sdt (03/27/83)
Some added information on the new DOS version 2.0:
1. Supports IBM's fixed disk drive
2. Increases the formatted capacity of 160KB and 320KB diskettes
to 180KB and 360KB
3. Uses tree-structured directories
4. A backup/restore utility allows the user to save large groups
of files from the fixed disk or vice-versa to diskettes
5. A background file print utility allows the user to print an
ASCII file while performing other tasks on the system
6. A remote console support allows users to reassign the console
to a remote terminal via the communications adapter
7. Batch procedure logic including if-then, for-next, goto, etc.
8. Extended screen and keyboard control allows for easy reassignment
of keys and screen I/O
9. A redirection of standard I/O allows users to redirect input or
output to any other device
10. Device drivers can be easily added
11. New function calls are available for assembly language programs
12. DOS 2.0 uses approximately 24K of user memory (uses 40K when
combined with COMMAND.COM)
Although it will function with only 64K of memory, it is highly advisable
to operate DOS 2.0 with 128K since the system files take up 24K instead of
the 12K needed by previos versions. Also, DOS 2.0 will accomodate the
diskettes formatted under DOS 1.1 or 1.0. Programs that will not work
under 2.0 include those that make access of absolute memory locations DOS
resides in or make absolute jumps to the ROM BIOS.
(Continued on next message)sdt (03/27/83)
Some additional functions include: - Will format 160KB and 320KB diskettes if user specifies (normally DOS 2.0 formats 9 sectors on a diskette (360KB or 180KB) but you can specify that a diskette be formatted with only 8 sectors. - File space allocated dynamically as data is added - Command to display the directory structure - Commands to create and remove subdirectories - Sequential and direct access of data files - File recovery utility for damaged files - Graphics screen dump to IBM Graphics Matrix printer - Multiple disk I/O memory buffers for improved performance - Optional verify after diskette write - Piping: output from program A used as input to program B - Extended error device trapping New Commands in DOS 2.0 DOS Command Function ------------ ------------------------------------------------ ASSIGN Substitute diskette drive assignments BACKUP Back up Fixed Disk files to diskette BAT Batch file support BREAK Check for Ctrl/Break interrupt BUFFERS Configure the numbers of buffer needed CHDIR Change directory; also accepts CD subdrirectory name CLS Clear the screen from DOS CTTY Substitute screen and keyboard DEVICE Configure device drivers to use FDISK Initialize an IBM Fixed Disk drive FILES Configure the number of files needed FIND Search for a string in file GRAPHICS Enable graphics screen dump MKDIR Create a subdirectory; also accepts MD PATH Specify directory paths PRINT Print files in background mode PROMPT Change the DOS prompt RECOVER Recover a damaged file RESTORE Restore file from diskette to the Fixed Disk drive RMDIR Remove a subdirectory; also accepts RD SET Set an environment SORT Sort data in a file TREE Display directory paths VER Display DOS version number VERIFY Write-verify data to diskette VOL Display disk label I hope that this information will quench some of the thirst that you may have concerning DOS 2.0. If you need any further information, drop a line in my mail and I will get a return message to you as soon as possible. Scott Totaro (sdt) .... EMHS
casterli (03/28/83)
Quick summary of PC-DOS 2.0 MicroSoft is apparently trying to get the micro community ready for UN*X. 2.0 includes piping and I/O redirecion, COM files for SORT, FIND, MORE, and TREE, and hiarchical (sp?) directories. This is an especially welcome feature in light of the XT with its 10 Meg hard (fixed) disk. 2.0 also includes *many* other features, such as an expanded BASIC and BASICA, the ability to assign physical drives to (different) logical drive names, (some) extensions to EDLIN, the ability to redirect I/O to the com: port allowing remote operation of your PC, and much I have had no time to explore! One feature I hope is soon supported is the ability to change the shell at boot time. Overall, this DOS is well worth the $60.00 price tag.
jordan@mddc.UUCP (07/20/83)
Has anyone out there done any serious hacking with Dos 2.0?? If so, I'd be interested in talking to you. In the meantime, here is all the stuff that I've found to be useful: o There is a DEV directory, but you can't cd into it. Try: copy /dev/con /dev/prn You can't dir it either. Oh well. o There are two more commands you can put in your command file that aren't documented. AVAILDEV and SWITCHAR. I don't know how to use AVAIlDEV, but if you say ``switchar=-'' in your config.sys, then you will have path name separators changed to / and switch chars changed to -. __________________________ Jordan Bortz (..decvax!cbosgd!mddc!jordan)
wagner@utcsstat.UUCP (07/26/83)
Has anyone successfully used the disk caching features of MSDOS 2.0. It looks like it should be a big win, but I cant get it to work. Michael Wagner, UTCS (utcsstat!wagner)
joel@Rochester.ARPA (11/10/83)
From: Joel Seiferas <joel@Rochester.ARPA>
1. Does anyone know a way to install or remove device drivers without
rebooting?
2. Just when can you actually count on F3 to recall the last line
entered? (If the loss of this buffer coincides with loss of the
transient portion of COMMAND.COM, then I am surprised that I lose it
so often--I have plenty of main memory.)
3. Output redirection can have some very strange side effects. To
suppress the advertisement, I like to install ProKey from my
AUTOEXEC.BAT file as follows:
PROKEY/R VEDIT.PKY >NUL:
(The special device NUL: is not the issue here; I would settle for an
ordinary temporary file instead.) But when I include this, my PC
World demo of Microsoft's WORD cannot find its glossary; if I omit the
redirection, the demo works fine! (Besides ProKey, I also have a
print spooler with the same strange property.)
Joel Seiferas
University of Rochesterromkey%MIT-BORAX@sri-unix.UUCP (11/11/83)
1. I don't believe that you can install or remove device drivers without rebooting. They're loaded into an area of memory between DOS and COMMAND.COM, and I think the part of DOS that loads them is probably overwritten by other parts of DOS later. 2. The line buffer is in the transient part of COMMAND.COM. When COMMAND.COM is going to run a program, it checksums the transient part before it loads the program. When the program terminates, it sees if the checksum is the same. If it is, it assumes that nothing was touched; otherwise it reloads that part. If you have a stack or something in high memory (or maybe a .EXE program? I'm not sure about them - I always generate .COM files), it might step on this part of COMMAND.COM. Let's try sorting high memory - the checksum won't change, but it should be interesting when COMMAND.COM tries to execute part of its transient portion! John Romkey romkey@mit-borax
PCarah.ES@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (11/11/83)
In answer to your message in Info-IBMPC # 85.. 1. No, you can't install or remove device drivers within the design of the operating system without rebooting. The system does maintain links and if you know where the list head is, you can add or remove character device drivers. This would result in memory getting badly disorganized, however. The same for block device drivers would be very difficult, since at INIT time the DOS allocates several tables that are not part of the driver for each block device, and it uses these tables rather than the device driver headers to find out what devices exist and which driver to use, etc. 2. You may be losing COMMAND.COM because of the bug in the PASCAL library routine ENTX6S (which has been referred to before in this list). The JLE finding out whether there is 64K available should be a JBE. This applies to PAS1, PAS2, FOR1, FOR2, the PASCAL library, and any program written using that library. The FORTRAN library ENTX6S has that bug fixed a different way. There are two general symptoms from this - the compilers will often not work at all on a machine with more than 512K of memory, and they always cover up COMMAND.COM. Fixes for this have been detailed before on this list, if you need help send me a message, since I have found a much easier way to fix it than IBM documents (which will also work in general for patching .EXE files from DEBUG). 3. I can't help you - I have never tried a redirection on a program that terminates and stays resident, but I am sure the problem comes from that. -- Pete Carah