Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!purdue!bu-cs!bloom-beacon!eru!luth!sunic!mcsun!ukc!edcastle!hwcs!neil From: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Forsyth) Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st Subject: Re: "kneecapping" and TOS piracy Message-ID: <3845@brahma.cs.hw.ac.uk> Date: 30 Nov 89 09:31:14 GMT References: <8911280802.AA18983@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> <34850@grapevine.uucp> Reply-To: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Forsyth) Organization: Computer Science, Heriot-Watt U., Scotland Lines: 95 (This is not a flame. I'm just using Steve's soapbox :-) In article <34850@grapevine.uucp> koreth@panarthea.ebay.sun.com (Steven Grimm) writes: >In article <8911280802.AA18983@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> JOHNBARNES@ENH.NIST.GOV >writes: >>Why Not, I ask? If people want to burn their own ROMS, why not let >>them? Atari should even provide diagnostic files that can be run to >>test the validity of user-generated ROMS. > >I agree. I've been to two Atari dealers a number of times (most recently San >Jose Computer a couple of hours ago, which is why I'm motivated to write >this,) and have always been told that they were out of 1.4 ROMs. With a dealer who's 'run out', you're closer than I am to having a chipset. >If I had a binary image of the thing, I could go put it on EPROMs and have it >in my machine tonight, as could a number of Atari-owning friends of mine. True. If I had a binary image of the thing I'd be Mr. Big in the UK. Personally I'm not sure I would trust an image that I did not take myself from an offical ROM chip. Other peoples mileage may vary. >I realize that Atari doesn't want to deal with trying to support hundreds of >modified versions of 1.4, which would inevitably arise if the OS were released >in this way. There are two solutions to that problem. The first, and easiest >, is to put something like > > THIS CHIPSET IS PROVIDED AS A COURTESY TO THE ATARI COMMUNITY, > AND IS NOT AN OFFICIALLY SUPPORTED RELEASE. ATARI ASSUMES NO > RESPONSIBILITY FOR PROBLEMS ARISING FROM ITS USE. FOR THE > LATEST OFFICIAL OPERATING SYSTEM RELEASE, SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER. > >in the Desktop "About..." dialog box. Then Atari will be able to separate >the real 1.4ers from the EPROMmed ones, and deal with each appropriately. >(Actually, ideally the startup code would do a CRC or checksum on the OS >image, inserting that message if it found a difference -- but putting it >there all the time is fine, too.) Sounds good. But the messages and CRC code could be hacked. I guess only dealers should get the verification program. >The second is to really do interim OS releases on disk. Apple and Commodore >have been doing that for years, and they haven't had the problems Atari >is afraid of. I don't expect this to happen, but it would be nice. NO! I don't like the wasted memory, reloading it when I trample on it (this would happen a lot to me!) and the open invitation to viruses (The ROMs are a bit tight to squeeze in a virus I reckon) >So far I've restrained myself from finding someone with 1.4 and just copying >the whole kit and kaboodle to disk; I'd rather have an official set of chips. >I imagine many others are in the same position. They, and I, aren't going to >hold off much longer. A least you could do that. TOS 1.4 ROMs are never seen in the UK at all! My suggestion:- Make TOS free. Distribute original TOS ROM's to dealers only. They program the EPROMS and charge you for that. You feel better about the validity of your new ROMs. Distribution is quick, widespread and ordered. Developers can write apps that require TOS 1.4 or later and be sure that a lack of ROM's will not halt sales. The rapidity of bug fixe distribution would be good too! (Atari UK wouldn't like this idea because the words 'free', 'cheap' or even 'sensible' are not in their dictionary file. To them everything is a money making product :-) >Well, that's my turn on the soapbox. If the Rainbow TOSless UK ST owners follwed me to the soapbox then it would quickly turn to dust! >" !" - Marcel Marceau "" - Bob Katz (Developers Support Atari UK) :-) >Steven Grimm Moderator, comp.{sources,binaries}.atari.st >sgrimm@sun.com ...!sun!sgrimm Thanks you for your article. Food for thought. +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+ ! DISCLAIMER: Unless otherwise stated, the above comments are entirely my own ! ! ! ! "I think all right thinking people in this country are sick and tired of ! ! being told that ordinary decent people are fed up in this country with ! ! being sick and tired. I'm certainly not and I'm sick and tired of being ! ! told that I am!" - Monty Python ! ! ! ! Neil Forsyth JANET: neil@uk.ac.hw.cs ! ! Dept. of Computer Science ARPA: neil@cs.hw.ac.uk ! ! Heriot-Watt University UUCP: ..!ukc!cs.hw.ac.uk!neil ! ! Edinburgh, Scotland, UK ! +-----------------------------------------------------------------------------+