The Sinclair QL Forum

Has anyone ever come across some QL software called QL Aided Design published by a company, it seems, called Stool Productions from Somerset please?

Can't see any mention of it here or on google

There's a couple of bad blocks for the qlad1_bas (on 2nd mdv) so may be a section of code missing. Will try some more recovery attempts though

EDIT: tried to qlib the code and there’s errors so must be some code missing

But is it something that needs preserving?

The program is called QLAD - I have it and I can send it to you.
Or I can upload it here, if there are no copyright related objections.
The doc says:

Copyright (C) STOOL Productions 1986
QL Aided Design
COPYRIGHT AGREEMENT This software & it's documentation should be treated as if it were a book, with the exception that you are granted permission to make a reasonable number of backup copies for your own use. Except for this single exception, no part of this product my be reproduced, in part or whole, in any form or by any means without prior permission in writing from the copyright owner A.Ll.Towers

This preservation process always faces a huge hurdle because the original authors may not care but also don't care enough to reach out and say it is ok since the QL scene is so small. If you look at my https://zxsimulator.orgfree.com/ page you see that I have software running in a QL emulator on a webpage. Presently you can look at its source and find the zip file that contains QLAY and all the software it uses and download it, but I wonder if you can set permissions so that wouldn't work, and only DOSBox could see its information.

If that part could be made secure, I wonder if we could set up a repository of runnable software that cannot be distributed, that would show it in action. That way, it may get the original author's attention and either they ask to take it down so it can be sold, or give permission to distribute it. It wouldn't be 100% clean, because the person running the site would have a copy (not just the owner) but it would prevent it from just being easily downloadable and distributed (so mostly holding true to the copyright). That way we'd have it in a central location of lost software and people could run it from a webpage to see how it worked (think of it as being a demo of it). So it's preserved but not available for distribution. A less interesting way would be a video of each software in action, which would be totally ok, but that is more boring than actually getting to try it out.

bwinkel67 wrote: Wed Aug 14, 2024 9:32 pm This preservation process always faces a huge hurdle because the original authors may not care but also don't care enough to reach out and say it is ok since the QL scene is so small.

Honestly speaking, any email sent to the copyright holder / author should end with:
"If we do not receive your reply within 1 month we will automatically consider that you tacitly accepted to realease the software into public domain"

Presently you can look at its source and find the zip file that contains QLAY and all the software it uses and download it, but I wonder if you can set permissions so that wouldn't work, and only DOSBox could see its information.

I think that should be possible by some modifications to qlay3 (which should already run directly in a browser).

Hardcode an encryption key into the source. Enrypt the MDV images. qlay3 decrypts them on loading!

I was thinking more of using permissions on the server. Give the zip file that DOSBox needs for its disk and software permissions where it can read/write but everyone else can't. Sort of -rw------- in UNIX/Linux parlance. The server I use only lets me upload so I can't set permissions, otherwise I'd try it.

bwinkel67 wrote: Fri Aug 16, 2024 5:35 am I was thinking more of using permissions on the server. Give the zip file that DOSBox needs for its disk and software permissions where it can read/write but everyone else can't. Sort of -rw------- in UNIX/Linux parlance. The server I use only lets me upload so I can't set permissions, otherwise I'd try it.

Anyone can just look in their browser storage and get the zip though!

...will I be able to do CAD work in the browser now?