Subject: Info-Mac Digest V16 #307 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/mixed; boundary="Info-Mac-Digest" --Info-Mac-Digest Info-Mac Digest Sat, 05 Jun 99 Volume 16 : Issue 307 Today's Topics: [A] Two monitors, not quite in sync... [A]How to automatically add DOS extensions to Mac files ? [C] Mac OS: When is enough enough? [Q] MkLinux [Q] Virtual PC printing quality Dayna PC Ethernet card Driver Wanted! Either I have a problem w/Applescript... iMac networking Linux for Mac Looking for a QuarkXPress mailing list and info web sites making an installer using Applescript making an installer using Applescript MAXPower Upgrades OS 8.6 won't quit reading Windows CDs Speeding Up a PM 6100 Two monitors, not quite in sync... The Info-Mac Network is a volunteer organization that publishes the Info-Mac Digest and operates the Info-Mac Archive, a large network of FTP sites containing gigabytes of freely distributable Macintosh software. 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Or, click . * A full list of Info-Mac mirror sites is available at the URL below: * Search the archive at . Info-Mac volunteers include Gordon Watts, Adam C. Engst, Demitri Muna, Michael Bean, Liam Breck, Hugh Lewis, Tom Coradeschi, and Shawn Bunn. The Info-Mac Digest is sponsored in part by StarNine Technologies, developers of Internet server software for the Macintosh, including Web and email publishing systems. We'd also like to thank AOL for the main Info-Mac machine. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest Content-Type: multipart/digest; boundary="----------------------------" Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Info-Mac Digest V16 #307" ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 16:23:51 -0400 From: "Lewin A.R.W. Edwards" Subject: [A] Two monitors, not quite in sync... > and now when the monitors are both on there are slow-scrolling dark > bands on them, up on one monitor and down on the other. it takes about 3 > Anyone else seen this, or more importantly, _fixed_ it? Congratulations Bruce, you are the lucky winner of a slow beat effect; the two video cards are not putting out exactly the same syncrates and your beat effect is caused by that. The best thing to do is to move the monitors further apart (e.g. put the Mac in between the two monitors), but it sounds like you are pushing the envelope in that direction already. Your next best bet is to change the resolution or refresh rate on one of the monitors so that the beat is *FASTER*. If the beat is fast enough you won't notice it. Also try swapping the monitors around (physically, not the cables). It may be one monitor has a particularly noisy component on the left edge and the other has a particularly sensitive component on the right edge, and you've put the two monitors "nose to tail". There are more exotic things to try, such as magnetic shielding [this interference is an electromagnetic effect], but that's 'beyond the scope of this book' as they say. -- -- Lewin A.R.W. Edwards Embedded Engineer, Pragmatic Designs Inc Port Chester, NY ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 16:00:03 +0200 From: Hado.Hein@gmx.net (Hado Hein) Subject: [A]How to automatically add DOS extensions to Mac files ? > Does anyone know how to automatically add standard DOS extensions > to multiple Mac files eg to systematically add ".doc" to all MS-Word > files (under either Windows or better Mac-OS) ? Imho, unless someone wrote a system extension for that purpose it's not possible in the way you asked for. What you can do is use an AppleScript to read out files' type andor creator and then add the extension to the filename. Ongoing, which I did not look up, it might be possible to use the settings in PC Exchange Control Panel as lookup list. If not you will hav to hard-code this into your script. On the other hand, if you're doing something like a Golden Master (this means that you will be not working with these modified files, or you need to do this only some days a year) you may use "File Buddy" from the archieves to search for all files of a given type. Then you just need to suffix these files. I don't know if File Buddy can do this. Otherwise you max use an apple script of mine to accomplish this. ( There is one for prefixing, just change the string manipulation) HTH, -- Hado Hein, Berlin, Fed. Rep. of Germany find PGP and http in Headers ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 08:31:30 -0700 (PDT) From: Brian Wessels Subject: [C] Mac OS: When is enough enough? This is somewhere between a question and a comment for discussion, and it has probably come up before. When is the Mac OS enough? What is the (current) point of diminishing returns with upgrading? Judging from all the problems I see cited here and elsewhere, my current belief is that Mac OS 8.1 is the place to stay for quite a while. Lacking little more than Sherlock and fancy icons, it seems quite stable compared to reports on subsequent releases. Mac OS 8.5.1 may be a contender, but 8.6 or 8.5 certainly don't seem to be. And then there's all the questions of software compatibility, particularly with favorite old shareware utilities and such. 8.5 and on seem to break quite a few things, or at least require they be upgraded, with all the hassle that entails. I've been an enthusiastic Macophile for years, and 8.0 was the quickest upgrade I've ever made. But the problem reports and Adam Engst's cautionary preview of Mac OS NeXT have me reconsidering. Maybe it's time to hunker down with an OS version I know, and current versions of apps that already far outstrip my needs, and get something done instead of always tinkering about. I used to be baffled by folks who stayed with System 7.1 forever; now I'm beginning to understand. What's your opinion? === Brian Wessels work:wesselsb@nortelnetworks.com private:Brian_Wessels@yahoo.com This is my private, "permanent" email address. Worried about Y2K? Buy a Macintosh. Y2K safe since 1984. _________________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 23:13:18 -0700 From: "Dan O'Donnell" Subject: [Q] MkLinux Is anybody running MkLinux? On a P'book 3400 with minimal RAM? Any comments on the setup? DOD ========================================== "What I really want to know is: Are things getting better or are they getting worse?" -Laurie Anderson ========================================== ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 00:29:16 -0500 From: Don & Barb Batie Subject: [Q] Virtual PC printing quality How can I improve printing quality when using Virtual PC on my beige G3 printing to a HP 870 Cse over an AppleTalk network. I'm using QuickBooks 99 on the PC side and I want to be able to print checks, invoices, etc. Virtual PC forces me to use their Epsom driver which looks awful. Would StyleScript help if I used the PostScript drive supplied? Any other ideas? Don ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 17:11:01 -0400 From: "Ira Flatow" Subject: Dayna PC Ethernet card Driver Wanted! I've tried all of online drivers for the Dayna Communicard 10BaseT Ethernet card but my PB 190 is not able to use it. Sure, the card shows up on the desk top...but when opening Appletalk control panel and trying to select the pull down menu "other Ehtherne" all I get is an error message. Can nyone with a PB 190, a Dayna Ethernet card (now discontinued) who can supply me with a working driver? I"ve tried even Farallon drivers...but no avail. Thanks in advance. Ira -- ================================= Ira Flatow iflatow@stn2.com Host/Executive Producer - "Science Friday" News Director- "Science and Technology News Network" www.pbs.org/transistor www.sciencefriday.com www.stn2.net ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 09:13:38 -0400 From: jcr2@xcornell.edu (John Rethorst) Subject: Either I have a problem w/Applescript... In article <7j6l7q$1j1$1@grapevine.lcs.mit.edu>, digest@info-mac.org wrote: >>Finally, check out some of the online resources on Usenet and the Web >>where there are lots more people who can help you with this kind of thing. >Try submitting your question to applescript users or MacScript. You will >have to subscribe. On usenet, alt.comp.lang.applescript is very helpful. I like newsgroups better than mailing lists, just MHO, since I find them easier to navigate. -- John Rethorst Please delete the x for email. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 10:31:37 +0100 From: "Stewart Mackintosh" Subject: iMac networking Thanks to those who replied to my question. -- Best regards Stewart Mackintosh ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 23:02:12 -0700 From: "Dan O'Donnell" Subject: Linux for Mac A version of Posix on Info-Mac: ============== Mac06 - the UNIX/POSIX system running on top of MacOS. Mac06 is intended - but not limited to - learning UNIX on a Mac, running legacy UNIX software or developing new software. Mac06 features simple installation and runs in parallel with MacOS (7.x and later). Now, I am pleased to announce that a new release is available. Although the most recent version "mac06-0.93" is still a beta release it is already demonstrating how the system works. Compared to the previous versions, more bugs have been found, a lot of functions and commands have been completed, and now a PPC and a 68k version is available. You are cordially invited to try out! Additionally, I would like to ask you to fill in the FEEDBACK form and send your comments and suggestions to mailto:hns@computer.org Please have also a look at http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/Nikolaus_Schaller/mac06.html [Archived as /info-mac/gui/mac06-093.hqx; 7105K] ================= Also, iirc Tenon Intersystems makes a *unix variant . At 5:25 PM +0000 5/28/99, Reuben Halper wrote: >Are there any variants of Linux available for the Mac? > >Thanks, >Reuben Halper ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 16:12:11 +0200 From: Paolo Bartoli Subject: Looking for a QuarkXPress mailing list and info web sites I'm looking for a mailing list for QuarkXPress and web sites that carry infos on QXP. TIA ** Arch. Paolo Bartoli ** pbartoli@iname.com ** ** http://space.tin.it/arte/bpxba ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 03:59:52 -0500 From: Chaz Larson Subject: making an installer using Applescript At 12:58 PM -0400 6/1/1999, a brody wrote: >Dear Digest readers, >I would like to make an installer using Applescript instead of any of the >commercial applications out there, and wondered has anyone succeeded in >doing this? It would seem possible. Sure, it's possible. It's just typing. ;) >But so far I am having trouble >converting "path to" to a string so that it can be incorporated into a >launcher for the program I wish to add text to. For instance, I'd like to >copy a file off a CD I create and insert it into the preference folder for >the user. This just worked for me: tell application "Finder" activate set srcFile to "Mac OS 8.5:Utilities:Disk First Aid" set tgtLoc to path to preferences folder as string copy file srcFile to folder tgtLoc end tell but in this case the "as string" isn't required. Remove it and the script works just as well. What specifically are you having trouble doing? >I'd also like to be able to script several freeware installers >into the program. The feasibility of this is going to depend entirely on the specific freeware installers involved. I assume by this you mean that you want your installer to fire off the installer for FreePPP or somesuch. If all you want is for your installer to start up the freeware installer, then sure, that's trivial. That will leave it up to the user to complete the install. Your script could lurk in the background and pick up again when it sees that the freeware installer has gone away. If you want your installer to drive the freeware installer for your user and complete the install of whatever it is, then that will depend on whether the installer in question was built to be scriptable. Some are, some aren't. For example, both the Acrobat Reader 4.0 Installer and the QuickTime 4.0 installer are built with InstallVISE and so are scriptable. From an Applescript, you can select packages, target drives, and fire off installs. However, using an AppleScript to invoke an install made the Reader Installer go ahead and install, while the QuickTime installer sat at the intro screen waiting for me to select an install type. Similarly, the VisionDSP Demo install began but then put up a dialog asking if I had a MIDI interface. So, your success there will depend entirely on the specific installers you're sub-launching. chazl "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?" - Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction Chaz Larson - chaz at spamcop dot net - http://www.visi.com/~chaz ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 04 Jun 1999 09:15:33 -0400 From: jcr2@xcornell.edu (John Rethorst) Subject: making an installer using Applescript In article <7j6l7q$1j1$1@grapevine.lcs.mit.edu>, digest@info-mac.org wrote: >I would like to make an installer using Applescript instead of any of the >commercial applications out there, and wondered has anyone succeeded in >doing this? Yep. I'm just finishing one that works very well. I'm going to post the code to alt.comp.lang.applescript in the next couple of weeks. -- John Rethorst Please delete the x for email. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 08:49:32 +0100 From: Richard Platt Subject: MAXPower Upgrades Ted Logan wrote >>Looking for advice pro and con about upgrading my 7100/80 with a MAXPower >>G3 PDS Well I bought one of these and installed it in my 7300. I got the 300 MHz version. It's very good. I would pay more and get the 300 card, not the 266. Daly Jessup said the cards are very difficult to install, but I disagree. If you have never added any hardware to your Mac, it's possible you might find it challenging, but if you've done (eg) memory, it's a snap. The cards and driver seem to be compatible with EVERYTHING but there is one problem. The video card can't keep up with the processor, so the screen sometimes does not redraw completely. It's an irritation: the tiny "holes" get filled in over a matter of seconds. Put "urgent" in the subject line to send 30-word emails to my pager Richard Platt Telephone: (44) 1892 890741 Fax: (44) 1892 890951 Website: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/richard.platt/ ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 99 14:18:29 -0700 From: "B. J. Major" Subject: OS 8.6 won't quit In reply to: >If you have Speed doubler running then that is the culprit, try >turning off "Use faster network copy protocol". I don't have shut down problems ever and I use 8.6 on a PB G3 with Speed Doubler 8 active and in use and the above option of faster network copy protocol definitely ON (because I copy files over a network of various mixed old and new Macs). What I would suggest is to open the Speed Doubler control panel and INSTEAD, *uncheck* the "Keep Speed Doubler open" (at all times). If the person has had THAT option checked, I would suspect that is the culprit to blame. Regards, --bj Home Page mirror with links to my Classic tv Photo Galleries: ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 3 Jun 1999 04:06:49 -0500 From: Chaz Larson Subject: reading Windows CDs At 4:06 PM +0100 6/1/1999, Michel Treisman wrote: >I think I remember reading about a program that would let me open Windows CDs >on my PowerMac without the hassle of running VirtualPC or something like that >first. Is there such a program? Does anyone remember what it is called? If all you want to do is read the data, and this is an ISO9660 CD [as most Windows-compatible CDs are], then the base MacOS contains this functionality. Specifically, make sure all the following files are present in your extensions folder: Foreign File Access ISO 9660 File Access High Sierra File Access If what you want to do is actually *run* the software on the CD, then I'm afraid you'll need VirtualPC or equivalent. chazl "Oh, I'm sorry. Did I break your concentration?" - Samuel L. Jackson, Pulp Fiction Chaz Larson - chaz at spamcop dot net - http://www.visi.com/~chaz ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 03 Jun 1999 17:52:42 -0400 From: barker_m Subject: Speeding Up a PM 6100 Im considering a speedup to my 6100 by upgrading the CPU and or Disk. CPU: people have reported that they are "tricky" to install. Does that mean it was mechanically difficult, or was there all sort of software conflicts which had to be sorted out? Any experiences or recommendations for a PM 6100? DISK: Beleive it or not the original 250 mb drive is a little full. If I buy a new drive, what are the benefits of HFS+. Is it faster than a drive with regular HFS? I am assuming that a faster disk should improve overall performance when Virtual Memory is turned on. Java: Why is java so pitifully slow... Netscape 3.0 is slow, Netscape 4.5 is abysmal. IE 4.5 also a dog. I have OS 8.5, and 40 mb ram. Thanks. Mitch ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 4 Jun 1999 08:49:28 +0100 From: Richard Platt Subject: Two monitors, not quite in sync... Bruce I don't know why this problem occurs on one Mac, not the other, but when I ran two screens on my Mac I encountered something similar. The only solution is to keep moving them around. Pusing one away from you sometimes helps. Just an inch or two is often enough. >I recently got a PCI video card to hook up two monitors to my Mac ... > when the monitors are both on there are slow-scrolling dark >bands on them Put "urgent" in the subject line to send 30-word emails to my pager Richard Platt Telephone: (44) 1892 890741 Fax: (44) 1892 890951 Website: http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/richard.platt/ -------------------------------- --Info-Mac-Digest-- End of Info-Mac Digest ******************************