HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: m_sattle@informatik.uni-kl.de (Matthias Sattler)
Subject: TCP/IP question
Organization: University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 13:03:10 GMT

Hi

Can I connect to my own machine using the TCP/IP protocol suite and a program
written with the TCP/IP programmers suite offering a connection, without a 
network card installed (it shouldn't be needed as I don't want to connect
to another machine) ?

Matthias Sattler

email: m_sattle@informatik.uni-kl.de
From: r_voisey@kiwi.uwe.ac.uk (R Voisey)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Customising RISC_OSLib, BETT 93
Date: 27 Jan 93 10:59:50 GMT
Reply-To: r_voisey@csd.bristol-poly.ac.uk
Organization: The University of the West of England, Bristol (The Magic Roundabout)

In article <1993Jan21.112631.4972@cs.nott.ac.uk>, smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows) writes:

|> Where were Arxe Systems? I spent the whole day looking for them, and even
|> asked the Acorn Information Providers, but to no avail. Lost without trace!

On the Klein Computer stand.

|> Hopefully I'll see Arxe on Saturday.

Hope you did!

Cheers

Bob

-- 
  Robert J. Voisey  :  r_voisey@csd.uwe.ac.uk
         -- Probug Software Developments --
162 Staplehill Rd, Fishponds, Bristol, Avon, England
From: rocky@nnsgs50.lon40.nt.com (Dave Kennard)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Date: 22 Jan 1993 16:11:20 GMT
Organization: Northern Telecom Europe
NNTP-Posting-Host: nnsgs50.lon40.nt.com

In article <1jovi8INN1cr@oak42.doc.ic.ac.uk> ijp@doc.ic.ac.uk (Ian Palmer) writes:
>One thing I'd like to know is when am I get my RO3.1 upgrade, I'm
>still waiting due to Acorn's total lack of enthusiasm for producing
>A5000 upgrades :-( Quite why this should be so, because RO3.1 for
>other computers have been in abundance for ages (since the Acorn User
>show) and it's not as if there could be something which needs to be
>produced for the A5000 upgrades holding them up, which is not needed
>for the other version.

BLOOD BOILING SESSION!!! (Steam, Hisss... Grrrrr...!!! etc..)

I ordered my A5000 RO 3 -> 3.1 upgrade from Norwich Computer Servives on
2nd September 1992.  I am number 99 on their queue.  I have spoken to them
this afternoon (22/1/93).  They do not know if Acorn are going to PRODUCE
any more.

WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON ACORN?

>Ian

If any net reader knows where I can get a 3.0 to 3.1 upgrade, please let
me know .. NCS won't mind is I cancel my order with them ... indeed, if
they cannot fulfil my order within the next 6 weeks, my cheque (which they
hold in respect of that order) will expire!!!

Dave Kennard.

-- 
+-+ +-+ +- | | |  |  Regards,  Dave Kennard.
| | | | |  |/   \/  Dept. 92941, Northern Telecom Ltd, Oakleigh Road South,
|-+ | | |  |\   /  New Southgate, LONDON. N11 1HB, England, UK, (etc..)
| \ +-+ +- | | /  Voice (+44) 01-945-2195 <rocky@nnsgs50.lon40.nt.com>
Xref: sparky comp.sys.acorn:10591 comp.sys.acorn.tech:1438
From: dwallin@acorn.co.uk (Dick Wallin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn,comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: Re: Monty Pythons most used sentence
Date: 26 Jan 93 16:16:19 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England

In article <1k17mmINN7l3@bnsgd245.bnr.co.uk> rap@bnr.co.uk (Richard Porter) writes:

>In article <1k11shINNgps@info2.rus.uni-stuttgart.de> zrzs0111@helpdesk.rus.uni-stuttgart.de (Helmut Springer) writes:
>>"And now to something completely different"

Loads of bandwith inserted...

>I didn't expect the Spanish Inquisition :-)

And anyway as I remember, the phrase in question is "and now *for* something
completely different." :-)

Dick Wallin
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Acorn v Research Machines
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 93 17:33:50 GMT


At the BETT Show, the Acorn stand is side-by-side with the RM stand. For
anyone who does not know, RM are Acorn's biggest competitors in the UK
education market.

On the side nearest the Acorn stand, RM had a large screen which kept
flashing up:

RM is Number One in Education:

Annual Sales Revenue:

RM............50 million UK pounds
Acorn.........35 million UK pounds  

Acorn often reminds us that it is number one in education, so it must
depend on which method is used to determine the ordering..
(assuming that RM are telling the truth!)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn,comp.sys.acorn.tech
From: crj10@phx.cam.ac.uk (Clive Jones)
Subject: Re: Monty Pythons most used sentence
Followup-To: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Telephone-Messages: +44 223 33 4900
Address: Christ's College, Cambridge CB2 3BU, ENGLAND.
Organization: U of Cambridge, England
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 15:48:59 GMT

In article <1993Jan26.121930.14166@ifi.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de> wuerthne@minnie.informatik.uni-stuttgart.de (Martin Wuerthner) writes:
>
>OS_Module allocation should not be used for large blocks of memory.
>Additionally, it can only be used by modules, so it can't be used by
>applications unless they run as a module. In this case (i.e. module tasks)
>you may as well use application space !

This isn't actually true - any program at any time can allocate blocks
of RMA. It is useful for any data which must remain mapped into memory
irrespective of which task is active. For example - user drag routines
need to be available in this way, as do filters, ticker events, etc.

OK, so normally one writes those things in a module and uses them from
one's application, but they can be implemented by direct linkage into RMA.

>If you request memory using Wimp_SlotSize you *never* get memory which is
>already used by another application. RISC OS even has memory protection
>(i.e. you may not even access memory which is used by another application).

Except using Wimp_TransferBlock.

(Followups to comp.sys.acorn.tech, please)

--Clive.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 12:25:02 GMT

In article <1993Jan27.112139.17026@csd.uwe.ac.uk> r_voisey@csd.bristol-poly.ac.uk writes:
>They're feeding you crap.  I can walk into any dealership in Bristol and buy
>one off the shelf.  I have no reason to suppose the situation is different
>anywhere else. If NCS haven't even managed to provide 99 copies I'm appalled -
>one of the local dealers here has sold twice that, retail.

I agree with Bob totally. My local dealers have had no difficulty in
supplying RISC OS 3.1 upgrades for A5000s and other machines. I have
bought a number of upgrade packs myself.

It is in Norwich Computer Services' commercial interests to make out that
it's all Acorn's fault and that no upgrade packs exist - just as it was in
their commercial interests to announce the upgrades before Acorn had even
done so, and long before anyone else did. Thus there are still some very 
loyal (or very stupid) people who are still waiting for Norwich Computer
Services to supply. There are fewer upgrade packs generally available than
would be desirable, but I'm sure that Acorn is doing everything possible 
to get as many packs out into the field as they can. 

I find Archive magazine interesting, and have received excellent service
from Norwich Computer Services, but they aren't doing themselves any
favours on this occasion, especially when they advocate customers
telephoning Acorn's switchboard to complain. 

Simon
All opinions are my own..
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Burrows   smb@cs.nott.ac.uk  psyhsmb@unicorn.nott.ac.uk  +44 533 712030
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Re: Gods Passwords (where ?)
Keywords: Krysalis Gods Game
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 93 10:07:27 GMT

In article <1993Jan27.205952.267@abekrd.co.uk> garyb@abekrd.co.uk (Gary Bartlett) writes:
>
>I've posted here as well so that if anyone has passwords for the other levels,
>they might post or mail them to me as well.
>
>WARNING!!!!  IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW THE PASSWORD FOR LEVEL 1 OF GODS
>GO NO FURTHER WITH THIS ARTICLE!  YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!
[stuff deleted]

>Level 1 Password:      [deleted]


The passwords are generated randomly, that is the reason why lists of them
do not exist. Each copy of the game has its own set of passwords.

Simon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Burrows   smb@cs.nott.ac.uk  psyhsmb@unicorn.nott.ac.uk  +44 533 712030
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Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: torh@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Tor Houghton)
Subject: Re: Joining scanned images together to get a bigger one!
Organization: University of Sussex
X-Newsreader: Tin 1.1 PL5
Date: Tue, 26 Jan 1993 19:58:40 GMT

Hmm.

Generally joining files is simple - I wrote a small utility once which
merged loads of samples (sound) into 1 file for use with the 'fromdisk'
utility. Whether or not this is what you want is another matter ;)

Cheers,


Tor.

-- 

----------------------------------------------------------------------
email: torh@cogs.susx.ac.uk           "Then we will wonder if machines
                                       will steal each others dreams."
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 12:42:24 GMT

In article <1jp6b8INNoo@bnsgd245.bnr.co.uk> rocky@nnsgs50.lon40.nt.com (Dave Kennard) writes:
>I ordered my A5000 RO 3 -> 3.1 upgrade from Norwich Computer Servives on
>2nd September 1992.  I am number 99 on their queue.  I have spoken to them
>this afternoon (22/1/93).  They do not know if Acorn are going to PRODUCE
>any more.
>
>WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON ACORN?

If you contact some other dealers you should find an A5000 upgrade pack 
without too much difficulty. Norwich Computer Services have had a very
restricted supply of upgrades, but it isn't my place to comment on that.
(NCS charge more than other companies as well, because they add on postage).

What I think they mean is that they do not know if Acorn will produce any
more RISC OS 3.10 packs. Be patient and you could be pleased.

Simon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Burrows   smb@cs.nott.ac.uk  psyhsmb@unicorn.nott.ac.uk  +44 533 712030
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: mre@ukc.ac.uk (Mike)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Date: 22 Jan 93 15:15:01 GMT
Reply-To: mre@ukc.ac.uk (Mike)
Organization: Computing Lab, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK.

In article <1993Jan22.121746.19679@cs.nott.ac.uk> rsxdp@unicorn.nott.ac.uk (D.Pead) writes:

>Including an ID on the RISC-OS 3.1 ROMS sounds like a good idea.  I assume
>that the ID chips are PROMS which are then blown with a unique number, so
>it would sound like a good idea to produce a ROM incorporating a few
>bytes of PROM for holding IDs.

>The only snag will come if Acorn decide to produce RISC-OS 4!

What I am about to write is all supposition.  I have no definitive
knowledge about the way Acorn have implemented the ID code in the
Archimedes range of computers.

The RISC OS 3.10 ROMs are almost certainly not PROMs but are mask
programmed ROMs.  It is therefore very, very difficult to introduce
any kind of ID code into the ROM itself since the minimum order
quantity is usually in the range of 10000 items.  

There are two reasons mask ROMs are used instead of PROMs.  The
first is cost - in large quantities, PROMs are a lot more expensive
than a mask ROM.  The second is reliability - after a few years
PROMs (and even worse, EPROMs) "forget" the information stored on
them.  This also occurs in mask ROMs but at a much, much slower
rate.  Both of these advantages are negated if a half-MASK-half-PROM
chip is produced.

Integrated circuits are available on the market for a few pounds
which are guaranteed by the manufacturer to be unique.  When
interrogated they produce a binary number (48-bits long for the
particular device I am familiar with).  This code is set after
manufacturing the device but before packaging it using a laser to
"burn" away parts of the mask.  This results in a very stable (ie
unchangeable) code in a very small package:  these ICs usually only
have between two and four pins since the data is presented serially
and can be multiplexed with the power supply line - you really don't
want to know how! (-:

I would assume that Acorn has fitted one of these "silicon ID" chips
to the new machines, and it is this and this alone which sets the
"machine number".

-- 
Mike Ellis, Darwin College, The University, Canterbury, Kent, England, CT2 7NY.

    ********* Views expressed are my own and in no way represent *********
    *********     the views of any past or present employers.    *********
From: pss@uxb.liv.ac.uk (Mr. P.S. Spencer)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: What's the `Victoria'?
Date: 25 Jan 93 16:31:07 GMT
Organization: The University of Liverpool
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]


Subject says it all ....

Paddy Spencer pss@uxb.liv.ac.uk
From: rap@bnr.co.uk (Richard Porter)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Printing problems (was: Dongles affecting ...)
Date: 25 Jan 93 13:25:09 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe Limited
NNTP-Posting-Host: bnsgs193.bnr.co.uk

In article <1k0kf2INNm5o@grapevine.EBay.Sun.COM> andyf@uk.sun.com
(Andy Fox) writes:

>I have also noticed this problem.

>I am using an A5000, RO3.1, DeskJet 500C and Impression 2.

I have an A5000, RO3.0 (sore point), JP150 and Acorn DTP etc.

>I don't think that the problem lies with the dongle, though.
>It would appear that the A5000 or maybe RO3.1, just doesn't know about
>the printer, unless it is switched on when you power up the A5000.

Yes, I get that too, and I also get the printer locked up if I abort a
print in the middle when using RO3 printer drivers (i.e. not 1W+). I then
need to switch the printer off and on, or even reboot, to get it to work.

>On power-up, the A5000 forces the DeskJet to do it's initialisation tests
>again and after that all printing operations work fine.

>Perhaps someone more versed with the printer hardware can tell us what's
>really going on.

There's another problem I get when printing more than one copy. Spurious
characters appear at the top of the second and subsequent copies of the same
page, but the first copy of each page comes out cleanly. Any ideas?

Richard Porter
From: microsoc@oxford.ac.uk (Robin Watts)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Best buy ARM 3 for old A440/RO3.10
Date: 25 Jan 93 10:38:47 GMT
	<1993Jan24.171022.16674@cs.nott.ac.uk>
Distribution: comp
Organization: /u3/microsoc/users/rjw/.organization
In-reply-to: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk's message of 24 Jan 93 17:10:22 GMT

In article <Random-Number@J.Random.Domain> Simon Burrows writes:
>In article <1993Jan22.121139.8140@infodev.cam.ac.uk> JNA10@phx.cam.ac.uk writes:
>>Does anyone have any opinions as to where to get an ARM3/MEMC1a at
>>a *really low price*? :-) I don't really care how slowly it runs
>>in comparison to other highly-clocked upgrades - anything's got to
>>be quicker than what I've got at the moment...
>
>The ordinary Ground Control ARM3 (25MHz) is one of the cheapest, but is
>sturdily constructed. It does use a 25MHz crystal rather than time divided
>50MHz oscillator, but I never had any problems with it. They will also
>supply a MEMC1a quite cheaply.
>
>I'm not yet convinced about the worth of these more expensive ARM3 upgrades
>which come with a socket for the forthcoming FPA. I'm told (anyone confirm
>this?) that these upgrades were designed around the preliminary spec for
>the FPA, and the pinouts have now changed - in this case a carrier board
>will be needed, which could be a problem given the proximity of the ARM
>chip to the disc drive.
>
>Simon

As far as I know, the IFEL upgrade that supposedly gives FPU support has
always had a double row of pins for a second (vertically mounted) board
on top of the first. this has been carefully done so, a) No probs with pinouts
b) It will fit easily next to the floppy without problems.

I spoke to the people at IFEL for a few months before they actually fabricated
them, and as far as I know, they have always been designed this way.

The only machines/boards that I know of that have actual sockets on them are
the A5000s themselves...

Robin
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Sun, 24 Jan 93 13:12:15 GMT

In article <1013@rook.ukc.ac.uk> mre@ukc.ac.uk (Mike) writes:
>I would assume that Acorn has fitted one of these "silicon ID" chips
>to the new machines, and it is this and this alone which sets the
>"machine number".

You are right. The Acorn press release was incorrect in referring to a
unique ID number stored "in the OS ROMs". (I checked with Acorn)

Simon
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Simon Burrows   smb@cs.nott.ac.uk  psyhsmb@unicorn.nott.ac.uk  +44 533 712030
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From: gilbertd@cs.man.ac.uk (David Alan Gilbert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: BJ200 and TurboDriver
Date: 22 Jan 93 08:37:52 GMT

Hi All,
I've just received a canon BJ200 with CC Turbo
Driver - and it is stunning , the quality is 
very good (although see below), its
VERY fast (when you have been using an FX80 for
the last 8 or 9 years!).

CC sent me a sample before I bought it, and
(the test file) and when I printed it out on mine
(on the special paper) it was more 'liney' than theres
(i.e. you could see the passes) on the scanned
picture.

TurboDriver is not 100% solid - but its easily
good enough.  I got two crashes last night,
the first off turbo driver (on an admittedly
strange problem), and the 2nd using LQEmulate
(for which there seems to be desperatly little documentation).

As for the admittedly strange problem - I wrote a
document on a machine here at Uni. which included
a window grabbed from Mode 106 (a mode for a taxan 795),
and when I looked at it on my machine all I saw was a blank
space  - so where's the error message - I spent
hours trying to figure out where it had gone! Its
not only impression, Draw,Paint dont warn you.

Does any one know of a cheap source of cartridges
(preferably the BJ200 version) (please!!!!!) ?

There was once talk of CC being on the net,
can anyone tell me the address, since I want
to mail a bug report and a moan or two!

Dave

--
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- David Alan Gilbert - gilbertd@cs.man.ac.uk - G7FHJ@GB7CRG                   -
------(Programmers don't sleep - they just park their heads)-------------------
From: ajdh@bnr.co.uk (Andrew J D Hurley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: R140 boot problem
Date: 22 Jan 1993 15:48:05 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe Ltd, London Road, Harlow, England.
NNTP-Posting-Host: 47.164.64.53

I have just obtained an old R140 which is refusing to boot up
(even to RiscOS).

It gives the following message when I switch on or do a ctrl-reset
(or ctrl-e-reset):

Address exception at &x0180F048 (Error number &80000003)

Any ideas what could be causing this?

There is an arm3 fitted and an ethernet card.

Thanks in advance for any help.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Andrew J D Hurley ,   <><         |  Email:   A.J.D.Hurley@bnr.co.uk
                                  |   or      Andrew.Hurley.EG40@bnr.ca
BNR Europe Ltd., London Road,     |  route:   uunet!ukc!bnr!ajdh
Harlow, Essex CM17 9NA, UK.       |  Phone:   +44 279 402535

Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: ahersee@dcs.warwick.ac.uk (Andrew Hersee)
Subject: New Touch Typing Tutor
Organization: Department of Computer Science, Warwick University, England
Date: Thu, 21 Jan 1993 12:57:42 GMT

I have written a touch typing tutor progarm and am now adding features to
graph the user's progress etc. I have also got to design some exercises.
Basically the tutor does everything Iota's does plus lots more. (For example
support for storing passworded data about several users [for use in schools])
I hope to release it as a commercial product for around #25.

Now I am not a fully fledged touch typist! I am therefore looking for people
who have some experience in the field. ie they are involved in teaching (does
not have to be Touch typing) or have been on a touch typing course. Basically
I am searching for ideas so that it can be the best touch typing program 
avaliable for the archimedes.

Any help/views will be appreciated.

Andrew Hersee

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

                     Email: ahersee@dcs.warwick.ac.uk
                Snail Mail: Andrew Hersee
                            The Red House
                            Tallington
                            Nr. STAMFORD
                            Lincs
                            PE9 4RP

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de (Stephen Burke)
Subject: Re: Acorn news release: Advance
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Thu, 28 Jan 1993 18:33:46 GMT

In article <1993Jan28.122502.10297@cs.nott.ac.uk>, smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows) writes:
> It is in Norwich Computer Services' commercial interests to make out that
> it's all Acorn's fault and that no upgrade packs exist - just as it was in
> their commercial interests to announce the upgrades before Acorn had even

True - but it's also in their interests to *sell* people the upgrades. I
therefore conclude that they have ordered upgrades from Acorn and haven't
received them. Why not? It seems not unreasonable, at least, that people
with orders placed with NCS might ring Acorn to ask why they aren't letting NCS
have any. It's more use than ringing NCS, who clearly don't know - well, OK,
it's not more use, because extracting information from Acorn is like getting
Norman Lamont to explain the Government's economic policy, but at least you'd
be annoying the right people. Or you can cancel your order with NCS and try
someone else, which will be no hassle as NCS won't have cashed your cheque.

e----><----p | Stephen Burke           | Internet: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
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