SpeakEasySpeakEasy is similar to Chat in that it provides Telnet connections between your Alto and a varietyof machines. It was developed in deference to Monroe County Data Network (MCDN) users whowanted easier file handling capabilities than the Chat typescript allowed them. It can be used to providedumb terminal connections to any resource you would normally Chat with. MCDN resources available through SpeakEasy include the Rochester Technical Computer Center(RTCC) Sigmas; TIMS Systems 68, 70, 71, 73; TYMNET; University of Rochester's Wilber; G.E.Network; I.P. Sharp; and CDC Cybernet. Of course, you can use SpeakEasy with Maxc, Ernestine, orany of the IFS servers. Find the program SpeakEasy.Run on your local file server. It takes 65 Alto pages.Getting InSpeakEasy uses the screen as follows:1. The black line at the top will tell you who your partner is, once you have made a connection.2. The large area in the middle will show you your conversation.3. The lower black band is where SpeakEasy asks you questions and gives you warnings.4. Below the question / warning line you'll see what filters are in effect (usually none; see the"Filter" option under MenuSelections).5. At the bottom is the menu of options that you can choose from during and betweenconversations.SpeakEasy begins by asking you to choose a partner by name. That is, you'll see "Connect to:" onthe lower black band. (For any of the MCDN resources, respond "MCDN".) If your chosen partner isunavailable, the connection attempt will time out in about 15 seconds, and you will be asked again tochoose a Partner. If you prefer not to continue, simply respond with a carriage return; you will be askedif you want to quit (you'll see "Quit?" on the lower black band), and can do so by responding with acarriage return or by typing "Yes."Once a successful connection is made, you can conduct your usual conversation with your partnerand choose from the menu as you wish.SpeakEasy does not attempt an automatic logon, because it is intended to talk to a wide variety ofmachines, and chances are good that your account name and password on an IBM370 are not the sameas your account name and password on your local IFS or on your disk. SpeakEasy just isn't smartenough to know what you're calling yourself in each of your environments.SpeakEasy does not let you give your partner's name on the command line, but you can type ahead.Instead of saying "Speak Maxc" you can type "SpeakMaxc".&bp2]KqXc [Z ZCj XK2SZ RhZ Pa O` JT'$Ep 2@q%?d`=@<\U:a 9T&7S 6K 21ya /b .qe ,j +id )#2%_ #%2b 7` ` /I2\` p qpqpq =WO2Hints and BugsIf you have never used Chat or if you're having trouble, please note:A. For any IFS server, read pp. 14-18 of the "Alto Non-programmer's Guide" in the Alto UsersHandbook. This explains the executive available on an IFS through a Telnet connection. It is usuallycalled the "Chat Executive," since Chat has been the primary means of accessing this process. If you are an IFS user accustomed to responding to an error message (flashing screen and "?")with backspaces, you will find the display confusing. SpeakEasy tries to be smart about erasing rubbedout characters, but in this situation it looks dumb. It is better to respond to an IFS error message by re-typing the offending information or by hitting and trying the whole command again.B. For any MCDN resource,1. Your response to the "Connect to: " prompt should be "MCDN," not "RTCC03" or"TIMS68," for example.2. If you're going to talk to a Sigma, be sure your keyboard is locked in upper case.3. Type the usual E's to get started and then continue just as you would for any MCDNconnection.4. Do not be discouraged by "timed out" messages; be persistent.5. Closing an MCDN connection may take as long as 30 seconds; be patient.6. Real backspaces ('s) will not go through to your MCDN partner at this time; theyare intercepted and turned into 's; 's are intercepted and turned into -X's. There ispresently no way to transmit a or a ^H to your Partner using SpeakEasy or Chat. (Makes it toughto use APL!) The problem is being addressed.C. For connection to Ernestine (Ern), you will notice a delay of many seconds when theconnection closes. For the moment, this is normal; please be patient.If the scroll breaks:There is an unfunny bug that apparently came in with the display stream package. On rareoccasions, the scroll quits, and everything your partner says is written into the last line of the largemiddle window. If this happens to you, don't panic. Your conversation is continuing normally; yourpartner understands everything you are telling him, even though you can't easily read what you aretyping or what your partner is saying. (If you are recording the conversation, your file is okay.) In thissituation, it is easier on the nerves to conclude your activity as soon as possible, logoff, quit SpeakEasy,and restart SpeakEasy. There is no way to restore the display or the scroll except to quit and restart. Nfq%bpX 2]KqEXxRBEX!;Xx VGV^ Up]S` Rhg Pl O`XJ(I O G(FU(D}U B (Au@(?I(>mW 's and 's from their session records (see the Filteroption below).You will notice that bells (^G's) and rubouts generally are not entered into the session record. Bellscause the screen to flash. Rubbed out characters are, in most cases, erased from the screen.Output a File sends a file from your Alto disk to your partner, character by character, removingBravo formatting as it is encountered. The window for Output File will remain black until the filetransfer is complete.The option is useful for transfering text files back to your partner and for sending command files.To stop a file transfer in midstream, deselect Output File. Beware: there is often considerable delaybetween the time the file characters leave your disk and the time they appear on your screen. It is"impossible" to judge your place in the file when you deselect Output File to stop the transfer. You areadvised, if you want to send only part of a file to your partner, to make a temporary Alto file ahead oftime that contains only what you want to send.Sigma users who want to copy Alto files into their accounts are advised to give the PCL command"C ME OVER filename" and then to bug the Output File option. Remember to close the file by typing-F (after providing the final , if necessary). Using Edit or Build instead of PCL is discouraged,since most files are likely to have at least one blank line, and blank lines tell Edit or Build to stop theiroperation; subsequent lines are interpreted as TEL commands, and disaster may result. Warning: ifyour file contains control characters (other than Bravo formatting), you may have trouble using PCL tocopy it to your Sigma account; in this case, you should create a lmn that will read transparently from theterminal and record in the desired file.Filter allows you to screen unwanted characters from your display and from your session record.When you choose this option, SpeakEasy will prompt you for the characters you want to filter and willshow you the characters just above the menu. Type in the characters to be filtered and end with a Q.(Yes, this means you cannot filter a Q, but you can filter an and a .) There is no need to filterbells (^G's); bells get special handling when they come from your partner; they cause the screen to flashand are not recorded. The filters currently in effect are always shown on the line above the menu. You can reset yourchoice of filters at any time by reselecting the option. If you make a mistake typing in the characters,typing a will add a to your choice of filters; in that case, you should abort the attempt with aQ and rebug the option to try again. If you want to return to no filters (the default) simply respond tothe prompt by typing Q.Sigma users, for example, will find 's and 's sprinkled throughout any session records theymake; selecting the Filter option and responding to the prompt by hitting the key, the key,and a Q will filter those two characters from their conversations.Nfq bpX 2\ v]KqN [i ZCg Xd W;92Uc T3h R[2Q+g Of N#82Lg K 2Ig H\2BC@ S Ac @72>c2=/f ;d :'i 8h 7.25_ 4b 2k 1m /b .f ,j *(2$QD$Y #$e !e l i 2b  i j i 2d wf B =,\2 TIMESROMAN  TIMESROMAN ie ] &j/speakeasy.bravo burroughsJanuary 7, 1981 5:09 PM