HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Math Progs for the 8-bit
Date: 16 Aug 92 20:05:42 GMT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

JJMCWILL@MTUS5.CTS.MTU.EDU (Jeff McWilliams) writes:

> Yes, I remember how you can have BASIC modify itself by printing the
> y=f(x) equation with a line number before it, and do some pokes, and
> the line becomes part of the program.  I was thinking more along the
> lines of something written Pascal, C, or Action! to improve the speed,
> or even use Compiled TurboBASIC XL (you listening Bill K. ?).

Yeees!  I had a little function plotting program I made in Atari BASIC 
and realized "this cannot be compiled!", since the compiled program can't 
do direct commands (for example, insert a new line, or use the "DEL" 
command.  I THINK..  It's been a while.  I have no/very little need for 
THAT particular program for now.)

If I'm totally wrong, TELL ME!  The ability to do that would be pretty 
wonderful!  BTW: here's how I would do it:

PRINT out the new line,
POSITION the cursor a bit above that line,
POKE 843,13 or something like that (I have that address somewhere.. this
            is the "forced RETURN" 'command' (I have very unexact names
            for the tricks I use! ;) ).)
STOP the program
CONTinue the program (the "CONT" is a few lines below the new line)


Everything but accepting the new line (after the STOP) and probably the 
CONTinue command can be done in a compiled program.

"Be seeing you!"
___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________
                   August 16, 1992
From: JJMCWILL@MTUS5.CTS.MTU.EDU (Jeff McWilliams)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Math Progs for the 8-bit
Date: 13 Aug 92 19:18:27 GMT

To both posters:

Yes, I remember how you can have BASIC modify itself by printing the
y=f(x) equation with a line number before it, and do some pokes, and
the line becomes part of the program.  I was thinking more along the
lines of something written Pascal, C, or Action! to improve the speed,
or even use Compiled TurboBASIC XL (you listening Bill K. ?).
With these, the self modifying code method of allowing BASIC to do
the function interpreting goes out the window.
With the popularity of RAMDISKS and bigger disk drives,
indefinite derivatives and integrals could be handled with look-up
tables could they not?

Jeff McWilliams
From: moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Star Wars
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 92 12:57:29 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

(irt: nickd (TURBONICK))

You think the >8-bit< games were good, look at the 2600 games!!!  Esp. my 
favorite of all 2600 games: Return of the Jedi.  That had the coolest 
graphics, and now from hearing how hard those suckers were to program, I 
REALLY appreciate that game.   I just wish I had it..  :(
(hint hint.. anyone?)

"Be seeing you!"
___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________
                   August 16, 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: hill@spot.Colorado.EDU (Michael Hill)
Subject: Re: 800XL as a server
Organization: University of Colorado, Boulder
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1992 21:10:30 GMT

In article <1992Aug11.215547.9974@ge-dab.GE.COM> potter@sunny0.dab.ge.com (Jeff Potter) writes:
>[...] game is
>nearing completion.  It is reminiscent of "Midi Maze", with some
>tactical changes put in for the sake of uniqueness.  Up to eight
>Ataris (600/800/1200/XL/XE) can be connected either with standard
>serial cables to a box with eight SIO connectors, or all together with
>one 'octopus' of a cable.  Only one copy of the game software is
>needed, as the other Ataris "boot" from the Host (which I guess you
>could call a server).  The game gives you a first-person view of a
>three-dimensional maze where you can see the other players wandering
>around, taking shots at you.  Graphics are in full-color, use
>horizontal scrolling and GTIA mode for extra colors.  Sounds will be
>provided to give you feedback on your motion and warning you of
>incoming fire.

Sounds fascinating!!

One minor suggestion, if 'twouldn't be too hard to implement:  Howzabout the
possibility of modem play?  (This seems to be a growing trend in ST games,
BTW.)  Since you're doing entirely SIO communications, you wouldn't (probably)
need an R: handler.  Would it be possible to incorporate this?  (I don't have
any local 8-bits; not local enough to connect directly, anyway.)

			--Michael

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Michael Hill   <><  Isaiah 9:6 | "Perfect peace, mountains robed in glory
hill@spot.Colorado.EDU         |  Coming into view
Ball Aerospace Systems Group & |  Father speaks, Son becomes the story
University of Colorado@Boulder |  Essence of all true"
$ mv net.flames /dev/null      |         --King's X, "Out of the Silent Planet"
-------------------------My boss is a Jewish carpenter!------------------------
Did you ever notice that everybody in favor of abortion has already been born?!
From: un035513@wvnvms.wvnet.edu
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: 800XL as a server
Date: 17 Aug 92 05:16:21 GMT
Organization: West Virginia Network for Educational Telecomputing

In article <yP8LPB3w165w@cyberden.uucp>, moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us writes:
> ab588@yfn.ysu.edu (joseph sabatino) writes:
> 
>> 800 ataris....requires 64k not 48k.
> 
> Hang on a sec.  I've never been 100% sure about my 1200xl.  Does it have 
> 48k or 64k RAM?  The booklet that came with it said "64k, but 16k of it 
> can only be used by special programs" or something like that.  Perhaps 
> THIS is the reason that my 1200xl don't work!?    Hmm..   
> 
> "Be seeing you!"
> ___________________________ ||| __
> PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
> moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
> __________________________________
>                    August 16, 1992

Nope.  That's how all 64k XL/E computers access memory.  Since the 6502 is an 8
bit chip it can only "see" 64K at once.  48k of Ram and the 16K O.S.  In order
to see the extra "Bank" of memory (i.e. the other 16K) you have to swich the
new bank with the O.S. or (now, I may be mistaken about this) with one of
the other banks of RAM.  So this should not be your problem (unless, of course,
for some strange reason the 1200XL banks memory diff than the other XL/E's, but
I doubt that).

A.Centofanti
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: cummins@a.cs.okstate.edu (CUMMINS JOHN WILLI)
Subject: Re: Teknika monitor questions...
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Computer Science, Stillwater
Date: Fri, 21 Aug 92 13:46:25 GMT

To: rkim@CALSTATELA.EDU
Subject: Re: Teknika monitor questions...
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Organization: Oklahoma State University, Computer Science, Stillwater
Cc: 
Bcc: 

I had good luck w a Thompson 4120!
It also works with my ST.  I had to make a special cable for the ST, but the
same cable I used with my Tecnika (MJ-10? ,- guess at model number) worked
well with the thompson.  The thompson had better sound and cost me $219 about
6 years ago (when my Tecnika went bye-bye...).

jc
From: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Math Progs for the 8-bit
Date: 13 Aug 92 21:42:25 GMT
Reply-To: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)


In a previous article, JJMCWILL@MTUS5.CTS.MTU.EDU (Jeff McWilliams) says:

>With the popularity of RAMDISKS and bigger disk drives,
>indefinite derivatives and integrals could be handled with look-up
>tables could they not?
>
>Jeff McWilliams
>

I'm sure they could.... However, I have a hard enough time trying to just
remember them myself!! :)

Steve Lin
bp112@cleveland.freenet.edu
--
From: phbill@cyberden.uucp (Bill Kendrick)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: 1200XL Hack
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 12:36:49 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

Bob Woolley's address is (if I can read my own sloppy handwriting!)

75126,3446

At least that's the # bit of the Internet address I have of his:

75126,3446@compuserve.com

Later

"Be seeing you!"
___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________
                   August 15, 1992
From: Rick_Michael_Cortese@cup.portal.com
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: IBM to 8bit null modem
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 92 07:11:38 PDT
Organization: The Portal System (TM)

I've done it a couple of times, through both an 850 & a joystick with the
MPP R: handler. Even wrote a dumb 1200 baud joystick routine for someone
who didn't want to buy a modem to get the MPP handler to his Atari. It
just sat there collecting stuff from the IBM at 1200 baud, then wrote the
info out to a disk file. I've had minor problems with the software I've
used. With the Atari, the last Xmodem block is padded to 128 bytes by adding
extra characters. Something like(?) if you are sending 193 bytes, the 1st
128 go fine, but the next 65 bytes are padded with the CHR$(65) to make it
to 128 bytes. Some IBM software stores the original file with this "garbage"
appened to it. The reason why SIO2PC has so many advocates is it really is
that good. I haven't finished my yet (like everything else!), but I just
spent about the last month reworking a couple of hard drives & an old
clone I wasn't using. If you plan on expanding the Atari, it's really a
cheaper way of doing it. Parts for the SIO2PC run about < $10 & I found
a 17 meg HD/controller for $22.50. You can basically end up with a lot
of storage cheap. 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: jim@neb (Jim Hood)
Subject: Distribution of binaries (was CrashMan!)
Organization: Nebula BBS - Salt Lake City Utah, USA
Date: Thu, 20 Aug 1992 15:01:56 GMT


Bill Kendrick writes:

>>I'm still not sure how I'm going to get this program around.  
>>I could do it one of several ways (this is a LOT like how David 

(much deleted).

Then James King writes:

>Best way to get your program circulated is to put it on a couple of 8
>bit BBS systems and GEnie - and it will spread like wildfire. Put it
>onnline GEnie (I believe you have an account there) and I will download
>it and distribute it for you - as I call hundreds of BBS systems
>world-wide.

Ok, well this is fine and everything, but I'd suggest......
arc it (the disk, files, whatever), then uuencode it and POST IT HERE!!
Then it will go all over the nation (world) in a matter of days.  I'd
pick it up here, and post it in my bbs, others could pick it up and
upload it to their local atari bbs', and so on.

If you don't know how, or don't have access to uuencoding the file, 
let me know and I can post it to this news group for you.

I really wish there was a comp.sys.atari.8bit.binaries group for the
 posting of public domain atari stuff.  That would be excellant!

-jim
-- 
*****************************************************************************
*     Jim Hood     | mail/uucp: ..!uunet!hellgate.utah.edu!caeco!neb!jim    *
*    (alternate)   | mail/uucp: ..!uunet!news.mentorg.com!caeco!neb!jim     *
* For you @ people |               caeco!neb!jim@hellgate.utah.edu
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*
*                 Nebula - A Public Access Unix system/bbs.                 *
*---------------------------------------------------------------------------*
* Nebula BBS  |   BBS    :Public Node  (801)-967-8072 (PEP/v.32/v.42/bis)   *
* SLC Ut, USA | Numbers  :Private Node (801)-969-9668 (PEP/v.32/v.42/bis)   *
*****************************************************************************
From: moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Quick...        ARGH!
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 92 18:11:08 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

Marek Tomczyk was a generous soul and purchased a copy of Quick from 
Power Per Post for me and mailed it out to me. (He must've decided to do 
this before I mentioned that I finally came in contact with them. (next 
time I'm REMEMBER TO USE AIRMAIL!  ARGH!!!))  Anyways- I returned from 
vacation to see the pile of mail sitting on the sofa, and the only one to 
me being this gem of a program.  Or so I thought...

Marek explained that when booted, the Quick disk will show a shell screen 
that prompts me to "Edit, Compile, or DOS".  This is true.  He said that 
pressing one of the keys (E,C or D) will do what is supposed to happen.  
This is not.  Now...I'm sure this can be one of many things.  Marek 
mentioned the possibility of PAL vs NTSC incompatibility.  It may be.  Of 
course, the post office could have !#@?!'d up the disk on the way to me.  
And finally... and what >I< think is wrong (because it seems to be the 
thing wrong with my software these days) is the incompatibilty of my 
damned 1200xl.  Does ANYone out there have Quick and a 1200xl.  If so- 
does it work!?  Does anyone out there have Quick and an NTSC 8-bit.  If 
so- again- does it work!?!?  I've been frantically trying to get in touch 
with my 65xe owning friend in town (closest 8-bit owner I know who has th 
thing working!) but can't.  I'd just like to not have to wait TOO long or 
go through TOO much trouble to find out whether or not I have to upgrade 
my 1200xl or mail back Quick.   

Finally: re upgrading the 1200xl to 800xl/600xl compatibilty.  Does this 
just require the purchase of an 800xl/600xl OS chip and a swap to be 
done?  I know Bob Woolley does this upgrade (not sure if this is how it's 
done) as well as adding a PBI port to the 1200xl (I think I want one of 
those too.. but not too soon).  Anyways- I'd rather not send this thing 
out (1 week was too much already to be w/o my 8-bit!!!).  Should I just 
order some chips from BEST or B&C and try Quick when I get 'em?

Thanx alot.                     BTW: Get a sleeper if you go ANYWHERE by
                                train!!!!!!!!!  (UGH!)
                                                        Bill (I'm 
                                                                BAAACK!)

"Be seeing you!"
___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________
                   August 12, 1992
From: nickd@vpnet.chi.il.us (Nicholas J. DiMasi)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Star Wars
Date: 12 Aug 92 04:10:15 GMT
Organization: Vpnet Public Access

In article <1992Aug9.215705.20348@dartvax.dartmouth.edu> crow@coos.dartmouth.edu (Preston F. Crow) writes:
>In <0095ED7EF36914A0.20205982@edinboro.edu> a644690c@edinboro.edu ("Adam J. Conover") writes:
>
>>>The 400/800 were first shown in late 1978 and first sold in 1979.
>>>
>>>Star Wars came out in 1977.
>>>
>>>Something here doesn't compute..
>>>-- 
>>> Michael Current, Cleveland Free-Net 8-bit Atari SIGOp   -->>  go atari  <<--
>
You're right, Michael, it doesn't compute.  In particular, I'm fairly sure
that Lucas did NOT use 8-bit Atari computers (unavailable in the mid-70's) to
produce any graphics for Star Wars.  I was told by some co-workers (in the mid
80's) that a program called GRASS (running on some sort of mainframe, can't
recall what) was used to produce the graphics for the Rebel pilots' briefing
prior to the attack on the Death Star.  There may have been other programs
used as well.

Perhaps the "8-bits used for Star Wars" story originated with the development 
of games by the LucasFilm Games group for the Atari 8-bits.  The developers
programmed the games first for the Atari 800 computer.  I know this because
I attended a "seminar"/demo given by one or two of the people from LucasFilm
Games, back in '85 (may have been '86, but I know it was between 5/85 and
4/86 because the company I worked for then sponsored the seminar - one of
their "employees" [who rarely did much useful work] knew the LucasFilm Games
folks through his father.  Tee Hee - I got to see the "jumping Jaggie" trick
in Rescue on Fractalus before ever playing the game!  BTW, these guys used
a separate, larger (DEC? IBM? ?) system to cross-assemble/compile their
code.  And they knew all the major nifty techniques of programming 8-bit
graphics (that I have read about many times but never tried :^/ ).  Also,
they were clever.  I recall them saying that the landscape in Fractalus is
generated from a 100 x 100 matrix of numbers.....

Nick DiMasi
nickd@vpnet.chi.il.us
Delphi: TURBONICK
From: moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: CGS and all that good stuff...
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 15:38:08 PDT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

ab588@yfn.ysu.edu (joseph sabatino) writes:

> Bobterm buffer has a glitch it in were it looses characters between
> the buffer refills....or maybe I'm doing something wrong with this
> here think
> er...thing...I dunno.
> -- 
> Joe Sabatino-->ab588@yfn.ysu.edu

That glitch PROBABLY has to do with switching from concurrent modem i/o 
mode to disk i/o mode.  What you can do is (as long as the site keeps up 
with BobTerm's 0 delay! hehe!) hit [^S] and [^Q] to pause and unpause the 
send (letting the site's returning data catch up) as the buffer gets 
close to 0.  Then, write down what line your were on in the site's editor 
and when the entire thing is finished, go back and delete ANY non UUE 
characters (they stand out.  UUE files DON'T have lowercase, or the "|" 
character (which BobTerm tends to send when it's telling the modem to 
"wait, I gotta do something!")  You'll notice on some places that if you 
go to, say, the directory in BobTerm while on line...  like this (I'm in 
BobTerm, of course!):

~~

I accessed the directory twice.  >I< can't see anything, but when it went 
to do the directory I saw the Send and Recv. lights light up for a split 
second.  Let me see what happened on that line (line 22)
Well...  I guess I was wrong about the "|"s!!  It sends carats.  

Anyways...      just a little note about BobTerm's "glitches" (I'll 
suppose that the "^"s may be the "pause" send?  Maybe it's the "pause" 
but messed up? hmmm)

___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________ PhBill @ Cyberden (415-472-5527)
                   August 19, 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Subject: Re: CLEVELAND FREE-NET. HOW DO I GET IN???
Reply-To: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Sat, 15 Aug 92 02:05:57 GMT


In a previous article, flalbert@lascar.puc.cl (L.Alberti IIC.FUN) says:

>There is a question: I have full Telnet access, but what do I put in the
>"login:" for the Cleveland free-net?. Is there a password??
>
>I'm getting a new address in two or three days, so don't e-mail me.
>When I get the new one, I'll begin to post to this group frequently.

Well, if you have never called Free-net before, you will have to log in as
"fnguest", which will give you guest access... To become a full user, you
have to get the application form from the Administration Desk "go admin",
and send it (by REAL mail, not e-mail!) to the FN administrators... Leave
me e-mail if you need more info...

Steve Lin
bp112@cleveland.freenet.edu
-- 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: bbs@neb (BBS System 801-967-8072)
Subject: Re: Atari 8-bit for sale
Organization: Nebula BBS - Salt Lake City Utah, USA
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 13:00:02 GMT

I would be interested in your 1050 with U.S. doubler. What do you want
for it?
.
J. King aka Kamaro Kid of the Korner BBS in Salt Lake City, Utah
-----
Posted by BBS User: James King
From: moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
Subject: Re: Star Wars
Keywords: Star Wars, Lucas, Rescue on Frac...etc
Date: 17 Aug 92 23:57:46 GMT
Organization: Indescribable Creations

walshm@craft.camp.clarkson.edu (Matt 'MTM' Walsh) writes:

> How about the music and sounds during disk access!
> 
I've always wondered how these types of things are done.  I don't recall 
ever seeing R.From F. on an 8-bit, but I have a copy of that bouncing 
ball demo called "SUP[er]BOINK", and I LOVE the way the credits/etc keep 
scrolling while the disk is going..  How is this handled!?  How much disk 
i/o speed is lost when this stuff is done???
(cant wait to try something like this myself! ;) )
                                                                bill

"Be seeing you!"
___________________________ ||| __
PhBill: Bill Kendrick      / | \
moon!cyberden!phbill@well.sf.ca.us
__________________________________
                   August 17, 1992
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: bmarcum@world.std.com (Bill Marcum)
Subject: Re: I GOT A DUMB TERMINAL!!!!
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sat, 22 Aug 1992 12:09:47 GMT

Probably the easiest way to hook this up would be to make up a special RS-232
cable with "receive data" connected but "transmit data" not connected, so the
modem will send to both the Atari and the terminal but only the Atari sends
to the modem.  Then you could use the Atari keyboard and see messages on
both the Atari and dumb terminal screens.  On most terminals an AUX connector
is used for a serial printer.  The keyboard might have a DIN connector or a
modular phone-type connector (I don't know that brand of terminal.)  If you
call different speed BBS systems (1200 or 2400), dumb terminals don't usually
adjust themselves automatically; you might have to set the speed with a dip
switch!

Bill Marcum  bmarcum@world.std.com

Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: bmarcum@world.std.com (Bill Marcum)
Subject: Re: 1200XL Hack
Organization: The World Public Access UNIX, Brookline, MA
Date: Sun, 16 Aug 1992 08:57:42 GMT

In article <3BckPB8w165w@cyberden.uucp> phbill@cyberden.uucp (Bill Kendrick) writes:
>Bob Woolley's address is (if I can read my own sloppy handwriting!)
>
>75126,3446
>
>At least that's the # bit of the Internet address I have of his:
>
>75126,3446@compuserve.com
>
Change the comma to a period for Internet; otherwise your system will try to
mail to "75126" and to "3446@compuserve.com", both of which are probably
nonexistent addresses.

Bill Marcum  bmarcum@world.std.com  b.marcum@genie.geis.com


Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Subject: Re: Compuserve from Internet??
Reply-To: bp112@cleveland.Freenet.Edu (Steven C. Lin)
Organization: Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH (USA)
Date: Wed, 19 Aug 92 02:54:29 GMT


In a previous article, bruck@BRACHOT.JCT.AC.IL (Itay Chamie1) says:

>How can I access Compuserve?
>Any other way to access it? Yep, I checked and rechecked the spelling!
>   Itay...C.

You must use #####.#####@compuserve.com   In other words, do NOT use a
comma between the numbers, but a period.  Otherwise, the Internet thinks
yer sending it to 2 addresses or something like that!!

Steve Lin
bp112@cleveland.freenet.edu

-- 
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.8bit
From: flalbert@lascar.puc.cl (L.Alberti IIC.FUN)
Subject: CLEVELAND FREE-NET. HOW DO I GET IN???
Organization: Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 15:37:55 GMT

HEY YOU GUYS!!! It is my greatest pleasure to have found this group.
I'm a 7-year atarian and I thought no one cared about it.
YAHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

There is a question: I have full Telnet access, but what do I put in the
"login:" for the Cleveland free-net?. Is there a password??

I'm getting a new address in two or three days, so don't e-mail me.
When I get the new one, I'll begin to post to this group frequently.

----------------------------------------
-  MIGUEL FARAH -- the Atarian hacker --
----------------------------------------
-Farah's theorem: 286<386<486<<6502!!! -