[comp.dcom.lans] INCREASING DOS ENVIRONMENT

nathan@runx.ips.oz (Nathan Cher) (08/30/88)

phillip@latcs1.oz (Phillip Lee) asked the question:

> How do you increase the dos environment? I can do it with shell=command.com/e
> in config.sys on boot floppy, but doing a dosgen for the remote boot with the
> same floppy doesn't seems to work.

	{"dosgen"  is  a program that installs on a Novell File-Server
	a boot disk image.  It is  used  in  conjunction  with  remote
	Boot Proms at sits where diskless PCs are required. }

One  increases  the  DOS  environment  by  using  the SHELL command in
CONFIG.SYS

The syntax would be:

	SHELL = COMMAND.COM /P /E:nnnn

where nnnn is the size of the environment space in bytes (in DOS
3.2 and DOS 3.3. Note that nnnn must be a multiple of 16). In DOS
3.1 the environment space will be increased to 16 x nnnn bytes.

The /P flag causes the AUTOEXEC.BAT file to executed. If the /P
flag is not included, then the AUTOEXEC.BAT file is not executed.

In my testing with DOS 3.2, I found that the default environment
space was 160 bytes. In my CONFIG.SYS file I placed the line:

	SHELL = COMMAND.COM /P /E:640

and so increased the environment to 640 bytes. I checked this by
noting the free memory and saw that it decreased by 480 bytes
(640 - 160) when I increased the environment. This worked on both
floppy boots and remote boots.

With regards to setting a DOS environment variable, you did not
tell me how you were attempting to do this. It is worth noting
however, that if you set the environment variable within the
login script or within a menu called from the login script, then
that variable will not be set until the login script is exited.
The way to get around this is to set the variable in the
AUTOEXEC.BAT file.

[researched by Darron Lonstein]
thanks nathan.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------
Nathan Cher
     COM TECH COMMUNICATIONS (Inc)
     Sydney 2000,                      Phone:  (02) 290-3477. (3 lines)
     P.O Box 385 Vaucluse 2030,          FAX:  (02) 262-1180
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   Internet: nathan@runx.ips.oz.au    UUCP: uunet!runx.ips.oz.au!nathan
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