes and all other interested parties. A small, and I do
mean small, newsletter is distributed with each listing.
Many other projects are in the works. One sysop will soon
compile a complete listing of all sanyo oriented files from
all member BBS's. This list will be distributed to ALL
known sanyo BBS's, be they Fido or otherwise. Armed with
this list, a sanyo user can find the nearest node where he
can obtain the needed files.
Another project involves a rewrite of the sanyo MSDOS 2.11
bios. The projects goal is to provide more IBM
compatability than is currently available with the present
bios.
Most, if not all questions dealing with hardware troubles,
compatability questions, software/hardware operation, ect.
can usually be answered by someone on the net. If not we
usually know someone who can!
One request before I close: We desperatly need ANYONE who
knows of a sanyo BBS system other than those listed here to
leave a fidomail message addressed to: sysop node 14/386,
with the systems name, location, number, hours of operation,
sysops name, and maximum Baud rate supported. We need not
only sanyo based BBS's but all BBS's that have an active
sanyo sig online.
Net/Node System Name Sysop/Contact
11/707 Core Warrior Geff Purcell
129/11 TACO Sanyo Fido Paul Kelly
14/386 Bit Bucket EJ McKernan
15/1001 Sanyo BUGS Fido Jami Morgan
17/5 Calgary Fido Lloyd Miller
101/388 Revap Data Chris Von Schilling
102/108 Sanyos Friend Sean-Michael Connor
107/25 SoftShop Brad Karp
114/5 Pascalaholics Wayne Conrad
15/1007 TheComputerFarm Paul Hill
17/17 Electronic Library Howard Purcell
++ FIDOS not run on Sanyos, but do support Sanyo SIGS ++
10/425 RSVP BBS Jim Thomas
11/499 Care-Net Greg Crouch
++ Sanyos running FIDO, without current node numbers ++
Lake Area Fido Stan Chiles
Computers Plus Austin Hook
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:23 Page 10
============================================================
COLUMNS
============================================================
A long time ago... on a node far, far away (from PDPvax)
XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX
X X X X X
X X XXXXX X
X X X X
X X X X X
XXXXX XXXXXX XXXX
X X XX XXXXX XXXX
X X X X X X X
X X X X X X XXXX
X XX X XXXXXX XXXXX X
XX XX X X X X X X
X X X X X X XXXX
The Adventures of Luke Vaxhacker Episode n-1.0
As we enter the scene, an Imperial Multiplexer is trying
to kill a consulate ship. Many of their signals have gotten
thru, and RS232 decides it's time to fork off a new process
before this old ship is destroyed. His companion, 3CPU is
following him only because he appears to know where he is
going...
"I'm going to regret this!" cried 3CPU, as he followed
RS232 into the buffer. RS232 closed the pipes, made the sys
call, and their process detached itself from the burning
shell of the ship.
The commander of the Imperial Multiplexer was quite
pleased with the attack. "Another process just forked, Sir.
Instructions?" asked the lieutenant "Hold your fire. That
last power failure must have caused a trap thru zero. It's
not using any cpu time, so don't waste a signal on it."
"We can't seem to find the data file anywhere, Lord
Vadic." "What about that forked process? It could have been
holding the channel open, and just pausing. If any links
exist, I want them removed or made inaccessible. Ncheck the
entire file system 'til it's found, and nice it -20 if you
have to."
Meanwhile, in our wandering process... "Are you sure you
can ptrace this thing without causing a core dump?" queried
3CPU to RS232. "This thing's been stripped and I'm in no
mood to try and debug it." The lone process finished
execution, only to find our friends dumped on a lonely file
system, with the setuid inode stored safely in RS232. Not
knowing what else to do, they wandered around until the
Jawas grabbed them.
Enter our hero, Luke Vaxhacker, who was out to get some
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:24 Page 11
replacement parts for his uncle. The Jawas wanted to sell
him 3CPU, but 3CPU didn't know how to talk directly to an
11/40 with RSTS, so Luke still needed some sort of interface
for 3CPU to connect to. "How about this little RS232 unit?"
asked 3CPU. "I've dealt with him many time before, and he
does an excellent job at keeping his bits straight." Luke
was pressed for time, so he took 3CPU's advice and the three
left before they could get swapped out.
However, RS232 was not the type to stay put once you
remove the retaining screws. He promptly scurried off into
the deserted disk space. "Great!" cried Luke, "Now I've got
this little tin box with the only link to that file off
floating in the free disk space. Well, 3CPU, we better go
find him before he gets allocated by someone else." The two
set off, and finally traced RS232 to the home of PDP-1
Kenobe, who was busily trying to run an icheck on the little
RS unit. "Is this thing yours? His indirect addresses are
all goofed up, and the size is gargantious. Leave things
like this on the loose, and you'll wind up with file dumps
everywhere. However, I think I've got him fixed up. It
seems that he has a link to a data file on the Are-Em Star.
This could help the rebel cause." "I don't care about that,"
said Luke. "I'm just trying to optimize my uncle's
scheduler."
Oh, forget about that. Dec Vadic, who is responsible
for your father's death, has probably already destroyed his
farm in search of this little RS232. It's time for you to
leave this place, join the rebel cause, and become a UNIX
wizard! I know a guy by the name of Con Solo, who'll fly us
to the rebel base at a price..."
Luke had grown up on an out of the way terminal cluster
whose natives spoke only BASIC, but even he could recognize
an old ASR-33.
"It needs an EIA conversion at least," sniffed 3CPU, who
was (as usual) trying to do several things at once. Light
flashed in Con Solo's eyes as he whirled to face the
parallel processor.
"I've added a few jumpers. The Milliamp Falcon can run
current loops around any Imperial TTY fighter. She's fast
enough for you."
"Who's your co-pilot?" asked PDP-1 Kenobie.
"Two Bacco, here, my Bookie."
"Odds aren't good," said the brownish lump beside him,
and then fell silent, or over. Luke couldn't tell which way
was up underneath all those leaves.
Suddenly, RS232 started spacing wildly. They turned
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:27 Page 12
just in time to see a write cycle coming down the UNIBUS
toward them. "Imperial Bus Signals!" shouted Con Solo.
"Let's boot this popsicle stand! Tooie, set clock fast!"
"Ok, Con," said Luke, "You said this crate was fast
enough. Get us out of here!"
"Shut up kid! Two Bacco, prepare to make the jump into
system space! I'll try to keep their buffers full."
As the bookie began to compute the vectors into low
core, spurious characters appeared around the Milliamp
Falcon. "They're firing!" shouted Luke "Can't you do
something?"
"Making the jump to system space takes time, kid. One
missed cycle and you could come down right in the middle of
a pack of stack frames!"
"Three to five we can go now," said the bookie.
Bright chunks of position independent code flashed by
the cockpit as the Milliamp Falcon jumped through the kernal
page tables. As the crew breathed a sigh of relief, the
bookie started paying off bets.
"Not bad, for an accoustically coupled network,"
REMarked 3CPU. "Though there was a little phase jitter as we
changed parity."
------------
* DEC, PDP, and VAX are trademarks of Digital Equipment Corp.
To be continued...
FIDONEWS -- 23 Sep 85 00:10:28 Page 13
============================================================
FOR SALE
============================================================
!!! ATTENTION !!!
HI! I'M MIZMOON FROM FIDO 101/27, AND I NOW HAVE PENTACLE
JEWELRY FOR SALE,IN SILVER ONLY.
RINGS(PLEASE STATE SIZE AND BIRTHDATE).......$25.00
PENDANTS (STATE BIRTHDATE) ..................$35.00
I ALSO HAVE MEDITATION TAPES AT $5.00 EACH OR $9.00 FOR TWO.
SELECTIONS ARE: .......TRAVELS IN SPACE
.......THE TUNNEL OF TIME
.......MEET YOUR GUIDE
.......A VISIT TO THE PAST
.......TOTAL RELAXATION
(PLEASE INCLUDE $1.00 POSTAGE AND HANDLING)
ALLOW 3-5 WEEKS FOR DELILVERY ON JEWELRY
DUE TO THE FACT THAT EACH RING OR PENDANT
IS MADE AND ENERGIZED FOR THE INDIVIDUAL.
MEDITATION TAPES WILL BE SENT OUT IMMEDIATELY
UPON RECEIPT OF ORDER.
SEND TO: MIZMOON
P.O. BOX 707
WESTMINSTER,MA.
01440
