HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: ajdh@bnr.co.uk (Andrew J D Hurley)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
Subject: Re: Software Licences
Date: 29 Jul 92 12:34:39 GMT
Organization: BNR Europe Limited, Harlow, GB

In article <1992Jul28.213332.6104@cs.nott.ac.uk> smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows) writes:
>Having recently "agreed" to a software licence by breaking a seal, and then
>being required to enter my name & address in a registration template, various
>thoughts occurred to me:
>
>The licence doesn't prohibit me from demonstrating the software to other users;
>in fact, I guess the publishers would be grateful if I did. Furthermore, it
>does not say that I have to supervise other people using it on my machine.
[other comments about protection techniques deleted]

It is often (normally?) the case that a software licence is for a particular
user (or a number of users - eg. two user right to use licenses) on a
particular machine. If you wish to move the software to a different machine
you have to negotiate a transfer to the new machine. A license is very
different from a copyright, the latter is often relaxed to enable as many
copyies as you like to be made but the license means you can only use
those copies on machine X.

Sometimes you can get a "floating" license for a group of machines
at a site which enables you to use the software on any machine at the
site (or a listed set of machines) but only one at a time. This is often
accompanied by some form of license server which autorises one machine at
a time to use the software.

Also you can often get (for more money usually) a site license enabling
all machines at the site to use the software (simultaneously).

Basically you have to look at the license for any piece of software
as they are all different, and normally you can't sell the license
to a third party (it's ok to sell the software normally, but not not
the right to use license so they can't use it anyway).

Shrink wrap licenses are another whole can of worms and their legal
status is dubious.

At the end of the day it doesn't matter what protection a supplier
uses, to remain legal you must follow the rules on the license or
negotiate a new one.



-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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.advocacy
From: smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows)
Subject: Software Licences
Organization: Nottingham University
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 92 21:33:32 GMT

Having recently "agreed" to a software licence by breaking a seal, and then
being required to enter my name & address in a registration template, various
thoughts occurred to me:

The licence doesn't prohibit me from demonstrating the software to other users;
in fact, I guess the publishers would be grateful if I did. Furthermore, it
does not say that I have to supervise other people using it on my machine.

Does the registration number and/or name & address serve any useful legal
purpose? If by any mischance some software containing my number were to
enter circulation (not that I would wish it to), it would be useful to the
company in tracing the source, but would it be sufficient for legal action?

Acorn have been promoting the concept of unique ID numbers in their newer
machines (although protection techniques using these are of no use with older
machines, which return a null ID). If companies make use of these numbers in
protection techniques, they are effectively adding an even more stringent
condition to the end-user licence:

 - You may only use the software on one *particular* machine. You are stuck
   if you ever want to upgrade to a better machine. You may never sell the
   software as second hand.


Are such techniques really necessary? I'm sure that a hacker could quite
easily get round the protection and distribute copies to the type of people
who want them. I can see that the registration number / name & address acts
as a good deterrent, but would you ever want to buy software which initialised
itself so that it would only ever work on one machine?

Simon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
=    Simon Burrows           smb@cs.nott.ac.uk      Tel (+44) 533 712030    =
=    University of Nottingham            psyhsmb@unicorn.nott.ac.uk         =
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
Subject: Okay, so tell us about this Archimedes computer...
Date: 27 Jul 92 21:23:45 GMT
Organization: Indiana University

OK... this new group got created here days ago and no one 
has posted yet, so here goes.

I've noticed that Archimedes and Amiga users were getting into it
hot and heavy in the Windows advocacy newsgroup. I'm puzzled. I've
had a cursory look at an Amiga, but I've never seen an Archimedes.
I suppose this flame war must be a Eurocentric thing, since both 
machines are hot in Europe but have not caught on in the states.

So......

What exactly _is_ it? Microprocessor? OS? GUI? What apps are avai-
lable? What does it cost (please give configuration info: hard drive 
size, monitor, etc..) and whether it can take clone parts (hard 
drives, monitors, etc...). How well would it integrate into a world
of IBM and Mac using coworkers, ethernet and Novell servers?

Finally. An Amiga user's Amiga (in terms of annoyance that is...)



-- 
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Iskandar Taib                          | The only thing worse than Peach ala
Internet: NTAIB@SILVER.UCS.INDIANA.EDU |    Frog is Frog ala Peach
Bitnet:   NTAIB@IUBACS                 !
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
From: so@fortran.cs.psu.edu (Nicol C. So)
Subject: Re: Software Licences
Organization: Penn State Computer Science
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 00:43:57 GMT

In article <1992Jul28.213332.6104@cs.nott.ac.uk> smb@cs.nott.ac.uk (Simon Burrows) writes:
>Having recently "agreed" to a software licence by breaking a seal, and then
>being required to enter my name & address in a registration template, various
>thoughts occurred to me:
>
>The licence doesn't prohibit me from demonstrating the software to other users;
>in fact, I guess the publishers would be grateful if I did. Furthermore, it
>does not say that I have to supervise other people using it on my machine.
>
>Does the registration number and/or name & address serve any useful legal
>purpose? If by any mischance some software containing my number were to
>enter circulation (not that I would wish it to), it would be useful to the
>company in tracing the source, but would it be sufficient for legal action?

I am no expert in law, but I think it would be difficult for the software
company to prove that you actually entered your name and address to the
first copy of the software and then distribute it.  Your name and address
is probably widely known (at least to those company which send you junk
mails).  When pressed, you can always deny having done so.  It is not
unreasonable to expect distributors of pirated softwares to put phony
names in software copies.
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
Subject: Re: Software Licences
From: banksie@khantazi.welly.gen.nz (Philip R. Banks)
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 19:06:33 +1200
Reply-To: banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
Organization: My Arc.

mvoorhis@joseph.WPI.EDU (Michael C Voorhis) writes:

> Acorn, eh?  That's enough to prevent me from ever wanting a machine of
> theirs... if they're actually considering that...
> 
> Yow.  Just think-- with all the wonderful free stuff out there, gcc, emacs,
> LaTeX, gdb, ftp.uu.net... there are so many people out there who are
> willing to deal with licensing BS like this...
> 
> Sigh.

  Get a life. Take a look at the highly restrictive licenses things like
PageMaker, Modula 2 (for Macs) and various other highly commercial products
have on other architectures. Such licenses are pretty much standard with the
high cost software these days.

   Acorn hardware has a strong PD base just like any other machine. I
presume your statement implies you don't want to buy Sun, HP, IBM, Compaq,
Macintosh, etc... all because they have software licenses similar to what
has been outlined?

<Sarcasm alert for the above for the humor impaired.>

    Philip

--
Philip R. Banks  Syntax: mail < banks_p@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz >            @@@@@/|
                                                                        @@@@/#|
                                                                        @@@/##|
Radiation emissions from Quirium are perilously high, therefore repairs @@/---|
should not be attempted by pilots with vertigo. ---Arc Elite Manual     @/    |
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.advocacy
Subject: Re: Okay, so tell us about this Archimedes computer...
From: Gavin.Flower@comp.vuw.ac.nz (Gavin Flower)
Date: Tue, 28 Jul 1992 22:22:42 GMT
Organization: Dept. of Comp. Sci., Victoria Uni. of Wellington, New Zealand.

In article <Bs2GrM.8v7@usenet.ucs.indiana.edu> ntaib@silver.ucs.indiana.edu (Iskandar Taib) writes:
>OK... this new group got created here days ago and no one 
>has posted yet, so here goes.
>
>I've noticed that Archimedes and Amiga users were getting into it
>hot and heavy in the Windows advocacy newsgroup. I'm puzzled. I've
>had a cursory look at an Amiga, but I've never seen an Archimedes.
>I suppose this flame war must be a Eurocentric thing, since both 
>machines are hot in Europe but have not caught on in the states.

Nah, there are lots of Amiga's in NZ, well as lots of odd Macs and
MS-DOS boxes.  I also know of several people with Archimedes, I have
one myself (an ancient A310).


>
>So......
>
>What exactly _is_ it? Microprocessor? OS? GUI? What apps are avai-
>lable? What does it cost (please give configuration info: hard drive 
>size, monitor, etc..) and whether it can take clone parts (hard 
>drives, monitors, etc...). How well would it integrate into a world
>of IBM and Mac using coworkers, ethernet and Novell servers?

Microprocesor is either ARM2 or ARM3.  There are 32 bit RISC
processors.  My 8 MHz ARM2 performs slightly better than a 25 MHz 386.
It has an O/S that is a very good WIMP environment, the best I've used
- I use X-windows at university, I learnt how to use a mouse on an
Apple Lisa, and I've fought my way through MS-Windows.

Different Archimedes configurations come with/without harddrives.  Now
mainly Sccsi (forgoten exact spelling!), IDE, and some had ST506.  In
fact my machine "only" has dual 800K drives, but I get better
performance than I'm used from a Mac SE and an AT running MS-DOS.
Part of the reason is that the O/S is in ROM, doesn't have to keep
going to disc.  Can quit an application and get back to the desktop
faster than blinking your eye.  Also disc I/O is very optimised, will
be even better when I can upgrade to Risc-OS 3.1 (I'm on 2.0).

Most Archimedes can be upgraded to take ethernet.

I have friends that will grab sound and graphics from any machine (at
least from Amiga's, Macs, and Dos boxes) and use them on their Arcs.

The arc can support various graphics modes as standard, some support
better than super VGA as standard.  People in the know, often design
their own screen modes.

Can plug in standard drives hard/floppy, printers.

Hoards of high quality PD software.


Gavin
-- 
Tomorrow's Society                              | flower_g@kosmos.wcc.govt.nz
    Depends on                                   ----------------------------
Today's Children  - help us raise them properly! 
*******  These comments have no known correlation with dept. policy!  *******
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
From: m_sattle@poker.informatik.uni-kl.de (Matthias Sattler)
Subject: VIDC speed
Reply-To: @uni-kl.de:m_sattle@poker.informatik.uni-kl.de (Matthias Sattler)
Organization: University of Kaiserslautern (Germany)
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 12:21:30 GMT

In article <17326@acorn.co.uk> osmith@acorn.co.uk (Owen Smith) writes:


>I need the high refresh rate to prevent headaches. 800x600x256x56Hz is
>vaguely feasible, but the VIDC chip usually can't quite handle it and the
>display is speckled. This also steals two thirds of the system memory
>bandwidth, and is well out of spec for the machine. I also have a friend who
>used a 48 MHz oscillator in a PCATS graphics enhancer (standard is 24,
>25.175 and 36 MHz) to get 1024x768x16x50Hz. It worked fine, but his Eizo
>9060S monitor couldn't quite display it. 1024x700x16 was OK though.

I used 60 Mhz VIDC frequency in my A5000 and it worked quite well with
1024x768x16x60Hz. And even the normal A5000 monitor did it. But I have
one BIG problem, the VIDC is too slow for that. Meaning I have to cool
it all the time using cooling-spray ("Kaeltespray" in german but I think
you'll understand what I mean) because the silicon based microchips are
fastest at about 0 oC. 
Does someone know if there is a faster VIDC available or how to cool it
permanently to 0 oC.

Matthias Sattler
e-mail: @uni-kl.de:m_sattle@poker.informatik.uni-kl.de
(Funny but this should work.)

Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
From: valerio@sabrina.dei.unipd.it ( Valerio Pulese )
Subject: RisciX Harddisk ?
Organization: D.E.I. Universita' di Padova, Italia
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 10:16:02 GMT


Hello ARM-users !
		
		I want to buy the R140 unix from a friend but I think
		that I need more than its 40Mb HD.The question is :
		How can I transfer the RisciX partition to a 80Mb (or more)
		Harddisk?How can I format it in two partition (unix & riscos)?
 		
I hope you can help me....
				Valerio

-- 
E-mail:   valerio@sabrina.dei.unipd.it
Man-mail: Valerio Pulese
	  V.Volturno 23/7 30038 Spinea VE - ITALY
From: snb90@uk.ac.soton.ecs (Stewart Brodie)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: res_init()
Date: 30 Jul 92 19:15:11 GMT
Organization: University of Southampton, UK
Originator: snb90@herbert

Small query about res_init().  

I have written a C program which uses the RISC OS library, and I want to
comply with the guidelines for software by using a different OS variable
to point to the R/W stuff from the Read Only stuff.  So I have set up:
Program$Dir and ProgramData$Dir.  

However, what I want to know is, is it safe to call res_init TWICE in
the same program, ie. after doing template_init() and resspr_init() with
the first variable, can I switch it?  It seems to work but is it safe,
or might some of the RISC OS library modules start to call the res
functions again during execution?

--
Stewart Brodie
snb90@uk.ac.soton.ecs
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: Re: C Time Trials/Comparison
From: jwil1@cs.aukuni.ac.nz (TMOTA)
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 07:24:49 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland

amell@nyx.cs.du.edu (Andrew P.Mell) writes:

>integer multiply is compared to the integer divide. Why is the float
>multiply faster than add/subtract?

Because to multiply floats, you multiply the mantissas, and ADD the
exponents, while to +/-, you have to normalise first... The normalisation
process is a lot slower than the whole multiply process...
-- 
_________________  "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)
Xref: sparky comp.sys.acorn.tech:7 comp.sys.acorn:8068
From: wsinda@wsinfo10.info.win.tue.nl (Dick Alstein)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech,comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Strange crash behaviour; Advice needed
Date: 30 Jul 92 14:14:57 GMT
Reply-To: wsinda@info.win.tue.nl
Followup-To: comp.sys.acorn.tech


Recently, my A3000 has developed a strange (and pretty annoying) habit
of crashing. There is a pattern in it. At first, the crashes are not
very serious. Sometimes only an application dies, or else a reset with
Ctrl-Break is enough to get the machine running again. After a while,
Ctrl-Break does nothing, and I have to use the hard reset button. The
crashes get more and more serious, until not a power-on boot (with
Delete pressed) fails to get the @#$@%&* thing working. No screen
output, no nothing. At this point, the only solution is to take off the
cover, remove the IDE interface, switch the machine on and off, and
reassemble the whole thing. After that, all seems well until the
pattern starts all over again.

Can anybody make an educated guess about the cause of this annoyance? I
don't think it's caused by the software. It doesn't matter what is
running, and the crash behaviour seems random (I've seen all kinds:
abort on instruction fetch, continuous sound, messed up screen, total
lack of response). Nor could it be caused by heat building up inside:
the thing may crash a few seconds after starting up. Bad contacts in
the expansion slot, messing up the bus is a possibility, but that would
hardly explain why the crashes get more and more serious.

My guess would be that the backup battery of the C-mos RAM is getting
old. Is there a way to check this (e.g. by measuring its voltage)?

Any help appreciated.


Dick Alstein
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: DragASprite_Start
From: sbla2@cs.aukuni.ac.nz
Date: Wed, 29 Jul 1992 22:21:35 GMT
Organization: Computer Science Dept. University of Auckland
Keywords: DragASprite
Summary: Help on using drag a sprite swis

Does anyone (acorn) have the details of DragASprite SWIs:

Specifically the r0 flags -

From what I can work out the following is true :-

DragASprite_Start
    r0 - Flags ? (alarm uses 197?)
    r1 - sprite area (alarm uses 1 - wimp sprite area?)
    r2 - sprite name (or sprite addr?)
    r3 - pointer to dragged rectangle
    r4 - pointer to bounding box

DragASprite_Stop
    - no registers
From: jbye@acorn.co.uk (James)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: Re: RISCOSlib questions
Date: 27 Jul 92 07:38:16 GMT
Organization: Acorn Computers Ltd, Cambridge, England

In article <1992Jul26.171110.1@vxdesy.desy.de> burke@vxdesy.desy.de writes:

> [intro deleted]
>
>1) When should I call xfersend_clearunknowns() (or is it done by saveas?)
>
>2) Is it OK to just call wimpt_checkmode() on mode-change events; also, do
>   I have to call it during initialisation?
>

Hopefully I can answer your questions :-

1) The unknown_event handlers used by xferesend (saveas does very little and
calls xfersend) maybe be left hanging around if the save has failed.  Hence,
you should construct your code as follows :-

        saveas(0xFFF,"TextFile",1024,save_proc,ram_proc,print_proc,handle);
        xfersend_clearunknowns();

It maybe wise to always call clearunknowns as I beleive it won't give you
any problems even is xfersend has stopped claiming.

2) You should call wimpt_checkmode() when you initialise and when you
   receive a mode change event.

--James
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
From: burke@vxdesy.desy.de
Subject: RISCOSlib questions
Organization: (DESY, Hamburg, Germany)
Date: Sun, 26 Jul 1992 17:11:10 GMT

I'm currently writing my first RISCOS-lib application (and my first real
program in C for that matter); I must say that I haven't yet found it as
dreadful as some of the other comments suggest :-) Anyway, a couple of
questions:

1) When should I call xfersend_clearunknowns() (or is it done by saveas?)

2) Is it OK to just call wimpt_checkmode() on mode-change events; also, do
   I have to call it during initialisation?

Stephen Burke                                 [C programmers do it in braces]

Is this the first post in c.s.a.t? There's nothing else visible here, anyway.
From: roozemaa@dutiws.tudelft.nl (Peter.Roozemaal.IS-assistent)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
Subject: Manipulation of screenmodes
Date: 28 Jul 92 12:45:45 GMT
Organization: T W I, Delft University of Technology

A question for all VIDC-wizzards out there:
   I'd like to have some of the effects of a MODE-change call (the reprogramming
   of the VIDC) but not the side-effects of allocating memory and clearing the
   screen. How do I get this?

Or asked in a different manner:
   What do I have to poke where (and preferebly why) to change to a different
   screenmode bypassing the usual VDU-calls.

Thanks in advance, PeteR

--- Peter W. Roozemaal --- Email: witaroo@dutinfh.tudelft.nl -------------------
-------------------------- Smail: Geitenkamp 45 --------------------------------
--- tel. +31-15-611389 ---------- 2623 BB  Delft ----------- If it's urgent, ---
--------------------------------- the Netherlands ---------- don't phone me! ---
-- 
--- Peter W. Roozemaal --- Email: witaroo@dutinfh.tudelft.nl -------------------
-------------------------- Smail: Geitenkamp 45 --------------------------------
--- tel. +31-15-611389 ---------- 2623 BB  Delft ----------- If it's urgent, ---
--------------------------------- the Netherlands ---------- don't phone me! ---
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn.tech
From: goodwin@edieng.enet.dec.com (Pete Goodwin)
Subject: RO3.10 Colourtrans
Organization: Digital Equipment Corporation
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1992 17:57:04 GMT


Anyone got any details on the new colourtrans in RO3.10?

Pete Goodwin
goodwin@system.enet.dec.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
From: t-piersh@microsoft.com (Piers Haken)
Subject: Re: Is "bad free space map" recoverable?
Date: 24 Jul 92 00:51:46 GMT
Organization: Microsoft Corp., Redmond, WA 98052

In article <1992Jul22.085300.2468@abekrd.co.uk> garyb@abekrd.co.uk (Gary Bartlett) writes:
>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
>-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 ^^^^^^^^^^ Hmmmmm... I thought there was some law about not having DES
outside the USA? Not that your complany should be worried, at all.

Piers.
From: zzassgl@uts.mcc.ac.uk (Geoff Lane)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn
Subject: Re: CLIB 3.75 (or later)
Date: 23 Jul 92 07:55:07 GMT
Distribution: eunet
Organization: Manchester Computing Centre, Manchester, England, M13 9PL.

In article <24058@castle.ed.ac.uk> aiadrm@castle.ed.ac.uk (Alasdair D. McIntyre) writes:
>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 --


If we get the official word from Acorn that its OK I, and probably everyone
else you mention, would be happy to provide clib via ftp.  There was some
discussion in the past about this but as far as I can remember Acorn have
never given a definite answer.








-- 
Geoff. Lane.                                  Janet: zzassgl@uk.ac.mcc.uts
UTS Sys Admin, Manchester Computing Centre, Oxford Rd, Manchester, M13 9PL
Newsgroups: comp.sys.acorn