From: jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca (Jerry Penner)
Subject: GEnieLamp Aug 1992 (Vol 1 No. 5) (5 parts)
Summary: part 4
Organization: University Of Alberta, Edmonton Canada
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1992 07:47:51 GMT


GEnieLamp Vol 1/Num 5	August 1, 1992

Part 4 of 5

This article first appeared on GEnie and I was asked to post it on the
Internet.  My GE-Mail address is J.Penner1 and my internet address is
jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca if you need to discuss something regarding this
posting.  I don't work for GEnie or anything to do with the Internet.

----8<----8<----8<----8<----8<-- cut here --8<----8<----8<----8<----8<----
[LIB]//////////////////////////////
              THE ONLINE LIBRARY /
/////////////////////////////////
Running Your Own BBS!
"""""""""""""""""""""



                     >>> RUNNING YOUR OWN BBS! <<<
                     """""""""""""""""""""""""""""

BBS SHARE/FREEWARE MAKES IT EASY!   Have you ever wished that you could
"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""   run your own mini telecommunications
service?  Wouldn't it be interesting to control passwords, monitor
discussions, and maintain a file download library?  Well Apple II users are
lucky to have quite a large selection of BBS options available to them.
And some of these BBS's are even freeware or shareware.

     A search under the keyword "BBS" in the Apple II Roundtable library
turns up several dozen files relating to running your own BBS.  Some of
these files are actual BBS programs.

     Some of the BBS options for the Apple II include the public domain
"Prime BBS," the shareware "AppleNET BBS," and the shareware "Office BBS"
system.  Most of these BBS's use ModemWorks, a special set of modem
ampersand routines develop by the Morgan Davis Group.

     To help you learn what GEnie has to offer in terms of Apple II BBS's,
a new AppleWorks file titled "BBS.Files.bxy" has been prepared.  This file
lists all the BBS files available for downloading from the A2 Roundtable
library, along with file descriptions of some of the more interesting
sounding files.


WHY A BBS?   "Why would someone want to set up and maintain his or her own
""""""""""   BBS?" you might ask.  Many user groups find that a BBS
facilitates user group communications.  But the BBS you set up need not be
computer related.  You could set up a BBS for your local school or PTA; you
could set up a BBS for a boy scout or girl scout troop; you could set up a
crime prevention BBS; you could set up a BBS to offer editing or desktop
publishing services; you could set up a BBS just to learn about what it
takes to run a BBS.

     Learning about bulletin boards need not even require a modem.  Dean
Esmay, chief Apple II Roundtable system operator (sysop) recommends KidMail
BBS, a bulletin board simulator.  (File number 8723: KidMail.bxy).  This
program simulates an actual BBS allowing multiple 'users' to 'sign on,' get
a password, and leave electronic mail for other users.

     With the price of second hand Apple IIe's dropping down to the $200 to
$300 range, the cost of setting up a BBS has likewise fallen dramatically.
You don't even need a hard drive with some Apple II BBS systems. (Although
almost all of them recommend at least two 5.25 inch, or one 3.5 inch disk
drive.)

     The following information about the popular public domain Prime
bulletin board system (BBS) was collected from Category 10, Topic 6, in the
Apple II Roundtable message area.


Prime BBS   A while ago one of you asked us to step back and explain what
"""""""""   the Prime BBS was and what it had going for it.  I was so
busy uploading files and getting some beginner downloaders going that I
neglected to respond to that posted message.  Hopefully, I can rectify that
here in a question and answer format.  By doing a few of these, I hope I
can answer the most frequently asked questions.  Here we go....

 Q: What is Prime? Is it new?  Why haven't I heard of it before?
 A: The Prime BBS system has been around the Apple II world for 7-8 years
    now.  It began as Alfa III and was supported right here on GEnie by Bob
    Garth and Vince Cooper.  The program was advertised in classifieds of
    major  magazines but most of its customers (including me) got in
    contact with the authors by way of the Demo/Ad called Alfa/EZ.  The
    most recent  support for the program was in the Smoke Signal Software
    area on America Online.

    Prime is a great BBS and now that its in the Public Domain, is the
    potential new sysop's _best_ option possible.  I've seen a lot of
    shareware and p.d. BBS's over the years and nothing compares to Prime.
    This software is PERFECT for smaller BBS systems of the 10-200 user
    variety...great for user group boards, local Apple II support groups
    etc.  It can handle much larger user numbers, but I find it perfectly
    suited for smaller groups.

 Q: What do I need to run it?
 A: You need any 64K Apple ][.  I've run it or helped run it on  ][+'s,
   //e's,   Franklin Ace's, and IIGS's.  You need two or more disk drives.
   A hard drive is not necessary...but recommended.  I've run this software
   on everything from 4 Disk II's up to 200+ megs of hard drive all chained
   together off a RamFast and a TransWarp GS.  In addition, you need a
   Novation AppleCat, Hayes Micromodem, Datalink 2400, or a Super Serial
   Card with an auto-answer 300, 1200, or 2400 external modem.  Others may
   work, but may take some playing around...  A Prodos compatible clock is
   nice but not mandatory.

 Q: What are the limitations of Prime and why did it go public domain?
 A: The most recent owner of Prime (Danny Haynes) found that he and the
    others responsible for maintaining Prime simply did not have time to
    update the system.  They concluded that Prime would have the best
    chance of growing in the hands of a new generation of Prime
    Sysops....so, they decided to offer it to potential Prime sysops for
    FREE!   Prime is currently a full featured BBS.  We'll talk about all
    those features a bit later, but we might as well get the limitations
    out in the open first because these are the things that we hope new
    Prime sysops will help to rectify.

    1. Prime requires a Super Serial Card (SSC) (even in a GS).  Bob Garth
       found that the Apple modem port didn't do things quite the same way
       as the SSC and never supported the port.  Paul Parkhurst has this
       problem 'almost' fixed   but we all need to call him and encourage
       him to finish that goodie.

    2. Prime's transer (Xfer) system is GREAT.  However, support for newer
       protocols is lacking.  It does handle normal Xmodem, Xmodem CRC,
       Prodos Xmodem, Standard Xmodem, (with Binary II for Apple users).
       Ymodem and Zmodem would be nice if someone has the ability to take
       it on.  Andy Nicholas posted once that he had written a Zmodem
       driver for Prime but we've not tracked that down yet.

    3. While Prime sysops across the country once had a networking scheme
       set up, this never became an official part of Prime.  Prime's strong
       point are its elegance and simplicity.  I'm sure future sysops will
       be writing schemes to network but they don't currently exist.

    4. I've never heard of Prime's compatibility with newer 9600 baud
       modems.  New drivers or empirical set-ups may need to be developed
       for these.

     That's about it!  Not really too limited is it?  Frankly, I've never
found any of these detrimental to my BBS.

 Q: What features does Prime offer?
 A: Prime is a full-featured BBS.  I'll summarize only a few here....

  1. Hot key menus of either the autoformatting internal type
             or fancy ones made from external text files of your design.

  2. Multiple Boards, Email, full line editors for all posts
             and mail.  New message scans.  Autosignature capability.
             Private posts can be set. Autodelete old messages at sysop
             controllable levels to minimize sysop interaction required.
             Many more options.

  3. Feedback commands, sysop page and chat mode.

  4. User can set configuration from normal to expert turning
             menus on and off.

  5. User search and listing built in.

  6. G(iant) file reader to allow readers to read any text
             files the sysop chooses to put online.

  7. Complete transfer system capable of tracking up to 215,622
             files and  10 line description of each in up to 99 libraries
             of 99 files each in each of 22 prefixes!  New file scans can
             be set up in multiple combinations for your users convenience.

  8. BASIC programs and Games can easily be modified to run with
             the Prime BBS system.  Many examples have been uploaded here
             to GEnie.  The modifications are pretty easy and lots of fun.
             These include user Voting Booths, BBS databases, Adventure
             games, etc.

 Q: What does the Sysop have to work with?
 A: A lot!  There is a completely menu driven maintenance system.  The
    sysop simply keys up a Control-C from the keyboard and can then menu
    his/her way to anything in Prime that needs attention. Among these are:

  1. Board and Menu editors.
  2. Prefixes (you can put any part of Prime on any prefix
             on your system).
  3. User time restrictions can be set by time limits (if you
             have clock) or number of bytes transmitted if you don't.
  4. You can create and toggle on or off Pre and Post new user
             messages and Pre and Post login in messages.
  5. You can create Theme messages at the beginning of each board
             to keep things going in a reasonable thread.
  6. Email and transfer have their own complete set of utilities...
             all accessible with the Control-C when you've entered their
             area.
  7. Remote sysoping available on ALL features so you can take
             care of the system from a remote location or have a co-sysop
             care for the system while you're on vacation.

 Q: What about SECURITY?  Can I closely control what users see what on
    my BBS?
 A: Yes, more than you will ever need.  There are 9 user class codes for
    gross set ups.  In addition, each user has a 19 byte index string that
    determines what he can do on your BBS.  Each of these bytes can be set
    from A to Z.  You can then tie EVERY MENU KEY to one of these bytes and
    levels and therefore control who can execute (or even SEE) these
    commands.  In addition, the sysop can give users ability to post
    private messages, make entire boards restricted, record phone numbers
    that the system will not accept for a user, allow or disallow login of
    new users, offer a side door entry with proper password.... and allow
    or disallow the use of alias's for users.  All these things are handled
    with ease by way of the comprehensive menu and user data editors.

 Q: Who is this Goose fellow?
 A: Nobody special..  I've been using and enjoying Prime (and its
    predecessors)  for nearly 8 years.  Its been so much fun that I've
    learned just enough about it to be dangerous.  I hate to see such a
    strong BBS die just because nobody knows about it.  I'll help anyone
    who tries to use it.  No guarantees, but hopefully this is a GREAT way
    to start small inexpensive pockets of Apple II users.  My old trusty
    II+ sits in the corner with a castoff 30 megabyte Seagate hanging there
    serving as our user group communication port.  How about it?  Can you
    use your old hardware to create your own private user group?  Go for
    it! <Grin>....  (W.GOOSEY, CAT10, TOP6, MSG:121)

     These are the minimum necessary files to run the Prime BBS:

                               [*][*][*]

Number: 18837  Name: PRIME.DOCS.BXY
Address: W.GOOSEY                Date: 920613
Approximate # of bytes: 142720
Number of Accesses: 102  Library: 39
Description:
This file is the documentation for the Prime BBS system for the Apple ][.
This is a very mature BBS that has been around for several years.  The
entire BBS comes in 7 packed files.  This file is the entire documentation
as published by Smoke Signal software when the BBS was commercial.  The BBS
has all the desirable features for the Apple ][ sysop.  Boards, Games, Vote
modules, Quote system, Other BBS databases, etc.  Written in Basic (using
included powerful amper set) so you can modify it or modify other Basic
programs for use as external programs.
Keywords: BBS,Public Domain,PD,Prime,Manual,Documentation,ProTree,Smoke
Signal
                                [*][*][*]

Number: 18894  Name: SYSTEM.BXY
Address: W.GOOSEY                Date: 920617
Approximate # of bytes: 75136
Number of Accesses: 46  Library: 39
Description:
This archive contains all the needed system files for the Prime BBS package
recently released to the Public Domain by Danny Haynes.  Originally written
by Bob Garth.  Excellent BBS for any Apple ][.  In addition to this file
you will also need PrimeManual.shk, Install.shk, Xfer1.shk, Xfer2.shk, and
the optional Source1.shk and Source2.shk.  Great BBS.  Best I've ever seen
for simple, but powerful operation.
Keywords: Prime, BBS, modem, SmokeSignal,PD, Public Domain

                               [*][*][*]

Number: 18896  Name: XFER1.BXY
Address: W.GOOSEY                Date: 920617
Approximate # of bytes: 48128
Number of Accesses: 42  Library: 39
Description:

This archive comprises the first of two Xfer system disks for the Prime BBS
system.  Other files needed for this BBS are PrimeManual.shk, System.shk,
Install.shk, xfer2.shk and the optional Source1.shk and Source2.shk.  Great
Apple II BBS!
Keywords: Prime, BBS, Modem, SmokeSignal,Public Domain

                               [*][*][*]

Number: 18897  Name: XFER2.BXY
Address: W.GOOSEY                Date: 920617
Approximate # of bytes: 77696
Number of Accesses: 48  Library: 39
Description:
This archive is the second part of the Prime BBS xfer system.  This is a
great Apple ][ BBS.  Other files you need are the Primemanual.shk,
Install.shk, System.shk, Xfer1.shk, and the optional Source1.shk and
Source2.shk.
Keywords: Prime, BBS, modem, SmokeSignal,Public Domain


             ////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
            / "Ugh, maybe this will be the "scare" that brings him /
           / to the 'Church of the HD Backups'!"                  /
          /                       ~                              /
         / "Funny you should put it just that way.  Last time   /
        / we spoke, he said he would start making backups      /
       / 'religiously.' <g>"                                  /
      //////////////////////////  J.GNIEWKOWSK/R.GLOVER3  ////



[EOA]
[SHA]//////////////////////////////
             SHAREWARE SOLUTIONS /
/////////////////////////////////
FTA Contest!
""""""""""""



                >>> SHAREWARE SOLUTIONS FTA CONTESTS <<<
                """"""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                       ~ Conceived by Joe Kohn ~
                  ~ Sponsored by inCider/A+ Magazine ~

     The French Free Tools Association, better known as The FTA, burst upon
the IIGS scene at the 1989 San Francisco AppleFest when their freeware
Nucleus demo stunned, dazzled, and astounded all who saw it during Jean
Louis Gassee's mind-blowing presentation.

     The FTA, a small group of French programmers, graphic artists and
musicians continued to awe the IIGS community, releasing one smash hit
after another.  Their demos, including ACS Demo, Modulae, California Demo,
Xmas Demo, Animaga, and Delta Demo pushed the IIGS to the limit with their
astounding 3 dimensional animations and rock n roll soundtracks.  The
freeware FTA games of Easy Dead, Flobynoid, Star Wizard, and Mini Prix have
provided countless GS owners with innumerable hours of super hi res fun.
Their shareware disk copy program, Photonix, must be the only copy program
in existence that contains animation and music and efficiently copies
entire 3.5" disks in just one pass, using only a single 3.5" disk drive.
NoiseTracker, released in December of 1991, must surely be the most talked
about IIGS music program of 1992.

     And then, as 1991 drew to a close, the FTA disbanded. According to FTA
founder and president, Olivier Goguel, "We stopped programming for the IIGS
for a lot of reasons, but we don't deny it and are still very proud of what
we've done, or tried to do on it".

     The FTA may be gone, but they will surely never be forgotten. They
have left a legacy for the rest of us who remain with the IIGS. They showed
us what was possible, and they inspired and stimulated us by demonstrating
just how much fun it can be to own a IIGS. In our hearts and minds, the FTA
will live forever.

     In late Spring, 1992, a package arrived in SiliKohn Valley with a
postmark of Dijon, France. The package contained a number of disks, and
they were described by Olivier Goguel as "the latest gifts from the former
FTA group to the IIGS community". Just as the FTA's software resulted in so
much joy and fun and respect for the IIGS, we would like to use those gifts
as a way to provide the IIGS community with a positive focus. We are
pleased to announce the first ever "Shareware Solutions Contest". In an
effort to double our pleasure and double our fun, we're actually going to
institute 2 different contests; one for programmers, and one for
non-programmers.

     One of the programs provided by Olivier Goguel is Bouncin'Ferno. It's
a Marble Madness type game, with incredible graphics, sound effects and
music. 3 levels, each with 25 different play fields, are already defined,
and you can play the game with either a mouse or a joystick. On each level,
you'll try to roll over small objects and pick them up before advancing on
to the next level. Some objects are suspended high above the ground, and
you'll need to jump up to get them, while other objects are hidden under 3
dimensional ramps. As it is, Bouncin'Ferno is a lot of fun, but, it's not
quite complete; there's no scoring module. But, the complete Merlin 16+
Source Code is provided.

     The programming contest rules are very straightforward: use the
Bouncin'Ferno source code to create a completed game. We don't care if you
make it a desktop program, or use the toolbox. We don't even care if you
translate it to run under Orca/M or APW. What we do care about is game
play, artistry, creativity, fun, sounds, animation, documentation, user
friendliness and compatibility with both ROM 01 and 03 machines. We don't
even care if you use the source code to create a totally different game;
just impress the judging panel of inCider/A+ editors. Make our eyes bug out
of our heads, and make our toes tap. In short, we suggest that you let the
FTA guide you in spirit, and that you create a program that the FTA would
be proud of.

     Included with Bouncin'Ferno is a screen editor that will allow you to
create your own levels. So, the second contest is focused upon new
Bouncin'Ferno levels. Make them hard or make them easy, make them fun or
make them frustrating. Just submit your favorite new Bouncin'Ferno levels,
and you'll be eligible to win some valuable prizes.

     As it is now, Bouncin'Ferno is hard drive installable; if copied to
hard drive, just double click on P8.LOADER to run the game. If run from
floppy disk, just boot the disk. If you have any problems booting the disk,
just run P8.LOADER from either ProDOS-8 or GS/OS. Documentation in both
French and English is also provided.

     Bouncin'Ferno has been placed by the FTA into the public domain.
Therefore, all contest submissions, being derivative works, will also be in
the public domain. To enter the contests, just print out, complete and sign
the contest entry form that's provided on disk as a standard text file, and
send along with your disk to FTA Contest, c/o inCider/A+, 80 Elm St,
Peterborough, NH 03458. All entries must be postmarked by 12/31/92.

     We will be making the Bouncin'Ferno disk available, along with the
contest entry form, for downloading from the large online networks (America
Online, CompuServe, and GEnie). No restrictions of any kind are placed on
it, so please make sure your user group, and all your friends, know about
it.

     After the contest winners are announced, the winning entries will also
be uploaded to the online networks, and will spread from there.
  Bouncin'Ferno version 1.03 by F.T.A

                               [*][*][*]


 (Translated haltingly from la belle langue by ToH)

      Board Editor

 4 editing modes:

 1 - Move mode :

   THIS MODE IS SELECTED BY THE SPACE BAR

   To move (square by square) use the 2,4,6,8 keys on the numeric keypad.
 Move vertically with the + and - keys (pixel by pixel).

  By simultaneously holding down the apple key, you can increase the
 movement speed of the cursor (by 4 squares and by 10 pixels)

  By simultaneously holding down the option key, you can move from room to
 room with the 2, 4, 6 and 8 keys.

  By simultaneously holding down the shift key, the cursor will follow the
 terrain, that is to say :

  - for horizontal movement, it corrects its altitude automatically to
    follow the slope.
  - minus key : it puts itself on the first plate down.
  - plus key : it puts itself on the first plate up.

 This allows rapid passage from one floor to another when there are
 superimposed levels.

   The effects of the apple and shift keys are cumulative (rapid movement
and terrain following).

   Cursor Selection :

  - the 0 to 9 keys on the top row of the keyboard select the 10 special
 plates :

  0 : deadly plaque
  1 : left projector
  2 : back projector
  3 : right projector
  4 : front projector
  5 : icy plate
  6 : invisible icy plate
  7 : invisible plate
  8 : spring
  9 : can-bearing plate

  - the 0 key on the numeric keypad selects the normal horizontal plate
  - the 4 arrow keys select inclined plates, rising in the direction
    indicated by the arrow. To obtain the 3 possible inclinations, press
    repeatedly on the corresponding arrow.

 2 - Trace mode

   THIS MODE IS SELECTED BY THE RETURN KEY

      The cursor remains identical to the one in movement mode if there is
 a plate identical to itself at the position it occupies. You can move it
 like before, but now it leaves a trail behind it.  The terrain-following
 mode is replaced here by a continuously sloped movement if you trace with
 an inclined plate.

   DON'T FORGET TO QUIT THIS MODE WITH SPACE (RETURNING TO THE PREVIOUS) IF
   NEED BE.

 3 - Erase mode

   THIS MODE IS SELECTED BY THE DELETE KEY.

   The cursor is then replaced by a two-tone horizontal plate (red and
 orange). This cursor erases all the plates it passes.

 4 - Block mode.

   A block is a continuous collection of all the plates within a selected
 box.

 This mode allows selection of blocks, cutting them, moving them, pasting
 them, reshaping them...

   Selecting a block :

  - place the cursor on one of the 8 vertexes of the box.
  - type apple-B.
  - the display becomes monochrome (yellow) with the exception of the
    plates in the block (orange)and the shadow of the selected box on the
    floor (green rectangle).
  - move the cursor to the opposite vertex.
  - Press ESCAPE to cancel the selection.

   Otherwise :

  - apple-C copies the block into the clipboard.
  - apple-X also copies the block, but then erases it from the board.
  - apple-M selects the block in block editing mode.
  - apple-V recovers the last block copied and selects it in block editing
    mode.
  - apple-W recovers the last block copied and uses it as a brush (the
    block remains behind after each movement)

      NB : in brush mode, the shift key produces a continuous slope which
 is set up according to the shape of the cursor. This is displayed, but
 doesn't leave a trail.

  - delete erases the block from the board.

   Features of block editing mode :

   - the cursor movement keys move the selected block.
   - return accepts the editing and the block is replaced on the board at
     its actual position.
   - Escape cancels editing and the block disappears.

    - also, 8 keys allow reshaping the editing block :
    - option-L turns the block one-quarter turn on its vertical axis.
    - option-X reverses the block left-to-right.
    - option-Y reverses the block front-to-back.
    - option-Z reverses the block top-to-bottom.
    - option-arrow (right, left, up or down) changes the inclination of the
      block by one unit in the arrow direction. (Note: given the small
      numbers of inclined planes, this operation is sometimes neither
      perfect nor reversible.)

 5 - The library :

      The library is for the storage of copies of blocks that you use
 often, or which you think you'll reuse. It allows you to recover copies at
 any time without having to return to the board where they were found.

   To copy a block into the library, use the usual copy commands:

   - apple-C
   - apple-M

 or apple-X plus hold down the option key. The command will execute
 normally, but in addition a copy of the selected block will be stored in
 the library.

   To recover a block from the library, use the normal command to recall a
block (apple-V or apple-W), plus hold down the option key. Instead of
recalling the last block copied, this will connect on the selector of the
library.

   The library selector :

  - the + and - keys stream through the different components in the
 library.

  - for housekeeping, the delete key erases the displayed block from the
 library.

  - the return key selects the displayed block. It then becomes the last
 block copied and your initial command (apple-V or apple-W) executes
 normally.

  - the escape key quits the selector and cancels the command.

   Library capacity :

  - the library's capacity is sufficient to store approximately the
 equivalent of 25 rooms of a board. It's therefore possible that you may
 fill it in normal usage. Nevertheless, in this case a message will inform
 you that copying into the library is impossible. You'll then have to do
 some housekeeping with the selector's delete command.  - the library
 selector position defaults to the last selection made.

 6 - Miscellaneous commands

  - / and * (keypad) : Retreat and advance the first plane seen.
  - apple-Q : Quit the editor.
  - apple-H : See the high scores (press Del to reset, any other key to
    close the high score window)
  - apple-U : Undo.
    Restore the previous state :
  - change mode
 or - change the cursor
 or - block layout (return after apple-V)
 or - block copy (apple-C, apple-X or apple-M)
 or - ... (you're out of luck for other cases.)
             [not _quite_ what it  said] B-)
  - escape : Cancel the operation in progress.
  - apple-? : Help from god.
  - apple-P : Play the board from the cursor position.

                               [*][*][*]


               >>> BOUNCIN'FERNO CONTEST ENTRY BLANK <<<
               """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
                          (Source = GEnieLamp)

 Please read this contest entry blank, fill it out, sign it, and mail it
 in, along with a 3.5" disk containing your contest entry, to:

                              FTA CONTEST
                          inCider/A+ Magazine
                             80 Elm Street
                        Peterborough, NH  03458

NAME_______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS____________________________________________________________________

CITY__________________________________________________   STATE_____________

ZIP___________________________________________________

COUNTRY________________________________         I saw it on GEnieLamp!

PHONE__________________________________

Remember, all contest entries must be postmarked by December 31, 1992.

The enclosed disk is submitted for the (circle one):

         PROGRAMMING CONTEST           BOUNCIN'FERNO LEVEL CONTEST


Briefly describe your submission:
_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

     I understand that the FTA's Bouncin'Ferno program, and all the source
code provided on the Bouncin'Ferno disk, is in the Public Domain. I further
understand that my submission, being a derivative work, is also in the
Public Domain. I understand that public domain software cannot be
copyrighted, and that no restrictions can be placed on its distribution.

     I understand that the decision of the panel of judges is final.


 _________________________________
            SIGNATURE

  ____________________
            DATE
                               [*][*][*]


ADDITIONAL NOTES   Greetings. I personally feel that there's been way too
""""""""""""""""   much "doom and gloom" in the Apple II world recently,
and conceived of the Shareware Solutions Contests as a way to turn some of
that doom and gloom around. I just feel that for the next few months, the
IIgs community is going to have something to look forward to, namely, some
mind boggling games based on the FTA's Source Code, and some great user
submitted Bouncin'Ferno levels that we can all play.

     This is a time to celebrate the glories of the IIgs!!

     I just wanted to make a few small comments.

     In order to enter the inCider contests, we want everyone to fill out
and sign the Contest Entry Blank. When I put together that entry blank, I
was thinking about legal ramifications, especially knowing that contests
are against the law in some states. I just want everyone that enters the
contest to sign the form, agreeing that whatever work is submitted becomes
the property of the Apple IIgs community. Obviously, you'll need to have a
printer to print out the entry blank. Well, if you don't have a printer,
then just create a facsimile of the entry blank, and send that in. Use ink.

     At the time I write this, we do not have all the prizes lined up. Paul
Statt and I are working on that, and don't really expect that we'll know
what prizes we have to offer until after KansasFest. We will have some good
ones, that I have no doubt about. As is said in every Hollywood movie:
"Trust Me". We'll have some great ones.

     Have fun playing Bouncin'Ferno, and have fun creating something that
the FTA would be proud of.

     Questions, comments, problems?

      Contact me online at the following addresses:

 America Online: JOKO
 CompuServe:     76702,565
 GEnie:          J.KOHN

     Internet mail can be sent to either America Online or CompuServe. If
you don't have a modem, you can always contact me by US Mail at:

 Joe Kohn
 166 Alpine Street
 San Rafael, CA 94901


One last note   Copy the disk and give it to everyone you know. The more
"""""""""""""   people that enter the contests, the better. Have fun, and
just remember:  Apple II Forever!

Please feel free to re-format the entry blank before printing it out. I
have a feeling that it'll be a little easier to read if some of the lines
are double spaced. Either that, or write small <g>.

     The other comment has to do with the FTA themselves. In a recent
letter from Olivier Goguel, founder of the FTA, he says "The idea of a
contest to create levels for Bouncin'Ferno is great. We tried the same
thing in France when we were programming it, but it didn't work as we
thought. About programming FTA programs, this is a challenge because our
source code is not commented (or only in French) and we're not using
academic programming ways and tools. But, I hope someone will manage to
create something great from our source code".

     The challenge is offered. Let the games begin!  -Joe Kohn


      ////////////////////////////////////////// GEnie_QWIK_QUOTE ////
     / "Hey, I can't complain with that kind of service, eh??  It's /
    / called, "Next Day GEnie".. <Grin>.."                         /
   ///////////////////////////////////////////////  T.EVANS21  ////



[EOA]
[HIS]//////////////////////////////
                APPLE II HISTORY /
/////////////////////////////////
Apple II History, Part III
""""""""""""""""""""""""""
By Steven Weyhrich
      [S.WEYHRICH]



                        >>> APPLE II HISTORY <<<
                        """"""""""""""""""""""""
                  Compiled and written by Steven Weyhrich
                    (C) Copyright 1991, Zonker Software

                          (PART 3 -- THE APPLE II)
                            [v1.1 :: 12 Dec 91]


     This third part of the Apple II History deals with the original
AppleII and the design features that went into it.  What is most amusing to
me is this:  The decisions Wozniak made when laying out his revision to the
AppleI involved not only those that would make it a good computer, but
also would let him use his computer to play "Breakout".  The color, the
graphics, the sound, and the paddle circuits had the primary intention of
making that possible.

     What is also interesting is that the success of the Apple II was
strongly related to the free reign given to Wozniak the hacker, rather
than allowing several people decide on features the computer should have.

     Also found in this part of the History is a glossary to some of the
common terms used in the microcomputer world; it makes the novice more
able to appreciate things discussed later in the history.


              >>> THE APPLE II: HARDWARE AND FIRMWARE <<<
              """""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""
     Moving our time machine on to 1977, we can now look at Steve
Wozniak's next generation Apple.  Even as the Apple I was completed and
was slowly selling, Wozniak was already working on making enhancements
that would make his computer faster and more functional.  He wanted to make
it display in color.  He worked to combine the terminal and memory
functions of the Apple I by moving the display into main memory, allowing
instant screen changes.  Many of his changes were not added with the end
user specifically in mind.  Wozniak stated:

     "A lot of features of the Apple II went in because I had designed
     Breakout for Atari.  I had designed it in hardware.  I wanted to
     write it in software now.  So that was the reason that color was
     added in first--so that games could be programmed.  I sat down
     one night and tried to put it into BASIC.  Fortunately I had
     written the BASIC myself, so I just burned some new ROMs with
     line drawing commands, color changing commands, and various BASIC
     commands that would plot in color.  I got this ball bouncing
     around, and I said, 'Well it needs sound,' and I had to add a
     speaker to the Apple II.  It wasn't planned, it was just
     accidental... Obviously you need paddles, so I had to scratch my
     head and design a simple minimum-chip paddle circuit, and put on
     some paddles.  So a lot of these features that really made the
     Apple II stand out in its day came from a game, and the fun
     features that were built in were only to do one pet project,
     which was to program a BASIC version of Breakout and show it off
     at the club."<1>

     Wozniak added other features that he felt were important for a
computer that was useful, one that he would want to own.  Since the 6502
processor could address a total of 64K of memory, he designed the computer
with the ability to use either 4K RAM chips, or the newer (and more
expensive) 16K RAM chips.  The first Apple II's came standard with 4K of
memory, and more could be added, to a maximum of 12K (if using the 4K
chips) or 48K (if using the 16K chips).  Specially wired strapping blocks
attached to the motherboard told the Apple II how much memory was present
and where it was.  According to the 1981 edition of the APPLE II REFERENCE
MANUAL, the Apple could have memory in the following sizes: 4K, 8K, 12K,
16K, 20K, 24K, 32K, 36K, or a full 48K.  (These sizes were determined by
the different ways that three RAM chips, either 4K or 16K, could be
installed).  The strapping blocks were even designed with the flexibility
of allowing blank spots in memory if there were no RAM chips available to
fill those spots.

     The first 4K of memory always had to have RAM present, since it was
used by the 6502 processor, the ROM routines, and the text screen display.
If, for example, you only had two other 4K RAM chips to install and you
wanted to display hi-res graphics, you could strap one chip to the lower
half of hi-res memory from $2000-$2FFF, and the other to the upper half of
hi-res memory from $3000-$3FFF.<2>  Since 16K RAM chips cost about $500
when Wozniak designed the Apple II, not many users could afford them.
Whereas the Commodore PET and the Radio Shack TRS-80 could not easily be
expanded beyond the 4K they came with, the Apple II from the beginning was
designed with expansion in mind.<3>

     The row of eight expansion slots was another feature about the Apple
II that was a strong selling point.  Unlike the TRS-80 or PET, you could
easily expand the Apple II by simply plugging a card into one of these
slots.  This degree of expandability made it more expensive to build,
however.  Steve Jobs didn't believe that anyone would ever need more than
two slots, one for a printer and one possibly for a modem.  Wozniak knew
from his experience with computers at Hewlett-Packard that computer users
would always find SOMETHING to fill those extra slots, and insisted that
they keep the number at eight.<4>

     One problem Apple had to deal with was getting FCC approval for the
computer.  The RF (radio frequency) modulator that had been designed gave
off too much interference, and it was probable that the FCC would not
approve it.  (The RF modulator allowed a user to attach the Apple to a
standard television receiver, instead of requiring the purchase of an
expensive computer monitor).  Rather than have the release of the Apple II
delayed for re-engineering of the RF modulator to get that FCC approval,
Apple gave the specifications for the RF modulator to Marty Spergel.  He
ran a small company (called M&R Electronics) that specialized in obtaining
hard-to-get parts that electronics and computer hackers wanted for their
projects.  Their agreement allowed M&R to make and sell the RF modulators,
while Apple could concentrate on making and selling the Apple II.  Dealers
would sell an Apple II with a "Sup'r Mod" (costing about $30) if the buyer
wanted to see the graphics on their color TV.  Jobs assured Spergel that
the item would sell well, maybe as many as fifty units a month.  (Years
later Spergel estimated that he had sold about four hundred thousand Sup'r
Mods).<5>

     Other features that Wozniak (and Allen Baum, who helped him with the
project) included in the Apple II ROMs included the terminal software to do
screen text display, expanded Monitor functionality, and cassette
input/output routines.  They added the ability to split the screen into
different sized windows.  They also wrote a disassembler, which was one of
the most important features of the Apple II from the beginning and a
significant part of its open design.  It allowed ANYONE to view the 6502
code that ANY program used, and matched the philosophy of the Homebrew Club
of making all computer knowledge available to everybody.  In the Apple I
days, when Apple was supplying software "free or at minimal charge",
Wozniak and Baum published an early version of their 6502 disassembler in a
hacker's magazine.  It was designed to be loaded in memory on the Apple I
from $800 to $9D8 and the routine could be executed from the monitor.  This
early code was quit similar to the disassembler that was later included in
the Apple II ROM.<6>

     Having an expanded Monitor program in ROM and color graphics were not
the only features in the Apple II that attracted people to it.  Having
Wozniak's BASIC language in ROM, available immediately when the power was
turned on, made it possible for non-hackers to write programs that used the
Apple II's color graphics.

     An interesting bit of trivia about Wozniak's Integer BASIC was that he
never had an assembly language source file for it.  He wrote it in machine
language, assembling it by hand on paper:

     "I wrote this BASIC processor, and I wrote a little ALGOL
     simulator and got it simulated.  It looked like it would work,
     but I had forgotten to build the machine.  I had no assembler,
     that was another thing.  To use an assembler, they figured that
     somebody was going to buy this processor [the 6502] to use for a
     company, and their company can pay a few thousand dollars in
     time-sharing charges to use an assembler that was available in
     time-share.  I didn't have any money like that, so a friend
     taught me that you just sort of look at each instruction, you
     write your instructions on the right side of the page, you write
     the addresses over on the left side, and you then look up the hex
     data for each instruction--you could assemble it yourself.  So I
     would just sit there and assemble it myself.  The [Integer]
     BASIC, which we shipped with the first Apple II's, was never
     assembled--ever.  There was one handwritten copy, all
     handwritten, all hand-assembled.  So we were in an era that we
     could not afford tools."<7>

     Even to this day there is not an official source code listing of
Integer BASIC at Apple.  And interestingly, the only error I am aware of in
the Integer interpreter is one involving a single byte.  If a line is
entered that has too many parentheses, the "TOO LONG" error message is
displayed instead of the "TOO MANY PARENS" message.<8>



-- 
Jerry Penner   jpenne@ee.ualberta.ca  |   "Wanna buy a duck" (Hi Joe :)