Msg: Re: A wild new idea for the future of XyWrite

Hi Jordan,

I want to let you know that I spent much time to test XyWrite 3 before trying out XyWrite 4 during the development of vDos-lfn, so I would like to say that I do support both Xy3 and Xy4, even though U2 only works for Xy4. In fact, vDos-lfn for XyWrite is optimized for both Xy3 and Xy4 in a number of ways, and I can list a few examples for this if you want. So again, while U2 is designed only for Xy4, vDos-lfn for XyWrite is designed for both Xy3 and Xy4 (and also NB3). I never only supported Xy4 during the development of vDos-lfn.

Wengier

On Sunday, July 17, 2016 4:16 PM, J R FOX wrote:

Thanks again, Wengier. I will try this out next opportunity at the office.

Actually, it is mainly Xy-3 that is used at that location (not so much by me), although there is also Xy-4 available. I think that takes U2 library out of the mix, most likely EMSmagic also, and may complicate matters in other ways as well. I did previously have that setup working there under the earlier vDosXy -- for Xy-3 -- in most all respects apart from the printing.

I don't want to over-complicate your activities here, and would not expect you to also be supporting the earlier XyWrite, which has a number of key differences to Xy-4, and which a small minority of this List still uses.

Jordan

From: Wengier W
To: "xywrite@xxxxxxxx"
Sent: Saturday, July 16, 2016 10:39 AM
Subject: Re: A wild new idea for the future of XyWrite

Hi Jordan,

You could in fact consider vDos-lfn for XyWrite as "vDosXy 2.0" or so, and it has more features and better support for XyWrite too. EMSMagic is included as part of the vDos-lfn for XyWrite 1.51 installation, so you simply need to unREM the line that loads EMSMagic in autoexec.txt, which is very simple. And for printing, actually you don't need to install Ghostscript in order to print from vDos-lfn at all. I agree that the Ghostscript solution is complicated, and you can in fact avoid it completely. To make the printing work, you can simply add the directive "LPT1=/SEL" in config.txt. Then any printing to LPT1 within vDos-lfn will cause the Windows printer selection dialog to be displayed. Then you simply choose the printer you want to use as you do with native Windows applications. Hope this helps.

Wengier

On Saturday, July 16, 2016 3:05 AM, J R FOX wrote:

Thanks, Wengier. That was my intention, doing such a comparison, but I haven't gotten that far yet. (Various other hardware and software issues on the 'To Do' List, several of them more pressing.) I have had the regular vDosXy installed on a couple systems, where it seemed to work O.K., although I never got as far as reaching a satisfactory printing solution -- or really _any_ printing solution. One of these systems is at an office where there are three working printers -- one of them wired, the other two running via Wi-Fi. Next time I'm there, I can confirm the printer model #s, should that be important. I think at least one of these is HP.

In any event, if the very sharp folks here report that LFN is the way to go, that's all I need to hear. I'll simply plan on switching over to your build, as soon as possible. I'm not quite sure where this EMSMagic may figure in to the mix, but perhaps the installer already handles that detail ? I can say that my past experiences with any form of Ghostscript for printing have been fraught with complications. It would be great if an installer could finesse all that too. Not leaving much to chance, and not leaving the user much to do -- or to possibly mess up -- is generally a plus when it comes to installers.

Jordan

From: Wengier W
To: "xywrite@xxxxxxxx"
Sent: Friday, July 15, 2016 5:30 PM
Subject: Re: A wild new idea for the future of XyWrite

Hi Jordan,

I thought you were trying to install vDos-lfn and vDosXy side by side and making comparisons between them. In short, vDos-lfn contains ALL features of vDosXy, plus LFN support as well as various other features not found in vDosXy. Also, vDosXy had various limitations that don't exist in vDos-lfn. For example, EMSMagic 1.1 will work in vDos-lfn to provide EMS memory for Xy4, but unfortunately it won't work in vDosXy. And sure, vDos-lfn will work in both 32-bit Windows and 64-bit Windows.

Wengier

On Friday, July 15, 2016 11:40 AM, J R FOX wrote:

Hi Carl,

So, the lfn version has for you supplanted the earlier VDosXy implementation, which is the one that I had installed ? It was my intention to check out LFN, though I had not gotten around to it yet. Then it must have some advantages -- beyond the fact that we have the developer participating on this list, which is a highly valuable thing in itself. It is also quite remarkable, if he had no prior involvement with XyWrite.

Were you saying that this is really a solution just for 64-bit rigs ? Then I could use it on the 64-bit Win 7 or 8.1 boxes, but not on one that has 32-bit Win 7 ? I presume you are using the U2 library within this environment -- and successfully ? Is the printing situation with LFN any better than under VDosXy, or much the same ?

Jordan

From: Carl Distefano
To: xywrite@xxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2016 12:02 PM
Subject: Re: A wild new idea for the future of XyWrite

For 64-bit
Windows machines, however, I think most users would be better off
running a VDM (vDos-lfn being the gold standard for XyWrite), or
setting up 32-bit Windows in a virtual machine.