DGILBERT.ES@PARC-MAXC.ARPA (02/11/84)
USING WORDSTAR UNDER ZCPR2 Programs like WordStar are a problem, in that one would like to keep only 1 set of files and be able to use tham from any USER area. WordStar always looks for its overlay files on drive A, if not on the default drive. Unfortunately, there is no provision for specifying the USER area, so if your in drive G, user 7, WordStar will only check drive A, user 7 for the overlays if not on drive F, user 7. There is a solution. A public domain program called 'DUPUSR' will create a duplicate directory entry on your CP/M disk, but a new User Number. So put the WordStar files on Drive A, User 0 (physical drive E). Create duplicate entries for the overlay files for A1, A2, A3, ... to your highest user number used. Each directory entry actually points to the same allocation numbers, so there is only one actual copy of the file. This system works fine. I can be in any user number, on any disk, and run WordStar without a problem. There is only one danger. If you ever erase one of the directory entries that are duplicated in another user area, CP/M will assume it can reuse the allocation groups thus 'freed', unless you do a disk reset by 'Warm Boot'. By always doing a 'warm boot' after erasing an entry, no problem occurs. It's better than having duplicate files in every user area and wasting lots of good ol' disk space. Doug.
emigh@ecsvax.UUCP (02/20/84)
[] There are two other ways to fix this: 1) WSUFIX5.ASM: This is a patch to WS.COM and WSOVLY1.OVR that will have WordStar search a default user area for COM and OVR files. Therefore, you need only one copy of the WS files (thereby saving you directory entries). 2) SUPUSER.COM: This program resides just below the BDOS and has a list of files and where (drive/user) they are to be found. The program must be initialized for a particular set, and for many programs it can be integrated into the COM file (not WordStar, however). For WordStar, I prefer to use WSUFIX5, since it merely changes the user area, and does not defeat the drive searching feature of WordStar (look on default, then on A: (or wherever)). I have several copies of WS.COM in my DU areas, each configured for a different application. I use SUPUSER for most other programs with overlays, etc. --Ted Emigh-- decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!emigh
emigh@ecsvax.UUCP (02/20/84)
[] Please replace all SUPUSER with SETDRU. Sorry. --Ted Emigh-- decvax!mcnc!ecsvax!emigh