HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: dan@quiensabe.az.stratus.com (Dan Danz)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: Shared Virtual Memory & mp_debug (CORRECTION)
Date: 7 Jan 1993 04:36:56 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
Reply-To: dan@az.stratus.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: quiensabe.az.stratus.com

There's a very serious mistake that crept into a last minute change 
I made to my previous post on this subject:

> Initialize the lock word region so that any lock words in it contain a value
> of minus one (0x7FFF).  Then, use the following algorithm whenever you need
> to perform a critical section of code.

The value of minus one is 0xFFFF, not 0x7FFF.   If you were to initialize
with 0x7FFF or any other value that does not have the most significant bit set,  
all lock words would appear to be initially locked !!!!

Sorry 'bout the slipup.

--
L. W. "Dan" Danz         (WA5SKM) VOS Mail:  Dan_Danz@vos.stratus.com
Sr Consulting Software SE         NeXT Mail: dan@az.stratus.com
Customer Assistance Center        Voice Mail/Pager: (602) 852-3107
Telecommunications Division       Customer Service: (800) 828-8513
Stratus Computer, Inc. 4455 E. Camelback #115-A, Phoenix AZ 85018
From: moser@sw.stratus.com (Tom Moser)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: loss of end-of-file mark problem
Date: 8 Jan 1993 17:00:10 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: iconoclast.sw.stratus.com
Keywords: tps

In article <1993Jan7.131833.15374@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>, dante@decoy.uucp (25439-dante) writes:
> In the event of a VOS crash, I have heard that it is possible that VOS
> can lose a files's end of file mark, thereby corrupting the file and losing
> access to the file on reboot.

This is not very likely if the file and directory data are already written to 
disk at the time of the crash. File data and directory information which are
updated in the file cache managers memory but not written to disk may be lost 
in the event of a crash but the data can be flushed to disk using the s$control 
system call with the runout_opcode.


> The solution to the problem is to 
> Transaction Protect(TP) the file. I was wondering if anyone has heard of
> the problem and if so, then to discuss the problem and its possible 
> solutions.
> 

In general, transaction protection offers a much higher level of safety
since it allows multiple file records to be updated atomically and thus 
provides protection from interruptions which occur during a sequence of
file writes which represent one transaction from the application. If the
application can maintain integrety by simply insuring that sequential file
writes are actually written to disk then the runout functionality can
probably suffice.

-Tom
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
From: tmm@world.std.com (Tom M Moravansky)
Subject: Shared Virtual Memory & mp_debug
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 17:10:36 GMT

A programmer I work with ran across something unusual yesterday.
We are running VOS 11.5 on a Stratus.  He found that when an SVM
lock word is displayed using mp_debug, the value of that word is
set to hex 7fff.  This value causes the word to be locked.  The
debugger never unlocks the word and it must be manually unlocked.

Anyone else ever see this behavior?  Does it exist in older
versions of VOS?
From: dswartz@redondo.sw.stratus.com (Dan Swartzendruber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: loss of end-of-file mark problem
Date: 9 Jan 1993 15:59:36 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Software Engineering
NNTP-Posting-Host: redondo.sw.stratus.com
Keywords: tps

In article <k403wB1w164w@cellar.org> ibycus@cellar.org (Walt Mankowski) writes:
>dante@decoy.uucp (25439-dante) writes:

[description of ESD deleted]

The only problem with ESD is that one can't always count on it.  ESD will
only be performed if:

a) there were no hardware problems.

b) there was no wired heap corruption.

c) the disk subsystem isn't hosed.

d) the disk cache subsystem isn't hosed.

I'm not saying this to denigrate ESD.  It is a very useful bit of
bulletproofing, but that is all it is.  If a customer absolutely
can't afford to take an index-corruption hit, he needs either TPF
or LPF.  Which option they elect to use depends on a number of
performance and reliability issues.  ESD is especially not guaranteed
to prevent the type of index block corruption described, since it
can only flush blocks the higher-level subsystems have written.
It is unlikely (but possible) that the index manager could be in the
middle of a multi-block operation (splitting index blocks?) and has
written some subset of these blocks to the disk cache.

>Walt
>ibycus@cellar.org
>ibycus%cellar@tredysvr.tredydev.unisys.com


-- 

#include <std_disclaimer.h>

Dan S.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: loss of end-of-file mark problem
From: ibycus@cellar.org (Walt Mankowski)
Date: 9 Jan 93 02:58:07 GMT
Organization: The Cellar BBS and public access system
Keywords: tps

dante@decoy.uucp (25439-dante) writes:

> In the event of a VOS crash, I have heard that it is possible that VOS
> can lose a files's end of file mark, thereby corrupting the file and losing
> access to the file on reboot. The solution to the problem is to 
> Transaction Protect(TP) the file. I was wondering if anyone has heard of
> the problem and if so, then to discuss the problem and its possible 
> solutions.

Yes.  Not only is it possible, but we had exactly that happen (4 or 5
different times!) at QVC where I work.

It happens because sometimes VOS can't flush out cache during a crash. 
Actually, this isn't that serious of a problem.  The _REAL_ problem when you
crash is if your index blocks get corrupted.  We've got some big files. 
I've seen it take 12 hours to rebuild a single index.

The way you fix the eof problem is to get a program from the CAC (I think
it's called fix_eof.pm).

Stratus has changed the shutdown procedure to make it much less likely that
any of this will happen during a crash.  It's called ESD (Emergency
Shutdown).  It makes sure that all of cache is flushed before the system
goes down.  It's in either VOS 12 or 13, but we're a big client so we were
able to get Stratus to give us a special version of 11.1 with the fixes
already in it.  

It really does work.  Before, when the system crashed, we needed a team of
people to check for bad end-of-file marks and corrupted index blocks.  We'd
be down about a day.  Then we installed ESD.  We had a crash last month, in
the height of our busy Christmas season, and didn't have a single corrupted
file.

Walt
ibycus@cellar.org
ibycus%cellar@tredysvr.tredydev.unisys.com
From: dswartz@sw.stratus.com (Dan Swartzendruber)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: loss of end-of-file mark problem
Date: 8 Jan 1993 17:34:56 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer, Inc.
Distribution: world
NNTP-Posting-Host: redondo.sw.stratus.com
Keywords: tps

In article <1ikbuqINNrv9@transfer.stratus.com>, moser@sw.stratus.com (Tom Moser) writes:
> In article <1993Jan7.131833.15374@porthos.cc.bellcore.com>, dante@decoy.uucp (25439-dante) writes:
> > In the event of a VOS crash, I have heard that it is possible that VOS
> > can lose a files's end of file mark, thereby corrupting the file and losing
> > access to the file on reboot.
> 
> This is not very likely if the file and directory data are already written to 
> disk at the time of the crash. File data and directory information which are
> updated in the file cache managers memory but not written to disk may be lost 
> in the event of a crash but the data can be flushed to disk using the s$control 
> system call with the runout_opcode.

The problem is that doing a runout after every such write is a terrible performance hit.

[discussion of using TP deleted]

TP is somewhat of overkill in many of these cases.  Probably log-protected files
would be a good solution.  LPF basically guarantees that any system call which
changes file information will be done atomically.  I.e. if a record spans disk
blocks, both blocks will be modified or neither will.  Consistency of indexes
and eof markers is also guaranteed.  And unlike TP, *no* application code needs
to be changed.  I believe LPF has been committed for Release 12 (check with your
SE to be sure though).


> -Tom

-- 

#include <std_disclaimer.h>

Dan S.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Stratus crash?!
From: "James L Pugh" <pughjl@ornl.gov>
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 93 07:02:01 -0500
Followup-To: comp.sys.stratus
Organization: Info-Stratus mailing list


So Walt, what happens to make your Stratus crash?  At the height of the
Christmas season of all times!

We are pretty new at running the Stratus and as we work for the government
money is tight.  Our user management is quick to complain about costs and would
be quick to complain (and loud too) if fault tolerance failed.  We were able to
explain the difference between the hardware being fault tolerent, but not
tolerent of bugs in our newly developed application.  The application is
fairly stable now though.
From: charlie@snowflake.az.stratus.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.stratus
Subject: Re: Shared Virtual Memory & mp_debug
Date: 6 Jan 1993 18:53:27 GMT
Organization: Stratus Computer Inc, Marlboro MA
Reply-To: charlie@snowflake.az.stratus.com
NNTP-Posting-Host: snowflake.az.stratus.com

In article <C0Fzpp.6qD@world.std.com> tmm@world.std.com  
(Tom M Moravansky) writes:
> A programmer I work with ran across something unusual  
yesterday.
> We are running VOS 11.5 on a Stratus.  He found that when  
an SVM
> lock word is displayed using mp_debug, the value of that  
word is
> set to hex 7fff.  This value causes the word to be  
locked.  The
> debugger never unlocks the word and it must be manually  
unlocked.
> 
> Anyone else ever see this behavior?  Does it exist in  
older
> versions of VOS?

Any access to an interlock page word, whether it be by the  
debugger or a normal programming statement, will cause  
this. There is no way to look at an interlock page word  
without this happening, and has always been so.

--
Charles Spitzer
charlie@snowflake.az.stratus.com
Telecom Customer Assistance Center
Stratus Computer, Inc.
Phoenix, AZ  85018
From: bbs@neb (BBS System 801-572-4969)
Subject: Misc. Stuff for sale..
Organization: Nebula - Public Access Unix/bbs SLC Ut, USA
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 15:38:39 GMT

I have the following hardware items for sale:
 
KPI Hard drive interface (formerly Supra), connected to a 70meg
Micropolis hard drive, case, power supply & Adaptec 4000a scsi card
(ready to run) -- $350.00 or best offer
 
Atari 800xl w/256k newell upgrade & freezer switch -- $80.00 or best
offer
 
Atari 800xl stock 64k -- $35.00 or best offer
 
Indus GT disk drive -- $45.00
 
P:R: Connection (serial/printer interface) -- $50.00 or best offer
 
1200xl cpu --- $25.00 or best offer
 
13" mono monitor (no sound/green screen, great for WP) -- $40.00
 
Okimate 10 color thermal/regular mode printer w/ribbons & paper --
$50.00
 
Also have TONS of original software (disk & carts) -- contact for
specifics.
 
YOU pay shipping on any items requested. 
 
Contact me here, the Korner BBS @ 801-969-1938, home @ 801-969-5988,
work (*TOLL FREE* @ 800-678-3440), GEnie @ J.KING73, GEnie via Internet
@ J.KING73@ge.com (is that right?), Internet at uplherc.up
l.com!neb!bbs!1fa
 
James King aka Kamaro Kid, SysOp of the Korner BBS!
 
Oh yeah, have *virtually* every Analog magazine published and several
ANTIC also..inquire for specific issues.
-----
Posted by BBS User: James King
Mail Path: uplherc.upl.com!neb!bbs!1fa
-- 
Nebula - A Public Access Unix System/bbs - (801)-572-4969 v.32/v.42(bis)/PEP
Xref: sparky comp.sys.atari.8bit:5853 comp.sys.atari.st:19699
From: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit,comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Help fix the Info-Atari8/16 Digests
Date: 12 Jan 1993 22:43:05 GMT
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Reply-To: aa700@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Michael Current)
NNTP-Posting-Host: hela.ins.cwru.edu


As many of you should already know, Usenet's comp.sys.atari.8bit and
comp.sys.atari.st have alternate identities as the Internet mailing-lists
Info-Atari8 Digest and Info-Atari16 Digest.  Every posting on the Usenet
side appears on the Internet side.  Problem: Any posting sent to the
Internet mail-list is NOT cross-posted to the Usenet side.

John Dunning, jrd@stony-brook.scrc.symbolics.com, and maintainer of the
Info-Atari8/16 Digests, would like to fix the digestifer software to
cross-post in both directions.  The following is from him:

>
[The digestifier is] a C program and a bunch of shell scripts.  Most of the
interesting work is done in the program, the shell scripts are mostly
there to decide when to run the program, and shovel things from the news
directories into mail format, which the digestifier wants.  There are a
couple of stupid little programs that I wrote to aid in the process.

There are two big problems in all this:  When news messages are
received, they need to be sent through something that will mail them to
the digestifier program.  That happens completely parasitically now, and
it's a kludge.  The other thing that's necessary (which I've never been
able to figure out how to do) is to go the other way, ie mail received
*from outside* for the digestifier gets sent to the news sender.  You
need to be careful in a couple of places to prevent loops.

If you can scare up some folks who know enough about this kind thing to
get it working, I (and the rest of the list, I suspect) will be
eternally grateful.
>
End quoting from John Dunning.

Again, contact jrd@stony-brook.scrc.symbolics.com if you can help.  I would
imagine the participants of comp.sys.atari.8bit, comp.sys.atari.st, the 
Info-Atari8 Digest and the Info-Atari16 Digest would be very grateful indeed.
-- 
         Michael Current, Cleveland Free-Net 8-bit Atari SIGOp
Carleton College, Northfield, MN, USA / UUCP: ...!umn-cs!ccnfld!currentm
      Internet: currentm@carleton.edu / Cleveland Free-Net: aa700
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: ab588@yfn.ysu.edu (joseph sabatino)
Subject: multiplayer, multi-computer game
Organization: Youngstown State University/Youngstown Free-Net
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 23:16:50 GMT


I just downloaded Jeff Potter's and Chuck Steinmen's AGDADEMO.ARC
GEnie last night and its a demo of the multiplayer, multi-computer
game they were writing...pretty interesting!  Its only a one player
demo but the real thing can use 8 computers hooked together. Its a 
fast maze game where you can have 8 other people in the maze at the
same time along with granades.
Its only a preview to the soon to be released real thing. Looks real
interesting.
-- 
Joe Sabatino-->ab588@yfn.ysu.edu
From: mbarnes@finally.Sun.COM (Mike Barnes - Intelligence Natl Sales Manager Washington DC)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Wish List (was: comp.sys.atari.8bit.archive)
Date: 4 Jan 1993 20:47:29 GMT
Organization: Sun Microsystems, Inc., Vienna, VA. 
NNTP-Posting-Host: finally.east.sun.com
Summary: First XLEnt Word Processor


XLEnt Software is still marketing their word processor, The First XLEnt Word
Processor.  Antic stated that this was the best word processor for the Atari 8 bit
in 1987.  The product is very fully featured.  It has the ability to integrate
graphics and text.  It has an 80 col. preview mode.  The product has very flexible
editing commands.   I don't know the current price but I believe it is around
$20.   

XLEnt Software's number is (703) 451-5017.
From: dunham@mpd.tandem.com (Jerry Dunham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Atari XL as Car Computer
Date: 12 Jan 93 18:09:09 GMT
Reply-To: dunham@mpd.tandem.com (Jerry Dunham)
Organization: Tandem Computers, Inc., ISD

In article <etxansk.726768361@garbod26] etxansk@garbo.ericsson.se writes:
]
] I've been thinking of putting an Atari XL computer in my car with a
]portable TV (LCD colour display type) installed on the dashboard.
]
] With this equipment in the car it would be possible to have many
]important messages such as "low on fuel", "door not properly closed",
]"fasten seat belts" etc available with flashy graphics. Not that this
]would make it any better, replacing the car's own simple but reliable
]indicators wouldn't improve anything, but a computer in the car would
]be pretty cool.
]
] Has anyone tried this or a similar project? I've heard that computers
]tend to lock up quite often when used in cars, because of bad glitches
]in the power source. (If supplied with an adapter from the car battery
]voltage.)

It seems I heard somewhere that Dave Small had done or was doing a simi-
lar project, not as a Gadgets by Small product, but just for himself.

-- 
Jerry Dunham                   DoF #1.5               dunham@mpd.tandem.com
Tandem Computers, Inc., ISD                         dunham_jerry@tandem.com
Austin, TX              hoosier@rider.cactus.org              (512)244-8598
                 There's no such thing as a free lunch.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: andrewh@panix.com (Andrew Huie)
Subject: Re: Atari 800 Expansion Port
Organization: Panix Public Access Internet & Unix, NYC
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 05:40:25 GMT

In article <93010.160652SML108@psuvm.psu.edu> <SML108@psuvm.psu.edu> writes:
>Does anyone know why Atari decided to hide the Atari 800's full expansion
>port (Take yours apart and be really amazed) inside the Atari 800 rather
>than leaving it on the outside?  It seems like it was a really stupid
>move on their part...
>
>Scott

What expansion port?  You mean the slots under the grill for the 10K ROM
and RAM cards?
Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 22:36:18 CST
From: Manuel M. Flores <U15803@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: 4SALE: P:R: Connection

Got it for $50 and want to sell it for $40 and you pay postage.

Email if interested:

U15803@UICVM.UIC.EDU
Manuel M. Flores
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: jjmcwill@mtu.edu (Jeff McWilliams)
Subject: Re: multiplayer, multi-computer game
Organization: Michigan Technological University
Date: Thu, 7 Jan 1993 00:11:25 GMT

In article <1993Jan6.231650.12320@news.ysu.edu> ab588@yfn.ysu.edu (joseph sabatino) writes:
>
>I just downloaded Jeff Potter's and Chuck Steinmen's AGDADEMO.ARC
>GEnie last night and its a demo of the multiplayer, multi-computer
>game they were writing...pretty interesting!  Its only a one player
>demo but the real thing can use 8 computers hooked together. Its a 
>fast maze game where you can have 8 other people in the maze at the
>same time along with granades.
>Its only a preview to the soon to be released real thing. Looks real
>interesting.
>-- 
>Joe Sabatino-->ab588@yfn.ysu.edu

Well, Hey!  Don't hoard it all to yourself, if you can, upload it
to the Atari archive so that rest of us can get our greasy claws on it.


(grin!)

jeff mcWilliams

-- 
Jeff McWilliams  jjmcwill@mtu.edu  EE Engineer --> Michigan Tech. 
Leaves Turning, falling, withering
Wind blowing, rustling, chilling
candlelight will soon be flickering
From: eba@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Where can I get 8Bit disk drives?
Date: 7 Jan 93 07:20:03 GMT
Organization: The University of Texas at Austin, Austin TX


Does anyone know where I can get ahold of at minimum a working
1050 disk drive?  I have recently fell into a fit of
nostalgia and have made it my goal to get my old 8bit machine
working again.

Any addresses, offers of sale over the net, or additional miscellany
will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

erik
eba@happy.cc.utexas.edu
From: poehland%phvax.dnet@smithkline.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Test Message from Ben
Date: 12 Jan 1993 18:14:50 -0600
Organization: UTexas Mail-to-News Gateway
NNTP-Posting-Host: cs.utexas.edu

Hello, I'm just sending this to see if it will get thru to the Digest.  If it
works, my thanks to Bill Marcum!!!

     - BEN POEHLAND
       The Alchemist
       Mging. Ed., ATARI CLASSICS

******************************************************************************
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Awesome demo - Won't work!!
From: svhowardm@npe.isnet.inmos.co.uk
Date: 7 Jan 93 15:18:27 GMT
Organization: Inmos Limited
Nntp-Posting-User: pomorgani

Hello there-

Can any helpful soul out there tell me how to get a working copy of
the Awesome demo.

What I have done so far is :-

1) Ftp'd awesome.arc to my home account.
2) Copied onto a floppy and taken it home.
3) Uudecoded it
4) Unarchived awesome.dcm
5) Run Diskcomm (V3.2 12/87) and generated a disk image.
6) Rebooted with the newly generated disk and....

Nothing else - The Atari loads 3 sectors (I think) and then hangs.

So what did I do wrong???.

Thanks in advance..

Mark.
From: snyder10@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu (sherry snyder)
Subject: Qwk Readers
Organization: Tulane University, New Orleans, LA
Date: Mon, 11 Jan 1993 05:48:35 GMT
Nntp-Posting-Host-[nntpd-11563]: convex1.tcs.tulane.edu

With the talk of Qwk readers for the 8bit, I've sent two to the archive, 
PabQwk 1.1 and QwkSilver 0.2 Beta.


PabQwk Ver 1.1:

Written by Pab Sungenis
Written in TurboBasic (Compiled)
ShareWare: $25

Qwk reader for the 8bit system with expanded memory.  Version 1.1 now saves
its indexes to the disk for faster loading.  PabQwk offers an AtariWriter
like 80 column display (one uses the shift and arrow keys to move left and
right), as well as the ability to translate hi ASCII (ANSI) graphics into
compatable AtASCII graphics.
PabQwk allows for the steeling of taglines, both standard and BlueWave
style and now offers the ability to dump the current message to your
printer.  Registered versions allow for the reading of extra files often
included in Qwk packets (Newsletters, newfile list and bullitins).  PabQwk
will run under SDX, MyDos and AtariDos 2.5, but was found to run best under
SpartaDos (SDX or 3.2d).
WBUG tested PabQwk 1.1 for 2 weeks on a standard 130xe attached to a 256k
mio with a 10meg hard drive running SpartaDos X 4.20.  We downloaded Qwk
packets from all Major Qwk tossers and have had no troubles.  This program
does require at least 3 banks of free memory to run and you need to run the
configure program to make sure Antic is turned off...PabQwk requires all
available memory.

QwkSilver Ver 0.2 Beta:

Written by Bobby Clark
Written in TurboBasic (Compiled)
ShareWare $5

Qwk reader for the 8bit system.  QwkSilver can not be run under any version
of SpartaDos due to a VBI conflict with QwkSilvers on screen clock
display.
QwkSilver displays messages in a standard Atari 40 col screen and does not
translate hi Ascii (ANSI) to AtACII graphics.  QwkSilver saves it indexes
to disk for faster booting as well as converting the CONTROL.DAT file for
its own use.  Features of QwkSilver include, the ability to page forward
and backward, dump messages to printer or disk, will display extra files
included in QWK packet provided they are listed in CONTROL.DAT (normaly
WELCOME, NewFile, BLT-x and GOODBYE), view only message titles (5 at a
time) and choose only the message lines you want to quote.  QwkSilver does
send out a nonstandard BlueWave style tagline.
WBUG tested QwkSilver 0.2 Beta for three weeks on a stock 130xe running
AtariDos 2.5 on two 1050 drives.  We downloaded Qwk packets from all major
Qwk tossers and have only had problems with packets generated using the
JetMail door for SpitFire.

As always, if you are unable to get these files from the archive, just
drop me a note e-mail and I'll send you a copy.

Mike Todd
Atari Archive
Louisiana

______________________________________________________________________________
  Sherry L. Snyder L.P.N.                         Mike Todd - Publications.
  Tulane Dept. of Dermatology                    Tulane Dept. of Dermatology
  snyder10@convex1.tcs.tulane.edu                dt01mws@music.tcs.tulane.edu