.PO 8 What's the Word on the Z-System? by Richard Conn and the Staff of Echelon Questions most asked about Z-System (ZCPR3 and ZRDOS): 1. Is ZCPR3 hard to bring up on my computer? What are my options? 2. How much memory does a Z-System take? 3. Do I have to have a hard disk to run the Z-System? How much disk space is needed? 4. How can I find out more about the Z-System? Answers and some basic facts are presented herein. EI Rev. 1.2 2/20/86 Š --> 1. Is ZCPR3 hard to bring up? What are my options? ANSWER If you try to bring up ZCPR3 manually (following the installation instructions in ZCPR3: The Manual), the answer is yes. Experience in assembly-language programming is necessary. Source code to your BIOS is necessary. An understanding of CP/M and Z- System concepts is necessary. However, you may not have to bring ZCPR3 manually. There are options... ZCPR3 Installation Options OPTIONS Your basic options are: 1) Manual Installation o no cost (download the software) o complex with many options o requires knowledge of assembly language 2) Automatic Installation (Auto-Install) o commercial products: US Dollars Z3-DOT-COM (includes all help files and all utilities in COM file form) $ 99.00 Z3-DOT-COM (without utilities) $ 49.95 Z-COM (full Z3-DOT-COM with ZRDOS) $119.00 ZRDOS (CP/M BDOS Replacement) $ 49.50 ZRDOS+ (ZRDOS with Public Dirs) $ 59.50 o write or call Echelon for current prices 3) Pre-installed for specific systems o soon to be released o write or call Echelon for availability/prices o target installations: Ampro Kaypro Eagle Morrow Epson QX-10 Osborne Heath/Zenith Micromint SB180 4) User Groups o major user groups often have complete ZCPR3 o examples: First Osborne user's Group (FOG) Tampa Bay Kaypro User's Group 5) Echelon Good-Neighbor Helper Roster ADDRESSES General: Echelon, Inc. 885 N. San Antonio Road Los Altos, CA 94022 USA Telephone: 415-948-3820 ŠZ-NODES For interaction on Z-Nodes (Remote Access Systems) and to ask questions: NODE SYSOP CITY STATE ZIP RAS Phone 8 Thomas Hill, Anchorage, AK 99504 22 Thomas R. Bowerman, Anniston, AL 36201 205/238-0012 52 Wells Brimhall, Phoenix, AZ 85028 602/996-8739 20 Richard Driscoll, Phoenix, AZ 85008 44 Robert Gear, Phoenix, AZ 85014, 602/279-2762 35 Norman L. Beeler, Sunnyvale, CA 94086, 408/245-1420 34 Rod L. Blackman, Visalia, CA 93291, 209/739-8303 54 Clinton Cook, Merced, CA 95348, 209/383-6417 21 Robert Finch, Glendale, CA 91205 6 Andrew Hart, Palo Alto, CA 94306, 415/493-4506 2 Al Hawley, Los Angeles, CA 90056, 213/670-9465 * 57 Steve Kitahata, Gardena, CA 90247, 213/532-3336 1 David McCord, Fremont, CA 94536, 415/489-9005 36 Richard Mead, Pasadena, CA 91105, 818/799-1632 18 John Rovner, Union City, CA 94587 25 Douglas Thom, San Jose, CA 95129, 408/253-1309 19 Fred Townsend, San Jose, CA 95132, 408/262-5150 9 Roger Warren, San Diego, CA 92109, 619/270-3148 10 Rea Williams, El Toro, CA 92630, 714/855-0672 * 28 Stanley K. London, Aurora, CO 80013, 303/680-9825 53 Peter Glaskowsky, Miami, FL 33156, 305/235-1645 27 Charlie Hoffman, Tampa, FL 33629, 813/831-7276 * 32 Allan E. Levy, Satellite Beach, FL 32927 17 Robert B. Tate, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701, 305/831-6049 * 29 Edward C. Unrein, Altamonte Springs, FL 32701, 305/774-2591 * 51 Edward C. Unrein, Orlando, FL 32810, 305/295-0844 * 46 Jim S. Altman Atlanta, GA 30316, 404/627-7127 * 15 Richard Jacobson, Chicago, IL 60606, 312/649-1730 * 15 Richard Jacobson, Chicago, IL 60606, 312/664-1730 * 5 Ron Stone, Lisle, IL 60532, 312/420-1722 * 37 Marvin Eyre, Robards, KY 42452, 502/521-7011 3 Jay P. Sage, Newton Centre, MA 02159, 617/965-7259 * 43 John D'Ausilio, Bladensburg, MD 20710, 301/779-7986 * 41 Larry Mansfield Baltimore, MD 21214, 301/254-6277 30 Ben Ragan, St. Louis, MO 63134, 314/423-7038 48 Brian B. Riley, Indian Mills, NJ 08088, 609/268-9597 11 Michael M. Ward, Voorhees, NJ 08043, 609/428-8864 23 Charles Boghosian, Durham, NC 27712, 919/383-6595 42 Jay Denebeim, Durham, NC 27705, 919/471-6436 * 14 Rich Rodeheaver, Reynoldsburg, OH 43068, 614/864-2673 * 47 Tom R. Keith, Ponca City, OK 74601, 405/762-1651 49 Kevin Dobb, Medford, OR 97504 * 38 Robert L. Paddock, Franklin, PA 16323, 814/437-5647 4 Don Buzzingham, College Station, TX 77843, 409/845-8931 56 Terry Carroll, Bedford, TX 76021, 817/283-9167 33 Mark R. Evans, San Angelo, TX 76904 31 Richard A. Petersen, El Paso, TX 79904, 915/821-3638 * 45 Richard K. Reid, Houston, TX 77088, 713/937-8886 39 Jon Schneider, El Paso, TX 79936, 915/592-4976 * 12 Norm Gregory, Seattle, WA 98122, 206/325-1325 * 7 Tim Linehan, Olympia, WA 98502, 206/357-6757 Š 16 Jud Newell, Islington, Ontario M9A 1A7 CANADA, 416/231-9202 * 40 Terry Smythe, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3N 0T2 CANADA, 204/452-5529 * 26 Robert Kuhmann, Belle Etoile, par St. Martin de la Brasque 84760 FRANCE, 011-33-90-77-60-15 (from USA) * 50 Mark Little, Alice Springs, N.T. Australia 5750 011-61 (089) 528 852 (from USA) * Notes: 1) Asterisk (*) indicates node is a downloader of Echelon proprietary software. Ask node Sysop for procedure. 2) Lack of RAS (Remote Access System) telephone number indicates node presently may not be up but should be within two months, or we have not yet received number. 3) When updating or correcting ZNODESnn.LST for errors, please increment list number (nn), change date to current, and upload to Z-Node Central, 415/489-9005. Š --> 2. How much memory does a Z-System take? ANSWER A Z-System can take up a lot of memory, but it can also take as little as 1K, depending on how it's installed. I have run the following programs in a full-up Z-System (which takes 5K more than a similar CP/M system), and they have worked well for my applications: dBase II BDS C WordStar C/80 SpellStar Pascal/MT+ MailMerge MultiPlan StarIndex ASM, MAC, M80, ZAS MBASIC Z-MSG CBASIC2 There are some programs which hog so much TPA that they can't run under my full-up Z-System, but I don't use them or need them for my applications. The impact on memory is really not that significant if you look at a true picture... Z-SYSTEM Compared to CP/M Memory Maps CP/M Minimum ZCPR3 Full ZCPR3 No Overhead 1K Overhead 5K Overhead --------------------- -_Overhead_____- ---------------- - BIOS (1.5K) and - - BIOS (1.5K) - - Overhead - 62 -_BDOS (3.5K) = 5K__- - ZRDOS (3.5K) - -______________- 60 -_CCP (2K)__________- ---------------- - BIOS (1.5K) - 58 - - --ZCPR3 (2K)---- - ZRDOS (3.5K) - 56 - 57K TPA - - - ---------------- 54 - - - 56K TPA - --ZCPR3 (2K)---- 52 - - - - - - 50 - - - - - 52K TPA - 48 - - - - - - 46 - - - - - - 4 - - - - - - 2 --------------------- ---------------- ---------------- 0 % of Memory Occupied by Operating System: 10.9% 12.5% 18.8% Functionality Enhancements over CP/M: None Shells Shells Named Dirs Named Dirs Public Dirs Public Dirs Multiple Cmds Multiple Cmds Terminal Cap Terminal Cap External FCB External FCB Messages Messages Z3 Data Base Z3 Data Base I/O Package Flow Cmd Package Resident Cmd Package ŠNote: Percentages change if BIOS Sizes vary from 1.5K given above. Breakdown of BIOS Overhead Growth BIOS Size Standard CP/M Minimum ZCPR3 Maximum ZCPR3 --------- ------------- ------------- ------------- 1.5K 7K = 10.9% 8K = 12.5% 12K = 18.8% 2.5K 8K = 12.5% 9K = 14.1% 13K = 20.3% 3.5K 9K = 14.1% 10K = 15.6% 14K = 21.9% 4.5K 10K = 15.6% 11K = 17.2% 15K = 23.4% 5.5K 11K = 17.2% 12K = 18.8% 16K = 25.0% Note: nK = p% indicates the size of the system in K (BIOS + BDOS + CPR) and the percentage of the total memory taken up by the operating system. In my case, I am running a Maximum ZCPR3 with a 5.5K BIOS overhead, so this leaves a 48K TPA (64K - 16K System) which expands to 50K if the program overlays ZCPR3. All my programs, including WordStar and dBASE II continue to run, and I have full ZCPR3 features. Even with this argument, people will still ignore the vast gains in functionality and capability offered by ZCPR3 and Z- System and concentrate on their single-minded fixation with TPA (for reasons no one has adequately explained to me). A future ZCPR3 release, ZCPRB3, will offer a banked memory system with at least a 60K TPA (now, that should make them happy). Note that I am not moving to a banked system on their account, but as a step toward multitasking--something I really want. --> 3. Do I have to have a hard disk to run the Z-System? How much disk space is needed? ANSWER No. The Z-System runs better on a hard disk...because everything runs better on a hard disk. Also, a hard disk runs better on a Z-System because of all the programs and features which support the hard disk: Named directories with passwords Public directories under ZRDOS+ Paths Shells Special commands, like CD (Change Directory) Most Z-System features are practical regardless of the disk used. The following shows some disk configurations, from a full-up hard disk (over 1 megabyte of support files) to a minimum system (less than 40K-bytes of support files)... Š How Much Disk Space Does a Z-System Require? 1. Listing below shows my hard disk, which is extensive: XDIR III, Version 2.0 Vertical Listing by File Type/Name Disk: A User: 15 Name: ROOT, File Attributes: Non-System System Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K --- VITALS .BAD 4 CPY .COM 4 EDXLT .COM 8 VFILER .CMD 4 CRC .COM 8 ERASE .COM 4 AC .COM 8 DDT .COM 8 ERROR1 .COM 4 ALIAS .COM 4 DEFDIR .COM 4 ERROR2 .COM 4 BAD .COM 28 DEV .COM 4 ERROR3 .COM 4 BANNER .COM 4 DEVICE .COM 4 ERROR4 .COM 4 BOOTHD .COM 4 DIFF .COM 4 ERRORX .COM 4 CALENDAR.COM 16 DIR .COM 4 FINDBAD .COM 4 CAT .COM 4 DPROG .COM 4 FINDERR .COM 4 CATFREE .COM 4 DSD .COM 16 FINDF .COM 4 CCOPY .COM 4 DSDZ .COM 16 FORMAT2 .COM 4 CD .COM 4 DU3 .COM 12 FORMATHD.COM 8 CLEANDIR.COM 4 DUMP .COM 4 GOTO .COM 4 CMD .COM 4 ECHO .COM 4 HDSYSGEN.COM 4 CMDRUN .COM 4 ED .COM 8 HELP .COM 4 COMMENT .COM 4 EDCST .COM 8 HELPCK .COM 4 COMP .COM 4 EDTMC .COM 8 HELPPR .COM 8 CPSEL .COM 4 EDTXD .COM 8 IF .COM 4 Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ IFSTAT .COM 4 MSG .COM 4 SAK .COM 4 INUSE .COM 4 MU3 .COM 4 SCRAMBLE.COM 4 IOBUG .COM 16 NOTE .COM 4 SETFILE .COM 4 IOINIT .COM 4 NULU .COM 16 SGEN .COM 4 KERMIT .COM 16 PAGE .COM 8 SH .COM 4 LDR .COM 4 PATH .COM 4 SHCTRL .COM 4 LGET .COM 4 PIP .COM 8 SHDEFINE.COM 4 LHELP .COM 4 PRINT .COM 8 SHFILE .COM 4 LLF .COM 8 PROTECT .COM 4 SHOW .COM 8 LRUN .COM 4 PWD .COM 4 SHSET .COM 4 LX .COM 4 Q .COM 4 SHVAR .COM 4 MBASIC .COM 24 QUIET .COM 4 SQ .COM 16 MCOPY .COM 8 RCOPY .COM 4 STARTUP .COM 4 MEMTEST .COM 4 RECORD .COM 4 STAT .COM 8 MENU .COM 8 REG .COM 4 SUB .COM 4 MENUCK .COM 4 REGEN .COM 4 T3ANSWER.COM 4 MKDIR .COM 8 REMOTE .COM 16 T3DIAL .COM 8 MOVE .COM 4 RENAME .COM 4 T3FILER .COM 16 ŠFilename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ T3FLUSH .COM 4 TCSELECT.COM 4 ZDM .COM 8 T3HANGUP.COM 4 TESTERR .COM 4 ZDMH .COM 8 T3INIT .COM 4 TIME .COM 8 ZDMZ .COM 8 T3INS .COM 8 UNERASE .COM 4 ZEX .COM 8 T3LOGCHG.COM 8 USQ .COM 12 ZSID .COM 12 T3LOGCK .COM 8 VALIAS .COM 8 BAD .DOC 8 T3LOGIN .COM 12 VDO .COM 8 NOTESHD .DOC 16 T3MASTER.COM 16 VERROR .COM 4 P1350 .DPG 4 T3MONRPT.COM 4 VFILER .COM 16 STD .DPG 4 T3NOTE .COM 4 VIEW .COM 4 TEXT .DPG 4 T3SELMOD.COM 4 VMENU .COM 8 TVI950 .DPG 4 T3SEND .COM 4 VMENUCK .COM 4 SYS .ENV 4 T3SERVER.COM 8 VTYPE .COM 8 SYS .FCP 4 T3TERM .COM 12 WHEEL .COM 4 SYS .IOP 4 T3TERMB .COM 8 WM .COM 12 SYS .NDR 4 T3TEST .COM 4 XD .COM 4 DEBUG .RCP 4 T3VIEW .COM 8 XDIR .COM 8 SYS .RCP 4 TCCHECK .COM 4 Z3INS .COM 4 Z3TCAP .TCP 12 TCMAKE .COM 8 Z3LOC .COM 4 164 Files Using 1052K, 299 Files on Disk and 2088K Left 2. Next, a "reasonable" systems disk: Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ VFILER .CMD 1 LDR .COM 3 UNERASE .COM 2 AC .COM 5 LGET .COM 4 VALIAS .COM 7 ALIAS .COM 4 LHELP .COM 4 VERROR .COM 2 CD .COM 1 LLF .COM 5 VFILER .COM 13 CLEANDIR.COM 2 LX .COM 3 VMENU .COM 8 COMP .COM 3 MCOPY .COM 5 VTYPE .COM 6 CPSEL .COM 1 MENU .COM 5 WHEEL .COM 2 CRC .COM 6 MKDIR .COM 6 WM .COM 10 DEV .COM 2 MOVE .COM 2 XD .COM 4 DIR .COM 3 PATH .COM 2 XDIR .COM 8 DPROG .COM 3 PRINT .COM 6 ZDM .COM 6 DU3 .COM 12 PWD .COM 2 ZEX .COM 5 ECHO .COM 1 RENAME .COM 4 SYS .ENV 1 ERASE .COM 3 SAK .COM 1 SYS .FCP 1 ERROR3 .COM 1 SH .COM 4 SYS .IOP 2 ERRORX .COM 1 SHCTRL .COM 1 SYS .NDR 1 FINDF .COM 2 SHOW .COM 8 SYS .RCP 2 GOTO .COM 1 STARTUP .COM 1 HELP .COM 4 SUB .COM 3 55 Files Using 205K, 55 Files on Disk and 36K Left Š 3. And an even "more reasonable" systems disk: XDIR III, Version 2.0 Vertical Listing by File Type/Name Disk: C User: 15 Name: BACKROOT, File Attributes: Non-System Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ VFILER .CMD 1 LGET .COM 4 VALIAS .COM 7 AC .COM 5 LHELP .COM 4 VERROR .COM 2 CLEANDIR.COM 2 LLF .COM 5 VFILER .COM 13 COMP .COM 3 LX .COM 3 VMENU .COM 8 CPSEL .COM 1 MENU .COM 5 WM .COM 10 CRC .COM 6 PATH .COM 2 XD .COM 4 DEV .COM 2 PRINT .COM 6 ZEX .COM 5 DPROG .COM 3 SAK .COM 1 SYS .ENV 1 ERROR3 .COM 1 SH .COM 4 SYS .FCP 1 ERRORX .COM 1 SHCTRL .COM 1 SYS .IOP 2 GOTO .COM 1 STARTUP .COM 1 SYS .NDR 1 HELP .COM 4 SUB .COM 3 SYS .RCP 2 LDR .COM 3 UNERASE .COM 2 38 Files Using 130K, 38 Files on Disk and 111K Left 4. Finally, two "minimum" systems disks: XDIR III, Version 2.0 Vertical Listing by File Type/Name Disk: C User: 15 Name: BACKROOT, File Attributes: Non-System Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ VFILER .CMD 1 MENU .COM 5 WM .COM 10 CLEANDIR.COM 2 PRINT .COM 6 XD .COM 4 DEV .COM 2 SAK .COM 1 ZEX .COM 5 DPROG .COM 3 STARTUP .COM 1 SYS .ENV 1 ERROR3 .COM 1 SUB .COM 3 SYS .FCP 1 ERRORX .COM 1 UNERASE .COM 2 SYS .IOP 2 GOTO .COM 1 VALIAS .COM 7 SYS .NDR 1 LDR .COM 3 VERROR .COM 2 SYS .RCP 2 LHELP .COM 4 VFILER .COM 13 26 Files Using 84K, 26 Files on Disk and 157K Left XDIR III, Version 2.0 Vertical Listing by File Type/Name Disk: C User: 15 Name: BACKROOT, File Attributes: Non-System Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K Filename.Typ Size K -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ -------- --- ------ VFILER .CMD 1 UNERASE .COM 2 SYS .FCP 1 DEV .COM 2 VERROR .COM 2 SYS .IOP 2 ERRORX .COM 1 VFILER .COM 13 SYS .NDR 1 LDR .COM 3 XD .COM 4 SYS .RCP 2 STARTUP .COM 1 SYS .ENV 1 14 Files Using 36K, 14 Files on Disk and 205K Left Š --> 4. How can I find out more about the Z-System? ANSWER There are lots of ways: o talking to Z-System users o magazines o books o user's groups o Echelon Newsletters (Z-NEWS) o Echelon, Inc. While the first documentation on the Z-System was very technical, Echelon and its friends are producing more and more user-oriented documentation which is aimed at the non-technical user. Many, many magazine articles have also come out with the intention of aiding the non-technical user in understanding what the Z-System does for him. The documentation is abundant... Z-System Documentation o Lots of magazine articles (BYTE, Profiles, Remark, etc.) o Books and Newsletters (Echelon has current prices) ZCPR3: The Manual (over 300 pages, bound) $19.95 alone $24.00 with newsletter for 6-month data: over 8,000 sold now in 2nd printing ZCPR3 and IOPs (50 pages, loose-leaf) $ 9.95 available on Z-Nodes for downloading ZRDOS Programmer's Manual (35 pages, loose-leaf) $ 8.95 Z-System Newsletter called Z-News (every 2 weeks) available on Z-Nodes for downloading printed version free from Echelon for 6 months with $44.00+ order subscription $24.00 per year, printed version Z-System Newsletter Indexed Compendium (no date yet) summary of first series of newsletters with extensive index ZRDOS: The Manual (expected 1 April 86) ZCPR3: The Libraries (expected 17 Feb 86) ZCPR3: For the User (expected 1 July 86) Z-System User's Guide Series (by Bruce Morgan, et al) Getting Started (expected 1 March 86) Using ZEX (no date yet) Using Shells (no date yet) Using Aliases (no date yet)