On Wed, 8 Jul 2009 09:59:47 +0100 (BST)
"Stephen Rowles" <stephen@???> wrote:
> > On Wed, 8 Jul 2009 09:06:55 +0100 (BST)
> > "Stephen Rowles" <stephen@???> wrote:
> >
> >> > right.. having installed midnight commander (never used it
> >> > before) the following command should work:
> >> >
> >> > /bin/bash -c "su - -c mc"
> >
> > ah! it was the need for a second "-c" that had escaped me
> >
> > mc is a very useful tool as it will run on a system without X and
> > give a semi-gui file manager (and more).
> >
> > I first became acquainted with its parent, Norton Commander, a long
> > time ago when I bought a 32 meg hard card* that came with dos and a
> > trial copy of Norton Commander installed on it.
> >
> > I found I preferred NC to Xtree which I'd been using till then and
> > when I converted from OS/2 to Linux and found there was a clone of
> > NC I started using that for all my file management stuff.
> >
>
> Ah... now Xtree I remember from my very very early days using my dads
> Tandy 1000 (HX model I think certainly looked like the picture of an
> HX on wikipedia) we had the extra memory module to take us to the
> full 640k and an external 3.5inch floppy drive to compliment the 5.25
> inch drive in the side of it :).
http://www.jeffreycjohnson.com/xtreehistory.html
and a Linux clone
http://www.unixtree.org/
Interestingly for me that Xtree history page mentions the Epson QX-10
which was the last CP/M system I owned before getting one of the
original IBM PCs (I kept it for years before giving it to Jamies some
months ago).
Eventually I retired from work with a 386sx system on which I'd
installed OS/2, initially to evaluate Lotus Notes as a suitable group
ware package for the office. I decided it was too complicated for our
needs and installed a WordPerfect Office package instead.
Our first computers at work had been Concurrent CP/M systems and I
managed to get hold of copies of Wordstar, SuperCalc and Dbase to
play with from the BT engineer who installed and maintained those CP/M
systems
Eventually some CP/M systems got replaced by Dos based ones and the
typists (who were in my 'command chain') got WordPerfect rather
than Wordstar.
So began my connection with computing and following a major office
refurbishment, during the course of which I was able to influence how
the computer systems were installed, I became a Novell Certified
Network Manager and got the management team linked with computers,
hence the need for groupware.
Sorry to have gone all nostalgic guys/gals but the mention of
Xtree/Norton Commander brought it all back. I really enjoyed those last
few years at work when my Manager gave me considerable freedom to
make decisions and implement changes.
It wasn't unrewarded work either, I came across a couple of letters
last week whilst looking for the quotation for the work to be done
on that French Mantel Clock.
One in 1989 told me I had been awarded a special bonus 'in recognition
of your exceptional effort in carrying out tasks far beyond the call of
duty' referring to work I did in connection with the office
refurbishment* I mentioned earlier
A later letter in 1994 awarded me another bonus for 'special efforts
in relation to special projects' These projects included 'STAP'
cabling, a new digital switchboard and a local area network.
* a refurbishment which called for gutting a 6 storey office building
and replacing in its entirety the external cladding and roofing and
redesigning the interior layout. I did all of the re-design for
the interior using GenericCAD and the architects incorporated my
work into their final product.
I had to arrange alternative accommodation for 300 plus staff for
the period of the re-furb and bring them back to the new office once
it was done.
I loved it!!!
I've had my moment of glory but now I am just getting older and
finding it harder to learn new things.
I am still doing some cycling and completed a Heart Foundation
Charity Ride a few weeks ago, Family History Research is still
the main reason for having a computer.
--
John Lewis
using Debian Sid with windowmaker for a nicer desktop
