🚀 go-pugleaf

Archive-name: msdos-programmer-faq/part4
Last-modified: 22 August 1992


(continued from part 3)         (no warranty on the code or information)

If the posting date is more than six weeks in the past, see instructions
in the last part of this list for how to get an updated copy.

            Copyright (C) 1992  Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems


section A. Downloads
====================

QA01. What is garbo?  What is wustl?

    These are alternative archive sites.  Please try to use the site for
    your continent; see next Q.

QA02. What are Simtel and "mirror sites"?  What good are they?

    The U.S. Government maintains a massive archive of useful software
    and info files at the SIMTEL20 site.  This includes scads of
    utilities, plus source code from {PC Magazine}, {Dr Dobbs Journal},
    and others.  You can use Simtel by ftp (wsmr-simtel20.army.mil =
    192.88.110.20) or (if necessary) email.  To find out how, look for
    these monthly articles in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives :

        How to find files in the SIMTEL20 msdos collection
        SIMTEL20 archive info for Internet FTP users
        How to order SIMTEL20 files via e-mail

    Another important archive site is garbo (at the University of Vaasa,
    Finland).  garbo is set up differently from Simtel but contains many
    of the same useful files.

    Please try first at the site nearest you:

    - Europe and Asia: look first at garbo; for prerecorded instructions
      (about 29K), email Timo Salmi (ts@uwasa.fi).

    - Oceania:  try archie.au first.  (This is different from the Archie
      mail server, archie-l@cs.mcgill.ca.)  Paul Brooks has written to
      say that it "mirrors garbo and simtel-20 (in /micros/pc/simtel-20,
      /micros/pc/garbo) as well as many other archives.  Telnetting to
      'archie.au' and logging on as 'archie' (no password) will access
      the Oceanic ARCHIE server."  Email Craig Warren (ccw@archie.au)
      for instructions if needed.

    - North America: try SIMTEL20 (a/k/a Simtel) first; see above for
      instructions or email Keith Petersen (w8sdz@vela.acs.oakland.edu).
      Also see the Simtel mirrors OAK.Oakland.Edu and ftp.uu.net, or the
      SIMTEL20 & garbo mirror wuarchive.wustl.edu.

    General cautions and guidelines:

    - Some of the mirrors may lag occasionally, or might not have all
      the files.

    - If you send an email message and don't get a reply within a few
      days, there are two likely causes.  Most likely the Reply-to path
      in your message is not valid; your sysadmin can check this and
      correct it if necessary and then you can send your message again.
      Occasionally a machine goes down for an extended period, which may
      prevent a timely reply to your message.  If you're sure your
      message bears a good reply path and you haven't got a reply in a
      week or so, you might send your message again, once.  Don't post
      it as an article in a newsgroup.

QA03. Where do I find program <mumble>?

    There are several newsgroups to help; comp.binaries.ibm.pc.wanted is
    generally the best place to ask your question.  Please review the
    guidelines in "What other newsgroups should I know about?" in
    section 1, "General questions".  See also the next Q.

QA04. How can I check Simtel or garbo before I post a request for a
      program?

    What a good idea!  It will save your time and save net resources
    too.  Simtel and garbo have indexes of their contents, which you can
    download and use in searching off line.

    garbo has an index file, /pc/INDEX, an annotated list, frequently
    updated, of the MS-DOS files there; to save download time, get the
    packed form /pc/INDEX.ZIP.  The news file, /pc/pd2/news-pd2 contains
    selected news on all MS-DOS directories at garbo.

    Simtel's index files are all in PD1:<MSDOS.FILEDOCS>.  SIMLIST.ARC
    is in text format (315K as of February 1992).  But you may prefer
    the file SIMIBM.ARC (355K as of February 1992) which is
    comma-delimited for easy use with any of these search facilities:

    - Two search programs are SIMTEL35.ARC (162K) and SIMDIR21.ZIP
      (19K).

    - dBASE III or IV users can load the index from SIMLIST.ARC using
      instructions in SIMIBM.INF (180 bytes) and SIMIBM.DB3 (581 bytes).

    - PC-FILE users should get SIMIBM.HDR (129 bytes), which tells how
      to use SIMIBM.ARC.

QA05. How do I download and decode a program I found?

    See the "starter kit" in comp.binaries.ibm.pc, usually posted on the
    first and 15th of every month.  Most binaries are posted and sent
    through email in 'uuencode' format.  The starter kit contains a
    uudecode program to turn this file back into a binary.

    If you can't wait (if?, bwaa-haa-haa), you can get the starter kit
    via ftp or email.  By ftp, access pit-manager.mit.edu (18.172.1.27)
    and look for the following file or one with a similar name:

        /pub/usenet/comp.binaries.ibm.pc/v17i7:_s.k,_C_S_s_K_(p_01_01)

    By email, send mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu a message with blank
    subject and the following lines of text in the body:

        send usenet/comp.binaries.ibm.pc/v17i7:_s.k,_C_S_s_K_(p_01_01)
        send usenet/comp.binaries.ibm.pc/index

    The first command sends the starter kit, unless the version number
    has changed.  If it has, the first command will fail, so look at
    the index that you get in response to the second command and re-send
    the first command with the correct version number.

    If you're using Kermit, remember to set file type binary before
    issuing the send command.  By the way, the uuencoded file is bigger
    than the binary, so you'll save connect time if you can uudecode it
    and then download the binary file.

QA06. Where is UUDECODE?

    You can find it in Simtel, but it's easier to take it from the
    "starter kit" mentioned in the preceding Q.

    If you're logged in at a Unix site, there's almost certainly a
    uudecode there:  just type "uudecode" followed by a space and the
    file name.  The binary file is 25% smaller than the uuencoded file,
    so you'll save connect time if you can uudecode it on the Unix host
    and then download the binary file.  Remember: set file type binary.

QA07. Why do I get errors when extracting from a ZIP file I downloaded?

    There are many possible causes, but two of them probably account for
    95% of all problems.  (1) Did you remember to set your file-transfer
    protocol to binary mode, at both ends if necessary?  (2) Are you
    using the current version of PKUNZIP?  (See section B, "Vendors and
    products".)  The vast majority of stuff in archive sites requires
    PKZIP version 1.10 to extract correctly.  It causes confusion that
    older versions of PKZIP aren't smart enough to tell you that the
    problem is with the extraction program and not with the file you're
    trying to extract from.


section B. Vendors and products
===============================

QB01. How can I contact Borland?

    Borland has set up three email addresses.  However, none of them is
    for technical support such as help with finding your own programming
    errors and explaining compiler messages.

    - customer-support@borland.com is for questions about prices and
      features of products, replacing bad or missing disks, info on
      upgrades, etc.  They do not accept emailed credit-card numbers.

    - bugs@borland.com will take "a well-documented bug report" and send
      an automated response, but will not give you a workaround or a
      scheduled fix date or even confirm that it is or is not considered
      a bug.  "The purpose of bugs@borland.com is to improve future
      products sooner, not as a substitute for tech support channels."

    Tech support is provided through Compuserve (GO BOR), by voice phone
    at +1 408 438 5300, by FAX at (800) 822-4269 in U.S. (use Touch-Tone
    voice phone), on a BBS at +1 408 439 9096, and by mail at

        Technical Support Department
        Borland International
        P.O. Box 660001
        Scotts Valley CA 95067-0001, USA.

    You'll need to give your product's name, version, and serial number.

    Finally, in the 31 Mar 1992 issue of {PC Magazine}, an ad over the
    signature of Philippe Kahn, Borland's chairman, says "I want to make
    sure that I get your feedback about our dBASE products.  Call my
    voice mail directly at (800) 851-2122 with your critiques and
    suggestions."

QB02. How can I contact Microsoft?

    Individual employees of Microsoft (not MicroSoft, please!) post here
    sometimes.  Their addresses all take the form person@microsoft.com.
    However, Microsoft as a company does not provide product support
    through the Internet, as far as I'm aware.  Technical support
    through your modem is available on Compuserve (GO MICROSOFT).

    If you want to place an order or get general pre-sales information,
    call the appropriate sales and service number:

        U.S. end-user sales                   (800) 426-9440
        U.S. corporate/gov't/reseller/
                 educational sales            (800) 227-4679
        Canadian sales                        (800) 568-3503
        International sales                  +1 206 936-8661

    For tech support you must make an ordinary long-distance phone call.
    Microsoft has separate incoming phone numbers for many products.
    Since it's your nickel, first check your documentation to see if a
    phone number is listed.  Here are phone numbers (as of 1 June 1992)
    for a few products of most interest to the readers of this group:

        C/C++               (206) 635-7007
        MASM                (206) 646-5109
        DOS Upgrade Users   (206) 646-5104 (for 90 days after first call)
        Windows Users       (206) 637-6098

    If you can't find the direct number any other way, call the "master"
    numbers below or the sales numbers a few paragraphs above.  You'll
    get the "voice mail phone tree from h-ll" but you'll eventually get
    to the right department.  They don't provide technical assistance,
    but a voice menu will help you find the current phone number for the
    department you need.

        U.S. end-user product support         (206) 454-2030
        U.S. languages support                (206) 637-7096

    You can also write to Microsoft Product Support, 16011 NE 36th Way,
    Box 97017, Redmond WA 98073-9717, USA.

QB03. What's the current version of PKZIP?

    The current version is 1.10 (PKZIP110.EXE), available from Simtel as
    PD1:<MSDOS.ZIP>ZIP110EU.EXE.  This is the same as the standard
    version except it doesn't offer authenticity verification (the -AV
    indicators) because of U.S. law.  Remember that PKZIP is shareware
    and you're expected to pay for it if you use it.  Current price is
    $25, or $47 for a free upgrade when the next version is released.

    Since early 1992, PKWARE has been running ads in computer magazines
    announcing 2.0; but it seems to be vaporware.  The latest actual
    version, 1.93, is a test version not in general release, and not
    guaranteed compatible with the eventual official release.  Several
    versions that have been called 2.0, 2.01, or 2.2 are at best hacked
    versions of that beta-test version and at worst trojans that trash
    your hard disk.

    By the way, if you're attempting to register a shareware copy of
    PKZIP 1.1, be aware that PKWARE's address has changed.  The current
    address, according to a CIAC (ciac@llnl.gov) bulletin, is

        PKWARE Inc.
        9025 N. Deerwood Drive
        Brown Deer, WI 53223 USA
        Voice: +1 414 354-8699    BBS: +1 414 354-8670

QB04. What's in Microsoft C/C++ 7.0?

    spoiler:  Yes, it includes the Windows 3.1 SDK, with an option to
    build applications that run on 3.0 and 3.1.

    According to the {Getting Started} booklet, the compiler needs 4 MB
    of RAM, an 80386 or better, and 8-27 MB on your hard disk.  (An
    email correspondent said Microsoft said it will run on an 80286, but
    very slowly).  C/C++ comes on nine 3.5" 1.44 MB diskettes, plus one
    for the source profiler and 11 more for the Windows System Develop-
    ment Kit (SDK); it's also available on 5.25 diskettes.

    The Programmer's WorkBench (PWB) and CodeView (CV) run in Windows or
    DOS.  According to the README.TXT file, "Microsoft C/C++ version 7.0
    requires DPMI services.  If you wish to use Windows as your develop-
    ment environment, Windows provides DPMI services for you.  To use
    MS-DOS as your development environment you must install 386-Max to
    provide these services."   A copy of Qualitas 386-Max is included.

    The upgrade includes everything in the compiler except printed ref-
    erence manuals for the Windows SDK (which is documented on disk).
    The manuals in my copy of upgrade are:

        Getting Started
        Environment and Tools
        Programming Techniques
        Run-Time Library Reference
        C Language Reference
        C++ Tutorial
        C++ Language Reference
        Class Libraries User's Guide
        Class Libraries Reference
        Comprehensive Index and Errors Reference (indexes all the above)
        Quick Reference Guide (card shows options for tools)
        Source Profiler User's Guide
        Class Libraries reference card
        Windows SDK: Getting Started
        Windows SDK: Programming Tools
        Windows SDK: Setup Toolkit for Windows

    The remaining printed manuals for the SDK for Windows 3.1 come with
    the compiler but not with the upgrade.  They are:

        Guide to Programming
        Programmers' Reference Volume 1: Overview
        "       "       "       "     2: Functions
        "       "       "       "     3: Messages, Structures and Macros
        "       "       "       "     4: Resources
        Multimedia Programmer's Guide
        Multimedia Programmer's Reference
        MS Windows for Pen Computing: Programmer's Reference
        The Windows Interface: An Application Design Guide
        The Win32 Application Programming Interface: An Overview

    Pricing:

    - compiler: $499 list, about $300 from mail-order companies

    - upgrade from any version of a C or C++ compiler from Microsoft,
      Borland, Watcom, or Zortech/Symantec: $139 list -- to order, call
      Microsoft sales and service listed earlier in this section

    - printed docs for Windows 3.1 SDK: $150 list (order form included
      with the upgrade)


section C. More information
===========================

QC01. Are there any good on-line references for PC hardware components?

    I have heard good reports of HELPPC21.ZIP, downloadable from Simtel
    in PD1:<MSDOS.INFO> (283578 bytes, dated 910510).  There's an info
    file in the same directory, HELPPC21.INF (6121 bytes).  European
    users will find it as garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/programming/helppc21.zip.

    This hypertext system contains much information on ports and other
    hardware, as well as some overlap with Ralf Brown's interrupt list
    (see next Q).  It is shareware ($25).

QC02. Are there any good on-line references for PC interrupts?

    The definitive work is Ralf Brown's interrupt list, which is packed
    with information on documented and (officially) undocumented BIOS
    and DOS interrupts, DOS tables, and interrupts hooked by many
    software packages.

    The interrupt list comes from CS.CMU.EDU [128.2.222.173] in
    /afs/cs/user/ralf/pub (switch there with a *single* command) as
    inter31a.zip, inter31b.zip, and inter31c.zip.  At Simtel it's in
    PD1:<MSDOS.INFO>INTER31A.ZIP, INTER31B.ZIP and INTER31B.ZIP.  At
    garbo it's in /pc/programming/inter31a.zip, inter31b.zip, and
    inter31c.zip.  These versions were uploaded in late July 1992;
    updates are announced in comp.binaries.ibm.pc.archives every few
    months.

    If you'd rather not download the list, you can get it in book form,
    split up by subject, as {PC Interrupts:  A Programmer's Reference to
    BIOS, DOS, and Third-Party Calls} by Ralf Brown and Jim Kyle
    (Addison-Wesley; ISBN 0-201-57797-6).  This corresponds to INTER26
    with the most important new material from INTER27, so the on-line
    list contains more current information than the book.  (The on-line
    list has also grown by about 30% since the book was published.)

QC03. What and where is "Ralf Brown's interrupt list"?

    See the preceding Q.

QC04. Where can I find lex, yacc, and language grammars?

    The FAQ list of the comp.compilers newsgroup answers this for Basic,
    C, Pascal, and other languages.  See later in this section.

QC05. What's the best book to learn programming?

    Sorry, this FAQ list cannot settle religious arguments.

QC06. Where are FAQ lists archived?

    Many are crossposted to news.answers.  That newsgroup should have a
    long expiry time at your site; if not, talk to your sysadmin.

    FAQ lists are available by anonymous FTP from pit-manager.mit.edu
    [18.172.1.27] in files with names like

        /pub/usenet/news.answers/C-faq/faq

    and by email from mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu.  For instructions
    about the mail server, send a message with "help" and "index" on
    different lines.

QC07. Where can I get the latest copy of this FAQ list?

    It is posted every month to news.answers in such a way that it
    should stick around until the following month's version has been
    posted.  Please check news.answers first, looking for the Subject
    line "comp.os.msdos.programmer FAQ".

    If the article has expired from your site's news.answers, or your
    site doesn't get news.answers, you can retrieve the latest version
    of this list as /pub/usenet/news.answers/msdos-programmer-faq/part1
    through part4 via FTP at pit-manager.mit.edu [18.172.1.27].  This
    list is also stored as garbo.uwasa.fi:/pc/doc-net/faqpYYMM.zip,
    replacing YYMM by the year and month of the latest list, e.g. 9206.

    If the article is unavailable from news.answers and you don't have
    ftp, send a message with blank subject and contents
        send usenet/news.answers/msdos-programmer-faq/part1
    to mail-server@pit-manager.mit.edu.

(end of comp.os.msdos.programmer FAQ)
-- 

Stan Brown, Oak Road Systems                      brown@Ncoast.ORG