Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQ/E bugs: is a fix possible? Probably not

[Marcel Kilgus via Ql-Users]

Wolf via Ql-Users wrote:
> In the last months on the Italian Sinclair QL mailing list we had quite a
> number of discussions on some bugs (?) that appeared in SMSQ/E and were
> probably not promptly spotted because of the impossibility of testing
> everything and lack of feedback from users (who maybe were not upgrading
> regularly).

It's also mostly access to the required hardware. I was going to buy
Jochen Hassler's SGC but so far he wasn't able to find it! :-( Hope it
turns up in a box sometime.

I do have a QXL that was kindly donated to me 10 years ago or so, but
I don't really see much point in maintaining it.

>> 1) SMSQ/E for Aurora does not read anymore DD floppy disks. Everything was
>> working till 2.91. From the tests did on some SMSQ/E version we found 2.95
>> has the bug, 2.98 crashes, 3.03 has the bug
> The version of SMSQE I got was 2.99.

The latest I have found in a quick search is 2.93. I probably have
older ones at least partly on some floppy discs. But the thing is 2.92
was the introduction of the Q40 and if I remember correctly this was
such a major change in the sources that comapring 2.91 and 2.91 will
not result in much more enlightnment.

>> I guess it does not make sense to spend effort for SMSQ/E for QXL, but the
>> issues on the GC/SGC/Aurora versions I think would deserve at least a try.
> Both deserve a try, and both have already got a try from me, 
> unfortunately without success.

I will help once I get my hands on the hardware, but this can take a
while. And while I find the offers very kind I don't want to work on
loaned hardware, sorry.

Cheers, Marcel

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Re: [Ql-Users] SMSQ/E bugs: is a fix possible?

[Bob Spelten via Ql-Users]

Op Thu, 08 Jun 2017 00:38:56 +0200 schreef via Ql-Users  
:



Hi All (but especially Wolfgang, Tony, Marcel or anybody else involved in
SMSQ/E development and/or source maintainance),
(...)

1) SMSQ/E for Aurora does not read anymore DD floppy disks. Everything  
was working till 2.91. From the tests did on some SMSQ/E version we  
found 2.95

has the bug, 2.98 crashes, 3.03 has the bug


A quote from my email 17/03/2012
--->
This issue also was raised some years ago.
IIRC, the 2.91 source was not available to compare and check where it went  
wrong.

--->


2) SMSQ/E for QXL
in DISP_COLOUR 3:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the resolution is 640x480
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the resolution is 640x480

in DISP_COLOUR 0:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the screen is corrupted and unreadable
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the screen is corrupted and  
unreadable


So the maximum possible resolution is 640x480

Provided the SMSQE.EXE is correctly configured for the maximum size, the  
unknown factor is the hardware it's running on.

In mode 4, 1024x768 is not a problem here.
In mode 32 this results in 800x600 without screen corruption.
Both on my old hardware with 1MB graphics as on my current machine with  
2MB graphics card.
The RAM demand is quite high, even at 800x600 half my 8MB is gone after  
BOOT so it's debatable what the benefit is of m32@1024x768.



BAUD returns an error


No comment, never used the SER port from QXL.


3) SMSQ/E for Gold Card does not initialise external interface.

Up to v3.13 there was only 1 Gold/Aurora version so I have always used the  
Aurora .bin after that.
When this point came up recently I tested the current GoldCard.bin which  
did not see my ROMdisq after it was LRESPR'd from there.


I guess it does not make sense to spend effort for SMSQ/E for QXL, but  
the issues on the GC/SGC/Aurora versions I think would deserve at least

A try.
N.3 maybe is just a question of understanding whether it makes sense to  
keep all these versions and in case link again the "Initalise QL ROM"
where missing. The DD floppy bug would deserve a fix hoping all source 
codes of old versions are available as I think there are still quitesome  
users  with GC/SGC/Aurora with DD disks.


To answer Wolfgang's question: My QXL2 and Aurora systems are mainly used  
for testing and can, because of the slow speed compared to QPC2, be  
revealing in how PE menus are being build up.

As long as I can keep an ISA machine alive I will keep the QXL2 going.

Bob

--
The BSJR QL software site at: "http://members.upc.nl/b.spelten/ql/;
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[Ql-Users] SMSQ/E bugs: is a fix possible? Probably not

[Wolf via Ql-Users]

Hi,

just a few thoughts.


I will try to recup the main ones and I would appreciate if anybody could
help fixing them or at least providing ideas on how other QL users could
help.



1) SMSQ/E for Aurora does not read anymore DD floppy disks. Everything was
working till 2.91. From the tests did on some SMSQ/E version we found 2.95
has the bug, 2.98 crashes, 3.03 has the bug


The version of SMSQE I got was 2.99.
If the bug pre-existed, as it seems to be the case, then I can't find 
out what, if anything, has changed since.
The chances of me finding out what causes the bug are then next to 
inexistent.




2) SMSQ/E for QXL
in DISP_COLOUR 3:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the resolution is 640x480
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the resolution is 640x480

in DISP_COLOUR 0:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the screen is corrupted and unreadable
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the screen is corrupted and unreadable

So the maximum possible resolution is 640x480

BAUD returns an error


On what versions?
Here, some work was done on the QXL PC side by Bruno Coativy in 2006, an 
avid QXL user at that time. I'm pretty sure that he would have noticed 
the screen problems. I think I also tested the QXL version (but I'm not 
entirely sure anymore) and I would have noticed the screen problems. The 
QXL version needs at least a 386.



IIRC, bugs 1 & 2  were brought up by Andrea Carpi.
I already had a look at the code for both bugs but couldn't find out why 
this is happening.


I would like to know whether there is anybody out there, apart from 
Andrea, who is still using a QXL. If so, do they have the same problem?




3) SMSQ/E for Gold Card does not initialise external interface.



I don't recollect this having been brought to my attention before. I'll 
correct it in the next version of SMSQE.




I guess it does not make sense to spend effort for SMSQ/E for QXL, but the
issues on the GC/SGC/Aurora versions I think would deserve at least a try.


Both deserve a try, and both have already got a try from me, 
unfortunately without success.




Any feedback and contributions to the above findings would be welcome.


Agreed, especially about the "contributions" part...


Wolfgang
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[Ql-Users] SMSQ/E bugs: is a fix possible?

[via Ql-Users]

Hi All (but especially Wolfgang, Tony, Marcel or anybody else involved in
SMSQ/E development and/or source maintainance),

In the last months on the Italian Sinclair QL mailing list we had quite a
number of discussions on some bugs (?) that appeared in SMSQ/E and were
probably not promptly spotted because of the impossibility of testing
everything and lack of feedback from users (who maybe were not upgrading
regularly).

I will try to recup the main ones and I would appreciate if anybody could
help fixing them or at least providing ideas on how other QL users could
help.

1) SMSQ/E for Aurora does not read anymore DD floppy disks. Everything was
working till 2.91. From the tests did on some SMSQ/E version we found 2.95
has the bug, 2.98 crashes, 3.03 has the bug


2) SMSQ/E for QXL
in DISP_COLOUR 3:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the resolution is 640x480
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the resolution is 640x480

in DISP_COLOUR 0:
- DISP_SIZE 512,256 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 640,480 - works OK
- DISP_SIZE 800,600 - no error but the screen is corrupted and unreadable
- DISP_SIZE 1024,768 - no error but the screen is corrupted and unreadable

So the maximum possible resolution is 640x480

BAUD returns an error


3) SMSQ/E for Gold Card does not initialise external interface.

Here we found different versions of SMSQ/E for standard expanded QL (i.e.
GC, SGC with or withour Aurora) for which it was almost impossible to
understand their real usage. These versions were named GOLD, GOLD256 and
Aurora. Thanks to Per Witte we received a list of the modules linked in the
above three versions. To make a long story short the following differences
were detected:

GOLDGOLD256
Aurora
.   

SMSQ GOLD CON DriverSMSQ
GOLD CON Driver 
SMSQ GOLD 8 bit CON Driver  SMSQ
GOLD 8 bit CON Driver 

Initialise QL ROM

GOLD only contains standard CON drivers
GOLD256 contains only 8bit CON drivers
Aurora contains both
 Only Aurora contains "Initailise QL Roms"!!

This explains why the versions GOLD and GOLD256 do not initialise external
roms like Qubide Romdisk etcetera: the modules is just not linked! So what
were they meant for? For sure they were not intended for QemuLator as
Daniele Terdina explicitely excluded this. Anybody could explain why the
Initialise QL ROM has not been linked? Would it be possible to link it? Or
maybe the Aurora version would just suite all possible hw combinations?

I guess it does not make sense to spend effort for SMSQ/E for QXL, but the
issues on the GC/SGC/Aurora versions I think would deserve at least a try.
N.3 maybe is just a question of understanding whether it makes sense to keep
all these versions and in case link again the "Initalise QL ROM" where
missing. The DD floppy bug would deserve a fix hoping all source codes of
old versions are avaailble as I think there are still quite some users with
GC/SGC/Aurora with DD disks. 

Any feedback and contributions to the above findings would be welcome.

Kind regards

Davide (as spokesman of Italian QL users)


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