Introduction. LXE MX2
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Chapter 4 Commands
Introduction
This chapter describes the Datalight ROM-DOS commands
that are loaded in the MX2 by LXE
.
The information in this chapter is taken from Datalight’s “ROM-DOS 6.22 User’s Guide” and is used by permission.
ROM-DOS Commands
Each entry includes an explanation of the command’s purpose, the command entry syntax, remarks, and examples. Where applicable, command syntax and parameters are given. Parameters may be supplied using either uppercase or lowercase letters, and the hyphen (-) may be substituted for the forward slash (/).
Each command also has a label to designate whether it is an internal or external command.
Internal commands are part of the command processor program, COMMAND.COM. These functions are available only while COMMAND.COM is running. External commands are actually stand-alone utility programs. They are independent from COMMAND.COM.
ANSI.SYS
Type
Installable Device Driver
Purpose
ANSI.SYS is a console device driver that allows you to support ANSI codes on the local display.
Syntax
Device=ANSI.SYS [options]
Remarks
ANSI.SYS supports standard ANSI escape sequences.
ANSI.SYS writes directly the screen when using text video mode.
Options
The
/K
option forces use of the extended keyboard BIOS calls which sense F11 and F12.
The
/X
option lets you redefine the extended keys independently.
The
/S
option disables the keyboard redefinition feature.
The /
Tnn
option indicates that the video mode
nn
is a text mode. By default, modes 0, 1, 2, 3 and
7 are text modes.
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Examples
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS
This example loads ANSI.SYS with default settings.
DEVICE=ANSI.SYS /T54 /S
Load ANSI.SYS with mode 54h as a video text mode and disable keyboard redefinition.
ATTRIB.EXE
Type
External
Purpose
The ATTRIB command either displays or modifies the attribute of a file.
Syntax
ATTRIB [+ ¦ -][
option
][
filespec
]
Remarks
The file attributes define the characteristics of a file. They determine if a file may be deleted or modified, or if it is archived. The ATTRIB command is used to manage these file attributes.
Wildcard characters may be used in the ATTRIB
filespec
.
The ATTRIB command will modify file attributes if modify commands are given to ATTRIB.
The modify commands are:
Command Description
+/- Add(+) or remove(-) attribute
C
H
R
Clear all attributes
Hidden file attribute
Read only attribute
S System file attribute
If no modify commands are found by ATTRIB, then the files are displayed along with the file names and their current attributes.
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ROM-DOS Commands 83
Examples
ATTRIB will add the read-only attribute to the file myfile.dat.
ATTRIB +r myfile.dat
ATTRIB will remove the read-only attribute and the archive attribute for all files with the DAT extension.
ATTRIB -a -r *.dat
ATTRIB will display the attributes of all files with the DAT extension.
ATTRIB *.dat
CHKDSK.EXE
Type
External
Purpose
The CHKDSK command checks the disk directories and File Allocation Table (FAT) and displays a disk and memory report.
Syntax
CHKDSK [
d:
][
path
][
filespec
][/C] [/F] [/V]
Remarks
CHKDSK examines a disk and determines if the disk has any errors in the File Allocation Table
(FAT) and will optionally fix errors.
Options
The
/F
option causes CHKDSK to fix errors on the disk if any were found. The errors that can be found are directory or FAT errors. If the /F is not specified then CHKDSK acts as if it will fix the disk, but the corrections will not be written out to the disk.
If errors are detected, you will be prompted with a message similar to the following:
15 lost allocation units found in 5 chains.
Convert lost chains to files?
If you answer Y for Yes, each lost chain will be written to a file in the root directory of the current default drive. Each file will have the name file
nnnn
.chk.
nnnn
will be a sequential number. The first chain will be in FILE000.CHK. These files can be verified to see if they contain valuable information, and then deleted if desired. Answering N for No to the above prompt, CHKDSK will still make the corrections however the lost chains will not be saved to the disk.
The
/C
option allows CHKDSK to correct errors without user confirmation. This option must be used along with the /F option for corrections to be made.
The
/V
option causes CHKDSK to display each path and file as it is processed.
If a file specification is specified, then CHKDSK displays all files matching the specification that have noncontiguous data areas on the disk. Files that are stored in noncontiguous areas, especially
.exe files, have slower disk access times. If CHKDSK reports a large number of files with this problem, a utility program that optimizes the files and free space on your disk should be used.
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After checking the disk, CHKDSK displays any error messages followed by a report on the state of the disk that was checked. An example of the report is shown below.
Volume ROM-DOS created June 1,1990 1:00a
Volume Serial Number is 190E-4AA2
362496 bytes total disk space
0 bytes in 1 hidden files
6144 bytes in 2 user files
356352 bytes available on disk
655360 bytes total memory
595360 bytes free
CHKDSK does not wait for a disk to be inserted before the checking is initiated nor does it repair any errors.
Examples
CHKDSK will check the integrity of drive A. The report will be printed to the console.
CHKDSK a:
CHKDSK will check the integrity of RAM disk D. The report will be saved in a file called
DRIVE_D.RPT.
CHKDSK d: >drive_d.rpt
COMMAND.COM
Type
External
Purpose
Start a new command processor.
Syntax
COMMAND[
device
][/E:
number
][/K:
filename
][/P][/C
string
][/
MSG
]
Remarks
This command starts a new copy of the ROM-DOS command processor. The command processor is the program that has all the internal DOS commands in it.
Starting a new command processor will also produce a new environment. The size of the environment is 128 bytes by default, but it can be changed using the /E switch.
Command and its arguments can also be used in a SHELL= statement in your config.sys file. See the full description of SHELL for more details.
Options
The
device
option specifies that COMMAND.COM should use a different device, such as AUX, for input and output.
The
/E:number
switch sets the environment size. Number represents the size of the environment in bytes. Number must be in the range from 160 to 32768. All other values will be ignored and the default value of 256 will be used. ROM-DOS will round the value entered up to the nearest multiple of 16.
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The
/K:filename
option tells the command processor to run the specified filename and then display the ROM-DOS command prompt. It is not recommended that this option be used in a
CONFIG.SYS SHELL= statement.
The
/P switch
causes COMMAND not to exit, or in other words, to remain permanent. The /P switch should be used only when command is used in a CONFIG.SYS SHELL statement.
The
/c string
switch causes COMMAND to execute the command in string and then terminate.
The string command can be any internal or external command.
The
/MSG
option indicates that all error messages should be stored in memory. This option is recommended only for diskette based systems. ROM-DOS keeps many of its error messages in the resident part of COMMAND.COM rather than using valuable memory to store them. If an error message is needed and you have loaded ROM-DOS from a diskette, the message will only be available if the boot disk is still in the drive. By using the /MSG option, the messages will be available in memory at all times. The /P option must be used along with the /MSG option.
Examples
The following command will cause a new copy of COMMAND to be executed. It will perform a
DIR command on the C drive and then exit back to the previous Command Processor.
COMMAND /C DIR C:
The following example shows loading of a permanent copy of command with an environment size of 256 bytes.
SHELL=C:\COMMAND.COM /P /E:256
DELTREE.EXE
External Command
The DELTREE command deletes one or more directory trees or individual files.
Syntax
DELTREE [/Y] [drive:]path [[drive:]path[...]]
Remarks
/Y
prevents DELTREE from prompting before deleting.
[drive:]path
indicates the name(s) of the file(s) or directory tree(s) to delete. Wildcards are allowed.
Examples
Datalight DELTREE deletes one or more directory trees. For example, to delete all files and directories in the tree C:\TEMP, enter
DELTREE C:\TEMP.
You can also use DELTREE to delete individual files, one at a time, using wildcards. For example, to delete selected files in the current directory, enter
DELTREE *.*
DELTREE then prompts you for each file it finds, allowing you to choose whether to delete them.
Caution:
Take care when using wildcards with DELTREE. DELTREE deletes all specified files and subdirectories regardless of their attributes. Multiple files and/or subdirectories may be specified.
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FORMAT.COM
External Command
The FORMAT command initializes a disk so ROM-DOS can access files on that disk. A disk must be formatted before ROM-DOS can use it.
Syntax
FORMAT
[drive
:] [/
option
s]
Remarks
FORMAT initializes the disk and directory of the specified drive. The size of the formatted disk is the largest possible size that the specified drive supports, unless a different size is specified via a command line option.
Options
The
/4
switch causes the floppy disk to be formatted as a 360KB disk even if the drive is a
1.44MB, 2.88MB, or 1.2MB drive.
The
/7
switch causes the floppy disk to be formatted as a 720KB disk even if the drive is a
1.44MB or 2.88MB drive.
The
/B
option causes FORMAT to used BIOS Int 13h calls. By default, FORMAT checks the
DOS version, and if it is DOS 5.0 or higher, it uses the floppy device driver to do the format.
Using the /B option forces FORMAT to bypass the floppy or hard disk controller and use BIOS calls. /B makes FORMAT device independent.
The
/C
switch causes FORMAT to format one disk without user input. The disk is assumed to be in the specified drive, and FORMAT exits immediately when the format is complete. This switch is useful in batch files or programs that require a formatted disk without user input.
The /
F:size
option specifies the size of the floppy disk to be formatted. Available size values are
360, 720, 1.2, 1.44, and 2.88, and are entered as /F:
siz
e. For example, /F:1.2.
The
/H
switch causes the system files not to be hidden or write-protected. This can be used along with the /S option.
The
/I
option forces FORMAT to use IOCTL calls and never use BIOS calls. Normally,
FORMAT first tries to access the device driver IOCTL calls to format the disk. If this fails, BIOS calls are used (unless the /B option is specified). BIOS calls are always used for DOS 3.3 and earlier.
The
/Q
option causes FORMAT to do a quick format. A quick format reinitializes the disk, deleting each file and subdirectory from the disk. A quick format can only be performed on a previously fully formatted disk.
The
/S
switch causes FORMAT to copy the ROM-DOS system files, ROM-DOS.SYS and
COMMAND.COM, onto the disk. The file ROM-DOS.SYS is renamed and stored on the disk as files IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM, which are stored as hidden files, unless the /H option is used.
The
/V
:LABEL switch causes FORMAT to place a volume label on the disk. If the volume label is not provided on the command line, you are prompted for the volume label once the format is complete.
The
/[
switch causes FORMAT to run without display of the sign-on message.
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If FORMAT encounters an error, the exit code returned to DOS indicates the type of error. The error codes are listed in the following table.
Error Level Type of Error
0 No error encountered
2
3
Unsupported drive format
Attempted hard drive format (unsupported) error
HIMEM.SYS
Installable Device Driver
The HIMEM.SYS device driver manages extended memory and the High Memory Area (HMA) in a 286, 386 or greater, or PS/2 systems. HIMEM prevents programs from simultaneously using the same area of memory for two different purposes. HIMEM supports the Extended Memory
Specification (XMS) 2.0. HIMEM is installed as a device driver in CONFIG.SYS.
Syntax
DEVICE =
[
d:]
[pat
h] HIMEM.SYS [/machine:n] [/A20[+]] [/PS2]
[/CONTROLA20:OFF]
Remarks
The HIMEM driver can be used to allow ROM-DOS to run in High Memory.
HIMEM supports a default of 32 handles.
HIMEM should not be used with older versions of Datalight’s VDISK. Current versions of
VDISK use XMS memory if it is available.
HIMEM recognizes PS/2-style A20 line control and determines whether to use the PS/2 A20 control or the AT A20 control method automatically by calling Int 15h, function C0h (get system configuration). This automatic detection can be overridden with the /Machine:n, /A20, A20+, or
/PS2 command line switches in the event that the auto detection on a given system fails.
/Machine:1 and /A20 both designate the PC AT A20 control method. These switches instruct
HIMEM
not
to wait for the A20 line to settle.
/Machine:2 and /PS2 both designate the PS/2 control method.
/A20+ is similar to /A20 but instructs HIMEM to wait for the A20 line to settle.
/Machine:3 designates support for the Phoenix Cascade BIOS A20 control methods.
Alternately, /CONTROLA20:OFF instructs HIMEM to
not
detect the control method for the A20 line and assumes the A20 line is always on.
The /BIOS switch forces the use of BIOS Int15h, Function 87h, for data transfers to and from
XMS memory.
The /QUIET switch forces HIMEM to remove the sign-on message when loading.
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Error Conditions
No Extended Memory—
An extended memory error condition can occur if the BIOS (via Int
15H, function 88H) notifies HIMEM that there is no extended memory. In this situation, HIMEM displays an appropriate error message and does not install.
Failure to Control the A20 Line—
When HIMEM installs, it attempts to control the A20 line, which controls access to the HMA. HIMEM first attempts control via the AT method (using the
8259 keyboard control). If that fails, HIMEM then attempts control via the PS/2 method (using
I/O port 60H). If both methods fail, HIMEM assumes it can’t control the A20 line and displays the message
A20 Control (OFF)
If either of these errors occur, try using the /A20, /A20+, or /PS2 in the HIMEM command line.
Note also that some older programs assume that the machine is a 1MB 8086 and so require that the A20 line to be disabled (OFF) while they run. Current programs typically do not require that the A20 line be disabled.
Examples
Device = HIMEM.SYS
Installs the XMS device driver.
Once this driver is installed, accessing the HMA and Extended
Memory (XMS) memory areas are legal. The Extended Memory area can contain up to 2GB of memory. Typical systems have 4
, 8, or 16MB of XMS memory installed.
Device = HIMEM.SYS /machine:1
Forces the use of the AT-style A20 line control.
The HIMEM driver fails to load when either the machine does not have memory above the 1MB boundary or the BIOS does not provide support for it. It also fails to load when another XMS manager has been previously installed.
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ROM-DOS Commands 89
MEM.EXE
External Command
The MEM command displays the used and free memory in your system.
Syntax
MEM [/BiosExtensions] [/Classify] [/Raw]
Remarks
/B
/C
/R
Displays each BIOS extension and its size.
Classifies the memory usage.
Does raw dump of the MCB chain.
MEM displays a list of the DOS memory contents, what free space is available, and how much memory is in conventional memory, upper memory, the HMA and extended memory. This program is useful to fine tune the system to have as much free memory as possible for applications.
Options
The
/B
option displays BIOS extensions in the range from C000:0 to F800:0.
The
/C
option shows program, TSR, and device driver sizes.
The
/R
option shows a low-level DOS listing of MCBs (Memory Control Blocks).
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MODE.COM
External Command
The MODE command modifies the operation of the printer, serial port, and active video display.
Syntax
MODE LPT#[:]=COM#[:]
MODE CO
M
#:
bau
d
[,parit
y
[,databit
s
[,stopbit
s
[,
P]]]]
MODE
<video mod
e>
MODE
<display line
s>
Remarks
The first syntax above redirects line printer output to the serial port.
The second syntax above changes the operation of the specified communications port. The options that can be modified are listed below. InValid for any of the options are flagged with an error message.
baud
110, 150, 300, 600, 1200, 2400, 4800, 9600
parity
N - None, O - Odd, E - Even
databits
Either 7 or 8
stopbits
Either 1 or 2 stop bits
P
Printer Port
Using the P option as the last argument causes output to be sent repeatedly to the printer port until successfully received. Without the P, output is sent only once, causing a critical error if unsuccessful.
The third syntax changes the active video mode for the display terminal. The valid choices for this version of the MODE command are as follows:
4
0—Indicates 40 characters per line.
8
0—Indicates 80 characters per line.
bw4
0—For a color graphics adapter with color disabled and 40 characters per line.
bw8
0—For a color graphics adapter with color disabled and 80 characters per line.
co4
0—Indicates a color monitor with color enabled and 40 characters per line.
co8
0—Indicates a color monitor with color enabled and 80 characters per line.
mon
o—For a monochrome display. Assumes 80 characters per line.
The final syntax sets the number of display lines. Valid included L25, L43, and L50.
Note: A serial port should be initialized before an LPT device is redirected to it.
Examples
MODE COM1:9600,n,8,1
Modifies the settings for the COM1 device to a baud rate of 9600, no parity, eight data bits, and one stop bit.
MODE LPT2:=COM2
Redirects the output from LPT2 to the COM2 serial port. All following output to LPT2 actually goes to the COM2 device.
MODE mono
Indicates a monochrome display adapter.
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MORE.COM
External Command
The MORE command displays a text file one screen at a time.
Syntax
MORE [filename] or
<comman
d> | MORE
Remarks
The input to MORE may come from a file, or it may be piped in from another filter or a DOS command. If the
filename
is present, then the file is viewed; otherwise MORE reads from the
Standard Input.
Once a screen has been viewed, a line is displayed on the bottom of the screen indicating the percent of the file that has been viewed. At this point, there are several options for the next lines of text to be viewed.
B
<enter>
Display the previous full page.
Display just one more line.
T
Spacebar
Q
Display starting at the top of the file.
Display the next full page of text.
Exit MORE
Examples
DIR | MORE
Displays a directory one screen at a time.
MORE READ.ME
Displays the file READ.ME one page at a time.
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NED.EXE and NED.CFG
External Command
ASCII text Editor Program
The NED editor is a menu-based text editor available for use with ROM-DOS. This editor is similar to other desktop editors but has special functions designed for use in editing C-source and assembly code.
Starting the Editor
To start the editor, enter
NED [filename] [filename]
NED may be initiated with or without filename arguments. Wildcard file specifications are allowed.
Up to ten files can be entered on the command line. If NED is run without arguments, it loads all files accessed during the last editing session, returning you to the exact position in the file. You can switch between the open files.
You can also enter
NED @errfile where
errfile
is the name of your compiler error output file. NED loads all files that had errors and allows you to move between errors.
Once NED is running, you may load files into memory by using the File/Open menu command.
File/Reload replaces the current file with a new file or reloads a new copy of the same file.
File/Reload confirms before replacing an unsaved file.
Basic Editor Operation
NED uses the standard Microsoft Windows interface for cut, copy, and paste operations. Del and
Shift+Del both move the selected block to the clipboard. There is no true undo command, but
Ctrl+V or Shift+Ins may be used to paste the clipboard contents to the current cursor position.
Table 1 lists all the default shortcut keys.
If a search string is all lowercase, NED treats it as a case-insensitive search. If a search string contains any uppercase letters, it is case sensitive. The replacement string is inserted exactly as entered. Repeating a Search command repeats the last Forward or Backward Search operation, not the last Replace operation.
There is one bookmark for all files. Once the bookmark is set, going to the bookmark returns you to the file and position where you set it.
The Indent and Remove-indent (referred to as Undent in the Options/Do Command) commands work on tabs. Indent inserts a tab at the beginning of the current line, or if a block is active, at the beginning of each line in the block. Remove-indent removes the first tab from the current line or from each line in the block. If there are no tabs, Remove-indent has no effect.
Toggle case inverts the case of the current character if no block is active. If a block is active,
Toggle case sets the entire block to uppercase if the first character was lower and to lowercase if the first character was uppercase.
Tabs are currently set to 3 for .C, .H, .CPP, .HPP, and .T files. They are set to 8 for all other files.
File/Print prints the current block if there is one, otherwise it prints the current file. NED prompts for a device to print to, which may be a filename. Tabs are expanded to spaces.
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The Options/Do Command is intended primarily for debugging. This command allows you to execute any editor command by choosing it from a menu list.
The macro commands (Record Macro/Play Macro) allow you to define a sequence of keystrokes that can be repeated repetitively. Select Record Macro (ALT=), enter the keystrokes, then press
ALT= again. The macro sequence can be played by selecting Play Macro or by pressing ALT-.
Keyboard bindings are saved in NED.CFG in the same directory as NED.EXE. NED.CFG also contains the list of active files and positions.
If you record and play a recursive macro, it plays continuously.
If you press an invalid key on a menu, NED operates as if you pressed enter.
If you run out of memory, such as when you have more than 300KB of files open, NED returns to
DOS.
NED Default Hot Keys
Alt-Q
Alt-X Exit, saving as needed
Ctrl-A Search again
Ctrl-B Search backward
Ctrl-C Copy the block to clipboard
Ctrl-D Find the mark
Ctrl-E Erase to end-of-line
Ctrl-F
Ctrl-G Go to a line number
Ctrl-I Indent the block
Ctrl-K Toggle block mode
Ctrl-L Delete line to the clipboard
Ctrl-M Set the mark
Ctrl-N Read a file into a new buffer
Ctrl-P Move to the previous position
Ctrl-Q Quote the next character
Ctrl-R Replace text
Ctrl-S Switch to the next buffer
Ctrl-T
Many of the editor commands can be accessed directly by pressing key combinations. For example, press Alt-X to exit the editor and save any open files. The following table lists the default hot keys.
Key Function
Quit without saving
Search forward
Toggle the case of character(s)
Ctrl-U Remove indent from the block
Ctrl-V Insert the clipboard
Ctrl-W Delete word to the clipboard Ins
Ctrl-X Delete block to the clipboard
Ctrl-Z Cancel the selected block
Alt = Start/end recording macro
Alt - Playback macro
Alt-F7 Previous error
Alt-F8 Next error
Key
F1
F7
F9
F10
Left-Arrow
Right-Arrow
Up arrow
Down arrow
Home
End
Page Up
Page Down
Function
Help
Load file into current buffer
Save file
Exit asking for save as needed
Left one character
Right one character
Up one line
Down one line
Beginning of line
End of line
Up one screen
Down one screen
Center (5) Center the cursor onscreen
Ctrl-Left-Arrow Left one word
Ctrl-Right-Arrow Right one word
Ctrl-Up-Arrow Up one C function
Ctrl-Down-Arrow Down one C function
Ctrl-Home Scroll toward beginning of file
Ctrl-End Scroll toward end of file
Ctrl-Page
Ctrl-Page
Toggle
Del
Up Beginning of file
Down End of file
Insert/Overwrite mode
Delete character
Ctrl-Ins
Shift-Ins
Shift-Del
Copy block to clipboard.
Ctrl-Backspace Delete word backward
Insert the clipboard
Delete block to clipboard
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PRINT.COM
External Command
The PRINT command prints a single file or a list of files.
Syntax
PRINT [/drive:] [filename] [/options]
Remarks
PRINT allows you to enter between one and 32 files for spooling to the printer. The files are output to the device in a spooled manner (while you perform other operations).
If PRINT is entered without any parameters, it displays all the files that are in the queue.
The first time PRINT is used, the user is prompted with this message for the device to perform the operation.
Name of list device [PRN]:
The legal devices for printing are LPT1, LPT2, LPT3, LPT4, COM1, COM2, COM3, COM4,
AUX, or PRN.
Options
The
/B
option sets the buffer size. The default buffer size is 512 bytes. A larger buffer size causes print to operate faster. The maximum buffer size is 32KB and the minimum size is 256 bytes. This option is only allowed the first time PRINT is run.
The
/C
option cancels only the filenames listed after the /C command.
The
/F
option sets the maximum number of files to be queued up at one time. The default number of files is ten. The minimum is two and the maximum is 32. Support for more files is often useful when using wildcards in filenames. This option is only allowed the first time PRINT is run (or until the next system reboot).
The
/P
option causes all files listed after this option to be submitted for printing. This is the default for filenames encountered on the PRINT command line.
The
/T
option cancels all the files from the print queue (list).
The
/H
option displays the help screen.
Examples
PRINT FILE1.TXT FILE2.TXT FILE3.TXT
Puts three files into the print queue. The first file prints after the command ends.
PRINT /C FILE2.TXT
Removes file FILE2.TXT from the print queue. All other files in the queue print normally.
PRINT /T
Cancels all files in the print queue. Printing may continue for a short time because of the buffer in your printer.
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REMDISK.EXE
Remote Disk Program
See Also: REMSERV.EXE
REMSERV is usually run on the MX2 (host). REMDISK is usually run on the client (e.g. a desktop PC).
The remote disk program allows you to access a disk drive on a remote system via a serial cable and standard PC-style (8250UART) serial port. In a remote disk setup, one system, the one that shares its drives, is termed the server. The other system, the one that accesses and uses the remote drives, is called the client. The serial ports on both systems must be connected via a null modem cable. Remdisk / Remserv works across a standard 3-pin serial cable. The cable does not require the CTS/RTS DTS/DTR pins.
To use the remote disk, both REMDISK and REMSERV must be running on their respective systems and must use the same baud rate and packet or nonpacket-style transmission. After starting both programs, you can access the new drive on the client system. You can change the default directory to this new drive, copy files to and from the remote drive, and also run utilities such as CHKDSK on the drive. The remote drive on the server system can be used as any other drive on the client system.
Syntax
The program REMDISK runs on the client system and creates a new drive letter for the client.
REMDISK uses the next available system drive letter.
For example, if the last assigned drive was D:, REMDISK creates drive E:. This drive acts like any other drive, except that it requires the serial port. REMDISK.EXE can be loaded by a
DEVICE= command in the CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT files or it can be entered at the
DOS prompt.
CONFIG.SYS –-- DEVICE=REMDISK.EXE /T15
AUTOEXEC.BAT – REMDISK /B9600 / COM2 /T10
The syntax for REMDISK is:
REMDISK [/U] [/H] [/
Bnnn
n] [+|-][/Tnnn] [/CO
M
n]
The default is:
/B115K+ /COM1 /T3
Option Description
/U
/H Selects hardware handshaking for flow control.
/
Bnnnn
Selects the baud rate for transmission. Available baud rates are 300, 1200, 2400,
4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, and 115000. The default baud rate is 115000.
+/-
Unloads REMDISK from memory, thereby disabling the drive letter and freeing the memory occupied by REMDISK. This option can only be used when
REMDISK is installed from the DOS command line. A remote disk installed via
CONFIG.SYS cannot be unloaded.
The plus sign (+) specifies packet-style transmission and is recommended for any baud rate over 19200. The default setting is to include + for packet transmission.
Use the minus sign (-) to specify polling operation under Microsoft Windows 95.
Both sides must agree on using either (+) or (-).
E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC MX2 Reference Guide
Option Description
/
Tnnn
Sets the time-out in the range of 3 to 3,640 seconds. 15 seconds is not unusual for
Flash drives.
/IR
Qn
Set the IRQ for the communications port. Valid settings are 3 – 15. Default is
IRQ3 for COM 2 and COM4, and IRQ4 for COM1 and COM3.
CO
Mn
Selects the communication port. Choose 1, 2, 3 or 4. COM1 is the default port.
To install the REMDISK program from CONFIG.SYS at 19200 baud, on COM1, using packetstyle transmission, insert the following line in CONFIG.SYS and then reboot the system
(remember to include the full path to find REMDISK.EXE if not located in the root directory).
DEVICE=REMDISK.EXE /B19200 +
To display a help screen for REMDISK from the DOS prompt, enter
REMDISK /?
To install REMDISK from the DOS prompt or from a batch file (such as AUTOEXEC.BAT) at
9600 baud, without packet-style transmission, on COM2, enter
REMDISK /B9600 /COM2
To unload the REMDISK installed from the batch file or the DOS prompt, enter REMDISK /U
REMSERV.EXE
Remote Disk Program
See Also: REMDISK.EXE
REMSERV is usually run on the MX2 (host). REMDISK is usually run on the client (e.g. a desktop PC).
The remote disk program allows you to access a disk drive on a remote system via a serial cable and standard PC-style (8250UART) serial port. In a remote disk setup, one system, the one that shares its drives, is termed the server. The other system, the one that accesses and uses the remote drives, is called the client. The serial ports on both systems must be connected via a null modem cable. Remdisk / Remserv works across a standard 3-pin serial cable. The cable does not require the CTS/RTS DTS/DTR pins.
To use the remote disk, both REMDISK and REMSERV must be running on their respective systems and must use the same baud rate and packet or nonpacket-style transmission. After starting both programs, you can access the new drive on the client system. You can change the default directory to this new drive, copy files to and from the remote drive, and also run utilities such as CHKDSK on the drive. The remote drive on the server system can be used as any other drive on the client system.
The server system runs the program REMSERV.EXE that can make a single drive on the server system available to the client. The available drive can be changed at any time by quitting the
REMSERV program and then running the program again with a new drive letter.
The server program can be terminated at any time by pressing the Esc key. The client can then no longer access the server’s drive until the REMSERV program is run again.
MX2 Reference Guide E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC
ROM-DOS Commands 97
Syntax
REMSERV.EXE d: [/T
nnnn
] [/H] [/B
nnnn
][+|-] [/COM
n
] [/IRQ
n
]
[/
Tnnn
] [/S] where d: represents the letter of the drive the server makes available to the client.
The default is
/B115+ /COM1 /T2
Option Description
/
Bnnnn
Selects the baud rate for transmission. Available baud rates are 300, 1200,
2400, 4800, 9600, 19200, 38400, 57600, and 115000. The default baud rate is 115000.
+/- The plus sign (+) after the BAUD specifies packet-style transmission and is recommended for any baud rate over 19200. The default setting is to include + for packet transmission. Use the minus sign (-) to specify polling operation under Microsoft Windows 95. By default, packet transfers will be used for all baud rates higher than 9600. Both sides must agree on using either (+) or (-).
CO
Mn
Selects the communication port. Available ports are 1, 2, 3 or 4. COM1 is the default port.
/IR
Qn
Set the IRQ for the communications port. Valid settings are 3 – 15.
Default is IRQ3 for COM 2 and COM4, and IRQ4 for COM1 and COM3.
/
Tnnn
/S
/H
Sets the time-out in the range of 2 to 3,640 seconds. 15 seconds is not unusual for Flash drives.
Instructs REMSERV to run without any display output (Silent).
Selects hardware handshaking for flow control.
Example
To select drive B: as the available server drive at 115000 baud, packet transmission, using COM1, enter
REMSERV B:
To set drive C: as the server disk at 38400 baud, without packet-style transmission, on COM2, with a timeout of 10 seconds, enter:
REMSERV C: /B38400 /COM2 /T10
E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC MX2 Reference Guide
SYS.COM
External Command
The SYS command copies the ROM-DOS system files ROM-DOS.SYS and COMMAND.COM from the disk in the default drive to the disk in the specified drive. The file ROM-DOS.SYS is renamed and stored on the disk as files IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM, which are stored as hidden files.
Syntax
SYS
drive:
[/
option
s]
Remarks
Use the SYS command to transfer the ROM-DOS system files to a floppy disk or hard disk. The disk can be a formatted blank disk or can contain files; it is not necessary for the system files to be the first files on the disk. The only requirement is that there is enough contiguous free space on the disk for the new system files to be placed. If the disk already contains system files, installing the new system files deletes the existing files.
The command processor, COMMAND.COM, is also transferred to the disk and does not need to be copied into the same contiguous space as the system files.
You can run SYS three different ways. The first is to boot and run your system with ROM-DOS.
When you run the SYS command this way, SYS copies the ROM-DOS system files and
COMMAND.COM from the root directory of the default/current disk drive.
The second method is to run SYS from the root directory of a disk drive that has been previously prepared with the SYS command, but isn’t booted and running. For example, you can run SYS from a bootable floppy disk to copy the files to the hard disk without actually booting from the floppy disk itself.
The third method uses the file ROM-DOS.SYS, the equivalent of the hidden system files
IBMBIO.COM and IBMDOS.COM. ROM-DOS.SYS should be present in the same directory with COMMAND.COM and SYS.COM. These three files can be placed in the root directory or subdirectory on a floppy disk (that need not be booted or bootable), or in a subdirectory on the hard drive. Run the SYS command from the directory where the files reside to transfer the system files to the destination drive.
Options
The
/C
option prevents confirmation before transferring system files.
The
/H
option shows the newly transferred system files on the destination disk.
The
/]
option prevents display of the sign-on message.
Example
SYS B:
Copies the ROM-DOS system files to drive B:.
MX2 Reference Guide E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC
ROM-DOS Commands 99
VER
Type
Internal
Purpose
Displays the version number of ROM-DOS in use. Allows revision of this version number.
Syntax
VER [
n.nn
] [/R]
Remarks
If a new version number is specified, two digits after the decimal are required. Note that this command revises only the record of the DOS version number; it does not change the actual operating system loaded in the computer.
The version command shows both the version of the VER command itself and the version of DOS in operation.
Options
The
/R
option shows the full version and release number of ROM-DOS.
Example
The following example changes the record of current DOS version in use to DOS 5.0. Any programs that are executed, following this command, will recognize that DOS 5.0 is running.
VER 5.0
XCOPY.COM
External Command
The XCOPY command copies multiple files and, optionally, subdirectories from one disk to another.
Syntax
XCOPY [source] [target] [/options]
Remarks
Use the XCOPY command to copy multiple files and subdirectories, if they exist.
The
source
and the
target
parameter are complete drive-path and file-specification descriptions.
If you do not specify a path, XCOPY assumes the default path. If a filename is not specified, then
*.* is assumed.
The ATTRIB command may be used to modify the archive bit for the various XCOPY options that check the archive status of files. Refer to the ATTRIB command for instructions.
E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC MX2 Reference Guide
Options
The
/A
option copies only source files that have the archive bit set in them. The archive is not reset.
The
/D<mm-dd-yy>
option copies only those files with a date later than that specified.
The
/E
option creates subdirectories on the target even if they are empty.
The
/M
option copies only those source files that have the archive bit set. Once the source file is copied, the archive bit is reset.
The
/P
option prompts before each file is copied. The prompt appears as follows; enter Y to copy the file:
C:\COMMAND.COM (Y/N)?
The
/S
option copies files in subdirectories of the source directory.
The
/V
option verifies each write to the disk.
The
/W
option waits before starting to copy files and prompts with the following message.
Press any key to begin copying file(s)
Example
XCOPY \bin\*.exe a: /a
Copies all files in the BIN subdirectory to the A: drive that have an .EXE extension and that have the archive bit set.
MX2 Reference Guide E-EQ-MX2RG-L-ARC

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