AllanHiggins Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Looking to complete a Megamax C / Laser C archive... specifically: - Megamax C v1.1 (~1986) - Laser C 1.x Resource Construction Program (RCP.PRG) (~1988) - Laser C 2.x CCOM.TTP and LASER.PRG/.RSC (~1989) - LaserDB 1.1 (1989) allan_higgins@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+poobah Posted January 22, 2010 Share Posted January 22, 2010 Looking to complete a Megamax C / Laser C archive... specifically: - Megamax C v1.1 (~1986) - Laser C 1.x Resource Construction Program (RCP.PRG) (~1988) - Laser C 2.x CCOM.TTP and LASER.PRG/.RSC (~1989) - LaserDB 1.1 (1989) allan_higgins@hotmail.com Definitely have Laser C somewhere. I will root through the ST stuff over the weekend. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+poobah Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Found six floppies in the archive: Laser C System v1.1 Laser C Work v1.1 Laser C Utility v1.1 Laser DB v 1.0 Laser C v2.0 Upgrade Disk Laser C v2.1 Upgrade Disk w/Laser DB I have the 1.1 manuals, they are in fairly rough shape though Looks like I bought it 19-Oct-1989 I'll fire up the Falcon and see if they still read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Do you have the source to megaroids? One of the members on here has been looking for it for a long time. I think it was included with some megamax package. Looking to complete a Megamax C / Laser C archive... specifically: - Megamax C v1.1 (~1986) - Laser C 1.x Resource Construction Program (RCP.PRG) (~1988) - Laser C 2.x CCOM.TTP and LASER.PRG/.RSC (~1989) - LaserDB 1.1 (1989) allan_higgins@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+poobah Posted January 30, 2010 Share Posted January 30, 2010 Ok, all six disk have been read and are safely on the falcon's hard drive (woohoo). The upgrade disks were stubborn, but I eventually got them all to read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
callaghan Posted January 31, 2010 Share Posted January 31, 2010 any body done any thing for you yet allan? have you got the whole collection yet? charles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 Do you have the source to megaroids? One of the members on here has been looking for it for a long time. I think it was included with some megamax package. I recall Megaroids being on the original Megamax C disks, and it's possible that the source code may have been distributed on another disk sold separately. I have most of the Megamax C v1.0 and v1.1 files, but not Megaroids. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 have you got the whole collection yet? Not yet, but I now have some of the files that I was missing. I'm definitely still in need of v2.1, including the debugger. I'm also missing MMRCP.* from Megamax C v1.0. That's what I'm sure I'm missing. I need to compare my files and signatures with some faithful disk images to be sure. The disk images that I have received so far are "LASER C UPDATE V2.0" and "LASER DB V1.0", which helped a lot in terms of knowing the official disk contents. I ordered a photocopy of the Laser C manual off eBay. Not sure what quality the copy will be. I'm hoping to scan the manual as part of the archive. I still don't have a lead on the LaserDB manual. I've been trying to get Jeff Morgan's attention, since he still holds the Megamax copyrights as far as I understand. I was hoping to get him to release the Atari versions into the public domain, including source code. If we had the source code we could make some tweaks and additions for some common emulator environments like Steem and Hatari. But Jeff hasn't replied yet. I sent my first email last April, but he may be busy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 I have the 1.1 manuals, they are in fairly rough shape though Which manuals? "Laser C" I presume is one of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lp060 Posted February 1, 2010 Share Posted February 1, 2010 I've been trying to get Jeff Morgan's attention, since he still holds the Megamax copyrights as far as I understand. I was hoping to get him to release the Atari versions into the public domain, including source code. If we had the source code we could make some tweaks and additions for some common emulator environments like Steem and Hatari. But Jeff hasn't replied yet. I sent my first email last April, but he may be busy. I think it would be more logical to send the author of the emulator a bug report. If the app fails, obviously the emulator is the problem in the loop. Most of them are quite responsive, especially if you can provide them with a solid test case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 1, 2010 Author Share Posted February 1, 2010 I think it would be more logical to send the author of the emulator a bug report... I wasn't thinking about limitations in emulators so much as I was thinking about possible cool things that could be done with ST software that was "emulator aware". i.e. ST software running inside an emulator, detecting that it is in an emulator and being able to then communicate with the emulator in order to interact with the host environment in ways not defined by the emulator. The emulator would ideally be cooperative, of course. Adding host interaction capability into the captive compiler's libraries would then make it easier to recompile old ST software to be emulator aware and perhaps interact more seamlessly with the host, at least at the source level. It would turn the emulator into something more resembling a subsystem in NT, like the Win32 or POSIX or OS2 subsystems (I suppose that it would actually more resemble the DOSVDM). I think that it would be cool. I developed a desire to do this while toying with the idea of using Steem and TOS 2.06 as my desktop under Windows XP. I wrote a Win32 "shell redirector" that picked up extra parameters in my boot.ini and launched a specified shell instead of explorer.exe. I was then able to select Steem as my Windows shell during boot. It was pretty cool, but there are limitations, of course. You see files in 8.3 format, you can't launch Win32 programs, etc. I mentioned the Windows DOSVDM above - notice how the DOSVDM will allow you to launch Win32 programs. Imagine being an over-the-hill computer geek, unemployed or underemployed or "mis-employed" because your job was transferred overseas or because you weren't able to keep upgrading your skills every year, and it makes you happy to reminisce about the "good old days" when you thought that you knew everything that there was to know about everything. And you boot your computer in the morning to look for a job, or to do some freelance telecommuting assignment that tortures you, and you have the opportunity to think to yourself "Will I work from my Atari ST today? Or my Apple IIGS? Or maybe my Commodore 64? Or my Heathkit H-89? Or my TRS-80 CoCo3?". Imagine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+poobah Posted February 3, 2010 Share Posted February 3, 2010 I have the 1.1 manuals, they are in fairly rough shape though Which manuals? "Laser C" I presume is one of them. LaserC and LaserDB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 8, 2010 Author Share Posted February 8, 2010 LaserC and LaserDB The only disk image from your set that I have so far is the Laser C 2.0 Upgrade disk. I'm very interested in the LaserDB manual. I recently purchased a photocopy of the Laser C manual on Ebay, it's not the greatest copy in the world but at least I have the information - I'm hoping to scan the manuals as part of the archive. Are you looking to keep the originals? You can send me an email if you would like to allan_higgins@hotmail.com - I tried to use the forum message facility to send you a message but it may not be working. -Allan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 Found six floppies in the archive: ... Laser C v2.1 Upgrade Disk w/Laser DB ... Poobah, Charles sent me the v1.1 disks, LaserDB v1.0, and the v2.0 upgrade disk. I still need the v2.1 upgrade disk, and the LaserDB manual or a copy thereof. You can contact me at allan_higgins@hotmail.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+poobah Posted February 9, 2010 Share Posted February 9, 2010 2.1 upgrade disk UP21.zip I'd like to hold on to the manuals for now. Perhaps thumpnugget might want to give them his magical touch. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 9, 2010 Author Share Posted February 9, 2010 (edited) I'd like to hold on to the manuals for now. Perhaps thumpnugget might want to give them his magical touch. Understood. I sorely regret throwing mine away. I should have just stuck my tongue out at my wife and said "nyeah" when she started on me yet again about my "clutter". My *BELOVED* clutter, DAMMIT WOMAN!!! I've got a photocopy of the main manual which I can start on. Being several hundred pages, it should keep me busy for quite a while. And being a photocopy already means that it will be easier to scan and I won't have to abuse the binding on another fragile book. If ThumpNugget has some recommendations for performing the scan, then I'm all ears. And thanks for the v2.1 disk. Original file dates still intact - I love that in a disk. I almost have enough forensic evidence to post a release history on the Megamax wikipedia page. Still need dates on Laser v1.0 and the original Megamax C package. I noticed STart ads for Megamax C v1.0 in the Summer 1986 edition, which jives with the copyrights inside the binaries. Speaking of history, anyone recognize these? Maybe they were only used in Germany, for ads perhaps, or maybe as part of a localized package. They were IMG files that I found on pigwa. Edited February 9, 2010 by AllanHiggins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frogstar_robot Posted February 12, 2010 Share Posted February 12, 2010 I wasn't thinking about limitations in emulators so much as I was thinking about possible cool things that could be done with ST software that was "emulator aware". i.e. ST software running inside an emulator, detecting that it is in an emulator and being able to then communicate with the emulator in order to interact with the host environment in ways not defined by the emulator. The emulator would ideally be cooperative, of course. Adding host interaction capability into the captive compiler's libraries would then make it easier to recompile old ST software to be emulator aware and perhaps interact more seamlessly with the host, at least at the source level. It would turn the emulator into something more resembling a subsystem in NT, like the Win32 or POSIX or OS2 subsystems (I suppose that it would actually more resemble the DOSVDM). I think that it would be cool. The downside is that I've seen at least one demo that detects it is running in an emulator then refuses to run with a snarky message. It's been a couple of years so I don't remember which on it is. So any such "emulator co-operation" is something you'd want to be able to turn off since software should have no way to detect (theoretically) perfect emulation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
atarifan49 Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Do you have the source to megaroids? One of the members on here has been looking for it for a long time. I think it was included with some megamax package. Looking to complete a Megamax C / Laser C archive... specifically: - Megamax C v1.1 (~1986) - Laser C 1.x Resource Construction Program (RCP.PRG) (~1988) - Laser C 2.x CCOM.TTP and LASER.PRG/.RSC (~1989) - LaserDB 1.1 (1989) allan_higgins@hotmail.com Thanks Belboz. That was me looking for that. A former Atari employee asked some years ago and I've been persistent to locate it. The Megaroids source is suppose to be on a extra disc that was sold separate from the standard Megamax C compiler. Someone, somewhere must have it. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
belboz Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 Yeah I remembered it was you looking for it for a friend. I keep hoping to find it for you. Have asked around and have had a few people claim they might have it, but none have ever found the time to dig around for it. I am probably due to pester them again! Thanks Belboz. That was me looking for that. A former Atari employee asked some years ago and I've been persistent to locate it. The Megaroids source is suppose to be on a extra disc that was sold separate from the standard Megamax C compiler. Someone, somewhere must have it. Glenn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 ...I am probably due to pester them again! Speaking about rationing out the bepesterments, I'm about a week away from sending Michael Bunnell another email. He and his brother Mitch wrote Megamax C and Megaroids. I'll ask if he still has the source code. I bothered him recently (Jan 22nd) so I'm waiting until a month passes so as not to be a pest. Any other questions anyone wants included? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+remowilliams Posted February 13, 2010 Share Posted February 13, 2010 If someone has the manuals in decent shape and wouldn't mind having the bindings cut off, I'd be willing to do the scan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllanHiggins Posted February 13, 2010 Author Share Posted February 13, 2010 If someone has the manuals in decent shape and wouldn't mind having the bindings cut off, I'd be willing to do the scan. I just received a photocopy of the LaserC manual (600 pages). I was planning to do the scan, but I admit that it would take me a very long time since I'm a complete novice and I don't really have very good scanning software. If you think that you might have the time to get it done faster I would consider sending it to you. We wouldn't have to destroy another book. The only thing about my copy is that it is slightly reduced in size because the person who made it copied the original book double-paged onto 8 1/2 x 11 paper (i.e. two pages per sheet, landscape). Let me know. Otherwise, maybe some advice on software and technique. As for the LaserDB manual, Poobah has one that he would like to hang onto, but since the manual is only about 50 pages maybe he might consider making a copy or scan. The LaserDB manual is wire bound, not latex bound, so it's not as fragile as the LaserC manual and could actually be disassembled for easy scanning and reassembled later if you were careful with the pliers (or had a binding machine). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kodak80 Posted January 1, 2017 Share Posted January 1, 2017 I know this was an old thread but just wanted to share my recently scanned PDF version of the Megamax Laser C manual for anyone still interested: https://mega.nz/#!Q4hCQBqa!pruGnOLxgHzcZnSWVyagEDHdPhMqm3tUQF_yCankOM8 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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