[comp.sys.ibm.pc.programmer] Cute behavior from a PC

grantk@manta.NOSC.MIL (Kelly J. Grant) (07/11/90)

Hi netfolks,

One of my coworkers came to me with a problem.  His PC would boot
up, and end up with a C> prompt because it didn't run the
AUTOEXEC.BAT.  He could run autoexec by typing it at the command
line and all seemed ok.

It turned out that an improper SHELL= line was included in the
config.sys file.  His shell= said this:

shell=C:\command.com  /e:1024

Note the missing C:\ parameter, as well as the missing /p terminator.
So, the beharior was to boot without running autoexec.

I'm not looking for any response, just thought I'd share
with you all a cute problem.  I think it failed because of the
missing /p, but I wasn't curious enough to test it out. 

Kelly

-- 
Kelly Grant        grantk@manta.nosc.mil   (619) 225-8401
Computer Sciences Corp          ^^^^^^^^ Important: manta.UUCP won't get to me
4045 Hancock Street      "If you are given lemons.....see if you can trade for
San Diego, CA 92110       chocolate" - me

davidsen@sixhub.UUCP (Wm E. Davidsen Jr) (07/15/90)

In article <1139@manta.NOSC.MIL> grantk@manta.NOSC.MIL (Kelly J. Grant) writes:

| It turned out that an improper SHELL= line was included in the
| config.sys file.  His shell= said this:
| 
| shell=C:\command.com  /e:1024
| 
| Note the missing C:\ parameter, as well as the missing /p terminator.
| So, the beharior was to boot without running autoexec.

  Right. The /P option has two effects. It runs autoexec and it keeps
the shell from terminating if the command exit is entered. I don't
remember what happens when you terminate the only shell running, but it
can't be a desirable thing to do.
-- 
bill davidsen - davidsen@sixhub.uucp (uunet!crdgw1!sixhub!davidsen)
    sysop *IX BBS and Public Access UNIX
    moderator of comp.binaries.ibm.pc and 80386 mailing list
"Stupidity, like virtue, is its own reward" -me