QWK-TXT Addendum ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Version 2.0 of 'Silly Little Message Reader', by Greg Hewgill contains a particularly nasty bug concerning file access modes. If you are using SLMR2 on a computer with the DOS driver SHARE loaded, SLMR2 opens all data files in a non-shareable mode. The same is true of any system providing similar file locking features as SHARE, including Novell Netware. This means that programs such as QWK-TXT which need to access the mail packet data files while SLMR2 is running are locked out. Greg has indicated that he hopes to correct this problem in a future release. In the meantime... Included in this archive is a hand assembled TSR adapted from the genius of Richard Sadowski. This tiny jewel intercepts all file open requests and forces them into a sharable mode. Installation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ SLMRFIX is a Terminate and Stay Resident program that needs to be loaded into memory prior to running SLMR2. While loaded, this program intercepts all file opens and forces them to shareable. In addition to the QWK-TXT files, you should have: SLMRFIX.COM.....TSR program. SLMRFIX.TXT.....TSR documentation. INSTALL.COM.....memory manager REMOVE.COM.....memory manager I recommend using a set of TSR management programs such as the PC-MAGAZINE utilities INSTALL and REMOVE (provided) to put SLMRFIX into memory only while SLMR2 is in use. The simplest method of accomplishing this is to create a simple batch file to perform the necessary steps. Here's an example SLMR batch file: @echo off cd\slmr install slmrfix slmrfix slmr remove This would make the SLMR directory current, install a memory mark, install SLMRFIX, run the SLMR2 program, and finally remove SLMRFIX. 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 7/15/91 SLMRFIX Page 1 CAUTION ~~~~~~~~~ Read and understand the following notes before using SLMRFIX. Used as described, SLMRFIX has proven to be quite safe and reliable, but the potential does exists for data corruption. The purpose of the DOS supplied SHARE driver (or workalike) is to keep multiple users / processes from destroying each others data. The primary cause of trashed data without SHARE locking would likely be concurrent reads / writes of the same data files. When SLMR2 runs an external program it goes "dormant", optionally swapping a large portion of its code to EMS or disk. The key here is that while swapped, SLMR2 will NOT be accessing its data files. Because of this, we can safely disable SHARE locking and safely READ the mail packet data files without fear of corruption. The SLMRFIX program effectively disables all SHARE locking, so if you choose to work in the SLMR shell, YOU must take the responsibility of ensuring that any files you work with will not be accessed by another user or process until you are finished. You should never attempt to WRITE to any of the mail packet data files while in the shell (although SLMRFIX makes it possible). The SLMR program is likely to have SOME of the information in memory, and tampering with the file is a sure way of corrupting the mail packet, or possibly crashing your system. SLMRFIX should only be used while SLMR2 is active, and never, ever, EVER, with applications that rely on SHARE locking such as databases! Consider yourself warned... 컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴컴 7/15/91 SLMRFIX Page 2