--------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00036 Date: 04/27/98 From: ROGER SCUDDER Time: 12:50pm \/To: JACK STEIN (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: alas Hello Jack. 20 Apr 98 08:08, Jack Stein wrote to Jan Murphy: JS> I "started" to install MAX about 3-4 years ago, got it mostly ready to go, JS> and that's how it still sits, almost ready to go... I plan on proving that JS> OPUS will run just fine in the new millinium... or not. You may be aware that binary patches are being developed for Timed and NetMgr. If they work out, and I see no reason they should not, it may be possible to get the authors to do the same for Opus. Of course, there are several versions of Opus in use... just which one(s) would/could be patched is another question to consider. Roger --- Msged/2 4.10 * Origin: New Potato Caboose BBS, Upper Darby, PA, USA (1:273/404@fidonet) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00037 Date: 04/26/98 From: LEE AYRTON Time: 09:48am \/To: JACK STEIN (Read 0 times) Subj: Yoohoo One fine Fri in Apr, Jack Stein wrote to Lee Ayrton: JS> Lee Ayrton wrote in a message to Fausto Carvalho: LA> I'm here, but I just got here. Anyone care to bring me up LA> to date? JS> Hark, are you a new OPUS user. Well, not really. I'm an _old_ OPUS user who recently got back into the nodelist -- my last BBS was up from c1988 to c1992. I still wear my mirrorshades when firing up the BBS. I keep a Nerf Bat handy in case the system irks me. I refrain from drinking beer whilst cobbling .BAT files. I regard it a happy accident that the software runs here. The tearline won't show it but I'm running OPUS 1.03b -- and that's only because I can't find the slime-patch to make the leap year corrected "c" version. BinkleyTerm and QM round out the package. Color me "Gleeful Luddite." JS> many questions, most of us I bet, have had OPUS running on JS> it's own for so long we forgot how it works:-) Not a problem -- I _frequently_ forget how it works, but that's OK since the version I'm running forgets what it is and what it isn't supposed to do -- like allowing Bink to hand it 14.4 connects. OPUS scratches its feathered little head and merrily allows the session. To my great surprise and ight. JS> As far as up to date, were working on that problem, so far, JS> we got so far as to JS> turn the date back to 12/31/99 as part of our mid-night JS> maintenance:-) Ah. The Year 2K rears its inconvienent head. Actually, what I was wondering about was the general din of moaning I'd heard. I gathered that it was over the lack of a new, shinier version not being done yet. JS> The lights are still on though, although they are flashing, JS> welcome to Meadow and OPUS. Thanks. It's nice to be back. JS> Note to James Walton: If this guy is a new opus sysop, then JS> you are no longer the last new opus sysop on earth... sorry... I'd gleefully take that WOC Merit Badge, but I can't. There's another OPUS BBS going up a few miles from me, this one a v1.79. She should appear in the `Diff in a week or two. I'll take a Merit Badge for "Last surviving OPUS 1.03" though. B-) --- msged 2.07 * Origin: Anxiety_Closet (1:320/455) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00038 Date: 04/26/98 From: LEE AYRTON Time: 09:44am \/To: JAMES WALTON (Read 0 times) Subj: Yoohoo One fine Sat in Apr, James Walton wrote to Jack Stein: JS> Hark, are you a new OPUS user. You are a little late, hope you JS> don't have too many questions, most of us I bet, have had OPUS JS> running on it's own for so long we forgot how it works:-) JW> I confess. I never knew how it worked. I just came home JW> from work one day and it was running smoothly. The basic sicentific principle behind OPUS (and much of FidoNet, for that matter) is ... [drum roll] ... Magic. Probably Gray Magic. JS> Note to James Walton: If this guy is a new opus sysop, then JS> you are no longer the last new opus sysop on earth... sorry... JW> Doh! I'm not really a Newbie, I'm just returning. [Bad mimicry of Yoda mode ON] But there is another... --- msged 2.07 * Origin: Anxiety_Closet (1:320/455) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00039 Date: 04/30/98 From: JACK STEIN Time: 07:54pm \/To: FAUSTO CARVALHO (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Yoohoo Fausto Carvalho wrote in a message to Jack Stein: > JS: As far as up to date, were working on that problem, so far, we > JS: got so far as to turn the date back to 12/31/99 as part of our > JS: mid-night maintenance:-) FC> Errrr... Not so easy... I remember something about being FC> wise to never set the clock ahead :-) I've done that 3 times in seven years, caught it quickly twice, the third time I didn't know it until it was too late. Really gets funky when you run a bunch of utilities from a seperate scheduler that do things like count messages and so on and depend on renumbering occuring _after_ they run... yuck. Jack --- timEd/2-B11 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR16.8 Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00040 Date: 04/30/98 From: JACK STEIN Time: 07:59pm \/To: ROGER SCUDDER (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: alas Roger Scudder wrote in a message to Jack Stein: JS> I plan on proving that OPUS will run just fine in the new JS> millinium... or not. RS> You may be aware that binary patches are being developed RS> for Timed and NetMgr. I've heard it meantioned re: TimED, Hope it gets done. Hope we're around to use it. RS> If they work out, and I see no reason they should not, it may RS> be possible to get the authors to do the same for Opus. I doubt it. For some reason, the _owner(s)_ of the code seem happy to watch it disappear into the night, regardless of how the users feel about running it. I would be interested in hearing exactly what the thoughts are on this from Winn, or whomever is in control. Jack --- timEd/2-B11 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR16.8 Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5G00041 Date: 04/30/98 From: JACK STEIN Time: 08:07pm \/To: LEE AYRTON (Read 0 times) Subj: Yoohoo Lee Ayrton wrote in a message to Jack Stein: LA> The tearline won't show it but I'm running OPUS 1.03b -- and LA> that's only because I can't find the slime-patch to make LA> the leap year corrected "c" version. BinkleyTerm LA> and QM round out the package. Color me "Gleeful Luddite." Oh my, and I was wondering if you were new.... JS> many questions, most of us I bet, have had OPUS running on JS> it's own for so long we forgot how it works:-) LA> Not a problem -- I _frequently_ forget how it works, but LA> that's OK since the version I'm running forgets what it is LA> and what it isn't supposed to do -- like allowing Bink to LA> hand it 14.4 connects. OPUS scratches its feathered little LA> head and merrily allows the session. To my great surprise LA> and delight. Seems Opus doesn't mind what speed you run at, it just wants you to lie a little, and it'll run about anything I guess. I still run a 16.8, getting ready to actually buy a new modem though, soon as I figure out what to buy. JS> As far as up to date, were working on that problem, so far, JS> we got so far as to turn the date back to 12/31/99 as part of JS> our mid-night maintenance:-) LA> Ah. The Year 2K rears its inconvienent head. LA> Actually, what I was wondering about was the general din of LA> moaning I'd heard. LA> I gathered that it was over the lack of a new, shinier LA> version not being done yet. Nah, all that moaning was over when Trev upgraded 1.73 to 1.79 and no one noticed, or cared other than to bitch and moan a little because it didn't fix this or that little nat. He also didn't seem happy to do a ton of work for a few people... I don't blame him a bit. About the only complaints I've had are that OPUS thinks everyone connects at 9600, and my newest complaint, that the goofy bird thinks 3 gigs free is not enough memory to let a user write a message... has no problem tossing a few thousand into the same din though... LA> I'd gleefully take that WOC Merit Badge, but I can't. LA> There's another OPUS BBS going up a few miles from me, this LA> one a v1.79. She should appear in the `Diff in a week or LA> two. LA> I'll take a Merit Badge for "Last surviving OPUS 1.03" LA> though. B-) I want a merit badge for being the last sysop running a "dead" BBS on a "dead" OS, but George won't go away:-) Jack --- timEd/2-B11 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR16.8 Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5H00000 Date: 05/11/98 From: JACK STEIN Time: 07:17am \/To: ROGER SCUDDER (Read 0 times) Subj: alas Roger Scudder wrote in a message to Jack Stein: RS> The first programmers, I'm talkin' pre-Assembler, programmed RS> in machine language. It can be done. The question is, will RS> anyone _who can_ care enough to take the time to do it. RS> I'm not holding my breath. ;-) That's good, cause we'd miss you:-) RS> BTW - have you been doing any programming lately? After completing my last project with some help from you and others, I've been away from it pretty much. I'm just getting started setting up a web site on our intranet at work, so had to learn HTML. For those not familar, it is an OEC language for internet browsers. I guess I'll be getting into cga soon enough. Pretty nice how fast this stuff is over T1 lines and no modems:-) RS>> Giving out the source would be sort of like an artist letting RS>> everyone scribble all over his painting. JS> How the "artist" feels about this would be interesting to know, and could JS> be written on the old OPUS tombstone, or whatever. RS> Have you ever tried to contact him... Maybe he would not RS> mind talking about Opus if you start by saying that you are RS> not there to bug him or try to get him to resume RS> development. No, never tried, not into it that much, just thought it would be interesting to know. Perhaps someone with a closer relationship will ask him. I've never seen any of these guys post a message on Fido other than a very brief stint from Doug Boone a few years back. Only Trev showed any interest in OPUS, Fido and us over the years, and he tossed in the towel, and we all know exactly what his thoughts are on OPUS. Jack --- timEd/2-B11 * Origin: Jack's Free Lunch 4OS2 USR16.8 Pgh Pa (412)492-0822 (1:129/171) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5H00001 Date: 05/11/98 From: JOHN NEMMER Time: 07:00pm \/To: JAN MURPHY (Read 0 times) Subj: Opus salvage/archive project anyone? JM> JM> Okay, guys -- JM> JM> All this talk of tracking down bits and pieces of stuff JM> As time has gone by, various people like Heather and JM> Trev had made offers to send copies of their entire JM> collections of files, and like a fool, I didn't take JM> Heather up on it. Now I'm sitting here wondering what I have heathers files on tape here. havn't used them for about what 3 - 4 years? any way I also have the files trev gave ( I apologize) someone the sent me. I do not have them online right now because I trimmed everything down during the software switch. If you could emeail me with addy and stuff I will see If I can get all this stuff on a zip drive. there are quite a bit of "missing file" entries in the file.bbs but the majority of them are there I was going to track down these files and see about burning some cds but personal matter came up. only thing is I would appriciate sending back any of the "missing files" you may find or have. Wanted at one time to be a opus archive site. John Nemmer --- Opus 1.73 GEcho1.11+ * Origin: Scouter's Haven (412) 488-8960 (1:129/186) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5I00000 Date: 05/12/98 From: IAN SMITH Time: 01:10pm \/To: JACK STEIN (Read 0 times) Subj: Old OPUS gack. Hi Jack, RS> Does anyone have or know where I can get the structures for RS> the version 6 and 7 nodelist specs? Especially the specs RS> for NODEX.DAT, NODEX.NDX, SYSOP.NDX ? RS> If you have them, would you please send them to me via RS> e-mail attach at rscudder@usa.net? JS> I have OPUS_API.ZIP that has the structs for V7 nodelist. JS> I'll see if I can get them to you, might as well sent the JS> whole thing. OPUS_API doesn't really give too many clues, as the Opus V7 implementation used the proprietory (though very inexpensive) Mix C Database library to do most of the real work. Knowing the raw record structs tells you very little indeed about how the indices are organised, built, or have to be accessed. The Binkley 2.60 sources (BSRC260.*) have an open read-only V7 implementation, not too hard to follow and moderately well enough documented, if you vaguely understand B+ Trees. Related to the above, and currently being incorporated into Binkley XE, the latest FastLst builds 'V7+', a backwards-compatible superset of V7, with access to all full original nodelist fields, plus support of FSC-0062 (Txy online times flags), rings of same-phone and same-sysop nodes and various other goodies. Its docs also describe operation of the original V7 nodelist about the best I've yet seen it done, with structs, pseudocode, some source. FLST2201.* or later, almost certainly ftp'able from juge.com .. actually that's the OS/2 version, I'd expect the DOS one to be called FLSTD201.* .. Ian --- * Origin: Puddin'/4 0266-891-847 (01-07AEST) free to a good home (3:626/660) --------------- FIDO MESSAGE AREA==> TOPIC: 195 MEADOW Ref: F5I00001 Date: 05/13/98 From: MICHELE MARIE DALENE Time: 12:41am \/To: JAN MURPHY (Read 0 times) Subj: Re: Opus salvage/archive project anyone?00:41:4005/13/98 Chris BAker still is maintaining his collection. I have almost the entire thing. TAlk to Ma Bell, she got my money from that move. UGH@ 14 mbs over the phone. I would like to see what we can dig up. BTW for my collection list, if the computer would stop crashing due to bad power from CL&P (Connecticut Light and Power). freq files from 1:320/2214. BTW does anyone have a working UPS? I need one. or my board may have to close during the summer. Blackouts are going to be happening in the 'alley' and I get tired of restarting this thing every hour! I already stocked up on Wicks and Kerosene. Too bad I don't have a Natural Gas generator. or for that mater a gas refrigerator. Michele Marie Dalene --- Opus-CBCS 1.79.x * Origin: Planet Maca's Opus (860)-423-7746 (1:320/2214.0)