mintz@hpindda.HP.COM (Ken Mintz) (05/04/88)
> Some of us hated command.com and switched to something else a long time ago.
I'm curious about the role of command.com with respect to running an
application. This quote suggests that command.com is interchangeable, which
is what I thot. However, when I ran into a particular problem, one person
explained that it had to do with the version of command.com that I was using.
I'm trying to run an old Multiplan on an AT. When I run under DOS 3.1, I
don't have a problem. I am also able to run under DOS 2.0 which is on the MP
floppy. But when I run under DOS 3.2, the system hangs.
My understanding was that command.com is simply a command interpreter. As
such, I would not expect any interaction between it and an application run
under it.
I suspect the real problem is in the hidden files (BIO.COM and DOS.COM). As
I recall, these form the real kernel, right?
Thanks in advance for any email on the subject.
-- Regards, Ken Mintz
ARPA: mintz%hpda@hplabs.hp.com
UUCP: hplabs!hpda!mintzwnp@killer.UUCP (Wolf Paul) (05/06/88)
In article <4330076@hpindda.HP.COM> mintz@hpindda.HP.COM (Ken Mintz) writes: >> Some of us hated command.com and switched to something else a long time ago. > > I'm curious about the role of command.com with respect to running an > application. This quote suggests that command.com is interchangeable, which > is what I thot. However, when I ran into a particular problem, one person Very likely that it was your overall version of DOS rather than simply command.com. A number of problems do come to mind, though, when thinking of exchanging command.com for something else: 1. Very few of the command interpreters for DOS I have come across include a critical error handler -- most rely on command.com's resident part to provide that. This is the code which times out unsuccessful I/O operations, and prints the "Retry, Ignore, Abort?" message. 2. Any UNIX-like shells which use / as a path separator and - as the option character (switchar) cause potential trouble for applications which shell out to DOS. 3. Some DOS programs will not allow you to specify pathnames with / or switches with -. -- Wolf N. Paul * 3387 Sam Rayburn Run * Carrollton TX 75007 * (214) 306-9101 UUCP: ihnp4!killer!dcs!wnp ESL: 62832882 INTERNET: wnp@DESEES.DAS.NET or wnp@dcs.UUCP TLX: 910-280-0585 EES PLANO UD