[comp.windows.ms] getting background file transfers to work

hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) (11/15/90)

I'd like to consider using Windows as my default environment.  I'm now
using Microport Unix SV/AT.  (This is on a PC/AT clone.)  I've tried
the builtin comm program and a couple of versions of Kermit.  Good
performance of the comm program is critical to my use of the sytem.
(1) is it possible to do file transfers in the background while
running an MS/DOS window?  When I move to the DOS task, the comm
program seems to get stopped.  I thought the whole point of windows
was that it used protected mode so that things like comm programs
could continue running.  I can run several protected mode programs
and a DOS task at the same time under SV/AT.  (2) I have a keyboard
with control and escape in the wrong place.  I have TSR's that
swap the keys.  This works OK for a DOS window, but the terminal
emulators seem to bypass the TSR, and don't provide their own
facility for mapping the keys.

bradd@gssc.UUCP (Brad[null] Davis) (11/17/90)

In article <Nov.15.02.58.15.1990.10640@athos.rutgers.edu> hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu (Charles Hedrick) writes:
>I'd like to consider using Windows as my default environment.  I'm now
>using Microport Unix SV/AT.  (This is on a PC/AT clone.)  I've tried
>the builtin comm program and a couple of versions of Kermit.  Good
>performance of the comm program is critical to my use of the sytem.
>(1) is it possible to do file transfers in the background while
>running an MS/DOS window? When I move to the DOS task, the comm
>program seems to get stopped.  I thought the whole point of windows
>was that it used protected mode so that things like comm programs
>could continue running.

In enhanced mode, background file transfers are a piece of cake - just
run your favorite terminal program (Telix in my case) in a DOS window.
Just make up a .PIF with "Background processing" checked and (shazam)
your computer can walk and chew gum at the same time!

There is no way that I know of to do this in standard mode: a 286
just can't mix real mode (DOS) and protect mode (Windows apps)
very well.  It's either DOS emulation OR multitasking.

I don't know anything about Microport Unix - perhaps Unix could run
one DOS session (for Windows) and a second DOS session (for whatever)
at the same time?

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