5-Nov-80 03:47:00,7939;000000000000 Date: Wednesday, 5 November 1980 03:47-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: The SIG/M Report The SIG/M Report November 1980 edited by Bruce Ratoff and Bill Chin SIG/M has now been in full operation for the past two months and things are really starting to happen. As Sol announced in this column last month, our first three software volumes, containing source and object of two souped-up Adventure games, are now available. Since that announcement, we have collected an additional four volumes of software, which will be available for the first time at the November meeting of SIG/M (at the 808X/Z80, CP/M, N*, TRS-80 users' meeting) at UCTI on Friday, November 7. The new volumes are: SIG/M004 - miscellaneous CP/M utilities SIG/M005 - 8080/8085 diagnostics package SIG/M006 - 6502 monitor and simulator (on Z80!) SIG/M007 - modem and BBS utilities Another disk of games has been started but does not yet contain sufficient material for release. Expected future volumes include more CP/M utilities, and a set of cross-development tools for the TI9900 processor. These and all future volumes will be announced in this column, and on our participating BBS's (see below). We are of course always seeking software contributions in all areas of interest. Remember that the "quickie" that you threw together to solve some minor problem may be a lifesaver for another user, no matter how trivial you may consider it. For those who have not yet heard about SIG/M, its purpose is to promote the exchange of programs and information on/about CP/M and related systems. It is our goal to provide this exchange in as open and non-commercial an environment as possible. Besides providing software exchange, we would like to serve as a forum for sharing ideas/comments on CP/M related topics. This is your organization, and can only succeed with everyone's participation. SIG/M was jointly founded by CP/M proponents in ACGNJ and the New York Amateur Computer Club (NYACC). WHERE TO FIND US There are many ways to contact/locate SIG/M for information or to exchange software. We can always be found at the "first Friday" ACGNJ users' group meeting at UCTI or the "second Tuesday" NYACC users' group meeting at Computer Emporium (in NYC). You may also contact one of the four coordinators directly. We are: Bruce Ratoff Iselin, NJ 201-283-2724 Bill Chin Clifton, NJ 201-778-5140 Marty Nichols Dover, NJ 201-361-7180 Henry Kee Flushing, NY 212-539-3202 Written correspondence and diskettes may be mailed to: SIG/M P.O. Box 97 Iselin, NJ 08830 If you have a modem at your disposal, you may wish to contact us and/or obtain programs by calling Bruce Ratoff's Remote Iselin Bulletin Board System (RIBBS). In addition to normal BBS functions, it is possible to go into CP/M and send or receive programs using the Ward Christensen MODEM program. Plans are currently underway, although not yet implemented, to support Apple CP/M and TRS-80 CP/M on this system. To reach the system, dial Bruce's number (listed above), let it ring once, hang up and call back within 40 seconds. The system will answer the second call. A number of other BBS owners and potential BBS owners have expressed interest in providing the same service on their systems. Their numbers will be published in future columns. We are especially looking for participants in other regions (both in and out of the NY/NJ area). Contact us if you wish to participate. LOCAL COORDINATORS We are looking for people to coordinate local distribution of the SIG/M software collection. This is in line with our general policy of keeping both user costs and club costs to a minimum. If you are the 8080 or CP/M coordinator of a local club, or wish to act as the "dropping off point" for the other CP/M users in your area, please contact us. The point of all this is to minimize the number of disk copies that we have to produce, while providing the widest possible distribution of the software collection. Clubs and area coordinators may obtain copies of the SIG/M volumes for a donation of $4 per diskette, plus $2 to cover mailing costs. These diskettes are to be redistributed locally on a non-profit basis. Funds collected by the local coordinator should go back into the support of the local club or group. All commercial use of these diskettes and their contents is expressly forbidden. PROGRAM SUBMITTAL All programs/files for submittal to SIG/M should be provided on 8" single-density soft-sectored "standard CP/M" format, along with our standard submittal form. A copy of this form appears on each SIG/M volume as the file SIG/M.LIB. It is also reproduced in this issue of the newsletter. Contributions and forms may also be sent via modem to a participating BBS, but a signed copy of the submittal form must be received before the program can be distributed. This protects all of us from copyright problems, and assures a consistent method of program documentation and cataloging. UPCOMING RELEASES The NYACC S-100 users' group has published a directory of public-domain software. It contains the catalogs and abstracts from all current CPMUG and SIG/M releases. The directory is available for $5 (subject to change) from NYACC. Digital Research has released the first version of CP/NET, their distributed-processing system. This release allows up to 16 modified CP/M systems to share disks and printers residing on an MP/M system. Each disk drive may be either locally supported or mapped into the network (controlled by the MP/M system). The communication method is left up to the installer, making this a very general and powerful tool for applications requiring too much "crunch" per terminal to be served with a single processor. The cost is $200, and the license is linked to a single MP/M system license. A new version of MP/M is scheduled for release before the end of the year. The main enhancement will be the inclusion of file interlocks between users, making multi-terminal file updates much easier to implement. This version of MP/M will also support the next release of CP/NET, which allows the inclusion of slave processors that do not contain any local disk storage. A further update of MP/M and CP/NET, which allows MP/M systems to function as slaves to other MP/M systems, is expected at the beginning of next year. Questions about the much-delayed release of CP/M-86 were met with a reply that it should be released "any week now". It will consist of 8086/8088-resident versions of all the standard CP/M programs, plus a cross-assembler that will allow the installer to use an existing 8-bit CP/M system to bring up the 16-bit system. CP/M TIP-OF-THE-MONTH This "department" will hopefully appear on a regular basis. Its purpose is to provide answers to common technical questions about CP/M and MP/M. Please send your questions, ideas and tips to Bruce for inclusion in this column. 5-Nov-80 21:22:00,1081;000000000000 Date: 5 Nov 1980 at 2222-CST From: wilcox at UTEXAS-11 To: info-cpm at mit-mc Subject: USER x Digital Research has done an excellant job of creating a 'standard' system for micros, but when the added the USER feature for 2.x they missed the boat. All they did was set up an otherwise unused field in the FCB for a user number. But that means a users normally sees ONLY his one files. What ever happened to the concept of SYSTEM files. What I feel should have been done is to make a small mod to BDOS such that if the initial file search fails, it makes a new search with the USER number set to 0 (or F as we choose). We then declare that number (0 or F, whichever) to be the SYSTEM account. Just like the big systems do! References are first satisfied in our own account, and then if necessary, by the system files. Problem? No source to make even these relatively simple patches. Does anyone have (or sell) a source (listing, not necessarily machine readable) to BDOS and CCP (ver. 2.2 preferrably) that is not too expensive? --Jim 9-Nov-80 13:35:00,1698;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 9 November 1980 13:35-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: [W8SDZ: BDOS-PAT.ASM] Date: 11/09/80 13:56:12 From: W8SDZ Re: BDOS-PAT.ASM title 'BDOS patch for CP/M 2.2 to make USER 0 public' ; ;5/15/80 ; ;patch courtesy of Andy Johnson-Laird ; ;******************************CAUTION****************************** ; ;This patch is for grown-ups who know what they are doing. ;Note that if files of the same name are present on both USER 0 and ;the logged-in USER number, the OPEN, SEARCH for FIRST, SEARCH for NEXT ;and READ SEQUENTIAL functions will match directory entries on a first-come ;first-served basis. This will cause exciting results if multiple extent ;files of the same name are present on both USER 0 and logged-in USER. ; ;Recommended use: ; ; 1) Keep on USER 0 only commonly used programs (Files.COM) ; 2) Set these programs to $SYS to reduce directory clutter. ; 3) Set these programs to $R/O to avoid accidental erasure of ; invisible programs. ; 4) NEVER place on any other USER number programs of the same name. ; 5) Have turn-key applications cold-boot directly into the assigned ; USER number. The USER number is the high nibble of address 4. ; ; msize equ 20 ;set your memory size here ; bdos equ (msize-20)*1024+3C00h ; patch$area equ ?????? ;this will depend on YOUR system, and ;should probably be in your BIOS area ; org bdos+075eh jmp patch ;overlays: mov a,b ; cpi 0dh ; ; org patch$area patch: mov a,b ora a jnz patch2 ldax d cpi 0e5h jz patch2 mov a,m ora a jz bdos+077ch patch2: mov a,b cpi 0dh jmp bdos+0761h ; end 12-Nov-80 02:42:00,2435;000000000000 Date: Wednesday, 12 November 1980 02:42-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: A (temporary) home for CPMUG files CP/M, CPMUG files, and micros are very closely related to my official work. Thus, to cut the clutter in my directory, I have asked for a CPM directory to be created on MC and have moved all my CPM files to that directory, including the archive file for this mailing list. In that directory (which can be accessed via FTP without login) there are a number of HEX, ASM, and ASMPAT files, courtesy of Keith Petersen (W8SDZ@MC). All of the HEX files have been successfully downloaded and LOADed into COM files and checked by either running them or matching the CRCs. Most of these files are short, except for MTN HEX, which is 28K bytes. All HEX files have, or will have text at the front (which LOAD will ignore) indicating what the CRC of the COM file produced from that HEX file should be. Of course, to get the CRC, you should download CRCK HEX, LOAD it, and run it on itself. Its CRC is 2D47. Here is a short abstract of what is current in CPM: ASMPAT ASM The UPPER/lower case patch for ASM on CPM 1.4 patched BBS NOS The latest list (as of 11/04/80) BDOS22 PATCH ASM Patch file for using USER 0 as "system" files CP/M AUTO A Babyl file of replies to the AUTO startup query CP/M LIST A Babyl file of requests to be added to INFO-CPM CPM ARCHIV The INFO-CPM archives CPM DOC A re-edit of the two-part msg on CP/M internals CRCK HEX Produces 16-bit CRChecksums of files (CRC: 2D 47) FAST DOC How to install FAST and SPEED FMAP HEX FMAP updated for use under CP/M 2.x (CRC: 1A 2C) MAKSUB ASM Source for a SUBMIT-like program, MAKESUB. MENU MAC Z80 source fore a working MENU program MTN DOC Lastest DOC for MicroTELNET (1.3) MTN13 HEX MicroTELNET 1.3, an intelligent terminal program for Z80's only (sorry) (CRC: A1 53) RSPEED ASM Source for RSPEED (see FAST DOC) RSPEED HEX HEX for RSPEED - checks skew factors (CRC: ) SKEW2 ASMPAT Sample patch file for FAST SKEW3 ASMPAT Sample patch file for FAST UNLOAD ASM Source for UNLOAD... in HEX format UNLOAD HEX Converts ANY file to HEX (CRC: ) UNLOD2 ASM Source for UNLOAD2 UNLOD2 HEX HEX for UNLOAD2 (presumably the same as UNLOAD) XD HEX Another directory lister (CRC: C7 B7) Comments to the list, please. --Frank 13-Nov-80 00:46:00,1174;000000000000 Date: Thursday, 13 November 1980 00:46-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: Another file in CPM; This time it is the documentation file that goes with MTN13. The file is MC:CPM;MTNMSG HEX and is very long (44K), but reduces to 16K after LOADing. The resulting COM file must be renamed to MTNMSGS.OVR to be used by MTN13. CRC of the .OVR file is 8B F6. Perhaps I should have made it clear that the CPM directory on MC is NOT proposed to be the permanant net home for the entire CPMUG library. There just simply isn't that much room available for all of the files themselves, nor is there enough room to hold all of the directory entries for that many files. However, selected files of general and popular interest should eventually find their way to this home. I would hope that at least the ABSTRACT files for each of the CPMUG disks will eventually get uploaded and live in an INFO-formatted file for quick lookup. (For those of you outside of the EMACS/TECO community, INFO is an TECO-based program which reads tree-structured sequential files which are usually menu-ized and footnoted.) --Frank 19-Nov-80 23:17:00,434;000000000000 Date: Wednesday, 19 November 1980 23:17-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: New Mailing Lists There is now a BUG-MTN and INFO-MTN (both at MIT-MC) for mail concerning MicroTELNET. Right now, BUG-MTN mail goes to me and MC:CPM;MTN BUGS, INFO-MTN goes to a list of known users of MTN and MC:CPM;MTN INFO. If you wish to be added to either list (or both), send a msg to me. --Frank 23-Nov-80 19:48:00,238;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 23 November 1980 19:48-MST From: Gray at UCLA-SECURITY (Terry Gray) To: info-cpm at mc Subject: SPEED/FAST for CPM 2.2? Are SPEED and FAST applicable to CPM 2.2? If so, has anyone done the work yet? Terry Gray 23-Nov-80 19:51:00,516;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 23 November 1980 19:51-MST From: Gray at UCLA-SECURITY (Terry Gray) To: info-cpm at mc Subject: Bigger BIOS CPM 1.4 allows 9 sectors for BIOS; CPM 2.2 allows 6 sectors for BIOS. When I tried to incorporate a driver for a TDL video board (with software scrolling and cursor positioning) in my CPM 1.4 BIOS, I found I had exceeded the 9 sector limit. And I was thinking of going to 2.2 soon. Any way to get around these limits (other than putting the drivers in ROM) ?? Terry Gray 24-Nov-80 14:16:00,1007;000000000000 Date: Monday, 24 November 1980 14:16-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: New Files in MC:CPM; There are two new files in the CPM directory, courtesy of Keith Petersen (W8SDZ@MC). The first is the previously mentioned MBOOT ASM program to get you started downloading files using the MODEM2 program on the remote host. The idea here is to keyin this code, tailoring it to suit, and then use it to download MODEM2. MODEM2 is used from then on to exchange files between systems. (Hopefully, some industrious soul will volunteer to code up a mainframe version of MODEM2, suitable for use on TOPS-20, TENEX, and ITS machines - DEVON@MC is working on a Lisp version... - the specs can be made available upon request.) The second program is an UNLOADed (HEX) copy of SD.COM (MC:CPM;SD HEX) and is similar to XD, which in turn is similar to LIST. Comments on it are at the front of the file, including the CRC of the resulting COM file. --Frank 25-Nov-80 21:34:00,1391;000000000000 Date: Tuesday, 25 November 1980 21:34-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: BDOS Question The following situation occurs with both CP/M 1.45 and 2.2 and I want to know why: LOOP: CALL RDTIME ; Reads clock ports and displays time ; using direct I/O to the console ; serial port. CALL CONST ; Checks console input status only CALL NZ,GKC ; If input, read console for command JR LOOP GKC: CALL CONIN ; Gets the pending character and does ; nothing with it. CALL PRINT ; Prints a msg using BDOS CALL GNC ; Waits for a response ; then jumps to appropriate subroutine ; based on character The subroutine in question prints another message and waits for confirmation, and then prints another prompt and waits for string input using the READ BUFFER BDOS call. Now here is the strange part: it takes TWO characters (not one) to break out of the LOOP, and that first character shows up in the read buffer. It can even be edited! How did it end up in the read buffer? Any clues to this mystery would be appreciated. --Frank (I have this sinking feeling that, as usual, I'm doing something wrong, but I can't figure it out for the life of me. If so, I apologize for taking up your time. If not, and it turns out to be a bug in CP/M - however obscure, I think we should all know.) 26-Nov-80 05:18:00,894;000000000000 Date: Wednesday, 26 November 1980 05:18-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: [W8SDZ: BDOS PROBLEM] Date: 11/26/80 06:34:05 From: W8SDZ Frank, the problem is caused by mixing direct console input with BDOS console output. CP/M tests for console input during all BDOS console outputs to allow CTL-S and CTL-C pause and abort. In the process of doing this, it cancels any pending keyboard character. The solution is to use direct console output to print your messages. Further re CP/M's printing via BDOS - when it sees a character typed, it sets a reminder byte inside CP/M itself which says that the console status is true, and attempts to fetch that character without first doing another status test. Because you have already fetched the character in your loop, there is none, and it just sits there waiting for the next one. 26-Nov-80 22:41:00,241;000000000000 Date: Wednesday, 26 November 1980 22:41-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: SPEED Files Available Courtesy of LAUREN, there are two more new files in MC:CPM; SPEED DOC SPEED HEX --Frank 27-Nov-80 01:42:00,639;000000000000 Date: Thursday, 27 November 1980 01:42-MST From: Lauren at UCLA-SECURITY (Lauren Weinstein) To: INFO-CPM at MC Subject: speed deleted SPEED.HEX has been deleted from MC:CPM; -- while this appears on a CP/M user's group disk which claims it is public domain, I have my doubts, and have decided that it is not appropriate for open access on MC. If there was someway to verify people's CP/M licenses... but there isn't. I don't think that MC wants to take responsibility for such verifications, so I think this is better for everyone concerned. SPEED is available on CP/M User's Group disk #38, by the way. --Lauren-- 28-Nov-80 22:07:00,657;000000000000 Date: Friday, 28 November 1980 22:07-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: More files Again courtesy of Keith Petersen (W8SDZ@MC): MC:CPM; SD ASM - source for SD, a sorted directory program MC:CPM; D DOC - Doc for D below MC:CPM; D HEX MC:CPM; MOVE ASM - like FILECOPY and PIP for multiple files. Difference is that it asks to copy or skip. Now a question: anybody besides Lauren and myself downloading these files and using them? What's holding you up? No software to download or the programs are not what you're looking for (if not what then), or what? --Frank 29-Nov-80 14:59:00,1256;000000000000 Date: Saturday, 29 November 1980 14:59-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: More Files More from W8SDZ: A new SD.ASM - the old one has been replaced: MC:CPM;SD ASM. COPYFILE.ASM - this is the one that I mistakenly described as MOVE. (MOVE does single file copies like FILECOPY, but may be to more than one disk, ala SYSGEN.) ;This program will copy files of any length from one drive to ;another, with up to 16k buffering. It was created for very ;long files (megabyte length), which are not properly handled ;by CP/M 2.x PIP. This version offers selective copying of ;files - something not available with PIP. The destination ;files will have NO attributes set, which is useful for ;copying from CP/M 2.x to 1.4 disks. This is in MC:CPM;CPYFIL ASM. And finally, there is an edited collection of CBBS messages commenting on various user's experiences with several disk controllers in MC:CPM;DSKCMP DOC. (After reading that, I am glad I have a "stock" system!) --Frank P.S. For those of you looking to download (only) to get started, a simple-minded ASCII capture program is forth-coming, one that will be short enough to key in. Stay tuned! 30-Nov-80 16:06:00,802;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980 16:06-MST From: Frank J. Wancho To: INFO-CPM at MIT-MC, NORTH-STAR-USERS at MIT-MC Subject: N* Skew Table for FAST and SPEED The patch file I use for FAST on a NorthStar is in MC:CPM;NSSKEW ASM. It was derived using a modified version of RSPEED which accessed my Mountain Computer Clock card to give the relative timings for the various skews. It is interesting to note that the static timing for the normal CP/M skew table supplied from Lifeboat is 1.3 seconds; no skew, as in NS DOS, is 2.2; and the table in that file is 0.4! What this means, I guess, is that the one derived by Lifeboat is indeed better than DOS', but it is not the best that could have been... (Startup timings were 2.5, 3.4, and 1.4, respectively.) --Frank 30-Nov-80 23:06:00,1290;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980 23:06-MST From: MITTON at MIT-AI To: Info-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: Cp/M Users Group Software I have Vols 1-42 of the CP/M UG on a DEC RK06 in my office. I also have a few Fortran programs that allowed me to archive this stuff and to create copies back to floppies. I will be offering copies under the auspice of the New England Computer Society. There will probably be a 25 or 50 cent coping charge to keep the requests resonable and to finance further acqusitions. HOWEVER, I am willing to try to arrange to give away a copy of the entire collection to anyone that can read it in its current form. It is on a DEC RK06 written under Files-11 on RSX-11M-Plus. The diskettes are stored as Fixed length (128 byte records in squential order (all disk interleaving as been un-interleaved. I could write it to mag tape, but it would be DEC DOS, "ANSI standard" or other more obscure DEC formats. I could also arrange to transfer it over the DEC DECnet Engineering Network, if someone in Marlboro is willing to work with it. Anyone who is serious about picking this stuff up, Please contact me direct. My turn-around on this mailing list is about once a month! Dave Mitton, 617-493-9362 work, 876-8718 home, 864-3819 CBBS/Cambridge. 30-Nov-80 23:13:00,297;000000000000 Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980 23:13-MST From: ELMO at MIT-MC (Eliot R. Moore) To: INFO-MICRO at MIT-MC, INFO-CPM at MIT-MC Subject: Losing Is there a way (does someone have software on-line) to make ITS work with standard handshaking? (X-On, X-Off) Thanks-- Eliot Moore (Elmo @ MC)