Date   : Thu, 27 Oct 2005 18:23:13 +0100
From   : "David Harper" <dl.harper@...>
Subject: Re: Distribution of old software (esp. for Master 512)

Thanks to all who replied to my questions about out-of-date but
within-copyright software for the Master 512. I am inclined to agree
with what most people said. Consequently:

a) Regarding the Master 512 distribution disks, I think it is fair
   that anyone who has an 80186 co-pro should have the disks to go
   with it. I see that Dave Moore has now made them available as disk
   images on the "Stairway to Hell" site, so most people who want
   them will be able to get them from there. If anyone wants the
   disks and cannot use the image files for some reason, then I am
   happy to supply copies on 5.25" disks. Email me directly. (I would
   appreciate a contribution towards postage, and preferably a
   contribution of disks. I have a supply of 5.25" disks, but it is
   not unlimited. You need 4 disks (or 5 if you also want a copy of
   the older Vn 1.2 of DOS-Plus), and they need to be DD (not HD) DS
   80-track (96tpi).)

b) There were a couple of items that I wrote for Essential Software,
   and I think it is now reasonable to let others have these if they
   want them. Because of copyright I am not going to put them on the
   Web for totally public access (unless I hear directly from RB to
   say it is OK). I will, though, supply them to anyone who asks.
   This will enable me to keep track of how many are going out, and I
   can bear any costs in the future if necessary. I will send these
   by email to anyone who gets in touch.

   The items are:

   (i) CPFS (Co-Processor Filing System) - Makes the 512's memory
     into a RAM disk when using the machine in BBC mode. This was
     only ever released as an EPROM, and documentation was provided
     on an accompanying disk. As an anti-piracy measure CPFS was
     written so that it could not be copied into Sideways RAM and
     run from there. (Early versions of the documentation said that
     "for technical reasons CPFS cannot be run in sideways RAM". In
     this "technical" meant "anti-copying" - a rather loose use of
     language which I eventually decided I couldn't stomach!) I am
     now happy to provide the program in a form that can be used in
     Sideways RAM, though I would still recommend that it is blown
     into an EPROM if possible because it is more convenient to use
     that way. (Also note that if the host is a Model B or B+, rather
     than a Master, then CPFS has to be in a higher priority socket
     (RAM or ROM) than the ROM containing the Tube host code -
     normally DFS or DNFS.)

     There are actually two forms of this program: the original CPFS,
     and also CPFS-Plus which in addition allows part of the co-pro
     memory to be used as a printer buffer.

     I still have the source files which I think I can make public
     now. I won't ever do any more work on these programs, but if
     anyone else would like to try and improve them, then I am happy
     for them to have a go.

   (ii) FIXEXE - A DOS-Plus bug fix. Some programs will only run on
     the 512 if COMMAND.COM is reloaded, wasting memory and
     dispensing with a few of DOS-Plus' facilities. FIXEXE modifies
     the program files so that they will run correctly. Strictly
     speaking this program should no longer be necessary, since the
     problem is solved, along with others, by my PC Compatibility
     Enhancer (which is genuinely Public Domain). However some people
     may prefer FIXEXE's one-off way of doing things to PCCE's
     load-every-time method. (These two programs do not solve the
     problem in the same way, but there is no conflict between them.
     If anyone wants to know what the original problem was, then ask
     and I can fill you in.)

c) There were a few items that I wrote for the Master 512, and if I
   had been a few months earlier it is possible that Essential
   Software would have marketed them. As it was, it was too late in
   the day and it was not economically viable to sell anything else
   for the 512. I released them as PD, and they may be on the Web
   somewhere, but get in touch if you would like them but can't find
   them. (I will perhaps put them on the Web myself, along with a few
   native BBC items I wrote, when I get round to it.) The items are:

   (i) PC Compatibility Enhancer - The 512 was supposed to be
     compatible with a PC fitted with CGA display adapter and running
     MS-DOS Vn 2. In practice, there were quite a lot of programs
     which would run with such a PC set-up but would not run on the
     512. I wrote PCCE to overcome some of the incompatibilities, and
     got quite a lot of these programs running. (Some things still
     wouldn't work, of course - I never managed to get PC sound
     working on the 512, for instance.)

   (ii) Master 512 Mouse Driver - Acorn provided a mouse for the 512,
     but never provided any software to go with it (other than GEM).
     This is an MS-compatible mouse driver for the Acorn mouse. (It
     was not the first mouse driver ever produced for the 512. One
     had been produced earlier by a company called Tull Software, but
     their driver would not work with everything, and the pointer
     movement was rather jerky.)

   (iii) Master 512 Info Collection - Not exactly software; just a
     collection of (mainly) straight text files to fill in some of
     the gaps in the 512's documentation.

d) I have a number of other items for the 512 from Essential
   Software. I am not quite sure whether, even now, it is right to
   make these more publicly available, but I am open to persuasion.
   Items I have are: INTERCOM, CLMOUSE, SUPRSTAR, GoBBC, RAMDISC and
   FASTBOOT.

David Harper
dl.harper@...