

          HANDS ON  Remote Access  UPDATES      Page 1




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          Software Updates:


          Note that some of the utility programs have their own version
          number and update information in the matching .txt file.  An
          example is HOMNU.EXE and MNU.txt.

          5.10 March, 1995 Changing files ending in DOC to TXT to
          minimise complaints about conflicts with Microsoft Word
          files.  Tidied HOMINS.EXE arrangement, so HOHOSTIN.EXE no
          longer tries to write to HOMINS.EXE.

          5.10 February, 1995 Fixes and improvements for modem init
          strings.  Added over 400 simple modem initialization
          settings.  Added the optional (but recommended) HOMINS.EXE
          simplified setup utility.  The installer now forces you to
          install in the current directory if you have the BBS version.
          Hopefully, this will cut down on the complaints on the
          poliferation of files.  1STHAND is now aware of the simple
          installer HOMINS.EXE in various ways, and checks for the
          installers in the current directory.

          5.01 February, 1995 Minor changes to help make configuration
          easier.  For example, more prompting in HOHOSTIN to re-create
          HO.HO and HOHOST.HO.  Matching changes in the manuals.

          5.00 September, 1994 By far the most common feedback is that
          BBS people only put part of Hand On on their BBS.  The default
          BBS distribution has been shrunk in reaction.  We have also
          significantly improved the ease of getting Hands On up and





          HANDS ON  Remote Access  UPDATES      Page 2



          running, mainly in 1sthand.exe.  This is the first EASY UP AND
          RUNNING release for Hands On.  This includes a large number of
          minor changes including a more reasonable dialing setup using
          1sthand.  1STHAND.EXE is now up to version 2 with numerous
          'easy use' changes, including more command line parameters..


          5.00 July, 1994 Added PSL registration option.  Cosmetic
          changes to 1sthand.exe, telemenu.exe and telemenu.hlp.
          Ongoing changes to the manuals based on user feedback.
          HOASK.EXE was inadvertently compressed with DIET in the
          initial 5.00 release and has now been restored to a normal
          .exe. (Testing shows that HOASK.EXE will normally run fine
          when DIETed, but that change made the difference) Changed
          HOHOSTIN.EXE so it leaves the INIT file on disk for further
          configuration uses.

          5.00 June, 1994 Started this section.  This is the first
          distribution where new users have significant likelihood of
          being less skilled.  You should expect ongoing 'updates' as we
          discover better ways to get new users going.  Its likely that
          the main changes will NOT provide enhanced help, but will
          instead improve the initial setup and automatic telephone
          connections.

          Reworking documentation and internal messages.  The design
          goal is a more user friendly interface.  Changed the name to
          HANDS ON.  Now includes the telemenu.  Reworked the names
          below to a generic name wherever appropriate.  The version
          number reflects a clean break that is building on previous
          work.


          4.23 1992 Allowed use of 25x80 text pages other than 0.

          4.22 Changed the version number to stop people thinking that
          version 3.9 was a later version than 3.22!!  4.22 and 3.22 are
          the same!

          3.22 Modified the way HOST's private mode works to avoid
          problems with CapsLock, NumLock and ScrollLock. Previously
          some PCs experienced a delay of 20 seconds or so while the
          BIOS waited for a keyboard interrupt that would never occur
          since HOST had disabled all keyboard interrupts. Now the
          keyboard interrupt is briefly enabled after any of these keys
          has been pressed.

          Modified the file transfer status window to report throughput





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          in characters per second rather than percentage efficiency.

          3.21 Added the capability to limit the length of a session
          (useful for toll-free numbers).

          Increased the buffer size to suit higher speed modems (this
          only affects screen refresh time and only at speeds above 2400
          bps).

          Added to HOSTIN the ability to scan the PC's hardware looking
          for installed COM ports and locating the associated IRQ lines
          (from IRQ2 to IRQ15 inclusive). This makes it considerably
          easier to install for things like internal modems with
          non-standard IRQ lines.

          3.20 Moved control of host printer redirection into
          HOST,HOSTIN, HOSTC (this now makes it possible to install HOST
          so that print redirection is off by default).

          Corrected a problem that caused \\ to be reduced to just \ and
          then to nothing when strings were being edited in HOSTIN.

          Added section 0 to HO.txt to provide a quick path to getting
          the package up and running.

          Made sending an initial "at&f" to the modem optional in
          MODSET.

          3.19 Added support for IRQ8-15 for 16-bit I/O cards.

          Added HOSTC.EXE to modify HOST parameters during an active
          session.

          Modified HOSTIN so that it is possible to redirect input into
          it, and added a sample response file HOSTIN.RES.

          3.18 Corrected a problem with HO failing to detect a loss of
          carrier in the middle of a session.

          3.17 Improved CTS handshaking for use with V42bis modems.

          Increased printer buffer size to cope with faster modems and
          longer propagation delays.

          Added direct support for external file transfer protocol
          programs such as DSZ.

          3.16 Modified HOST's ring response code so that the user can





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          choose to have a string sent direct to the modem instead of
          having it "typed".

          Added a "private" mode option to HOST to allow the host PC to
          run with a dead keyboard and blank screen.

          Added HOASK (a program like ASK but with a timeout) to replace
          HOKEY.

          Modified HOST to cut down memory usage slightly by freeing
          environment space. This could be significant for users who
          have very large amounts of environment text.

          Finally worked out what needed to be done to allow HOST to be
          loaded high (by QEMM's LOADHI for example) without hanging
          when the host should have been rebooted!

          3.15 Modified HOST so that the "reboot on loss of carrier"
          option only takes effect if there has been a successful HANDS
          ON session at some time in the past (previously the PC would
          reboot when the carrier was lost even if HANDS ON had never
          been active, which sometimes caused rebooting to occur at
          unfortunate moments!).

          3.13 Removed the messages about synchronizing the baud rate
          and sending the password, and replaced them with a beep so
          that line noise does not disturb the screen text so much.

          Modified the file transfer timeout process so that HO keeps on
          waiting for the transfer to commence until the user presses a
          key, rather than just waiting a specified time period. [Note
          that this eliminated one parameter from the .HO file.]

          3.12 Added a new program, REMOVE, to remove HOST from memory.
          Previously this could be done by HOSTIN, but having a separate
          program avoided any danger of inadvertently modifying HOST
          parameters...

          3.11 Added remote printing capability. [Note that this
          required an extra parameter in the .HO file.]

          3.10 Changed HO.EXE and GET.EXE so that directories were
          created as required during file transfer.

          portions Copyright (C) 1994-5 P. C. Softsmith All rights
          reserved

          *** this is the end (or the beginning, depending on your
          viewpoint) ***

