🚀 go-pugleaf

Rainbow EchoMail Digest                         Aug 30, 1990

In this issue:
  RE: CACHE PROGRAM              (2 messages)
  RE: COLORS ON RAINBOW          (4 messages)
  ANOTHER MEMORY EXP. QUEST
  RE: EXTENDED MEMORY ON A
  LZEXE
  RE: VR241 AND RD53
  RE: TRANSLATION                (2 messages)
  WINDOWS 3.0 FOR THE RAINB


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------------------------------------------------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (17:15)
To:       CARL HOUSEMAN
Subject:  RE: CACHE PROGRAM
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 CH> re: This particular software item was furnished as an adjunct to a
 CH>     hardware item (viz., clock).  Withtout the software, the hardware
 CH>     has no value, and vice versa.
 CH>
 CH> Now this is sounding more and more like the VMS license controversy
 CH> recently reported by DR.  Do you still get your copy, Frank?  DEC is
 CH> now starting to treat VMS licenses as something that travels with the
 CH> CPU *board* and cannot be transferred to a replacement board if one
 CH> should acquire one outside of DEC's provisions.  Thus an upgrade of a
 CH> 6310 to a 6410 done by the customer requires the complete re-purchase
 CH> of a VMS license for the 6410.

No, I terminated my subscription to DR, etc.

Luckily on the Rainbow, we don't have a processor serial no. that the
software can check to verify that it is running on the board that it was
licensed to.

 CH> As for the clock board, and the way I treat most similar software (e.g.
 CH> hard disk formatting programs sent along with HD controllers, etc.) is
 CH> that the software DOES travel with the hardware.  In most cases - and
 CH> especially in the RB clock situation (any one of them) - the software
 CH> is useless to someone without the hardware, as you stated.  Therefore
 CH> posting the software would hardly seem to a case for legal action,
 CH> unless that software could be used with some (competitor's) hardware.

Trouble is that many vendors of used equipment have a definite policy of
discarding any and all software and documentation that they may have
acquired  with the hardware.

 CH> Didn't SS distribute an updated CLIKCLOK program through the BBS
 CH> network?

Yes.  I don't see any problem with the RBW program, either.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247 (1:109/417)
------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (17:24)
To:       CARL HOUSEMAN
Subject:  RE: COLORS ON RAINBOW
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 CH> Just a note - the VT-240 programmer's manual won't do a Rainbow owner
 CH> much good unless he's running Rainbow REGIS.

How about the codes for hue, intensity, etc. in the Terminals & Printers
Handbook?

BTW, again, it's the VT-241 manual that would have color info.  The
VT-240 is  a monochrome terminal, as I'm sure you know.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247 (1:109/417)
------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (17:30)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  ANOTHER MEMORY EXP. QUEST
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 GT> From: aggie.ucdavis.edu!ccjason@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu  (Jason Y. Gabler)
 GT> Organization: University of California, Davis
 GT>
 GT> Not only do I know know where to put tht edip switches on the memory
 GT> board, I was wondering is anyone has RB 100+ documentation ( I only
 GT> have 100B ).

The 100+ differs from the 100B only in that it has a hard drive with
controller, and a doodad on the cabinet that says "100+".

 GT> I keep getting this error message:
 GT>
 GT> SEE OWNERS MANUAL - Message 27 - Memory Board
 GT>
 GT>
 GT> Its wierd .. i can boot up and all.  But as soon as I try to run a
 GT> program that uses more that a few kb, the RB crashes.

Sounds like you have a bad memory chip.  You need to run the diagnostic
to  check out the memory and pinpoint any bad chips.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247 (1:109/417)
------------------------------
Date:     08-28D90 (00:16)
To:       FRANK MALLORY
Subject:  RE: COLORS ON RAINBOW
From:     CARL HOUSEMAN

As someone else pointed out, you can't even get into a color display or
change colors by sending ANSI escape sequences to the Rainbow.  The
VT-241 might change the color of text (without using a REGIS command)
but the Rainbow won't.

 That's why I said you need RB Regis, which can redirect console output
to the graphics screen, in whatever colors you want.


- --- Opus-CBCS 1.12
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md - 301-622-2247
------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (09:06)
To:       ALL
Subject:  RE: EXTENDED MEMORY ON A
From:     FRANK ZSITVAY


In article <449.26D3CDAB.@techbks1.FIDONET.ORG>
David.Maroun@f3.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG (David Maroun) writes:
>I refer you to page 206 of the CP/M-86-80 version 2.0 User's Guide and to page
>156 of the MS-DOS version 2.05 User's Guide.  Both say, "a megabyte is equal
>to a million characters."  This terminology agrees with the Winchester utility
>program supplied with DEC's 10-megabyte hard disk, and with the description of
>that disk as '10 megabytes'.  According to you, that way of speaking should
>have resulted in a lawsuit.  Has Digital Equipment Corporation been sued over
>its documentation for the Rainbow?   Not as far as I know.
>I point out also that 'megahertz' (MHz) is ALWAYS interpreted as a million
>cycles per second.

  a megabyte of memory is always the binary million.  (1048576 bytes)
this is not always true for hard disks because of the many variables
involved (secotr size, number of sectors in a track, recording methods,
etc.) as well as defects in the media.

  witness 1 megabit drams that have a 1048576 bit capacity.

- --
fzsitvay@techbook.COM - one of these days i'll get it right...

Version 2 of anything is usually the version that works.

- --- QM v1.00
 * Origin: TECHbooks One, Fido Gate to techbook (503) 644-8135
------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (20:22)
To:       CARL HOUSEMAN
Subject:  RE: CACHE PROGRAM
From:     BILL HLIWA

 CH> Didn't SS distribute an updated CLIKCLOK program
 CH> through the BBS network?

You might be referring to a version that Jerry Miller did for me which
generated an ERRORLEVEL depending on whether a clikclok was actually
installed.  He did give me permission to post that on our BBS.

- --- Sirius 1.0w
 * Origin: * Med TechNet * , Buffalo, NY 716/688-1552 (1:260/10.0)
------------------------------
Date:     08-28D90 (12:23)
To:       CARL HOUSEMAN
Subject:  RE: COLORS ON RAINBOW
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 CH> As someone else pointed out, you can't even get into a color display or
 CH> change colors by sending ANSI escape sequences to the Rainbow.  The
 CH> VT-241 might change the color of text (without using a REGIS command)
 CH> but the Rainbow won't.

I don't think I suggested using *ANSI* escape sequences.  But there
obviously  is a set of control sequences that the graphics board
responds to.  My  understanding is that ReGIS (REmote Graphics
Instruction Set) is just a  translation program that acts as an
interface between a "high" level  programming language that is common
across many DEC machines, and the  low-level control sequences I  am
referring to.  The commands given to the  ReGIS interpreter are ASCII
sequences, but the output is in binary.

 CH> That's why I said you need RB Regis, which can redirect console output
 CH> to the graphics screen, in whatever colors you want.

But can't you run SCRAM on the Rainbow with graphics board, without
first  installing Rainbow ReGIS?  It's been a while since I ran it, but
I seem to  recall that was the case.  If so, the programmer(s) of SCRAM
obviously knew  what sequences to use.

I do have a (licensed) copy of Rainbow ReGIS, by the way.  However, I
don't  recall ever using it.  Ditto for GSX-86.

If you still have that VR-241 monitor, you might take a look in its
programming manual and tell us what it says.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247 (1:109/417)
------------------------------
Date:     08-28D90 (12:44)
To:       DAVID MAROUN
Subject:  LZEXE
From:     FRANK MALLORY

 DM> You  might be interested in knowing that I have started using LZEXE.
 DM> It reduced SEDT version 3.3(248) to a little over half its original
 DM> size, and the program seems (so far, anyway) to be working.  I also
 DM> used LZEXE in my own programming.  Verion 4.1 of my XTRAC utility lost
 DM> thousands of characters thanks to LZEXE

Also, users report that some programs actually start initiation FASTER
with  LZEXE.

 DM> I wrote to Fabrice Bellard suggesting he produce a generic version of
 DM> his program (I happen to speak French).  I have had no reply, so I do
 DM> not know whether he will produce one.

My understanding is that he has sold the program to someone who intends
to  commercialize on it.


- --- msged 1.99L MSC
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md. - 301-622-2247 (1:109/417)
------------------------------
Date:     08-27D90 (20:12)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  RE: VR241 AND RD53
From:     BOB FULLER

Regarding your query about modifying DEC RB cables to power and feed an
RD 53, there are two solutions that I have tried.

        Thefirst solution is to grind away at the DEC HD cable until
it fits the drive.  I used a drum sander on a Dremel-like power tool and
it did a good job.  On some surfaces, I went completely through the soft
material on the plugs to a harder, plastic-like material before it fit.
I also had to trim some of the plastic tab off the power plug.  It took
me about 45 minutes to completely trim the cable. I took a little off
each time, and them reinstalled it to see it it fit.  The small drum
sander will toss off a lot of waste material, so I suggest you do the
sanding away from the computer.
         The second solution is to make or purchase a cable that
will fit without modification.  I purchased one last year from Mark of
Island logistics, 617-631-1030.  I recall reading here that he said that
he had a couple left in his garage and that he was moving. Mark told me
that some DEC cables did not work with the drives with a capacity above
20 megs because the cable wasn't thick enough.  In my experience, both
Mark's cable and the modified DEC cable did the job equally.  However, a
member of our club found that his 40 meg drive worked only with Mark's
cable.

Happy trimming!

Bob

- --- Opus-CBCS 1.12
 * Origin: Glacier Peak Rainbow, Bellevue, WA - 206/644-8431 (1:343/3.0)
------------------------------
Date:     08-28D90 (18:57)
To:       GEORGE THEALL
Subject:  RE: TRANSLATION
From:     JEAN-CLAUDE DEMARS

** Quoting George Theall to Jean-Claude Demars **
 >then you should get a hold of a device driver called RX50.
 >Written by Robert Morse, it installs in your IBM machine and
 >makes one of your drives look like an RX50 as well as a regular
 >1.2MB drive. You refer to the IBM version as, say, A:, and
 >the RX50 version as, say, D:. This approach works quite reliably
 >but does require your machine have a 286/386/486 chip.
** End of Quote **

I have a 286-12.  Were can i get this software driver?


- --- TAGMAIL v2.20
 * Origin: The Moose's Den2 (HST/V.32)  (1:130/35)
------------------------------
Date:     08-29D90 (00:23)
To:       FRANK MALLORY
Subject:  RE: COLORS ON RAINBOW
From:     CARL HOUSEMAN

re: I don't think I suggested using ANSI sequences

 You did suggest that someone consult the VT-240/241 programmer's guide
to find out how to make the Rainbow display color.  But that won't help!
The sequences for VT-terminals are either ANSI or REGIS. The Rainbow
firmware understands and acts only on the ones pertaining to the
monochrome, non-graphics screen (which is always green if you haven't
altered the cable).

 You're correct in that you can make the graphics screen display color
images if you're into programming, but it's a lot more complicated than
you might expect.  You can't simply send an "A" to the graphics board
and have it appear on the screen.  You would have to turn on dots, one
at a time, in the pattern of an "A".  The character generation is not
built into the graphics screen.  Rainbow REGIS provides its own
character generator.

 re: If you still have that VR-241 monitor, you might take a look
     in its programming manual and tell us what it says.

 Perhaps this is the source of your confusion.  The VR-241 is nothnig
more than a TV-screen.  It has no processor, and no programming manual.
 The graphics option in the Rainbow is wholly responsible for the images
that appear on it (when the option is enabled).

 The VT-241 consists of a box containing a processor and interfaces an
RS-232 line to which you may send both ANSI and REGIS commands in a
serial data stream.  The VT-241 processor converts the commands to a
video signal for the VR-241 monitor.  In the Rainbow, you need Rainbow
REGIS to emulate the VT-241's processor.  So (now back to the beginning)
reading the VT-241 programmer's manual won't help a Rainbow owner unless
they have Rainbow REGIS.


- --- Opus-CBCS 1.12
 * Origin: Silver Bullet - Silver Spring, Md - 301-622-2247
------------------------------
Date:     08-28D90 (15:33)
To:       ALL
Subject:  WINDOWS 3.0 FOR THE RAINB
From:     DAVID STRICKLER

Word on the street is that the update kit to let your Rainbow run
MS-Windows 3.0 is available from Leonard Berk Consulting in Toronto Canada.
Phone 416-260-0348

Cost for upgrades from 2.11 is $50.00

Complete package is $99.95

Also, there is a $50 that goes to MS.

Well, that's the scuttlebut...



David Strickler
Sysop of 101/45
Midnight DEC (Boston)
(617)739-0708 [Voice]

- --- msged 1.99S ZTC
 * Origin: Midnight DEC  (1:101/45)
------------------------------
Date:     08-30-90 (07:43)
To:       JEAN-CLAUDE DEMARS
Subject:  RE: TRANSLATION
From:     GEORGE THEALL

JD> >then you should get a hold of a device driver called RX50.
...
JD>I have a 286-12.  Were can i get this software driver?

   Have you looked on your local bbs? It's quite a popular piece of
software.

   If not there, you can definitely find it on Penn's Landing (+1 215
898 8511), which is currently down. I imagine it can also be found on
The Black Cat's Shack (Frank?).


George
------------------------------