Path: utzoo!attcan!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sun-barr!newstop!texsun!pollux!attctc!davidg
From: davidg@attctc.Dallas.TX.US (David Guntner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.amiga
Subject: Re: VirusX_4.0 Problems
Message-ID: <10540@attctc.Dallas.TX.US>
Date: 9 Dec 89 19:29:32 GMT
References: <774@mindlink.UUCP>
Organization: The Unix(R) Connection, Dallas, Texas
Lines: 45

From article <774@mindlink.UUCP>, by a186@mindlink.UUCP (Harvey Taylor):
> 
>     Is anybody else getting gurus from VirusX_4.0?
> 
>    The first thing I ran into was that if I used the -k flag
>  [check KickTagPntr], I got a requester that the KickTagPntr was set
>  and should I clear it? This happened with the 3 finger salute, but
>  not on cold boots. What is the difference, I wondered? RAD:? Sure
>  enough, I disassembled the ramdrive.device and it messes around with
>  the KickTagPntr. Okay, so I won't use the -k option. This might save
>  you some grey hair.

This was no surprise to me, since in the documentation for v3.2 he mentions
that he doesn't check the KickTagPntr for that very reason.  He finally added
it as an option (-k) since, alas, a virus can use it to hang around after
reboot (just like when it hooks into the ColdCapture, CoolCapture, or
WarmCapture vectors).  So if you use RAD:, you're best bet is to not use the
-k switch.  If you don't use RAD:, then by all means set it, since that will
eliminate one more way that a virus can hang around after reboot.
 
[stuff deleted]
 
>    But I have still been getting Gurus. On my system [B2000/2meg in
>  8UP/ A2090A/no ECS], the Task Control Block for VirusX_4.0 was sitting
>  at $20C730, and I got used to seeing that number over the last week.
>  The Gurus were not caught by GOMF1.0. They were address errors;
>  $00000003.x [and once an illegal instruction error].

GOMF1.0 is not completely efficient, so that doesn't surpries me, either. :-)
Your best bet here is to go to the store and get GOMF3.0 (is there a later
version than this?).  You'd be amazed at the difference!
 
>     When I got a $20C730 Guru while I was online, I went back to 3.2...
>  What is your experience?

I haven't had any visits from the Guru, by ever since I started using v4.0
of VirusX, my terminal program (I'm using JRComm v0.94a) hangs on me every
once in a while (usually at the WORST possible time... 8-]).
                        --Dave

-- 
        David Guntner  UUCP: {ames, mit-eddie}!attctc!davidg
                       INET: davidg@attctc.Dallas.TX.US  (killer)
"...New ship, but she's got the right name. ...Treat     --Admiral L. McCoy
 her like a lady, and she'll always bring you home."   "Encounter at Farpoint"