DesTerm V3.01 Release Notes

Release notes for DesTerm v3.02
===============================

Contents:

1. Bug fixes since v3.01
2. About CMD partitions and directories (modified)
3. About VDC Settings

See rel-301 for the previous release notes

Bug fixes since v3.01
---------------------

- Saving files no longer crashes DesTerm (especially prefs.set)
One section of the DesTerm code became a few bytes too large. This caused
the RS-232 routines to overwrite part of the code that dealt with saving
files to be broken. DesTerm either crashed or saved an invalid file.
The offending code has been streamlined.


About CMD partitions and directories (modified)
-----------------------------------------------

Notes:
======
- CMD define partition '0' as the 'currently selected' partition.
- CMD define a filename with no path information as being in the 'currently
selected' directory.

When DesTerm first loads its configuration files, it has no notion of the
drive designations ('cos it hasn't loaded them yet). Thus, it relies on the
fact that the 'current drive' and 'current directory' are set to where the
configuration files can be found.

The default configuration for all the drives ALSO sets the partition to '0' -
since no assumptions about drive layout would be wise.

As soon as the configuration file has been loaded, all of the drive definitions
come into play.

It is absolutely VITAL that the first thing that you do is to fully configure
the various DesTerm drives to the proper partition and proper path. Then save
these settings using 'Save Settings' in the 'User Settings' menu.

The most common problem that people have reported when using CMD drives is due
to the fact that they hadn't properly set the partition on the various drives
that DesTerm supplies. For example:

Drive A: (DesTerm Drive) 0:
Drive B: (Download Drive) 2://downloads/
Drive C: (Upload Drive) 3://uploads/

Here, whenever drive B is accessed, partition 2 would be made the 'current
partition'. When drive A is accessed, the partition and directory aren't
changed (0 is the current partition, and no path). Thus, any configuration
files saved by DesTerm will be put in the wrong place (and any of the
DesTern modules won't be found). To correct the situation, A: shoubd be
defined more fully:

Drive A: (DesTerm Drive) 2://desterm/

If you wish to pick the 'root' directory of any particular partition, then
it should be explicity set with '//'.

About VDC Settings
------------------

DesTerm supports 8 screen lengths: 23, 24, 25, 30, 48, 50, 52 and 62 lines
(plus two for the status and ruler lines). The Commodore 128 usually
generates 25 screen lines - the extra lines used by DesTerm use the VDC chip
in a slightly expanded way. Different monitors react differently to the
expanded number of lines. Attempts have been made to supply a set of
parameters that will work with most monitors - but users will most likely
want to asdjust the parameters to exactly suit their system.

There are two ways to adjust the picture: adjusting the monitor and adjusting
the VDC settings.