HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: goodwin@edieng.enet.dec.com (Pete Goodwin)
Subject: POVray V1.0
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 18:23:31 GMT


I thought the POVray team were releasing POVray in September... still, they've
released it, and I've got it working on my Archimedes. It's like before,
multitasking, but they've made it easier to port. Unlike Rayshade V4, POVray
compiled first time! Features of the new version are:

*	More object types - boxes are simple types not made out of planes
		blobs, height fields etc.

*	The syntax is simpler in some ways - object ... end_object has become
		object { ... }

*	Light sources are easier to use

*	Textures remain as Beta 0.5

The application I've built is the same style as before, with a front end setup
and the ray tracer task. The display previewer includes a simple ditherer, so
the picture is a better. I've scrapped the FAST mode in preference for a
multitasking switch - when off, it stops calling wimp_poll except at the end of
a line.

Sample scene files come to 800k compressed (ouch!). Once I've sorted out all
the features, I'll hopefully release a copy to the Newcastle info server and
maybe an updated Model scene editor.

Pete Goodwin
goodwin@system.enet.dec.com
From: 2105995@hydra.maths.unsw.EDU.AU
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: What is 'Power To The Programmers'?
Keywords: Programmers, RISC OS 3, A3000
Date: 30 Jul 92 01:30:20 GMT
Organization: Ban the Mac Society, Aust. ltd

Can anyone inform me of the copy-right status of Power to the programmer?
I would dearly love a copy of them, but would not want to step on anyone's
toes (especially F.A.S.T !!!!).


                             Cheers!

+----------------------------+---------------------------------------------+
|___                         | Real Programmers (tm) code in 68000         |
||__| .  __  __ |\/|  __   _ | Real Artists (rm) use Macintoshes           |
|| \    |__ |   |  |  __\ | \| Real Musicians (c) use SoundBlaster Pros    |
||  \ | ___||__ |  | |__| | || Real Idiots (pat. pend) do all of the above | 
+-President of the Ban the Mac Society, Regd office ARMature II BBS Sydney-+
From: s047@SAND.SICS.BU.OZ.AU (Jeremy Lee)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Datatrans problems...
Date: 22 Jul 92 04:28:59 GMT


In article <memo.533893@cix.compulink.co.uk> you write:
>s047@SAND.SICS.BU.OZ.AU (Jeremy Lee) writes:
> 
>>As an aside, I'm doing this because no other calculator to date lets
>>you get the results out it in an easy way, and save it to, say, the
>>current doc or program you are working on, because 9 times out of 10,
>>that's where you need the data. I wish all similar little utilities
>>(notepads, reminders, etc.) did the same thing, and allowed you to save
>>to the cursor as well. That's where the Mac wins out with it's
>>cut/copy/paste system. Sure the arc has got a functional equivelant,
>>but no-one ever implements it!!
> 
>What about Ran Mokady's excellent !PtrCopy? Lets you copy any system
>text from anywhere to anywhere. Why reinvent the wheel?
 
>Lorcan

Because the entire world isn't just BFont for a start. And, like it or
not, Acorn did define a standard for how data should be shuffled between
applications. !PtrCopy is a bodge for applications that didn't follow
this guideline! And what about when I want to load/save to a file? Do I
have to open !Edit and !PtrCopy from there? It also means I have to do
twice as much toing and froing between windows, and the sequence is
unintuitive to boot.

I'm also going to support !Interface, because I think it's about time
someone did. And I know how to do hotlinks properly, so I'll be putting
that in.

***********************************************************************
*    . Jeremy Lee s047@sand.sics.bu.oz.au    Student of Everything    *
*   /|            "Where the naked spotless intelect is without       *
*  /_|              center or circumference. Look to the light,       *
* /  |rchimedes      Leland, look to the light" - Dale Cooper         *
***********************************************************************
From: roh8@aber.ac.uk (The Grim Reaper)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: R260
Date: 30 Jul 92 14:06:07 GMT
Organization: University of Wales, Aberystwyth

Could someone possibly tell me where I could get information/tell me
information on the acorn R260. I have heard a little about it, but
would be appreciative of something more solid than the info I have
heard.

If any information forthcoming could be mailed, I would be grateful.

ThanX in advance.
-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
|The Grim Reaper			| roh8@aber.ac.uk                      |
|37, Portland St.                       | rhughes@nyx.cs.du.edu                |
|Aberystwyth,                           |                                      |
From: garyb@abekrd.co.uk (Gary Bartlett)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Is "bad free space map" recoverable?
Date: 22 Jul 92 08:53:00 GMT
Organization: Abekas Video Systems, Reading, UK.

I think this has definitely been covered before, but I couldn't find any
reference to it in my saved articles, and now I've been bit.

I have an E-format disc which I cannot access at all, giving a "Bad free
space  map"  error  message  -  infinitely  more  annoying  than  a "bad
directory".  What is the best way to recover from this situation?

Many thanks,
Gary
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gary Bartlett, Abekas Video Systems, 12 Portman Rd, Reading, Berks, RG3 1EA. UK
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NET:  Gary.Bartlett@abekrd.co.uk                          PHONE: +44 734 585421
UUCP: ...!uunet!mcsun!uknet!abekrd!Gary.Bartlett	  FAX:   +44 734 567904
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
DES Public: 5a9a5d35a2f745ddd8cce89707d3fe671c136aec90b0da037c182630e911eb9e
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: reinoud@dutecai.et.tudelft.nl (R. Lamberts)
Subject: ARM processor data and pricing?
Originator: reinoud@dutecai.et.tudelft.nl
Reply-To: reinoud@dutecai.et.tudelft.nl (R. Lamberts)
Organization: Delft University of Technology, Dept. of Electrical Engineering
Date: Sat, 25 Jul 1992 16:47:11 GMT

Hi all,
I'm not sure where to request data sheets (or books) and pricing info
on the ARM 2, 3 and 6 series. Any info on who markets the several
versions of the ARM is welcome, but fax numbers would be the most
helpful ;-). Thank you!

- Reinoud
From: row@bnr.co.uk (Reuben Wells)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Data transfer to !StrongEd crashes sender
Date: 21 Jul 92 12:08:46 GMT
Reply-To: row@bnr.co.uk (Reuben Wells)
Organization: BNR Europe Limited, London Road, Harlow, Essex, GB

In the referenced article dbh@doc.ic.ac.uk (Denis Howe) writes:
>There's something funny about !StrongEd's data transfer.  When I drag
>a file into !StrongEd from !PlaceIt's backdrop, !PlaceIt usually
>crashes although !StrongEd carries on and loads the file as expected.

There is a problem with !SrcEdit as well, try dragging a file zero
bytes long (can't remember whether this has to be from another
application or not ?) and you get an error message, I thought this
was my fault and spent ages checking and re-checking my code :-(
but no it was Acorn !

Reuben

Reuben O. Wells	- BNR Europe Ltd - (+44) 279 403704
From: news@comlab.ox.ac.uk
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: A4 and RISC OS 3.10
Date: 27 Jul 92 11:07:39 GMT
Organization: Oxford University Computing Laboratory, UK

In article <1992Jul26.111544.3760@cs.hw.ac.uk> neilp@cs.hw.ac.uk (Neil Postlethwaite) writes:
>In article <14887@suns4.crosfield.co.uk> ojg@crosfield.co.uk (oliver gunasekara) writes:
>>
>>I have also been told that this years Acorn User show will have some thing 
>>special from Acorn, which will be for sale 12 months later. Acorn want the 
>>title of the 'fastest Personal workstation' back.
>>
>
>Hmm, this sounds very moving goal post quote.
>
>Define 'Personal Workstation'.
>
>486/33 PC, Mac Quadra 950, NeXT Station Turbo, Sun IPC ???
Pricing-wise only the first could possibly qualify.

>...
>A machine in 12 months time will have some VERY stiff competition as Acorn
>have frittered away their lead. The 586 will be out, RISC Unix boxes prices
>are still falling.

The 586 *may* be out.  They just delayed by 3 months.  The pricing Intel
is talking about is almost the same per chip as a whole A5000!  RISC
UNIX boxes *price/performance* is still falling. However: I haven't seen
the any indication of much interest in workstation land of really taking
on the personal market (i.e. < 3K pounds for complete desk-top systems).
I don't believe PowerPC or Windows/NT machines etc will really be
available before Acorn's new machine at sensible prices.

Unless Acorn are suddenly leaping upmarket their new machine will be
competing against the familiar array of Mac's and 486 PC's.  Prices for
these will have fallen, but only the fall in CPU will ``count'' much.
Prices for boards, memory, drives etc etc will be the same for Acorn as
anyone else.  If Acorn get it right they have a real chance of
leap-frogging in the 2K pounds market.

>Is the Sun Viking/Tsnami chip (in the Sparcstation 10), or the HP PA set,
>or IBM set or DEC Alpha to name some of the competition outside this
>'Personal Workstation' arena ??

These devices will still be *damn* expensive in '93.


Andrew
        Andrew Stevens                  
      Programmming Research Group       JANET: Andrew.Stevens@uk.ac.oxford.prg
     11 Keble Road, Oxford, England     UUCP:  ...!uunet!mcvax!ukc!ox-prg!as
     OX1 3QD   +44 0865 272563
From: seifert@diku.dk (Michael Seifert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Amiga / 486 Owner needs information on ARM A5000 / A570(?)
Date: 29 Jul 92 15:28:34 GMT
Distribution: comp
Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen

Hi Jordan,

Read your questions about the Archimedes. I'm not trying to start a flame
war, just want to drop in my opinion.

When I bought my Archimedes several years ago it was a fairly good machine
both $ wise and powerwise.

Don't buy one now. They are very expensive compared to the amount of
computing power you get from other machines, and they are not very
top of the line anymore. Especially the OS is hopelessly behind the
other OS's by now (it weren't as bad several years ago).

Find another computer to spend you money on. 

--Michael

P.S. Well I still like it. Today I'd just buy another machine if I had
     the money and oppotunity.

P.P.S. If someone tells you that the A5000 is just as fast as a typical
       486 - they're lying. We don't even have a proper Math Coproc.

--
Michael Seifert               |   OS/2 - The Nightmare Continues..    |
seifert@diku.dk               |   PS/2+OS/2 = (PS+OS)/2 = 0.5*(PS+OS) |
----------------------------------------------------------------------+

What use is magic if it can't save a unicorn?
		-- Peter S. Beagle, "The Last Unicorn"
From: aiadrm@castle.ed.ac.uk (Alasdair D. McIntyre)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: CLIB 3.75 (or later)
Date: 22 Jul 92 18:12:44 GMT
Distribution: eunet
Organization: Edinburgh University

In article <24054@castle.ed.ac.uk> aiadrm@castle.ed.ac.uk (Alasdair D. McIntyre) writes:
>I wonder if some kind soul has CLib3.75 (or later, but must be RO2
>compatible) to hand?  I have a couple of shareware progs which demand
>nothing less, rather annoyingly.
>
>Offers via e-mail, please, and I'll mail the lucky winner with a
>request.

To save the imminent flood of mail to my account, I've just
located it on an ftp server in Iceland (why I couldn't find it
on newcastle, manchester, or lancs I really don't understand).

Regards,
        -- Alasdair -- aiadrm@uk.ac.ed.castle --
From: mppu3@syma.sussex.ac.uk (Conor McMenamin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Curve fitting program needed...please help
Date: 27 Jul 92 10:53:43 GMT
Organization: University of Sussex

Dear all,
	I apologise if this is a FAQ for this group, I'm posting for a
colleague and don't normally read comp.sys.acorn. He needs a program to
perform a polynomial fit on an archimedes. Initially he only needs to
fit a quadratic, but may need to fit higher order polynomials after
that. Does anyone know of a program that will do this, preferably
PD/shareware?

		Many thanks in advance,
		Conor McMenamin
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: 3d icons for RO3.xx
From: epoo1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (Edouard Malachi     Poor           )
Date: Tue, 21 Jul 1992 22:06:32 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland

In <1992Jul21.101037.19560@doc.ic.ac.uk> ijp@oak9.doc.ic.ac.uk (Ian Palmer) writes:

>Oh, and on a different note, something to wet your appetites. I shall
>soon (probably tomorrow, if not next week) upload (to somewhere, havn't
>decided where yet) a little (understatement of the year) application
>called 'Word Hound' a combined thesaurus and dictionary (yes
>dictionary, with definitions and the like). The only problem is that
>it's big (very big - we are talking hard disc only application here)
>and I havn't quite worked out how to split the main dictionary (2 Meg
>of compressed data) into distributable (and recombinable) bits yet.

>But just to give a few indications of what you can expect, here are a
>few details :

>  [...deleted for brevity...]

Ahhh! Sounds like _exactly_ what I've always wanted! Hows about sending
it to comp.binaries.acorn so the rest of the world can enjoy it too?

>Ian

Edouard
From: row@bnr.co.uk (Reuben Wells)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: WordHound
Date: 28 Jul 92 11:39:53 GMT
Reply-To: row@bnr.co.uk (Reuben Wells)
Organization: BNR Europe Limited, London Road, Harlow, Essex, GB

In the referenced article ijp@swan.doc.ic.ac.uk (Ian Palmer) writes:
>gta@st-andrews.ac.uk (Graham Allan) writes:
>The problem is that if I make the window remain open, next time you
>use it the caret might be somewhere else, and so the program will be
>unable to get a correct caret location. My question is, is there any
>way that every time you gain the caret, note where it was just before
>you gained it?

Yes - just trap the Wimp_GainCaret and Wimp_LoseCaret events ! I have
an application that auto claims the caret when the mouse pointer
is over its window and puts it back when you move back out of the window
not very Acorn standard but I find it very useful :-)

Reuben

Reuben O. Wells	- BNR Europe Ltd - (+44) 279 403704
From: Albert.Koelmans@newcastle.ac.uk (Albert Koelmans)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: TeX
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:18:01 GMT
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

ssurawls@SUSSSYS1.RDG.AC.UK (Mister E) writes:

>Does anyone know where I can get a recent version of TeX from without using
>either phoibos (old version) rusinfo (about as fast as typing it in from BAU)
>or newcastle (don't fancy having a 13 meg mailbox and then having to piece it
>all together!)

What's the problem? There's any number of shell/perl scripts or C programs
that will take a number of mails, strip all the garbage, and
uudecode/uncompress/untar them. I've been using a perl script myself for a
long time. Easy enough.

Piecing the system together is much less hassle than actually *using* the
language and system :-) You'll have to find those 13 megs somewhere whether
you like it or not.

Albert

--

E-mail address:  Albert.Koelmans@newcastle.ac.uk
Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK (telephone +44 091-2228155,fax 2228232) 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: amell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew P.Mell)
Subject: Re: What is 'Power To The Programmers'?
Keywords: Programmers, RISC OS 3, A3000
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 92 19:18:47 GMT

In article <1992Jul30.013020.21992@usage.csd.unsw.OZ.AU> 2105995@hydra.maths.unsw.EDU.AU writes:
>Can anyone inform me of the copy-right status of Power to the programmer?
>I would dearly love a copy of them, but would not want to step on anyone's
>toes (especially F.A.S.T !!!!).

It is public domain and freely redistributable, a disc based magazine
produced by coin-age. Look for their advert in Acorn User.

Andy
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: amell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew P.Mell)
Subject: Re: When/where is the Acorn User Show?
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 21:45:40 GMT

matthews@meiko.co.uk (Matthew Spencer) asks:

When is the Acorn User Show?

16th-18th October, Wembley Conference Centre, London.

See you there.

Andy
From: kers@hplb.hpl.hp.com (Chris Dollin)
Date: Wed, 22 Jul 1992 08:18:29 GMT
Subject: Re: C books
Organization: Hewlett-Packard Laboratories, Bristol, UK.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn

In article ... alm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Alexander L McLintock) writes:

   Ok folks, 
   I am about to buy a C book. I am not a great C programmer. 
   (I learnt how to program the "cat" command at college :-)
   Price is a factor, so I am tempted by 
   C : A Dabhand Guide. 14.95, (Second edition?)

I was completely put off the Dabhand book when I picked it up in a bookshop,
opened it at random, and encountered the statement that it was unwise to use
definitions of the form

    type *tp = &p;

``because tp won't point anywhere yet''. This confusion of initialisation with
assignment caused me to put the book back on the shelf post-haste. Has there
been a second edition?

   Of course there is Kernigan and Ritchie .....

If you already know how to program in some language, I reccomend K&R (make sure
you get the second - ANSI C - edition). If not, Harbison and Steele (also the
second edition, I think) is supposed to be pretty good.

If you are going to get seriously into C, also buy Koenig's ``C Traps and
Pitfalls''. 

   You better try mailing replies to me, I am sure this 
   is probably quite boring for the rest of you. And
   I don't want to start a language war!

I'm posting because I think some debate on good textbooks is better than a set
of independant suggestions. Anyone else got some counter-advice?
--

Regards,    | ``In fingers of trees, and valleys of gold    | Judy Tzuke
Kers.       | I watch as you outshine the charlatan foe.''  | Higher & Higher
From: amell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew P.Mell)
Subject: Re: Updates
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Mon, 27 Jul 92 21:51:46 GMT

In article <1992Jul27.192938.21189@cs.utwente.nl> kortink@cs.utwente.nl (John Kortink) writes:
>Service message for registered users of Translator et al
>--------------------------------------------------------
>
>Sorry for wasting bandwidth, all you unregistered folks. :-)

Since when has comp.sys.acorn been a commercial forum? It states quite
clearly in this group's charter that the only company who can post adverts
etc to Comp.sys.acorn are Acorn themselves.

Please keep this self-serving propaganda garbage out of here and put it in
biz.newprod or somewhere.

Thank you.
From: snb90@uk.ac.soton.ecs (Stewart Brodie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Problem with wimp_readpixtrans
Date: 20 Jul 92 18:42:59 GMT
Organization: University of Southampton, UK
Originator: snb90@chapman

This should be posted to c.s.a.tech but that group does not appear to
exist yet (at Southampton anyway).  Please respond by MAIL only, and I
will post a summary of replies next week.

I have come across a problem when writing a program that uses
Wimp_ReadPixTrans.  I have the following fragment of C code which
gives the error about implicit casts of pointers to non-equal
pointers:


sprite_pixtrans pixeltrans[16];
sprite_factors  fact;

const sprite_id sprid = { { "sprname" } , sprite_id_name };


and then later on:
{
..
wimp_readpixtrans(resspr_area(), &sprid, &fact, pixeltrans);
..
}


The bit causing the error is the pixeltrans on the end.  I have tries
explicitly casting this to (sprite_pixtrans *) but the error persists.
The funny thing is that is worked most of the day and only stopped
later, but I don't remember changing anything vital ....

Any possible solutions gratefully accepted.

--
Stewart Brodie
(snb90@uk.ac.soton.ecs)
From: alm@doc.ic.ac.uk (Alexander L McLintock)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: C books
Date: 21 Jul 92 16:38:49 GMT
Organization: Department of Computing, Imperial College, University of London, UK.


Ok folks, 

I am about to buy a C book. I am not a great C programmer. 
(I learnt how to program the "cat" command at college :-)

Price is a factor, so I am tempted by 
C : A Dabhand Guide. 14.95, (Second edition?)

Of course there is Kernigan and Ritchie .....

And a few C "bibles"

What do you think of the Dabhand one? 

You better try mailing replies to me, I am sure this 
is probably quite boring for the rest of you. And
I don't want to start a language war!

If mail to me bounces, then my account is probably dead :-(

(I can post a summary if people want.)

Thanks

AlexMC

-- 
| ALEX MCLINTOCK (ug) | Imperial College | or/ Sci Fi Soc, IC Union
| alm@doc.ic.ac.uk    | Computing Dep.   | Beit Hall, 
|*JOB*WANTED*PLEASE*  | Huxley Building  | Prince Consort road,  
| ICSF CHAIR ENTITY   | 180 Queens Gate--->London SW7 2BZ
From: seamus@spuddy.uucp (Sean Sprague)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: R140 RiscIx Problem
Summary: Cannot Boot RiscIX
Date: 26 Jul 92 01:22:07 GMT
Organization: Spuddy's Public Usenet Domain


Dear Reader,

I have an Acron Archimedes R140 UNIX system, which due to bad
sectors on the fixed disk drive fails to boot RiscIX correctly,
Panic'ing before the boort process is complete.

All the R140's that I have ever come into contact with have been
pre-installed; is there any way to reinstall ? I have been quoted
150 pounds (UK Sterling) per hour for assistance from a couple of
Acorn dealers, but my finances will not stretch to this extent
sadly.

Any pearls of wisdom gratefully received.

Many thanks in anticipation.



seamus@spuddy.uucp (Sean Sprague)

/* If I sound like a prat, its probably coz I am */

-- 
================================================================================
Sean Sprague ("Seamus")    Email : seamus@spuddy.UUCP
  "I'd rather have a full bottle in front of me than a full frontal lobotomy"
=============================********===========================================
============ CALL SPUDDY FOR * FREE * USENET ACCESS ON +44-203-638780 ==========
=============================********===========================================
From: Albert.Koelmans@newcastle.ac.uk (Albert Koelmans)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: CLIB 3.75 (or later)
Date: 23 Jul 92 08:57:58 GMT
Distribution: eunet
Organization: University of Newcastle upon Tyne, UK, NE1 7RU

aiadrm@castle.ed.ac.uk (Alasdair D. McIntyre) writes:

(about Clib 3.75)

>To save the imminent flood of mail to my account, I've just
>located it on an ftp server in Iceland (why I couldn't find it
>on newcastle, manchester, or lancs I really don't understand).

When it was originally posted it came with a license that did not allow for
redistribution. I haven't been told that this condition has been relaxed, so
I'm not putting it on the server. I hope that the people in Iceland know what
they're doing...

Albert

--

E-mail address:  Albert.Koelmans@newcastle.ac.uk
Computing Laboratory, University of Newcastle upon Tyne,
Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK (telephone +44 091-2228155,fax 2228232)
From: bergur@kopasker.is (Bergur Gudmundsson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Wimpmode problem
Date: 27 Jul 92 20:28:08 GMT
Reply-To: bergur@kopasker.is (Bergur Gudmundsson)
Organization: Kopasker Primary, Iceland

Hello. I have an A5000 computer with multiscan monitor (1028 x 768)
but the only hi res wimpmode that works correctly is mode 27.
Can any one tell me why mode 20, 30 and 31 doesn`t work.

Greetings.

  Bergur Gupmundsson 

     Raufarhvfn 

           Iceland.