This file contains important information about each release of PTerm, please read it carefully before running PTerm as much of the information pertains to known bugs and limitations for each release. 04bp22: ======= o This release is sort of an 'emergency' release to get those using NT 3.5, buil 807, up and running again. I have built it using my evolving source, and while there are no specific bug fixes or enhancements, there are bound to be some randomly introduced bug fixes, and new bugs. I will be making an official release sometime in the near future. o PLEASE READ THE FIRST BULLET UNDER 04BP19 BELOW CONCERNING THE PLACEMENT OF CTL3D32.DLL! o Note that use of the AFFIN.DLL is no longer necessary under NT 3.5 (build 807), and can be safely deleted from your system (as far as PTerm is concerned). 04bp19: ======= o Added 3D look to dialogs through the use of CTL3D32.DLL. This DLL is included in the distribution. It is VERY important that only ONE copy of this DLL be in your path, and that place should be \winnt\system32. So, copy this DLL there and delete it from your PTerm directory. o Added optional "Delete files after uploading". When the select files for uploading dialog box pops up, you will notice a checkbox on the right side marked "Delete". If you check this, after finishing an upload, you will be presented with a list box containing the paths to all the files just uploaded. Select the files you want to delete, then click the Delete button. You are then asked if you wish to delete the files. I put this in because I like to delete my QWK packet replies just after uploading them. o Instead of automatically renaming existing files during a zmodem download, there is now an option to turn this on or off in the File Transfers setup dialog. o Added an option in the Communications Setup dialog for silencing the BEL character. This option, if enabled, simply filters out all incoming CTRL-G characters -- instead it flashes PTerm's window to let you know the system is beeping at you. I added this because my wife just had our first child, and I found that the noise created by an aborted file transfer was a little unnerving to our daughter. o As I illuded to when I first wrote the manual for PTerm (pterm.txt), I was afraid PTerm would not work on an SMP (multiple processor) machine, and, well, it doesn't. Until I can work this problem out, I have coded PTerm such that all threads are forced to run on the first processor. To facitiltate this, I use some functions MS provides in the file AFFIN.DLL (included with this release). Under Daytona, AFFIN.DLL will not be necessary. If you are still running Windows NT 3.1, copy AFFIN.DLL into your \winnt\system32 directory. Note, all this means that PTerm should now run properly on you machine no matter how many processors you have, because PTerm pretends there is only one. o The option to convert Backspace to Delete did not work at all in the last version of PTerm. I inadvertently optimized it out (is was impossible for the code which handled this to ever execute, one hell of an optimization!). It now works. Also, if you have this option enabled, it will be indicated in PTerm's title bar with the string "bs->del". I also added some code to handle CTRL-BACKSPACE. This key changes depending on whether you have BS->DEL enabled -- if you do, then CTRL-BS outputs a backspace, if you don't, then it outputs a delete. Those of you who need this will understand why I did it -- those who don't, nevermind. ;-) o All other bugs and limitations listed below still apply! I have started the early stages of a GUI version of PTerm. There is a large bump to get over, but once I get a GUI version with mostly the same functionality as the console version, I will be looking for beta testers, and will let everyone know. This is at best several months away. This version of PTerm will be shareware (as opposed to freeware). 04bp15: ======= o Added support for the (ALT-GR) characters on international keyboards. Thanks to Henry Gessau for modifying my keyboard input routine to handle this addition. I have been using it for well over a month now and it has not introduced any problems on my non-international keyboard. If any of the international users out there find problems, please let me know. o Other small non-visible bug fixes. 04bp13: ======= o The YModem upload bug has been fixed! Well, I hope it has. I tested by uploading some files to about 4 systems (including CIS), and all went well. I even uploaded a 1.7 Meg uncompressed executable, with the final throughput being 1610 cps at 14.4K baud, not too bad. On compressed files, I was getting about 1060 cps. If you experience any strangeness with the YModem uploading, please let me know! o The problems with the communications setup dialog have been fixed, sorry for the inconvience! o The problem where the capture path would get clobbered after canceling out of the Open Capture file dialog has been fixed. o If, after hitting ALT-X to exit PTerm, you were to hit ALT-X again (while PTerm is deintializing the Modem), you would more than likely crash PTerm -- this has been fixed... o You can now send a break signal by pressing CTRL-BREAK. I set the duration of the break to 250 milliseconds (1/4 second), if that turns out to be a problem please let me know and I will tweak it some... o Read the section in PTERM.TXT called "Sound" for information on the new wav file feature of PTerm. All other bugs and limitations listed below for 04bp10 still apply! 04bp10: ======= I am releasing this version with a several known bugs, and I'm sure many more unknown bugs. Many of the bugs which were present in the first two releases have been killed, but I am sure there are more, including these: o YModem uploading is broken. I have been delaying this release for sometime while I try to fix this bug. I am very close, but did not want to delay this release any longer with this being the only major [known] bug left. Downloading has worked great for me however. When I get the uploading fixed, I will release a patch version -- hopefully not too long after I make this release. o *Very* young and untested CIS Quick-B code has been included in this version PTerm. I have had a couple of sucessful downloads with this code, but have not even attempted an upload. This code will get better in future releases, for now you should probably pretend its not there (unless you like experimenting). o ANSI aupport may still be a bit weak. I have come to find out that it will be nearly (if not completely) impossible to fully implement VT100/220 emulation while PTerm remains a console application. As such, this will be the last _major_ release of PTerm as a console application -- PTerm will be going full GUI at some point in the future. I will continue to make patch releases of this version however. But, don't expect the VT100 support in the console version to get much better. ANSI color support seems to work great, but when calling Unix boxes with VT100 emulation PTerm can get baffled pretty quickly. Well, them's the major ones I have found so far. Please report others to me as necessary. Some 'features' to watch out for: o The TELNET support is still VERY young, and several facets are still being worked out. Please report any problems you have with this! If you really need a solid telnet for NT, get WinQVT for Windows NT. o Once PTERM quits, it closes the serial port, and if the modem on this serial port is currently connected to somewhere, that connection will be lost (since closing the serial port drops DTR). You may be able to prevent this by setting your modem to always hold DTR high, but this will have the side effect of preventing ALT-H from hanging up the connection. Note that if you try to exit PTerm while on line, PTerm will ask if you want to hang up and exit, if you say no you are left online and PTerm does not exit.