Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!samsung!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!ucsd!ucbvax!PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU!GTHEALL From: GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (George A. Theall) Newsgroups: comp.sys.dec.micro Subject: Rainbow EchoMail Digest Message-ID: <9008301251.AA18613@remote.dccs.upenn.edu> Date: 30 Aug 90 13:52:00 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Organization: The Internet Lines: 381 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 Articles posted to either INFO-DEC-MICRO or comp.sys.dec.micro are currently gatewayed to the Rainbow Echo on FidoNet. You do not need to take special action to respond to articles in these digests. Please send reports of problems or suggestions for improvement of this digest to GTHEALL@PENNDRLS.UPENN.EDU (Internet). ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------