Re: ANN: Web Browser for 8 bit Apple //

[Stephen Shaw <stephens@apple2.org.invalid.za>]

On 5 Apr 2002 16:33:56 -0800, Ralph Glatt wrote:

> chris@CosmicWolf.com (Chris Morse) wrote in message
> news:<3cacfc17.417335256@news-east.newscene.com>...
>> On 4 Apr 2002 16:43:02 -0800, julian814@hotmail.com (Ralph Glatt)
>> wrote:
>>
>> >chris@CosmicWolf.com (Chris Morse) wrote in message
news:<3cac049b.353978874@
> news-east.newscene.com>...
>> >>
>> >> <big snip>
>>
>> >>
>> >> Is anyone else working on this?
>> >
>> >As far as I know, no one. I was afraid I'd have to do this myself, but
>> >if someone with more experience in programming is willing to take on
>> >the burden, I won't mind. ;-)
>>
>> So you're willing?? =) I wouldn't mind working with a few other
>> people.  I'll send off some e-mail after I post this.
>
> Sure, I'll help as much as I can. I have a couple of books on
> programming in machine language, though I really don't know all that
> much yet. Today I got email from someone else willing to lend a hand.
>
>>
>> >>
>> >> I've wanted to do something like this for a while; ever since
>> >> I saw the web page for a *really* small TCP/IP implementation
>> >> done by someone at UMass..  Not sophisticated, but the entire
>> >> implementation was on the order of 256 or 512 bytes of code.
>> >> Unfortunately, the creator was not sharing those magic numbers.
>> >
>> >Well, we'll have to work with what's available. I'll help out where I
>> >can, but I'm afraid I'm new to working in assembler. My joke pretty
>> >much outlines what I'd like to see, but I'm not sure we can fit all
>> >that on a double sided 5.25" floppy. I know where there's some
>> >software that can convert gifs into something viewable on a //e, I'll
>> >see if we can get permission to use it. Might not help much, though,
>> >since most websites use jpgs, jpeg, or better. Keep posting here on
>> >your progress, please!! If you want to contact me, use the email
>> >address rbg at penn dot com.
>> >
>> >Ralph Glatt
>>
>> As I said before, I read the documentation (not the source code yet)
>> for uIP; it looks quite promising.  I just downloaded and installed
>> the cc65 compiler and I'm playing around with that.
>>
>> Here's my thoughts on uIP & the Apple //e (or //c, //c+) right now:
>>
>> (1) uIP supports SLIP (Serial Line Internet Protocol), but it does not
>> support PPP.  PPP would be required for probably 99% of all of todays
>> standard dialup service providers; we would have to implement it
>> ourselves as a device driver beneath uIP.
>
> Ew, I was afraid of that. :-(
>
>>
>> (2) uIP requires only 4 functions to be implemented on the target
>> machine; these are relatively trivial routines for doing calculations
>> and need to be implemented for speed/performance reasons.
>>
>> (3) uIP is ultimately "driven" through a periodic timer.  This timer
>> would basically be an interrupt/IRQ that fires *at least* once a
>> second. (The docs weren't clear on that; the source code for
>> uip_periodic() might reveal more.)  Anyhow, I assume that extra
>> hardware will be required in order to pull it off.  When I owned my
>> Apple //e back in the 80's, I had purchased a card called the
>> "TimeMaster II/HO".  It would generate, if I remember, 24 interrupts a
>> second.  What else can generate timed interrupts?  I'll have to
>> research this, but maybe a mouse card and maybe a super serial card (I
>> don't know how, but I seem to recall reading something to that effect
>> in the last week or so.)
>
> How about a mouse card? I seem to recall owning some software that
> allows multitasking on the 8 bits, using some sort of periodic check
> to the mouse card as a way to allow the machine to run more than one
> program simultaneously. If you want, I can dig it out and mail it to
> you.

Nibble had a program that did the above. Let me know if you want a copy. shk or
dsk.
Remove the invalid from my email address to get hold of me.

>
>>
>> (4) The original //c had serial problems.  I might have that kind of
>>     //c sitting in my office at work.  I found that out here:
>>
>>   http://www.intrec.com/proterm-a2/a2_tips_tricks/a2_iic_telecom.txt
>
> If it is, I'll check my spares in the basement, see if we can work out
> a trade if this is the case.
>
>>
>> (5) I'll need some time to get back up to speed on all this!  That,
>> plus I am still collecting all the resources I can find on programming
>> the Apple //.  ROM routines, Peeks & Pokes..  Just last night I got my
>> joystick control functions working.
>
> This is all new to me! I'm willing to dig in and help out, though.
>
>>
>> Lastly, I started a web page for Apple // programming; not much there
>> right now, but as time goes on I will add to it.  Tonight I will add a
>> link to a message forum that can be used for talking about
>> programming, uIP and the like.
>>
>> Here's my URL:  http://www.cosmicwolf.com/AppleII/AppleII.htm
>
> Thanks, I'll check it out. Keep everyone updated on your progress; we
> could use some good news!!
>
>
> Ralph Glatt

-- 
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Remove the invalid from my e-mail address to reply to me directly.

Magic is a vanishing act