[Coco] Glenside IDE Hard Drive Interface --- HOW-TO

[Manny]

Gene Heskett wrote:

>> A year or so ago, I did a big search for a public domain editor for OS-9
>> that would be simple to use. I did find a couple that almost worked, but
>> I found too many bugs to be able to use them efficiently. This took me
>> into the idea of programming one myself based off of some of the old
>> DOS-based text editor. (Using the arrow keys for movement and simple to
>> remember commands like <CTRL><C>, etc.) But, I've been blocked by my
>> lack of knowledge of the underlying operating system, some of the
>> problems that I have encountered with the Microware's (?) C package, as
>> well as a lack of a good public domain text editor. (Kind of a vicious
>> circle, eh? :) )
>>
> Yes, it certainly is.  And I'd comment that $25 for a decent text editor isn't 
> really that bad, most of us will spend that much on beer or cigarettes in 2-3 
> months.

Yeah, but would those same people give up smoking or drinking for that 
same period to have the text editor? ;)

If I had the money, I (actually, my wife...) thought it would be a good 
purchase, and I'd use it a lot, I would go ahead a buy it. I don't know 
why, but I think if it were in the $10 - $15 range, I wouldn't be so 
picky. :)

> There was a time when the tsedit replacement disks, 2 of them I recall, were 
> available from RSU for 2 or 3 bucks each.  Combined with someones VI patch, 
> its a great editor and can be invoked as 'vi #56k filename'.  I don't 
> personally know of another os9 editor that can handle that big a file, and 
> its never cost me a lost character yet.

I suppose one of these days when I'm feeling like torturing myself, I 
could settle down and try to Vi. All I really need is a basic text 
editor for OS-9, so Vi would probably do once I get the weird editing 
modes and keys down. ;)

> But thanks be, its no emacs.  Take a 
> look at the linux versions of that today, with all the goodies, over 20 
> megabytes!  There can be too much of a good thing, and emacs is a good 
> example IMO.

It's nice, though, if you want everything plus the kitchen sink. I'm 
afraid that after I divorced myself from Windows, my brother sat me down 
and gave me a good dose of Emacs. I really do find Vi weird and only use 
it when I absolutely have to. But, sometimes, I still can't get the 
durned thing to work. Emacs seems more natural to me.

>> One of these days, I would like to program one. But my current interest
>> in the CoCo is falling off a little bit because of being 3000 miles away
>>from my CoCo. (It looks like it will be that way for a few years to
>> come, too.)
> 
> That's sad Manny.  Can you not have it shipped to you?

It would be too much to ship over here. That, and I'd have to find / buy 
power conversions for everything. I'm sure there would be a way to 
purchase the same hardware over here, but I really don't have the room 
or money for it right now.

I think once we move back to the States, I'll try to put my foot down 
and get a 3 or 4 bedroom place. That way I can have my study / computer 
room.

-M.