HDTenEightyP/NetNews huggingface dataset:
From: toms@digibd.com (Tom Swanson)
Subject: Finding hardware bios and ram in the dos upper 384k region. 
Organization: DigiBoard Incorporated, Eden Prairie, MN
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 19:27:12 GMT
Summary: I need to know how to locate the open spaces in upper memory. 
Keywords: upper memory, bios

Hi,

I have a problem.  I need to know how to locate bios and adapters in
the dos upper memory region.

I know that I can look for the hex string 55AA which denotes the start of
bios code followed by the size, in 512 byte chunks, of the bios code.  That 
seems to work.

My first question is -- will this always find every occurance of a bios?

Looking at the output of asq by Quantalis (sp?) there are areas of
RAM on some adapter boards sitting in this upper memory region.  How does 
one go about locating this region?  I presume that is would be very bad to 
simply see if I can write and read out there.  Who knows what it would do
to my peripherals.

My last question (although if anyone with experience in this knows of anything
that I am likely to miss in this area let me know) is how do I know which
regions of memory (between A0000 and C0000) are ACTUALLY used by my video 
card?

I prefer an email answer to toms@digibd.com, but I'll take the info where
I can get it.

Thanks,
	TomS

I suppose I should have a signature here.

Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: reaper@wixer.cactus.org (Keath Milligan)
Subject: Turbo Debugger (for DOS) under Windows
Keywords: debugger, turbo, remote, DOS, broke
Organization: Real/Time Communications
Date: Thu, 3 Sep 92 22:03:20 GMT

Ok, here's my setup:

I am developing a DOS device driver using two systems, a 486
work-station and a 386 target.  I am running Turbo Debugger (td.exe) on
the 486 and TDREMOTE on the target.  The machines are connected with a
standard serial cable.  Both machines are running MS-DOS 5.0, QEMM
and the Windows SMARTDRV disk cache.  The work-station is running
Windows 3.1.

Now, here's the scenerio:

I compile a new version of the driver on the work-station.

I load this driver onto the target system.

I reboot the target system to load the driver.

I run TDREMOTE on the target.

I run TD /R /SM10 on the work-station to run the debugger in remote mode
and to resere 10K for symbol table.

I load the symbol table for the driver and use the "table relocate"
function to set its address.

I then set my breakpoints and select "go resident" to make TDREMOTE on
the target machine to run in the background.

With TDREMOTE running in the backgroun, I then run a test program that
uses my driver and causes the breakpoints to trigger.

Now, all this works fine if I'm NOT running TD under Windows on the
work-station.  If I try to run TD in a DOS-session under WIndows, it
will work for a while, but will eventually crash the work-station as I'm
tracing through the code.

Can anyone help me with this one?  I guess I could set up a third
machine as a debugging console, but that would be a major hassle because
I would have to not only copy the code to the target machine, but alos
to the debugging console every time I wanted to try a new version.

-- 
oooooo ooo o o  o            Keath Milligan            o  o  ooooo oooo oooooo
oooo oo ooo  o   o   Prometheus Light and Sound, Inc.   o   o  o ooooooooooooo
oooooooo o oo  o         Real/Time Communications        o    o o ooo oooooooo
oooooo oooo ooo  o  internet: reaper@wixer.cactus.org  o   o  o ooo oo ooooooo
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: schmidt@cogsci.uwo.ca (William Schmidt)
Subject: DOS Extenders
Organization: University of Western Ontario, London
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 17:26:12 GMT


I am in need of a DOS Extender which is Borland C++ compatible. I am 
not too familiar with what these items are supposed to do, but I believe
that they will allow me to transparently access gobs and gobs of memory.

DOS Extenders are able to do this by running DOS programs in protected
mode.

Apparently AL WILLIAMS has published a book called DOS 5.0 DEVELOPER'S
GUIDE which has some simple Extender code in it. I cannot locate this book
quickly or easily.

Could people out there send me comments on either DOS Extender packages,
or the code in the aforementioned book. I will summarize the results.
Please include limitations and merits, as well as a brief synopsis of
available routines.

Thank very much,
William C. Schmidt

schmidt@cogsci.uwo.ca
-- 
William C. Schmidt
Centre for Cognitive Science
University of Western Ontario
London, ON CANADA
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: grnwood@gagme.chi.il.us (Jerry Greenwood)
Subject: Re: MS-BASIC file security possible?
Originator: grnwood@gagme
Organization: Gagme Public Access UNIX, Chicago, Illinois.
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1992 14:51:27 GMT

....or you might try a simple scheme that I used for password encryption.
Again, it's not the most secure but it will keep non programers out of your
business.  

Generate a random number that will be used to add the the ASCII code of
each individual letter.  The random number should be such that it kicks
each letter into the upper (non letter) range.  This random number can be
store at the begining of the file and is used as the decode key for the
rest of the file.  This way if you encode the same word or group of words
twice.....each copy if different.

I don't have a copy of the codes with me as I write but it makes you
encoded file look like garbage and can be done with only a few lines of
code.  My examples are off my machine at present but I'd be glad to post an
example if you like.  

-- 

Submitted for your approval.....
Jerry Greenwood                                                      N9NRG
grnwood@gagme.chi.il.us                                       312-545-2219

--
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: lorenzc@Informatik.TU-Muenchen.DE (Christoph Lorenz)
Subject: Changing of VGA's 16x9 FONT
Originator: lorenzc@hphalle1c.informatik.tu-muenchen.de
Organization: Technische Universitaet Muenchen, Germany
Date: Mon, 14 Sep 1992 07:31:19 GMT


Does antbody know, how to change the VGA 16x9 Font ??

I've got several articles at home, where you can change VGA-Fonts, but they all
can only change 16x8 Fonts, so that there's always an empty colunm at the right
side of the characters.
I need such a routine for a Turbo-Pascal-Programm to create special
(Semi-graphic)-fonts but therefore I have to change all 9 columns.

Thanks

Christoph Lorenz
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: d_hopp@tangram.informatik.uni-kl.de (Daniel Hopp)
Subject: Problems with EMM386.EXE.
Keywords: emm386
Reply-To: d_hopp@tangram.informatik.uni-kl.de (Daniel Hopp)
Organization: University of Kaiserslautern (Germany)
Date: Tue, 15 Sep 1992 08:27:03 GMT

Hi,

I've got a problem switching the expanded memory manager EMM386.EXE, using
the functions documentated in Ralf Brown's interrupt list. Although switching
to modes OFF and AUTO works fine, I COULDN'T SWITCH IT ON !!!!!

Here's the excerpt from the list:

>        INT 67 - Microsoft EMM386.EXE v4.20+ - INSTALLATION CHECK
>                AX = FFA5h
>        Return: AX = 845Ah if loaded
>                    BX:CX -> API entry point
>
>        Call API entry point with:
>                AH = 00h get memory manager's status
>                    Return: AH = status
>                                bit 0: not active (OFF)
>                                bit 1: in "Auto" mode
>                AH = 01h set memory manager's state
>                    AL = new state (00h ON, 01h OFF, 02h AUTO)
>

This is the assembler program I use:

         QUEST     dw 0ffa5h
         INSTALLED dw 0845ah
         API_POINT dd ?

MAIN:    mov  ax,QUEST                  ; test installation
         int  67h
         cmp  ax,INSTALLED              ; equal if installed
         jne  EXIT

         mov  word ptr API_POINT,cx     ; entry point in BX:CX
         mov  word ptr API_POINT[2],bx

ENABLE:  mov  ah,01h                    ; set state
         mov  al,00h                    ; ON - does not work !
         mov  si,offset API_POINT
         call dword ptr cs:[si]


As this thing is of great importance for me, it would be nice if somebody
could help me here. Thanx!


                                       Daniel Hopp



Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: dspascha@eos.ncsu.edu (DAVID SCOTT PASCHAL)
Subject: Re: What about NUL? (was: alt 255 ; question)
Originator: dspascha@c00008-118dan.eos.ncsu.edu
Reply-To: dspascha@eos.ncsu.edu (DAVID SCOTT PASCHAL)
Organization: North Carolina State University, Project Eos
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 14:12:38 GMT


In article <ETNBKKC.92Sep10145228@pluto.etn.ericsson.se>, etnbkkc@hisoy.etn.ericsson.se (Karlsen Bjorn) writes:
|> 
|> What do I do if i *want* character NUL (ASCII 0)? Usually I press Alt-0
|> and then a letter key before releasing the Alt key, but then I have to
|> erase the letter...
|> 
|> -KKC-  etnbkkc@etn.ericsson.se
|> 

Press Ctrl-@.  This is supposedly the NUL control key, but few programs actually
recognize it, because normally a character code of zero means an extended key
like the function keys, cursor keys, and alt-letter keys.

Tschuess,
David Paschal
From: Jon Freivald <jaf@jaflrn.UUCP>
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: alt 255 ; question
Date: Mon, 07 Sep 92 09:54:30 EDT
Organization: The Wizzard's Cave, East Meadow, NY

garrem@aix.rpi.edu (Matthew Olsen Garretson) writes:

> Is this ALT-255 thing a function of DOS or is it built into the keyboard BIOS

I'm not sure - think it's DOS.

> If the former is the case, it doesn't work with DOS 5 + 4DOS 4 + ansi.sys .

Yes it does - right here, this very minute...

> If the latter is the case, it doesn't work with my chips.

Possibility...

=============================================================================
		   Jon Freivald ( jaflrn!jaf@uunet.UU.NET )
	 Nothing is impossible for the man who doesn't have to do it.
=============================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.os.ms-windows.programmer.misc
From: hill@netcom.com (Tom Hill)
Subject: Re: Trapping 386 IO port accesses
Date: Tue, 08 Sep 92 06:52:19 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest) 
Distribution: na

In article <tgreen.715550500@pv0547.vincent.iastate.edu> tgreen@iastate.edu (Todd Greenfield) writes:
>In <1992Sep03.153802.688@Schultz.ON.CA> peter@Schultz.ON.CA (Peter Roeser) writes:
>
>>In article <tgreen.715391992@vincent2.iastate.edu> tgreen@iastate.edu
>(Todd Greenfield) writes:
>[ original discussion of need to trap access to IO port deleted ]
>>>
>>>what about doing this under windows?  I know nothing of windows
>>>programming,  but wouldn't it be possible to write a windows
>>>driver (for 386 enh mode of course) to do something like this?
>
>>  I have been told that although Windows uses protected mode to do
>>  memory management( ie. traps when you talk to non-available mem.)
>>  it does not trap IO references.
>
.
.
.
>>  Let's keep the discussion going
>
OK,

You can write what is called a virtual device driver, which will allow
you to trap references to a given port from a DOS session. I'm not sure
if you can trap references from windows apps. Anybody know what IOPL is
for 386 Enhanced mode, and what privilege level windows apps run at?

Documentation can be found in the windows DDK. (Which I don't have
handy, or I'd look it up myself) and in Daniel Norton's Writing
Device Drivers for Windows.

Tom Hill

A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
A
Windows Device Drivers.

Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: saidra@prism.CS.ORST.EDU (Raoul Said)
Subject:  Setting up a project in TC++
Organization: Oregon State University, Computer Science Dept.
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 21:41:57 GMT

	I would like to know the best way to set up include files in a project.
The problem I have is that say I make a module called foo.c which the main.c
uses.  In main.c I say #include "foo.h" and foo.c is also listed in the project
file.  But since I also include foo.h within foo.c the compiler says there
are duplicate declarations!  Am I doing something wrong?  I need the info in
foo.h for both main.c and foo.c, how do I do this?  Thanks.


Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: piskacrj@mentor.cc.purdue.edu (Bob Piskac)
Subject: Control C and Break
Keywords: MS C7.0
Organization: Purdue University
Date: Sat, 12 Sep 1992 02:25:56 GMT

How do you trap a Control Break or Control C in MS C V7.0.  I can
stop it from interupting the program, but I get a ^C on the screen.

Thanks,

piskacrj@mentor.cc.purdue.edu
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
From: etnbkkc@hisoy.etn.ericsson.se (Karlsen Bjorn)
Subject: What about NUL? (was: alt 255 ; question)
Organization: Ericsson Telecom AS
	<BuCCB5.29t.2@cs.cmu.edu>
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 13:52:28 GMT

>                    If the accumulated value is 0 when the Alt key is
>released, the BIOS doesn't put a key into the keyboard buffer.

What do I do if i *want* character NUL (ASCII 0)? Usually I press Alt-0
and then a letter key before releasing the Alt key, but then I have to
erase the letter...

-KKC-  etnbkkc@etn.ericsson.se
From: mbk@netcom.com (Miles Kehoe)
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer
Subject: Re: MS-BASIC file security possible?
Date: 4 Sep 92 22:43:01 GMT
Organization: Netcom - Online Communication Services  (408 241-9760 guest)

sandberg@carroll1.cc.edu (Brian R. Sandberg) writes:

>I am writing an application in MS-BASIC V7.1 which uses random access data
>files.  Here's the problem:  these files contain confidential information.
>Is there a way to keep people from reading (accessing) these files?

>--
>Brian Sandberg
>sandberg@carroll1.cc.edu

Brian:

I don't think the fact that the files are random access and from BASIC
is an important issue - any file that any program saves can be hacked.
The best you can do it somehow encrypt the data in the buffers before
you write (PUT) it. It can be as simple (subtract 20 from the ascii
value) or as complex (run a dod encryption scheme on the entire buffer),
but it is up to your code to do.

Good luck!

Miles
Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.lang.c,comp.os.msdos.programmer
From: csjjlay@knuth.mtsu.edu (JJ Lay)
Subject: Need C code to install a TSR
Keywords: C,NetBIOS,Borland C++,TSR
Organization: Dept. of CS, Middle TN State Univ, Murfreesboro, TN
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 16:46:19 GMT

Hello.  I have written a program that is made to be installed
as a TSR under MS-DOS.  It needs to redirect the clock interrupt
to call a routine within the program.  This routine then sends 
the current text screen over a NetBIOS network to several clients.

However I do not know how to make a program become a TSR and redirect
the interrupt.  I am using Borland C++ 3.0.  Any example code would
be preferred to an English description.  Please respond by e-mail
and I will summarize and post to the net.

Thank you,
JJ LAY, Programmer - Middle Tennessee State University
csjjlay@mtsu.edu

Newsgroups: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.wanted
From: mundy@chemvx.tamu.edu (Why, yes. That is a python in my pants.)
Subject: Re: Theodor A. Kaldis E-mail address ?
Followup-To: alt.msdos.programmer,comp.sys.ibm.pc.wanted
News-Software: VAX/VMS VNEWS 1.41    
Organization: Sex Studies Division, Texas A&M Univ.
Date: Mon, 7 Sep 1992 20:38:00 GMT

>Does anybody know if Theodore A. Kaldis is reachable via E-mail ?
>He is the author of the fabulous QUUDCD program.
> 
>Thanks,
> 
>Marc Stern  --  <stern@mble.philips.be>

ssssssssssssssssssssex

Not to mention large amounts of hate posts towards gays, blacks, women,
hispanics, foreigners, locals, and bigots.







					---- The Cunning Linguist

Newsgroups: alt.snowmobiles
From: pjp@cray.com (Patrick Perro)
Subject: Sno Barrons Gras Drag
Organization: Cray Research, Inc.
Date: 14 Sep 92 14:21:35 CDT


Once again the Sno Barrons Grass Drag and swap meet was a big success. I can't
believe the number of people that show up for this event. Aaen, PSI, Artic Cat,
Ski Doo, Decker and other industry leaders had factory trailers and displays
there as well as a host of other "local" dealerships. Traffic was backed up
four miles to the interstate and also clogged the interstate ramps. I can't
begin to estimate how many people were there.

Anyway, on to the good stuff. I was a little disapointed that there were no
production muscle sleds in the drag. Cat, Ski Doo and Yamaha had the Thundercat,
Mach Z and V-Max there for display but the Polaris Storm was nowhere in site.
However all the other production sleds were represented in the drag. It looks
like the Polaris XLT, Ski Doo Formula Plus-x, Artic Cat EXT 580-Z and Yamaha
Exciter SX are going to be the most competitive sleds this year. Each race
in the stock class between these sleds were very close. I'm not sure of the
final standings but I think it went Ski Doo, Polaris, Yamaha for 1,2,3. All
races were extremely close so it will be fun to see how things progress throughout
the year.

Artic Cat unveiled its new entry for the I-500 for this year, the much rumored ZR
(Prowler ZR?). Unfortunately, I was manning the MS Sno Rally booth at the time of
the unveiling so I don't have any of the specs on the machine (I don't even know
if they gave any). However, I did get to shove through the crowd for a peek.
The front end is a new double wishbone design with welded (not bent chrome-molly
A arms attached to a chrome molly spindle tube (not the cast unit on other wishbone
suspenders). It was hard to tell what else was different. The front chassis seems
to be redesigned and it looks like they are using a new tunnel but I can't be sure.
I am sure all of the magazines will be giving us the low-down since I saw most all
of them represented there. So we'll just have to wait for the october issues (unless
you get Snow Week) to see but it looks like Cat is really serious about taking back
the trophy from Polaris. 



=================================================================================

Patrick J. Perro              Indy 580 XLT                 The comments listed
Cray Research Inc.             				   above are my own. Not
655F Lone Oak Dr.  					   that of my employer
Eagan, MN. 55121					   (unless specifically
pjp@fig.cray.com					   noted).

=================================================================================
Newsgroups: alt.snowmobiles
From: chuck@col.hp.com (Chuck Rice)
Subject: Re: Re-wiring an OLD snowmobile
Date: Thu, 10 Sep 1992 14:07:07 GMT
Organization: HP Colorado Springs Division

> From my ignition switch, it is apparent that no special connection is
> required to keep the engine running, but the connection between switch
> terminals 2 and 4 in the off position leads me to believe that the 
> manufacturer intended to ground the spark plugs (thus stopping the
> engine) with the switch in the off position.  Does this make sense?

I don't know about your specific machine but all snowmobiles that I have
had experience with, with the exception of Cats, ground the ignition to
shut the engine off. I would guess that the points are grounded on your
machine to shut the engine off. In the on or start position the ground
connection is simply opened.

It is possible that when you start the engine the carb or carbs may have
problems that could let the engine rev very high, so you may want to be
sure the switch will allow you to shut the engine off. You can easily
check the switch's operation by pulling a plug and checking for spark
in the on position and lack of spark in the off position.
From: ec@hpfcso.FC.HP.COM (Edgar Circenis)
Date: Wed, 9 Sep 1992 19:25:10 GMT
Subject: Re-wiring an OLD snowmobile
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO, USA
Newsgroups: alt.snowmobiles

I have a late 60's (???) AMF Ski-Daddler that I recently acquired as a
rebuild project.  I just started yesterday to re-wire the thing and came
across something I don't understand.  (FYI: someone had unplugged every
wire that could possibly be plugged in to anything)

The starter switch has four positions: off, lights on, lights off, and start.
There are six terminals on the back of the switch, and the connections
are as follows for each switch position:

	position	connections
	----------------------------
	off		2 - 4
	lights on	1 - 3 - 5
	lights off	none
	start		1 - 6

Based on this information, I have gotten the lights and starter to
work correctly by assuming that 1=hot, 3/5=lights, and 6=starter.

I haven't had the guts to actually put gasoline in the sled yet because
there are still a bunch of wires that aren't connected to anything.  Of concern
are two more wires in the vicinity of the starter switch, and the existance
of the 2-4 connection when the switch is off.

My question is: with modern ignition switches, isn't there some sort of
contact that is made to keep the enging running when the switch is in
one of the run positions?  I figure that there must be, otherwise turning
the switch to "off" wouldn't stop the engine.

From my ignition switch, it is apparent that no special connection is
required to keep the engine running, but the connection between switch
terminals 2 and 4 in the off position leads me to believe that the 
manufacturer intended to ground the spark plugs (thus stopping the
engine) with the switch in the off position.  Does this make sense?

I'll test this hypothesis soon, but was wondering if anyone had experience
with _old_ snowmobiles.

Edgar
From: lmcansi@noah.ericsson.se (Andrew Silver)
Newsgroups: alt.snowmobiles
Subject: Bombardier Elan!
Date: 15 Sep 92 21:24:35 GMT
Organization: Ericsson Communications Inc. Montreal, Canada

Someone just gave me an old Bombardier
Elan.  I can't find the manual, but I'm
told that this was a very popular model,
in it's day.

It has the typical yellow front cover and
the engine size is a 250cc.

Does anyone on this net know about these
snowmobiles?  Would like to know anything
including problems, neat tricks and even
history.

I'm kind of anxious to fix it up and ride
this winter and I'm short of cash to
actually buy a new one (I'm a student),
so this'll have to do for now.

e-mail addresses:
silver@ee470.ee.mcgill.ca     OR
lmcansi@noah.ericsson.se


Thanx in advance for any comments!

Quicksilver!  (Andrew)
Newsgroups: alt.snowmobiles