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295 lines
13 KiB
295 lines
13 KiB
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RELEASE.NOT - UPDATE INFORMATION ON Z3PLUS
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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 1.02E involves a significant updating of the support utilities
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that we distribute as a courtesy with Z3PLUS. We suggest that any Z-System
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user who is not in regular contact with a Z-Node consider taking advantage
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of the Z-System Software Update Service (ZSUS). Here are some of the
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important changes 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
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or with CFG files stored in the CONFIG.LBR library. For example,
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try running the command "ZCNFG ZLT". ZCNFG will automatically
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extract ZLT15.CFG from CONFIG.LBR.
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LBREXT.COM:
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This replaces LGET for extracting member files from LBR library
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files.
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ZHELP.COM, LBRHELP.COM, HLPFILES.LBR:
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ZHELP (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
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latest 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
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"COPY //" for syntax information. It replaces a dangerously
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defective copy 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
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editor 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
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with sluggish disk drives, even if the files have been placed in
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optimal locations. Some of the RCP modules supplied no include an
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RCP-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
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file 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
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powerful (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
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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
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file 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
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includes descriptions of all the programs, but it would fill up an
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entire diskette!
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Notes of November 5, 1989
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=========================
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1. TCSELECT PROBLEM.
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2. LSH REPLACES EASE.
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3. COPY LDIR.COM TO A0:.
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4. CHOICE OF MODULE SIZES.
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5. YOU NEED REN.COM.
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6. ZHELP.COM.
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7. OSBORNE EXECUTIVE ROM BUG.
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8. SMARTKEY BUGS.
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9. COMPATIBILITY WITH BYE.
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10. MINOR UPDATE NOTES.
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11. TO NEW Z-SYSTEM USERS.
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12. NEW DEFAULTS AND NEW FILES: FCP.LBR, RCP.LBR.
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1. 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 Z3PLUS before attempting to create MYTERM.Z3T, and run TCSELECT only
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after Z3PLUS 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 have been patched to correct a long-standing error.
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2. 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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3. COPY LDIR.COM TO A0:.
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We neglected to include LDIR.COM in the list of files to copy to your A0:
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directory. Some of the examples in the manual will not work correctly if
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LDIR is not available as a command.
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4. CHOICE OF MODULE SIZES.
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Because of the page alignment of the Z3PLUS system, if the total number of
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records required by the NDR, FCP, and RCP combined is an odd number, you
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can generally increase the size of one of the modules by 1 record without
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losing any additional TPA. We have, therefore, increased the number of
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names in the NDR from 14, as stated in the manual, to 21. Until you reach
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a large number of names (more than 60), you can figure one record of memory
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for each 7 names.
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5. YOU NEED REN.COM.
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Because there is no resident REN command with the standard version of
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Z3PLUS, you should copy the transient version TY4REN.COM to directory A0:
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under the name REN.COM.
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6. ZHELP.COM.
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The standard form of HELP.COM sets up a file control block with the file
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type H?P in it so that either an HLP or a squeezed HQP file can be opened.
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While this works with a CP/M-2.2 BDOS (which is happy to open the first
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file that matches a wildcard FCB), it is trapped as an error by the
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CP/M-Plus BDOS. The version of ZHELP distributed with Z3PLUS has been
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patched to look only for HLP files. If you pick up any later releases of
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this program, it is possible that you will experience this problem. We
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will try to alert the programming community to this problem so that future
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Z-System programs will be compatible with CP/M-Plus.
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7. OSBORNE EXECUTIVE ROM BUG.
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Testing on an early version (1.20) of the Executive's boot ROM showed that
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Z3PLUS would not load because the ROM misused the Z80 index registers.
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Version 1.21 of the Osborne Executive ROM works correctly and is available
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from FOG (First Osborne Group). Alternatively, a utility named TPATCH is
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available on bulletin boards. TPATCH can be run after cold-booting the
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Executive, and before Z3PLUS is loaded.
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8. SMARTKEY BUGS.
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Smartkey II version 1.0A will often not run on banked-memory CP/M Plus
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computers; this problem is more likely to occur if Z3PLUS is loaded. The
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SUBMIT file PATCHSK.SUB, which installs PATCH4SK.HEX into Smartkey, appears
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to correct this bug.
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If you use Smartkey, read the submit file carefully, be sure you have
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exactly this version of Smartkey and the other necessary files, and test on
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your system.
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We and other users would appreciate hearing from you whether/how-well this
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works. We cannot support the Smartkey product but will be happy to make
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the source code of the patch available for others to develop further.
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9. COMPATIBILITY WITH BYE.
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BYE, the remote access program for CP/M, causes some difficulties when run
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with Z3PLUS. In technical terms, BYE alters the bytes in the CP/M-Plus SCB,
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which Z3PLUS uses to tell when a CP/M-Plus SUBMIT job is running, and BYE
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does not restore these bytes on exit. Since SUBMIT jobs have a higher
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priority than shells in the Z-System command hierarchy, BYE causes Z3PLUS
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to simply return when the user attempts to run shell programs such as
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ZFILER or LSH under (or after) BYE.
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If you MUST use shells with BYE, you can remove SUBMIT job detection by
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installing the patch below. The only drawback is that SUBMIT and shells
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will no longer run concurrently. However, the new ZEX 5.0 (included in
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this package) surpasses SUBMIT for all purposes except startup of Z3PLUS
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(not affected by the patch) and extremely TPA-critical situations, so this
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should not be a problem.
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The patch is as follows. Extract your DEFCP3.ZRL file from Z3PLUS.LBR.
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Use a patcher to look at the first page of the file. You should find the
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string "Z3PLUSCP 6/25/88 v 1.00". If so, go to offset 985 hex in the file.
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The two bytes at this location should be D6 and C3 hex. Change them to AF
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AF. Now use LPUT or NULU to put DEFCP3.ZRL back in Z3PLUS.LBR and restart
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Z3PLUS.
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10. 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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11. 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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12. NEW DEFAULTS AND NEW FILES: FCP.LBR, RCP.LBR.
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To minimize disk space requirements, Z3PLUS.LBR contains only some standard
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configurations of the FCP and RCP modules. Alternative versions of these
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modules are now supplied in separate libraries. Modules can be loaded
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directly from these libraries, or individual files can be extracted and put
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into Z3PLUS.LBR to replace the default files. Each library has a brief DOC
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file describing the modules (some of which are the default versions included
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in Z3PLUS.LBR).
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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, and the large RCP module is 36 records long. The system
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configuration files DEFAULT.Z3P and LARGE.Z3P have been edited to reflect
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these changes. The TPA requirements listed on page 54 of the manual are no
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longer correct.
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- End of RELEASE.NOT -
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