Conference bulova::decw_jan-89_to_nov-90

    
    All of these problems are fixed in VMS V5.2-X40J-A. Unfortunately, 
    V5.2-X40J-A (which will be released on Friday) does not support the
    FAX 3100: the entire FAX product line was retired just this morning
    after enjoying a healthy two-month life cycle. The replacement
    machine, codenamed WOMBAT, will be announced on Monday (DEC will be
    renting the Taj Mahal and a nuclear submarine for the occassion).
    
    As a workaround, do a remote boot of your FAX from your VCR and set the
    "ring threshhold" of your answering machine to 3. Make sure, if you
    have any widgets lying around, to place them in your kitchen utility
    drawer. 
    
    Hope this helps.
    

RE: .0

The "icon box" serves two purposes.  First, it gives you a place to put little
nativity scenes, statues of the Virgin Mary, etc.  Secondly, it gives you a
place to watch news reports of corporate takeovers (oops... that's the Icahn
box, not the icon box.  Sorry.).

If you find paged pools on your kitchen floor, not to worry.  They've discovered
a memory leak in the DECwindows server code.  There will be a MOP on the next
VMS kit to clean this problem up.

--PSW

    Re .0:
    
    We have no knowledge of anything involving the Icon contra scandel.
    
    1... 2... 3...  (GROAN big time :-))
    
    Mike

    I can only conclude that your pane is self-inflicted....
    
    ANdy

	I have just heard that Inspector Gadget is suing MIT for
	the use of the term Widget in their user interface. I
	think that this is most unfair as the Inspector is not a
	multiMedia Personality (Cartoon only i.e.) and only shows
	his face on saturday mornings.

	P.s.	I have been getting bogus telephone calls from
		someone calling themselves Page Phile complaining
		about fragmenting soon after which my TV stops
		working. Common guys who did this too me. Also
		who got my Toaster repossesed.

    You know what's neat? I just got done hooking my FAX 3100 to my SCSI
    based Cuisinart Food Processor. So I wrote a user interface to it.
    Now I can read mail and make Hommus all at the same time. I look
    forward to hooking the KitchenAid to it next.
    
    :^>
    
    Jeff
    

	Hi.  My back yard garden is completely automated by that
	OSF (Organic SuperFarming) program.  Recently I upgraded
	to the DECwindows version.  Now I can still plant and weed
	and harvest but the compost key doesn't work anymore.  Can
	you help me?

	Dan

    Yeah, this DECwindows thing is great. I have my system set up so
    that if I hear a great new song on the car radio I just define
    decw$receiver on my cellular phone to be my stereo at home and my
    wife can hear it, too. Of course, when the tape player or CD
    player at home is playing at that time the XAudio Manager gets
    confused ;-) 

    William

   Aw, come on, every-one knows you have to shift-compost by now, or it just
doesn't work right...

   And you can accelerate the process by alternate-composting...

   Isn't there going to be an implementation of an Inspector Gadget in the
toolkit at some point?  Maybe we'll just pay royalties.

					-mjg

Gee, and I thought I had to wait for ISDN to program my toaster...great job!

    re: .0
    
    Can you get Postscripts(tm) on your FAX machine?  I can generate them
    but never seem to get them printed.
    
    Am I the only one to have troubles with WAX clusters forming?  Maybe
    there's something wrong with my boots, can somebody look init?
    
    And everytime I open my refrigerator door, the colors on my TV get
    screwed up, and I have to click on the screen to get them to go back
    to normal.
    
      John
    
    p.s.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    

I'am confused....I want a pull down menu (using high level routines)
on my TV screen pointing to a call back that pops up a dialogue box
menu on my CD player.. so I can point,select sound 'n' vision


the pull down menu appears OK but none of the entries in it (there
is only one for the CD at the moment but I'll add the toaster
and fax later) are highlighted when i point at them

why???

Will I have to use Uil for this.. whats wroung with the high level
routines  

(ps I'am using Algol)
(pps.. the callback structure points at a routine on the tv, but
I've tried pointing it at a routine on The CD and got an ACCVIO
when I moved the pointer over the pull down)

Does anybody know how to deal with "VCR is confused" messages?  I've been
getting these if I don't fill in all the bread slots in my toaster.


RE: .11

Failure to do proper X event queue management can lead to WAXclusters. There
are some good hints in the documentation on proper use of the event queue
routines:  my suggestion is to use the queue-tips to deal with WAXcluster
buildup.

--PSW

    My SCSI cerebro-spinal interface generates packets loss whenever I see 
    Dolly Parton singing on TV.
    I tried to enable full buffer accounting, but all I can see is that the
    blood pressure gets stuck into an infinite loop.
    Eventually, events get lost and the interface logs error buffers.
    
    I have the following error messages in my log file:
    
    X error event received from server: BadSizeMatch - maximum size exceeded 
      Failed request major op code 58 X_SetInputFocus
      Failed request minor op code 0 (if applicable)
      ResourceID 0x362436 in failed request (if applicable)
      Serial number of failed request 1
      Current serial number in output stream 17
    %XLIB-E-ERROREVENT, error event received from server
    
    I tried to redefine the logical names DECW$MAX_VITAL_STATISTIC, but it
    didn't help. Any suggestions ?
    
    
    Thanx,
    Pierre.

re: -1

Make sure you can control a phase mis-match under the SCSI protocol. I made
a bogus START_UNIT call once, without checking the device type, and wow, the
missiles launched out of the silos. :-)

    Dear DEC
    	I want to use CORAL to program DECWINDOWS. Is this humour?
    :-)

    RE: .-1 

	Only if Jovial is supported also....

    re .11 It may not be clear from the User's Guide, but you can use
    the clipboard to get food in and out of the refrigerator without
    opening the door. I realize this doesn't help if you want to browse.
    
    re .6 Jeff, are the sources to your Hommus program available on
    line? I hope to be able to add a Baba Ghanouj option. And I hope
    we can get Japanese DECwindows soon; I'm tired of making sushi by
    hand.
    
    					Val

re: .18

We may still have to make sushi by hand, but at least we don't have some of 
IBM's problems!

g.


[from a restricted notesfile -- names removed to protect the "innocent"]
================================================================================
Note 340.0                       Meece's peeces                          1 reply
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This allegedly comes from the IBM Field Service database called RETAIN.
    
    [forward headers removed]
    
    
| *************************************************************
| xxxxxxx, this is the craziest retain announcement that I have ever seen.
| What is so crazy is that it is for real!!!! Read it with a sense of humor!
| ***************************************************************
    
    	| 
	|        ESD PRODUCT SERVICE SUPPORT
	|        SUBJECT:NEW RETAIN TIP
	| 
	| 
	|           Record number:      H031944
	|           Device:             D/T8550
	|           Model:              M
	|           Hit count:          UHC00000
	|           Success count:      USC00000
	|           Publication code:   PC50
	|           Tip key:            025
	|           Date created:       O89/02/14
	|           Date last altered:  A89/02/15
	|           Owning B.U.:        USA
	| 
Abstract: MOUSE BALLS NOW AVAILABLE AS FRU (Field Replacable Unit)
| 
| 
|      TEXT:
|      MOUSE BALLS ARE NOW AVAILABLE AS A FRU.
|      IF A MOUSE FAILS TO OPERATE,OR SHOULD PERFORM ERRATICALLY,IT MAY
|      BE IN NEED OF BALL REPLACEMENT.BECAUSE OF THE DELICATE NATURE OF
|      THIS PROCEDURE,REPLACEMENT OF MOUSE BALLS SHOULD BE ATTEMPTED BY
|      TRAINED PERSONNEL ONLY.
| 
|      BEFORE ORDERING,DETERMINE TYPE OF MOUSE BALLS REQUIRED BY EXAMINING
|      THE UNDERSIDE OF EACH MOUSE.DOMESTIC BALLS WILL BE LARGER AND HARDER
|      THAN FOREIGN BALLS. BALL REMOVAL PROCEDURES DIFFER,DEPENDING UPON
|      MANUFACTURER OF THE MOUSE. FOREIGN BALLS CAN BE REPLACED USING THE
|      POP-OFF METHOD, AND DOMESTIC BALLS REPLACED USING THE TWIST-OFF METHOD.
|      MOUSE BALLS ARE NOT USUALLY STATIC SENSITIVE,HOWEVER,EXCESSIVE
|      HANDLING CAN RESULT IN SUDDEN DISCHARGE.
|      UPON COMPLETION OF BALL REPLACEMENT,THE MOUSE MAY BE USED IMMEDIATELY.
| 
|      IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT EACH SERVICER HAVE A PAIR OF BALLS FOR
|      MAINTAINING OPTIMUM CUSTOMER SATISFACTION,AND THAT ANY CUSTOMER
|      MISSING HIS BALLS SHOULD SUSPECT LOCAL PERSONNEL OF REMOVING
|      THESE NECESSARY FUNCTIONAL ITEMS.
| 
|       P/N33F8462 -- DOMESTIC MOUSE BALLS
|       P/N33F8461 -- FOREIGN MOUSE BALLS
| 
| 
|       SAS KEYWORDS:
|       PSY2            8525SYSMISC    8530SYSMISC    8550SYSMISC
|       8560SYSMISC     8570SYSMISC    8580SYSMISC
| 
|       USERID (RSSTEWART)    NODEID (BCRVM1)
|       INT.ZIP 1225, DEPT 2AW,   TL 443-4597  (407-443-4597)
|       ESD PRODUCT SERVICE SUPPORT,BOCA RATON,FL.
| 
    

	I finally got both front and rear door bells interfaced in. Is there
	anyway I can customize them so that the bell icons look different
	for front and rear bells? How about get them to beep differently?

	Also I like the feature that lets you call up a picture of the person
	at the door via a menu. Has anyone written the code to add support
	for a menu option to open the door from the bell menu? I assume that
	code could be taken from the OPEN_DOOR program. It would be easier
	not to have to use a second program. Actually I guess that both the
	DOOR_BELL and OPEN_DOOR program should be merged into one program.

	PS: I like being able to double click on the peep hole in the door
	widget to get the picture of who is at the door.

Re: .20

I've got some code that supports dynamic creation of a pop-out menu when
you open the refrigerator door.  It works great, except whenever I move the
pointer onto the menu, the pointer changes into a mosquito shape.  Soon as
I get the bugs out I'll post a copy and you may be able to work from there.

Meanwhile my dual-screen TV is working fine, but the audio channels get
mixed up.  So when I double click on the right screen, the left speaker
emits a doorbell ping.  Swapping displays doesn't change anything.  I tried
it with HPWM and got the same results except every now and then the
refigerator door sticks, and the FAX 3100 goes busy to outside callers.

Rebooting fixes things for a while, but I get tired of taking them on and off.

  John

RE: 21 

There has been a lot of talk lately about menu pop direction, does your 
pop-out menu support the current pop-down as well as the new pop-up style
of pulldown popping? I understand that this functionality is now available
from BBOD Corp. (Big Bag O Donuts corp)? Are we loosing market share?
Should I sell my stock?

When will WAN support be available? I'd like to be able to tell if the 
refrigerator light goes off at my cottage (door open or shut) while I'm
sitting in the microwave at home... nude.

    Re: .20
    
    	I'd suggest you try out the Distributed Lock Manager.  With it you
    could receive a door bell AST when someone wants in, and you could then
    release the lock using the convert service.

	RE: .23 Of course, the Distributed Lock Manger is just what
	I need. Now if it were just supported past the end of the cluster
	so it could be used on other houses on my street for which I
	have keys (passwords? Licenses? Security Authorization? What's
	the correct DECWterm for that?) As it is I have to SET myself
	up as a HOST in my neighbors house to house sit. The window gets
	a bit cluttered too. I am working on a HOUSE_SITTING program
	which should work WAN wide. This will be very useful for people
	with summer homes.

	The problem is fitting all the icons in on one reasonable sized
	window so the screen is not overwhelmed. I'm also not sure how
	much to try and control remotely. Heat, doors, telephone to be
	sure. How about the microwave, stove, and hot tub? You only
	need to control them remotely when you are on your way there.
	Seems like a batch job might be better than an interactive
	interface and cut down on the development time.

			

>    	I'd suggest you try out the Distributed Lock Manager.  With it you
>    could receive a door bell AST when someone wants in, and you could then

Hang on tho... how do you get the lock Ast to active a DECwindows
menu..... you can only create menus via _events_ (unless you
create the whole (init tool etc etc) thing in the ast code)


?????????

confused of Reading (no hang I'am at Newbury now)

While I am generally quite happy with my new FAX 3100, I have two problems
that you can perhaps help me with:

 1) Apparantly, my cats are playing with the mouse while I am at work.  Several
times lately, I have come home to find all of the windows open, and the
door in an icon state, the lawn purple, the shingles changed into bricks, 
etc....  After climbing into a window (I have been questioned by the local
constable about this), I have found that I can't get MB2 to bring up a
menu (perhaps because of cat saliva in the contacts?).  Generally I reboot
the FAX and wash the mouse (warranty issue?), but my neighbors have been
complaining about the noise of all the windows slamming shut at the same time.
What I was hoping for was a KatnipWindows application that my cats can play
with, but that takes a password so that they cannot access the SM, etc.  I
think that if the password is >= 10 characters or so the cats will not
be able to guess it.

 2) My water bill has been astronomical lately.  I surmise that one of the
FAX applications is in a tight loop calling XFlush.  Does anyone else have
this problem?

    Re: .26 (Water Bill)
    
    Are you using XDCL?  I've found that when I use DCL to create my own
    DECterm windows, as in $ OPEN/CREATE LNM TWA0:
    			   $ F$XTCREATEWINDOW(LNM,"DECterm 1","DCL")
    			   $ F$XTFLUSH()
    
    then basically the XTFLUSH loops.  If you supply an integer argument, it
    works fine but I don't know why.
    
    Likewise when you have a DCL expose subroutine, P1 is passed as an integer.
    Maybe it's one of those reference/value conflicts in the toolkit bindings.
    Sometimes my ski bindings have similar problems.
    
    One day I booted my system and ran STARTUP.COM through XDCL, and went
    shopping.  Well when I got back 3 of my windows were broken, icons had
    fallen off the screen onto the floor, FLIGHT had started and crashed,
    the mouse had died and the pop-up menus were all in French!
    
    I plugged in the Atari joystick in place of the dead mouse and it seemed 
    to work fine, but of course only MB1 was available.

    This is great !  I have all the major appliances connected around the
    house now.  There is no more RISC of burglars entering because I get
    an access violation immediately, the toilet flushes by itself, the
    freezer is installed open and shared, so clusters of food can be
    transferred to the oven and the pot simultaneously.

    The only problem I encountered was when I put some Kentucky Fried Chicken
    in the oven to re-heat, and noticed it tried to enter colonel mode
    to access the VCR, which, of course, is in S0 space.

    - Roger L. (sides aching)

>     Are you using XDCL?  I've found that when I use DCL to create my own
>    DECterm windows, as in $ OPEN/CREATE LNM TWA0:
>     			   $ F$XTCREATEWINDOW(LNM,"DECterm 1","DCL")
>    			   $ F$XTFLUSH()
No, sorry.  I am using the field test version of XMCR as my CLI.  Do you
think this could be my problem?

I've just finished implementing virtual shelving in my pantry.  
A navigation window allows me to visit all of the virtual shelves at leisure, and
there's plenty of room for all the goodies.

Jeff

	What about we poor folks with 9" black & white non-cable-ready TVs?
Will DECwindows ever support some kind of server for devices like this, or am
I forced to go out and spend big money on a fancy new true-color TV?
Depending on the model, is there some upgrade I can get for my TV so it can
be used?

						--D

Fun is fun, but since posting .1 I have encountered a critical customer issue
here in the Pacific Northwest which concerns a major local manufacturer of
civilian and military aircraft. I'll refer to them as company A.

Company A, who wishes to remain anonymous, is trying to simplify their 
test-flight procedure of new 747s (oops, what a giveaway). To this end,
they have servo-automated all cockpit controls so that their aircraft can
be flown remotely. They are running FLIGHT FT3 in script mode; in this way
they can test fly many planes at once without anyone on board. They would
like to do this late at night when the skies are uncluttered with normal
airline traffic, so they do it in batch on a 3100. They have written their own
batch system and detached batch manager, called BATCHMAN. Starting at midnight,
an empty plane takes off. One departs every 60 seconds thereafter until there 
are 32 planes in the air. They are running VMS and DECWINDOWS V5.2-42 remotely
over a Radio Shack model CB40 Citizens Band radio using channel 13 to 
communicate with the servos on the aircraft. I haven't checked the line 
quality yet but they assure me that it is error-free (they had Radio Shack 
on site only last week).

Last night's run was the best yet, but they lost eight aircraft. The logfiles 
show errors in GravityNotify events for the planes that were lost and
they have noticed that the symbol display_planes contains 24 instead of 32.
Also, they claim that when using FLIGHT the planes can land on water
without any problem, but with human pilots they sink almost immediately (this
is not a major issue). 

Sometimes the planes land pretty badly and the skins get exposed. They would
like some explanation of repainting strategies that we recommend to other,
similar customer sites (they were told by sales that at least two other major
aircraft manufacturers were test flying planes in this configuration without any
problem, but they can't remember who the reference sites were, and their sales
representative is out until the end of the year at a seminar on excellence).

Another problem is that the Session Manager likes to tease the autopilot with
events implying that the autopilot is of questionable lineage (XClassHint) or 
even physically inadequate (XSizeHints) and even taunts it for being an only 
child. The SM never lets the autopilot fly the plane; sometimes it forces it 
to play XCHESS and beats it easily, although the autopilot seems to have won 
a game of XMILLE once when the SM got confused. The customer is concerned 
because they are unable to test the new autopilot software while it is being 
taunted mercilessly. 

I tried to go on-site last night but Interstate 5 was closed due to an 
unexplained fireball which enveloped a rest stop. I dialed in this morning 
and noticed that their batch manager had encountered errors activating a
process. I don't know what trouble there could be between BATCHMAN and LOGIN;
maybe some joker messed up SYLOGIN and messed up the dynamic duo.

Anyway, this is a major customer issue, so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Craig Horman
Western Area Software Support

>Also, they claim that when using FLIGHT the planes can land on water
>without any problem, but with human pilots they sink almost immediately (this
>is not a major issue). 
    
    Fixed in next major version.  I.e. Earth V4.0 will have a toggle
    whereby human pilots will be able to land on water.  Walking on water
    has been available for some time, but requires kernel-mode privileges.
    
John