PROJECTS - TIPS - TRICKS

for GEOS 64/128

last change: 08/27/2006

Patches for GEOS MegaPatch 64/128

GEOS Mega Patch 64/128 is a new update of the over ten years old GEOS 64/128 from german programmers. It´s available for german and US GEOS. Many bugs in kernal was fixed and new functions are integrated. All actual drives and REU´s are supported. Many extra programs (auto_exec-files) are no longer needed. More informations about MegaPatch and a actual demo you can download on the WWW-Site of the programmer Wolfgang Grimm . The official german dealer for MegaPatch 64/128 is MegaCom Software, Britta & Wolfgang Grimm.

MegaPatch 64/128 have among other things a new file selector box and many new possibilities in dialog boxes.

To include this new possibilities in the GEOS standard applikations (geoWrite, geoPaint, geoFile, geoCalc, ...) I have write patches for this US GEOS applications. This patches are SHAREWARE and can be downloaded in my download section.

The patches change the file selector box so you can open/create documents from/to any drive (A – D). To change the actual drive click on one of the A- B- C- or D-icons. Besides you can start a document from any drive (A - D) with a double click on it (so the desktop that can). With the DISK-Icon you can change the partition on CMD drives.

2001 - Change Wheels programs for MegaPatch V3

For the american GEOS update Wheels from Maurice Randall exist some interesting programs that are also usefull for the german GEOS update MegaPatch V3 from Markus Kanet and Wolfgang Grimm .

My first projekt was the program gunZip GEOS from Todd Elliott . The actual version V5 of the MegaPatch V3 version of gunZip GEOS you can find in the download section of my homepage.

Currently I work on program Finder V1.1 from Maurice Randall to make it work in MegaPatch V3.

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GEOS 64/128 and year 2000

In last time you can read and hear many informations of problems, that computers have with year 2000. How problematical is this with the operating system Geos on a C64 or C128?

GEOS 64/128 (Wheels and MegaPatch also) use internal a two digit value for year. After the year 99 comes the year 00. Please test the following: Set the GEOS date and time to: 12/31/99 11:59 PM and wait a minute. The GEOS clock show 01/01/00 00:00 PM. Here we have no problem.

Many people use a external clock (e.g. RTC clock in CMD drives) to set date and time in GEOS. This clocks also have no problems with the year 2000 (see above).

One problem can be the February, 29. in a leap year. When this make problems you must set the clock manual.

A problem have programs, that use DATE and TIME to print. This are geoWrite, geoMerge, geoPublish and PerfectPrint(GeosLQ). Calendar (from DeskPack) also start in year 2000 with 1900. This programs must be patched.

I have write Y2K patches for this programs. You now can download this patches in my download section . When you find other GEOS programs with a Y2K problem please contact me at eMail. I then will make patches for this programs (without guarantee).

Summary I can say: The GEOS 64/128 user have no big problems with the new millenium. We can go in the 21^st millenium with GEOS 64/128.

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GeoCalc and other currency

The US version of geoCalc only known one format for currency, the Dollar $. In USA this is ok, other countrys have a problem. In Europe now is the Euro a new currency. How can I use the EURO in geoCalc?

When you need the EURO symbol € in geoWrite or other applications it´s no big problem. With a font editor you can create this symbol and set it on a character you not or only rare use. Other this is in geoCalc. GeoCalc use the internal font BSW or BSW128 for display. The change of this font is not so easy.

In the US version of geoCalc you find only $ in the format - menu for currency. Besides it´s look not good, that geoCalc the $ symbol set direct before the value. I actually don´t know, how I can patch geoCalc to include a new format. For EURO I see only one way: Include the abridgement EUR. When I find a way to make a patch for this (eventually also for other currency) you can download it here.

But it´s very easy to use EURO or other currency in geoCalc. I set a small column after the column for the value. In this I write the abridgement for the currency. That´s looks like this:

A	B
100,00	$

On this way you can use any currency, also the EURO:

A	B
100,00	EUR

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Canon Printer and GEOS 64/128

When today a GEOS 64/128 user ask: What printer is the best for my system?, he became the answer: Use a EPSON printer. This printer ever is supported and can print in best quality. But this is today not ever the correctly answer. Some new printers are GDI printer, that only work on a PC with WINDOWS! Some special informations about this, what EPSON printer is useful for our system and a printer driver you can find on the homepage by Roy Bachmann.

Also exist printers from other manufacturers. Some of this printers have a build in EPSON mode and also can be used for GEOS 64/128. An example are the Canon printers BJC 250, BJC 4000, BJC 4100 and some other.

A Canon printer can set to EPSON mode with software. But the software that are bundeled with the printers only work on a PC. But some simple BASIC programs on a C64/128 also can do that.

On the following WEB sites I have found some informations about this:

http://c128.port5.com/cops/bjsetup.html

This site contains some informations and BASIC program listings to setup some things on a Canon printer with a C64/128. For download you can find here a program, that have all important single programs build in, so you only must press some keys to setup the Canon printer. The name of this program is BJSETUP.BAS.

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