Magic Spectre Tips 1 to 14
CURRENT NOTES
Your Monitor on the World of Atari
Presents
MAGIC SPECTRE TIPS #1 - #14
(Columns from March 1989 through June 1990)
by Douglas D. Hodson
MAR 89 ATARI TO MACINTOSH JUMP
MAGIC SPECTRE TIPS #1
=====================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the March 1989 issue of Current Notes]
Welcome to the first in a series of monthly columns titled "Magic
Sac Tips." I would like to take this opportunity to introduce myself
to
all the Current Notes subscribers (and those of you just reading a
friends copy). I am an independent software developer of GEM
applications
for the ST and IBM. I operate a small (destined to be large) company
called SofTalents. I am the Co-Founder and current President of a
local
Atari users group called the "Miami Valley Atari Computer Enthusiasts"
(MVACE). MVACE is located in Dayton, Ohio and has been in existence
since
1982 with a membership topping over 200 members! The Magic Sac Tips
column originated in the MVACE newsletter in February of 88 when the
Magic Sac was really starting to take off.
The Tips column has proven to be quite beneficial to the members
of
this group along with numerous other groups who have reprinted the
articles (at least that's what I'm told?). In this column I will try
my
best to answer the most common questions related to Magic Sac
operation.
If you have questions that you would like to see answered in this
column
please send them electronic mail to GENIE address D.HODSON or
Compuserve
address 76056,110. I must also thank Current Notes for the opportunity
to
write for this magazine. So much for the big introduction, let's jump
right in! In the simplest of all cases, to get the Magic Sac "up and
running" all you have to do is get a disk that contains the Macintosh
System and Finder files (in Magic format), then boot your ST with the
Magic Sac software (included with the Magic Sac package) then insert
your
Mac boot disk (disk with System and Finder files) when prompted.
THE MAC DESKTOP
This gets us to the Mac desktop; our Atari ST is now an Apple
Macintosh. Say it 3 times slowly, "our Atari ST is now an Apple
Macintosh." Your Atari is still an Atari up 'till the point where the
Magic Sac software said "Ok, take out the Atari ST startup disk.
Please
insert the startup (boot) disk." When you were prompted with this, you
took out your Magic Sac software disk and inserted your Mac boot disk,
then hit return. After a second or two the Macintosh desktop appeared.
Just what happened when you inserted that boot disk and hit return? To
put it simply, the Mac booted. What do you mean? I mean when you hit
return it was exactly like turning on the power to a real Macintosh.
So what does all that software you loaded before entering the Mac
mode do? Well, hmm, well it, hmm, I don't know? Well, I know a little
(ok
Dave stop that laughing). Basically it ties that little box and the ST
together to form an Apple Macintosh. The Magic Sac software kicks out
the
ST operating system (bye bye GEM) and replaces it with the Macintosh
operating system. Part of that Macintosh operating system is contained
in
ROM (remember those chips you inserted?).
Notice, I said PART of the Macintosh operating system is
contained
in ROM, NOT ALL. Where's the rest of the Mac operating system? It's on
disk. What disk? The Mac boot disk. It contains Finder and System
files.
Finder and System is the rest of the Mac operating system. This disk
is
VERY IMPORTANT! If you try to boot the Mac (i.e. hit return at that
prompt mentioned earlier) without it, the normal disk icon that is
displayed is crossed out, indicating bad disk. You must eject this
disk
and insert a disk that contains a System Folder with a Finder/System
combination.
FINDER AND SYSTEM
Finder/System combination? Are you telling me there are different
combinations? Yes, there are several. There is Finder, versions 1.0,
1.1g, 4.1, 5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 6.0 and System, versions 1.1,
2.0, 3.2, 4.0, 4.1 and more that I don't know about (and don't care to
know about). Why are there so many versions? Apple upgrades. Apple
decided when they released the Mac to the general public that the Mac
operating system would not remain the same (improvements, bug fixes
and
so forth). There is nothing new about this, the Atari ST operating
system
was first released on disk to let users locate bugs in it (how nice),
then later put on ROM and installed in the machine. As you can see the
Finder file has been updated several more times than the System file.
You
have to be careful, you cannot go blindly picking out certain Finder
versions and putting it together with certain System versions (no-no).
Only certain combinations work. The preferred combination is Finder
5.4
with System 3.2.
Now we should have a good feel for when the ST becomes a Mac and
understand that the chips we all inserted into that little box are
just
ROM chips which contain PART of the Macintosh operating system. The
rest
of the operating system is contained in the Finder and System files
which
are loaded when the Mac boots. Here's where a trouble spot occurs. You
would think that after the Finder and System files are loaded you're
finished. Take out the disk, put in another disk that contains
programs,
and off you go, right? WRONG! Well you could do it, but you would be
swapping disks back in forth all day long just to get a simple program
running.
Why? Let's step back a second. WHEN THE MAC BOOTS, ONLY PIECES OF
THE FINDER AND SYSTEM ARE LOADED! In other words, the Mac operating
system only loads the pieces of Finder and System files that it needs!
So
later when running a program if it needs another piece, you guessed
it,
it asks you to reinsert the disk that contains the
Finder/Systemcombination. What happens is you end up swapping disks
back
and forth forever (not really, it just seems like it). There are a
couple
ways around this problem. The first is to just put Finder and System
on
every disk that contains the programs you want to run. Simple enough
but,
Finder and System take up a lot of room on a disk, and if you decide
to
run a different Finder/System combination you have to modify each and
every disk. This is not a good solution. Second, if you have two disk
drives (hard disk stuff later) just keep your Mac boot disk in drive
A:
and run all your programs from drive B: (don't worry, the Mac will
find
the Finder/System files). But this means you waste one drive just to
keep
the entire Mac operating system available to the computer. It's not a
great solution but I must admit I use it sometimes. The third and
certainly the best is to simply create a ramdisk and copy all
Finder/System files to it. There are no drawbacks to this method
(except
using up memory). In fact, you have the ramdisk speed advantage.
RAMDISKS
How do I setup a ramdisk? First of all, what is a ramdisk? My
spelling checker says it's not even a word! Here's my definition.
Ramdisk
\'ram-disc\ noun - a computer program designed to configure the RAM
space
in a manner such that a portion is used for the storage of files. The
computer program must also configure the computer so that the storage
and
retrieval of these files (in RAM) appear no differently than working
with
a standard disk drive (or hard disk). Give me a call, Webster!
What this means is, if you set up a ramdisk on the Mac and then
copy
the Finder and System files to it, the Mac will have access to the
entire
Mac operating system all the time! The problem of swapping disks back
and
forth disappears! How do you do that?
1) Get a copy of RamStart 1.3. It is available in several user
group
libraries and available from Current Notes library (disk M9: Utility
Disk
No.2).
2) Get the Mac up and running.
3) Copy RamStart 1.3 program into the System Folder on your Mac
boot
disk.
4) Power down the Magic Sac.
5) Reboot your Mac using your "modified" Mac boot disk.
6) You now have a fully functional ramdisk with Finder/System
files
copied into it! (and more space for other programs)
Oops, you had a problem? You could have a problem if RamStart
configured a ramdisk too small to copy the Finder and System files to
it.
Simply change the size when RamStart is running. RamStart copies all
the
files in the System Folder to the ramdisk. Well, there you have it, an
understanding of where the Mac operating system resides and how to get
around the problem of part of an operating system on floppy. Next
month
we'll discuss how to configure your Magic Sac for printing.
APR 89 PRINTER CONNECTION
Magic Spectre Tips #2: The Printer Connection
=============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the April 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
THE BIG LIE.
Pretend for a moment we are completely computer illiterate (it's
not
hard if you try). We are in a business where a computer would be
ahighly
desirable tool. After reading some of the major magazines, we draw the
conclusion that an Apple Macintosh is in our future (assuming we
somehow
missed the Atari magazines).
We visit the local Apple Macintosh dealer to find the Mac SE
would
suit us just fine. In fact, we are told that in order to form a
complete
system we need to shell out another several hundred dollars to get an
Apple Imagewriter. An Imagewriter is a printer custom built for the
Macintosh, the dealer "informs us." It's the only printer that works
with
a Mac, sorry.
FOR THE INFORMED.
I know more than several Mac users that are (or were) completely
unaware that a Mac can print to a standard Epson printer. In fact, a
Mac
can be tailored to print to many other non-Apple printers such as the
HP
Deskjet with very little effort. The trick lies in the software used
as a
"printer driver" by the System and Finder files.
Now we don't own a Mac, we own a ST. We are also very fortunate.
Fortunate you say? How can an ST emulating a Mac be better than a real
Mac? Unplug your ST, flip it around and look at all the connectors. Do
you see the one called Parallel Printer Port! This is the industry
standard printer port. We can connect virtually any printer to the ST
simply by plugging it in. Isn't life wonderful? This cannot be done on
a
Mac--NO parallel printer port exists.
Most likely you already own an Epson compatible printer, or
possibly, the HP Deskjet. To get up and printing only requires a
modification of the Finder/System and printer driver files. If you're
fortunate enough to own the Atari Laser Printer and a program called
UltraScript by Imagen, you can print your Mac output in postscript
mode!
(Next months' column will be dedicated to this connection).
CONNECTING AN EPSON
If you own an Epson compatible printer, you can purchase a
program
called EpStart by SoftStyle for approximately $45. Make sure you are
getting the latest version (latest I know of is 2.5). If you receive
an
earlier version, it may not work with Spectre. The old version does
work
with Magic Sac. The reason for this inconsistency is not due to
emulation
problems of Spectre, but rather the version of Finder/Systems you are
using. The old version of EpStart will only configure the older
versions
of Finder/System files. If you own a Magic Sac try to use Finder
5.4/System 3.2 for best results. If you own a Spectre, you should use
Finder 6.0/System 4.2 or the latest available.
The program works in a very straight forward manner. Use the
EpStart
disk as your startup disk when booting Spectre into Mac mode. The
program
will automatically load and let you set the correct parameters for
your
Epson compatible, such as FX, LX, RX, etc... After settings are
correct,
eject the EpStart disk and insert your disk with the Finder/System you
use as your startup disk. Click on MODIFY in the pulldown menus. Your
startup disk will wiz around for a minute and be configured for Epson
printing. Reboot and print away!
CONNECTING AN HP DESKJET
If you own an HP Deskjet, the printer connection is even easier.
There are several printer drivers for this ink jet printer available.
My
personal favorite is Printer Interface III by DataPak Software, Inc.
The
installation is trivial. Boot your Magic Sac or Spectre. After the Mac
desktop appears, copy the HP DeskJet file from the software disk to
your
System folder. Now use the chooser desk accessory to "choose" this
driver
as the output device. That's it!
AN EXTRA NOTE.
If you own an old version of EpStart (before version 2.5), an
upgrade policy is in effect. Mail the original EpStart disk plus
$18.75
($15.00 for update plus $3.75 for shipping and handling) to the
address
below: Phoenix Technologies Ltd., SoftStyle, 6600 Kalanianaole Hwy.,
Honolulu, HI. 96825. I, personally, found SoftStyle quick to send the
update. Until next month.
MAY 89 SPECTRE SPEAKS
Magic Spectre Tips #3: Spectre Speaks!
======================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted fromt he May 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
I'M SORRY, DAVE, I CAN'T DO THAT
Oh, yes you can, HAL. David Small really has outdone himself
again,
with the latest release of Spectre software version 1.9. I received my
copy several days before this writing and found the release to be even
better than the last (1.75). This new software release was FREE to all
registered Spectre users!
Spectre now supports beta test SOUND. Beta test means, try it if
you
like it, if you have problems with it, turn it off. When sound is
enabled, Spectre's performance is hampered somewhat, compared to the
blinding speed normally experienced without it. Of course, sound is a
real burden for a real Mac as well. You see, all Mac sounds are
generated
through the 68000. There are no sound support chips in a Mac, like the
Yamaha sound chip contained in the ST.
DAVE DOES MORE.
So what else is new? If sound wasn't enough, Spectre now
recognizes
the arrow keys. Personally, I find this the biggest improvement. I can
now do my word processing and general text file editing MUCH easier.
Fixes for some of the Seagate hard drives have been implemented. Some
problems with HyperCard have been fixed. Some disk eject problems have
been fixed. Some more Laser Printer support has been added, and on,
and
on, and on.... If you are a registered Spectre user, you really need
to
get this update.
SPECTRE DOES POSTSCRIPT
If you're one of the few who are lucky enough to own a Atari
SLM804
laser printer and Spectre, you're in for a big surprise. As you might
have already guessed, you can print postscript files! How? Simple, buy
a
program called UltraScript by Imagin Corporation for suggested retail
$229.00. UltraScript is an ST program that essentially allows your
Atari
Laser to emulate a postscript laser printer. UltraScript allows you to
print ANY postscript file. Wait! you say. Postscript FILE? Yes, you
must
save the output generated by a postscript compatible program to a FILE
first. Then, run UltraScript and tell it to send that FILE you just
generated to the Atari laser. This may seem like a hassle, but think
of
the possibilities.
Imagine, if you will, Spectre running PageMaker (a popular
desktop
publishing program for the Mac). You have just created a 10-page
brochure
for your newly founded business. If you had a real Mac and
LaserWriter,
you could just click on print and be done with it. Well, not quite,
you
would be done with it in about 20 minutes (depending upon the
complexity
of the page layout). No big deal you say, the ST can't be that much
faster?
Surprise! Instead of printing the brochure, let's save that 10page
brochure to a postscript file. Then use Transverter 4.20 (comes with
Spectre software) to move that file from the Mac environment to the ST
environment. Now load up UltraScript and print away. How long does it
take to print that 10 page brochure? Try 2 minutes on for size! Yes,
there is a factor of 10 speed improvement in Laser Printing with the
ST.
Bye, bye, slow Mac.
SPECTRE TO READ MAC DISKS
David Small will be releasing the Spectre GCR in June. The GCR is
a
hardware device that plugs into the cartridge slot and replaces the
Spectre 128 cartridge. The GCR will contain empty sockets for the Mac
ROM
chips just like Spectre 128 and some extra hardware required to allow
the
ST to read and write Mac formatted disks! No price has been announced.
There is so much going on in the ST community now--Spectre
upgrades,
GCR and even a fast IBM PC emulator, PC-Ditto II. Hopefully, next
month
will be a little less hectic. Well, actually I hope not--I really like
those new products and upgrades. Speaking of upgrades, I just traded
my
1040 for a Mega 2 (plus some $$). Boy, does Spectre shine now! Until
next month, Doug.
JUN 89 HARD DISK FORMATTING
Magic Spectre Tips #4: Bye, Bye Floppy Flipping
===============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the June 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
INTRODUCTION.
Here we are again, this time for some fun with the hard disk.
It's
been my past experience that configuring the hard disk for use with
the
Magic Sac can be VERY confusing. In fact, at one point I had so many
phone calls concerning hard disk installations that I started charging
$35 for a complete hard disk format and partition job (this did
include
PC-Ditto installations as well). This business went quite well, but
users
still managed to find ways to crash the system. Who gets the blame?
You
guessed it. I'm very cautious about whom I set up right now.
So much for the weeping, how hard is it? Installing Spectre on
hard
disk is trivial. Installing the Magic Sac, well... Most of the
following
discussion will center around Magic Sac hard disk installation.
WELCOME TO HARD DISK LAND.
So you finally did it, you forked out the big bucks for that new
hard disk. Now you can configure your ST system to not only emulate a
Mac, but also emulate a very, very fast Mac. The addition of a hard
disk
to the Magic Sac is like adding a turbo to a car.
Before we get into the nitty gritty, I would advise (in fact
demand)
that you backup any software that you currently have on your hard
disk!
This is a precaution in case you make a mistake (or most likely, I
make a
typing mistake). After all, if we are going to format it, we'll need
to
restore it, so make a backup!
YES, PLAN AHEAD.
To properly set up the hard disk we need to do some planning.
First,
you must ask yourself these questions. Do you plan to use your Mac
emulator often? If you answered no, use the section entitled "Small
MAC
Setup" for instructions on setting up your hard disk. If you answered
yes, do you plan to use a lot of different software for the Magic Sac
or
did you buy it to run one or two packages only? If you plan to use
your
Magic Sac often but only for a couple of software packages, also use
the
section entitled "Small MAC Setup" for your configuration. The only
people left should be the people who are truly turning their STs into
full fledged Macs. For all of these people, read the section "Full
Blown
MAC Setup" for your configuration. Note, I make the assumption that
you
have a 20 megabyte hard disk.
MAC DOESN'T SHARE!
You can store all of your Mac programs on the hard disk but NOT
intermixed with standard ST programs. In other words, you must
dedicate
hard disk space to the Mac. After this space has been reserved the ST
no
longer "sees it." If you dedicate 10 megabytes of hard disk storage to
the Mac, then your ST no longer has access to that 10 megabytes. I
should
rephrase the last sentence. Your ST has access to the 10 megabytes,
but
GEM does not!
In order to change the allocated space, you must reformat your
hard
disk! Don't make these decisions lightly. I used to change my hard
disk
configuration setup often, because I failed to plan ahead.
Both Mac emulators (Magic Sac and Spectre) reserve space on the
hard
disk by taking over complete control of a hard disk partition. If you
have four partitions set up on the hard disk, and dedicate one of them
to
be a Mac formatted partition, then after the formatting is complete,
you
can no longer access this partition with GEM. Only the Mac can access
it.
In principle, setting up the hard disk for the Mac is simple, just
format
one of your partitions on the hard disk in Magic (or Spectre) format,
and
away you go. That's just about it for Spectre, but the Magic Sac is
different. If you are a vintage Mac user, you're probably aware of the
two different formatting schemes used by Apple. In the early Mac
years,
the MFS formatting scheme was used; later Apple implemented HFS.
IS IT REAL OR IS IT MFS
The MFS formatting scheme is, by far, the simplest to use when
setting up the hard disk, but as with anything else in life, it has
its
limits. MFS (Macintosh Filing System) does not have provisions for
creating "real" folders. All files are located in the root directory.
So
if you use a large number of files, your hard disk access time drops
considerably (believe me, I know!).
MFS does "emulate" folders. In fact, it emulates folders so well
that you might not even notice that these folders are not "real." The
apparent folders on the desktop are only an illusion to the user. If
you're not convinced of this illusion, create two folders and give
them
unique names. Then copy some file, any file, into one of the
"folders."
Next copy the same file into the other "folder." Did you get a message
saying something like "name already exists or replace file?" There's
your
proof. If real folders were created by the computer, this message
would
never be shown.
So how do I create real folders? You guessed it, use the HFS
(Hierarchical Filing System) formatting scheme. (Note: Spectre uses
HFS
by default.) How do I use HFS with the Magic Sac? First you need to
format the partition (wait, don't do it yet!, read on) into HFS
format.
Then you need to load a program called Hard Disk 20 on bootup (that
is,
when the Mac boots). The file is placed in the folder called System
Folder, which also contains the Finder and System files. When this
disk
is booted, Hard Disk 20 will be loaded.
ABOUT HD 20
The name "Hard Disk 20" makes the program sound as though it is
used
with hard disks only. This is not the case at all, HFS can be used
with
floppys. If you think of the "Hard" part as being real folders or
"Hard"
directories you can eliminate the confusion. I don't know if this is
what
Apple meant when they named it, but it's easy to remember.
About this time you're probably asking yourself, why does Doug
keep
saying HFS is hard to install? I thought you would never ask. It's not
hard to install, but some more ground work does need to be covered.
First
of all, if Hard Disk 20 is not installed, the Macintosh can only read
MFS
format. You say no big deal, just install it. Not quite, remember when
the Sac boots, all it knows how to read is MFS. This means that the
boot
disk or boot partition must be in MFS format. After the System and
Finders are loaded, Hard Disk 20 is loaded. After Hard Disk 20 is
loaded,
the Magic Sac can read both MFS and HFS format. This means that you
can
format a hard disk partition in Magic HFS format but you must boot the
Magic Sac with something that is in MFS format (as it can't read HFS
format until Hard Disk 20 is loaded). Whew!
BOOTING THE SAC
Notice I said, you must boot the Sac with something! What is
something? Something can be a floppy disk formatted in MFS format or a
hard disk partition formatted in MFS format. What does all this mean?
It
means that in order to boot the Magic Sac off the hard disk and
install
Hard Disk 20 (enabling HFS operation), you need two Mac partitions.
One
partition is in MFS format, which is where the Magic Sac will boot
from
initially. The other one is in HFS format, which is the partition the
Mac
can now read and write after the MFS partition has been booted.
Understand?
HOLD ON!
Although your fingers are probably getting itchy for that mouse
button, bear with me just a little longer before we start clicking on
programs. We now know the Sac needs two partitions to boot off the
hard
drive if we use HFS and only one partition if we use MFS.
How big should the partitions be? Glad you asked. It depends on
how
you answered the questions at the beginning of this article. Another
way
of asking the question would be, How much room on the hard disk are
you
willing to give up to the Magic Sac?
Here's how I answered these questions for myself. If I were to
set
up a Small Mac configuration, I would set aside three or four
megabytes
for the Magic Sac, and I would format it in MFS format. Why? Because
three or four megabytes is small enough so that the Sac won't slow
down
due to massive file storage and large enough to be more useful than
sticking with floppies. Secondly, the chance of creating files that
have
the same name is reduced compared to a huge (seven megabyte)
partition.
If I were to create a full blown Mac setup, I would first create
one
partition that is one megabyte in size and a second that is seven
megabytes in size. Then format the small partition in MFS format and
the
large in HFS format. The Sac would boot off the small partition which
contains System, Finder and Hard Disk 20 (all three located in System
Folder) then continue reading from the large partition which only
contains System and Finder (no Hard Disk 20 here). If Hard Disk 20
were
on the large partition, it would be loaded again and start looking for
something else to boot. Notice that after Hard Disk 20 loads, it asks
for
the current disk (or partition) to be ejected, then wants a disk (or
partition) that is in HFS (or MFS) format to be inserted. You will not
see this effect if you boot off the hard disk, but you will if you
boot
from a floppy disk. OK. READY?
SMALL MAC SETUP
1-Create a partition that is 3-4 megabytes in size and contains
no
files (up to 5 megabytes is allowed).
2-Run the program called MAGICHD.PRG that came with your Magic
Sac.
It's on the disk that contains the startup programs for the Magic Sac.
3-Click OK, then highlight the partition that you want to
dedicate
to the Mac. I always use the last partition (E,F so forth).
4-Click OK, then click on MFS format, then click OK. The hard
disk
will spin a while.
5-Now you have a Magic MFS formatted partition on your hard disk.
6-Notice that you can no longer access this partition from the ST
desktop.
7-Now boot your Magic Sac in the normal way with the hard disk
option enabled (in the Magic Sac software). Do not enable the boot off
hard disk option.
8-Press the key combination SHIFT-F3.
9-See another disk icon show up on the Mac desktop?
10-Now copy the System Folder that contains the System/Finder
combination you prefer onto the hard disk (do not copy Hard Disk 20 to
the hard disk).
11-Shut down the system (SHIFT-F3 to eject hard disk partition).
12-Reboot the ST and run the startup program for the Magic Sac.
13-Click on the options indicating hard disk present and boot off
hard disk.
14-Click on the Data Pacific icon and away you go!
FULL BLOWN MAC SETUP
1-Create two partitions on your hard disk. Make the first
partition
one megabyte in size; the second, seven megabytes.
2-Run the MAGICHD.PRG program that came with your Magic Sac.
3-Click OK, then click on the two partitions that you wish to
dedicate to the Mac. Highlight both of them.
4-Click OK, then for the one megabyte partition just created,
format
it in MFS format. For the seven megabyte partition just created,
format
it in HFS format.
5-You now have two partitions dedicated to the Magic Sac. One in
MFS
format and the second in HFS format.
6-Boot your Magic Sac in the normal way, except select hard disk
enabled option. (do not have Hard Disk 20 on this disk)
7-Press SHIFT-F3. You now have access to the 1 megabyte hard disk
partition.
8-Copy the System Folder from your boot disk onto that partition
(do
not put Hard Disk 20 in the hard disk yet!).
9-Now copy Hard Disk 20 into the System Folder on your normal Mac
boot disk (not on your hard disk!).
10-Now shut everything down (SHIFT-F3 to eject hard disk
partition).
11-Reboot the ST. Then reboot the Magic Sac, but this time click
on
the option in the startup screen called "hard disk enabled". Also
click
on Atari hard disk installed if your hard disk is an Atari.
12-Now start the Magic Sac.
13-Your boot floppy should have loaded System and Finder, then
Hard
Disk 20 is loaded, then you should be prompted to eject the floppy.
Eject
it!
14-Now your small 1 megabyte MFS partition is being accessed and
when the desktop appears you should see the Magic MFS hard disk icon
as
the startup disk.
15-Hard Disk 20 was loaded, so now you can access the HFS
formatted
partition. Press SHIFT-F4.
16-Copy the System Folder from MFS partition to the HFS
partition.
17-Copy Hard Disk 20 from your floppy into the System Folder on
the
MFS partition only, not the HFS partition.
18-Shut everything down (SHIFT-F3 to eject MFS partition, SHIFTF4
to eject HFS partition).
19-Reboot your ST. Reboot your Magic Sac, but now click on the
"boot
from hard disk" selector. Click on save configuration.
20-Exit program.
21-Double click on JUSTGO.PRG, and off you go!
JUL 89 STUFF IT OR PACK IT
Magic Spectre Tips #5: Stuff It or Pack It!
===========================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the July 1989 issue of Current Notes
You heard me, I said you can Stuff It or Pack It if you want to
compress it. That's right! In the Macintosh world if you want to
compress
a file (the generic term is "arc it") you need to use one of the many
file compression programs available. In this discussion I will cover
the
two most popular programs, StuffIt and PackIt. Both programs are
available "up" on GENIE and also from the Current Notes library. Both
programs are SHAREWARE which means "IF YOU'RE GONNA USE IT, YOU GOTTA
PAY
FOR IT!"
WHAT IS FILE COMPRESSION?
File compression is the act of taking a given file and squeezing
all
the information into a smaller file. Let's look at a simple "dreamed
up"
file compression routine. Suppose you created a text file that
contains,
among other things, many, many spaces. When you save that file, you
save
each and every character along with all those spaces. Our simple file
compression routine could take all the spaces and replace them with a
NUMBER representing the number of spaces to be inserted at that point
during "decompression time." This file compression program is "coding"
the file in such a way that can be unscrambled at a later date for
normal
use. This is an extremely simple compression routine, and extremely
useless, and would probably not be worth the effort to use. It
wouldn't
save all that much space.
There are many techniques (or algorithms) to compress files.
Let's
look at another example. Say you wanted to compress an ASCII file. An
ASCII file contains nothing but ASCII characters. A typical example of
ASCII only files would be source code files used for writing programs.
ASCII characters are represented by 7 bits. Most computers use 1 byte
to
hold 1 ASCII character. But 1 byte is 8 bits, and only 7 bits are
needed
to hold the ASCII character. If you could write a program that would
"pack" 1 and 1/8 ASCII characters into one byte you would be
compressing
the file by almost 13%. All files are not made up of just ASCII
characters so this compression technique is quite limited in scope,
but
you get the idea. There are many better file compression techniques
available than the ones I've just described.
The two premier programs available for the Macintosh use
different
methods depending on the type of file you wish compressed (ASCII,
executable, data, and so forth). Also most (but definitely not all)
file
compression utilities allow you to not only compress files but also to
group several compressed files into one large file. The large file
produced would be much smaller than the sum total of all the smaller
uncompressed files that produced it!
WHY USE FILE COMPRESSION?
There is good reason to ask why? Disks are cheap. But let's
suppose
you want to transfer a disk full of programs to a friend living in
another state by modem. Naturally, you want your stay on the phone to
be
as short as possible due to long distance phone charges. To save time
you
could compress all your files into separate compressed files then
transfer all of them over the phone lines. Then let your friend
uncompress them after he/she receives them. A better way would be to
compress all the files and group them into one large file, then just
transfer the one file. This saves a lot of time synchronizing both
ends
of the your file transfer program. This is one, and probably the most
widely used, reason for using file compression.
Another reason to use file compression would be to backup your
disk
collection. Keep an "arced" backup for each program you own, just in
case
one goes bad.
Since many Magic Sac and Spectre owners are first time Macintosh
users, a short history of the file compression programs for the Mac
that
have existed over the years should be discussed, just to be complete.
When the Mac was born there were no file compression programs, until
PackIt I was created. PackIt I, in fact, did not even compress files;
it
just put them all together so they could be transferred easier.
ShrinkToFit was the first true file compression utility for the Mac,
but
was very, very slow (that's what I'm told, I've never seen it). Then
came
PackIt II. PackIt II not only combined files together as PackIt I did,
it
also compressed them. Next came PackIt III which is the same as PackIt
II
except it allows file encryption. Encryption is a method of scrambling
the file so that it is very difficult to figure out what it contains
unless you know a certain keyword which is entered when the
compression
and encryption takes place. The next file compression utility that hit
the Mac market is called StuffIt--the best and most widely used file
compression utility I have seen for the Mac.
WHY TALK ABOUT PACKIT III?
The files that PackIt III created are scattered around on all the
BBSs, including GENIE. GENIE now insists that StuffIt be used as the
main
data compression program, but most of the older programs on the board
are
in PackIt format. Who Created What? How do you know which compression
utility created which file? It's simple; in the Mac world filenames
can
be up to 30 characters long. You do not need to use filename
extensions
as you do with the ST. Mac people adopted a standard way of naming
StuffIt and PackIt files. If StuffIt created the file an extension of
.SIT is added to the filename. If PackIt created the file a extension
of
.PIT is added to the filename.
USING STUFFIT.
StuffIt has many more options than PackIt, including an Unpacker
for
PackIt created files! With StuffIt you can create New StuffIt Archives
or
Open old StuffIt Archives for updating. StuffIt also sports three
different compression routines for compressing different types of
files.
It will use the routine that compresses the file to its smallest size.
Don't worry, you don't have to remember which routine was used to
compress the file when you uncompress it.
FINDERS AND SYSTEMS.
Use Finder 5.4 and System 3.2 with both StuffIt and PackIt
programs,
if you're using a Magic Sac. If I remember correctly, StuffIt does not
work with Finder 4.1/System 2.0 and PackIt III does not work with
Finder
5.3/System 2.0! All these Finders and Systems makes me happy to see
Atari
so slow to update their TOS ROMS (just kidding?). If you're using
Spectre, StuffIt and PackIt both work fine with the newest Finders and
Systems.
SEP 89 MAC RESOURCES 1
Magic Spectre Tips #6: Mac Resources, Part 1
============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the September 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
In this and in the following couple of months I will be covering
a
topic that is foreign to most Mac and Spectre users. The topic is hard
to
discuss without at least a basic understanding of how Mac programs are
created. This topic presents a problem to me as well. You see, Apple
does
not release solid information on this topic. This makes it hard for me
to
gain a good understanding, much less write about it. So much for the
sob
story. I feel the information presented here and in the following
months
will be useful to a large percentage of Spectre users. In the end I
hope
even the novice Spectre user will gain enough information to customize
Mac applications for his own use! So what's the topic?
RESOURCES?
A common tool used by programmers in the Atari world is the
resource
editor. Laser C and Mark Williams include resource editors as an aid
for
designing dialog boxes, icons, menus, and other elements used for "on
screen" display. As the name implies, a resource editor generates a
resource file. This file contains much of the information required to
display the graphic elements that were drawn while in the editor.
Filenames for resource files on the ST typically have an extension of
RSC.
An example resource would be if you were to design (sometimes
called
"draw") a dialog box in the resource editor. The dialog box is given a
name which translates into a number that is used as a reference point
in
your programming code. After the resource file has been generated
(i.e.
compiled and saved), the program only needs to perform a few steps to
display the dialog box "up on screen" by using the reference name. In
simple terms, most of the information that is used to make the screen
look the way it does is contained in the resource file.
WHAT IS RESEDIT?
As you may have guessed, ResEdit performs precisely the same
tasks
on the Mac as the resource editors for the ST. ResEdit allows you to
edit
Mac resources. There are several resource editors available, but
ResEdit
seems to be the most popular. So popular in fact, it is included with
almost every programming package sold for the Macintosh. ResEdit can
be
found on most Mac bulletin board services, GENIE and, of course, in
the
Current Notes library. We will also discuss other programs very useful
in
manipulating and obtaining information about Mac resources such as,
REdit, RMaker, ResTools, ResReview, ResList, RDecompiler and others I
may
obtain in the meantime.
WHY USE A RESOURCE EDITOR?
After all this discussion of interest to programmers, a good
question to ask might be, "Why does a non-programmer ever need to use
a
resource editor?" The simple fact is, if you're a novice Mac user, you
don't! I never used one (except for programming) until recently. Most
of
my "real" Mac friends never used one. But there was this one person,
he's
a real Mac guru. You know the type, everything has to be done on the
Mac,
wouldn't settle for anything less. From the looks of his office, I
would
guess he's bought most every piece of Mac software written. In short,
a
Mac-oholic. He is NOT a Mac programmer; he IS a Mac user. He DOES use
it!
Why? He didn't like the placement of MacWrite's opening window,
so
he changed it. He didn't like the looks of some dialog boxes, so he
changed them. He didn't like the appearance of his icons, he didn't
like
the defaults of several programs, in fact he changed so much I began
to
wonder if it was a Mac anymore. He even changed how the windows
worked!
How did he do all this?
After spending more than several hours reading everything that
could
be found about Mac resources, the more intrigued I became. The more I
read, the more "hidden" power I find. I hope this and the next several
columns will enlighten Spectre users. Now, on with the show.
RESOURCE FORKS
All Macintosh applications, whether public domain, shareware, or
commercially purchased, consist of two separate forks: a data fork and
a
resource fork. The data fork is the programming code that makes the
application do what it is supposed to do. The resource fork controls
what
you actually see on screen. Example resources would include fonts,
menus,
icons, dialog boxes and many more. The programming code in the data
fork
"calls up" these resources to perform the interaction between you and
the
program.
You cannot and should not attempt to change the information
contained in the data fork. If you do, the program would almost
certainly
crash. As for the resource fork.... well, this information can be
altered
if you exercise some degree of caution.
WORKING WITH RESEDIT.
First and foremost, NEVER use ResEdit on anything other than a
backup copy of your application! This raises the next question where
is
the ST equivalent Mac resource (RSC) file? It turns out that Mac
resources are included or linked in with the actual programming code.
In
fact, to describe the situation precisely, you might say the
programming
code is a resource all by itself in the resource file. Don't get
confused
yet, there's more to come!
HARD DRIVES OFF!
We need to set up a disk for experimenting. Create a fresh
startup
disk containing the System, Finder and ResEdit files. Remove all the
fonts and desk accessories from the System file using the Font/DA
Mover.
I'm using Finder 6.0, System 4.2 and ResEdit Version 1.1b3. Reboot the
Mac using this new startup disk. Next we want to rebuild the Finder
file.
Hold down the Control and Alternate keys while double clicking on the
Finder icon. Continue holding until a message is displayed asking
whether
you wish to rebuild or not. Answer yes (why I want you to rebuilt the
Finder will be explained later). If you're a hard disk user, create a
startup disk and restart your system with your hard disk off! ResEdit
plays with the guts of application programs. We don't need unpleasant
surprises!
FIRST, A TEASE.
I need this section to get you up and experimenting with ResEdit,
and give you a taste of its power. After booting the new startup disk,
start ResEdit. ResEdit will load and display all the files available
for
editing. Notice the file called Desktop. The desktop file is normally
hidden from the users' view. It contains information relevant for
displaying the desktop. Double click on the desktop file to open it.
Another window is opened to display all of the file's resources.
Feeling
confident? But what are all those 4 letter words. (You may have some 4
letter words of your own if you mess this up.) They are abbreviated
resource names. For example, the abbreviation for icons is ICN#, do
you
see it? Now you know where all those fancy icons for the desktop are
kept. Double click on ICN#. Another window opens to display all the
contents of the icon resource. I bet those icons look very familiar.
Double clicking on the icon once again displays the icon in all its
glory, allowing you to edit and see the ID number associated with it
(remember the reference number we talked about earlier?). Go ahead and
edit it. Mess it all up. I like to put the words ST all over the
place,
and Spectre wherever I find room. Now close all the windows except the
original window that is displaying all the files. At some point,
ResEdit
will ask you whether you wish to save the changes. Answer yes. Now
your
"new" icon will be displayed in place of the old! Getting interested
yet?
I DIDN'T KNOW YOU COULD DO THAT!
If you quit ResEdit to check out your new icon, restart it for
another example. Open the Finder file located inside the System
Folder.
Again, a list of Finder resources is displayed. Notice all the
abbreviated resource names are in alphabetical order. Scroll down to
the
one called "LAYO" which stands for LAYOUT, as in desktop Layout. Open
LAYO and the resource within LAYO (should be called something like
"LAYO
ID = 128"). Let's stop right here for some explanation of exactly what
you just did.
You scrolled now to LAYO. What you did was scroll through a list
of
all the resources the file contained. A better description would be to
say, you just scrolled through a list of the different resource TYPES
your file contains. As mentioned earlier, a resource describes a
graphic
element used "on screen" to interact with the user. Each resource TYPE
contains information stored in some predefined format that describes
some
graphic entity. How's that for muddy waters; but it really is the only
way to describe it. A resource is information stored in some
predefined
format. You could say the resource "TYPE" is a template for how the
information is stored.
So what if you have several resources of the same TYPE? If
several
resources of the same type exist, then ResEdit will group them
together
under one name, that name being the type of resource. When you double
click on that name, another window opens to display all the individual
resources of that TYPE! You, in fact, just did that! You opened all
the
resources of TYPE LAYO and found only one existed (called "LAYO ID =
128"). Go open the resources of TYPE "STR#." You will see a list of
all
the string resources! Ok, to finish the example, go back to where
"LAY0
ID = 128" was opened. Now you are viewing the information contained in
that resource. Scroll down to where it says "Always grid drags" and
change the selection from 0 (FALSE) to 1 (TRUE) if it hasn't already
been
done. Save the file by closing the windows. Now files on the desktop
can
only be placed on an imaginary grid. Just try moving your files around
on
the desktop and you'll see the effect. There are several other options
to
"tweak" if you so desire. Try changing the "Icon Horizontal Spacing"
to a
larger number to keep your desktop icons separated better. Note: Use
the
"Clean Up Window" selection under Special to reorganize the desktop to
new settings quickly.
KNOWN MAC RESOURCES.
To finish off this month, here's a list of several Mac resource
types and a short description of what each contains. Keep this list
handy
for the next several columns. We are going to learn a great deal about
the Mac! I promise enough information to make a "real" Mac user
envious.
OCT 89 MAC RESOURCES 2
Magic Spectre Tips #7: Mac Resources, Part 2
============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted form the October, 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
Last month we discussed Mac resources and the purpose they serve.
Basically, it is a method of storing information in a "structured"
fashion. This allows non-programmers to customize the information for
a
given task. I read recently that Macs are currently being used in a
foreign exchange office with word processing support for up to 50
different languages! You can bet Apple didn't write 50 different
versions
of MacWrite. A good first guess would be that different language fonts
were used in place of the english ones. Remember the Font Type
resource
listed last month? Ok, you just read the last paragraph I'm sure you
agreed with every statement. Sure you say, Apple had this grand vision
way back, when the Mac was under development, to implement this clever
scheme. Oh yes, Apple's software programmers were smart. Or was there
another reason? Let me tell you why resources came about in a language
more easily understood by everybody; it saves money $$$.
ABOUT FINDER AND SYSTEM
Remember when I wrote the first Tips column? It appeared in the
March 89 issue of Current Notes. We were discussing how to boot the
Mac
and why the Finder and System files must be available to the operating
system. The reason was "When the Mac boots, only pieces of the Finder
and
System are loaded." It's time to clarify what is and is not loaded on
bootup and why.
First off, Finder is a program that allows you to display disk
directories, copy and erase files, etc... that's it! The desktop you
see
is simply a program called Finder running. When you Quit an
application,
the Finder program is run (i.e. desktop comes up). This is why you
need
to keep the Finder file present! If it were nowhere to be found, where
would your application quit to?
You can replace Finder. There are many other programs that
replace
Finder in the public domain. These programs are commonly called
MiniFinders. The reason for the name "MiniFinder" stems from the fact
that Finder replacements are usually smaller and don't perform as many
tasks. This is not always true as there are ways to replace Finder
with
HyperCard. Yes, your "default desktop" can be the HyperCard home card!
What about System? Simply put, the System file is one big file
containing nothing but resources available to "The System!" Hey, hey,
this is starting to make sense (I'll admit it, I'm having a great time
writing these articles. It forces me to learn some neat stuff). We
know
Finder is loaded when it is "run," but what about System? When does it
get loaded? This question will be answered shortly.
RESOURCE SHUFFLING
As stated, System is a file containing a bunch of resources for
use
by "The System." This means that any program written for the Mac can
use
the resources located in the System file if required. For example,
MacWrite doesn't keep copies of every font in its own resource fork.
It
uses the fonts stored in the System resource file. This brings up an
interesting note. If you haven't already figured it out, the Font/DA
Mover is simply a font and desk accessory resource mover! It simply
copies and erases these two resource TYPEs more conveniently than
ResEdit. The resource TYPE for desk accessories is DRVR.
If you remember last month's example where we changed the
information contained in the LAYO resource to affect characteristics
of
the desktop layout, you may be interested in a program called Layout.
Layout's purpose is to graphically display the information contained
in
the LAYO resource by displaying a "simulated" desktop and allowing you
to
change icon spacing by moving icons around. Layout is in the public
domain. Back to the discussion.
$$ MONEY $$.
Now we can answer two of your most burning questions. How did
resources save Apple money (or should I say, how did it make the Mac
affordable) and when does the System resource file get loaded? The
System
resources are loaded as they are needed. This implies that resources
can
be treated as chunks of information. If a resource is required by an
application program, it's loaded. If there's not enough memory,
another
one from memory is dumped. Here's the key. The original Mac only had
128K
memory installed. The System file can be megabytes in size, i.e.
either
more memory was required to load it all, or chunks of information
could
be loaded on an "as needed" basis. Resources reduce the amount of
memory
required for an application to run! Resources enabled Apple to sell a
128K Mac that could run reasonably sized programs.
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT?
In techie talk, here's exactly what happens. The resource fork
contains two pieces of information. The resource data and a resource
map.
The resource data is the resources themselves (for example, the actual
font data contained in the FONT TYPE resource). The resource map
contains
an entry for each resource that provides the location of its resource
data. The resource map is like the index of a book. Whenever a file
(i.e.
an application) is opened, the resource map is loaded into memory. The
map remains in memory until the file is closed. Normally the resource
data is read into memory as it is required. You've no doubt noticed
programs loading information to display some dialog box the first time
it
is displayed. After the resource is loaded into memory a flag in the
resource map is set to indicate "resource is in memory." The next time
that resource is needed, loading it from disk will not be required. If
memory is full and another resource is required, one or several
resources
may be dumped to free up enough memory for the new resource. This
process
of juggling resources may seem scary to programmers, but don't worry,
Apple provided a way to "lock" the resource in memory if you don't
want
it dumped (or typically called "purged") from memory. Resource
management
can be visualized as a fancy way of performing disk caching or
implementing overlays.
ERROR!
I made a big blunder last month about resource forks. I stated,
"The
data fork is the programming code that makes the application do what
it
is supposed to do." This is totally incorrect. In fact, the
programming
code is contained in a resource TYPE called CODE which is located in
the
resource fork just like any other resource. The incorrect information
was
obtained out of the June 1989 issue of MacUser. Sorry for the
misinformation.
The correct information was obtained from Inside the Macintosh
Volume I where it is stated, "The resource fork of an application file
contains not only the resources used by the application but also the
application code itself." The data fork of an application file can
contain anything an application wants to store there. It has been my
experience that many if not most programs leave the data fork empty.
Next
month we will really start using ResEdit to its fullest, so get a copy
from the Current Notes library (#M09) or from your local BBS.
NOV 89 MAC RESOURCES 3
Magic Spectre Tips #8: Mac Resources, Part 3
============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the November, 1989 issue of Current Notes.]
This month we conclude our three part discussion of Mac
resources.
Before we dive in, I must credit Sam Kass for the information he has
posted on GEnie concerning ResEdit.
RESOURCE CREATION
To start off, let's create a brand new resource file. We can do
this
by first loading ResEdit and then selecting the NEW option in the
pulldown menu under File. Let's use the filename "ResTest" for the
resource file we are creating. We can now select our first resource to
add to the ResTest file (more specifically, the resource that will be
added to ResTest's resource fork). As an example, select the "ICN#"
resource. If you remember, the ICN# TYPE is a resource that contains a
list of icons. After selecting the ICN# resource, the window listing
all
of ResTest's resources will be updated to contain the ICN# resource.
Also, another window displaying the list of icons ICN# contains is
opened. What, you don't see any? Of course, we haven't created any, we
have only created a "template" for the list of icons, NOT an actual
icons. OK?
Now that our template has been generated, we need to create some
icons. To do this, simply select NEW again from the File menu. A blank
icon is created and the built-in ResEdit icon editor is opened to
allow
the icon to be edited. Go ahead and draw something. I like smiling
faces.
After you finish editing, you may want to change the icon's ID
number. The application program uses the ID number to identify the
icon
when it needs to be displayed. Several pieces of information about a
resource can be obtained and changed when the "Get Info" option is
selected under the File menu. To obtain information about your icon,
first select it, then select "Get Info."
The following information is displayed when "Get Info" is
selected.
Resource
TYPE
Size
Name
ID
Owner
Sub ID
Also the status of several attributes of that resource are
displayed.
System Heap
Locked
PreLoad
Purgeable
Protected
Most of the information about the resource can be changed. The
attributes control where, when, and how the resource is loaded into
memory for processing.
RESEDIT EDITORS
ResEdit contains several editors for the various resources. If
you
think about it, a resource is just a bunch of numbers that are
interpreted in some way. The information contained in the resource can
be
edited "at the gut level" by opening the General editor. The general
resource editor allows you to edit the resource in hex format (if you
don't know what hex is, don't worry). All resources may be edited this
way but it is very difficult to do. Only experts play with the general
editor (eliminates me!).
The other, more natural-to-use editors are the ones designed for
each individual resource TYPE. You have already seen the built-in
editor
for icons. It as a window that opened and allowed you to easily edit
the
icon. There are several individual resource editors built into
ResEdit.
When the resource is double-clicked for editing, the specialized
editor
is used. If you hold down the Alternate key when double-clicking, the
general editor is opened.
CUTTING AND PASTING.
Resources may be copied to the clipboard and pasted back into the
resource fork using the CUT, COPY and PASTE commands listed under the
Edit menu. Remember, when the resource is PASTED back into the
resource
fork, it is PASTED back with the same ID number that was used when it
was
copied. This could present a conflict with the other resource (i.e.
two
resources with the same ID number). Just remember to change the ID
number
by selecting the resource and using the "Get Info" option under the
File
menu!
CHANGING THE RESOURCE TYPE.
If you hold down the Control (Option on Mac) key when copying or
duplicating a resource, a dialog box with a list of resource TYPEs
will
be presented. The new (or freshly copied) resource TYPE will be
changed
to the one selected (i.e. the new resource information will be
interpreted differently). Don't do this unless you are an expert!
THE END.
I have finally hit the end of our resource discussions. I've
learned a lot, I hope you have also. The best way to learn is to play.
You'll discover a lot about the Mac when playing with ResEdit.
I'm not sure what next month's column will be about, but it
certainly will NOT concern resources. These past few columns have
required considerable effort to dig into Apple's "Inside the
Macintosh"
series and come out with a good enough understanding of resources to
be
able to write about them. Now, I need a good Mac programming project
....
DEC 89 THE GCR IS HERE
Magic Spectre Tips #9: The GCR Is Here!
=======================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the December, 1989 issue of Current Notes.
IT'S HERE!
Three memorable events have happened in the last 24 hours...
1) The earthquake hit California.
2) The shuttle lifted off with Galileo on board.
3) I got my GCR!
This was the comment Jim Dossey made up on GEnie Information
Service. If you ask anyone with a GCR now, I'm sure this is the
general
feeling. One Saturday I was working with my computer when I was
thinking
about how nice it will be when the GCR arrives. I got up to walk into
the
kitchen only to find a box lying on the floor behind the dining room
table. Care to guess what it was? The GCR had been sitting there for a
couple of days!
Quickly I opened the box to find a very complete manual, the new
Spectre software release and even a public domain Mac formatted disk!
The
GCR is nicely packaged and inserting the old ROMs from the (old)
Spectre
into the GCR was a breeze. I had it up and running within minutes.
The first test was (of course) reading a Macintosh formatted
disk.
The closest disk handy was the Mac disk enclosed. Into the drive it
goes.
Wammo, disk icon appears. Double click, directory appears. Try to copy
all the files to my hard disk, hmmm. It's having trouble? Must be a
bad
disk. Get another Mac disk, try again, hmmm. Still having trouble...
Time
to consult the manual. No luck.
Time to consult the experts "up on GEnie" (David Small himself
and
many others). I come to discover that my Mega's internal disk drive is
probably not shielded very well and is picking up interference from
the
Mega's power supply. This is somehow giving my GCR a serious problem
reading Mac disks. So I read all the messages discussing possible
shielding fixes, then I decide it's time to go for it. Shield my Mega.
It
took me about two hours to do, but in the end I was reading, writing
and
formatting Mac disks with ease. I haven't had a problem since!
I feel the following information could be "vital" to Mega owners,
so
it is being released "everywhere" to help GCR owners solve their
shielding problems. If you or your local user group would like a copy
to
use and distribute, please feel free
you a
copy. It would be appreciated if you
stamped
envelope (so I don't end up spending
2901
Kenmore Avenue, Dayton, Ohio 45420,
to contact me, and I will send
would send a self addressed
a fortune). [Douglas D. Hodson,
(513) 254-3160.]
MEGA ST SHIELDING PROBLEM
If you're a Mega ST owner, the following information could solve
a
BIG problem. It has been discovered that many Mega's are not shielded
adequately for proper GCR operation. The basic problem is the
shielding
of the internal disk drive. If your Mega ST is not shielded properly,
your GCR will operate, but it might have trouble reading and writing
Macintosh formatted diskettes. The problem of reading and writing to
Macintosh disks only exists for the Mega's internal drive! If you own
an
external drive, the GCR will read and write to that drive without any
problems. Try out your GCR first! If you experience no problems, trash
this information. But if you do experience problems, you may consider
our
solution to the problem.
THE FIX.
This is a fix I have used to cure the shielding problem for a
number
of Mega's. The procedure involves opening your Mega and adding
additional
shielding to the internal disk drive cable. If you're not comfortable
with opening your Mega, consider taking it to your local Atari dealer
to
see if they can perform the following steps themselves. Note: The
following procedure will violate your Atari warranty.
Before you open your Mega case, you need to locate a couple of
items: Insulating tape, Aluminum foil, Some thin wire, and Screw
driver(s).
The main component that requires shielding is the ribbon cable
connecting the disk drive to the main circuit board of the ST. The
disk
drive itself is already shielded. Following the procedure listed below
should solve the shielding problem.
PROCEDURE.
Step 1: Open the Mega. Several screws
need
to be removed. After they are removed, the
lifted
off. Be careful of the wire connecting the
circuit board. It must be disconnected for
on the bottom of the case
top of the Mega can be
clock batteries to the main
complete removal.
Step 2: Remove the large metal shield that encases the entire
machine. This shield is used to shield the Mega from the rest of the
world (such as the monitor). We need to shield the disk drive from the
rest of the computer (mainly the power supply).
Step 3: Viewing
components; the main
power supply and the
back-right corner of
the machine from the front reveals three main
circuit board (also called the motherboard), the
disk drive. The power supply is located in the
the computer. The disk drive can be removed by
disconnecting two connectors. First disconnect the power connector
(it's
the small one). Next, disconnect the data connector (the large flat
ribbon cable.)
Step 4: If the power cable (the one to the disk drive) is wrapped
around the ribbon cable, be sure to unwrap it! Unwrapping the power
wires
from the ribbon cable will help eliminate some of the RFI (Radio
Frequency Interference) disturbance.
Step 5: Now comes the time to shield the main part of the system,
the ribbon cable. Wrap a piece of aluminum foil around the cable so
that
it's completely encased. Be sure not to leave any scraps of aluminum
in
the machine. Scraps will short out the circuit board! Next wrap the
thin
wire around the aluminum foil so that it's in good contact (this will
be
your ground wire).
Step 6: This is the most important part of the procedure. If the
cable is not insulated from the rest of the machine, you will surely
short out something! This is the purpose of the "insulating" tape.
Make
sure to wrap the tape around the foil to insulate it from anything
that
may be nearby. Make sure the wire is in good contact with the aluminum
foil.
Step 7: Now plug both connectors back into the drive. Before the
drive is "seated" back into position, tuck the ribbon cable beneath it
(instead of hanging out the back) as best you can. Also keep the
ribbon
cable as far away from the power connectors as possible.
Step 8: Now it's time to actually ground your home-brew shield.
The
wire that's connected to the foil should be connected to one of the
screws holding the disk drive shield on.
Step 9: If you exercise some caution, the GCR can now be tested
without replacing the main shield and screws. Note: If you do test it,
keep the monitor well away from the Mega. Remember the rest of the
Mega
isn't shielded right now!
Step 10: If it works, great. Replace the main shield and top lid,
then all the screws. You're done.
Step 11: If it didn't work, you may consider rearranging the
cables,
or check the grounding of your shield by using an ohm meter. Other
than
that, consult your GCR documentation for the latest information.
FEB 90 INTRO TO POSTSCRIPT
Magic Spectre Tips #10: Introducing PostScript
==============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the January/February issue of Current Notes.]
MORE ON SHIELDING A MEGA
Last month I outlined a procedure that essentially shielded the
disk
drive cable inside a Mega. The reason we did this was to make the GCR
more reliable in reading Mac formatted disks. In the procedure, I
stated
that the disk drive itself did not require additional shielding
because
it already contained a shield (which it does). I have since discovered
that adding additional shielding to the drive mechanism itself can
improve GCR operation even more.
ANOTHER PROCEDURE.
Open the Mega again. Remove the disk drive and cut a piece of
aluminum foil large enough to wrap the entire drive. After wrapping
the
drive, cut away ONLY the sections of aluminum foil that need to be
exposed for remounting (such as tapped holes, cable connectors, etc).
Now
wrap the drive with some bare wire and connect the bare wire to some
ground point in your system. Your drive is now shielded! Remount the
drive and connect the drive cables and now you're in business.
ON TO POSTSCRIPT
In this and the next couple of months I will be discussing the
PostScript page description language. This information is quite
important
for Spectre users who wish to use an Apple LaserWriter or Atari Laser
for
their publishing needs. With the recent introduction of UltraScript
for
the HP Deskjet, I have personally became interested in PostScript. The
quality of output produced with this combination will shock you. It
has
been a very convenient combination for learning PostScript programming
and producing exceptional drafts before they are sent to the laser
printer.
Most of my information has been obtained by word of mouth with
friends in the "publishing business" (in other words, anybody who owns
a
desktop publishing program!). Don't let that scare you, I did do my
homework and read the book titled Understanding PostScript Programming
by
David A. Holzgang. Two other books I find useful are the PostScript
Language Reference Manual and PostScript Language Tutorial and
Cookbook,
both by Adobe Systems.
I have also found that people are scared of transverting files
from
the Mac to the ST for printing. I will admit it, I was, too! But once
an
understanding of "what you are doing" is gained, the whole process is
much easier.
OF PRINTING AND PRINTERS
Everyone knows that to produce good looking output (i.e.pages of
print), we need a good high quality printer along with a good print
driver. The "standard" printer is a 9-pin dot matrix and Epson
compatible. I call this the "standard" because of the shear number of
them sold. Just about everyone has owned one or two.
The print quality of the 9-pin was great when we bought it, but
now
is just seems to lack something (at least mine does)? When we wanted
to
improve the quality, most of use were told that what we really needed
was
a letter quality printer. This new printer probably sported a 24-pin
dot
matrix print head. We were told that the more pins the print head
contained the better. After we purchased this new printer we soon
discovered we also needed a new printer driver to "control" this
printer.
If we didn't get the right driver for the right program, our output
might
not look any better that the "old" 9-pin or, worse yet, it may not
work
at all!
WHAT DOES 9-PIN MEAN?
There are several ways get output these days. Printers come in
all
shapes and sizes. One of the most common ways of printing text and/or
graphics is to "press" ink from a ribbon onto the surface of the
paper.
This is what a dot matrix printer does. In fact a dot matrix printer
is
little different that an ordinary typewriter! A typewriter simply
strikes
a character (letter) onto the page by pressing the shape of the
character
on the printer ribbon. A dot matrix printer simply presses a very thin
wire onto the ribbon (somewhat like striking the period character
except
the wire is much smaller in diameter).
If we take several wires (let's say oh...9) and place them side
by
side vertically we could form a character by controlling the striking
of
all those wires while moving the print head horizontally. Yes, all of
that happens while you're printing. That's why dot matrix printers
make
text, all of the work to control those wires is being performed inside
the printer. That's because most printers contain enough brains to
print
text. In fact, most printers contain enough built-in information to
print
text in several different flavors, such as bold, italic, underlined,
superscript, subscript and so on... The only thing the program must do
is
tell the printer when to "turn on and off" the various modes of
operation. For example, if we want to turn on bold printing, we would
send the printer the numbers 27 and 71 if the printer was Epson
compatible. To turn off bold print, we would need to send it the
numbers
27 and 72.
EPSON COMPATIBLE
It couldn't have been longer than five years ago that almost
every
printer made contained its own special way of turning on and off the
various modes (bold, italic,...). This became a nightmare for
programmers
and users alike. Most programs required you to run a special "printer
installation" program at least once to set up your printer. The
procedure
required you to look up special codes contained in the back of your
printer manual and enter them into the computer! (It wasn't all that
long
ago). Nowadays, if the printer is designated as Epson compatible, then
it
means it follows a standard format for telling the printer how to go
into
the various modes. If you're looking into purchasing a dot-matrix
printer, make certain it is Epson compatible!
rammer) must control the movement of each and every one of those 9
wires!
Now we start getting into some tricky calculations. If we decide to
buy a
24-pin printer, then the program must make a different set of
calculations. This is why a different printer driver is required. The
printer driver contains the information the program needs to make the
correct calculations. If you don't have the right driver for your
printer, all sorts of strange results can occur.
To sum up, if you're going to print only text, a 24-pin printer
will
look much better and here's why.
OF RESOLUTION
The height of standard printed text is 1/8 inch (0.125 inch).
That's
the length of the 9-pins that are placed side by side vertically. If
we
divide the text height (0.125 inches) by number of pins used to print
it
(9 pins), we find out the diameter of the wires. The number is 0.125/9
which equals 0.01389 inches. That's pretty small! In fact, if we
invert
this number (i.e. 1/0.01389) we find out that we could fit 72 pins
side
by side in one inch! This is the printers resolution!
The higher the printers resolution, the higher the print quality.
This is because the manufacturer has a "finer grid" to construct
characters used for printing.
We just discovered that our 9-pin printer has a resolution of 72
dots per inch. What is the resolution of a 24-pin printer? Performing
the
same calculations we find it to be 192 dots per inch! You will often
see
numbers such as there floating around in computer printer manuals. In
fact most printers are able to obtain higher resolutions depending on
the
on't be totally convinced that an inexpensive 24-pin printer will
always
look better than a 9-pin! Take a look at the print quality before you
buy.
OTHER PRINTERS.
There are several methods to get a printed page. It so happens
that
a dot matrix printer is only one type in a now huge fishbowl. The
first
alternative that comes to mind is the ink jet printers now available.
An
ink jet produces output by dripping tiny drops of ink onto the page.
The
ink, as you might think, is wet for a short time after printing. Print
resolutions up to 300 dots per inch can be achieved!
Laser printers are now starting to get popular with the
continuing
price reductions. Most laser printers can achieve resolutions up to
300
dots per inch also. (Even though the resolution is the same as the ink
jet the print quality is clearer, the dots are better formed).
Resolutions up to 2,000-2,400 dots per inch can be achieved on
THE RESOLUTION PROBLEM.
Well, you can see the resolution of printers can vary all over
the
map, from 72 dots per inch to 2,000 and more. Now it should be
apparent
how much work is involved in printing anything to do with graphics.
Wouldn't it be nice if there was an easier way? Wouldn't it be much
easier if we could simply forget the printers resolution and just tell
the printer what to draw? Such as a line, a circle, a square?
The problem of entering all the numbers into some printer
installation program was solved by settling on a standard way of
sending
text to the printer. The printer took care of actually printing the
text
at the highest resolution it could! What about a standard for
graphics?
INTRODUCING POSTSCRIPT
PostScript is the standard for describing graphics, much like
Epson
is the standard on how to print text. When we wanted an "Epson
compatible" printer to print bold text, we sent it the numbers 27 and
71.
When we want a PostScript printer to print a circle, we send it the
"arc"
command. If we want a PostScript printer to draw a line, we send it
the
"lineto" command. Starting to make sense?
At this point you're probably thinking, "PostScript is just a set
of
commands to print graphics." Right? Wrong! PostScript is a full blown
computer language! In fact it is an interpreted language much like
BASIC.
When you print a page using a PostScript printer, you are actually
sending a computer program to the printer! The program is written in a
to the printer, the program runs, and (hopefully) a page is produced!
Next month we will continue on with our discussion of PostScript.
We
will be covering, among other topics, how the Atari handles
PostScript,
how the Mac handles it, and how to mix the two and produce some
surprisingly good results!
MAR 90 ULTRASCRIPT
Magic Spectre Tips #11: PostScript 2--Ultrascript and the Transverter
======================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the March, 1990 issue of Current Notes.]
MONITERM SUPPORT
If you are fortunate to own a Moniterm large screen monitor, you
can
now use it with Spectre. Gadgets by Small has provided a beta test
driver for the Moniterm. The driver can be found on the GEnie
information service under the software support section for Spectre.
The
file number is 285 and is called MONITERM.ARC. I have also sent this
file to be included in the Current Notes Library. Even though the
driver
is called Beta test, I have found no problems.
On a similar topic, I purchased a Moniterm and found it to be
extremely useful, especially for desktop publishing work.
Unfortunately,
my Moniterm did fail recently, BUT I discovered Moniterm's service to
be
very good. All I had to do was call and a replacement monitor was
promptly sent within four days thanks to Bob Wendel.
BACK TO POSTSCRIPT
Last month we discussed the advantages of having a standard way of
sending information to the printer. The standard in the 9-pin dot
matrix
world is the Epson standard. This means that any printer that is
"Epson
compatible" will print a page of text the same way. Only the quality
of
print will vary among printers. This "Epson standard" applies equally
well to 24-pin printers.
This standard way of printing text was great until people
discovered
graphics are neat too! Until recently, there was no real standard way
of
printing graphics. Everything relied on the resolution of the
printer.
If the resolution of the printer was increased, we needed to change
how
we printed the graphics accordingly.
DIGGING IN.
PostScript is a standard way of describing graphics to a printer.
With PostScript, you don't have to worry about the exact resolution of
the printer. For this reason, PostScript is called a "page
description
language." The entire page is described in a way that is independent
of
the printers resolution! In fact, the method used to describe the
page
is not too different from the way GEM implements Normalized Device
Coordinates (NDC)!
The idea behond PostScript and NDC is this concept of an "ideal
graphic device." This is NOT an actual physical output device.
Rather,
it is a concept that provides the programmer a standard output device
that is based on a coordinate system that never changes. This
coordinate
system is then transformed to the actual coordinate system of the real
device (using the real device's resolution). As GEM programmers
already
know, the NDC system ranges from 0 to 32,767 for both the x and y
axis.
While the NDC system can't change, PostScript's coordinate system can
be
"programmed" to anything convenient.
One of the main functions PostScript performs is the
transformation
of this "page description" in the ideal coordinate system to the
actual
resolution of the printer. Another, equally important, function
PostScript performs is the capability to describe complex shapes. The
ability to describe shapes easily is the direct result of PostScript
being an interpreted, programmable language.
ULTRASCRIPT
If you are lucky enough to own a PostScript printer, then you may
skip this section. Actually, if you own a PostScript printer, skip
the
rest of the article--I really don't like writing to your kind anyway
<grin>. For the rest of us, we need an inexpensive way to print our
PostScript files. This is where the program UltraScript comes in.
The
program is not at all expensive considering the capability it provides
(priced around $140). UltraScript essentially replaces the PostScript
interpreter contained in a PostScript printer.
FOR ULTRASCRIPT OWNERS.
To get a feel for how PostScript actually works, lets write our
first
program. Turn on your printer and load up UltraScript. Enter the
Executive mode which is listed under the FILE menu. The message shown
in
figure 1 is displayed.
Figure 1
----------------------------------------------------------%%[status: initializing ]%%
%%[status: Product:IMAGEN UltraScript(tm)]%%
%%[status: Copyright:(c) 1987, 1988 IMAGEN Corporation]%%
%%[status: Version: 9.1; VersionDate:88/08/09 17:17:56]%%
%%[status: starting server ]%%
%%[status: starting executive ]%%
US>
----------------------------------------------------------You are now connected to the UltraScript interpreter. All of the
messages enclosed in %%[...]%% are simply comments from UltraSccript.
The next thing that is displayed is the UltraScript prompt "US>".
This
is the place where PostScript commands can be input. Type in the
commands following the "US>" prompt as shown in figure 2.
Figure 2
---------------------------------------------US>/Times-Roman findfont 12 scalefont setfont
US>108 396 moveto
US>(This is sample string number 1)show
US>copypage
---------------------------------------------After the last command is typed in, a page will be printed!
Believe
it or not, this is a complete PostScript program! You may recognize
the
Times-Roman name as the name of a font. In fact, the only thing the
first line does is set the font and the point size to 12. The second
line tells the interpreter to move an imaginary pen to coordinate
108,396. Remember, this is NOT a coordinate in the real device
coordinate system, but rather a coordinate in the ideal coordinate
system! This coordinate will be transformed to the real coordinate
system when PostScript interprets it. The "This is sample string
number
1" is simply some text that will be placed at the coordinate where the
imaginary pen is located. "Show" is essentially the equivalent to the
PRINT command found in most langauges. The "copypage" command
instructs
PostScript to print the page.
Now you have actually seen and run a real PostScript program!
One
of
the main points of the example is to demonstrate that there is nothing
magical about a PostScript file. It's just a simple ASCII text file
that
is sent to the printer for processing.
If we had an Apple LaserWriter or another laser printer that has a
built-in PostScript interpreter, we could "talk" to the interpreter by
using a terminal communications package. In the case of UltraScript,
the
interpreter is run "inside" the computer instead of "inside" the
printer.
Remember, the Atari Laser printer has "no brains" (but it does have a
heart).
CHOICES?
I hope at this point the real difference between a program like
UltraScript and a real PostScript printer is clear. UltraScript reads
a
PostScript FILE and interprets (or runs) the program to create a
complete
page layout in memory, then prints it when the "copypage" command is
encountered! If we had a real PostScript printer, the computer would
simply send the PostScript file to it and let the printer interpret
it.
There are advantages and disadvantages to both ways. The obvious
advantage of having a PostScript printer is speed. After the program
is
sent to the printer, the computer is free to do whatever you want
while
the printer is processing the file. On the other hand, we are
essentially buying two computers to perform one task (i.e. you're
buying
another computer inside that printer.) That makes the cost of the
laser
printer rather high.
TRANSVERTING
If you're using UltraScript, you'll need a way to move a
PostScript
file form the Mac environment to the ST. This is the job of the
Transverter program provided in the Spectre package. The only trick
to
using the Transverter is knowing what options to choose.
The first question that will be asked when Transverting a file
will
be, "Convert as a Macintosh file or a text file?". Answer (i.e. click
on) text option. Then you will be asked to select ASCII options.
Choose
the default, add LFs (LF stands for LineFeeds). This will move the
PostScript file from the Mac environment to the ST for printing.
SAVING A POSTSCRIPT FILE.
Now that we know how to transvert a PostScript file, we
know
how to create one in the first place. The first thing that
done
is to select the LaserWriter as the printer of choice using
Chooser
desk accessory. This informs the Mac that the printer is a
laser.
need to
must be
the
PostScript
Most Mac applications supply some method to save the PostScript
code
as a file instead of sending it to the printer. In PageMaker, if the
alternate key is pressed while clicking the OK button in the
LaserWriter
print dialog box, another dialog will be displayed allowing you to
save
the PostScript code as a file. For the application you are using,
check
the owner's manual for further information.
ABOUT TIPS #11.
Tips #11 was produced in a different way this month. The two
pages
you are reading (pages 22 and 23) were both produced using a GCR,
PageMaker, Microsoft Word, UltraScript and an HP Deskjet. The text
for
the article was written in Word, page layouts were done in PageMaker,
PostScript files were generated and transverted using the
Transvberter,
and finally, printed output was done using UltraScript. See how easy?
APR 90 POSTSCRIPT FONTS
Magic/Spectre Tips #12: PostScript Fonts
======================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from April, 1990 issue of Current Notes.]
THANKS.
Last month's Magic-Spectre Tips column was produced entirely with
a
Spectre GCR, Microsoft Word, PageMaker, FreeHand, UltraScript and a HP
Deskjet. While producing this column may seem almost completely
"computerized," type it in, draw some fancy artwork, page layout, then
finally a print out. The one aspect that cannot be "computerized" is
proof reading. Oh, yes, I reread what I type (believe it or not) and
yes
I do catch mistakes, but, making it sound good is an art. I really
never
realized how valuable good editors, such as Joe and Joyce Waters can
be.
So I must say thanks.
TEXT AND GRAPHICS
As mentioned in the past two columns, PostScript is a language
for
describing pages of text and/or graphics. Notice how we write "text
and/or graphics" as if they are two unrelated entities. This
perception
exists because of the way "old" dot matrix printers handled text and
graphics. The information for printing text is built into these
printers.
Printing graphics was always a special case as discussed last month.
PostScript only understands how to draw lines and curves. Sounds
pretty rudimentary doesn't it? If you think about it, (this is not a
thought question) text is nothing but a bunch of lines and curves
drawn
to form a letter. After the outline of the letter is drawn, a
PostScript
command is used to fill it in to make it look solid. Trying to
distinguish between text and graphics in PostScript is silly.
PostScript
text is simply graphic objects drawn to look like letters. All
PostScript
operations are graphic in nature.
FONT DICTIONARIES
If we attempted to draw all of our text manually with
PostScript's
line and curve commands, we would probably never get this sentence
printed! PostScript does provide a number of built-in commands used
exclusively for drawing text on the page. These commands reference a
"dictionary" of information that contains a description of how to
construct the text. Can you guess what we call this dictionary? How
about
a "font dictionary!" The PostScript interpreter uses the font
dictionary
to draw each character.
If you want to print text with a certain font, you had better
make
sure the PostScript printer contains the dictionary required to draw
it.
Every PostScript output device has some fonts that come with it, or
are
built-in. At a minimum, all PostScript-equipped devices have the Times
family, the Helvetica family, and the Courier family. If you try to
draw
some text on a page in a font that is not available, the interpreter
will
switch to a default font. You will also receive a message from the
interpreter indicating that the font you selected is not available.
There
are always exceptions though.
LASERWRITER FONTS
All PostScript printers are shipped with at least the three fonts
mentioned above. The Apple LaserWriter (depending upon which model)
includes several more. See the figure below for a list of the fonts
available and an example using the font.
LaserWriter Fonts
----------------------------------------FONT NAME
STYLE
Avant Garde
Note: the styles
Bookman
can not be
Courier
shown in a simHelvetica
ple text file
Narrow Helvetica
like this. See
New Century Schoolbook the original
Palantino
article for a
Symbol
look at these
Times
font styles.-JW
Zapf Chancery
Zapf Dingbats
----------------------------------------Like all fonts used in the Macintosh system, we need to install
the
corresponding screen fonts so that we can select them in Macintosh
applications. Screen fonts are installed using the Font/DA Mover
program.
When you buy a LaserWriter (as if you're going to) these screen fonts
are
included.
ULTRASCRIPT FONTS
You may wonder how the installation of LaserWriter screen fonts
is
going to help us. After all, I'm a poor ST owner with a GCR and HP
Deskjet. Why would I use LaserWriter screen fonts? If we back up a
moment
to the part about the three fonts that are supplied with PostScript,
it
will all start to make sense.
The standard UltraScript package supplies the three fonts: Times,
Helvetica, and Courier just like any PostScript printer. But you can
expand the UltraScript dictionary of fonts by purchasing additional
font
packages. The first package to purchase would be Package 35. This
package
includes ALL the LaserWriter fonts!
This means we can use all the standard LaserWriter
UltraScript! I find this very convenient. I can produce
good)
"draft" prints with my system using ALL the LaserWriter
produce a final print on a LaserWriter. I can do all of
doing font conversions!
fonts with
(extremely
fonts, then
this WITHOUT
SCREEN FONTS
So far I have brushed over the term "screen font." Exactly what
is a
screen font? A screen font is a description of what the characters in
a
given font look like for display on a monitor. This description is
completely different from the PostScript description discussed
earlier.
This description uses the now "old fashioned" method of bitmaps. Each
character is described by a matrix of bits. When the computer needs to
display a character, the bitmap is copied from memory to the screen.
(We
may be getting a little detailed here, but hang on.)
This method of describing characters is very limited. In fact, it
should be obvious (for programmers) that when a different point size
is
selected, a different bitmap must be used for the display on-screen!
TYING IT ALL TOGETHER.
We now know that printer fonts and screen fonts are different
animals all together, at least in the PostScript world. (Note: In the
world of dot-matrix printers, screen fonts are used in the printing
process.) Screen fonts are added to the System file by using the
Font/DA
Mover. After the font has been added, it will appear as a valid
selectable font in all Macintosh applications. The actual printer font
is
stored in the laser printer, or in the case of UltraScript, the
printer
font is kept on the hard disk (on the ST side). You need the
LaserWriter
screen fonts so that the font can be selected in the first place.
If we select a font style in a program such as PageMaker, the
generated PostScript file will contain a reference to the selected
font.
When the PostScript interpreter sees this reference it will attempt to
load the font dictionary associated with that font. If that font is
not
available, a default font will be used (UltraScript defaults to
Courier).
Next month we will discuss Laser Prep, Aldus Prep and possibly
MultiFinder depending upon when I receive version 2.65 of the Spectre
software (the ball's in your court Dave, *grin*).
MAY 90 V2.65 IS ALIVE
Magic/Spectre Tips #13: Version 2.65 is Alive! and Multifinder
==============================================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from May, 1990 issue of Current Notes.]
BRIEF HISTORY
It all started in the June 1987 issue of the Miami Valley ACE's
newsletter. That was the first mention of the Magic Sac in our
newsletter. The article was titled "Magic Sac Update" and contained a
list of all the software (that I knew about) that was compatible with
the
Magic Sac. This list was very short (only about 21 really high class
programs worked). Let me remind you, the Magic Sac was still quite an
achievement (no one had ever done this before). Then a couple of
months
later, one section of the MVACE ST library kept growing. This section
was
pulled out and expanded into its own library called "The Magic Sac
Library" of which I was the librarian. Some Magic Sac tips were
contained
in each monthly library report.
The February '88 issue featured the first official "Magic Sac
Tips"
column. It's kind of interesting to note that the following issue
(April
'88) contained an article called "Atari to Unveil UNIX-like System."
That
was two years ago!
As months went by, the Sac updates kept coming. Not only did they
fix "minor" things, they fixed "major" things. With the release of
version 4.32 (of Magic Sac software NOT Spectre software) most of the
really good software started working. I really praised Dave for such
an
incredible product. The best comment I was able to conjure up was "For
the Sac, the term emulator is more synonymous with the term clone."
When Spectre was introduced, the most notable improvement was in
overall speed and its ability to run the latest and greatest Mac
programs
(i.e. the ones that required 128K ROMs). All during this time I
ignored
the lack of sound and the ability to use real Mac disks. In fact, I
got
so used to it, I really didn't think much about it. "Computerized"
sound
was never a big selling point to me anyhow. I had already converted
most
of my really good software over to Spectre format, and public domain
Mac
disks were easy to obtain through libraries such as, The Current Notes
Magic Sac Library. So, that problem disappeared. I was happy.
Until...
Until I needed to print a LaserWriter document. Hmmm. I can save
it,
that is, I can save it on a Spectre formatted disk. Where did this get
me? No where. I could use the Translator O-N-E. Well... If you used
the
translator, you already know the frustration encountered with it
(sloooooowww). I could have bought a Discovery cartridge, but decided
not
to. I needed a real solution.
The Spectre GCR arrives! I could now read and write to real Mac
disks, without the fuss! Spectre had now jumped from the "if you know
what you doing it's great" to "it's great and easy to use" type of
product. In previous updates, a beta sound support was implemented.
Remember, I don't use sound, so I didn't pay much attention.
2.65 ARRIVES!
With the latest software update, sound support was improved and
problems with MultiFinder were fixed. I find it's time to conjure up
another comment. But what can I say? Spectre is complete. It runs
everything of any value. The compatibility list of what's compatible
(i.e. what runs) is kind of useless. It would be better to print a
list
of things that don't! Of course receiving blank pages of paper in the
mail isn't all that exciting.
So what's a good comment? The best that I can come up with is
simple
and true. At work I have access to 1 Mac II, 4 Mac IIcx, LaserWriters,
ImageWriters, anything and everything in regards to Mac software, and
I
still sit back and say, "hmmm... this would be easier with Spectre."
The capabilities of a single machine having dual personalities is
really impressive. For instance, whenever I need to type a quick short
letter I still find 1st Word Plus my favorite (yes, even over all
those
fancy word processors on the Mac). If I want to create, manipulate or
do
some kind of contorted operation to a text file, Tempus II wins hands
down over anything the Mac has to offer (for that matter, any
computer).
If I wish to crank out a flyer or advertisement, PageMaker is my
choice.
Spreadsheets, Microsoft Excel for the Mac. If you are a `C'
programmer, I
think you'll find the ST much easier to program. Few books covering
`C'
for the Mac are available. Mac likes (loves) Pascal. In summary, one
computer is great, two in the same box is incredible.
MULTIFINDER
I have always had a love/hate relationship with MultiFinder. I
like
the idea, but sometimes I find the implementation confusing. The idea
is
simple. When the Mac boots, parts of the System file and the Finder
program are loaded into memory. The Finder program displays the
desktop
and allows you to perform all the basic file manipulations you are
accustomed to performing easily, such as copying files, renaming,
deleting and so forth. When you run another program, Finder is
"dumped"
from memory and the program you selected is loaded and run. Notice
there
are two processes here, Loaded and Run.
Finder is dumped from memory even if there is enough memory to
hold
both Finder and the program you selected. Once you quit the program,
it's
dumped from memory and Finder is loaded again! Seems like quite a
waste
if you have lots of memory and/or small programs you wish to run. Why
not
keep both programs in memory and provide some sort of means to switch
between them?
Welcome to MultiFinder. MultiFinder is a replacement for Finder.
When MultiFinder is active, the bootup sequence is modified slightly.
Instead of System and Finder loading, System and MultiFinder are
loaded!
The Finder file is useless at this point. Don't delete it, you may
wish
to use it later.
To "configure" the Mac (oops, I mean Spectre) to use MultiFinder,
simply select the SET STARTUP option under the SPECIAL pulldown menu
from
the Mac desktop. A dialog box will appear and MultiFinder or Finder
can
then be selected. You must shutdown Spectre and reboot in the normal
way
to activate the new selection.
MultiFinder allows you to load several programs into memory at
once
and allows you to switch between them by several methods. If you have
never used MultiFinder, the process can be confusing. Assume
MultiFinder
is up and running. If MultiFinder is running, the desktop will appear
slightly different. You will immediately notice a small icon's
appearance
up in the top right corner of the menu bar. This icon indicates which
process or program is running.
Once you double click on a program to run, the desktop will not
clear as you are normally accustomed to, but rather, the program will
be
loaded and run. The menu bar will change to the new program's menu
bar,
and the icon in the top right corner will change to reflect the new
program that's running. Note: Each program has its own icon. If the
program doesn't open a window on startup, you will be staring at a new
menu bar with the desktop windows displayed on screen. If the new
program
does open a window, the window will open just as before and be placed
on
top of the other windows.
Selecting between programs such as MultiFinder and the new one
just
loaded can be accomplished by several methods. The first is the
easiest.
Simply click on a window that the other program is using. This window
will be "popped" to the top, the menu bar will change to the one
associated with that program and away you go!
For example, let's say you're using PageMaker with MultiFinder.
You
select and run PageMaker, you load in a file to work with, and a
window
opens displaying the file. Now, you forgot to format a disk for saving
some files so you need access to MultiFinder. Simply resize the
PageMaker
window so that you can see a MultiFinder window and click on it.
Bingo,
you're back in MultiFinder. Click on the PageMaker window, you're in
PageMaker.
You can also select programs by clicking on the icon in the top
right corner. It will cycle through all the available programs.
Another
method to change programs is to select them from the desk accessory
pulldown menu! Quitting programs is the same as before. Sound
OK, ok, I said I didn't use sound. But... when I installed
version
2.65, it was already selected (I missed it). So my ST made its first
Mac
bong sound on startup and I've been using it ever since. Sound support
has improved so much that it doesn't appear to slow the system down a
single step. So, go ahead flip it on (or should I say don't turn it
off)
and let Spectre speak. It's really quite good (editor, delete this
line,
I didn't say that).
Version 2.65 is a very good update and I recommend to all who
don't
have it, GET IT! It's FREE and well worth it.
JUN 90 FIXING NEC DRIVES
Magic Spectre Tips #14: Fixing NEC Mechanisms
=============================================
by Douglas D. Hodson
[Reprinted from the June 1990 issue of Current Notes.]
DRIVE PROBLEMS?
It was discovered early after the release of the GCR, that a
couple
of third party disk drive manufacturers produced drives that did not
work
so well in the arena of reading, writing and formatting Macintosh
disks.
One of the manufacturers is Future Systems, Inc.. The drives in
question
are the GTS-100 and GTS-100x drives. Another drive that exhibits the
same
problems is the Alternative drive sold by several mail order
companies.
If you are the owner of one of these drives, don't throw it out
the
window just yet. Read on... David Small and Doug Wheeler of Gadgets by
Small have supplied a fix and placed it up on GEnie for several users.
I
have condensed their suggestions into one article. I hope this helps a
number of users.
OF DRIVES
Most floppy disk drives are built from four basic parts. The
parts
are: power supply, disk drive cable (the cord that plugs into your
ST),
drive mechanism and lastly, the case to hold it all together. The only
"important" difference between disk drives is the disk drive mechanism
used and maybe the style and size of the case (if that's important to
you). The problem is not with the design of the drive, or even its
assembly, it's with the drive mechanism installed in them. All of
these
"problem" drives contain a NEC disk drive mechanism. The fix I'm
passing
along is for drives with a NEC mechanism only! It will not work with
other brands of mechanisms.
If you have a third party drive other than the ones mentioned
above,
and are having problems reading and writing Mac disks, you may
consider
checking to see if the drive mechanism is a NEC. This information
details
the procedure for fixing NEC drive mechanisms models FD-1035, FD-1036
and
FD-1037. To check your drive mechanism, you probably will have to open
the case. If you are using an Atari SF314 or SF354 don't bother
looking,
they use something else.
THE PROBLEM.
In this article, I don't want to imply that NEC drive mechanisms
are
problem prone. This is far from the truth. I own one of the
Alternative
drives myself and have found it to be far more reliable than the drive
in
my Mega. NEC drives are quite inexpensive and operate very quietly.
The problem with the NEC drives is that they contain a filter
that
is too sensitive for GCR data. Regular ST data gets right through, but
GCR data is gradually degraded around tracks 60-79. The worst
interference is right around tracks 64-68. This causes serious
problems
reading, writing and formatting disks!
What needs to be "fixed" is the filter circuit contained in the
drive mechanism itself. This involves not only opening the disk drive
case, but also the drive mechanism case. If you don't feel comfortable
with a soldering iron, stop right here and find a friend who is. There
is
very little to modify, but you are playing with the guts of the drive.
I
say go for it; if you blow it, the worst would be the cost of a new
drive
mechanism. NEC drive mechanisms are very inexpensive. Many people have
told me they have spotted them for as little as $39!
REQUIRED PARTS FOR REPAIR.
If you decide to "fix" your NEC mechanism, you will need a couple
of
basic tools and will probably have to purchase a couple of parts. The
tools required are a soldering iron (low wattage so we don't melt the
circuit board), a small flathead screw driver and a phillips
screwdriver.
The only part required is a 4700 picofarad ceramic capacitor. This can
be
purchased at any electronic supply store such as Radio Shack. Radio
Shack
calls them Hi-Q Ceramic Discs and they have a part number of 272-130.
A
package of 2 costs 49 cents. This fix only requires one. You will also
need a short piece (2 inches is plenty) of thin wire.
OPENING THE CASE(S).
I can't tell you how to open all the different third party disk
drive cases. I haven't seen and certainly don't own them all! I can
tell
you that most of them come apart by removing a couple of screws
located
on the bottom of the case.
As for the NEC drive mechanism, I can tell you how to open it.
All
three models we are discussing (FD-1035, FD-1036 and FD-1037) have
cases
that can cause fits! Before you start disassembling, disconnect the
two
connectors located in the back of the drive. The small connector has
four
wires attached; this is the power connector. The larger connector
contains two rows of 17 pins each for a total of 34 pins. When you
disconnect this one, make sure to keep track of which way it was
plugged
in. This is important! Set the drive on a table with the top side up.
There should be a screw located in the back right corner. Remove it,
it
holds the top of the drive case on. There are more screws on the
bottom
of the drive, leave them alone, we don't need to remove the bottom
part
of the case. The top part of the case can be somewhat tricky to
remove.
The best method is to use a small screwdriver and pry the top part of
the
case up over the clip located in the back right side of the drive.
This
should be fairly obvious (I'm sure you love that line). This will
enable
you to completely remove the top lid!
After the lid has been removed, you will see a large circuit
board
covering the rest of the internals of the drive. This circuit board
contains the filtering circuit that requires our attention. The board
can
be carefully turned over to view all the components mounted. I say
carefully because there are several thin ribbon cables connected to
it.
These can be damaged easily. You can disconnect the small ribbon
cables
but I would suggest not. I've had some trouble reconnecting them. (If
it
appears that I've encountered problems before, you're right!)
FD-1035 AND FD-1036.
Both of these models are essentially the same, and as it turns
out,
the fix is the same. Most Future Systems drives contain either one of
these drives.
When viewing the circuit board, you will want to look for an
inductor labeled L7 and a capacitor labeled C22. The inductor will be
fairly large in comparison to the rest of the components but the
capacitor is a surface mount component, so it will be very small. The
capacitor and inductor will be close to each other as they are
connected
together by a trace on the circuit board.
After you locate the inductor, short it out using the piece of
wire
you should have on hand. Shorting in electronic terms means to connect
the wire to both ends of the inductor so that the electrons (or
current)
can bypass the inductor and go through the wire. Now locate the
capacitor
labeled C22 and connect the 4700 picofarad capacitor in parallel with
it.
Connecting in parallel means to connect each end of the 4700 picofarad
capacitor to each end of the C22 capacitor.
FD-1037.
You'll find this model inside the Alternative disk drive. The
instructions for modifying this drive are essentially the same as for
the
models mentioned above except that the inductor is labeled L5 and the
capacitor is labeled C20.
FINAL NOTES.
Be careful soldering to surface mounted components. If they are
heated for too long, both ends of the component will disconnect from
the
circuit board! I had this happen to me where capacitor C20 is located.
The capacitor simply fell off the board and I almost lost it (they are
small!). I couldn't resolder it because soldering to a trace is almost
impossible. As a result I left it out, reassembled the drive and tried
it. It worked! In fact, it reads and writes Mac disks better than any
other drive I've seen. It also mysteriously started reading some very
old
ST disks I couldn't read before! So if it should happen to you, don't
sweat it, you may come out ahead.