~04/1995
Questions and answers --------------------- Q: When I try to access a CD using !PhotoView, I get the error CDFS::0.$.PHOTO_CD.OVERVIEW/PCD not found; what's the solution? A: !PhotoView is not finding the file containing the index information for the pictures on the PhotoCD. First check that you have a PhotoCD in your drive. Corel Professional PhotoCDs do not have an Overview file on the disc; individual Image Pacs may, however, be accessed using !ChangeFSI. If your PhotoCD is not a Corel disc and the Overview file cannot be found, consult your PhotoCD's supplier. Q. How do I delete an unformatted or non-bootable PC hard disc partition via the Desktop? A. To delete an unformatted PC hard disc partition you need to either format then delete the partition, or go to the command line (F12 from the Desktop) and type: *SETTYPEText *DELETE Q. Is there a system variable which I can access to find out what the Currently Selected Directory (CSD) is set to? A. Yes, provided you have RISC OS 3.1. Fileswitch$ADFS$CSD contains the ADFS CSD pathname; if you use a different filing system, change the appropriate part of the variable. More than Music --------------- CD ROM is a wonderful medium for software which requires a large amount of resource data, and there is now PhotoCD, but you can play audio CDs too! Most CD ROM drives have an Audio Out connector, which produces a signal suitable for feeding into an amplifier. Otherwise, most CD ROM drives have a jack on the front for headphones; you can attach a pair of "active speakers" of the kind used with personal stereos to this. CD ROM drives which are fully supported by Acorn's drivers are: SONY CDU6111, CDU6211, CDU541, CDU561 PHILIPS CM131, CM231 TOSHIBA XM2200A, 3301 HITACHI CDR1650S, CDR1750S CHINON CDS-431 APPLE CD300 (driver available from Acorn dealers) PhotoCD is available using the Philips CDU541 (single-session only), the CDU561 and the Apple CD300 (multi-session). Further drive and driver combinations are available from third party suppliers. CD ROMs for DOS-based systems can be accessed directly using CDFS via DOSFS under RISC OS. PC Soft can access CD ROMs using MS DOS and MSCDEX. Note that MPC discs cannot currently be played on an Acorn platform, as there is no support for a SoundBlaster-compatible card. The vast majority of CD ROMs for all platforms are written using the standard ISO9660 or earlier High Sierra standard formats; CDFS can read both of these. Choosing SIMMs for Risc PC: A Checklist --------------------------------------- The Risc PC marks an enhanced level of conformance to popular standards for Acorn, in that DRAM may be fitted as SIMMs (Single Inline Memory Modules). Hence you can buy DRAM for your Risc PC from many more suppliers, but make sure that the SIMMs you are considering conform to at least this outline specification: 72 contact pins, with 32 bit data Speed of 70ns or faster Physical size 108mm long, 36.2mm wide and 9.4mm thick Memory must be mapped as a "square array" (same number of row and column addresses) 16 or less physical ICs on each SIMM DRAM devices must support "fast page mode" and "CAS before RAS refresh." Further details on suitable SIMMs are contained in an Application Note; this is available via Acorn support channels (eg dealers). VRAM (Video memory) is installed on proprietary cards, and hence is only available via Acorn and a smaller number of third parties. Did you know? ------------- Some difficulties in running new software may be the result of the software requiring the latest versions of relocatable modules. Current versions of some modules for RISC OS 3.1 are: ColourTrans 1.57 (Supplied with !Printers 1.22) FPE400 4.03 (For users of the FPA10 Floating Point Coprocessor) CLib 3.75 SCSIFS 1.10 CDFS 2.21 In the case of all except SCSIFS and CDFS, upgrades to these versions are available via ftp.acorn.co.uk, as well as via Acorn dealers. The latest versions of SCSIFS and CDFS are supplied as part of the PhotoView package, available from Acorn dealers as Product Code AKA35, price £34.95. The latest versions compatible with RISC OS 2 are available as part of the RISC OS 2 Extras disc, available from the same sources.