rgt@lanl-a.UUCP (08/31/84)
<>
I sent out a request for in-depth books on CP/M and MS-DOS.
Here is an edited list of the responses. Thanks to all!
Richard Thomsen
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From: cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utmbvax!mmr (Mike Rubenstein)
Subject: Re: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
Only book I've found that explains much is Inside CP/M by David E Cortesi
(Holt, Rinehart and Winston). It's primarily about CP/M-80, but the
file structure for CP/M-86 is the same.
You also should get hold of one of the public domain programs for
looking at the disk by sector. Best known is DU in both CP/M-80 and
CP/M-86 versions. Just about any RCPM (CP/M bulletin board) will have
the CP/M-80 version. Larger ones will have the CP/M-86 version also.
Good luck. CP/M's pretty simple, but the poor documentation makes it
pretty hard to figure out what's going on.
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From: Bob Van Cleef <cmcl2!seismo!decvax!sdcsvax!noscvax!revc@marlin.Nosc.ARPA>
Subject: Re: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
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"Inside CP/M" - Jerry Coretese (sp). The best I've
seen for CP/M 80.
R.E. Van Cleef (REVC)
Computer Sciences Corporation
San Diego, CA
ihnp4 \ MILNET revc@nosc
akgua \
UUCP decvax -------------!sdcsvax!noscvax!revc
dcdwest /
ucbvax / CompuServe 71565,533
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From: Eric Stork <cmcl2!seismo!hao!hplabs!ucbvax!STORK@MIT-MC.ARPA>
Subject: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
For CP/M 80 (2.2), you cannot beat Andy Johnson-Laird's
The Program,mer's CP/M Handbook, pub by Osborne/McGraw Hill.
I have read just about every book I coyuld find on CP{/M
and that's the best by far.
Good luck,
Eric
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From: cmcl2!ihnp4!alberta!jeff
Subject: Re: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
The Programmer's CP/M Handbook, by Andy Johnson-Laird (Osborne/Mcgraw-Hill)
was reviewed in this month's BYTE, and they say that it was quite good.
If you buy an uninstalled version of CP/M-80 or -86 you should also get lots
of info. As for MS-DOS, forget it. They don't believe in giving out info
about it, everything you will get is in the manuals they give you. If you
have almost no technical information, you could try buying the IBM DOS 2.1
Technical Refrence Manual, but that's about it. MS-DOS isn't a very good
operating system anyway.
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sask! / Phone: (403) 439-6851
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From: cmcl2!seismo!decvax!linus!utzoo!aesat!bmw
Subject: Re: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
Take a look at "The Programmer's CP/M Handbook" by Andy Johnson-Laird, published
by Osborne/McGraw-Hill. I read the review of it in the August '84 Byte (pg 90)
and purchased it last week. I am a fairly experienced CP/M programmer (I have
done a complete port of CP/M to my home-brew Z80 with hard disk and non-standard
floppies), but this book has helped me a lot by revealing some useful
tricks/gotchas and other info which is missing or poorly documented in the DR
manuals. It also contains a LOT of source, either in ASM or in BDS/C, for a
complete BIOS as well as a bunch of enhanced utilities. Almost all meat and no
fat!
Bruce Walker ..decvax!utzoo!aesat!bmw
[Note: There was posted on the net a set of corrections for this book.
I do not have the corrections on-line, however. Richard Thomsen]
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From: lbl-csam!noao!jacoby
Subject: MS-DOS books
I have also been looking for more in-depth books than "type dir
for a disk directory" sort of thing. Not much out there.
I have found one book that is intermediate and well written:
The IBM PC-DOS Handbook, Richard Allen King, Sybex publication, $17.
Please let me know if you find anything better.
George Jacoby
ihnp4!noao!jacoby
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From: cmcl2!rna!rocky2!datagen!boykin
Subject: MS-DOS books
Welcome to SIG/86!!
The International MS-DOS Users Group
SIG/86 is an International MS-DOS Users Group dedicated
to the sharing of knowledge and software among its members.
Our group is composed of owners and users of any
manufacturers' hardware which supports MS-DOS. To our
members we offer a quarterly newsletter, public domain
software, discounts on commercially available software, a
bulletin board, and much much more.
[Note: This group charges $18/year membership fee. If you need more
information, contact Joe Boykin or me. Richard Thomsen
Joseph Boykin, SIG/86
47-4 Sheridan Drive
Shrewsbury, MA 01545
cmcl2!rna!rocky2!datagen!boykin
]
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Original-From: George W. Sherouse <sherouse@unc>
Subject: Re: Request for CP/M and MS-DOS in-depth books
DEC does have technical references for both OSs, though
their sales people don't seem to know it. I have ordered
both and have had considerable trouble getting them. The
latest word is that I will have them real soon. Check with
me in a while for a review.
George W. Sherouse