Dne Fri, 14 Jul 2000 00:24:53 +0200, [EMAIL PROTECTED] (arachne-digest)
napsal:
>> DOS and Linux (Linux section should include probably also instructions
>> how to upgrade SVGAlib, how to copy modelines from /etc/X11/XF86Config
>> to /etc/vga/libvga.config, etc..) ...
> Yes, yes, please!
> I have KDE running on X windows so I know my /etc/X11/XF86Config
> file is ok.
> So what parts of it need to be transferred to /etc/vga/libvga.config?
Basicaly "modelines" - copy as many of them, as possible, because
anyway only those modelines fitting your actual monitor type and
resolution requested by Arachne will be used.
Then you have to set horizontal sync frequency and vertical refresh rate
range into the bounds defined in XF86Config. It is quite simple -
in XF86config, there can be multiple monitors, devices, and whatever,
while in libvga.config, there is only one global set of parameters,
so only one monitor can be configured at one time.
Very soon, I am going to release GGI version of Arachne for Linux.
It has one big speed advantage against SVGAlib: I have set asynchronous
screen access, so you can define max. frame-per-second rate of your
screen in arachne.conf... as a result, it loads and display pages even
faster than SVGAlib verrsion...
. . . .
> But I find *so* many sites (upwards of a dozen) that classifying them
> all by the specific bug involved would take too long. Perhaps if
> the-powers-that-be were to use *certain* pages as "in house" tests...
> Not that all things could be fixed *at once*, but at least we could
> know the limits :-)
There should be definitely online list of URLs crashing Arachne,
simillar to list of Arachne compatible ISPs. It took years before
Arachne became able to connect from virtual any ISP (I have connected
from France using ISP www.free.fr on 2nd attempt - 1st attempt failed,
because I used incorrect prefix to dial out of hotel room ;-)
>> http://www.cjb.net - No site loaded
>> http://www.forum-film.co.il - Infinite loop (cold reboot required)
>> http://www.email.com - Cant login with Arachne
>> http://users.dal.net - (after login) side menu doesnt work with Arachne
I take it seriously - but there are simply too many of them. We need
some "Bugzilla" (site which is used for bug tracing by Mozilla team),
and maybe it is really time to open-source Arachne. Bernie's first
contributions are quite promising, although no real serious bug was
addressed by them...
> I go along with this. The trend is to PAP. I am in the process of going
> away from scripts and just use the PAP option of PPPD and ODI.
Yes, I disabled terminal as default option in 1.64 ...
>> You will start getting filenames like DOWNLOAD\9823423423.TMP - I dont
>> kwno if you will be happy about it...
> The "*.CNM" files already bear such designations. Perhaps "happy" *is* too
> strong a word, but I'm not complaining ;-)
Yes, but .CNM just stay CNM all the time, but when you download some
let's say coolstuf.zip, you want to get download\coolstuf.zip, and
not download\234879847.zip ;-) And filename really has to be verified
by user. It is possible to guess filename from URL in most cases, but
is just guess, URLs mean something different than just remote filename
- requesting URL is more like executing remote command which returns
certain content to browser...
> Very good suggestion. Thank you Bernie.
> Q: What's the easiest way to "login" to my ISP with Arachne?
> A: Use PAP/CHAP as the first line of action.
> During your first setup of Arachne, choose
> not to show the terminal screen.
> Choose not to use an "auto login".
Yes, this is what setup Wizard currently offers. Maybe I should create
some meta-wizard, which will expect just as stupid users as possible ?
- - - -
speed issues:
> I returned to the Douglas Adams interview at slashdot.org,
> http://slashdot.org/interviews/00/06/21/1217242.shtml and found it is still
> 8458 or 8464 atoms when downloaded.
> My previous time on the P90 to reload that interview from cache (offline) by
> using the back key from another URL was 3 mins 13 sec. 193 Seconds total.
> My time using DOS 5.0 to reload from cache as above was 26 Seconds !!!!!
> That's a 700% improvement. And my HD doesn't sound like a machine gun now.
I think disk caching has lot to do with this... and also disk
fragmentation and so. There can't be 700% improvement between DOS 5 and
DOS 6...
> Michael do like this:
> 1. Never write COMx.
> 2. Always write BASE value
> 3. Always write IRQ value
> BASE and IRQ are the options that EPPPD needs (for figuring out the
> COM-port anyway), COMx can (and must) be used if you leave "Base default"
> in (something you shouldn't IMHO).
But most users haven't ever heard about Irq and Base address. I also
had know idea what it means, before I started to using my first
internal modem ... originaly on COM3 Irq5, later moved (using hardare
switches! Seems like steam engine today ;-) to COM3 Irq4 to achieve
compatibility with some Fidonet software using fixed Irqs....
Users know, that they have two slots marked COM1 and COM2 in their PC,
so they want to choose COM2 for modem connected to COM2, and that's it.
Arachne can try to quess which irq/base is default to COM2, that's
true... but I think that users who know what Irqs and Base addresses are
can enter it to Arachne.
BTW, Linux simply has its /dev/ttyS0 to /dev/ttyS3, and no one is ever
prompted about non-standard Irqs... maybe you can choose them when
compiling kernel, but that's all....
> First, I suggest that you ALWAYS write Base address and IRQ even if both are
> standard. Don't use COM #. DO use IRQ #.
What about adding option "Port 0", which would read "Manualy configured
serial device" on graphical setup screens? COM1 to COM3 would behave
the same way as now, and for COM4, users will be warned, that they
have to manualy enter Irq and base address. And for "Port 0", no
COMx will be written to to pppdrc.cfg, of course...
> Second, let them select either standard or special installation:
> With standard, they select a COM # and you fill in Base and IRQ automatically.
Yes, option "Irq Default" should be definitely available...
> With special, they fill both in manually.
We seem to come to same conclusions...
> I'm having another of my "STUPID" days. Doesn't Arachne have to send a
> request for the file to be downloaded and identify it by some name ?
> And if not, the second thing I don't understand is why Arachne can
> suggest a reasonable filename AFTER download to \CACHE and only suggest a
> "cryptic" name if she downloads to \DOWNLOAD. If it's just a matter of the
> TEMPORARY name assigned to the file in \DOWNLOAD, I'm sure no one cares.
Ok, you will get temporary files in DOWNLOAD... but I am still not
really sure about it. The problem is that first I am opening download,
and creating cache item, and AFTER that, I am deciding if I can view
the file or not... I know it's little bit stupid, but what I
will have to do, is actuall to close file in cache, move it to
download, and reopen it for appending...
> Possibly saying something like,
> "* Terminal mode. To leave terminal mode and connect to the WWW, when
> garbage characters appear, press <Alt+P> or <F7>."
> (I am still not very satisfied with this suggested statement, but do not have
> time to think more about it right now.)
Yes, the message should read something like that, and it should be
probably more hightlighted, best of all pink over cyan and blinking
;-)
--
Michael Polak: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Arachne Labs: http://arachne.cz/
My mobile phone - up to 160 characters: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
