Date: Mon, 16 Jun 1997 22:46:35 -0600
From: David Terry <TerryDW{at}chq.byu.edu>
Subject: [1 Mw-tech] PCBoard Beta Patch
Reply-To: Mw-tech{at}ais-bbs.org

Hello Everyone... My name is David Terry, one of the original PCBoard
programmers at Clark Development Company.

I hope you'll excuse the intrusion of a PCBoard topic here in the
MetaWorlds area but I didn't know how else to reach a lot of PCBoard
customers all at once.

I've been out of the "thick of things" for nearly a year now (I left CDC
employment back on 7/15 of last year). However, after so many years
of working on PCBoard, I still consider PCBoard to be my "baby" and I
hate to see her hung out to dry with the sudden disappearance of her
current caretaker.

My main concern is that those of you who are running the BETA version
of the software may find yourselves in a very uncomfortable situation
once the BETA code timer kicks in (30+ days after last compilation).

Back when the little "beta annoyance" was put in the code, it was
intended merely to wake sysops up and get them to upgrade the code
they are running. It was never intended to be found in the last
"distributed" copy of PCBoard... <aarggh>

I don't know much of the current CDC situation ... I don't know what is
happening with Fred or with Steve Morris or with the PCBoard and/or
MetaWorlds source code for that matter. I don't even have a copy of the
"current" source code myself. However, I *do* want to help.

Below are instructions for disabling the beta-date check. I believe
these instructions should work for any version of the PCBoard code.
However, as I said, I don't have the current source code so I am unable
to test this to be sure. With that said ... the FIRST THING TO DO
should be to back up your copy of the pcboard executable! :-)

Because of the variety of hex editors that are available, I won't give
specific details, but here are the basics of what needs to be done (I'll
leave it up to you, and others in this area to help each other, with
obtaining and using any specific hex editors):

For DOS executables:
1) search the executable for these bytes: 26 2b 07 89 46 fe
2) replace these 3 bytes "26 2b 07" with "33 c0 90"

For OS/2 executables:
1) search the executable for these bytes: 8b f0 66 2b 32
2) replace these 5 bytes "8b f0 66 2b 32" with 31 f6 90 90 90

The above patch leaves PCBoard entirely intact with only the beta date
check itself being disabled. I don't see how being able to "continue
to run" code you have purchased and downloaded could be a violation of
copyright, so long as you perform the above change to your own copy
of the code without sharing executables. I therefore submit this patch
for the sole purpose of patching your own personal copies of PCBoard.
Any other action is taken at your own risk.

For those who have run PCBoard ... I thank you for your patronage and
support. I regret the quick departure I made last year but feel it was
the best thing for me and my family. I sure do miss you folks! Long
live PCBoard... :-)