Re: Some IIgs questions

[michaelmaginnis@yahoo.com (Michael Maginnis)]

Jeff Blakeney <CUTjblakeney@sympatico.ca> wrote in message news:<c28e10lppbmitaielm5agl7cdeb1281els@4ax.com>...
> On 27 Jan 2004 10:19:56 -0800, michaelmaginnis@yahoo.com (Michael
> Maginnis) wrote:
> 
> >First, file "associations" (for lack of a better word) - it seems some
> >(many) of the files on the FocusDrive in my box are not set to open
> >with the proper applications.  For example, opening a text-file by
> >double-clicking launches the ProDOS 8 BASIC.System, and then I get a
> >long list of Syntax Errors as ProDOS attempts to parse the text file;
> >if I browse to the same file through the File-Open dialog in Teach or
> >AppleWorks (for example), the file opens fine.  Other files,
> >especially executables, complain that an application can't be found to
> >launch the document.  Maybe I'm misunderstanding something... Is there
> >anyway to modify this behavior?
> 
> There are several ways to change this behaviour.  One is to edit the
> icon file for that file type (if one exists) and change the
> application that is associated with it.  This can be more difficult if
> the icon is one of the newer resource based ones stored in the
> invisible "Desktop" file.
> 
> However, the easiest solution to your problem is listed in the
> Shortcuts document that is on the System 6.0.1 install disks.  In the
> section on the Finder it tells you that you can hold down the Option
> key while double clicking a document file and Finder will ask you what
> program to open the file with instead of the normal one.  This only
> works for that one time and the old program will still be associated
> with those types of documents.  However, if you hold down both the
> Option and Control keys, then you will be asked what program you want
> to be permanently associated with that file type.

Thanks - this worked great.  I knew there was a simple solution.  I'm
still trying to get used to the IIgs - I grew up on a IIe, so to
speak.  I'm sure I'll have tons of questions in the near future.

> 
> >Second, sound "loops" - the systems sounds (system bells, etc) often
> >get stuck in endless loops, requiring a cold-boot to clear up.  I
> >don't have a sound card or digitizer.  The system continues to
> >function, though more response is degraded.  This seems to start
> >happening most often, though not always, during a File Open dialogue,
> >or when a floppy is inserted into one of the 3.5" drives.
> 
> I'm not entirely sure what you mean here.  If the sound seems to
> stutter when you use a File Open dialog or when you insert a 3.5"
> floppy while in the Finder (or a few other places) then that seems
> normal to me.  Whenever dealing with floppies, the IIgs has to put all
> its attention into working with the drive so sounds can be interupted
> if they need to have the CPU deal with them before they finish
> playing.
> 
> I've never experienced "looping" of sound, though, so it might be
> something else.
> 
> One thing that I stopped doing years ago was using the Sound Control
> Panel to set up lots of interesting and fun sounds for different
> events.  I found that doing that was eating up lots of my memory and
> it didn't seem like the CDEV was freeing up the memory it used so I
> just stopped using that feature of GS/OS.  I've been meaning to look
> into it and possibly fix it or write a replacement program for it but
> haven't gotten around to it yet.
> 

Here's what happens, a little more specifically:

1 - I assign, for example, a "bell" sound to the Disk Inserted event
in the Sound CP.
2 - I insert a disk.
3 - The bell sound begins playing over and over, looping endlessly
until I reset.

I'm going to quit using the Sound CP entirely, like you said. 
Hopefully, it will free up some resources; and, frankly, those "cute"
sounds get really annoying in a big hurry.

> >Third, what do I need to do to get my NEC 4x working?  It's currently
> >the last device on the chain, and termination is on; device ID is 3,
> >though this doesn't seem to matter.  A Zip 100 sits between the CD-ROM
> >drive and the Apple HS SCSI card I have installed.  (DMA on the SCSI
> >card is off to provide compatibility with the 8Meg Sirius RAM card
> >installed).  The Zip works fine, but the CD-ROM drive appears to be
> >inaccessible from the Finder.  On powerup of the CD-ROM, it's LCD
> >reads "4x" and switches to "1" during the System 6.0.1 boot sequence. 
> >Rebooting changes the display back to "4x" until the OS begins to load
> >again, so I assume that at least some data is being exchanged.
> 
> I believe Ed covered this fine.  Putting the Zip as the last device on
> the chain is something I've heard has needed to be done for a long
> time.  If the Zip has a switch for turning termination on and off then
> you can put it where you want.
> 

I've tried playing with the termination and position on the chain -
doesn't seem to help:

1- IIgs -> Zip (terminated here, no other devices) : works fine
2- IIgs -> NEC (terminated here, no other devices) : does not work
3- IIgs -> Zip (unterminated) -> NEC (terminated here) : Zip works,
NEC does not
4- IIgs -> NEC -> Zip : don't have the proper cabling for this setup
yet.  I'll post here when I'm able to try this.

I also have an Apple CD150 that I can't try yet (no Centronix
terminator or cabling).

> >Fourth, every tenth boot or so, the system drops into the monitor
> >about half way through loading 6.0.1, and won't boot back up again
> >until I've cycled the power.  Could this be a Transwarp instability
> >problem?
> 
> This could be caused by a number of things but you do have a fairly
> loaded system so it could be power related.  It would take some
> testing to isolate what exactly the problem here is.

I guess the thing to do here is drag out the multimeter and see what
shows up...  Not sure what I'm looking for, though.

Mike

=====
Apple II user since 1983
"Fighting the frizzies at eleven"
=====