To: 999 (all members) From: K5B (David J.MacGraw.) Subject: 512 and DOS+ continued. The AUTOEXEC.BAT file provides the DOS user with the means to automatically set up their machine to run a program or, more usually, configure the system to a preferred state. The file must be in the ROOT directory of the start-up or hard disc and is executed once DOS+ has been installed. My (Winchester) root directory contains the following entries:- 6502 SYS SYSTEM/RO attributes set. DOSPLUS SYS ditto. COMMAND COM RO attribute set. AUTOEXEC BAT see below. DOS DOS+ disc utilities. SYSTEM 512 system utilities. EASYPC PCB layouts etc. PIC MicroChip PIC assembler. SIMPLE NSC's "Simple Switcher". SAGE Accounts package. DEMOS Various demo packages. BASIC Various BASIC's etc. GAMES (Well, why not?) As you can see, each application is in a sub-directory (most with further sub- directories) to the root, facilitating backing-up to floppies using PKZIP etc. My AUTOEXEC.BAT file looks like this: Echo Off suppress some screen output. Prompt $p$g set prompt eg: C:\SAGE> Path M:\;C:\System;C:\DOS;C:\ set path System\RamDisc 120 install ES RAMDISC Copy Command.COM M: copy COMMAND.COM Set ComSpec=M:\Command.COM set COMSPEC Set PKnoFastChar=ON req'd by PK v2.04g SuprStar A install ES '*' for ADFS Oscli Dir $.DOS appoint ADFS directory Oscli Lib $.Library ditto ADFS library LoadKeys System\HotKeys.def set hotkeys InterCom install ES Command Line Editor Tell All Wake > nul enable ES modules Cls Clear Screen TIP: A ramdisc copy of COMMAND.COM and it's appointment via COMSPEC as shown speeds up COMMAND.COM reload when over- written by applications or when called by 'shelling-out'; more info next time. I prefer to 'descend' to an application directory and then execute an AUTO.BAT file to install and run it. Utilities such as Problem Solver, PCCE and mouse drivers can then be selectively loaded as required - again, more next time. The 10 function keys as set by DOSPLUS were never very useful for me. They can be changed (with care!) using any Hex file editor - I use FED (Disc 512-3-5). The definitions are stored at 013324h in DOSPLUS.SYS (15.07.87) as follows: f1 @ 013324h - "HELP",cr,null f2 @ 01332Ah - "SDIR ",null f3 @ 013330h - "SHOW ",null f4 @ 013336h - "SET ",null f5 @ 01333Bh - "COPY ",null f6 @ 013341h - "REN ",null f7 @ 013346h - "DEL ",null f8 @ 01334Bh - "TYPE ",null f9 @ 013351h - "CD \",null f0 @ 013356h - "GEM",cr,null The positions of the null bytes can not be altered (there must be a look-up table somewhere - any takers?) but with thought and perhaps some renaming, the keys can be more useful. My set is: f1 "AUTO",cr,null runs an application f2 "LIST",cr,null runs LIST (_512-3-5) f3 "CD..",cr,null moves to Parent f4 "SET",cr,null displays environment f5 "TV/t",cr,null TreeView (_512-3-6) f6 "REN ",null as yet unchanged f7 "FED",cr,null runs FED (_512-3-5) f8 "TYPE ",null as yet unchanged f9 "DIR",cr,null displays directory f0 "CLS",cr,null clears screen REMEMBER - try your own set on a BACKUP before altering your main system discs! Next time, more on batch files and a tweak or two for COMMAND.COM. ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, PRESS SPACE