Fidonews 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.
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.
Table of Contents
1. EDITORIAL
Is Anybody Out There?
2. ARTICLES
ANSI on FIDO, Part I of III
The Association To Save Madonna From Nuclear War
Need Help on Expanding My System
New firmware upgrade for the USR Courier 2400
Proposal: FidoNet News-Groups
ProComm 2.2 Released! Adds Telink and more...
Server and Daylight: Two Fido Utilities
3. COLUMNS
The View from the Top; Help Nodes
4. FOR SALE
Entertainment Software for your PC!
MACRO - A powerful front-end for any language
Public Domain Software Library Sale!!
5. NOTICES
The Interrupt Stack
Fidonet PCNews and Fidonet Languages
USERFILE - USER.BBS flexible file lister /Allen Miller
This is a strange sort of publication to run. We don't have
subscribers as such, and we don't sell newsstand copies, so it's
hard to tell just how many readers we have. I send FidoNews out
to a dozen or so nodes, who in turn (I think) pass it on to other
nodes, so that hopefully it reaches every node soon after it's
published.
In theory no sysop should have to download FidoNews from another
board, and people DO download it, so maybe we have some readers
out there somewhere. On the other hand, maybe there are just
some sysops who aren't getting it regularly every week, for
whatever reason.
I know we do have some readers who aren't sysops. I've heard of
a couple of sysops who run the newsletter out on a printer each
week and mail copies out to people who are not on the net. I've
also spoken to people now and then who are not sysops, but who
have at least heard of FidoNews.
I'm curious. I'd like to know. Will you help? Please drop a
note to 1/1 or 107/8 and let me know how many people download
FidoNews from your board. Do you print copies and mail them
anywhere? Do you know of anywhere outside of FidoNet where it is
circulated? Please drop me a line even if the answer is "no".
After all, zero is a number too.
ANSI ART
by
Jim Lynn
Net Coord, 129/0
SYSOP, 129/384
When I first set up Pitt-bull, one year ago this week, I was
determined to have a board where everyone could meet. I had been
living in Pittsburgh for less than six months at that time and
couldn't find any BBS's to feed my commo-addiction. I read an
article in PC Mag or somewhere, about TJ and his FIDO-NET. I
don't really remember how many nodes there were at that time, but
I was disappointed when I had some problems which prevented me
from getting node number 300. As you see I had SEVERAL problems
and didn't get a node number until 384 came to the top of the
list! Oh well...
Pitt-Bull was ran at first from a Compaq portable! That was back
in the days when you could set up a FIDO on a dual floppy drive
system and still have room for a couple of file areas... I was
so determined that it would be a generic board and I went and
ignored the first and simplest fact that from the start made my
board undesirable to the C-64 users... I made all of my welcome
and message files 80 column! That was the first step on the road
to ruin. Next I started putting borders in my FILES.BBS files,
using the high ASCII IBM characters. Still no end in sight!
Finally I gave in completely and I now have a very nice welcome
file (in my opinion!) and still have my share of C-64 and MAC
users. With a little restraint, you can make your graphics
unobtrusive and still have some pizazz in your openings.
Here are three things that you can do to at least make it a
little easier for your non-IBM callers to use your board and
still let you make it pretty for your IBM-Compatibles.
First, if you remember to always have a line such as "Use ^K to
skip this display" at the beginning of the screen, your users
always have a graceful way out without having to wade through
what looks like garbage to them.
The second thing you can do is set up the text file so that the
first 23 lines are normal and the 24th line states: "Press N if
your system can not handle IBM Graphics..." The next line will be
the MORE? prompt, and if the user answer 'N', then they will be
spared the "garbage characters".
The third and possibly most important thing is to be honest with
your callers. If you have directed your board toward IBMers, say
so up front. If you welcome everyone but still have some
graphics, keep them where they don't cause an eyesore for your
non IBMers.
Fidonews Page 3 10 Mar 1986
In this first session, I'll give you a summary of the escape
sequences and what they can do. Here is the basic set of
sequences:
^ is used to represent the escape character
(ASCII value 27 decimal)
# is used to represent a numerical value
NOTE: UPPER/lower case is critical. If you send a 'S' when you
should have sent a 's', it won't work.
A semicolon (;) is used to separate variables
First the 'simplest' codes:
^[H Cursor Home (CH). Sends the cursor to the upper left
hand corner of the display.
^[#;#H CUrsor Position (CUP). the first number represents
the row and the second is the column. ie. ^[3,15H
will send the cursor to row 3, column 15. Any normal
row and column is valid provided it is valid for the
screen mode. (Do not send the cursor to column 62
when in 40 column mode.)
^[#A CUrsor Up (CUU). Move the cursor up # lines. If
you don't put any number in the code (ie. ^[A) then
the cursor will move up one line.
^[#B CUrsor Down (CUD). Same as for CUU.
^[#C CUrsor Forward (CUF). DITTO.
^[#D CUrsor Backward (CUB). GUESS....
^[s This is called a Save Cursor Position (SCP) and can
be used to remember where the cursor was before you
start sending 'garbage'.
^[u Restore Cursor Position (RCP). Yup, puts it back to
where it was when you sent the SCP.
^[2J Erase Display (ED). Clears the screen, pure and
simple.
^[K Erase Line - (EL). Erases the current line from
(and including) the cursor position to the end of
the line.
^[#;...;#m This code sets the colors on the screen. (Yes, the
user's colors as well as yours!) You can use as many
of the following numbers, but if you use more than
one foreground or background number, only the last
one will be used. The numbers are:
0 = Default. All colors off. Sets the colors to
whatever the user's terminal considers normal.
Fidonews Page 4 10 Mar 1986
1 = Set Hi-intensity on. Gives the text a boldface
look.
4 = Underscore or underline. Works only if the
users monitor is a monochrome monitor.
5 = Blinking text.
7 = Inverse video. (black text on white background)
8 = Invisible (Black text on black background)
The following set colors for:
Foreground Color Background
30 Black 40
31 Red 41
32 Green 42
33 Yellow 43
34 Blue 44
35 Magenta 45
36 Cyan 46
37 White 47
Last but not least. A lot of editors balk at letting you place
an ESC character in a file... the following program will convert
a character of your choice into the ESC char.
100 ' This program will read a text file and convert any
110 ' occurrence of a character of your choosing into an ESC.
160 ' Change ^ in line 200 to the character that you use.
200 ESC$=CHR$(27):SEARCH$="^" ' The character
220 CLS:INPUT"FILE TO READ -";F1$:INPUT"FILE TO WRITE-";F2$
240 OPEN F1$ FOR INPUT AS #1:OPEN F2$ FOR OUTPUT AS #2
250 WHILE NOT EOF(1):LINE INPUT#1,RAW$:T=1:WHILE T<>0
270 T=INSTR(RAW$,SEARCH$):IF T<>0 THEN MID$(RAW$,T,1)=ESC$
280 WEND:PRINT#2,RAW$:WEND
The only thing that you need to know now is to make sure that
your callers have ANSI.SYS or FCONSOLE.DEV loaded during their
CONFIG.SYS load or they will see garbage no matter what you do.
Next time, I will give you a few examples of how to "fake" a
window on the user's screen. In the article after that, I will
show you how to animate an ANSI file.
The following is the text from a handout that was given to me by
a friend. He told me it was given to him by a colorful character
at a local bar. I have copied the text verbatim including all
spelling and gramatical errors.
P R E S S R E L E A S E
February 8, 1986 (SINCE THERE IS ONLY ONE MONTH TO SAVE DE GARMO
FROM STATE SPONSORED EXECUTION, I WROTE THIS
IN A HURRY. PLEASE FORGIVE TYPOS AND IF YOU
HAVE QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL ME)
MY FELLOW AMERICANS.
SAVE ROGER LEROY FROM STATE SPONSORED EXECUTION TASK GROUP
----------------------------------------------------------
I have on this day, February 8, 1986, the responsibility of
communicating to my fellow countrypersons a message of the
GRAVEST AND UTMOST IMPORTANCE.
It is a difficult story to relate. Please bear with me.
First of all, I am a scientist, a mathematician and a linguist.
For over ten years I have been working on a mathematical proof
which shows that a VIROLOGICAL SOLUTION to the threats posed to
us and our planet by nuclear weapons and associated ecological
threats. The reason that I took the mathematical approach was
because Conway, the british mathematician was able to show that
it is mathematically possible to create self-reflecting computers
capable of infinite figures. What this maens is that we have now
in our grasp the conceptual apparatus to create living, highly
intelligent machines, which reproduce like living things. At
this time I realized that if Conway could prove that living,
highly intelligient machines are possible, that it might ALSO be
possible to create machines without intellegience which could
still reproduce. By this I meant to investigate the possibility
that nuclear weapons stand in a relation to the human race that
is similar to that of a virus towards a cell. The virus has no
replicative machinery of its own. It enters the cell. It uses
the replicative machinery of the cell to reproduce virus. The
cell is not aware that it is not reproducing itself. Soon it is
filled with virus and the cell bursts. In the case of nuclear
weapons, we have what is in essence a VIRUS MACHINE, which has
entered into the human "cell" and has raided the essential
replicative material we use to pass on human traits. i.e. human
language.
So, since 1945, we have been reproducing virus, not ourselves.
That is to say that we THINK we are creating ourselves.
Actually, we are creating nuclear weapons.
Fidonews Page 6 10 Mar 1986
On February 1, 1986, I finished my mathematical proof which
essentially shows that nuclear weapons are ALIVE. So it is not
the Russians who are our enemy. It is the nuclear weapons which,
as living things, compete for the ecological space WE now
inhabit. I must TELL YOU THE VERY GOOD NEWS THAT when my theorem
is released, it will cause nuclear weapons to disappear within 30
to sixty days. At that point the planet will begin to clean up
its ecological problems and become significantly more fun.
However, there is one catch. It is this. My theory has also
allowed me to chart linguistic degeneration rate which began in
1945 with the creation of nuclear weapons. The attack of nuclear
weapons on human language was viscious and unrelenting. Soon, we
were NOT ABLE TO COMMUNICATE WITH EACH OTHER ABOUT EVEN THE MOST
OBVIOUS THINGS. The result is this: My linguistic degeneration
program shows that nuclear war will become 100% PROBABLE on 632
days from this day. ON that day, human error will begin to
increase exponentially. On that day, missle commanders will not
be able to CLEARLY UNDERSTAND WHAT THEIR SUPERIORS ARE SYAING.
THEY WILL MAKE MISTAKES WHICH ARE TERRIBLE TO THINK ABOUT. AND
SO, the gist of the story is that, unless we disassemble nuclear
weapons, Nuclear War will become COMPLETELY INEVITABLE IN 632
days.
Luckily, however, my mathematical theorem will destroy nuclear
weapons before 632 days have elapsed. So you are safe from
nuclear war and will come to live in a FAR FAR better world.
You must help me for the SAVE ROGER LEROY FROM STATE SPONSORED
EXECUTION TASK GROUP. That is because, on March 12, 1986,
convicted murderer Roger Leroy DeGarmo will be executed by the
state of Texas.
In order for my theory to work, we must save DEGARMO. I AM
REALLY NOT KIDDING. Call the number at the bottom of this press
release. We have exactly on month to STAY Roger Leroy's
execution, and one more month to save the world from COMPLETE
INEVITABLE NUCLEAR WAR. VOLUNTEER YOUR TIME AND EFFORTS FOR ONE
MONTH IN THE EFFORT TO SAVE ROGER LEROY AND SAVE YOUR OWN ASS
FROM NUCLEAR WAR AT THE SAME TIME!
NUMBER TO CALL: GOVERNER OF TAXAS, GOVERNOR MARK WHITE,
1-512-463-2000 Lodge your protest!
A. S. M. N. W.
The Association To Save Madonna From Nuclear War
228 McCormick #3
Cincinnati, Ohio 45219 (513) 241-5457
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
+ Help needed on expanding a Columbia Portable +
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Having just recently joined the ranks of FidoNet, I am
really impressed with it's idea, organization, and growth. I was
first told about it through a friend at San Jose, CA, who urged
me to find a nearby network and get active on it. After about a
month of searching, I found that some friends in this area had
brought up a net here in my own home town, and offered me the
program and a node assignment. I was very happy to join, and am
helping to expand the net in this area. Long Live FIDO, and many
thanks to Tom Jennings, Ken Kaplan, and all those other great
guys who put together this GEM of a system!
I am writing in for a bit of technical help in planning an
expansion for my computer system. I am finding that the range of
options available may require some unusual modification to the
system, and I'd rather get some advice from some people more
knowledgeable than me in this area before I attempt it and run
the risk of making situations worse rather then better!
I currently am running a Columbia VP 1600 "portable"
computer, Revision J, manufactured in February of 1984. It has
two floppy drives and 128 K on the system board. It has one card
slot, and upon inspection of the system board I have found a pad
for an additional card slot. The one card slot now is taken up by
an Apparat "Crambo" card, which is actually two cards that are
connected together, the first one is a memory card, expandable to
512, and the second has Serial & parallel ports, and a clock
calendar. As the system stands now, it's quite nice. I like the
portability, and hope to keep this pretty much as is.
However, I am finding that I really need to add a fixed disk
to the system. Program development (especially with libraries,
header files, etc.) is getting quite difficult without one. In
addition, each version of FIDO seems to grow a bit larger with
each revision, and more and more utilities are difficult to run
if they are not on the same disk as the BBS system.
The extra pad I found on my system board gave me the
following idea, which if possible would give me almost everything
I want. My idea is that I could attach a cable to this pad (it's
location precludes the use of it to hold another card, it is
placed right in line with the floppy drives, and therefore no
card could be placed in the additional slot.), run the cable
outside the VP to an expansion box which would hold the Hard disk
and optionally additional cards. Putting a cable connecter on
this cable would allow me to still have the portability of the
VP, leaving the hard-disk at home. I figure that as a portable, I
only need the floppies, but do need the memory!
The problem I have run into is that most of the expansion
boxes I have seen have a receiver-transmitter card combination.
The transmitter card goes in the computer, and the receiver is
Fidonews Page 8 10 Mar 1986
placed in the expansion box. However, since I don't have the
additional slot in the computer, what's a body to do?
I would like to solicit suggestions on how to solve this
problem, or warnings about some of the options listed here.
Please send any suggestions to me at Net 151, Node 3. I would
greatly appreciate any advice on this matter, because at the
moment I am having great problems trying to figure how to solve
this. Thank you in advance! ! !
Kurt Reisler - SYSOP
The Bear's Den (109/74)
Wash-A-RUG (109/483)
Once again, US Robotics has an upgrade to the PROM-based firmware
of our USR Courier 2400 modems. The latest PROM release has a
product code of 243. To determine the product code of the PROM
in your modem, start up your favorite communications program, and
type the command "ATI0" and hit the return key. If your modem
returns 243 as the 3 digit product code, then you have the latest
release of the firmware. If anything lower is returned, you
should call US Robotics immediately and request a firmware up-
grade. They are doing this on an exchange basis, as they did
with the upgrade from 241 to 242.
To get your PROM upgraded, call US Robotics at 800-DIALUSR, and
ask for Technical Support. Tell them that you need the PROM
upgrade and they will take care of it for you. Replacing the
PROM is a simple procedure. Pop the old one out, and gently
insert the new one. That should be all there is to it.
From what I understand, the new firmware corrects the "streaming"
problem that some of us were having when we called other USR
Courier 2400 baud modems. The streaming problem was character-
ized by the modems connecting, and one or the other generating a
continual stream of garbage. The only way to break the connec-
tion was either to drop DTR, or to physically turn off the modem.
Not a major problem during a manual call, but mine would up
attached to a long-distance FIDO for 2.5 hours during FidoNet
time (OUCH, my aching phone bill!). The new PROMs also correct a
connection problem with Ventel 2400 baud modems.
By the way, the initial source for this information was
net.micro.pc on USENET.
+---------------------------------------+
: F I D O N E T N E W S - G R O U P S :
+---------------------------------------+
Anyone who's ever cruised a major main-frame system like Compu-
Serve, or who subscribes to any of the news groups on
UseNet/ARPAnet, knows how frustrating it can be trying to make
initial contact with people through FidoMail.
(Gee, I wonder how I can find people who are interested in
discussing left-handed basket-weaving? Well, maybe somebody on
BasketBoard on the other side of the continent - maybe I'd better
send them some mail before I waste a long time trying to call
them long-distance.)
And the worst part of it is, there's no open forum for discussing
ideas between multiple users on multiple boards. That's why
UseNet has news groups - they take all of the messages related to
a topic, and package 'em up, and daisy-chain them around the net
so that everybody gets 'em.
Not long ago, the sysops of the UN*X Gateway told us that if we
begged them they might just be convinced to convert news groups
into FidoMessages and ARC them for pickup. Definitely a step in
the right direction - in fact, there's no good reason why I can't
ARC my whole Neopaganism message area and ship it to anyone else,
who could unARC it and put it up as one of his own.
It doesn't take very long to spot what's missing: how do you
reply to one of these messages? (Oops.)
PARTIAL SOLUTION (LET'S DO IT SOON)
What I propose is a utility-set that would follow these steps:
EXPORT - for each "News group Area":
E1) Scan a message base looking for anything that's LOCAL
(for those of you who haven't hacked around inside a
message header, that means originating from here) and
hasn't been SENT. Copy it to a new file with a
different extension, mark it as non-LOCAL, and the
original as SENT.
E2) ARC all of those new messages, then kill.
E3) Kill all of the temporary files.
E4) Ship them to all participating boards via ROBOT.
IMPORT - For each incoming message ARChive:
Fidonews Page 11 10 Mar 1986
I1) UnARC it, then
I2) Renumber to follow all of the existing messages.
All it'd take is one program to do step E1, and one program to do
step I2. Also, it'd be nice if T.J. would let us have another
attribute bit on sys.attrib, as follows:
and change the software so that if sys.attrib and 2, prompt for
net/node number (but not for kill/sent or file attach). Then we
could program something that would start in the Fido directory
and package all of the NEWSGROUP areas into files something like
mmmmnnnn.aaa (m = net, n = node, a = message area). Step I2
would need a control file, call it NEWSGRP.BBS if you like, that
read something like this:
100/523,4,6 (put 100/523's area 4 into my area 6)
11/433,1,6 (also put 11/433's area 1 into my area 6)
125/1,9,3 (put 125/1's area 9 into my area 3)
TOTAL SOLUTION (LET'S DO IT LATER)
Now the only problem left is building reply chains between
multiple nodes. I have a solution to that one, too...
In step E1, above, when you copy the un-SENT mail to a temporary
file, prefix each message header with the following fields from
the PREVIOUS message (according to the msg.reply field):
msg.orig_net, msg.orig, msg.to, and msg.date. Why? Because no
matter what the message number is AFTER it's been renumbered
(step I2), those fields are sufficient to uniquely define the
previous message. Then when we renumber it and add it to the
*.MSG files, we can also find that previous message and add this
one to the reply chain. Slick, no?
WHY AM I TELLING YOU THIS ...
instead of doing it myself? There are three reasons. First of
all, I'm not that confident of the design and I want to kick it
around with people who've been on the Net a LOT longer than I
have. Secondly, I won't have time to do it until late summer,
someone could get a LOT done between now and then. And finally,
I'm not THAT confident of my programming abilities - it would
take me a LONG time to get it done and bug-free.
So if somebody is looking for a way to build a program that
EVERYBODY would use, the next LISTGEN (as it were), and make some
serious Shareware bucks ...
Personal note: I'm still trying to compile a list of witches,
Neopagans and magicians who can be reached via FidoNet. If this
describes you or anyone you know, please send FidoMail to Brad
Tom Smith
Fido 14/619
ProComm 2.2 Released!
Adds Telink and more...
Columbia, MO (February 21, 1986). PIL Software Systems is
proud to announce version 2.2 of their user supported communica-
tions program: ProComm (tm).
ProComm is very powerful, yet extremely easy to use.
ProComm is suitable for use by the novice as well as the data
processing professional. ProComm's wealth of features include
the following:
=> ERROR CHECKING FILE TRANSFER PROTOCOLS
ProComm supports a variety of error checking protocols
using both checksum and CRC error checking, which
detects 99.99% of all errors! Our Kermit implementa-
tion includes all the latest features including data
compression, file attributes, and the extension for
Sliding Windows, the first widely available full duplex
file transfer protocol for micro computers. Sliding
Window Kermit is used on The Source and several popular
bulletin board systems. Mainframe versions are under
development and should be available soon. Sliding
Window Kermit is the fastest protocol now available for
micros!
- XMODEM The de facto standard.
- MODEM7 Xmodem batch transfers.
- YMODEM Larger blocks for more efficient transfers.
- TELINK Batch transfers with exact file size and
creation date.
- KERMIT Transfer files to a variety of mini and
mainframe computers, as well as micros.
=> TERMINAL EMULATION
ProComm emulates a variety of popular intelligent
display terminals. This allows you to run full screen
mainframe applications by using your PC as a remote
terminal.
Write powerful scripts to control all of ProComm's
functions. Sample script command files are supplied to
get you started.
Fidonews Page 14 10 Mar 1986
=> UNATTENDED OPERATION
Using our Timed Execution Facility, you can set ProComm
to "come alive" at any time night or day. Tell ProComm
to call your favorite information service, download the
required data, and print a report; all while you get a
good night's sleep and telephone and connect rates are
at their lowest!
=> FULLY AUTOMATED DIALING DIRECTORY
Enter the name, number, and communication settings
once, then ProComm can dial from the directory auto-
matically. You can scroll through your entries and
even search for a given string. Entries may be modi-
fied at any time. ProComm will also automatically
redial a directory entry until you connect if you wish!
It can redial a single number as well as a list of
numbers.
=> ON-LINE REDISPLAY BUFFER
ProComm allows you to review lost lines that have
scrolled off of the screen. You can page up and down
through the redisplay buffer and even search for a
string. Several "lost" screens are available at a
single keystroke.
=> EASY USER SETUP
ProComm's default settings may be easily changed by the
user at any time. The changes can be saved or just be
used for the current session.
=> FULL COMMUNICATIONS PARAMETERS
ProComm operates at 300, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600, and
19,200 baud and with Mark, Space, Even, Odd or No
parity, 7 or 8 data bits, and 1 or 2 stop bits.
ProComm runs on the IBM-PC and compatibles such as Compaq, Tandy,
Leading Edge, AT&T, etc. ProComm requires MS-DOS 2.0 or higher
and 128K of memory. ProComm runs under several multi-tasking
systems such as Topview, Desqview, Multi-Link, Double Dos, and
MS-Windows. ProComm operates with a variety of modems.
ProComm's default settings are for the Hayes type "AT" command
set, but may be easily changed by the user for other modems.
ProComm also supports the new generation of modems that feature
advanced call progress information.
ProComm is distributed using the User Supported concept. The
requested registration fee is $25.00.
Support is provided through a 24 hour bulletin board system at
(314) 449-9401. ProComm may be obtained from the BBS, or by
sending $30.00 for registration and media costs to:
SERVER
a Fido (tm) Remote File Service Daemon
Randy Bush 122/6 & Ted Powell 122/2
SERVER is a Fido utility which is installed by the SysOp on a
"Serving" FidoNet (tm) node. SERVER responds to Service
Requests, which arrive in the form of FidoNet messages from
"Requesting" users on remote Fidos. Requestors pay for all
services according to actual use.
When SERVER is executed on the Serving system, normally as a
scheduled Fido event, it scans the FidoNet mail area for un-REC'D
messages addressed to "Server." After ensuring the sender of a
Service Request has an account on the Serving system and has
given the correct password, SERVER performs any Service Requests
contained in the message.
Thus, services are performed for account-holders in response to
FidoNet mail, as opposed to a direct phone call. At the
discretion of the sysop, services may be performed for local
users whom Fido prevents from desirable actions (eg. provide
attached files to a user who is not extra). The requestor's
account is debited by the actual cost of providing services.
The remote service provided by the initial version of SERVER is
SENDing messages with files attached. Thus, this initial version
is a FidoNet remote file service daemon. Consider the following
example request:
#42 1 13 Feb 86 17:51:58 (PRIVATE) (KILL/SENT) $0.20
From: Ted Powell, Net 122 Node 4, PSG Van, Vancouver BC
To: Server, Net 122 Node 6, PSG Coos Bay, Coos Bay OR
Subj: Update a Friend
myPassword
;
SEND Files\Archive\Server.Arc TO George Lehtola AT 136/601
Warning: A taste for SERVER may lead to a desire for SEAdog.
DAYLIGHT/STANDARD
Jet-lag Tonic for Fidos
DAYLIGHT & STANDARD are MS-DOS programs run by a Fido SysOp when
"local time" changes (eg. Daylight savings to or from Standard).
They change the system clock, and can optionally adjust Fido's
schedules to correspond to the time change.
Parameters on the MS-DOS command line control all clock and
schedule adjustment. Read and think before running these.
SERVER is "freeware", and PSG asks payment from users.
DAYLIGHT & STANDARD are distributed for no charge.
All are available from Fido 122/6 (503) 269-5202 @ 2400
With the number of nodes fast approaching the 1000 mark and the
vast number of messages on Fido 125/1 and Fido 1/0 begging for
assistance, your FidoNet Administrators have come up with another
solution to decentralize support. During a one week period
earlier this year Fido 125/1 collected 350 messages all reporting
the same half dozen bugs. Tom Jennings suggested some radical
solutions, like pulling the plug or ARCing all the messages
together and sending them by file attach back to the originators.
Somehow we didn't think those ideas were going to solve the
problem, so instead we came up with the concept of "Region 1 HELP
Nodes".
The HELP nodes will be classified into two types; the first
called "Underscore BUG's" and the second called "Underscore
HELP". These nodes will be "clearing houses" for old and new
sysops and users to discuss problems or obtain assistance on a
specific topic. The sysop of the HELP node will not be expected
to know all of the answers. Other sysops who have been helping
out on the proposed HELP topics should continue to do the same as
before. The establishment of the HELP nodes will provide
direction to new sysops and help take the load off of TJ and the
FidoNet Administrators. The intent is for the HELP nodes to
restrict themselves to Fido and FidoNet related issues.
The Region 1 HELP Nodes that we have selected are:
1/98 Fido_BUG's_WEST David Dodell(114/15)
1/99 Fido_BUG's_EAST Marv Shelton(107/311)
1/100 IBM_HELP Gee Wong(107/312)
1/101 DEC_RB_HELP Rob Elliott(115/100)
1/102 SYO_HELP E. J. McKernan(14/386)
1/103 OTRONA_HELP Open
1/104 Multilink_HELP Allen Miller(108/10)
1/105 DoubleDOS_HELP Oscar Barlow(104/56)
1/106 PC_Jr_HELP Bruce Fuqua(900/1)
1/107 Routing_HELP Ben Baker(100/76) [Mail Only]
1/108 Modem_HELP Jim Ryan(141/9)
1/109 Tandy_HELP Neal Curtin(138/14)
These nodes are all alternate identities, so none of these boards
should actually be the node numbers as listed above if you log
onto it. Obviously if you need to send mail you have your
choice, but you are better off selecting the actual identity over
the alternate.
The guidelines for what changes should be made on the above
boards are being left up to the individual sysops. It is our
recommendation that some identification be placed either in the
Fidonews Page 18 10 Mar 1986
WELCOME1.BBS or BULLETIN.BBS and a separate message area be
devoted to the HELP topic. As far as the BUG's go, those sysops
will file attach a verified list to TJ and he will react to it as
time permits.
Please allow the sysops of the above HELP nodes a couple of weeks
to get set up before you send in the troops. We will list them
in the nodelist that is published this coming Friday.
=================================================================
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
We have a confession to make. We've been holding out on you.
For several years now we've been using a program called MACRO to
boost our productivity. But we've been keeping it a closely
guarded secret. Even our most intimate clients have been unaware
of it's existence. Now, however, we've decided to release it to
the PC user community.
If you have ever used a macro assembler, then you already know
how useful macros can be. For the rest of you, well, a good
macro processor can do half of your work for you. MACRO works
with any normal text file, and hence can be used as a powerful
front-end to almost any language. Here's a sample of what MACRO
can do for you:
1. Put parameters in your programs, allowing you to easily change
table sizes, ranges of values, and so forth.
2. Put conditional code in your programs, allowing you to write
one program, and then "switch" parts on and off easily for
different customers and applications.
3. Perform integer arithmetic and string manipulation before your
program is compiled, saving run time.
4. Write programs that customize themselves when you compile
them, based on commands given and questions answered during
the macro scan.
MACRO is available for only $95 from
System Enhancement Associates
21 New Street, Wayne NJ 07470
Or call our convenient order line at (201) 473-5153 (VISA and
MasterCard accepted).
Mention that you saw this ad, and we'll donate $10 to the
national FidoNet coordinators when you order.
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.
Subscribe to Fidonet's newest newsletters, Fidonet PCNews and
Fidonet Languages. Contact Wes Cowley at 137/19 for information
or to make arrangements to pickup one or both of the newsletters.
I'm looking for a copy of DSR (Digital Standard RUNOFF, also
known as Rice University RUNOFF) for MS-DOS (the IBM PC). Please
contact Jim Ryan at Fido 141/9 if you have any leads.
USERFILE is a program that I wrote to take the place of
the multitude of files called FIDOUSER.(COM)/(EXE).
It seems that there are a blue million of programs that
will list entries from the USER.BBS file. Each program of this
type lists the particular fields that the author (sysop) was
interested in at the time. Additionally, some of these do some
SCREEN writing so if you want the information printed or saved to
a disk file for sorting or downloading - forget it.
Fidonews Page 23 10 Mar 1986
USERFILE will list any and each field from USER.BBS that
you specify and in the order that you specify. Additionally, you
can use DOS redirect to send the output to your printer or a disk
file.
