-=> ROY J. TELLASON wrote to WAYNE CHIRNSIDE <=-


 RJT> Still,  code is code and data is data.  I don't
"execute" stuff that I
 RJT> get as attachments that are supposed to be data,  and don't understand
 RJT> software that does.

I've gotten plenty of attachments I simply delete,
one that caught my  attention a while back was named
command.com and I can imagine the havoc that could
wreck. Somehow this worm had been slipping in without 
my mail listing it as an attachment.
I know the paperclip icon in Netscapes mail will send
a file that will self open a .jpg and this worm
is known to attach to these as well so perhaps that's how it
got in.
The antivirus sites make no mention of Netscape as I've configured
it or Win 3.1 being vulnerable but I found otherwise.
Heck on this system it's worse due to the fact the random
long filename executable with the wink prefix isn't identifiable
in 8.3
Outlook Express is suppose to be really vulnerable but that's
not news as far less clever malicious programs are propagated
by holes in that mailer.

 RJT> Cool.  I have one modem here that's supposed to have "voice"
 RJT> capabilities, but the software that was mentioned on the box
 RJT> wasn't _in_ the box when it was given to me.  The price being
 RJT> right (basically free),  I couldn't complain too much.

 WC>  I'd love to send you a copy but software piracy prevents me from
 WC> doing so.

 RJT> Well,  what software is it?  What platform does it run on?  Ah,  I see
 RJT> below...

 Found it at Best Buy's web site and www.supervoice.com
 
 WC> I believe it's quite inexpensive if I recall the enclosed upgrade
 WC> literature correctly.  

 RJT> The modem I have is a "Max-Tech Netpacer Pro",  and is
not a bad little
 RJT> modem, though it runs significantly hotter than the Courier I prefer
 RJT> for most data transfers.

 I suspect from my experience that any hardware voice modem will work 
 and a lot of Rockwell chipsets as well per the supported modem listing.
 I saved your modem type to file in my Roy directory so
 I can look it up later on the listed supported modems.
 Come to read my own manual and found out my SuperVoice does a lot more
 than I'd ever played with.
 I can call and receive my messages remotely, have it page me
 upon receiving a message, if I had a pager, does FAX forwarding  
 and a whole bunch of other stuff.
 Best yet I can get an upgrade CD for 32 bit O.S. for 15 bucks.
 
 RJT> What software are you using for those functions?  I have yet to get any
 RJT> sort of info on this stuff.

 WC> My copy reads SuperVoice 2.2 a product of Pacific Image
 WC> Communications.

 RJT> That *might* be what was supposed to come with this modem,  I don't
 RJT> know for sure as the box isn't handy.

 It's dead simple to install and setup and now comes in a wide variety
 of incarnations for home or business.
 My personal copy supports 99 voice mailboxes I believe  and
 offers scripting options for all sorts of custom applications
 and this isn't even the upgraded version!
 Mind you I bought the modem, 14,400, in 1995 with software for
 under 50 bucks. Mistakenly left my external non-voice 
  modem on when setting it up and it now does FAX at 28,800 and 
  voice on the 14,400 internal modem, weird.
  Pretty clever self install if you're using standard COM port
  addresses.
 
 WC> As I say I'll do a search and see what's available from them now.
 WC> Got to try some of the earlier freeware net voice utilities I've
 WC> downloaded off SimTel as I've got the mic and speakers hooked
 WC> directly to the modem now.

 RJT> I have a headset here,  don't remember if it came with that or not.
 RJT> There's also some voice control software in a box around here
 RJT> someplace,  maybe it came with that.  I never tried it,  gave it to my
 RJT> brother to try and he didn't care for how fussy it was.

 That stuff is improving all the time.
 
 WC> All this on a lowly 486 running Windows 3.1, just wait until I
 WC> move back into Linux with more dedication.

 RJT> A 486?  Cool.

 WC> Hey when you're dirt poor you use what you've got.

 RJT> Yer talkin' to a guy who's had to "make do" for *years*...
 
 Same here.

 WC> I've seen some really cutting edge systems used by end users that
 WC> are not nearly as well configured, multimedia apps in most cases
 WC> being far superior however in later equipment.

 RJT> Yeah,  I guess they would be.  Though I don't have a problem with the
 RJT> music I've been playing so far.  I haven't tried to push things past
 RJT> that yet.  Maybe at some point I'll get a video capture card or
 RJT> something.

 I'll be looking that way after I build a bare bones cutting edge system
 after the salvaged Pentium is up and running.
 I really want to get one of those remote color transmitting video 
 cameras off www.x10.com
 
WC> Doesn't it offer the option of setting up a swap file?

 RJT> Hell,  I have a swap partition on that machine (and on the other one,
 RJT> too). Why they insist on their install wanting that much physical ram I
 RJT> just don't know.  Unless it's a "show"...

Couldn't say, haven't played in that area for way too long.

 WC> My Slackware 1.1.59 would install on the original Packard Bell
 WC> with 4 Meg. SMT RAM but only if you created a swap file first off
 WC> the boot and root disks. currently the 486 here has 20 Meg.

 RJT> Even Slack 8.0 has some stuff in there that'll let you install on a 4M
 RJT> system, I think.  Dunno that I'd want to,  but...  Heck,  even old 386
 RJT> boards which use 30-pin ram will hold 8M if I fill 'em all up.  People
 RJT> were throwing that stuff away and I kept on picking it up.  Even 256K
 RJT> parts are useful for something.

 I've tossed a bit of that, I draw the line at 8 Meg. sticks.

 RJT> How big a drive are you planning to get?  It should be easy enough to
 RJT> chunk up a largish new drive to install several distros on it and then
 RJT> have your choice as to what to boot into.  Some directories and a swap
 RJT> partition can be shared among all of them.
 
 WC> on jumper setup... or even a DX4 -100. All my original software on
 WC> disks and four tapes I feel reasonably secure now :-)

 RJT> Just make sure you can *read* that stuff!  :-)

 I DO need to diskcopy the original setup disks as my second
 copy disks had failures but than that software is becomming
 unusable as even now the latest release of Netscape 4.08
 for 16 bit O.S. locks up on some sites :-(

 Well I attempted an install of 95 the other night but it appears
 the unopened copy given to me was intended for an NEC or
 Dell and only offers three types of CD-ROM's to install from
 so I'd already fdisked my drive.
 The NEC in the other room would hold real promise for the 
 Win 95 install but for the fact I'm certain the 40X
 Acer CD-ROM is not the original CD-ROM drive.
 These backup tapes are rather old which is why I made four copies
 of the same data. One tape wouldn't take data until I retentioned
 and reformatted it *5* times yet it went through a verify  
 cycle without problem and despite being the worst tape of the four
 reinstalled my system w/o problem :-)
 Further if the tape reads at all it offers the ability to 
 selectively install files and directories so between 4 tapes I feel 
 secure.
 
 WC> The A drive on the Pentium died as well so there goes another nine
 WC> bucks,  plus 4 dollars for a CMOS battery available at Radio
 WC> Shack.

 RJT> I don't worry about batteries too much in machines that never get
 RJT> turned off...

 Heh. I find it rather easy to memorize the CMOS settings as well.
 Seems the more obscure the information the easier I remember it
 while common day to day stuff requires a text file for me to recall.
 My old Packard Bell, half of this one was on for five years 
 continually and now with this one's power saver features and
 answering machine software...
 
 WC>  Well with 40 - 80 Gig to play with...

 RJT> Yeah.    I'm still looking forward to getting into some
of those new
 RJT> big drives...

I was a tad worried about compatability but the motherboard manual
for the Epox board I downloaded says the drive on their controller
can be anything back to ata 66.

 WC> Well the 1540B jumper file should be in your mail today, if not
 WC> just let me know and I'll resend as I've reformatted the page and
 WC> saved it.

 RJT> I guess it'll get here when it gets here.  The emails I answered in
 RJT> this session seem to be a bit earlier.  This ain't your typical dialup
 RJT> 'net connection I'm using.

 I gathered that some time back.
 Some kind of gateway that used to be popular with local dialups a
 while back?
 I can recall using gateways with offline readers and a couple of
 lines kludged in where you could send to net e-mail from fido
 and vice versa, was spretty kool but haven't seen that sort
 of access available much lately.
 Heck I'm unaware of even one local dialup BBS. 

 WC> I've still got the salvaged Pentium scheduled to go online in
 WC> January. Got the software modem drivers already saved on this box,
 WC> don't know about the PCI Sound card drivers yet or the Acer 40X
 WC> CD-ROM driver but that can wait until January and anyway isn't that
 WC> _supposed_ to be taken care of with plug and pray?

 RJT> Heh.  I managed to go through all the stuff you have to go through to
 RJT> get an ISA sound card working under linux,  where PnP ain't automatic,
 RJT> and I got it working,  but I can't figure out why the SB16 (PCI) card I
 RJT> tried in there didn't work.  Not yet,  anyhow.

Yeah, I never got the kludge to get X-windows running on the darn
Headlands Tech. onboard video, bet it would work fine here on this one
with Cirris card.

 WC> I might try booting the fried drive with 98 on it to DOS, this I've
 WC> already done, than using long file name xcopy xcopy everything on
 WC> the drive to the new drive and using the 98 image boot disk that
 WC> was sent to me see if I can't get 98 up and running, snag the
 WC> drivers there and then delete and load my legal copy of 95.

 RJT> Good luck with it.

Still about 6 weeks off before I acquire the parts to take a run at 
it but I suspect it won't be too difficult to get it going
some way. With all the trouble Windows 95 and 98 have given me so
far if it dogs on the Pentium I'll make that system Linux only
and load Mozzilla and WordStar.
Have you mnoticed that certain distros of Linux are going  
commercial and prices are rising on those as it begins to
become operator friendly enough to give Gates' buggy
stuff a run for it's money?
Read several cases of commercial businesses going Linux at enormous 
software savings.
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