[comp.sys.ibm.pc] Hard Disk Set-Ups

fac@burdvax.UUCP (02/04/87)

> Keywords: Please respond
> Xref: burdvax comp.sys.ibm.pc:1458 comp.sys.tandy:89 comp.sys.misc:289
> 
> 
> I have a Tandy 1000 (PC compat) with a 20MB hard drive in it.  Now, I
> have a problem using the hard  drive.  I can't seem to run programs that
> have support files associated with them (Procomm, Emacs, etc) from any
> directory other than their resident directories.  Specifically, if I'm
> in directory \games, and want to run, say PROCOMM in drive \comm, how do
> I do this?  I have a PATH set, but that only finds the program, not the
> associated support files.  How do I arrange my hard drive to get around
> this?
> 
> Thanks in advance,
> -- 
> 
> 			Steve Cooper
> 			...!seismo!umcp-cs!jhunix!ins_asac
> 			jhunix!ins_asac@CSNET
Well, for Procomm, there is an environment variable which tells
procomm.exe where to look for its initialization files. Mine is
set procomm=c:\com\procomm since that is the directory where the
initialization/config files are. If your application doesn't
support environment variables (pc-write, forinstance) then
make a bat file and store it in \bat.

Frank Cooley
Unisys
sdcrdcf!burdvax!fac

bobmon@iuvax.UUCP (02/07/87)

fac@burdvax.UUCP writes:
>> 
>> have a problem using the hard  drive.  I can't seem to run programs that
>> have support files associated with them (Procomm, Emacs, etc) from any
>> directory other than their resident directories.  Specifically, if I'm
>> in directory \games, and want to run, say PROCOMM in drive \comm, how do
>> I do this?
>Well, for Procomm, there is an environment variable which tells
>procomm.exe where to look for its initialization files. Mine is
>set procomm=c:\com\procomm since that is the directory where the
>initialization/config files are. If your application doesn't
>support environment variables (pc-write, forinstance) then
>make a bat file and store it in \bat.

I believe that such environment variables generally want a directory path that
is terminated with a slash; e.g. I use
	set PROCOMM=C:\TERMINAL\PROCOMM\
Also, I'm using PC-Write v2.55, and it does utilize an environment variable
(viz., set PCWRITE=C:\WORDPROC\).  In my experience the case was important --
all uppercase works, anyway.  And finally, some programs that want overlays and
don't know where to look, such as Wordstar, can be fooled by using a program
that takes the place of the PATH, such as Search or DPath.  I used Search with
version 3.7 microEmacs to find the emacs.rc file (but v3.8 knows to check the
PATH variable, now).
	p.s.  ARC uses the variable ARCTEMP to locate its working files (real
good if you're archiving onto a floppy).  Does anyone know offhand whether
PKARC uses an environment variable?  It just occurred to me that I never changed
that when I started using Katz's product.

fac@burdvax.UUCP (02/09/87)

> Xref: burdvax comp.sys.ibm.pc:1624 comp.sys.tandy:96 comp.sys.misc:333
> 
> I believe that such environment variables generally want a directory path that
> is terminated with a slash; e.g. I use
> 	set PROCOMM=C:\TERMINAL\PROCOMM\
> Also, I'm using PC-Write v2.55, and it does utilize an environment variable
> (viz., set PCWRITE=C:\WORDPROC\).  In my experience the case was important --
> all uppercase works, anyway.  And finally, some programs that want overlays and
> don't know where to look, such as Wordstar, can be fooled by using a program
> that takes the place of the PATH, such as Search or DPath.  I used Search with
> version 3.7 microEmacs to find the emacs.rc file (but v3.8 knows to check the
> PATH variable, now).
> 	p.s.  ARC uses the variable ARCTEMP to locate its working files (real
> good if you're archiving onto a floppy).  Does anyone know offhand whether
> PKARC uses an environment variable?  It just occurred to me that I never changed
> that when I started using Katz's product.

Thanks for the correction, and the pc-write tip. Speaking of pkxarc,
I just installed it on 3.1, and I get "insufficient memory" trying
to run either pkarc or pkxarc, unless I boot without my
	SHELL c:command.com /P /E:32  statement

	anybody know why??

Frank Cooley
sdcrdcf!burdvax!fac

authorplaceholder@gorgo.UUCP.UUCP (02/11/87)

> Keywords: Please respond
> Xref: burdvax comp.sys.ibm.pc:1458 comp.sys.tandy:89 comp.sys.misc:289
>
>
> I have a Tandy 1000 (PC compat) with a 20MB hard drive in it.  Now, I
> have a problem using the hard  drive.  I can't seem to run programs that
> have support files associated with them (Procomm, Emacs, etc) from any
> directory other than their resident directories.  Specifically, if I'm
> in directory \games, and want to run, say PROCOMM in drive \comm, how do
> I do this?  I have a PATH set, but that only finds the program, not the
> associated support files.  How do I arrange my hard drive to get around
> this?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> --
>
>                       Steve Cooper
>                       ...!seismo!umcp-cs!jhunix!ins_asac
>                       jhunix!ins_asac@CSNET
 
A stayres called SEARCH, available from many IBM-PC oriented bbs's,
finds data files and overlays for executables. It's a "must" if you
use wordstar or pe, and don't wish to do ALL your editing in one
directory, or have multiple copies of the programs around the disk.
 
Two minor problems: (1) when downloading with procomm, if there is
another file in the search path with the same name as the one you're
trying to fetch, procomm will rename the incoming; likewise, sidekick
finds all files with name of the one you want to edit, anywhere in the
search path (can be confusing if you don't realize what's going on).
(2) If you also use CED, then CED *must* be loaded before SEARCH or
neither one will work properly.
 
If you cannot find it elsewhere (unlikely), get it from my bbs, at
[405] 728-2463, on-line from 6:00am CST thru 2:30am, supports 2400bps.
 
David Drexler
ddrex@gorgo.ATT.COM

keeshu@nikhefk.UUCP (02/15/87)

> [parts omitted]  Specifically, if I'm
> in directory \games, and want to run, say PROCOMM in drive \comm, how do
> I do this?  I have a PATH set, but that only finds the program, not the
> associated support files.  How do I arrange my hard drive to get around
> this?
>                       Steve Cooper
>                       ...!seismo!umcp-cs!jhunix!ins_asac
>                       jhunix!ins_asac@CSNET

If you set the environment parameter PROCOMM in your AUTOEXEC.BAT to
	PROCOMM=C:/the/path/to/the/procomm/directory
PROCOMM will find its support files nomatter from which directory you
started PROCOMM.
You could also try to run a program like DPATH first; it will look for all
the support files in the given search path. I think you can find DPATH on 
most of the PC Bulletin Boards.

-- Kees

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