RELEASE.NOT - UPDATE INFORMATION ON NZCOM Please understand that unlike purely commercial enterprises, Z-System is mainly the work of enthusiasts. As such, Z-System never truly reaches completion; each new development is more of a plateau upon which further innovation occurs. Though we have done our best, the printed documentation inevitably lags behind the most recent enhancements. Try to consult as much material as possible about a given command before proceeding; if there is a help or document file pertaining to the command, it supercedes printed instructions, especially with regard to such matters as syntax or technical specifications. Notes of September 12, 1991 =========================== Release 1.2H involves a significant updating of the support utilities that we distribute as a courtesy with NZCOM. We suggest that any Z-System user who is not in regular contact with a Z-Node consider taking advantage of the Z- System Software Update Service (ZSUS). Here are some of the important changes with this release. ZCNFG.COM, CONFIG.LBR: Al Hawley has introduced a powerful and convenient method for configuring programs. ZCNFG works either with individual CFG files or with CFG files stored in the CONFIG.LBR library. For example, try running the command "ZCNFG ZLT". ZCNFG will automatically extract ZLT15.CFG from CONFIG.LBR. NZBLITZ.COM, NZBLTZ14.HZP, NZBLTZ14.CFG: These programs can be used to coldboot an NZCOM system very rapidly with the complete system, including error handlers, shells, and TCAPs already in place. Run "HELP NZBLTZ14" to learn more about it. Some of its features can be tailored by running "ZCNFG NZBLITZ" with the CFG file in the same directory. LBREXT.COM: This replaces LGET for extracting member files from LBR library files. HELP.COM, LBRHELP.COM, HLPFILES.LBR: HELP (actually HELPC14) is an improved version of the help utility. It can work with normal help files (HLP) and crunched help files (HZP). LBRHELP can work with normal or crunched help files that are stored in a library (which is where we have put all the help files distributed with NZCOM and Z3PLUS). DOCFILES.LBR: Documentation and help files have been collected into an LBR file. ZLT.COM: This is a full Z-System replacement for LT, and it handles the latest LZH-compressed files. COPY.COM: This is the version of COPY from the ZSDOS/ZDDOS release. Enter "COPY //" for syntax information. It replaces a dangerously defective copy program provided with earlier releases. LSH.COM, LSH.WZ, LSH-HELP.COM, LSHINST.COM, ZERR.COM: These are the latest LSH command history shell and command-line editor and the associated error handler (fixed-log versions). These completely replace EASE. CLEDINST.COM, CLEDSAVE.COM: A transient history shell like LSH can be slow on floppy systems with sluggish disk drives, even if the files have been placed in optimal locations. Some of the RCP modules supplied no include an RCP- resident command-line editor called CLED. Its features can be configured using CLEDINST.COM, and the history can be saved to a file using CLEDSAVE.COM. TCAP.LBR, XTCAP.COM: A number of programs now require a terminal capabilities descriptor (TCAP) with extended functions. The standard TCAPs loaded with TCSELECT do not have these functions. TCAP.LBR is a collection of extended TCAPs for some terminals. XTCAP.COM is a program that can add the most important extensions to a standard TCAP (it is a quick- and-dirty fix until the full set of TCAPs is updated). VIEW.COM: This is Bridger Mitchell's file viewing utility. It is very powerful (but it requires an extended TCAP). NAME.COM: This program can quickly add or remove a name for a single directory. TCJ.INF: TCJ has a new publisher (one of our own Z-Node sysops), and this file tells how to take out a subscription (which all Z-System users absolutely should do!). ZFILEB38.LZT: This is the BRIEF listing of all the support programs currently available for use with Z-System. There is another file which includes descriptions of all the programs, but it would fill up an entire diskette! Notes of November 5, 1989 ========================= 1. NEW FILES: NZCPR.LBR, FCP.LBR, RCP.LBR. 2. TCSELECT PROBLEM. 3. ERA.COM, REN.COM, SAVE.COM, ETC. 4. LSH REPLACES EASE. 5. NZBLITZ IS HERE! 6. MINOR UPDATE NOTES. 7. TO NEW Z-SYSTEM USERS. 8. ALERT ABOUT NZCPM.COM AND NZCOM.CCP 9. CHANGE IN MKZCM DEFAULT AND STANDARD RCP 10. NZBIO+.ZRL 1. NEW FILES: NZCPR.LBR, FCP.LBR, RCP.LBR. The main NZCOM.LBR now contains only the standard configurations of the CPR, FCP, and RCP modules to minimize disk space requirements. Alternative versions of these modules are now supplied in separate libraries. Modules can be loaded directly from these libraries, or individual files can be extracted and put into NZCOM.LBR to replace the default files. Each library has a brief DOC file describing the modules (one of which is the default version included in NZCOM.LBR). 2. TCSELECT PROBLEM. A problem has been discovered with the operation of TCSELECT as described in the manual. TCSELECT is a Z-System program and does not function reliably under CP/M (on some systems it causes a crash). Fortunately there is a simple fix: reverse the order of the instructions in the manual. Boot up NZ-COM before attempting to create MYTERM.Z3T, and run TCSELECT only after NZ-COM is running. Remember that you need both TCSELECT.COM and Z3TCAP.TCP to generate your .Z3T file. The entries in the Z3TCAP library for the Xerox computers has been patched to correct a long-standing error. 3. ERA.COM, REN.COM, SAVE.COM, ETC. The standard configuration of Z-System does not include resident commands for REN, DIR, or SAVE. These are provided instead as transient programs (COM files), and you should copy any that you need to your working disk. Several other functions that are often resident (but not always) are also provided as COM files. Many of these are type-4 programs (see the manual). We recommend using SDZ.COM as your standard directory display utility. It is far more functional than the resident DIR commands in either Z-System or CP/M, and it is designed to work properly under both. 4. LSH REPLACES EASE. EASE has been replaced by a newer, more versatile, and well-behaved program named LSH (Log SHell). Like EASE, LSH allows you to edit command lines using WordStar-like control. Consult LSH.WZ before use for general information and/or run HELPLSH while running LSH for a display of LSH's capabilities. LSHINST installs and customizes LSH to taste. Error handling is now taken care of by ZERR.COM, a separate program. Our great thanks to Rob Friefeld for writing these superb Z-System tools and for allowing us to include them with NZ-COM. 5. NZBLITZ IS HERE! NZBLITZ is now included with NZ-COM. True to its name, NZBLITZ loads NZCOM (and ZSDOS/ZDDOS, if present) in a flash, making it extremely helpful in saving and reloading a given system configuration. Once you have configured your system as wanted, log to drive A0: and type NZBLITZ NZLOAD. From now on, your startup to Z-System is MUCH faster; just type "NZLOAD". Be forewarned that NZBLITZ saves EVERYTHING as currently active, so be sure you are at the directory (usually A0:) you wish the system to start in, and be sure all active shells, flow states, terminal definitions, and so on are the desired ones before proceeding. See NZBLITZ.NZT for more information. 6. MINOR UPDATE NOTES. - The RCP WHLQ command no longer used. "WHL" alone displays the current wheel status. As before, "WHL password" turns the wheel byte on. "WHL xxx" now turns the wheel byte OFF if xxx is something other than the correct password. - ARUNZ is now a type-4 program which loads at the highest possible memory location so as to save lower memory for immediate re-execution with GO. See ARUNZ09R.DZC and TCJ31.MZG (as well as your NZ-COM or Z3PLUS manual) for more on the amazing ARUNZ. - VLU is no longer included, as it was not reliable. Please use LDIR, LGET, LPUT, and LT instead to manipulate library files. - At this writing, we are sorry to note that both Z-Node Central and the Lillipute Z-Nodes mentioned in Chapter 7 of your manual are out of service. Z-Nodes 2 and 3 are still going strong, however, as are the many others listed in ZNODES.LST. Z-Node 2 is the new Z-Node Central. We cannot recommend highly enough that you get a modem and investigate at least one Z-Node as a source of inspiration and support. - Version 5.0 of the ZEX batch processor replaces earlier versions. ZEX now runs under both NZ-COM and Z3PLUS and is a very powerful means of customizing programs and commands. The ZEX.RSX file mentioned in the manual is no longer required. See ZEX50.DZC for help. 7. TO NEW Z-SYSTEM USERS. - All files whose middle filetype character is "Z" (e.g., SAMPLE.DZC) are "crunched" files which must be uncompressed with LT.COM or UNCRUNCH.COM before use. - As outlined in section 4.3.2 of your manual, most Z-System programs have built-in help; type the name of any program followed by "//" for a short description if you are confused. - Finally, it is not at all necessary to master every nuance of the system before it becomes useful. Please don't try to devour all of Z-System at once. Instead, we suggest that you decide what aspects of the system you will find most helpful and try to master one or two of those before exploring further. We think you will find that if you choose wisely, learning one aspect fully not only makes that aspect of your computing world easier, it also equips you with the skills and confidence with which to surmount other aspects of Z-System more confidently. 8. ALERT ABOUT NZCPM.COM AND NZCOM.CCP Some users have been tripped up by the way NZCOM handles the generation of an NZCPM.COM file: it writes such a file only if one does not already exist. This speeds up loading of the system. However, should you ever make any change to your base CP/M system (such as installing ZSDOS/ZDDOS or a new version of the BIOS), you should be sure to erase the NZCPM.COM file so that NZCOM will create a new one the next time it is run. You should also be sure to use NZCOM and not NZBLITZ to load the system the first time after such a change. You should also be aware that warmboots of the NZ-COM Z-System are performed by loading the NZCOM.CCP file containing the image of the current command processor. This means that you must not change the diskette in the A: drive unless you have copied the **CURRENT** NZCOM.CCP file (if you only use one system configuration, the current version will not change) to the diskette you are going to place in the A: drive. 9. CHANGE IN MKZCM DEFAULT AND STANDARD RCP Carson Wilson and Rob Friefeld have made some major changes in the RCP code (see the DOC file in RCP.LBR). The standard RCP module is now 18 records long instead of 16. MKZCM.COM has been patched to provide this value as a default. 10. NZBIO+.ZRL The BIOS in some computers uses the Z80 index and alternate registers without saving them on the stack and restoring them. These computers include the TeleVideo 80x machines, the Oneac On!, the Zorba, and a number of other machines. Some programs (JETLDR and EDITNDR, for example) will not function properly under these conditions. The file NZBIO+.ZRL in NZCOM.LBR is a special version of the NZ-COM virtual BIOS that protects the Zilog registers across all BIOS calls. To use this BIOS, you much use MKZCM to allocate 4 records to the BIOS. If you observe strange behavior on your system with NZ-COM, you might want to try using this special BIOS. - End of RELEASE.NOT -