[HEA] _____________________ ___ _ |___ ______________| | | | | | | _ | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | | | | || | | | ____ _ _ _ _ ______ | | | || | | | / __ \ | | / \_/ \ | ___ \ | | | || |__ ____ | | / / \ | | /\ /\ \ | | \ \ | | | || _ \ | _ \ | | \ \__/ | | | |_|| | | |__/ / | | | || | | || |_|| | | \___/|_| |_| |_| | ____/ |_| | || | | || |__ | |____________________ | | _ |__||_| |_|\____/ |________________________| | | |_| | | Lighting Your Apple II Path | | |_| ----------------------------------- >>> WELCOME TO THE LAMP! <<< ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ THE BEST OF THE A2 BULLETIN BOARD ON Syndicomm Online AND THE BEST OF THE DELPHI A2 AND A2PRO MESSAGE BOARDS "Teaching the Apple II user how to fish since 1998" :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: The Lamp! An Onipa'a Software Production Vol. 4, No. 12 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: Publisher................................Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. Editor.....................................................Lyle Syverson Internet Email, Publisher.........................thelamp@sheppyware.net Internet Email, Editor................................lyle@FoxValley.net :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: TABLE OF CONTENTS ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ December 15, 2001 HIGH ABOVE THE ROCK RIVER---------------------------------------------[OPN] Milestones The Little Seed That Could A2 FORUM AT Syndicomm Online (A2Central.com) DISTILLATIONS Gotta Haves for the IIgs-----------------------------------------[GHG] Temperamental IIgs-----------------------------------------------[TGS] Cleaning the Contacts on a IIgs----------------------------------[CTC] Unannounced, Secret Contest--------------------------------------[USC] Another Winner---------------------------------------------------[AWR] Manual for Original Apple II SCSI Card---------------------------[MSC] SOAR 1.0b7 Available, v1.0b8 Available Soon----------------------[SUA] Most Comprehensive Set of Apple II Files-------------------------[CAF] Registering a Domain Name----------------------------------------[RDN] What is DNS Serving?---------------------------------------------[WDS] The MOSP---------------------------------------------------------[TMP] Dealing With Spam in Email---------------------------------------[DWS] A2PIX Updated to v3.0b9------------------------------------------[APU] Apple II Software for GIF Files----------------------------------[ASG] Numbers of ROM 01 vs ROM 3 GSs Produced--------------------------[NGP] AppleDesign ADB keyboard work on an Apple IIGS?------------------[ADK] Super Serial Card vs Super Serial Card II------------------------[SSC] Hard Drive Preferences-------------------------------------------[HDP] Interested in a MPW IIgs Bundle CD-ROM?--------------------------[MBC] LANceGS Glitch Found---------------------------------------------[LGF] Apple II Documentation for Newbies-------------------------------[ADN] What Documentation is Needed?------------------------------------[WDN] The Welcome Wagon Project----------------------------------------[WWP] Were IN/OUT Vectors Fixed in GS/OS?------------------------------[IOV] Network Time Protocol--------------------------------------------[NTP] Recommended Book?------------------------------------------------[RBK] PDF File Type - More Discussion----------------------------------[PDF] ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM SYNDICOMM Free Game for Joining Syndicomm Online---------------------------[FGJ] Been a Good Year For Syndicomm Online----------------------------[BGY] Adding Forums at a Good Clip-------------------------------------[AFC] The Prolific Quill community invites you to participate----------[TPQ] Syndicomm Online opened its doors one year ago,------------------[SOO] DELPHI A2 DISTILLATIONS Strange Memory Card----------------------------------------------[SMC] DELPHI A2PRO DISTILLATIONS Marinetti Open Source Project------------------------------------[MOS] The Apple IIgs Debugger------------------------------------------[AGD] CHANGES AT DELPHI Delphi Merging With eHow and Idea Exchange-----------------------[DMG] Delphi, the Latest Score-----------------------------------------[DLS] LETTERS TO THE EDITOR No Letters to the Editor This Month------------------------------[NLE] An Invitation----------------------------------------------------[LTE] KFEST 2002 Plan Ahead for K-Fest 2002---------------------------------------[PAK] EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] [*] [*] [*] READING THE LAMP! The index system used by The Lamp! is designed to make """"""""""""""""" your reading easier. To use this system, load this issue into any word processor or text editor. In the index you will find something like: EXTRA INNINGS About The Lamp! ------------------------------------------------ [INN] To read this article, simply use your search or find command to locate [INN]. There is a similar tag at the end of each article: [EOA]. [OPN]------------------------------- HIGH ABOVE THE ROCK RIVER | ------------------------------------ From The Editor """"""""""""""" by Lyle Syverson Milestones ~~~~~~~~~~ The view from High Above The Rock River this day in mid December is unusual, but beautiful. Unseasonably warm weather, with abundant rain rather than snow, has resulted in the ground being carpeted in a rich green color. We have a clear view of the "mile markers" along the sides of the highway in the distance... a reminder of the milestones of many years ago. Syndicomm Online reached a milestone this month. The service went online December 8, 2000 with an open beta test period. The growth of service and the evolution of the software to provide this service has been very impressive. Other milestones were reached this month. This is the forty eighth issue of The Lamp!... a full four years of publication. I have served as editor for twenty four months... which means I have tied Ryan in length of service as editor of The Lamp! The Little Seed That Could ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Early this past Spring, there appeared in a crack in the sidewalk near a flower bed nearby, the sprout of a viola. A seed from the previous year had fallen into the crack and sprouted. This plant, small in stature, was soon displaying brilliant yellow blooms... radiating a beautiful greeting to all who passed. The gardener has removed all the plants from the flower bed so as to clean it up for the following season... but overlooked the little viola. The unusually warm, moist season has favored this tiny plant... it continues to bloom to this day. So if you think you have it tough and have no time to help others who have an interest in Apple II computers, consider the tiny viola growing in that crack in the sidewalk. You might consider helping with the Apple II Documentation Project or the Welcome Wagon Project. (For more information see Distillations from Syndicomm Online in this issue.) You might consider a presentation at K-Fest 2002. (See the K-Fest section in this issue for dates.) [EOA] ASCII ART BEGINS _________ _ _ _ |__ __| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___ ____ | | _____ __ ___ _ _ _____ | | | | | ___ \ / __ \ | | /____ \ | v v | | v ___ \ | | | | | | | | | /__\ \ | | ____| | | /\ /\ | | / \ \ | | | | | | | | | _____| | | / ___ | | || || | | | | | |_| | | | | | | | |_____ | |____ | |__| | | || || | | \___/ / _ |_| |_| |_| \______| |______| \____^_| |_||_||_| | |\____/ |_| | | | | |_| ASCII ART ENDS [EOA] --------------------------------------------------- DISTILLATIONS FROM The A2 FORUM at Syndicomm.com | (A2Central.com) | --------------------------------------------------- by Lyle Syverson [GHG] GOTTA HAVES FOR THE IIgs """""""""""""""""""""""" I am currently reinstalling my GS and was wondering (so I don't miss something) what are must haves on any GS system? From patches, to sound tools, to games, telecom, text editors....whatever you can think of. CDAs, NDAs..whatever:) Thanks for your help, Dain Keeper of the A2 Boards. A2 on Syndicomm.com. (A2.DAIN, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 15) >>>>> """"" hehe, I'll be doing that before too long too, since my HD was trashed while in storage. It seems that the answer to that would make a great chapter in the A2 Documentation project. The things I wouldn't/couldn't do without? PROSel, GShrinkit, ShowMe NDA, Hermes/Shadowrite, ProTERM A2 and/or Spectrum Things I really like? HFS patch, Sheppy's boot thing I forgot the name of, Appleworks Classic, Appleworks GS, Microsoft Word IIGS -(... only kidding)-, Platinum Paint, Beagle Draw, Quick Clic Calc, Kangaroo, Wolfenstein 3D I don't know much about patches, but what would be really neat would be a disk with a set of the essential patches that are known to be compatible with each other. Of course, there would be copyright problems with distributing such a disk, but just a list of said patches would be invaluable. One could assemble their own disk then. _________ | homas (TCOMPTER, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 16) >>>>> """"" Looking through the list on mine the following stand out: PIFs: GUPP, Quick Launch, II Not Disturb, Initmaster, Desktop Doctor, More Info NDAs: Balloon, Hermes, Show Me, Megabox, Sound It, Sonobox, Desktop Alarm, FreeK, Telnet NDA, Yahtzee NDA CDAs: Screen Saver, Zippy CDVs: Hierarhic, Pointless Of course, I'm far from the most experienced here, buy my GS runs pretty well these days :) Kim Howe Newton Forum Host (KIMHOWE, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 18) >>>>> """"" I seem to recall there being a GUPP patch. I need to look around for that. I know it patched up a few things for you. Dain Neater BB Manager (A2.DAIN, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 17) [EOA] [TGS] TEMPERAMENTAL IIgs """""""""""""""""" This tale is a little strange . It started when my GS would just out of the blue freeze. By that I mean that nothing would work, not the mouse, not the keyboard (except usually for the three finger reset). This never seemed to happen when the computer was in use, but when it was just sitting, usually with the monitor off. This last time I had to turn the computer off, and when I turned it back on I got a message about my Ram Disk was too big. I do not have a ram disk. Turning it off and back on usually got me the same error message, as did the warm boot, but occasionally I would get a 308 error (or maybe -308?) I took out the ram card (just purchased about a month ago) but there was no difference. I then removed the ethernet card, the RamFast card, and finally the ZipGS card (putting back the original cpu chip). At this point, with all of these cards out but with the ram card in, it almost booted from a floppy. Almost, but not quite. I put everything back in and was getting it ready to take to my local Apple store tomorrow. I turned it on and I am writing this message on it. :) Now, I'm sure that somebody will say that the contacts on one of the cards was corroded or that one of the cards was not completely in the slot, but I had taken each card out separately and re-seated it previously in my trials. So, I would appreciate any guesses as to how long I will be able to keep this machine running, and any guesses as to which of the four cards was the most likely villain. David R. Pierce Delivered by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR v1.0b7 (DAVIDP, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 19) >>>>> """"" No clue here. I am one of those people who have had surprisingly good luck with my IIgs. About the only thing that I have had gone bad, is my Hard Disk that was on a focus drive. I just swapped in a new one and it works good as new. I also have never had many problems other than freezes when trying to push a TranswarpGS. Dain Neater (A2.DAIN, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 20) >>>>> """"" Although you have taken out all the cards and cleaned their contacts, have you also taken out the power supply connector and cleaned its contacts? I find that needs to be done about every six months, or the voltages drop to a point where things start to fail. If you see the screen flicker at all during floppy access, then it is a sure sign that the power connector needs to be cleaned. You could also check that all the removable chips, and SCSI connectors, have clean contacts as well... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Sat 8 Dec 2001 - 227 days till KFest '02 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR 1.0b5 Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 3.0 and a dual G4/800Mhz GeForce3 http://www.ewannop.btinternet.co.uk/ (CONDUCTOR, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 21) [EOA] [CTC] CLEANING THE CONTACTS ON A IIgs """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I have never cleaned the contacts on this ROM 3 that I have, although I really haven't had it that long. It hasn't been that unreliable for me either. I am sure that it is different for everybody though. Can cleaning these be dangerous in any way? Thanks, Dain Neater (A2.DAIN, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 23) >>>>> """"" Yes, if you leave the power on you can do serious damage to the GS. :) Seriously, the best way to clean contacts is to pull and reseat the cards or chips a couple of times. Same goes with the power connector. For more serious dirt on card edge connectors, wipe with a lint free cloth with alcohol. Carl Knoblock - Telephone Tech - Sat 8 Dec 01 4:00:38 pm cknoblo@applelinc.org - Via Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR v1.0b7 KFest 2002, July 23-28, 2002 - 227 days till KFest On cable via LANceGS & Marinetti 2.0.1 - Thank you, Richard. A2 RTC Staff - Saturday Night House Party - carlk@syndicomm.com (CARLK, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 24) >>>>> """"" I had a GS that would do exactly the same thing (as best I can recall from about 8 years ago :). I tried what you tried, and it worked, but I couldn't figure out why. So the next time it did it, I started pulling out cards again. Eventually, I determined that if I stripped EVERY CARD out of the computer, and hooking up NOTHING but the monitor and keyboard, and entered the control panel by holding down the Open Apple key at power up and then chose "set standards and 50 hz" (not 60), exited the control panel and shut down, that I could then hook everything up, go back into the control panel and "set standards and 60hz" and it would work fine. Now that is nothing but voodo. There is no reason why that should work. None. But I've seen it work on a grand total of 2.5 machines. (2 for sure, and one more I think, so I'll count that as .5 :) If you wind up taking it apart again, give that a try, just for grins. Gary R. Utter (HINDMOST, Cat 2, Top 9, Msg 25) [EOA] [USC] UNANNOUNCED, SECRET CONTEST """"""""""""""""""""""""""" Unannounced to the general public, A2 on Syndicomm.com was running a secret contest during the month of October. We looked at all the posts to A2 and chose one winner, who would receive a $10 credit toward their Syndicomm.com account bill. The winner this month is none other than our own KWS, Kelvin Sherlock! Keep watching A2 as we hold more secret contests every month. (A2.RYAN, Cat 2, Top 1, Msg 14) [EOA] [AWR] ANOTHER WINNER """""""""""""" Salutations! As RTC Manager, I was forced by Ryan to give away a $10 credit to some deserving chatmeister. It was tough narrowing down the selection though. After reviewing megabytes of logs, studying the AFK ratios, measuring verbosity and wit, and finally general charm, I made my decision. Then Ryan said I couldn't accept it myself. *sigh* So instead, it will go to the second most qualified Real Time Chatter, your friend and mine... Carl Knoblock Congratulations! Oh.. And Carl... If @Home bites the dust tonight... Never mind. B-{) Kirk RTC Manager (A2.KIRK, Cat 2, Top 35, Msg 19) [EOA] [MSC] MANUAL FOR ORIGINAL Apple II SCSI CARD """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Wanted: Printed manual that shipped with the original Apple II SCSI card. Thank you, Barry Rees brees@syndicomm.com (BREES, Cat 3, Top 32, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" If you just need technical info as opposed to the actual manual, you may want to check Articles 2075, 2097, 1938, and 6781 in particular have all the info you'd want on the SCSI card. Ryan Chief Sysop and Head Turkey (A2.RYAN, Cat 3, Top 32, Msg 5) [EOA] [SUA] SOAR 1.0b7 AVAILABLE, v1.0b8 AVAILABLE SOON """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I have posted a SOAR 1.0b7 update on my web site . If you have problems with that URL, try instead. This release fixes recent problems with reading some message files where new Topics are being announced. You will also find that your message runs are very much faster, as Syndicomm now supports faster access for OLRs at Forum menus. Note that Syndicomm will also now abort login if you are using a version of SOAR earlier than 1.0b5. From version 1.0b7 onwards, SOAR will warn you at login if a newer version of SOAR is available than the one you are using. Please also note that a temporary bug on Syndicomm causes spaces in Topic and Category data to be replaced with tabs. This corrupts the data files that SOAR collects when it rebuilds the Topic files, and makes them unusable by the SOAR script set. SOAR ships with correct data for the A2 and Mac Forums, and if you have already got working database files for other Forums, continue to use those files. For the moment it is unwise to reset the database files till this bug has been fixed. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Fri 16 Nov 2001 - 249 days till KFest '02 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR 1.0b5 Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 3.0 and a dual G4/800Mhz GeForce3 http://www.ewannop.btinternet.co.uk/ (CONDUCTOR, Cat 10, Top 59, Msg 229) >>>>> """"" Fri Dec 14, 2001: A small change to the Forum prompts will be made in the next 24 hours. This change is related to the harmonisation of the Text and the Web side of Syndicomm. As a result, an update to SOAR will be necessary to handle the changed prompts. As soon as the change has been made, and my tests prove all is well, a new version of SOAR (1.0b8) will be available from my web site. After the change, SOAR 1.0b7 will either announce at logon that an update is available, or that it is no longer usable and you should update. Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Fri 14 Dec 2001 - 221 days till KFest '02 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR 1.0b5 Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 3.0 and a dual G4/800Mhz GeForce3 http://www.ewannop.btinternet.co.uk/ (CONDUCTOR, Cat 10, Top 59, Msg 234) [EOA] [CAF] MOST COMPREHENSIVE SET OF Apple II FILES """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" BTW, if you didn't know it, you all have access to the most comprehensive set of Apple II files on the Internet: ftp://ftp.syndicomm.com Ryan (A2.RYAN, Cat 11, Top 2, Msg 12) [EOA] [RDN] REGISTERING A DOMAIN NAME """"""""""""""""""""""""" Hello, I'm thinking of registering a domain name. Last time I did so, I went through networksolutions.com and paid $35/year. Does anyone recommend another provider of domain names to use, maybe at a cheaper rate? When registering, what features or services should I look for that are separate from those offered by the hosting company? -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 39) >>>>> """"" I haven't registered anything with anyone aside from kfest.org with Network Solutions. However, as usual, to find all computer related things cheap, check dealmac.com. It lists godaddy.com offering .net, .org, and .com registrations for $8.95 a year. . . Ryan (A2.RYAN, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 40) >>>>> """"" You'd be hard pressed to find a more expensive registrar, or one with worse customer service than network solutions. You should probably look for a registrar that lets you update your DNS server, contact info, etc instantly via a nice web page. Also, if they provide free DNS serving, that might be useful. (KWS, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 41) >>>>> """"" A domain I registered with Network Solutions two years ago is up for renewal. Can I renew it with another company, or am I "locked" into NS? -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 45) >>>>> """"" Register.com is a good deal and while not $9.95/year, you get what you pay for. ;-) Register.com will let you do your own DNS or do it for you, included in their price. Register.com will transfer your domain from NS automagically by just renewing with them instead. We 'renewed' pacificcoastflyers.org with NS and a month after it was due it still showed as not being paid but the check was negotiated with the invoice number written on it even being circled by one of their gnomes and the domain was not credited. I called them on it and they said "did you put the right invoice in the envelope" (yes, it was the right one and the same number written on the check that one of your people circled). "because perhaps you put the wrong invoice in the envelope and it got credited to another domain." ... WORTHLESS idiots. I am not alone with this, as each domain has come due that I have had with NS I have renewed at register.com instead and it takes care of it for you. You can transfer any domain simply by paying a year registration right then. All on the site. Simple. Tony (A2.TONYD, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 46) >>>>> """"" I like register.com. They cost the same as NSI (so not the cheapest in the world), but they're reliable, easy to deal with, and they have nice online domain management tools. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 47) >>>>> """"" I use NetworkSolutions for my domain name. I have never experienced any problems and prefer them over others. * They are very conscientious of name harvesting and people stealing names and have taken actions to limit that kind of abuse * Lots of payment options: snail mail check, snail mail credit card, online credit card, phone credit card to person, phone credit card in an automated system (which I prefer) * $35/year is still cheap * Been in business since 1995 * Doesn't track requests through the "whois" server * I feel safe having my name with them. * They won't go out of business any time soon so there is no concern having to pay an additional annual charge within a year * They are an U.S. company (do you want your personal info going to a foreign company?) Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 49) >>>>> """"" For many of us, the USA *is* a foreign country! ;-) Peter peterw@syndicomm.com Palm OS Community Bulletin Board Manager (PETERW, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 50) [EOA] [WDS] WHAT IS DNS SERVING? """""""""""""""""""" What exactly is DNS serving? -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 42) >>>>> """"" DNS servers are used to translate the human readable name that you register to an actual IP address (as well as other stuff like mail exchanging) If you're a big site, you probably have your own DNS server. If you're using virtual hosting, the virtual hosting company will tell you to use their DNS server. If you're hosting your site from your own computer (and don't want to deal with DNS serving yourself), you might want to use your registrar's DNS. (KWS, Cat 11, Top 11, Msg 48) [EOA] [TMP] THE MOSP """""""" Just curious about Marinetti and the M.arinetti O.pen S.ource P.roject(MOSP). Has there been any word on it? Dain Neater A2 Bulletin Board Manager Syndicomm (A2.DAIN, Cat 11, Top 15, Msg 29) [EOA] [DWS] DEALING WITH SPAM IN EMAIL """""""""""""""""""""""""" There's an email address I have had for abt seven years but no longer use. It gets about 100 spam messages a month. My new address (a year or two old) is starting to get at least one or two a day now. What a pain. So, I just signed up for spamcop.net. I've been cutting and pasting my email into their report form for awhile, but now I have all my mail routed and filtered through them. It's too soon to determine its effectiveness, but the control and configuration options of spamcop.net look *much* more powerful than I expected. -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" Keep us posted on how effective spamcop.net is. I'm curious. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 2) >>>>> """"" Sheppy, I have SpamCop set to either forward my mail to a "clean" account, or "hold" in my spamcop mailbox what it suspects might be spam. I think SpamCop is currently experiencing an error where it "holds" everything not on my pre-approved white list (a list of specific email addresses or domains from which to accept email); I'm not sure why that is, but I saw someone else report the same behavior. It also appears that SpamCop is due to switch to a new filtering system soon that many people are complaining about, saying that it drops the catch rate from 100% to 10%. Some vocal individuals are cancelling their membership over this change. The new system will also come with a different price structure. Currently, SpamCop charges $.50/meg; they'll be changing it to $3/month. -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 3) >>>>> """"" Well, so far I have plenty of problems with SpamCop.net: 1) All inbound email, spam or not, is being held unless I previously whitelisted the sender. It's almost like having to check two email boxes now, one for received mail and one for held mail. 2) Some emails that make it through the filter have their contents duplicated in HTML, when it was not sent that way. 3) I subscribed Monday afternoon with 50 megs of email bandwidth; I'm now down to 49.3. SpamCop has *not* received or held 700K of email on my behalf in the last 48 hours. I don't know what kind of "new math" this is, but considering I pay by the meg, I don't like it. 4) A mailing list for newbies exists, but none of my questions have been satisfactorily answered. The man responsible for SpamCop (it's a one-man show) obviously doesn't have time to read and respond to posts to that list, either. 5) SpamCop is sending spam reports to the ISP that receives and forwards my email to spamcop.net, despite that ISP not being the origin of the spam. Until some of these problems get resolved (or at least explained), I've removed spamcop.net from my email forwarding system. -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 4) >>>>> """"" I am trying spamcop as well and my biggest problem has been significant lag sometime in the 2 - 3 hour range. I am not getting many held messages, but have only been trying for a day. Is there any other services out there? W (WAYNER, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 5) >>>>> """"" I just prefer lots of filters for dealing with Spam. Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org - A2's Head Geek Alpha Testing CoPilot v2.55 and ProTERM 3.1 Offline Syndicomm.com Message Manager (A2.RYAN, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 6) >>>>> """"" >> I just prefer lots of filters for dealing with Spam. << Me too. I have a procmail filter running on my ISP shell which blocks about 75% of the spam, thus preventing it from ever being downloaded to my computer (saves a lot of time on a dialup account when you get dozens of spams every day.) Almost all the rest of it gets weeded out by my Outlook filters (rules). If you're interested, you can find the procmail filter at http://www.spambouncer.com Tony (A2.TONY, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 7) >>>>> """"" I've used OE a lot in the past, and I like it. However, there's no OS X version. I was using Apple's Mail program, but the filtering was not up to what I wanted. I'm currently using Eudora 5 for OS X. The filtering there is more than adequate. Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org - A2's Head Geek Alpha Testing CoPilot v2.55 and ProTERM 3.1 Offline Syndicomm.com Message Manager (A2.RYAN, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 8) >>>>> """"" SpamCop.net seems to be working better. It's captured five spam today, but has let real mail that I hadn't anticipatory whitelisted still pass through to me. It wasn't doing this before, which was one of my major complaints. -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 14) >>>>> """"" Every now and then, I receive an email from hahaha@sexyfun.net with an attached file, midgets.scr. I've always deleted it, figuring it was either spam or a virus. Today I received that email again, for the first time since I routed my mail through spamcop.net. This time, instead of midgets.scr, there was a .txt file attached: ****** Message from InterScan E-Mail VirusWall NT ****** ** WARNING! Attached file midgets.scr contains: WORM_HYBRIS.M virus Attempted to clean the file but it is not cleanable. It has been deleted. ***************** End of message *************** Very cool. Kudos to SpamCop. -Ken (KGAGNE, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 15) >>>>> """"" That's pretty cool. Sounds like Spamcop is starting to work out for you. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 11, Top 26, Msg 16) [EOA] [APU] A2PIX UPDATED TO v3.0b9 """"""""""""""""""""""" Lazarus Long, who released the Apple ][ Font for the Macintosh, has updated his Apple II image viewing program for the Mac, a2pix, to v3.0b9 http://www.versiontracker.com/moreinfo.fcgi?id=11141&db=mac http://www.lazilong.com/apple_II/a2pix/ (KGAGNE, Cat 12, Top 1, Msg 10) [EOA] [ASG] Apple II SOFTWARE FOR GIF FILES """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Um, #4,558,302 was filed on June 20, 1983 (per the info found at www.uspto.gov). It will expire in a little over 18 months. If LZW follows the like of RSA, then perhaps something LZW based will appear at KFest 2003. That would be exciting. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 12, Top 3, Msg 9) >>>>> """"" Yes, that would be exciting. It'll be nice to have the whole Unisys-as-bad-guy thing done and over with, at least. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 12, Top 3, Msg 10) >>>>> """"" Is the algorithm publicly available? W (WAYNER, Cat 12, Top 3, Msg 11) >>>>> """"" It's patented (until June 20, 2003 :), so until then using it requires filling out forms and paying licensing fees. There are plenty of reference implementations of lzw (unix compress, nulib, gif viewers/creators, etc) with the source code freely available. (KWS, Cat 12, Top 3, Msg 12) >>>>> """"" Software patents which require license fees doesn't mean that the algorythm isn't publicly available. There are a ton of references that explain how it works. KWS already mentioned that the implementation in source code can be found in many places. This doesn't exclude the IIgs--you should be able to find several different source codes with LZW on ftp.gno.org. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 12, Top 3, Msg 13) [EOA] [NGP] NUMBERS OF ROM 01 vs ROM 3 GSs PRODUCED """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Anyone have a guesstimate on number of ROM_01's vs. ROM_3's produced by Apple? ROM_4's need not apply :) Ryan (RSUENAGA, Cat 17, Top 7, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" Not yet, but I sent off an email to a Nathalie Welch of Apple Computer. I got her email address from the following URL: http://www.apple.com/pr/prcontacts.html I asked her for a breakdown of each significant machine type (II, II+, IIe, IIc, IIc+, IIgs (ROM 00), IIgs (ROM 01), IIgs (ROM 03). Let's see if they care to respond. Erick (WAGNERE, Cat 17, Top 7, Msg 2) >>>>> """"" From postings from Apple employees back in 1992, a little less than a million Apple IIgs were produced. Of those, 2/3 were ROM 00/01 and 1/3 was ROM 03. Based on a report from inCider back in 1986, there was 10,000 ROM 00 produced. I don't think there has ever been any confirmation if that meant release in just the U.S. or internationally. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 17, Top 7, Msg 3) [EOA] [ADK] AppleDesign ADB KEYBOARD WORK ON AN Apple IIGS? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" I can't remember the discussion on this, so I need to ask. Does the AppleDesign ADB keyboard work on an Apple IIGS? Thank you, Barry Rees (BREES, Cat 17, Top 19, Msg 4) >>>>> """"" The AppleDesign keyboard doesn't work reliably on the IIgs, in my experience. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 17, Top 19, Msg 5) [EOA] [SSC] SUPER SERIAL CARD vs SUPER SERIAL CARD II """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Are the "Super Serial Card" and "Super Serial Card II" the same card? I've never been real clear on this. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 18, Top 15, Msg 8) >>>>> """"" The finished one, the one we all know as the Super Serial Card is really the "II", I have one that is different in that it has a 26 IDC header connector on it and a slightly different layout where as the one released has only a 10 pin IDC header on it. A penny a pin, for 16 extra pins not needed saved a bundle of money in those days. 16 less holes to drill in the PCB. This coming from designers driven by Steve Wozniac's obsession to make it cost as little as possible while still building a superior product. The Disk ][ analog card layout was completely thrown out and started again to save just one more hole in the PCB. On the PCB a hole where a trace goes from the front to the back side of the board is known as a VIA, the best design with reference to using through-hole components (DIP chips, resistors, caps like what the ][+ and //e are made of as opposed to the surface-mount stuff like the IIgs) is to work the layout to make the most use of the component holes as VIAs instead of having to drill more holes in the board. Back then each hole was another 10 cents in manufacturing costs. Considering the first 200 Apple II's were made and paid for before they were sold, every penny counted and that philosophy stayed with Apple for many years after. The RAMFast Rev C and Rev D are good examples of through-hole compared to surface mount. The RAMFast Rev D also has a bit of this same "Woz" approach to limiting VIAs and board area. The address lines on the EPROM have been re-ordered as so no traces have to cross each other to get to the ROM where as the Rev C is not. The Rev C card is huge and has lots of room to run stuff all over where as the Rev D was a challenge to cram as much as possible. The smaller the PCB the more you can make on a standard piece of stock - the less you waste. If you design your PCB to use every inch of the panel you pay less in that you are paying for the full panel anyway so you might as well use it. That combined with the fewer holes you have drilled in it mean fewer incidents of possibly non-plated VIAs and through-holes meaning a failed board. This is an example of what I mean. ___________________A1 ___________________A6 / __________________A2 / __________________A1 |/ _________________A3 |/ _________________A7 ||/ ________________A4 ||/ ________________A5 |||/ _______________A5 |||/ _______________A4 ||||/ ______________A6 ||||/ ______________A8 |||||/ _____________A7 |||||/ _____________A3 ||||||/ ____________A8 ||||||/ ____________A2 |||||||/ |||||||/ |||||||| |||||||| |||||||| Rev C |||||||| Rev D o||||||| Standard o||||||| Non-standard o|||||| Layout o|||||| Layout o||||| o||||| o|||| o|||| o||| o||| o|| o|| o| o| o o That is why you can not switch the ROMs between RAMFast versions. One was optimized for PCB layout and the other is not. The SIMMs on the Sirius RAM card are the same way. In the two banks each 4 are not wired 1 to 1, 2 to 2, etc either. Storage is storage, as long as the data is where it was placed it will work. As long as that ROM image for the Rev D card is organized in the order so that when the ROM is read it gets loaded in the proper order everything is fine. That meant an extra step when writing the ROM code for the RAMFast. Run the assembler, save the BIN image and then run a program on it that acts much the opposite of a drive optimizer program. Take every 8th byte and swap with every 5th byte, then take every 2nd byte and swap with every 7th byte. In more graphical terms, taking the columns of the Supreme Court and removing them and putting them back in a different order. A specified order. From the outside it looks no different but inside (the computer) the data is now the way it needs to be. Tony -- Hmmm.. perhaps I should have saved that for a Juiced.GS article. (A2.TONYD, Cat 18, Top 15, Msg 9) [EOA] [HDP] HARD DRIVE PREFERENCES """""""""""""""""""""" For modern drives, Seagate makes the best drives out there (alternatives that I don't mind using are IBM SCSI and Maxtor IDE). I avoid everything else. Of course, you should always make backups since drives can fail at any time--even within a year of purchase. I have never met a Micropolis drive I liked--I believe all the ones I had to use are dead. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 19, Top 11, Msg 14) [EOA] [MBC] INTERESTED IN A MPW IIgs BUNDLE CD-ROM? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" If Syndicomm put together an MPW IIgs bundle CD-ROM, would there be interest in such a product? It would include the MPW IIgs Assembler, C, and Pascal compilers, along with the tools, interfaces, and libraries for them. I'd also include the MPW IIgs ORCA/C compiler, and some form of documentation for the various products. I don't know the pricing at this point, I'm just in the contemplating stage. All of these products are currently only available on floppy disk, which is why I'm asking. I'd investigate getting permission from Apple to include MPW itself on the CD, but Apple may or may not grant it. :) Eric Shepherd Owner Syndicomm (SYNDICOMM, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 33) >>>>> """"" Yes, but it would, as usual, depend on the pricing. Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org - A2's Head Geek Alpha Testing CoPilot v2.55 and ProTERM 3.1 Offline Syndicomm.com Message Manager (A2.RYAN, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 34) >>>>> """"" I'd be interested in it, depending on the versions. How far behind the native IIGS versions are the MPW versions? If there was not a significant difference, and there was documentation available (on the CD or pointed to from the CD) where I could learn what the differences were, I'm sure I would be interested Am I missing something, or did you mention the C compiler twice? Are there 2 different compilers? .....ahh, I think I see, the first list you mentioned were apple-branded products, right? That would make the documentation issues I mentioned above even more important. I'd probably be willing to pay at _least_ $50, but almost definitely not more than $99. Actually, isn't the MPW C compiler on the OPUS ][ CD? Or was it just the documentation for it? Or is it the MPW ORCA C compiler that is on the OPUS? >> I'd investigate getting permission from Apple to include MPW itself on the CD, but Apple may or may not grant it. :) << That would definitely be a bonus. Even though it is free (?) it would be worth an extra $10 just to avoid the frustration of trying to find the latest version of it on their site, and unpacking it and all. To further expound on my version concern: I would love to be able to use the mac to edit my IIGS programs, but I would also like to know that the source code I developed on my Mac would also compile natively on the IIGS. If there were functions missing in the APDA versions that were present in the ORCA versions, or some other difference in compilation, that would have to be documented. Also, something else I just thought of. Is there a hardware or OS limitation on MPW? IOW, will it run on a G3 running OS 9? _________ | homas (TCOMPTER, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 35) >>>>> """"" Been moving 5.25s to 3.5s and 3.5s to CDs, etc., in an effort to gain more storage space, so my ears and eyes are always open when I hear someone wants to do the work for me :) (i.e. organize everything and put it on a CD). Over the past few years we've had some delightful compilations I've been happy to purchase. This would be another one if you can pull it off. Thanks for considering the task! Steve (KFESTSTEVE, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 39) >>>>> """"" I've only used MPW once, and have never used the MPW IIgs tools, but that won't stop me from repeating what I've heard :) MPW IIgs asm is more powerful than Orca/M or APW. The macros have nicer local variables, for example. Orca/MPW C is slightly behind the most recent Orca/C. Mike W. has suggested the MPW IIgs linker assumes 16 (or maybe 24-bit) memory, so using it with newer versions of MacOS doesn't always work. You also have the advantage of faster compiles and more powerful editors. Plus, you can work while your work-in-progress needs a reboot :) KWS, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 36) >>>>> """"" The MPW IIgs languages from Apple are: MPW IIgs Assembler MPW IIgs C MPW IIgs Pascal Of these, the assembler and Pascal compiler are excellent; MPW C is kind of awful. There is also a Rez compiler, a linker, and assorted other tools. The MPW IIgs linker doesn't tend to like newer versions of Mac OS but does run on just about any hardware. I generally keep a Mac OS 8.1 or so system around just for running MPW IIgs on. Another option that works quite well is to run the MPW IIgs tools on a Mac emulator like Basilisk (even on the Mac itself). The assembler is particularly excellent, with support for records and a fairly easy to learn macro system. The Pascal compiler was developed specifically to create HyperCard IIgs and received a *lot* of engineering support for that purpose, so it's also quite good. MPW IIgs ORCA/C is the Byte Works C compiler for MPW IIgs. It's based on ORCA/C 2.0.3 but does have a few enhancements, such as support for 4-byte char/ints and for C++ style comments, among others. Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 37) >>>>> """"" Also, one of my plans is to adjust the pricing of some of the APDA products, especially the more expensive stuff like the MPW IIgs tools. Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 38) >>>>> """"" >> You also have the advantage of faster compiles and more powerful editors. Plus, you can work while your work-in-progress needs a reboot :) << To put this all in perspective, if you have a recent Macintosh that runs at least at 200Mhz or so, you can use Bernie ][ the Rescue with the IIgs ORCA environment. For instance this gives me a full reboot in around 10 seconds, and assembly times are more than 10 times faster than a real IIgs. I don't need to copy files to and from the IIgs, and I also have the full power of Mac applications on hand in the other windows. I find that BBEdit's powerful Find function is invaluable when trying to cross reference the variables I have used... Ewen Wannop - Speccie - Fri 16 Nov 2001 - 249 days till KFest '02 Delivered without using a IIgs by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR 1.0b5 Setup: Bernie ][ the Rescue 3.0 and a dual G4/800Mhz GeForce3 http://www.ewannop.btinternet.co.uk/ (CONDUCTOR, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 40) >>>>> """"" I've found that compilation speed isn't really an issue, since I use Bernie or Kegs for development too. When using Bernie, I can use the Codewarrior editor to do my editing, and then copy the text to the GS for compiling. (Although I still haven't perfected that text copying technique, I might point out) So the real question I'm asking myself is: which will be a simpler process, using the Codewarrior/Bernie process mentioned above, or using MPW/Bernie? Which makes a simpler code-compile-test sequence? I'm sure that there is some copy-to-the-GS step involved in using MPW, right? OTOH, if I compile in MPW, and get an error, I can immediately go back to looking at my code, right? That might save some time. _________ | homas (TCOMPTER, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 41) >>>>> """"" >> OTOH, if I compile in MPW, and get an error, I can immediately go back to looking at my code, right? That might save some time. << Yes. What's nice with the MPW/Bernie combination is that you can have both your code and the app (or debugger!) up at the same time. And you can drag the app from the Mac into Bernie after compiling, and that works fine. It's my preferred way to develop IIgs apps these days.. And the compile time is faster in MPW than it is in Bernie, by a long shot. Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 42) >>>>> """"" I used MPW Pascal IIgs for Jasmine/Albatross, the Apple IIg GEnie front end. It's a lovely compiler. Has a couple of bugs which you need to be aware of, but they can be worked around. I also use the linker for producing OMFs for all my major projects. I have a Merlin command which copies all the Merlin links files to the Mac (across AppleShare), MPW then links and builds the OMF, then the Merlin command copies the resultant OMF back once it has been created. I then use another Merlin command (my rcopy) to copy the resource files to the OMF, and it's done. The MPW IIGS linker produces exceptionally small output files, certainly more so than Merlin does. I can't remember why to be honest, and I doubt it is super records, because I'm pretty sure later versions of Merlin did supers. Anyway. The entire process above is automated. A single build command in Merlin assembles, copies the link files across, waits for the OMF, copies that back, attaches the resources and optionally launches the app. Sweet. For Jasmine, there was assembly and Pascal code, the Pascal in MPW, and the assembly in Merlin. I also used Merlin to create a bunch of MPW equiv libraries for the Pascal to call. All works quite nicely in fact, considering how different Merlin is from everything else. Regards, Richard (RICHARDB, Cat 24, Top 1, Msg 43) [EOA] [LGF] LANceGS GLITCH FOUND """""""""""""""""""" When my first LANceGS arrived, I tried to use the built-in ping function from the IP Tools application. It never worked for me, and I think I remember others having the same problem. I had a couple of hours to waste tonight, so I did some testing and found out that the checksum for the IP header is being calculated incorrectly. Some hosts may ignore that (incorrectly), but most do not. After patching it, ping works great. FWIW, the section of code responsible clears the processor carry bit when it shouldn't (twice). My copy is v0.13, so maybe there's a newer version out there already. In any case, it was fun. - Aaron (APULVER, Cat 27, Top 2, Msg 52) >>>>> """"" I haven't looked at version numbers in quite a while. :) Cool that you found and fixed that glitch. I'll drop Joachim a note, see what he knows. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 27, Top 2, Msg 53) [EOA] [ADN] Apple II DOCUMENTATION FOR NEWBIES """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" OK, folks, we need volunteers to put together docs for newbies! Volunteers? :) Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 30, Top 4, Msg 4) >>>>> """"" What can I do to help? Roger A. Schnorenberg - Roger "Roger A. Schnorenberg" Delivered by Spectrum v2.5.2 & SOAR v1.0b6 with NiftySpell 1.0 Via Marinetti 2.1 TCP/IP stack on a ROM 0 IIGS upgraded to the max! (SCHNORENBERG, Cat 30, Top 4, Msg 5) >>>>> """"" There are two ways people can help with the A2DP -- the first is to help figure out what needs to be written. The second is to actually write something. :) Once we figure out what we need to write, we can start getting people set up to write parts of it. I'd like to see several people involved, each writing a chunk of documentation that we can then put into a cohesive document and run through some editing to improve flow and strengthen the content. Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 30, Top 4, Msg 6) [EOA] [WDN] WHAT DOCUMENTATION IS NEEDED? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Let's start planning the sorts of documentation we need. Maybe an outline to start with? Then we can split it up among people willing to write. I'll start: I. Apple II Basics A. Introduction to the Apple II B. Comparison of the various models C. Common features D. Operating system list II. Apple II Hardware A. Components you need B. Recommended peripherals C. Options D. Setting up your Apple II 1. Installing cards 2. Connecting floppy drives 3. SCSI and SCSI voodoo 4. Connecting a printer a. Using a serial card b. Using a parallel card c. On the Apple IIc d. On the Apple IIgs and IIc+ 5. Connecting a modem a. Using a serial card b. On the Apple IIc c. On the Apple IIgs and IIc+ 6. Memory expansion a. Apple II, II+, //e (Slinky) b. Apple //e aux slot c. Apple IIc and IIc+ d. Apple IIgs 7. Finding hardware Anyone care to pick it up? :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 30, Top 5, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" I'm already doing the whole section on vendors. Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W., L.S.W. - rsuenaga@apple2.org - A2's Head Geek Alpha Testing CoPilot v2.55 and ProTERM 3.1 Offline Syndicomm.com Message Manager (A2.RYAN, Cat 30, Top 5, Msg 2) >>>>> """"" Great, Ryan, that's super! Sheppy (SYNDICOMM, Cat 30, Top 5, Msg 3) [EOA] [WWP] THE WELCOME WAGON PROJECT """"""""""""""""""""""""" The Welcome Wagon Project's goal is to create an assortment of starter kit disks for new Apple II users, that can be available for download or cheap purchase. The goal is to have, say, utility disks, productivity disks, game disks, etc. Stuff that's considered must-have for the various Apple II systems. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 30, Top 14, Msg 1) [EOA] [IOV] WERE IN/OUT VECTORS FIXED IN GS/OS? """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Did the character in/out vectors ever actually get fixed in GS/OS? IIRC there was a bug with these, supposedly fixed, but I don't recall if it actually was. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 53, Top 22, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" The bug listed in the Orca/M manual was fixed by the time 6.0.1 was released. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 53, Top 22, Msg 2) >>>>> """"" Excellent. I have some thoughts for things I can do with this. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 53, Top 22, Msg 3) [EOA] [NTP] NETWORK TIME PROTOCOL """"""""""""""""""""" Based on the NTP RFC, it looks pretty simple to implement. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 57, Top 41, Msg 2) >>>>> """"" Are you volunteering? ;D Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 57, Top 41, Msg 3) [EOA] [RBK] RECOMMENDED BOOK? """"""""""""""""" I was just curious if the book "Mastering the Apple IIgs Toolbox" (It's a book from Compute circa 1987) would be helpful, or is it too old to be of much use to a programmer trying to learn how to program the IIGS. Any help is appreciated... Dain Neater (A2.DAIN, Cat 59, Top 7, Msg 1) >>>>> """"" This is a great book; I highly recommend it. It's the book I got my start with, and it's still relevant. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. >>>> """"" I've read a couple IIgs 65816 asm books (which give cursory coverage to the toolbox), and my complaint with them was that the were rushed out the door in 1986 to cash in while the cashing in was hot. Consequently, they spend half their time talking about 16-bit code executed from applesoft, and half their time talking about 1986-era toolbox programming and prodos 16. Resources and the TaskMaster made life easier (if they had been available in 1986, we'd be using IIg4s now :). If Sheppy recommends the book, it's probably good, but be sure to read the Programmers guide to System 6 afterwards :) (KWS, Cat 59, Top 7, Msg 3) >>>>> """"" "Mastering the Apple IIgs Toolbox" wasn't rushed out the door like some of the others; it didn't come out until '87 or '88. It includes coverage of toolsets that Apple didn't even document until '90 or so, like the Note Synthesizer and Note Sequencer. However, its examples are all in assembly language, so if you're learning C, it may or may not be all that useful. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 59, Top 7, Msg 4) [EOA] [PDF] PDF FILE TYPE - MORE DISCUSSION """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Having a PDF file type is debatable since it falls under the same category if a filetype is needed for HTML files. When SIS was developed, I suggested that a filetype should be assigned for this file. I was thinking along the lines of a GSDOC (i.e. the same main type as AWGS) with a unique aux type. HTML is really nothing more than a text file with special tags which display formatting in a Browser. And to support greater compatibility with existing text editors for 8-bit Apple IIs and the GS, it was decided that HTML files are just TXT files. SIS tries to be smart and determine if something is HTML by looking at the filename (i.e. .HTML extension) and by checking the file content for HTML code. Since only a handful of checks are made (for speed reasons), it can mis-identify HTML files. A unique file type is the only safeguard, if one changes all their TXT files into another file type and text editors get updated to store as that format (there are those who write HTML files without using a HTML editor). PDF is also just a TXT file with special information to display a formatted page in PDF viewers. PDF files should be transferred as text to and from a GS. Communication programs such as Spectrum do not handle "special" text files as text--anything that isn't TXT is assume to be some sort of binary file. Even GWFTP will download a pdf file and save it as a TXT file. It would be nice to have unique filetype for these special text files, but how much support will software get to take advantage of them? Will developers update old programs (Proterm, text editors, etc.)? Does the Apple II user base really care (has anybody opened a non-HTML file into SIS and had it displayed as HTML due to the poor checking...also PDF has a unique identifier in the first couple of characters in the file so a TXT file type is perfectly acceptable so a PDF viewer doesn't need a special file type to distinguish between PDF and regular TXT). Going forward, I don't see the continual use of TXT file type as a problem -- beyond the feature to open a file from the Finder. I'm sure Apple IIgs users will not mind running a program to open a PDF file (if such a program ever is written). Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 60, Top 3, Msg 12) >>>>> """"" Well... I'm a big believer in the convenience of being able to just double-click a file to get the right app to open. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 60, Top 3, Msg 13) >>>>> """"" If a PDF file type becomes available, I'll definitely make sure that SCAP supports it. Heck, if a HTML file type becomes available, I'll make sure that SIS supports it too. I'm not going to go through the procedure to create one due to the decisions made back in 1997, but do not mind supporting them for the future. But then what about file types for files such as WAV, JPG, BMP, PNG, etc? There is software which supports these formats so should there be a unique file type on the IIgs since they are popular media formats. Is there a line that is drawn somewhere? (GEOFF, Cat 60, Top 3, Msg 14) >>>>> """"" I'd argue that while PostScript could (arguably) be called source code, PDF is more of an end-user product, so if it had a type, it would need to be somewhere else. Possibly along with the graphics file formats. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (SYNDICOMM, Cat 60, Top 3, Msg 16) >>>>> """"" Perhaps a hypermedia format since it supports bitmap graphics, vector graphics, text, and URLs. I haven't looked at the specs recently to see what else it supports. Geoff (GEOFF, Cat 60, Top 3, Msg 17) [EOA] ------------------------------------ ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM SYNDICOMM | ------------------------------------ by Lyle Syverson [FGJ] FREE GAME FOR JOINING SYNDICOMM ONLINE """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" The holidays are nearly upon us, and Gamebits, Syndicomm's video gaming community, is in the spirit of giving! While supplies last, all new Syndicomm subscribers who use signup code "GAME" and remain members for 90 days will receive a free video or computer game for the system of their choice! There are no contests, no gimmicks, and no tricks. Just sign up for service and get a free game - guaranteed. Subscribe with a credit card and also get a free month. That's three months of Syndicomm service, plus a free video game (average retail price $40+), for as little as $16.67! Tell your friends to combine this promotion with the Syndicomm Buddy Program, and you as the referrer also get a $10 account credit. Just ask them to enter your username during the signup process when asked for "Your sponsoring buddy's username." To subscribe to Syndicomm, visit http://www.syndicomm.com/join.html Full details of this offer can be found at http://www.gamebits.net/syndicomm/promo.shtml Gamebits is accessible at page 850, or with your web browser at http://www.syndicomm.com/communities/gamebits/messages (A2 BB,KGAGNE, Cat 2, Top 35, Msg 16) [EOA] [BGY] BEEN A GOOD YEAR FOR SYNDICOMM ONLINE """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" Syndicomm, the company, officially went into business on November 1, 2000 (not counting the predecessor company by the same name, that was around for most of the 1990s). The online service opened its doors in a public beta test on December 8, 2000. Been a good year. :) Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (HelpDesk BB, SYNDICOMM, Cat 2, Top 4, Msg 23) [EOA] [AFC] ADDING FORUMS AT A GOOD CLIP """""""""""""""""""""""""""" We've been adding forums at a pretty good clip. We're at fifteen, if you count the three that are under construction now. Not bad, considering we first opened our doors a year ago Saturday. Eric "Sheppy" Shepherd sheppy@syndicomm.com Owner, Syndicomm http://www.syndicomm.com Building communities, bit by bit. (HelpDesk BB, SYNDICOMM Cat 4, Top 4, Msg 23) [EOA] [TPQ] The Prolific Quill community invites you to participate """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" in the "Operation Douglas" writing contest! Douglas' story will be told bit-by-bit by each contestant who writes a short chapter in this story, building on the previous parts. The author of the best chapter wins a $20 bookstore gift certificate! Visit Prolific Quill at page 990 and read Category 2, Topic 8 for details. (Logon Banner, Syndicomm Online) [EOA] [SOO] Syndicomm Online opened its doors one year ago, """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" on December 8, 2000, in an open beta test period. Thanks to all of you that have come aboard since then! (Logon Banner, Syndicomm Online) [EOA] ------------------------------------ DISTILLATIONS FROM DELPHI A2 | ------------------------------------ by Lyle Syverson [SMC] STRANGE MEMORY CARD """"""""""""""""""" Ran across a memory card for the IIGS the card says "GS Sauce" from Harris Laboratories Inc.. It has 4 slots which accepts 30 pin sims..It also has 4 dip switch settings on the board. Anyone have any info on these..?? This is the only one like it i have ever came across.... (SKEZER, 3535.1, Delphi A2 web side) >>>>> """"" Sounds similar to my Apple Q-RAM card. The simm slots probably only accept 8-chip 1 meg simms. The dip switches probably determine if the simm slot is filled. You would switch the ones on that are in use and off on the ones that aren't. My Q-RAM card had two dip switches. One for each bank of two simms. I switch the dip on to say that the memory in that bank is filled and off if it isn't. I don't know if that is the same with your card. Try it and see. My card only accepts 256k and 1 meg simms. It won't recognize the two or three chip simms either that was popular on some Macs. C'est moi! http://www.facelink.com/wrstrutts Email: wrstrutts1@home.com (WILLIAM7622, 3535.2, Delphi A2 web side) >>>>> """"" Thanks.. I will give that a try.. Were there many of these types of cards put out for the IIGS...? Thanks... (SKEZER, 3535.3, Delphi A2 web side) >>>>> """"" I think most of the later boards came that way. The older boards made in the 80's were of the ram chip type but most of the ones from the 90's that I have heard about took simms. C'est moi! http://www.facelink.com/wrstrutts Email: wrstrutts1@home.com (WILLIAM7622, 3535.4, Delphi A2 web side) [EOA] ------------------------------------ DISTILLATIONS FROM DELPHI A2PRO | ------------------------------------ by Lyle Syverson [MOS] MARINETTI OPEN SOURCE PROJECT """"""""""""""""""""""""""""" Hi all, Were you interested in helping out with the Marinetti Open Source Project but did not know how to get started? I've just posted a number of guiding emails onto the Help discussion forum on the Sourceforge site. The emails deal with how to become a contributor to the project, how to get the latest development object code, where to find the information you need to set up your development environment, how to get the latest source code, directions on where to find information about building the source, and further reading material. You can find this information here: Go to the Marinetti Open Source Project home page on SourceForge http://sourceforge.net/projects/marinetti/ then click on the "Public Forums" link then click on the "Help" Forum link The information I refer to above can be found in the "How do I get started?" thread. Cheers, Andrew Roughan (ROUGHANA, 378.2, Delphi A2PRO web side) >>>>> """"" Cool. Thanks for doing that, Andrew. I'll have to stop by there and read that this weekend. Unfortunately, I'm not sure when I actually have time to try and help out but I'm hoping it won't be too long. Jeff Blakeney Dean of the Apple II University in the Apple II area of Syndicomm (JBLAKENEY, 378.3, Delphi A2PRO web side) >>>>> """"" Hi Jeff, I was searching through comp.sys.apple2 for references to Marinetti when I found this quote of yours from 2000/04/02: >> E-mail clients are still in the works and I'm going to finish mine if for no other reason than to prove to myself that I can actually finish a project. :-) << I thought I'd drop you a line and see how you're going with it. Do you need any encouragement? :) I'm trying to get the MOSP site going again. Are you interested in helping out in any way? One thing that would really help would be some additional weight on momentum to get things going. Registering as a developer on Soureforge and sending the MOSP administrator an email with a request to be included as a developer in the MOSP area would help out a lot. http://sourceforge.net/projects/marinetti Cheers, Andrew (ROUGHANA, 378.4, Delphi A2PRO web side) >>>>> """"" I haven't worked on it for a while now as I'm a Windows programmer by day working under contract to my brother's company and a data entry person by night working at Fedex. I'm currently working on a project with my brother that is taking up a lot of my time as we have deadlines and such to meet. However, I still stand by that statement. It will be finished and I'm planning on having it ready before KFest 2002. A little encouragement is always a good thing because most of the folks in chat in the Apple II area on Syndicomm.com now know how much of a procrastinator I can be and keep ribbing me about it. :-) >> I'm trying to get the MOSP site going again. Are you interested in helping out in any way? One thing that would really help would be some additional weight on momentum to get things going. << I'd love to help out but like I said in my earlier message, I probably won't have time to think about helping until January. My Windows programming has had me working with TCP/IP programming a fair bit lately so having to read a few more RFCs wouldn't kill me. :-) >> Registering as a developer on Soureforge and sending the MOSP administrator an email with a request to be included as a developer in the MOSP area would help out a lot. << I'll get myself registered soon and as soon as I'm ready to help I'll let everyone know. I downloaded the current version of Marinetti but haven't had a chance to transfer it to my IIgs to try it out yet. Jeff Blakeney Dean of the Apple II University in the A2Pro Forum (JBLAKENEY, 378.6, Delphi A2PRO web side) [EOA] [AGD] THE Apple IIgs DEBUGGER """"""""""""""""""""""" While reading through the Programmers Introduction to the Apple IIgs I came across references in Chapter 7 to the "Apple IIgs Debugger" and the "Apple IIgs Debugger Reference". Does anyone know if these things were actually released to the public? Does anyone have them? I think I have the latest documentation available - "Apple II GSbug and Debugging Tools Reference" draft 3/16/89 - "GSbug and Debugging Tools Release Note" Version 4.0b1 from 13-Apr-89. - some loose pages with header "GSBug 1.5 ERS 2/3/92" that has a cover page titled "GSBug Version 1.6 ERS October 10, 1991" which documents changes up to version 1.6b21 However I would interested to read the "Apple IIgs Debugger Reference". If in fact it exists. Cheers, Andrew (ROUGHANA, 412.1, Delphi A2PRO web side) >>>>> """"" Sounds like you have more than I've ever seen. The only documentation I've ever had for GSBug was in the Orca/M manual. I learned a lot more at Richard Bennett's GSBug session at KFest '98. I'm going to have to make a transcript of that session from my video tape some day just to make sure I don't forget any of the things he showed that I didn't know you could do. :-) Sorry I can't help on the Debugger Reference. Hopefully we can get permission to share all these documents in the future. Jeff Blakeney Dean of the Apple II University in the Apple II area of Syndicomm. (JBLAKENEY, 412.2, Delphi A2PRO web side) [EOA] ------------------------------------ CHANGES AT DELPHI | ------------------------------------ by Lyle Syverson [DMG] DELPHI MERGING WITH eHow and Idea Exchange """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" An Important Announcement to Our Members Dear Delphi Members, We are pleased to announce that Delphi is merging with eHow and Idea Exchange. This change will enable Delphi to continue as a strong and growing business. Delphi Forums will grow through cross promotion to an audience of millions of eHow and IdeaExchange members. Delphi members will also have access to the ideas and expertise that are the hallmark of eHow and IdeaExchange. You will find the Delphi services expanding and improving because Delphi will receive new engineering and customer service attention and resources. All three sites will have integrated technology, content, and services. New features and other opportunities for members, hosts, and DelphiPlus Members will be announced in the weeks and months to come. In addition to new features, new opportunities, and a stronger, healthier company, Delphi Forums will also be introducing a new domain name. Starting today Delphi Forums will begin to transition to www.delphiforums.com and forums.delphiforums.com. Please click on the "More Information" button below to learn more about these very important changes and how Delphi Members will benefit. (Delphi login ad) [EOA] [DLS] DELPHI, THE LATEST SCORE """""""""""""""""""""""" 1. Prospero Technologies sells Delphi, keeps the delphi.com domain. 2. Prospero Technologies sells the delphi.com domain to Delphi Automotive. 3. Delphi merges with eHow and Idea Exchange. 4. Delphi becomes a client of Prospero Technologies and continues to use their software. 5. Inforonics Acquires Prospero Technologies. Bottom line for those wanting access to the Delphi Forums... change your bookmarks... new old OR FOR SUREFIRE ACCESS, logon with... http://forums.delphiforums.com/my-forums (Editor) [EOA] ------------------------------------ LETTERS TO THE EDITOR | ------------------------------------ [NLE] NO LETTERS TO THE EDITOR THIS MONTH """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""" The mail box for Letters to the Editor remained empty this month. [EOA] [LTE] AN INVITATION ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Express your opinions about the comings and goings in the world of the Apple II computers. Send your comments to Lyle Syverson, Editor The Editor reserves the right to edit any material submitted. The Editor reserves the right to reject any material he considers unsuitable for publication in _The Lamp!_. [EOA] [KFT]------------------------------ KFest 2002 | ----------------------------------- [PAK] PLAN AHEAD FOR K-Fest 2002 """""""""""""""""""""""""" KansasFest 2002 is scheduled for July 23 through 28 of 2002. Plan ahead. Mark your calendar. Start saving your money. Join us for K-Fest 2002! For additional information visit the K-Fest Home Page at: http://www.kfest.org/ [EOA] [INN]------------------------------ EXTRA INNINGS | ----------------------------------- About The Lamp! The Lamp! is published on the fifteenth of every month on """"""""""""""" the WEB at: http://lamp.a2central.com/ This publication produced entirely with real or emulated Apple II computers using Appleworks 5.1 and Hermes. Apple II Forever! * The Lamp! is (c) copyright 2001 by Ryan M. Suenaga, M.S.W. All rights reserved. * To reach The Lamp! on Internet email send mail to thelamp@sheppyware.net * All issues of The Lamp! are available at The Lamp! Home Page, http://lamp.a2central.com/ >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Opinions expressed herein are those of the individual authors, and do not necessarily represent the opinions of A2Central.com, Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Ryan M. Suenaga, or Lyle Syverson. Forum messages are reprinted verbatim and are included in this publication with permission from the individual authors. A2Central.com, Delphi Online Services, Syndicomm, Ryan M. Suenaga, and Lyle Syverson do not guarantee the accuracy or suitability of any information included herein. We reserve the right to edit all letters and copy. Material published in this edition may not be reprinted without the expressed written consent of the publisher. Registered computer user groups, not for profit publications , and other interested parties may write the publisher to apply for permission to reprint any or all material. <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<< [EOF]