[comp.sys.ibm.pc.misc] dos and long paths

oistony@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu (Anthony Petro) (03/23/91)

having problems with dos 3.3 and a long path specification.  i've 
increased the environment size so as to have more than enough space 
for the path and environment variables, but the path still gets 
truncated.

i know i'm not out of space, in fact, because i'm setting a whole 
bunch of variables AFTER the path and i get no "out of environment 
space" problems.

i seem to recall discussion a while ago on the fact that dos has a 
built-in limit on how long a path can be (like 128 chars) regardless 
of how large the environment is.  can anyone comment on that, and if 
it is the case, can anyone point me to a pd program to circumvent 
the limitation?  (i vaguely recall references to such programs, with 
names like BIGPATH etc... oh, if only i had been paying attention!)

anthony m. petro   "beethoven"    i can say what i want; i'm just an undergrad
oistony@UBVMSD.BITNET             "frame by frame,
oistony@mednet.bitnet              death by drowning,
petro@sun.acsu.buffalo.edu         in your own
                                   in your own...
                                   analysis..."

daneman@czech.sw.mcc.com (Michael Daneman) (03/23/91)

References: <67065@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU>

In article <67065@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> oistony@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu (Anthony Petro) writes:
> having problems with dos 3.3 and a long path specification.  i've 
> increased the environment size so as to have more than enough space 
> for the path and environment variables, but the path still gets 
> truncated.

I suggest you use 4DOS.  It is a shareware substitute for COMMAND.COM and
it allows, among numerous other things, long PATH names.
It also has aliases, file name completion, powerfull batch language, 
good environment support, etc.  And it is almost 100% COMMAND.COM
compatible.  I've been using it for about a month now and I don't think
I would be able to switch back to COMMAND.COM with serious emotional
trauma.


-- 
---------------------------------------------------------------------
       "No clever quote available today."
                                      -Mike.

mcastle@mcs213e.cs.umr.edu (Mike Castle {Nexus}) (03/23/91)

BIGPATH.ARC  PD1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL> Expand DOS's PATH
CPATH20.ZIP  PD1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL> Extend PATH to more than 128 characters
SETPTH14.ZIP PD1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL> Set PATH to more than 127 characters
SPOON1A.ARC  PD1:<MSDOS.SYSUTL> Spoon Path v1a: menued 4.5k TSR path extender

These are all available at:
New Mexico:  simtel20.army.mil (26.2.0.74) in the directory listed above
                                           (PDx:<MSDOS.xxxxx> )
Missouri:    wuarchive.wustl.edu (128.252.135.4) in mirrors/msdos/xxxxx
Australia:   sol.deakin.oz.au (128.184.1.1) in pub/PC/simtel-20/xxxxx
 
There are several mail servers that will process the ftp commands for those who
have access to e-mail, but not FTP.  Addresses are:
 
In North America (Simtel20 access only):
 
          LISTSERV@VM1.NODAK.EDU   North Dakota State University.
          LISTSERV@VM.ECS.RPI.EDU  Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.
 
    In the body of the mail have the command:
    GET PDGET HELP 
 
Also (any ftp site):
          BITFTP@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU
 
   In the body of the mail have the command:
   HELP
 
Trickle servers (Simtel20 access only):
In Denmark:     TRICKLE@DKTC11
In Turkey:      TRICKLE@TREARN
In Italy:       TRICKLE@IMIPOLI
In Belgium:     TRICKLE@BANUFS11
In Austria:     TRICKLE@AWIWUW11
In Germany:     TRICKLE@DTUZDV1
In Spain:       TRICKLE@EB0UB011
In Israel:      TRICKLE@TAUNIVM
In Netherlands: TRICKLE@HEARN
France:         TRICKLE@FRMOP11
Germany:        TRICKLE@DB0FUB11
Chile:          TRICKLE@USACHVM1
Not sure:       TRICKLE@DS0RUS1I
 
(note:  these are EARN/BITNET style addresses.  Internet users should
        use BITNET domain addresses such as TRICKLE@TREAN.BITNET)
 
    In the body of the mail have the command:
    /HELP
 
If anyone knows of any other mirrored archives of Simtel20, please let me
know and I'll add them to this generic response.
 
Thanks.
-- 
Mike Castle (Nexus) S087891@UMRVMA.UMR.EDU (preferred)       | XEDIT: Emacs
                mcastle@mcs213k.cs.umr.edu (unix mail-YEACH!)| on a REAL
Life is like a clock:  You can work constantly, and be right | operating
all the time, or not work at all, and be right twice a day.  | system. :->

mstr@vipunen.hut.fi (Markus Strand) (03/23/91)

In article <67065@eerie.acsu.Buffalo.EDU> oistony@ubvmsc.cc.buffalo.edu writes:

>i seem to recall discussion a while ago on the fact that dos has a 
>built-in limit on how long a path can be (like 128 chars) regardless 
>of how large the environment is.  can anyone comment on that, and if 
>it is the case, can anyone point me to a pd program to circumvent 
>the limitation?  (i vaguely recall references to such programs, with 
>names like BIGPATH etc... oh, if only i had been paying attention!)

DOS has a built-in limit for setting all environment variables, 128
chars.  You have to use some other program to set them DOS reads them
alright. I use 4DOS, but there are several other programs check at 
SIMTEL or FUNIC.