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I would like to ask some software Questions about ongoing/continuing support for the

Z

Zombie

Experienced Member
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Apr 22, 2011
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I would like to ask some software Questions about ongoing/continuing support for the Tandy.

My network Infrastructure consists of a network of Linux PCs. They run several internal server services that are used via VPN to an Android Phone. There are special Security exceptions built with the Tandy in mind.

DoveCot IMAP: Allows the Tandy to recieve but not send E-mail. (Uses PC-Pine 3.96 as a Client)
NFS/PC-NFS: A Legacy Daemon to allow the Tandy to share files/send files to the Linux PCs, and access printers. This is used to avoid creating write cycles on the Tandy's Compact Flash card.

eGroupware: A MySQL backed Groupware suite not too unlike Exchange. This provides Calendaring, Contacts, and Tasks, in addition to support for the CalDav/CardDav Protocol over HTTP. On Linux PCs, Mozilla Thunderbird with Lightning extensions manages this on Linux. On Android, DavX is used,

I'd like to know if there is any possible way that the Tandy could participate in eGroupware? I can think of two ways this could be done: php-dbf and ssh. The Tandy has a DOS Based Calendar program that uses a well understood variant of dbf. You can import the calendar files into Libreoffice base if you so choose.

An example would be if php-dbf could be used to read a MariaDB/MySQL Table and select the results of a Query into a DBF File in the working directory the Tandy's DOS calendaring application would use to read it and write to it. No, this is not Deskmate's Calendar, as much as I wish it were. Deskmate Calendar's file format is not standard of well understood.

The other possibility is SSH Terminaling, but I have never gotten SSH to work on the Tandy without it freezing and needing a reboot. If I could get SSH working, it would let me run calcurse.

Another issue is Professional Write. I now have the ability to convert Professional Write Files into Word Perfect Files, but a few of them are encrypted. I need a utility to decrypt these files. They are files I composed as a teenager, and forgot what the password for them was.
 
Zombie said:
I would like to ask some software Questions about ongoing/continuing support for the Tandy.

My network Infrastructure consists of a network of Linux PCs. They run several internal server services that are used via VPN to an Android Phone. There are special Security exceptions built with the Tandy in mind.

DoveCot IMAP: Allows the Tandy to recieve but not send E-mail. (Uses PC-Pine 3.96 as a Client)
NFS/PC-NFS: A Legacy Daemon to allow the Tandy to share files/send files to the Linux PCs, and access printers. This is used to avoid creating write cycles on the Tandy's Compact Flash card.

eGroupware: A MySQL backed Groupware suite not too unlike Exchange. This provides Calendaring, Contacts, and Tasks, in addition to support for the CalDav/CardDav Protocol over HTTP. On Linux PCs, Mozilla Thunderbird with Lightning extensions manages this on Linux. On Android, DavX is used,

I'd like to know if there is any possible way that the Tandy could participate in eGroupware? I can think of two ways this could be done: php-dbf and ssh. The Tandy has a DOS Based Calendar program that uses a well understood variant of dbf. You can import the calendar files into Libreoffice base if you so choose.

An example would be if php-dbf could be used to read a MariaDB/MySQL Table and select the results of a Query into a DBF File in the working directory the Tandy's DOS calendaring application would use to read it and write to it. No, this is not Deskmate's Calendar, as much as I wish it were. Deskmate Calendar's file format is not standard of well understood.

The other possibility is SSH Terminaling, but I have never gotten SSH to work on the Tandy without it freezing and needing a reboot. If I could get SSH working, it would let me run calcurse.

Another issue is Professional Write. I now have the ability to convert Professional Write Files into Word Perfect Files, but a few of them are encrypted. I need a utility to decrypt these files. They are files I composed as a teenager, and forgot what the password for them was.
Click to expand...

Maybe I missed it in your text, but what Tandy are you using? Is it the same one in your Tandy problems post? I don't think it'll ever support SSH, cpu is way too slow. I use telnet on my Tandy 1000 to access a Linux box.
 
Its the same Tandy 1000 TL as in my Hardware Post. These are software related Questions.
I'm not willing to enable Telnet due to the security implications.
I might be willing to do NNTP. If I find a use for it.
 
Zombie said:
Its the same Tandy 1000 TL as in my Hardware Post. These are software related Questions.
I'm not willing to enable Telnet due to the security implications.
I might be willing to do NNTP. If I find a use for it.
Click to expand...

Sounds like an interesting problem to solve then. I don't have much advice about egroupware, I haven't much experience with it.

Regarding your connectivity dilemma, though: Is the Tandy not on your home network? You're worried about your telnet session being intercepted but I don't think your PC-NFS traffic would really be very secure either, would it?

Have you considered using a raspberry pi as a serial companion to your Tandy? That might solve a few problems you're having:

First, you can use a terminal app to connect directly to a console session on the Pi, and run your software there or simply use it as a jumpbox to ssh into another machine on your network.

Second, you can configure a virtual serial hard drive to use with XT-IDE universal bios. It'll be fairly slow on the standard Tandy com port, but very very flexible. If you have a second high-speed COM port on the Tandy it can actually be VERY usable and you can use a serial console AND a serial hard drive simultaneously.

Third, you could configure SLIP/pppd and use the Raspberry Pi as your network host and eliminate your NIC completely, in theory. I haven't tried this last bit personally, and I would definitely want to use something other than the standard Tandy serial port for that. NFS probably wouldn't be happy with that option either...
 
The Tandy is on my home network. It connects accross a Client Bridge mode DD-WRT Based Wireless router.
I have considered using a Raspberry Pi to provide it certain air gapped services, but haven't got one with a serial port.
Or enabling Telnet on the Wireless router.

My XT-IDE Bios doesn't support Serial hard drives. These are all hardware solutions. I'm looking for a Software solutions. Remote Terminal access isn't really necessary for the Tandy.

As for eGroupware, its just an Open Source Groupware solution. Its all PHP. While the ideal solution is a DOS application that can pull the CalDav/CardDav Resources over HTTP (Port 80, not Port 443) into DBF Files, or Deskmate Calendar Files, thats not realistic.

Eliminating the NIC for a second Serial Card, which I used to have, would be going in the wrong direction. I used to do PPP over Serial with an old 486 in Linux connected to the Tandy via a LapLink Cable. It was very unpredictable, and a pain to manage. I don't want to do that again.
 
Seems a little odd to be worried about enabling telnet (on your home network) but being fine with NFS and port 80 http hanging wide open, but whatever.

I likewise have no direct suggestions for your groupware woes, but I do have to ask from a devil's advocate position why you think it would necessarily be unrealistic to write a trivial CalDav client that runs under DOS if you don't care about it running in the clear. (SSL isn't happening on a 286) There are stackoverflow threads out there about driving CalDev with curl, in principle it seems it would be possible to do the needful with basically any OS that has a TCP library.
 
I am not a programmer on that level. It would be something I would have to ask someone else to do. I'd have no idea where to even start.
 
The General idea of this, is to get as much use out of the system as possible. It can be boiled down to a few things:

1. Can the Tandy communicate with any of the established MySQL database. Any Database.
2. How do I extend the Tandy's functionality to the maximum extent possible.
3. How do I decrypt encrypted Professional Write files.

Ages ago, I used to use a POP2 and NNTP client (Yes POP2, not POP3) called Minuet to write and recieve e-mail, use UseNet, I had some limited WWW Functionality via DosLynx and Bobcat. I got on IRC with VOICE.
Now I use IMAP4 for E-mail, many databases are managed in MySQL, and the WWW Browser is useless.

On the flip side I now can provide the Tandy with support for modern instant messaging networks via Aracheo IRC Client and bitlbee. The Tandy can load programs off NFS, etc

What I am saying is, there have to be ways I can extend utility to the Tandy, in a software sense.
 
I'm with Eudimorphodon. Enable Telnet on at least one machine. You can ssh from there if you must.
 
I'm thinking a simple custom web interface written with doslynx in mind that connects to your egroupware stuff in the backend might be your best bet.

I think a mysql client for 16-bit msdos installs will be tough. Some MSWORKS for DOS version supported a basic database app.

You might want to consider a simple flat file format for your data interchange.
 
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Actually, MS-Works for DOS includes a calender app as well, and the database application was dbase compatible.

You might want to look into that, and see if there's anything you can leverage.

TurboPascal had a dbase component that you might use to write your own interface as I recall.
 
I have MS-Works 2.0 for DOS, nothing I have can open it's database files.
I also have an old copy of dBase IV, from Ashton Tate. The interface I don't understand, but the files can be opened by LibreOffice.
I have Professional Write 2.01 - I can open it's documents as Word Perfect Files.
ProQube Lite - ??? I don't know of anything that can open these.
Arachne might support EMS.

By the way - the only person I know of that can still program for computers like the Tandy, is the 8-bit Guy.
 
Zombie said:
By the way - the only person I know of that can still program for computers like the Tandy, is the 8-bit Guy.
Click to expand...

Do you mean know personally? Because I'm sure there are plenty of people who lurk around these forums alone who could probably slap together a simple CalDev client for DOS over a weekend or two if they were properly motivated. But unless you have some cash to flash at them "motivation" would probably involve them wanting to use it themselves.
 
There's a huge difference between "can" and "will" and "has resources to".

I'd love to. But I can just barely find time to do the things I already do.
 
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