1237a09c7b2c
tech



Hello Wayne - 

WC>> There's a prompt screen on opening MM for both save
WC>> messages and read bulletin and all too often I'd hit enter
WC>> twice both opening MM and deleting unsent messages :-( I
WC>> grew annoyed at having written extensive texts,
WC>> inadvertantly deleted them before uploading only to find
WC>> the cluster unrecoverable due to having been overwritten. 

CA>> This was my first reason to abandon MM. Happened to me
CA>> once too often. 

WC> The author changed it on my suggestion, now default is to
WC> save. 

I asked him to change it he refused I dumped MM as my OLR. 

--8<--cut 

WC> The other post being the one regarding the list server
WC> which the few times I've tried to join has been
WC> unresponsive to adding a user :-( 

I'm told there have been interruptions at the SOFTCON server
but I have no idea how often or what it was about. Have you
tried using just email to subscribe? 

WC> I also recently noted that www.dell.com returns "no data in
WC> document" when I attempt to load their site, got there
WC> once, or any of their links which always return "no data."
WC> Since you're also running Win 3.1 and NSC 4.08 mind letting
WC> me know if you've any luck? 

I will double check but did notice I got a blank screen
attempting to access www.dell.com recently. I think I was using
Opera and never did try Netscape. My NS v4.08 will often access
websites that Opera v3.62 cannot (javascript problems usually). 

--8<--cut 

WC> A daunting task however if one thinks about the
WC> permutations :-( I'll have to post my inquiry in
WC> newsgroups. Perhaps we need to START a Basic Linux
WC> newsgroup? 

Based on my personal experiences when authoring BBS software I
would guess that Steven D. would become discouraged and stop
work on BasicLinux within the year if exposed to random public
messaging in a newsgroup for/about BasicLinux. 

People getting free software can be extremely demanding and
nasty when they don't get a special version for their favorite
hardware whatever. You have to experience it to really know how
extreme it is but it requires a thick skin and to focus on the
majority who appreciate what you are doing for them. Otherwise
it crushes you. 

--8<--cut 

WC>> I've made two fido inquiries so far, no joy. Need to
WC>> inquire in the alt.os.slackware.linux newsgroup. 

You might get more help if you refer to this as Slack v3.5
rather than as BasicLinux. I've tried that newsgroup and it got
ugly when they insisted I was in the wrong newsgroup because I
referred to it as BasicLinux and not Slack v3.5. 

CA>> Ask Verizon if possible? 

WC> BWAHAHAHA... I've dealt with their tech support. Might just
WC> as well ask Jeb Bush ;-) Even senior techs are a real
WC> crapshoot and it take a LOT of time to find a knowledgable
WC> one. 

I ask for the supervisor then ask which supervisor sits at a
*nix console. Once I get them I ask them to read aloud the
contents of various config files and go from there. 

--8<--cut 

CA>> BasicLinux version 2.0 will be based on SlackWare v7.1
CA>> when finished. 

WC> Yeah right, I'll be pretty much configured in 1.7 by than I
WC> suppose and I'll want to nuke it. Many of the hotlist.html
WC> URL's currently listing Slackware 3.5 sites are no longer
WC> valid so I guess moving to 7.1 is a necessary and good move. 

The entire Slack v3.5 set of CDs can be had for 99 cents plus
shipping from the company linked at my website. 

--8<--cut 

WC>> I'm just snagging it off the net. There's a new "Victor"
WC>> release linked to the Basic Linux site that occupies under
WC>> 350 meg full install for a 486 with 16 meg RAM. A Canadian
WC>> offers his particular "Victor" release shipped 15 dollars
WC>> U.S. with manual. 

CA>> That's 'Vector' with an "e". I never asked Steve why he
CA>> linked to that particular mini-install but I'm guessing he
CA>> thinks it's a good one? 

WC> Saw someone having trouble with it in alt.os.slackware.linux 

Depends what 'trouble' and why. People will try to install
Linux on anything and everything thinking it is like Windows
and will do a pnp for them. 

WC> My problem on this machine is the blasted proprietary
WC> Creative CD-ROM sbpcd in Linuxspeak. Loads fine off the
WC> disk, recognizes ALL the hardware but booting from DOS
WC> leads to kernel panic while LILO works. Probably just need
WC> to add the sbpcd parameter to the boot image file as I've
WC> seen somewhere in the docs. Later releases it will likely
WC> be too much of a pain to support the sbpcd so it'll have to
WC> wait on the Pentium with EIDE CD. 

I have one of those sb cards and the CD for it. Never tried to
install both into anything though. 

--8<--cut 

CA>> I _used_ to hear that VI was a requirement but not as
CA>> often anymore. The SCO editor looks just like MSDOS EDIT
CA>> and there 

WC> SCO ain't cheap! Or wasn't in 1994. 

When I first had the brainstorm to switch to Unix the machine
would have cost $12,000 and the SCO Unix was another $5,000. I
decided Unix couldn't do that much for me. I was wrong about
that but at the time Unix users were almost outcasts. :-) 

--8<--cut 

CA>> It is nice to have _something_ that can get you back
CA>> online when your main system goes down and BasicLinux can
CA>> execute without a hard drive. :-) 

WC> Haven't made up the two disk portable set yet and it' not
WC> something I'd often have the opportunity to use though it'd
WC> be a hoot to haul over to my landladies house. 

My 'PeepHole' W31 on a diskette is really just for fun. When
people see W31 on their new computer they go bananas. :-) 

WC> Landlady has cable modem but geez she's using Windows XP on
WC> a machine really not up to the task, under 800 MHz so it's
WC> slower than Win 3.1 on the 66 MHz 486 dialup 28800!!! I
WC> walked away from the machine in disgust. Win XP sure is
WC> pretty... a lot like an oil painting ;-) 

I remember you mentioning it. I've never seen a 'virgin' XP
install. My kids (girls) immediately pretty up the desktop
often using pink colored things and it's really a bit sickening
IMO. They like it though. 

>
>        ,                                        ,
>      o/      Charles_Angelich  - DOS Ghost       \o       ,
>       __o/
>     / >  www.undercoverdesign.com/dosghost/faf/  < \   __\__
 

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