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From: csaron@ucbopal.BERKELEY.EDU (Aron Roberts)
Newsgroups: net.micro.mac
Subject: Red Ryder 7.0 & VT100 emulation
Message-ID: <223@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU>
Date: Tue, 31-Dec-85 16:52:13 EST
Article-I.D.: ucbjade.223
Posted: Tue Dec 31 16:52:13 1985
Date-Received: Wed, 1-Jan-86 02:43:03 EST
Sender: network@ucbjade.BERKELEY.EDU
Reply-To: csaron@ucbopal.UUCP (Aron Roberts)
Distribution: net.micro.mac, net.unix
Organization: University of California, Berkeley
Lines: 56
Keywords: Red Ryder 7.0 Macintosh terminal VT100 Unix vi
Summary: New version of Red Ryder provides improved VT100 emulation



  
   In late December 1985, Scott Watson, the author of the
shareware Macintosh terminal program, Red Ryder, released
version 7.0 of this program.  According to Watson, 

   "[...] the primary reason for this version was to clean up 
all known bugs in previous versions.  If it was reported to me, 
I fixed it.  The VT100 emulation is now 99.9% accurate.  Missing 
are the double-high and double-wide character sets and the blinking 
character attribute.  The VT100 "avid" users I've spoken with have 
unanimously agreed these shortcomings are insignificant, and the 
manner in which I've handled them do not compromise the functionality
of the emulation.  The emulation has been validated and verified on 
DEC's own demonstration line, which is an excell[e]nt acid-test 
for the visual aspects of VT100 emulation." 
   -- preface to the supplemental documentation    
      for Red Ryder 7.0

   Informal use of the new version of Red Ryder with the vi editor
and other screen-intensive programs appears to validate this
conclusion.  Most of the problems that were experienced with 
version 6.2's VT100 emulation have been cleared up. 

   One minor problem remains:  Red Ryder's default tab settings 
still wreak havoc with vi screens and directory listings.  
Selecting "Clear All Tabs" from Red Ryder's "Options" menu (or 
using Unix's "stty -tabs" command, as suggested by David Berry 
in message 1659 on net.micro.mac) will solve this.

  There have been a number of other enhancements to Version 7.0,
including support for Apple Computer's new Hierarchical File
System, and a function which can record a terminal session with
a host and generate a Red Ryder procedure file (for automating
logon sequences and other repetitive actions) based on the user's 
keystrokes and mouse movements. 

   Although Red Ryder is not perfect (it fails to properly redraw
the screen after the active window is overlaid with dialog boxes
or desk accessory windows from the Apple menu, may not properly 
utilize the numeric keypad in VT100 mode, and doesn't appear
to support the MacTerminal XMODEM protocol to facilitate convenient 
file transfer via "macget" and "macput"), it offers reasonably
faithful VT100 (and VT52/TTY) emulation, and reliable Kermit, 
XMODEM, and ASCII file transfer capabilities.

   Upgrades to the new version are available from Scott Watson's
The FreeSoft Co. at a cost of $5 for registered owners of
previous versions.  Registered owners and persons wishing to
try Red Ryder 7.0 for the first time will also be able to obtain 
the program from Macintosh-oriented user group libraries and 
bulletin boards around the country.  The program file is 
approximately 118KB in length; the documentation (MacWrite 4.5 
format) is about 28KB.  The requested license fee, after a
45-day free trial, is $40 per copy on a single-copy basis.