HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: cep@cs.nott.ac.uk (Charlie Pearce)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Hard Drive incompatibility under RISCOS 3.1, help!
Date: 7 Oct 92 12:56:16 GMT
Organization: Nottingham University

In article <1992Oct7.113209.1@cc.curtin.edu.au> sdaveyj@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:
>In article <ssumille.718300080@reading>, ssumille@csug3.cs.reading.ac.uk (Pete Millerchip) writes:
>> Can anyone out there help?
>> I just upgraded my A3000 to RISC-OS 3.1 and my Morley Electronics ST506 hard
>> drive podule now refuses to talk to the drive - I get a "Disk not understood,
>> are you sure it's formatted?" error even after I format it with !HForm.
>
>Oh Dear, I have an A3000 with Morley st506 and I have RISC OS3.1 on order
>if anyone knows anything about it please mail me too, at the moment I can 
>receive but I cant mail back only to news groups.

Well, I have an A3000 with infernal (actually it's pretty good) IDE drive. I
now have RISC OS 3.10, and although !Configure allows you to specify the number
of IDE discs, it doesn't recognise it, and it sits to the right of my Apps icon
without multitasking verify etc. (ie. it's exactly the same as it was before
because it uses the IDEFS on ROM rather than being an ADFS IDE disc - does that
make sense?) Is there anything I can do about it? There was something along the
same lines in the Release Note about SCSI drives, but wasn't very helpful.

Charlie
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: sdaveyj@cc.curtin.edu.au
Subject: Re: Heia guys: (ok, let's do it civilized...)
Organization: Curtin University of Technology
Date: Tue, 13 Oct 1992 01:43:21 GMT

In article <1992Oct9.115104.11559@cs.tu-berlin.de>, aua@cs.tu-berlin.de (Daniel Tamberg) writes:
> Hi there!
> 
> I think Acorn should set a new level of default configuration with the next
> model in  order to stay in the top end for the years to come. Today, Acorn does
> only some sort of  tidying-up their hardware but another push of innovation has
> yet to come, whilst the competitors do not sleep.

I aggree entirely. In my oppinion the only thing holding the Archimedes up now
is RISC OS. In terms of performance it is not anazing any more. It is just
a real USERS machine, very intuitive.

Most needed are a faster processor, more RAM with better MEMC, better graphics
(maybe TMS chip), and heaps of expansion options. I think CD Rom and floptical
are optional really, but a good idea.

                       John Davey
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: That alleged bug with RO 3.10
From: jwil1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (TMOTA)
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 23:49:28 GMT
  <1992Oct2.202331.26028@cs.nott.ac.uk> <1992Oct2.210235.26172@cs.nott.ac.uk> 
 <2oaEPHj025n@khantazi.welly.gen.nz> <5407@krafla.rhi.hi.is>
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland

adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David) writes:

>F12 no longer does anything useful, and the only way to get a task window is
>by loading an earlier version of !Edit from disc. What CLI commands can be
>used to restore the Task Manager to normality?

But without a task manager, you can't get a CLI (unless you quit the desktop
entirely, in which case you might as well hit the reset button)... or at
least, I couldn't seem to get a CLI when I had the problem (try doing a
'shutdown' to park all your heads before turning off when you haven't got
a task manager, and can't type a *shutdown...;-(
-- 
_________________  "I'd like to answer this question in two ways:
  /____ _ _/_ __       First in my normal voice, and then
 // / //_//_ /_/       in a silly, high-pitched whine." (Monty Python)
From: RMokady@acorn.co.uk (Ran Mokady)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: That alleged bug with RO 3.10
Date: 9 Oct 92 09:50:44 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England

In article <5407@krafla.rhi.hi.is> adamd@rhi.hi.is (Adam David) writes:

>
>Yes, but how do you get the Task Manager back without rebooting the machine?
>F12 no longer does anything useful, and the only way to get a task window is
>by loading an earlier version of !Edit from disc. What CLI commands can be
>used to restore the Task Manager to normality?
>
>--

To get the Task Manager back, create an obey file in !Edit with the
following lines:

RMReinit TaskManager
WimpTask Desktop

Save it somewhere and double click on it .

If you ever want to get to the command line when the Task Manager is dead,
create an obey file with:

WimpTask ShellCLI

and run it.


        Ran.




-----                    
RMokady@acorn.co.uk          |
Ran Mokady                   |  "We're children, Needing other children
Senior Software Engineer     |   And yet letting our grown up pride
Technical Support            |   Hide all the need inside
Acorn Computers              |   Acting more like children than children"
Cambridge, UK.               |
From: gtoal@ibmpcug.co.uk (Graham Toal)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Comp.Sys.Acorn FAQ List Posting (Automatic)
Keywords: Frequent Questions Answers
Date: 16 Oct 92 21:27:39 GMT
Organization: The IBM PC User Group, UK.

In article <2q+WCtj025n@khantazi.welly.gen.nz> banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>~0.09 MIPS (at a guess....)

Would you *PLEASE* not put tildes at the start of lines.  I save this
sort of posting by '|mail gtoal@gtoal.com' and the mail command here
interprets the tildes as mail escapes. I'm sure I'm not the only
person bitten by this.

G
--
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: !Trace, Jason Williams - NO CODE!
From: jwil1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (TMOTA)
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 22:11:13 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland

I've just been deluged with email requests for source code
to the !Trace application (which traces bitmaps and outputs
Drawfile bezier curves). Aparrently my name has been mentioned
in connection with it somewhere on the net...

I did *help* David Pilling to write Trace (by offering ideas and
loose details on the algorithms to use). I have never even seen
the source code. (Unless you count a crappy little BASIC program
hacked together to test some ideas...)

!Trace is a commercial program. Anyone wishing to get a copy should
contact David, not myself. Anyone wishing to get source code can
try contacting David I guess, but as it is a commercial program, I
doubt that he's going to give his source code away to anyone.

*Please* do not send me any email about !Trace!

Thanks!
-- 
_________________  "I'd like to answer this question in two ways:
  /____ _ _/_ __       First in my normal voice, and then
 // / //_//_ /_/       in a silly, high-pitched whine." (Monty Python)
From: tomc@siesoft.co.uk (Tom Crossland)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: RISC-OS 3.1 bug
Date: 7 Oct 92 15:22:49 GMT
Reply-To: tomc@siesoft.co.uk
Organization: Siemens Nixdorf Information Systems Ltd.

ssuferry@csug.cs.reading.ac.uk (James Michael Ferryman) writes:
: Another bug in RISC-OS 3.1 (may also be present in 3.0) is concerned with
: the Monitor configuration - the screensaver is initially defaulted to OFF.
: Clicking on the advance icon increases the blanktime in 30 sec intervals.
: If however you then go back to OFF it causes the blanktime to be 0 and thus
: extremely irritating.  In other words, the lower bound is not set correctly.

I thought setting blanktime 0 disabled screen blanking anyway!
From: Robert.V.Thomas@cm.cf.ac.uk (Detective sargeant Hobson)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Archimedes 'BBC Basic'
Date: 14 Oct 92 08:49:16 GMT
Organization: University of Wales College of Cardiff, Cardiff, Wales, UK.
X-Mailer: Cardiff Computing Maths PP Mail Open News Gateway


  Hello all !

  I have recently been given an Archimedes to play with.I wanted to
  create some sounds using BBC Basic.However the manuals that I have
  don't mention the 'envelope' statement.
    Please can some kind soul help with this trickey technical problem :)
  and give me the parameter info.

  Thanks a lot,

               Rob Thomas (Your local Archimedes ignoramus ).
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Re: That alleged bug with RO 3.10
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Sun, 11 Oct 92 11:12:17 GMT

In article <2PpdLWj025n@khantazi.welly.gen.nz> banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz writes:
>Thats it. Simple eh? And because you can create an obey file from edit you
>can *always* make this if you don't have it at hand. So much for 'crashing
>the machine'. 'Killing one task' would have been a far better description of
>this bug.

As far as the majority of users are concerned, killing the task manager is
worse than a system crash, because most things still appear to work, but they
do eventually end up having to reset the machine. In other words, it confuses
the naive user, and they end up wondering whether they did the right thing.
Many users wouldn't know what an Obey file is, let alone how to create one.

I don't know how much contact you have with "ordinary" Archimedes users - eg
school teachers, concerned parents, retired persons and so on, but the
knowledge of most (in my experience) is surprisingly limited. Just look in the
Acorn magazines at how many people don't know what to do when they get the
error message "System resources not found". 

I suppose this is one strength of Acorn's machines - that you don't have to
be a computer whizzkid to be able to use them.

Finally, survey time: how old is the oldest Archimedes owner in the world?
Who knows an elderly Archimedes owner? I know one person who is 75 years old,
owns some top-of-the range Acorn kit and knows exactly what he is doing.

Simon.
From: gilbertd@p4.cs.man.ac.uk (David Alan Gilbert)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Archimedes 'BBC Basic'
Date: 15 Oct 92 07:34:57 GMT

In <9210140849.AA26892@vassal.cm.cf.ac.uk> Robert.V.Thomas@cm.cf.ac.uk (Detective sargeant Hobson) writes:


>  Hello all !

>  I have recently been given an Archimedes to play with.I wanted to
>  create some sounds using BBC Basic.However the manuals that I have
>  don't mention the 'envelope' statement.
>    Please can some kind soul help with this trickey technical problem :)
>  and give me the parameter info.

>  Thanks a lot,

>               Rob Thomas (Your local Archimedes ignoramus ).

Hi Rob,
Yeh - everyone else who has gone from BBC to Arc noticed that
there isnt an envelope command.
The way to do things is to digitise stuff
using a cheap sampler.

Dave

-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- David Alan Gilbert - gilbertd@p4.cs.man.ac.uk - G7FHJ@GB7NWP                -
------(Programmers don't sleep - they just park their heads)-------------------
From: ics.aslater@Control.Com (Alastair M. Slater)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Tierra (doesnt anyone else use this?)
Date: 7 Oct 92 10:54:59 GMT
Reply-To: ics.aslater@control.com
Organization: Industrial Computing Society

Hullo and sorry for the obscurity of topic...
Has anyone got Tierra to compile ? Other than that awfully nice chap who 
ported it (about time too)..if so, any more examples of what you did to thew 
makefiles would be MOST appreciated and also any further text on how to get 
it not complaining about 'not remade because of errors' ...
Incidentally, the author did mnetion it created a large number of errors - 
is this a gross understatement or what ? :-)

Replies to hereabouts seeing as my term time email hasnt resurfaced yet :-(

Cheers,


Alastair.
(PS - how fast can you manage to get decent evolutionary developments on an 
arm3 machine?  - estimate of generations per whatever would be nice)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: amell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew P.Mell)
Subject: Re: OOP languages
Organization: Nyx, Public Access Unix at U. of Denver Math/CS dept.
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 92 17:36:36 GMT

In article <1992Oct7.175301.13717@lut.ac.uk> S.Hickinbottom@lut.ac.uk (Stuart Hickinbottom) writes:
>
>I'll second this - I'm about to undertake the design and implementation of
>a general processor simulator in C++, so I'd appreciate details of versions
>for the Arc, and if that is not possible, which ones will run under the
>emulator (Microsoft C/C++ 7.00 requires a 386, doesn't it?).
>
Borland Turbo C++ 3.0 works fine under the emulator provided you have a
PCEm version greater than 1.8 and have LIM EMS configured. Be warned thou, its
so slow as to be near unusable... 

Please Please can we have C++ on the Arc.

PS: can anyone tell me for sure if Gnu gcc/g++ will work well under RisciX
and if it supports procedure call standard?

Andy
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: goodwin@edieng.enet.dec.com (Pete Goodwin)
Subject: Re: RO3.1 Queries
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 1992 12:15:09 GMT


In article <1bjhhcINNcs6@lily.csv.warwick.ac.uk>, phuae@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr N S Kaijaks) writes...

>1) Should adfsbuffers be set to 0 under 3.1 on a 440/1? I had a Hard
>   Disc error last week, which seemed to cure itself, but I don't
>   know if that's just my HD getting tired of life, or the A5000
>   adfsbuffers bug.

I heard this was fixed. I've had ADFSbuffers set to 16 for a while and it works
fine.

Pete Goodwin
goodwin@system.enet.dec.com
From: csugs@csv.warwick.ac.uk (Mr A J Roberts)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: modem-program
Date: 13 Oct 1992 18:23:03 +0100
Organization: Computing Services, University of Warwick, UK
NNTP-Posting-Host: clover.csv.warwick.ac.uk

On the subject of comm's I'm trying to remember which pins have to linked
to enable the serial port to work, could sombody out there please help me
rememder. Oh I dont mind which combination is given, the Acorn or Chocks
away set but I just want to have a play with my virgin serial port (It is a
old A3000 so no posting please about the new A30*0 machine having a normal
serial port.). Yet an explanation about what is at the hart of the fault
might be useful, as far as I know it is Acorns design rather than the
serial chip at fault.

Andy
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: felixa@microsoft.com (Felix GTi Andrew)
Subject: Re: Yes, more .....
Date: 07 Oct 92 22:34:32 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corporation

There have been some 'good' discussions in this thread. Clive was impressive,
in remaining impartial and like many people roughly said 'horses for courses'

What I feel may now have been understood is that most of us code on Arcs
because they are fast. We get to know them well. We write specific code for
them - all this OS_Claim stuff entry veneer all that. Additionally clive
goes on about how well he mixes Pascal, C, and assembler to get the best, but
I doubt that even if his 'high-level' code could be recompiled on different
platforms, I dont think the calling conventions would work the same - let
alone that complete nightmare of taking your code to a non-flat (segmented)
architecture.

What I'm trying to point out is that we all write good, clean tight code
that quite honestly we'd never want to port to another platform because
the hardware/windowing system just wouldn't support it.

Try porting an arc windows program to 3.1 - forget it - even if the C
was truely portable.

Given this premise that we'd never want to port the stuff, surely we then
go for the smallest, fastest code that we can - thats what makes us good.
If thats Assembler, then fine, if its C then fine.

Jumping up and down on CC about writing in Asm is kinda silly. I dont think
that they would think about converting it to say, Windows NT. Their expertese
is in the Arc, not in an abstracted OS.

Keep up the good work everyone and remember about the only portable apps
are those that use terminals for their UI - so if you want to write an app
like that, then have fun - if you want to write a GUI app then its non-portable
(OS to OS, except Windows3.1 and NT and OS2) from the start.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: vulch@kernow.demon.co.uk (Anthony Frost)
Reply-To: vulch@kernow.demon.co.uk
Subject: Tierra (doesnt anyone else use this?)
Organization: VCS Kernow
X-Mailer: ReaderS for the Acorn Archimedes
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 1992 10:11:45 +0000

 
  > Has anyone got Tierra to compile ? Other than that awfully
  > nice chap who  ported it (about time too)..if so, any more
  > examples of what you did to thew  makefiles would be MOST
  > appreciated and also any further text on how to get  it not
  > complaining about 'not remade because of errors' ... 
 
I managed, but it is not possible to get rid of the errors. After the first
"not remade due to errors" make it again and it ought to finish that time.
The errors are worrying but don't seem to affect the end result...
 
I can't remember the generation turnover rate, but it does slow down as more
and more genotypes appear and it is forced to shunt things to disc and run
comparisons with disc instead of memory.
 
         Anthony
From: sdaveyj@cc.curtin.edu.au
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Heia guys: (ok, let's do it civilized...)
Date: 16 Oct 92 03:03:14 GMT
Organization: Curtin University of Technology

In article <1992Oct13.142353.19091@csd.uwe.ac.uk>, r_voisey@csd.uwe.ac.uk (R Voisey) writes:
> In article <1992Oct13.104321.1@cc.curtin.edu.au> sdaveyj@cc.curtin.edu.au writes:
> 
>>I aggree entirely. In my oppinion the only thing holding the Archimedes up now
>>is RISC OS. In terms of performance it is not anazing any more. It is just
>>a real USERS machine, very intuitive.
> 
> SHOCK HORROR!  Acorn have produced a machine for MERE END USERS!  How
> could they do such a thing?
> 
> (The fact that the huge majority of Archimedes owners are not programmers
> or hackers but 'just' users doesn't enter into it of course)..
 
It really is an end users machine. I bought my A3000 over a PC because
I knew that at the time it was really powerfull and Acorn have always
produced very "programmable" machines. I was actually unaware or RISC OS
at the time. After I got it home, it took me ages before I ventured to
the f12 button and started programming. It was actually a bad in the 
respect that the desktop is son nice I did'nt feel like programming.
I see other stuff now and get depressed that my programs can't be 
as flashy and clever. This was not a problem in the old BBC days.
 
> I would also debate that the performance is no longer amazing.  I was
> looking through some data sheets, and I was unable to find another
> RISC chip that gives the same performance per pound (that's especially
> true for ARM2 - and ARM250 is INCREDIBLE value for money, if only
> sample quantities were readily available).

Yes, the chips are cheap but the machines aren't, and what is a chip
without the rest?
From: enevill@acorn.co.uk (Edward Nevill)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: BAU show news
Date: 16 Oct 92 10:06:57 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England

In article <Bw6K9G.22I@brunel.ac.uk> ee91mds2@brunel.ac.uk (Mark D Smith) writes:

>Acorn will be selling draught copies of the Risc-OS 3 Programmer's reference manuals at the show...

Make mine a pint:-)

Edward (enevill@acorn.co.uk)
From: gaspar@urz.unibas.ch
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: Heia guys: New flame war starting (ok, let's do it civilized...)
Date: 9 Oct 92 17:46:57 MET
Organization: University of Basel, Switzerland

In article <1992Oct9.115104.11559@cs.tu-berlin.de>, aua@cs.tu-berlin.de (Daniel Tamberg) writes:
> Hi there!
> 

[wonderful dreams deleted]

> ARM700                         300  ps
> 64MB RAM                       640  ps
> Disc drives (512MB SCSI & CD) 1100  ps
> Graphics System                300  ps
> 16bit sound                    100  ps
> Floptical drive                100  ps
> Connectivity                   200  ps
> Quietness                        0  ps
> Bits & Pieces                  300  ps
> ----------------------------------------
> SUM                           3040  ps
> 
> This is not too expensive for such high-end machine, even if you add some other
> 100ps  for the OS, keyboard, mouse and some more gain for the manufacturer.
> Still, a Mac  Quadra 700 costs more than 5000ps (sort of) with a *much* lower
> specification. Also, the various bits will become cheaper during the next few
> years (especially the RAM chip and drive prices will go down considerably).
> 
> Any comments?
> 
>        Daniel
> 
> -------------------------I am not sig--------------------
-- 
I wish you were right and that Acorn were listening very carefully...
All in all I think it's a good idea to go for something 'exagerated' like 
this but I really doubt that Acorn could sell it for the price you give.
Just think about the work that they would have to put into such a machine
to stay compatible with our machines. We all would like that, no?
So charging 100 pounds for OS seems much underestimated.
But it's nice to think of something like that, even if it won't happen :)

laci



*******************************************************************************
*             Laci Gaspar, University Basel, Switzerland                      *
*******************************************************************************
From: blackbdj@uhura.aston.ac.uk (Dave Blackburn)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: RO 3.1 Bugs Again!
Date: 7 Oct 92 11:33:43 GMT
Organization: Aston University


I have a bug but i dont know whether it has been discussed before since i've
only just got back to Uni. If you bring up the Free space indicator on a disk
that multitasks in its little window then when you dismount the disk it does
not dissapear. Surely this is highly irregular and wouldn't have taken much to
correct.

Cheers

Dave


-- 
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dave Blackburn                                  Everything I say and wear may be
Dept. Comp Sci & App. Maths                     taken down and used against me.
Aston University                                blackbdj@uhura.aston.ac.uk
From: cs89jmb@brunel.ac.uk (Jason M Banham)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: 3D borders
Date: 13 Oct 92 14:50:08 GMT
Organization: Brunel University, Uxbridge, UK
X-Newsreader: TIN [version 1.1 PL6]

Salutations,

Just a quick message before my Time & Resources lecture.

In Risc OS 3.00, you could setup the window borders, close icon, etc...
to be 3D be defining your own set of sprites for each of the required icons
that needed adjusting.

Cast your minds back to last year when Roger Wilson posted (let escape) that
utility !SetIcons to do such a job.

Now that Risc OS 3.10 is out, the application discs also have this proggy on
it BUT without the 3D borders/buttons.

So, I dug out my older copy and tried this and nothing!
It doesn't alter a damn thing.

So then, do I need to tweak some CMOS value or has this snazzy option been
removed ????


Ta muchly,


Jayce.

--

"I may be a shallow guy, but a shallow guy with a great ass!" - Cat, Red Dwarf

Jason "Archangel" Banham                Sequent Computer Systems UK
					Product Support
Internet: aangel@sequent.co.uk
	  cs89jmb@brunel.ac.uk
From: Robert.Turner@brunel.ac.uk (Robert Turner)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: IRC channel open ...
Date: 15 Oct 92 07:40:04 GMT
Organization: Brunel University, West London, UK

Hi

This may well be a stupid question, but what the hell IS IRC? I know
what it stands for, but very little else. We have one lecturer here who
uses it, but her binaries were compiled by a student who left two years
ago.

If anyone knows of a FAQ sheet, or of its whereabouts PLEASE can you
tell me.

Thanks

Rob

-- 
 _________________________________________________________________________
/                            |                                            \
|   Rob Turner, PC Support   |     email : Robert.Turner@brunel.ac.uk     |
|   Brunel University        |                                            |
|   London, England          |        Confusion....  my speciality        |
\____________________________|____________________________________________/
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn