Hearsay

I’d like to say apropos nothing, that with Ovation Pro I often get people asking how to turn off code generation by the num lock key – the Ovation Pro UniversalKey module will let you do that. With Hearsay, again mad keen on emulation, the num lock key had to produce codes, so they key pad was laid out like a DEC VT terminal.

I’ll have a look at the Hearsay module…

Is Hearsay 2.24.02 any better. I’ve added special characters to ansi mode fixed a few things and converted from utf8 after spooling so the spooled file is what is received unchanged.

I’ve made control-shift f1 and f2 switch between 80 and 132 col modes setting the local mode to ansi and remote mode to linux. control-shift f3 and f4 does the same but sets local mode to vt320 and remote mode to vt220. So if you use these keys after connecting it should synchronise the local and remote terminal.

The Hearsay module keys with the NONE flag require codes generating when they are used on their own (not in combination with a shift/ctrl etc key). ISTR this is because Acorn had different keys producing the same key code. Possibly with Backspace I was after differentiating it from Ctrl+H.

Is Hearsay 2.24.02 any better

Cant find anything wrong anywhere, also looks as though editting with vi is possible, not sure of all the finer details yet.
I did not have a working Iyonix Serial0 connection for a while, upgraded to a newer ‘raspberry OS’ lite (not called raspbian now) and still serial0 was dead.
USB worked fine, went back to Serial0 and it worked again.
There is a repeatable issue on Iyonix Serial0 only in htop, where it blanks the data titles and the first half of the page. Some of it comes back with the active rewriting, and some comes back as yellow text when you highlight the blank area.
I dont know if my port 0 has a bad connection it is strange how I can repeat the htop experience over though.
USBSerial is all good.

That’s good to know.

Try changing

devblockmode=0;

to

//devblockmode=0;

at the bottom of !Hearay.Library.Serialdev. I thought I had a problem with blockmode but am not so sure now.

I found a switch in Hearsay to put the window back to a normal window which you can resize vertically – though not change the terminal height ie the area used by the graphical programs. But it’s nice for looking back through the buffer. Unfortunately it’s not redrawing when you press return on the bottom line – it scrolls but doesn’t display the change. Wiping another window over the Hearsay windows shows what it should be – so it can’t be much.

The drawing of htop using serial0 issue seems to be only in the 132 width of Hearsay. both Connector and Hearsay 80 cols display a full htop straight off
Maybe some small buffering difference between serial0 and serialusb? I know it’s not always easy to rig up the cables, but you may see this on your Iyonix also.
David had an extra serial support module once, I don’t think it was used later on.
// devblockmode=0 hasn’t done anything noticeable yet.
With one of my BASIC serial prog it is possible to leave the blockdrivers in a state that wont allow Hearsay or Connector to initialise.
Not just open files, (another problem if not exiting properly), But being able to click on !SerialDev now restores things, would probably normally reboot at that stage.

You did better than me. Over vnc Serial0 on the iyonix was unusable without flow control. Using devblockmode improved things slightly. SerialUSB was fine – no problems with 80 col mode. I would expect better performance for SerialUSB as the on chip buffers are a lot larger. I don’t use serialdev normally I prefer to use the serial DeviceFS interface direct.

Just mentioned it in case you seen buffering in the source, there used to be an extra serial utils module for better performance, may have been for pre RiscPC hardware though.
I have copied all the new stuff over to RiscPC and the !SerialDev.Utils BASIC RepeatBoot file gets an unknown variable error at line 620 or 61 depending on editor.
It is the Blkflag_26 constant that has not been declared.
Maybe the declared BlkFlg_Not26bit constant could be used somehow.
WHEN 26: IF (flags% AND BlkFlg_Not26bit) =0 THEN valid%=1
The multiport driver needs to be moved though, it expects to find the hardware

I’ve enabled the use of the normal scrollbars in Hearsay. This means that you can resize to screen height and the scrollwheel works when over the window. Note The size of the terminal remains 24 lines so commands like htop only work in the bottom 24 lines of the window. Scrolling commands use the whole window. Cursor keys scroll the terminal, Scroll wheel scrolls the whole window.

I’ve added Crtl-Shift C & V macros to cut and paste within the window – you can’t cut/paste to from the desktop. Ctrl-Shift f5 starts spooling to RAM:$.spool Ctrl-Shift f6 stops spooling.

Hearsay-2_24_03.zip

If you replace !Hearsay.Library.!SerialDev with !Hearsay.!Serial – put !Hearsay.Library.!SerialDev in !HearSay first – then the iyonix works fine in 80 and 132 line mode.

The question is does !Serial work with all machines and if not is there a way to detect which machines it works with.

Works on my armx6 and pi4 too. I’ll merge the 2 library files and see how it goes – couldn’t test the pandaboard as its the only cable I don’t have. What law of the universe states you always need the cable you don’t have.

then the iyonix works fine in 80 and 132 line mode.

On my Iyonix (Serial0) I could get no prompt until using original positions. Then while live, I swapped them and yes, htop is working fine in 132 columns.
Edit: its weird though, putting them back to original positions and display is OK too, it’s as if the blockdriver is remembering the new method. A reboot removes the goodness.
Later On:
It was David Pilling’s SerialBuff I was thinking of not Serial Utils, and as luck would have it, it runs on the Iyonix and it also corrects the 132 col display of htop.
Colin I have emailed you a copy, it is probably still on David’s site too.
Edit: Colin was already well ahead on the buffer situation and his latest mod is working well on both my Iyonix and RiscPC.

I’ve made these changes in Hearsay-2_24_04. I don’t think I’ll be doing much more. Would have been nice to have a working telnet blockdriver.

SerialDev library modified. Now uses Hearsay instead of blockdrivers
for the first serial device. 
Serial device now shown under icon and in window title.
Serialdevices after the first handled by blockdriver.
telnet device added - though it doesn't work.
Connects in the following order:
    SerialUSB
    Hearsay module serial
    Blockdriver serial
    Telnet
Running hearsay with left Alt pressed ignores SerialUSB devices. Right
Alt opens telnet.

Ok so I couldn’t leave it alone. If anyone is interested would they like to try
Hearsay-2_24_05.zip. I’ve written a telnet module for it. it has the following changes:

New Telnet module
Left alt opens telnet. Right Alt skips SerialUSB
Screen change keys now only work at a $ command prompt.
Screen change keys now set TERM=xterm-256colour instead of linux
Function key macros for xterm added
Make cursor position visible when typing.
Disable click inputs character under pointer
Various display fixes.