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