Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!uwm.edu!gem.mps.ohio-state.edu!ginosko!uunet!motcid!king
From: king@cell.mot.COM (Steven King)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: CrossDOS and multitasking Works!/ClockDJ
Message-ID: <210@grape3.UUCP>
Date: 10 Oct 89 02:33:07 GMT
Organization: Motorola Inc. - Cellular Infrastructure Div., Arlington Heights, IL 60004
Lines: 41
Summary:

Two questions this time around:

1) I've seen everyone here raving about CrossDOS, and it *does* seem like the
   greatest thing since sliced bread.  Now, for the 64,000 Dollar Question:
   Will it read/write the 1.44 Mbyte 3.5" format my friend so loves to use on
   his MS-DOS box?  If so, is CrossDOS fast enough that I can use the 1.44M
   MS-DOS format for my own devious purposes on the Amiga?

2) This is about multitasking.  Recently I installed a public-domain (or 
   shareware, don't remember which) program called ClockDJ.  This wonderful
   beastie includes such delights as fully-functional key macros, a Sun-mouse
   emulator, screen blanking, mouse pointer blanking, etc., etc.  I've been
   using it with The Works! (Platinum Ed.), primarily with the telecom portion.
   Sometimes, when I pop back to the workbench while I'm online I give a
   command (anything in an open CLI window, or using the ClockDJ menu, or
   [I suspect, haven't tried it] opening a disk icon) and the entire process 
   hangs.  Nothing else from the workbench will function,
   nor will AmigaDOS be the least bit interested if I swap
   The screen-swap gadget will still get me back to the
   telecom window, though, where I can do anything I bloody well please.
   Now for the weird part:  If I do any disk-access from the telecom program,
   whatever I tried to fire up on the workbench will come alive -- FOR AS LONG
   AS THE DISK ACCESS IS GOING ON.  After disk activity ends the workbench
   process hangs again.  For example, I popped to an open CLI (ARP shell,
   really) window and entered the "info" command.  (Yes, my C: volume
   containing the command was in the drive.)  Nothing.  Pop back to the telecom
   program and save the operating parameters.  Info got about halfway though,
   but when the telecom program finished its save then info (and the rest of
   the workbench) hung again.  I can always clear the problem by quitting
   the telecom program.  This never happened before I installed ClockDJ, so
   I suspect some sort of interaction between it and The Works!.  Anyone
   have any ideas?

As an aside, thanks to everyone who filled me in on ARexx.  My order's going
out soon now!

/-----------------------------------------------------------------------------\
| Modern man is vulnerable to any competent      | Steve King  (312) 991-8056 |
| engineer.                                      |   ...uunet!motcid!king     |
|                                                |   ...ddsw1!palnet!stevek   |
\-----------------------------------------------------------------------------/