kluge@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de (02/22/89)
Path: lan!kluge Newsgroups: comp.sys.ibm.pc,comp.binaries.ibm.pc,dnet.comp.pcs Summary: IBM PC-DOS 3.30 *does* contain a bug!!! Keywords: PC-DOS 3.30,DRIVPARM,config.sys Date: 20 Feb 89 17:23:05 GMT Organization: Inst. fuer Informatik, TU Muenchen, W. Germany Lines: 62 Hello ! In DOS 3.30 Microsoft put in a new config.sys variable named DRIVPARM. With this variable, it is possible to change the default configuration of the built-in device drivers for floppy disk I/O. DRIVPARM does the same thing DEVICE=DRIVER.SYS does, except that it does not install a new driver but changes the configuration tables of the drivers built-in. DRIVPARM also uses the same syntax that DRIVER.SYS uses. This variable was embedded in all OEM versions of MS-DOS 3.30 and also in IBM's PC-DOS 3.30 (However, IBM did not mention the command in its documentary). A Microsoft representative ensured me this, and it can be proved by using DEBUG: debug ibmbio.com and s 100 ffff 'DRIVPARM' will reveal its presence in the parse table. But due to a bug in Microsoft's DOS 3.30 this variable could not be accessed by the user. Microsoft had already delivered all its OEMs before the bug was detected. Microsoft soon released a patch that would cure this bug. This patch was sent to all Microsoft's OEMs, *including* IBM, as a Microsoft representative told me. Other manufacturers did correct the bug (Hewlett-Packard did it) and documented the new feature. However, IBM seems not to have done it. The new feature isn't documented anywhere (nor does any IBM representative seem to know of it) and IBM sells the version with the bug. I asked Microsoft to send me the patch, but Microsoft strictly refused to do this and told me to ask IBM. IBM told me that they didn't know of any such variable, but it could well be that this variable was an "unsupported feature" meaning I couldn't get the patch (if it existed, as they told me). I am very frustrated about this behaviour of both companies, because I *DO* need this feature (I equipped an IBM XT with a HD floppy controller plus BIOS extension, works fine, except with PC-Tools, which does not recognize HD formats when initializing. It seems PC-Tools asks DOS for floppy drive specs, and DOS cannot know of my controller). What about DOS 4.0? Nobody could tell me, all I know is that Microsoft states it is "implemented in all OEM versions, including IBM's version" (This is denied by IBM). So I do ask here: Does anyone have this patch, or does anyone know where to get it or does anyone have a small program (All "common" programming languages accepted) to do a change in the DOS driver configuration table? ****Please help me!!!!**** Thank you all, Oliver -- TTTU MMMMM kluge%lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de@relay.cs.net (CS-NET, ARPA) T U U M M Oliver Kluge, Parallel Computing Lab, \ unido.UUCP (UUCP) T U M M M Technical University Munich, Arcisstr. 21, 8000-Munich 2, W. Germany T UUU M M "Why stop now just when I'm hating it?" Marvin, the paranoid android
kluge@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de (Oliver Kluge) (02/22/89)
Hello ! [I am posting this article the second time - regretfully the last time I forgot the tiny ".d" at the newsgroup, sorry, I'm new to this. I did read netiquette, but when posting, I was too upset to think of the ".d". Thanks - Oliver] In DOS 3.30 Microsoft put in a new config.sys variable named DRIVPARM. With this variable, it is possible to change the default configuration of the built-in device drivers for floppy disk I/O. DRIVPARM does the same thing DEVICE=DRIVER.SYS does, except that it does not install a new driver but changes the configuration tables of the drivers built-in. DRIVPARM also uses the same syntax that DRIVER.SYS uses. This variable was embedded in all OEM versions of MS-DOS 3.30 and also in IBM's PC-DOS 3.30 (However, IBM did not mention the command in its documentary). A Microsoft representative ensured me this, and it can be proved by using DEBUG: debug ibmbio.com and s 100 ffff 'DRIVPARM' will reveal its presence in the parse table. But due to a bug in Microsoft's DOS 3.30 this variable could not be accessed by the user. Microsoft had already delivered all its OEMs before the bug was detected. Microsoft soon released a patch that would cure this bug. This patch was sent to all Microsoft's OEMs, *including* IBM, as a Microsoft representative told me. Other manufacturers did correct the bug (Hewlett-Packard did it) and documented the new feature. However, IBM seems not to have done it. The new feature isn't documented anywhere (nor does any IBM representative seem to know of it) and IBM sells the version with the bug. I asked Microsoft to send me the patch, but Microsoft strictly refused to do this and told me to ask IBM. IBM told me that they didn't know of any such variable, but it could well be that this variable was an "unsupported feature" meaning I couldn't get the patch (if it existed, as they told me). I am very frustrated about this behaviour of both companies, because I *DO* need this feature (I equipped an IBM XT with a HD floppy controller plus BIOS extension, works fine, except with PC-Tools, which does not recognize HD formats when initializing. It seems PC-Tools asks DOS for floppy drive specs, and DOS cannot know of my controller). What about DOS 4.0? Nobody could tell me, all I know is that Microsoft states it is "implemented in all OEM versions, including IBM's version" (This is denied by IBM). So I do ask here: Does anyone have this patch, or does anyone know where to get it or does anyone have a small program (All "common" programming languages accepted) to do a change in the DOS driver configuration table? ****Please help me!!!!**** Thank you all, Oliver -- TTTU MMMMM kluge%lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de@relay.cs.net (CS-NET, ARPA) T U U M M Oliver Kluge, Parallel Computing Lab, \ unido.UUCP (UUCP) T U M M M Technical University Munich, Arcisstr. 21, 8000-Munich 2, W. Germany T UUU M M "Why stop now just when I'm hating it?" Marvin, the paranoid android
rde@ukc.ac.uk (R.D.Eager) (02/24/89)
Apparently there is a way to make PC-DOS 3.3 recognise DRIVPARM. I have tried
it and it seems to work. Whether it works on MS-DOS....
A typical DRIVPARM line would look like this:
DRIVPARM=parameters
Add three CONTROL-A characters after the = sign (that's ASCII code 1, shown
below as the character pair ^ followed by A).
DRIVPARM=^A^A^Aparameters
You may have to hunt for an editor that will do this, otherwise use DEBUG.
No, I don't know why it works....but it seems to!
--
Bob Eager
rde@ukc.UUCP
...!mcvax!ukc!rde
Phone: +44 227 764000 ext 7589choke@m-net.UUCP (Sean Patrick Gallaty) (02/27/89)
To the bast of my knowledge, dos 3.2 was the only version that ever had drivparm. It was such a good idea that it was promptly taken out. No version I have ever used has had it since. (In fact, it is extremely difficult to put 1.4 meg drives on an xt or put a 3 1/2 " drive as 'a' without drivparm.) if you want specifics, mail me. It's a fairly long description. ------------------- C U T H E R E ------------------------------ choke@inhp4!m-net 323 E. William Ann Arbor, MI 48104 "See you in hell." - Empire quote.
kluge@lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de (Oliver Kluge) (03/02/89)
Hi citizens of netland! This is sort of a summary of the reply I got for my article about the buggy operating system IBM still sells because I can't seriously answer all replies by individual mail. I would like to thank all writing to me ! Especially, I would like to thank Mr. Guenther Ruecker from IBM. He was the only person willing and able to help me, but his company's current policies prevented too much of that. Thanks! + Keith Petersen (w8sdz@wsmr-simtel20.army.mil) sent me a patch description from his archive (written by K. Macy) that would cure the bug. + Harold Shapiro (hs0i+@andrew.cmu.edu) wrote me he switched back from DOS 4.0 to 3.2 because of a bad experience with this. + Steve Ward (ward%cfa@harvard.harvard.edu) wrote about the number of the updated version Microsoft distributed, 3.30A. + Sean Patrick Gallaty (choke@m-net.UUCP) wrote that he thought 3.2 was the only version containing DRIVPARM. + R. D. Eager (rde@ukc.ac.uk) sent to me the most useful solution of the problem: He wrote I should insert three Ctrl-A (01h) in between the '=' and the parameters. ===> I T W O R K S !!! Additionally, I found out that just * O N E * Ctrl-A is actually needed. + Lee Fisher (leefi%microsof.UUCP) from Microsoft wrote I shouldn't expect Microsoft to discuss IBM's IBMBIO.COM adresses. I have to say, I * D O * expect Microsoft to do this. The first time I detected the irregularities, I contacted my dealer. Three months NOTHING happened. So I rang up IBM directly. They told me they couldn't give me any phone number of a technician familiar to such deep diggings. >>> They told me to call Microsoft, because "they wrote it". Of course, Microsoft told me to ask IBM, and so this would have continued until infinity. BTW, IS THERE ANY I B M REPRESENTATIVE, TECHNICIAN OR WHATEVER FROM THE US TO GIVE A STATEMENT??? IS THIS A GOOD MARKETING STRATEGY TO GIVE EXPERIENCED USERS NOT THE * CHANCE * TO HAVE A * B U G * CORRECTED? Yes, I see, DRIVPARM is an unsupported feature, but is that good style to sell buggy operating systems just because the bug is contained in an important, but unsupported feature??????? I'm very disappointed. In the past, IBM did not make such trouble when I wanted technical details. So long ... Oliver -- TTTU MMMMM kluge%lan.informatik.tu-muenchen.dbp.de@relay.cs.net (CS-NET, ARPA) T U U M M Oliver Kluge, Parallel Computing Lab, \ unido.UUCP (UUCP) T U M M M Technical University Munich, Arcisstr. 21, 8000-Munich 2, W. Germany T UUU M M "Why stop now just when I'm hating it?" Marvin, the paranoid android
jbulyk@telesci.UUCP (Jerry E. Bulyk) (03/07/89)
Newsgroups: comp.binaries.ibm.pc.d Subject: Re: NEEDED: pc screen capture Summary: needed: pc 'script' Expires: References: <659@mrsvr.UUCP> Sender: Reply-To: jbulyk@telesci.UUCP (Jerry E. Bulyk) Followup-To: Distribution: na Organization: /usr/news/lib/organization Keywords: Needed: utility to perform screen capture on a pc-clone, akin to unix 'script'. Is anyone aware of a dos-equivalent of the unix 'script' utility ? - the screen needing to be captured contains text only, i.e. no special chars; am ~familiar with unix, but a neophyte at dos; any suggestions, recommendations (is this the correct news group?) are greatly appreciated and respected. Thanks in advance... - "jerryb" Jerry E. Bulyk jbulyk@telesci.uucp (...!princeton!telesci!jbulyk) TeleSciences C.O. Systems, Inc (609) 866-1000 x227 (work) (215) 635-3489 (home)