diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c b/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
index 8a87b202d..718504200 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/hlt.c
@@ -5,3 +5,8 @@ int nr;
 {
 	exit(nr);
 }
+
+_goto_err()
+{
+	error(3);
+}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/oct.c b/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
index 067a5de3b..1f56339fd 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/oct.c
@@ -14,6 +14,11 @@ String *_hex(i)
 int i;
 {
 	char buffer[30];
+	register char *p = buffer;
 	sprintf(buffer,"%x",i);
+	while (*p) {
+		if (*p >= 'a' && *p <= 'f') *p += 'A'-'a';
+		p++;
+	}
 	return( (String *)_newstr(buffer));
 }
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/random.c b/lang/basic/lib/random.c
index 41ea4f358..e5fd1787b 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/random.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/random.c
@@ -3,23 +3,25 @@
 _randomi()
 {
 	int i;
-	double f;
 	_setchan(-1);
 	printf("Random number seed (-32768 to 32767) ? ");
 	_readint(&i);
-	f=i;
-	_setrand(f);
+	_setrand(i);
 }
 
-_setrand(f)
-double f;
-{
+_setrand(i)
 	int i;
-	i=f;
+{
 	srand(i);
 }
 double _rnd(d) double d;
 {
 	double f; f= (int) rand();
-	return(f/32767.0);
+	return(f/
+#if EM_WSIZE == 4
+		2147483647.0
+#else
+		32767.0
+#endif
+	);
 }
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/sgn.c b/lang/basic/lib/sgn.c
index 814a8d862..46d838ab4 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/sgn.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/sgn.c
@@ -7,3 +7,10 @@ double v;
 	if( v<0) return(-1);
 	return(0);
 }
+
+_forsgn(v)
+double v;
+{
+	if (v >= 0) return 1;
+	return -1;
+}
diff --git a/lang/basic/lib/string.c b/lang/basic/lib/string.c
index 5aa9906dc..c037a6ed4 100644
--- a/lang/basic/lib/string.c
+++ b/lang/basic/lib/string.c
@@ -64,8 +64,9 @@ String *s1,*s2;
 	int length;
 	okr(s1); okr(s2);
 	s= (String *) salloc(sizeof(String));
-	length= _len(s1)+_len(s2)+1;
-	s->strval= salloc(length);
+	s->strlength= _len(s1)+_len(s2);
+	s->strval= salloc(s->strlength+1);
+	s->strcount = 1;
 	strcpy(s->strval,s2->strval);
 	strcat(s->strval,s1->strval);
 	return(s);
@@ -116,7 +117,7 @@ int d;
 String *_strascii()
 {
 }
-String *_string(d,f)
+String *_string(f, d)
 double	d,f;
 {
 	int i,j;
@@ -139,9 +140,10 @@ String *s, *s2;
 {
 	int l;
 
-/*	printf("mid called %d %d %s %s\n",i1,i2,s->strval, s2->strval);*/
+	/*printf("mid called %d %d %s %s\n",i1,i2,s->strval, s2->strval);*/
+	if (i2 < 0 || i1 < -1) error(3);
+	if( s->strlength<i2 || s->strlength < i1+i2) error(3);	/* source string too short */
 	if( i1== -1) i1= s2->strlength;
-	if( s->strlength<i2) error(3);	/* source string too short */
 	l= s->strlength - i2+1;
 	if( i1>l ) i1=l;
 	strncpy(s->strval+i2-1,s2->strval,i1);
@@ -154,6 +156,7 @@ String *s;
 	String *s2;
 
 /*	printf("mid fcn called %d %d %s\n",i1,i2,s->strval);*/
+	if (i2 < 0 || i1 < -1) return(s2);	/* or error? */
 	if( i1 == -1) i1= s->strlength;
 	s2= _newstr(s->strval);
 	s2->strval[0]=0;