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To:	ARISIA::EVERHART
Subj:	Rainbow ramblings...


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Subject: Rainbow ramblings...

Date: 25 April 1988, 12:00:51 LCL
From: William S. Kirchhoff      (904) 392-4601       $$$I$JV  at NERVM
To:   INFO-DEC-MICRO at SCORE.STANFORD

   Being finals time, it is always easy to find more enjoyable subjects
of conversation, and thus the following comments on previous questions.
I hope you find them useful.

> Questions on usenet.

   I'm not familiar enough with usenet to comment directly, but the questions
sound like "what's out there for the Rainbow?"
   If you have access to FTP/IP on anything from a VAX, IBM mainframe, to a
PC, and a link to the Internet you have quite a bit of free software available.
Simtel20.arpa has a huge collection of old CP/M programs (just about everything
will work - and even a few for CP/M16), and of course MSDOS.  Since everything
is in .arc format it is easy to miss all kinds of neat programs.  A version of
Emacs is available in both executable and source formats, and a bunch of games
such as Hack, Moria, and Larn (all with Rainbow support options).

> ...VERY simple example of way to access.

$ ftp simtel20.arpa          <- VAX example
connection ....              <- Ftp hello and such
FTP/IP Version x.xx
>login anonymous             <- the ANONYMOUS id is used to allow anybody to
                                login
User id ANONYMOUS accepted.. <- more info from ftp
>pass guest                  <- send password GUEST or any other string
Password accepted...
>dir pd1:<msdos>             <- root directory for msdos (also cpm, misc)
List started.
pd1:<msdos>
..                            <- directory list
..

   Now comes the fun part.  With all the different computers on the net,
and the different conversions used, the adventure begins.
   Helpful hints :

- On the Vax, always use the TENEX option for transfering binary files.

- When using an IBM mainframe several problems arise.  First, when using
  the IBM Workstation control program to send/receive files from the PC
  and the mainframe certain characters get incorrectly changed - this is
  only with ascii uuencoded files.  It has something to do with internal
  conversion pages.  Our problem was with the brackets getting changed to
  some strange value (something used on the old card readers but was never
  updated).  A simple little scan/replace program in Turbo Pascal fixed
  this problem up in no time.
  Second, the version of FTP/IP we are testing has a bad problem with
  sending binary files in the correct format.  We have to trick it into
  Image mode with a length of 8. To do this we type:
        > image
          mode I
        > type l 8
  What happens is that if you just enter 'type l 8' it stays in ascii mode
  and gets everything wrong.  When you type in 'image' first it jumps to
  the correct mode but sends the remote a wrong length.  So then 'type l 8'
  fixes everything ... and off we go.  This will be fixed later on our
  system (everything is in beta test now).

  These were just a few problems I have encountered.  Most of you will never
have a need for this trivia, but it just may help.
  A last few comments :

- Out of all the editors I have for the Rainbow (SEDT, KEDT, DED, Emacs, and
  that forgetable Select), DED is probably the most useful for program work.
  SEDT is neat, but big and cryptic.  KEDT is just like the Vax, but old and
  outdated.  Emacs is fun, but slow because of going through screen codes.
  I won't even discuss Select.  DED is fast and powerful.  Find yourself a
  copy if you don't have one.

- For wordprocessing I use XyWrite II+, so I'm spoiled.  I put together the
  microjustification codes for my Apple ImageWriterII (yes, I use an Apple
  printer - but at 250cps and color I couldn't resist) and the output is
  incredible.  Anybody else have some neat additions?

- And last but not least.  About 95% of all the compilers on the market will
  work on the Rainbow.  I have used the Manx C development package, several
  different versions of Mark Williams C, Logitechs Modula2, etc.  The only
  problems usually arise in the debugging programs or front ends that provide
  all the fancy windowing, and the libraries that have all the IBM specific
  routines.  This summer will partially be spent writing Modula2 support
  modules for the Rainbow.


So what would I like to see?  Someplace on the net where we can start a
collection of Rainbow programs, routines, and past messages.  Any takers?


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