 5-Nov-80 03:47:00,7939;000000000000
Date: Wednesday, 5 November 1980  03:47-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: The SIG/M Report

                        The SIG/M Report
                          November 1980
                            edited by
                   Bruce Ratoff and Bill Chin

     SIG/M has now been in full operation for the past two months 
and  things  are really starting to happen.  As Sol announced  in 
this  column  last  month,  our  first  three  software  volumes, 
containing  source and object of two souped-up  Adventure  games, 
are now available.  Since that announcement, we have collected an 
additional four volumes of software,  which will be available for 
the first time at the November meeting of SIG/M (at the 808X/Z80, 
CP/M,  N*,  TRS-80 users' meeting) at UCTI on Friday, November 7.  
The new volumes are:

         SIG/M004 - miscellaneous CP/M utilities
         SIG/M005 - 8080/8085 diagnostics package
         SIG/M006 - 6502 monitor and simulator (on Z80!)
         SIG/M007 - modem and BBS utilities

     Another  disk  of  games has been started but does  not  yet 
contain sufficient material for release.  Expected future volumes 
include more CP/M utilities, and a set of cross-development tools 
for the TI9900 processor.   These and all future volumes will  be 
announced  in  this column,  and on our participating BBS's  (see 
below).

     We  are  of  course  always  seeking  software contributions  
in all areas of interest.    Remember that the "quickie" that you 
threw  together to solve some  minor problem may be  a  lifesaver 
for  another user, no matter how trivial you may consider it.

     For those who have not yet heard about SIG/M, its purpose is 
to promote the exchange of programs and information on/about CP/M 
and  related systems.  It is our goal to provide this exchange in 
as open and non-commercial an environment as  possible.   Besides 
providing  software exchange,  we would like to serve as a  forum 
for  sharing ideas/comments on CP/M related topics.  This is your 
organization, and can only succeed with everyone's participation. 
SIG/M was jointly founded by CP/M proponents in ACGNJ and the New 
York Amateur Computer Club (NYACC).


                        WHERE TO FIND US

     There are many ways to contact/locate SIG/M for  information 
or  to  exchange software.  We can always be found at the  "first 
Friday"  ACGNJ  users'  group  meeting at  UCTI  or  the  "second 
Tuesday"  NYACC  users' group meeting at  Computer  Emporium  (in 
NYC). You may also contact one of the four coordinators directly.  
We are:

           Bruce Ratoff   Iselin, NJ      201-283-2724
           Bill Chin      Clifton, NJ     201-778-5140
           Marty Nichols  Dover, NJ       201-361-7180
           Henry Kee      Flushing, NY    212-539-3202

     Written correspondence and diskettes may be mailed to:

                              SIG/M
                           P.O. Box 97
                        Iselin, NJ  08830

     If  you  have  a modem at your disposal,  you  may  wish  to 
contact  us  and/or  obtain programs by  calling  Bruce  Ratoff's 
Remote  Iselin  Bulletin  Board System (RIBBS).  In  addition  to 
normal BBS functions,  it is possible to go into CP/M and send or 
receive programs using the Ward Christensen MODEM program.  Plans 
are currently underway,  although not yet implemented, to support 
Apple CP/M and TRS-80 CP/M on this system.  To reach the  system, 
dial Bruce's number (listed above), let it ring once, hang up and 
call  back within 40 seconds.  The system will answer the  second 
call.  A number of other BBS owners and potential BBS owners have 
expressed  interest  in  providing  the  same  service  on  their 
systems.  Their  numbers will be published in future columns.  We 
are especially looking for participants in other regions (both in 
and  out  of  the  NY/NJ  area).   Contact  us  if  you  wish  to 
participate.


                       LOCAL COORDINATORS

     We  are looking for people to coordinate local  distribution 
of  the  SIG/M  software collection.  This is in  line  with  our 
general  policy  of keeping both user costs and club costs  to  a 
minimum.   If  you  are the 8080 or CP/M coordinator of  a  local 
club,  or  wish to act as the "dropping off point" for the  other 
CP/M  users in your area,  please contact us.   The point of  all 
this  is  to minimize the number of disk copies that we  have  to 
produce,  while providing the widest possible distribution of the 
software  collection.  Clubs  and area  coordinators  may  obtain 
copies  of  the SIG/M volumes for a donation of $4 per  diskette, 
plus  $2  to  cover mailing costs.   These diskettes  are  to  be 
redistributed locally on a non-profit basis.  Funds collected  by 
the  local  coordinator  should go back into the support  of  the 
local  club or group.  All commercial use of these diskettes  and 
their contents is expressly forbidden.


                        PROGRAM SUBMITTAL

     All programs/files for submittal to SIG/M should be provided 
on 8" single-density  soft-sectored "standard CP/M" format, along 
with our standard  submittal form.   A copy of this form  appears 
on  each  SIG/M  volume  as  the  file  SIG/M.LIB.   It  is  also 
reproduced  in this issue of the newsletter.   Contributions  and 
forms  may also be sent via modem to a participating BBS,  but  a 
signed  copy  of the submittal form must be received  before  the 
program  can  be  distributed.   This  protects all  of  us  from 
copyright  problems,  and assures a consistent method of  program 
documentation and cataloging.


                        UPCOMING RELEASES

     The  NYACC S-100 users' group has published a  directory  of 
public-domain  software.   It contains the catalogs and abstracts 
from  all  current CPMUG and SIG/M releases.   The  directory  is 
available for $5 (subject to change) from NYACC.

     Digital  Research has released the first version of  CP/NET, 
their distributed-processing system.   This release allows up  to 
16  modified CP/M systems to share disks and printers residing on 
an MP/M system.   Each disk drive may be either locally supported 
or mapped into the network (controlled by the MP/M system).   The 
communication method is left up to the installer,  making this  a 
very  general  and powerful  tool for applications requiring  too 
much "crunch" per terminal to be served with a single  processor.  
The  cost  is $200,  and the license is linked to a  single  MP/M 
system license.

     A  new  version of MP/M is scheduled for release before  the 
end of the year.   The main enhancement will be the inclusion  of 
file interlocks between users, making multi-terminal file updates 
much  easier   to  implement.   This version of  MP/M  will  also 
support the next release of CP/NET, which allows the inclusion of 
slave  processors that do not contain any local disk storage.   A 
further update of MP/M and CP/NET,  which allows MP/M systems  to 
function  as  slaves to other MP/M systems,  is expected  at  the 
beginning of next year.

     Questions about the much-delayed release of CP/M-86 were met 
with a reply that it should be released "any week now".   It will 
consist  of 8086/8088-resident versions of all the standard  CP/M 
programs, plus a cross-assembler that will allow the installer to 
use an existing 8-bit CP/M system to bring up the 16-bit system.


                      CP/M TIP-OF-THE-MONTH

     This "department" will hopefully appear on a regular  basis.  
Its  purpose is to provide answers to common technical  questions 
about CP/M and MP/M.   Please send your questions, ideas and tips 
to Bruce for inclusion in this column.
 5-Nov-80 21:22:00,1081;000000000000
Date: 5 Nov 1980 at 2222-CST
From: wilcox at UTEXAS-11
To:   info-cpm at mit-mc
Subject: USER x

Digital Research has done an excellant job of creating a 'standard' system
for micros, but when the added the USER feature for 2.x they missed the boat.
All they did was set up an otherwise unused field in the FCB for a user number.
But that means a users normally sees ONLY his one files.  What ever happened
to the concept of SYSTEM files.

What I feel should have been done is to make a small mod to BDOS such that
if the initial file search fails, it makes a new search with the USER number
set to 0 (or F as we choose).  We then declare that number (0 or F, whichever)
to be the SYSTEM account.  Just like the big systems do! References are first
satisfied in our own account, and then if necessary, by the system files.

Problem?  No source to make even these relatively simple patches.  Does anyone
have (or sell) a source (listing, not necessarily machine readable) to BDOS
and CCP (ver. 2.2 preferrably) that is not too expensive?

               --Jim
 9-Nov-80 13:35:00,1698;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 9 November 1980  13:35-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: [W8SDZ: BDOS-PAT.ASM]

Date: 11/09/80 13:56:12
From: W8SDZ
Re:   BDOS-PAT.ASM

	title	'BDOS patch for CP/M 2.2 to make USER 0 public'
;
;5/15/80
;
;patch courtesy of Andy Johnson-Laird
;
;******************************CAUTION******************************
;
;This patch is for grown-ups who know what they are doing.
;Note that if files of the same name are present on both USER 0 and
;the logged-in USER number, the OPEN, SEARCH for FIRST, SEARCH for NEXT
;and READ SEQUENTIAL functions will match directory entries on a first-come
;first-served basis.  This will cause exciting results if multiple extent
;files of the same name are present on both USER 0 and logged-in USER.
;
;Recommended use:
;
;	1) Keep on USER 0 only commonly used programs (Files.COM)
;	2) Set these programs to $SYS to reduce directory clutter.
;	3) Set these programs to $R/O to avoid accidental erasure of
;	   invisible programs.
;	4) NEVER place on any other USER number programs of the same name.
;	5) Have turn-key applications cold-boot directly into the assigned
;	   USER number.  The USER number is the high nibble of address 4.
;
;
msize	equ	20		;set your memory size here
;
bdos	equ	(msize-20)*1024+3C00h
;
patch$area	equ	??????	;this will depend on YOUR system, and
				;should probably be in your BIOS area
;
	org	bdos+075eh
	jmp	patch		;overlays:	mov	a,b
;						cpi	0dh
;
;
	org	patch$area
patch:	mov	a,b
	ora	a
	jnz	patch2
	ldax	d
	cpi	0e5h
	jz	patch2
	mov	a,m
	ora	a
	jz	bdos+077ch
patch2:	mov	a,b
	cpi	0dh
	jmp	bdos+0761h
;
	end
12-Nov-80 02:42:00,2435;000000000000
Date: Wednesday, 12 November 1980  02:42-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: A (temporary) home for CPMUG files

CP/M, CPMUG files, and micros are very closely related to my official
work.  Thus, to cut the clutter in my directory, I have asked for a
CPM directory to be created on MC and have moved all my CPM files to
that directory, including the archive file for this mailing list.

In that directory (which can be accessed via FTP without login) there
are a number of HEX, ASM, and ASMPAT files, courtesy of Keith Petersen
(W8SDZ@MC).  All of the HEX files have been successfully downloaded
and LOADed into COM files and checked by either running them or
matching the CRCs.  Most of these files are short, except for MTN HEX,
which is 28K bytes.  All HEX files have, or will have text at the
front (which LOAD will ignore) indicating what the CRC of the COM file
produced from that HEX file should be.  Of course, to get the CRC, you
should download CRCK HEX, LOAD it, and run it on itself.  Its CRC is
2D47.

Here is a short abstract of what is current in CPM:

 ASMPAT ASM	The UPPER/lower case patch for ASM on CPM 1.4 patched
 BBS    NOS	The latest list (as of 11/04/80)
 BDOS22 PATCH	ASM Patch file for using USER 0 as "system" files
 CP/M   AUTO	A Babyl file of replies to the AUTO startup query
 CP/M   LIST	A Babyl file of requests to be added to INFO-CPM
 CPM    ARCHIV	The INFO-CPM archives
 CPM    DOC	A re-edit of the two-part msg on CP/M internals
 CRCK   HEX	Produces 16-bit CRChecksums of files (CRC: 2D 47)
 FAST   DOC	How to install FAST and SPEED
 FMAP   HEX	FMAP updated for use under CP/M 2.x (CRC: 1A 2C)
 MAKSUB ASM	Source for a SUBMIT-like program, MAKESUB.
 MENU   MAC	Z80 source fore a working MENU program
 MTN    DOC	Lastest DOC for MicroTELNET (1.3)
 MTN13  HEX	MicroTELNET 1.3, an intelligent terminal program for
		Z80's only (sorry)  (CRC: A1 53)
 RSPEED ASM	Source for RSPEED (see FAST DOC)
 RSPEED HEX	HEX for RSPEED - checks skew factors (CRC: )
 SKEW2  ASMPAT	Sample patch file for FAST
 SKEW3  ASMPAT	Sample patch file for FAST
 UNLOAD ASM	Source for UNLOAD... in HEX format
 UNLOAD HEX	Converts ANY file to HEX  (CRC:  )
 UNLOD2 ASM	Source for UNLOAD2
 UNLOD2 HEX	HEX for UNLOAD2 (presumably the same as UNLOAD)
 XD     HEX	Another directory lister  (CRC: C7 B7)

Comments to the list, please.

--Frank
13-Nov-80 00:46:00,1174;000000000000
Date: Thursday, 13 November 1980  00:46-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: Another file in CPM;

This time it is the documentation file that goes with MTN13.  The file
is MC:CPM;MTNMSG HEX and is very long (44K), but reduces to 16K after
LOADing.  The resulting COM file must be renamed to MTNMSGS.OVR to be
used by MTN13.  CRC of the .OVR file is 8B F6.

Perhaps I should have made it clear that the CPM directory on MC is
NOT proposed to be the permanant net home for the entire CPMUG
library.  There just simply isn't that much room available for all of
the files themselves, nor is there enough room to hold all of the
directory entries for that many files.

However, selected files of general and popular interest should
eventually find their way to this home.  I would hope that at least
the ABSTRACT files for each of the CPMUG disks will eventually get
uploaded and live in an INFO-formatted file for quick lookup.

(For those of you outside of the EMACS/TECO community, INFO is an
TECO-based program which reads tree-structured sequential files which
are usually menu-ized and footnoted.)

--Frank
19-Nov-80 23:17:00,434;000000000000
Date: Wednesday, 19 November 1980  23:17-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: New Mailing Lists

There is now a BUG-MTN and INFO-MTN (both at MIT-MC) for mail
concerning MicroTELNET.  Right now, BUG-MTN mail goes to me and
MC:CPM;MTN BUGS, INFO-MTN goes to a list of known users of MTN and
MC:CPM;MTN INFO.  If you wish to be added to either list (or both),
send a msg to me.  --Frank
23-Nov-80 19:48:00,238;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 23 November 1980  19:48-MST
From: Gray at UCLA-SECURITY (Terry Gray)
To:   info-cpm at mc
Subject: SPEED/FAST for CPM 2.2?

Are SPEED and FAST applicable to CPM 2.2?
If so, has anyone done the work yet?

Terry Gray
23-Nov-80 19:51:00,516;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 23 November 1980  19:51-MST
From: Gray at UCLA-SECURITY (Terry Gray)
To:   info-cpm at mc
Subject: Bigger BIOS

CPM 1.4 allows 9 sectors for BIOS;
CPM 2.2 allows 6 sectors for BIOS.

When I tried to incorporate a driver for a TDL video board (with
software scrolling and cursor positioning) in my CPM 1.4 BIOS,
I found I had exceeded the 9 sector limit.  And I was thinking
of going to 2.2 soon.  Any way to get around these limits
(other than putting the drivers in ROM) ??

Terry Gray
24-Nov-80 14:16:00,1007;000000000000
Date: Monday, 24 November 1980  14:16-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: New Files in MC:CPM;

There are two new files in the CPM directory, courtesy of Keith
Petersen (W8SDZ@MC).

The first is the previously mentioned MBOOT ASM program to get you
started downloading files using the MODEM2 program on the remote host.
The idea here is to keyin this code, tailoring it to suit, and then
use it to download MODEM2.  MODEM2 is used from then on to exchange
files between systems.  (Hopefully, some industrious soul will
volunteer to code up a mainframe version of MODEM2, suitable for use
on TOPS-20, TENEX, and ITS machines - DEVON@MC is working on a Lisp
version... - the specs can be made available upon request.)

The second program is an UNLOADed (HEX) copy of SD.COM (MC:CPM;SD HEX)
and is similar to XD, which in turn is similar to LIST.  Comments on
it are at the front of the file, including the CRC of the resulting
COM file.

--Frank
25-Nov-80 21:34:00,1391;000000000000
Date: Tuesday, 25 November 1980  21:34-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: BDOS Question

The following situation occurs with both CP/M 1.45 and 2.2 and I want
to know why:

LOOP:	CALL	RDTIME		; Reads clock ports and displays time
				; using direct I/O to the console
				; serial port.
	CALL	CONST		; Checks console input status only
	CALL	NZ,GKC		; If input, read console for command
	JR	LOOP

GKC:	CALL	CONIN		; Gets the pending character and does
				; nothing with it.
	CALL	PRINT		; Prints a msg using BDOS
	CALL	GNC		; Waits for a response
				; then jumps to appropriate subroutine
				; based on character

The subroutine in question prints another message and waits for
confirmation, and then prints another prompt and waits for string
input using the READ BUFFER BDOS call.

Now here is the strange part:  it takes TWO characters (not one) to
break out of the LOOP, and that first character shows up in the read
buffer.  It can even be edited!

How did it end up in the read buffer?

Any clues to this mystery would be appreciated.

--Frank

(I have this sinking feeling that, as usual, I'm doing something
wrong, but I can't figure it out for the life of me.  If so, I
apologize for taking up your time.  If not, and it turns out to be a
bug in CP/M - however obscure, I think we should all know.)
26-Nov-80 05:18:00,894;000000000000
Date: Wednesday, 26 November 1980  05:18-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: [W8SDZ: BDOS PROBLEM]

Date: 11/26/80 06:34:05
From: W8SDZ

Frank, the problem is caused by mixing direct console input with BDOS
console output.  CP/M tests for console input during all BDOS console
outputs to allow CTL-S and CTL-C pause and abort.  In the process of
doing this, it cancels any pending keyboard character.  The solution
is to use direct console output to print your messages.
   Further re CP/M's printing via BDOS - when it sees a character
typed, it sets a reminder byte inside CP/M itself which says that the
console status is true, and attempts to fetch that character without
first doing another status test.  Because you have already fetched the
character in your loop, there is none, and it just sits there waiting
for the next one.
26-Nov-80 22:41:00,241;000000000000
Date: Wednesday, 26 November 1980  22:41-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: SPEED Files Available

Courtesy of LAUREN, there are two more new files in MC:CPM;

SPEED DOC
SPEED HEX

--Frank
27-Nov-80 01:42:00,639;000000000000
Date: Thursday, 27 November 1980  01:42-MST
From: Lauren at UCLA-SECURITY (Lauren Weinstein)
To:   INFO-CPM at MC
Subject: speed deleted

SPEED.HEX has been deleted from MC:CPM; -- while this appears on
a CP/M user's group disk which claims it is public domain, I have
my doubts, and have decided that it is not appropriate for 
open access on MC.  If there was someway to verify people's CP/M
licenses... but there isn't.  I don't think that MC wants to
take responsibility for such verifications, so I think this
is better for everyone concerned.  SPEED is available on CP/M
User's Group disk #38, by the way.

--Lauren--
28-Nov-80 22:07:00,657;000000000000
Date: Friday, 28 November 1980  22:07-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: More files

Again courtesy of Keith Petersen (W8SDZ@MC):

MC:CPM; SD   ASM  - source for SD, a sorted directory program
MC:CPM; D    DOC  - Doc for D below
MC:CPM; D    HEX
MC:CPM; MOVE ASM - like FILECOPY and PIP for multiple files.
                   Difference is that it asks to copy or skip.

Now a question:  anybody besides Lauren and myself downloading these
files and using them?  What's holding you up?  No software to download
or the programs are not what you're looking for (if not what then), or
what?

--Frank
29-Nov-80 14:59:00,1256;000000000000
Date: Saturday, 29 November 1980  14:59-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: More Files

More from W8SDZ:

A new SD.ASM - the old one has been replaced: MC:CPM;SD ASM.

COPYFILE.ASM - this is the one that I mistakenly described as MOVE.
(MOVE does single file copies like FILECOPY, but may be to more than
one disk, ala SYSGEN.)

    ;This program will copy files of any length from one drive to
    ;another, with up to 16k buffering.  It was created for very
    ;long files (megabyte length), which are not properly handled
    ;by CP/M 2.x PIP.  This version offers selective copying of
    ;files - something not available with PIP.  The destination
    ;files will have NO attributes set, which is useful for
    ;copying from CP/M 2.x to 1.4 disks.

This is in MC:CPM;CPYFIL ASM.

And finally, there is an edited collection of CBBS messages commenting
on various user's experiences with several disk controllers in
MC:CPM;DSKCMP DOC.  (After reading that, I am glad I have a "stock"
system!)

--Frank

P.S.  For those of you looking to download (only) to get started, a
simple-minded ASCII capture program is forth-coming, one that will be
short enough to key in.  Stay tuned!
30-Nov-80 16:06:00,802;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980  16:06-MST
From: Frank J. Wancho <FJW at MIT-MC>
To:   INFO-CPM at MIT-MC, NORTH-STAR-USERS at MIT-MC
Subject: N* Skew Table for FAST and SPEED

The patch file I use for FAST on a NorthStar is in MC:CPM;NSSKEW ASM.
It was derived using a modified version of RSPEED which accessed my
Mountain Computer Clock card to give the relative timings for the
various skews.  It is interesting to note that the static timing for
the normal CP/M skew table supplied from Lifeboat is 1.3 seconds; no
skew, as in NS DOS, is 2.2; and the table in that file is 0.4!  What
this means, I guess, is that the one derived by Lifeboat is indeed
better than DOS', but it is not the best that could have been...

(Startup timings were 2.5, 3.4, and 1.4, respectively.)

--Frank
30-Nov-80 23:06:00,1290;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980  23:06-MST
From: MITTON at MIT-AI
To:   Info-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: Cp/M Users Group Software

I have Vols 1-42 of the CP/M UG on a DEC RK06 in my office.
I also have a few Fortran programs that allowed me to archive this stuff
and to create copies back to floppies.  I will be offering copies under
the auspice of the New England Computer Society.  There will probably
be a 25 or 50 cent coping charge to keep the requests resonable and to
finance further acqusitions.

HOWEVER, I am willing to try to arrange to give away a copy of the entire
collection to anyone that can read it in its current form.  It is on a
DEC RK06 written under Files-11 on RSX-11M-Plus.  The diskettes are stored
as Fixed length (128 byte records in squential order (all disk interleaving
as been un-interleaved.  I could write it to mag tape, but it would be
DEC DOS, "ANSI standard" or other more obscure DEC formats.
I could also arrange to transfer it over the DEC DECnet Engineering Network,
if someone in Marlboro is willing to work with it.

Anyone who is serious about picking this stuff up, Please contact me direct.
My turn-around on this mailing list is about once a month!
Dave Mitton, 617-493-9362 work, 876-8718 home, 864-3819 CBBS/Cambridge.
30-Nov-80 23:13:00,297;000000000000
Date: Sunday, 30 November 1980  23:13-MST
From: ELMO at MIT-MC (Eliot R. Moore)
To:   INFO-MICRO at MIT-MC, INFO-CPM at MIT-MC
Subject: Losing

Is there a way (does someone have software on-line) to make ITS work
with standard handshaking? (X-On, X-Off)
Thanks--
Eliot Moore
(Elmo @ MC)
