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Oblivion/2 v2.35 Frequently Asked Questions
copyright 1996 by Murray Stokely and Vincent Danen
All rights reserved. No portion of this FAQ may be
changed or altered without the prior express permission
of the authors.
Oblivion/2 v2.35 TABLE OF CONTENTS
────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
Section 1: Foreward .............................................. 2
Section 2: Virus Scanners ........................................ 3
Section 3: Setting up under OS/2 ................................. 4
3.1 About OS/2 ................................................ 4
3.2 Optimizing OS/2 ........................................... 5
3.3 Utilities ................................................ 11
3.4 Running a BBS under OS/2 ................................. 13
3.5 Optimized CONFIG.SYS for OS/2 v2.10 ...................... 13
Section 4: Setting up under DESQview 2.70 ....................... 17
4.1 Node Definitions ......................................... 17
4.1.1 Standard Options ..................................... 17
4.1.2 Advanced Options ..................................... 19
4.2 Advanced Setup: Performance .............................. 21
4.3 Advanced Setup: Swapping ................................. 22
4.4 Advanced Setup: Video .................................... 22
Section 5: Setting up under Windows95 ........................... 24
5.1 Fossil Considerations .................................... 24
5.2 The Shortcut ............................................. 24
5.3 Screen Saver Considerations .............................. 24
Section 6: Archivers ............................................ 25
6.1 Archive Signature Strings ................................ 31
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Oblivion/2 v2.35 Bulletin Board System Frequently Asked Questions i
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Section 1: FOREWARD
This FAQ was born out of necessity. Not necessity in terms of
Oblivion/2 being so difficult that this was needed, but necessity in
terms of the actual documentation was getting too big. I have tried
to give as much information on Oblivion/2 and it's working, and I
was placing it all in the official documentation, which was,
needless to say, unnecessary. And with all of the other ideas I
had been coming up with and receiving, this FAQ was born out of a
necessity to store all of these ideas.
However, this FAQ is not written entirely be myself and Murray alone.
No, this wealth of information comes from the minds of a lot of
different Oblivion/2 sysops, and whereever possible, credit has been
given. This is not always possible, so I ask forgiveness from those
who have not been forgotten, just merely unmentioned. =) Those who
did submitt answers are recognized by having their alias in square
brackets (ie. [Lasher]).
In saying, I present to you the first edition of the Oblivion/2 FAQ.
Although it states that this FAQ is for v2.35 of Oblivion/2, it is
not saying that most of the information contained within cannot be
used in reference to prior versions of Oblivion/2 (although I will
not guarantee that the information is accurate in regards to prior
versions, but only in versions later than v2.30). Of course, this
information is far from professional in any sense, and should be
taken with a grain of salt. Accuracy is the bottom line with us,
however, in all cases, or in specific cases, this may not be so. If
your computer blows up because you followed the information
contained within, it's your fault, not ours. We are not liable for
the use or misuse of the information that follows. Use it at your
own discretion, and at your own will.
- Vincent Danen; Oblivion/2 Documentation
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Section 2: VIRUS SCANNERS
Q: What are the best commandline parameters for the popular virus
scanners for me to use?
A: McAffee's Scan: SCAN.EXE /NOMEM /SUB WORK\*.*
This will scan the work directory and all subdirectories (\1,
\2, etc. in multinode operations). [GraveRobber]
F-Protect: F-PROT.EXE /NOMEM /NOBOOT C:\OBV\WORK\*.*
This will scan the work directory and all subdirectories. If
you want to have F-Protect create a scan "log" use the
following: F-PROT.EXE /NOMEM /NOBOOT /REPORT=SCAN.TXT /APPEND
/OLD C:\OBV\WORK\*.* [Lasher]
Q: The commandline parameters for my virus scanner won't fit into
the appropriate field in the configuration. What do I do?
A: Call it with a batchfile. Oblivion/2 is VERY batch oriented.
The only thing I have in my Scan Command (System Configuration
2) is FILESCAN.BAT, which is as follows:
@echo off
F-PROT.EXE /NOMEM /NOBOOT /REPORT=SCAN.TXT /APPEND /OLD
..C:\OBV\WORK\*.*
(.. means wrapped line). [Lasher]
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Section 3: SETTING UP UNDER OS/2
OS/2 is probably the best operating system available, whether
for running DOS, Windows or OS/2 applications. It gives you superb
multitasking, while still being easy to use and setup. However, the
default configuration provided by IBM may not be the best for your
system, and you can probably gain in performance by changing a few
things. This section is divided into four parts, each covering
their own topic:
The first is an introduction to OS/2 for those still using DV
(either loving or hating it) - when and why they should consider
upgrading to OS/2.
The second is a collection of tips and tricks I have learned through
using OS/2 for a long time, as well as a guide to optimizing your
system for performance.
The third is a list of utilities for OS/2 - what they offer you, and
how you use/install them.
The fourth and last part is specifically dedicated to running a bbs
and a mailer under OS/2 - a few last words on the experiences I have
made while running a BBS under OS/2.
3.1: About OS/2
First, let's make sure you aren't wasting your time. In order to
use OS/2 (as opposed to just looking at it or waiting for it), you
need a 386dx40 with 8mb ram. Don't install OS/2 if you have less ram
- it's well worth the money for some extra ram, and you're going to
need 8mb ram anyways in case you consider running Win95.
In general, ram is more important to OS/2 than cpu - I'd choose a
486sx20 with 16mb over a 486dx2 with 8mb any time.
Why should you install OS/2 in the first place?
First, there's the multitasking. Since you're a sysop, wouldn't you
like to browse the networks while a user was online - or zip those
private files for the online user, without shelling to dos?
Of course, formatting those 50 disks and 10 tapes you just bought
is much less time consuming in the background. Processing a lot of
mail? You just run GEcho in the background when you get a mail
call. A future version of Oblivion/2 may support background upload
checking, so your users can continue being online while Obv/2
processes their uploads! You get the point :)
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But you can do all that under DesqView, no need for you to switch
from your current system. Or?
You'll gain memory management like you've never dreamed possible.
No matter how many device drivers you load, they will eat 0 bytes
low DOS memory, so you always end up with around 640kb largest
executable program size. I'd say that's fairly nice. It's one of
the advantages of the DOS running under OS/2 being 100% emulated.
As opposed to DV, if you run a nasty application and it
crashes/hangs, you simply close it and start a new task - it won't
crash the whole system. That's very valuable when testing task
settings or testing a fragile product.
Another valuable addition is virus, ansi bomb and trojan protection
through omitting certain functions from the DOS emulation. Direct
sector- writes are not allowed, and if you try to format a drive you
are asked for additional confirmations, not just (y/N). That gives
protection from almost anything, except ViSiON-X <G>.
You hate that graphical user interface (GUI) - it has to be much
slower and complicated to use than good old DOS?
Look out your window at that car passing by. Was that a yellow
sports-car or was it a SUPRA G9/XLi? Pictures are much easier to
remember, and you can customize your OS/2 desktop in every aspect.
Colors, folders (they're like directories under DOS), icons, and
much more (far too detailed to put here). Do you use Norton
Commander? That's one way of simplifying commands and putting up an
easier interface for accessing your files. OS/2's GUI is but a step
further up the interface.
Don't be mistaken though, you're not replacing your prompt and
putting a shell around your computer. OS/2 doesn't turn your PC into
a MAC - you simply press enter or double-click an icon, and you're
back where you feel home. You aren't losing anything, thus you can
only be gaining - right? :)
3.2: Optimizing OS/2
This section assumes you know OS/2 and how to get from the desktop
into the different settings and configuration menus. If you don't,
read whatever comes with OS/2 (I haven't seen the 2.1 manuals :), and
it will most likely tell you how you do this.
As you will have noticed, in the menu where you specify whether a
task is to be DOS or OS/2, Full-screen or window, there is no
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OS/2_Settings button next to the DOS_Settings. That is because OS/2
tasks figure this out on their own - they are written to work with
OS/2 and don't need to be customized like DOS programs. Thus, this
section will only explain settings related to DOS programs.
Lets take a look at your CONFIG.SYS - here's a few tips on setting
it up correctly:
IFS=F:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:1024 /CRECL:64 /AUTOCHECK:DEF
This line determines the cache size for HPFS, OS/2's filesystem.
Unless you're using OS/2 only, and never booting DOS, I suggest you
have at least 10mb ram before considering HPFS. It is faster on big
drives, but will eat too much ram if you have only 6 or 8mb. If you
have no HPFS drives at all, make sure this line isn't present or
contains a REM to disable it.
BASEDEV=IBM1S506.ADD /A:0 /U:0 /SMS /V
This one is your IDE/AT-BUS device driver. The above will boost
performance on drive 1 in your system, in case it supports SMS.
Look up BASEDEV for more information on this.
SET AUTOSTART=TASKLIST,FOLDERS,CONNECTIONS
Remove PROGRAMS from this line, or you may end up with a loop
crashing your system.
SET COMSPEC=F:\OS2\CMD.EXE
Normally you don't have an autoexec.cmd file when starting OS/2
programs. Adding "/K AUTO.CMD" will run AUTO.CMD every time you
start an OS/2 task.
SET DELDIR=
REM SET DELDIR=C:\DELETE,512;E:\DELETE,2048;
OS/2 handles deleted files by copying them into a directory
specified here. Turning off the delete directory as done in line 1,
severely speeds up delete time as OS/2 doesn't copy/move your file(s)
to the delete directory. Instead of using DELDIR you should install
GammaTools, please see Section *** for more on this.
SET DPATH=F:\OS2;F:\OS2\SYSTEM;...
This is NOT your DOS path, as one is led to believe through the
name. DPATH is your data path, and you seldom need to edit this
yourself. LIBPATH is you library path, and it is wise to add a
directory to that where you store DLL's from installed programs, so
as not to mix them up with OS/2's own DLL files. Finally, PATH is
your OS/2 path and here goes the path to your OS/2 batch directory
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(*.CMD files), utility directories, etc. Use the autoexec files
to set your DOS path.
SET OS2_SHELL=F:\OS2\CMD.EXE
That "/K AUTO.CMD" might be for this line, I'm not using it myself
:-) Experiment, and tell me ;)
SET PROMPT=[$p]
To get rid of that help line OS/2 has, remove "$i" from your prompt
line.
PRIORITY_DISK_IO=NO
Give the foreground task priority in disk I/O? Since you're running
a BBS setting it to NO will give better disk access for upload
checking or searching, while you may feel a slowdown in your current
task. The slower your computer is, the more you'd probably want to
put it to YES.
THREADS=128
A program can branch off a thread - it's the way to do multiple
things at once within the same program. Unless you're doing a lot
of work, you can reduce the default to 128 and save some RAM. Read
Section *** to find out how you can monitor active number of
threads.
AUTOFAIL=YES
Removes those ugly big-screen error messages when you fx access a
floppy drive w/o a disk inserted. Instead, OS/2 simply fails and
reports "Drive A: not ready".
DISKCACHE=512,LW,64,Autocheck:C
This is for FAT formatted drives only. LW enables Lazy-Write; 64 is
similar to the CRECL value in the HPFS statement, and determines how
large chunks of files should be cached. The AUTOCHECK statement
specifies which drives to check after a system crash (those forced
by a reset or power loss). In general, make sure all drives are
listed in your AUTOCHECK statements. Refer to your OS/2 manual for
FAT cache sizes - remove it if you have no FAT drives at all - and
_Don't_ install an external cache.
SWAPPATH=F:\ 2048 8192
This is where your swapfile resides, how much space should be left
on the drive where it resides before OS/2 alerts you of low disk
space, and how large it should be initially. Specifying the root of
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a drive speeds up performance a weeny bit, but that's for the
fanatics like me :) Specifying too small a value for the swap file
size will make OS/2 continually work on keeping the swap file within
the limits you specify, causing overall performance to drop. A good
rule of thumb is to set the size = ( 20 - xx mb ram installed). I
have 16mb, and have an 8mb swap file - 4 would probably suffice, but
I don't mind the space for the gain in performance.
RMSIZE=640
If you want to use the MODE_RESTRICTION=CGA setting found in the
DOS_Settings, you should set this to 639 (kb) instead, as a bug in
OS/2 2.10 turns off that options when 640 is specified. Not all
programs like CGA to be off, but it will give you another 96kb low
DOS memory, and could be useful in some cases. It is similar to the
QEMM STEALTH option, if I recall correctly.
DEVICE=C:\OUTIL\FOSSIL\SIO.SYS (COM1:38400,3F8,IRQ4,,F)
Replace COM with SIO (Serial I/O drivers), they are much better and
they also provide a fossil for use in DOS boxes under OS/2. They
are written by the author of X00 - read more in Section *** about
SIO.
DEVICE=F:\OS2\VDISK.SYS 512,,
A ram disk such as this is useful for swap files and temporary
packets such as created by InterMail. Use only if you have enough
ram!
DOS=HIGH,UMB
Make sure you change that default LOW,NOUMB into HIGH,UMB to get
more DOS memory. I wonder what IBM was thinking when they made
LOW,NOUMB default!
DEVICE=C:\OUTIL\FOSSIL\VSIO.SYS
SIO again - this is the VCOM replacement.
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\ANSI.SYS
All those nice DOS devices - just put a DEVICEHIGH instead of DEVICE
and you might gain an extra kb or two in DOS memory. I am using
this, and it certainly won't make your system crash, but I can't
vouch for the memory gain.
Further, you can speed up your boot time by sorting the commands in
your config.sys. Beware of doing this, as OS/2 will refuse to boot
if you make a mistake, and the order in which to sort may not seem
100% clear (it's NOT A-Z!). But there is a lot to gain (I went from
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45 to 30 seconds boot time!) by doing it. Grab the file called
CFGSRT11.ZIP off your local OS/2 board, it'll help.
Next, lets take a quick look at the "DOS Settings", which is your
way of customizing every single DOS task to it's specific needs and
'bugs'. I shall do this like the config, and only comment those
worth commenting:
DOS_AUTOEXEC [F:\AUTO_BBS.BAT]
Specify a different one for every task is a good way of customizing
your DOS task, regarding environments, doskey, command processor
(4DOS), etc...
DOS_BACKGROUND_EXECUTION [ON]
Leave on for the BBS, but off for TheDraw or SimCity, as they
shouldn't use any cpu when you're not in that task.
DOS_DEVICE [C:\FOSSIL\VX00.SYS]
This is the fossil driver for DOS, found in the SIO package. Be
sure to load it in every task using com ports, and don't use X00 as
VX00 was written specifically for DOS under OS/2. A good tip is to
write "SIZE=0 " before the actual device driver - and it will use
no DOS memory.
DOS_STARTUP_DRIVE []
Having problems making a program work? Use VMDISK to create a DOS
image file, from which you can boot (fx [DOS.IMG] would boot from a
file called DOS.IMG). It makes your task just like a real DOS, you
can also specify fx [C:] in the brackets, causing you to boot from
your C: drive (while running OS/2 of course).
DOS_VERSION [C:\DOS\FORMAT.COM,6,20,255]
The format command of OS/2 doesn't support the /Q switch - using
DOS_VERSION you can make all the nasty MSDOS utils work too.
HW_TIMER [OFF]
Hardware timer - unless you want that yeller Obv/2 has to go bananas
you should turn this on, although it may decrease performance a bit.
I'm not sure :-)
IDLE_SECONDS [0]
Specifies the amount of time a program has to be idle before OS/2
will quench it's cpu usage - this is useful in making keyboard
polling programs use less or no cpu. In most cases a setting of 0
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will be best, although I recommend 2-3 for your BBS task - you
wouldn't want OS/2 to take back cpu at a critical moment when your
modem re-negotiates.
IDLE_SENSITIVITY [50]
This is _THE_ setting of them all to optimize your system. Set it
to at least 40 for your bbs task, or higher if your computer isn't at
least a 486dx ;) Reduce to 1 on programs doing nothing mission
critical but stealing all of your cpu - this goes for programs like
Borland Pascal, TheDraw, Norton Commander or Boomer's Utils. Set it
to 100 on sensitive programs such as CP Backup (which tolerates
almost nothing). Use PM Patrol (see Section ***) to determine the
correct setting for a specific program.
VIDEO_XXX
All the VIDEO setting need only be changed when you run a game or
similar thing - the defaults are okay for your plain DOS tasks.
And finally, all kinds of extra tricks about OS/2 - either
performance or usage related, in no special order:
- Turn animation and progress indication off - they're just
slowing down your system. Don't install a picture as a background,
it will eat about 1mb valuable memory and use a lot of extra cpu
in usage.
- Putting programs in the startup folder causes them to start at
boot. You can control the sequence by making the startup folder
"flowed" and adding the icons in a FIFO way (first in, first out).
- Remove unused DOS device drivers from your CONFIG.SYS. Those will
usually be the CD-ROM driver or the HPFS cache.
- To save space on your boot drive, you can delete all MCA drivers.
They can be recognized by two files having the same name except
for a digit which will be either 1 or 2. For example,
IBMxFLPY.ADD. The 2 files are only for MCA machines.
- Changing resolution can be a pain if OS/2 does not detect your
hardware correctly. After a boot your screen will be out of sync,
and you can see nothing.
(A) Boot OS/2 from floppy, go to your boot drives \OS2 directory
and run "SETVGA X:" (X being your drive letter). This restores
your mode to the default.
(B) Delete the file called SVGADATA.PMI in your \OS2 directory and
reboot. This may only work for standard cards such as TSENG,
but it worked for me, and you can always use (A) to restore
whatever you've messed up.
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- Put "[]" in the parameter field of a task and it will ask you for
parameters on execution. Good for a virus scanner or defragger.
Any text you put between the brackets will be displayed to you
when OS/2 prompts for the parameter.
- When you change settings for your tasks OS/2 often 'forgets' your
icon. Just click the UNDO button in the 'General' settings, and
it'll be back.
- Deleting undeletable objects: Move the file onto a floppy drive
by dragging it there, then format the floppy.
- Using && and || on your command-line. Fx. "COPY *A* C:\ && DEL
*A*" will only execute the DEL command if COPY was succesful.
Using || would make DEL execute only if COPY failed. Powerful,
but simple.
3.3: Utilities
(SIOxxx.ZIP)
First, let's get SIO installed. The worst part about SIO are the
settings you need to setup in DOS_Settings - they have no
description and thus you have no clue what you're working on. SIO
is wonderful, but it can also make your system crash every now and
then if configured incorrectly. The following is a list of the
settings I use - they are certified to work with HS/Link which was a
problem in the default configuration. Here goes:
SIO_Idle_Sensitivity [100]
Don't change this - it made my system hang ever so often. Last time
I tested was version 1.24 though.
_Mode_DTR [No change..]
_Mode_FIFO_Load_Count [16]
_Mode_IDSR [Ignore..]
_Mode_OCTS [..RTS/CTS or Ignore/None]
_Mode_ODSR [..DTR/DSR or Ignore/None]
_Mode_RTS [No change..]
_Mode_XON/XOFF [No XON/XOFF..]
_Sync_Kludge [Off]
_Share_Access_With_OS/2 [Off]
_Virtual* [On]
Also, make sure you have an 16550A UART on your serial port, if you
use 9600 or higher.
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(GAMMAxx.ZIP)
Next, GammaTools. They feature a lot of good utilities for OS/2,
such as Defrag, SectorEd, Undelete, etc.. Fairly poor coding but
they do what they were made to do, which is the important part.
(EXDESK.ZIP)
Get EXDESK - it adds a grid option to your desktop so you can align
your icons a bit nicer. It also removes "arrange" from your
desktop-menu, which really makes this program a must.
(PMPxxx.ZIP)
PM Patrol is a status bar for your desktop, showing all you need to
know about your system in a compact way - cpu/memory usage, drive
info, swapfile size, processes, threads and windows open, and much
more..
(MNICON.ZIP)
A utility adding drag'n'drop capability to your icon files, making
it easy to assign new icons to your programs.
(WPSBKxxx.ZIP)
Creates a backup of your desktop, so you restore it the day you
change to another version or edition of OS/2, or out of some other
reason have messed your setup.
(AMOSxxx.ZIP)
AMOS is a program to access your HPFS drives from native DOS - this
is extremely helpful if you need to edit your config.sys and you
don't want to boot from the install disks. Further AMOS can rescue
your data the day OS/2 won't boot and your data reside on HPFS
volumes.
(HSTARTxx.ZIP)
A replacement to the OS/2 start command, so you can start a new task
from another DOS task. This is how I do my mail tossing in the
background:
HSTART /DOS /FS /B /C C:\BATCH\GTOSS.BAT
Look in the HSTART docs for details.
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3.4: Running a BBS under OS/2
Generally you can put all DOS programs into three categories:
1 - Those supporting OS/2 by slicing in an OS/2 friendly way. These
will use no cpu when idle and only as much as they need when
being used. HS/Link is a fabulous example, as it will eat no
more than 5% of your cpu when a user is transferring files!
2 - Those whose slicing can be detected by OS/2, and quenched
according to the values specified in the IDLE SECONDS and IDLE
SENSITIVITY settings. Most programs with standard program loops
can be detected. They will use more cpu than they need when in
use, but almost nothing when idle. A good example is TheDraw,
which is 'tamed' completely through the IDLE settings.
3 - Those who either require all available cpu or using non-standard
loops for polling the keyboard. An example is GSZ, which uses
100% cpu for the same transfer HS/Link can do using only 5% of
the total cpu.
A lot can be gained by testing this, and replacing the poorly
behaving programs with alternatives supporting OS/2. Up to version
2.10 of Oblivion/2 it was in the 3rd category, using all available
cpu for polling the keyboard. As of version 2.20 this has changed,
and Oblivion/2 is now a much more OS/2 friendly program - it will be
much easier running multiple nodes under OS/2 with the new version,
and you can run at least 3-4 nodes on a single machine without any
problems. A later version of Oblivion/2 will include additional
support, such as turning off local screen display, background upload
processing and maybe even background transfers :-).
Using a mailer under OS/2 is equal to running a bbs - a well behaved
program will eat much less of your valuable resources. InterMail
and FrontDoor are very much alike, yet IM is a much better behaved
application. In comparison, IM will use between 0% and 20% cpu in
idle mode, while FD will clog your system and use whatever it can
get. Although newer versions of FD may have improved, I would still
recommend IM over FD.
In short, use the cpu monitoring program PM Patrol whenever possible
to determine if a program is well behaved or you should go look for
an alternative.
3.5: Optimized CONFIG.SYS for OS/2 v2.10
REM ***********************************************************
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REM ****** OS/2 v2.10 - Optimized CONFIG.SYS - Feb 2, 1994
REM ***********************************************************
REM ***********************************************************
REM IFS's
REM ***********************************************************
IFS=F:\OS2\HPFS.IFS /CACHE:1024 /CRECL:64 /AUTOCHECK:EF
REM IFS=F:\OS2\SUBSTFSD.IFS
REM ***********************************************************
REM BASEDEV's
REM ***********************************************************
BASEDEV=OS2DASD.DMD /Q
BASEDEV=PRINT01.SYS
BASEDEV=IBM1FLPY.ADD
BASEDEV=IBM1S506.ADD /A:0 /U:0 /SMS /V
REM ***********************************************************
REM SET statements [sorted alphabetically, to look nicer]
REM ***********************************************************
PROTSHELL=F:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE
SET AUTOSTART=TASKLIST,FOLDERS,CONNECTIONS
SET BOOKSHELF=F:\OS2\BOOK;
SET COMSPEC=F:\OS2\CMD.EXE
SET DELDIR=
REM SET DELDIR=C:\DELETE,512;E:\DELETE,2048;
SET DPATH=F:\OS2;F:\OS2\SYSTEM;F:\OS2\INSTALL;F:\;F:\OS2\BITMAP;
F:\OS2\MDOS;F:\OS2\APPS;
REM SET EPMPATH=F:\OS2\APPS;
SET GLOSSARY=F:\OS2\HELP\GLOSS;
SET HELP=F:\OS2\HELP;
SET IPF_KEYS=SBCS
SET KEYS=ON
SET OS2_SHELL=F:\OS2\CMD.EXE
SET PATH=F:\OS2;F:\OS2\SYSTEM;F:\OS2\INSTALL;C:\CMD;F:\;
F:\OS2\MDOS;F:\OS2\APPS;C:\OUTIL\TOOLS;C:\OUTIL\PACK;C:\OUTIL\Q;
SET PROMPT=[$p]
SET RUNWORKPLACE=F:\OS2\PMSHELL.EXE
SET SYSTEM_INI=F:\OS2\OS2SYS.INI
SET USER_INI=F:\OS2\OS2.INI
SET VIDEO_DEVICES=VIO_SVGA
SET VIO_SVGA=DEVICE(BVHVGA,BVHSVGA)
REM ***********************************************************
REM OS/2 specific commands [protectonly, etc]
REM ***********************************************************
LIBPATH=.;F:\OS2\DLL;F:\OS2\MDOS;F:\;F:\OS2\APPS\DLL;
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PRIORITY_DISK_IO=NO
THREADS=128
AUTOFAIL=YES
DISKCACHE=512,LW,64,AC:C
IOPL=YES
MAXWAIT=2
MEMMAN=SWAP,COMMIT,PROTECT
PRIORITY=DYNAMIC
SWAPPATH=F:\ 2048 8192
REM TIMESLICE=60,125
PRINTMONBUFSIZE=0,0,0
PROTECTONLY=NO
RMSIZE=640
CODEPAGE=865
COUNTRY=045,F:\OS2\SYSTEM\COUNTRY.SYS
REM ***********************************************************
REM OS/2 devices [sorted alphabetically, where applicable]
REM ***********************************************************
DEVINFO=KBD,DK,F:\OS2\KEYBOARD.DCP
DEVINFO=SCR,VGA,F:\OS2\VIOTBL.DCP
REM DEVICE=F:\OS2\TESTCFG.SYS
DEVICE=F:\OS2\DOS.SYS
DEVICE=F:\OS2\PMDD.SYS
DEVICE=F:\OS2\MOUSE.SYS SERIAL=COM2 RELAXED
DEVICE=F:\OS2\POINTDD.SYS
DEVICE=C:\OUTIL\FOSSIL\SIO.SYS (COM1:38400,3F8,IRQ4,,F)
REM DEVICE=F:\OS2\APPS\SASYNCDA.SYS
DEVICE=F:\OS2\VDISK.SYS 512,,
REM ***********************************************************
REM DOS specific commands [dos=high,umb, etc]
REM ***********************************************************
BREAK=ON
BUFFERS=60
DOS=HIGH,UMB
FCBS=1,0
REM FCBS=16,8
FILES=60
REM ***********************************************************
REM DOS devices [sorted alphabetically, where applicable]
REM ***********************************************************
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\ANSI.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\EGA.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VDPMI.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VDPX.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VEMM.SYS
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DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VMOUSE.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=C:\OUTIL\FOSSIL\VSIO.SYS
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VXMS.SYS /UMB
DEVICEHIGH=F:\OS2\MDOS\VSVGA.SYS
SHELL=F:\OS2\MDOS\COMMAND.COM F:\OS2\MDOS
REM RUN=C:\OUTIL\TOOLS\SUBSTHST.EXE
REM ***********************************************************
[Lord Tracer]
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Section 4: SETTING UP UNDER DESQVIEW 2.70
DESQview, manufactured by Quarterdeck Office Products, is a nice
multitasker for those in low memory or low space situations.
Although not as nice as OS/2, it works smoothly if properly
installed. Oblivion/2 can be run swiftly under DESQview, if the
configuration is proper. However, with all things, it is also
dependant upon your hardware, memory, etc. to determine how DESQview
should be setup for you.
What will be detailed here is with using DESQview on an IBM PS/2
55sx (386sx) with a 16mhz coprocessor and 8 megabytes of RAM.
4.1: Node Definitions
First, let's define the local node. This will be Node 2, the sysop-
only node, available only on the local computer.
4.1.1: Standard Options
The Standard Options screen is very easy. Once you are in DESQview
and have your little menu off to the right, simply Open a window,
and then press AP to add a program, and press O to add an "Other"
program that is not on the list. You will be presented with the
following screen:
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╔1══Change═a═Program═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Standard Options ║
║ ║
║ Program Name............: Oblivion/2 Node 2 - Local ║
║ ║
║ Keys to Use on Open Menu: OB Memory Size (in K): 300 ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Program...: c:\obv\local.bat ║
║ ║
║ Parameters: ║
║ ║
║ Directory.: c:\obv ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Options: ║
║ Writes text directly to screen.......: [Y] ║
║ Displays graphics information........: [N] ║
║ Virtualize text/graphics (Y,N,T).....: [T] ║
║ Uses serial ports (Y,N,1,2)..........: [N] ║
║ Requires floppy diskette.............: [N] ║
║ ║
║ F1 for Help F10 for Advanced Options ─┘ when Done ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
The Program Name is self explanatory.
The Keys to Use is the two-letter key combination to press on the
Open Menu Screen. For ease of use, I used OB.
Memory Size is the amount of memory you want to reserve for this
program. I chose 300k and it has not limited me in anyway.
The program is what will be called. I call a LOCAL.BAT file that
looks like this:
@echo off
cd %obv%\menu
attrib -r
cd %obv%
SET DSZLOG=C:\OBV\DSZLOG.2
OBV -L -N 2 -F
cd %obv%\menu
attrib +r
cd %obv%
I attrib my menus to READ-ONLY for security reasons. Since we are
loading up node 2 of the BBS, we need to set the DSZLOG variable to
DSZLOG.2 instead of the standard DSZLOG.1. Of course, in order to
use the %obv% variable, you must define it in AUTOEXEC.BAT using the
SET OBV=C:\OBV statement.
The parameters are optional commandline parameters. If you were to
define C:\OBV\OBV.EXE in the program name, you could put -L -N 2 -F
here.
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The directory is the main directory of the program, in this case
C:\OBV.
The Write Text Directly to Screen option should be turned on
otherwise the text will go through DESQview's own routines, which
make things look choppy and slow. If you experience problems with
graphics, however, you should turn this off.
Virtualize Text/Graphics should be set to T to simply virtualize
Text. This will prevent window "bleeding" which is caused when the
text in one background window that is active (ie. user on node 1)
overlaps the text in the current foreground window (ie. sysop on
node 2).
Uses Serial Ports should be set to No because this is a local node
and won't have any dealing with the modem.
Everything else in this screen is self-explanatory and should be
turned off (in the Options).
4.1.2: Advanced Options
Once you are finished here, press F10 to go to the advanced options.
This is where you will define more of the memory restrictions and
detail on this particular window. The Advanced Options screen will
look something like this:
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╔1══Change═a═Program═══════════════════════════════════════════════╗
║ Advanced Options ║
║ ║
║ System Memory (in K): 0 Max. Program Memory Size (in K): 600 ║
║ ║
║ Script Buffer Size: 1000 Max. EMS/XMS/VCPI/DPMI (in K): 1024 ║
║ ║
║ Text Pages: 1 Graphics Pages: 0 Initial Video Mode: ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Window Position: ║
║ Max. Height: 25 Start. Height: 12 Start. Row...: 13 ║
║ Max. Width.: 80 Start. Width.: 80 Start. Column: 1 ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Shared Program ║
║ Pathname..: ║
║ Data......: ║
║──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────║
║ Close on exit (Y,N,).....: [N] Uses own color.............: [Y] ║
║ Allow Close Win. com.....: [Y] Runs in back. (Y,N,blank)..: [Y] ║
║ Uses math copro..........: [N] Key. conflict(0-F).........: [0] ║
║ Share CPU when fore......: [Y] Share EGA when fore./zoomed: [Y] ║
║ Can be swapped out (Y,N,): [N] Prot. level (0-3)..........: [0] ║
║ ║
║ F1 for Help F10 for Standard Options ─┘ when Done ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
Not all of the information in this screen needs explain, but some of
it does.
The System Memory in K should be 0 unless the program is written
expressly for DESQview, which Oblivion/2 is not.
The Maximum Program Memory Size I have set to 600k. This means that
DESQview will allocate 600k MAXIMUM to Oblivion/2, and 300k MINIMUM
to Oblivion/2 (as defined in the Standard Options "Memory Size in
K"). This is a good amount and your local node will run fast.
The Script Buffer Size is the memory, in bytes, to set aside for the
program's script buffer. The DESQview default is 1000 bytes, or 1k,
and works good. Any lower and I was getting problems, so it is best
to leave it at the default. I didn't notice any speed advantages to
setting it higher.
The Maximum EMS/XMS/VCPI/DPMI field I had set to 1024k. This will
force Oblivion/2 to use no more than 1meg of RAM for it's overlay,
keeping the other 7megs open to use by the other nodes. Oblivion/2
doesn't need more than this and runs smoothly, and this will keep
all nodes running at basically the same speed.
The Text Pages is the amount of memory, in pages, to set aside for
the program in text mode. Since Oblivion/2 only runs in text mode,
1 page was suitable.
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The Graphics Pages is the amount of memory, in pages, to set aside
for the program in graphics mode. Since Oblivion/2 only runs in
text mode, there is no need to have this enabled, and this should be
set to 0.
The Window Position options are how you want the window sized when
it is opened. The values in the example above will make the window
take up the bottom half of the screen, while the background program
will remain in the foreground. If you use this and want the full
screen to show the node, simply Zoom the window.
The rest of the options are fairly self-explantory (if you need help
with them, press F1 when on the particular field). The settings in
the example above worked excellent for me.
With both of the examples above, the Standard and Advanced Options,
you can set them both the same way to work with your mailer (you may
need to do some additional tweaking to make the mailer work
correctly) but will work, as shown above, with Oblivion/2 on a
call-in node. The only thing that should be changed from the above
for a call-in node is in the Standard Options, the "Uses Serial
Ports" field should be 1 if on COM1, 2 if on COM2, N if local, and Y
if anything other than COM1, COM2, or local.
4.2: Advanced Setup: Performance
You can access this portion of the overall DESQview setup by opening
up the DESQview Setup program (default key combination of SE on the
Open Menu menu).
╔1══Advanced═Setup:═Performance════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ▄ ║
║ Task Processing Time (in Clock Ticks) █ ║
║ Foreground: 2 █ ║
║ Background: 2 █ ║
║ █ ║
║ Memory Usage (in K) █ ║
║ Common Memory: 20 █ ║
║ DOS Buffer for EMS: 10 █ ║
║ █ ║
║ Optimize communications? (Y/N): Y █ ║
║ Manage printer contention? (Y/N): N █ ║
[...]
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════╝
On my system I have the Clock Ticks set to 2:2, meaning the
foreground gets two clock ticks, and then each background task gets
two clock ticks. This has worked exceptionally well for me, but
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with each system, you may require something different. I would say
experiment with the setting, but 2:2 has worked for many people
including myself. Don't set it to 1:1 though, as it does not work
as efficiently as 2:2 or 3:3.
For the memory usage, I have found that a value of 20 for the Common
Memory and a value of 10 for the DOS Buffer for EMS have worked
great. Again, you may have to experiment with these settings.
Optimize Communications should be set to Yes. This will force
DESQview into it's communications optimizing routines which is
essential for running your BBS smoothly under it, otherwise you will
experience lags and possibly even a lot of unexplained carrier drops
on your users.
4.3: Advanced Setup: Swapping
╔1══Advanced═Setup:═Swapping══════════════════════╗
║ ║
║ ▄ ║
║ Should DESQview swap programs into and █ ║
║ out of memory as needed? (Y/N): Y █ ║
║ █ ║
║ Swapping directory: █ ║
║ █ ║
║ Note: Leave the directory blank to swap █ ║
║ programs into available Expanded Memory. █ ║
║ █ ║
[...]
╚═════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
For the solitary question asked in this menu, you should answer Yes.
This will force DESQview to swap programs in and out of memory,
allowing the running programs to use as much memory as they need to
function properly. Don't define a Swapping Directory unless you
experience problems with DESQview and errors when switching windows
(DESQview will complain about being unable to swap the program into
the background and memory). If the directory is left blank,
DESQview will be forced into using EMS/XMS.
4.4: Advanced Setup: Video
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╔1══Advanced═Setup:═Video══════════════════════════════════════════╗
[...] ║
║ █ ║
║ Do you want text & graphics disp. at the same time? (Y/N): N █ ║
[...] █ ║
╚══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╝
This should be set to No in order to force DESQview into one
graphics mode per window (text vs. graphics). This will cause your
system not to get screwed up due to rapid graphic changes or
DESQview trying to display both graphics and text at the same time
which can mess up some older monitors.
As you can see, there isn't a lot to setup. These are just a few
basic pointers from my own experience with DESQview, which is not a
bad program and is good for those who can't run a multitasker like
OS/2 or WinNT. You will, ultimately, have a little more to play
with than just this in order to ensure that DESQview works properly
on your system, but these were the hardest things I had to deal with
when first setting up DESQview. Your best bet is to really read the
documentation that comes with DESQview in order to get the most out
of it.
[Lasher]
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Section 5: SETTING UP UNDER WINDOWS95
Oblivion/2 runs AWESOME under windows95 and other multitasking
environments, its almost as if we should call it OBV95 instead of
OBV/2 (since it was originaly designed to run well under os/2).
With just a few simple configuration changes you can run 4+ nodes
easily under 95, and it only takes about 5 minutes to setup!
5.1: Fossil Considerations
Windows95 has some problems loading a FOSSIL driver from
config.sys, its MUCH better to load it from your BBS.BAT file, and
in some setups, thats the only way to get it to work properly. X00
seems to work the best under Windows95 and DOS, but BNU will work as
well.
Goto your modem setup in your Control Panel -> Modems. Make sure
the correct port speed is setup there. For optimal performance use
57600 for 14.4's and 115200 for 28.8's/33.6's. You also need to set
the EXACT SAME port speed with your FOSSIL.
5.2: The Shortcut
Right click in a blank area on your desktop and create a new
shortcut. Make it a shortcut to your BBS.BAT or whatever you call
your system startup batch file, and make the working directory your
main bbs or mailer directory. If you want it to start as soon as
you load windows you can also drag it to the start menu -> startup.
Now you need to do some slight editing of the properties of your
bbs's dos window. Make sure you change the IDLE SENSITIVITY set it
to one notch above the lowest setting, make sure FONT is allowing
both types, and make sure it will be run on a full screen.
5.3: Screen Saver Considerations
The Windows95 screen saver architecture can REALY bog down the cpu,
take off all screensavers, and just turn off your monitor when your
not using it.
[Shivan Bastard/Pushead]
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Section 6: ARCHIVERS
The archive editor is very versatile and you can add a lot of
archivers to it that don't come with the default configuration. They
can easily be customized to meet your needs. Below is the setup for
some of the more popular archivers.
PKZIP
The version that I'm using, and the one that most of you should be
using is v2.04g. If you're not using it, I suggest getting it. If
you happen to have the IBM license version (2.06) it should work as
well. Oblivion/2 has this archiver predefined and setup, but if for
some reason you nuked it, well, here it is again.
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ Command : (Q)uit [,] Change Arc Oblivion/2 Archiver Editor │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ (A) Archive Name : PKZIP │
│ (B) Archive Ext. : ZIP │
│ (C) Use Zip Viewer : Yes │
│ (D) Swap for Coms : Yes │
│ (E) Compress Com : PKZIP.EXE -rpaex %1 %2 │
│ (F) Extract Com : PKUNZIP.EXE -o -) %1 %3 %2 -N │
│ (G) View Com : ZPVIEW.BAT %1 %3 │
│ (H) Delete F Com : PKZIP.EXE -D %1 %2 │
│ (I) Max Ok/Test Com: 1/PKUNZIP.EXE -T %1 │
│ (J) Add Comment Com: ZPADDCOM.BAT %1 %2 %3 │
│ (K) Add Files Com : PKZIP.EXE -A %1 %2 │
│ (L) Sig String : PK │
│ (M) Sig Location : 1 │
│ (N) List Prefix : @ │
│ (O) Checker Only : No │
│ (=) Insert Archiver │
│ (-) Delete Archiver │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Ok, easy enough to explain. Archive name is PKZIP, and the
extension is ZIP. It can use the internal Oblivion/2 ZIP viewer, and
it swaps out when compressing. All of the command line paramaters
are explained when you do a PKZIP /? or PKUNZIP /?. Refer to the
output screens if you are unsure what all the command line paramaters
are. The only one that needs mentioning is the "-)" in the (F)
Extract Com line. This disables 32bit DPMI usage which may be needed
if you are running under DesqView, OS/2, Win95, or any other
multitasker.
ZPVIEW.BAT looks like this:
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@C:\OBV\PKUNZIP.EXE -V %1 > %2ARCLIST.
This does a verbose listing of the files in an archive and puts the
output into c:\obv\work\arclist. for viewing by your users.
ZPADDCOM.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\PKZIP.EXE -Z -Q %1 < %2
This adds the comment file as defined in the Obv configuration into
the zip file. Make sure you get your <>'s right in the above two
batch files or they won't work.
Ok, the signature string is 504B0304 which is hex for PK.
Oblivion/2 NEEDS the sig in there, so make sure you put in the hex
exactly as I've shown. Obv will show the PK in the field when you're
done. The signature location is 1 (first byte of the file). The
list prefix is @. All of this needs to be there.
ARJ
The version that I'm using is 2.50 so I'm sure that anything newer
will support all of the following commands. This one is also
predefined in Oblivion/2.
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ Command : Oblivion/2 Archiver Editor │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ (A) Archive Name : ARJ │
│ (B) Archive Ext. : ARJ │
│ (C) Use Zip Viewer : No │
│ (D) Swap for Coms : Yes │
│ (E) Compress Com : ARJ.EXE A -Y -E %1 %2 │
│ (F) Extract Com : ARJ.EXE E -Y %1 %3 %2 │
│ (G) View Com : AJVIEW.BAT %1 %3 │
│ (H) Delete F Com : ARJ.EXE Y -JE %1 │
│ (I) Max Ok/Test Com: 0/ARJ.EXE T %1 │
│ (J) Add Comment Com: ARJ.EXE c %1 -z%2 │
│ (K) Add Files Com : ARJ.EXE A -E %1 %2 │
│ (L) Sig String : `Ω │
│ (M) Sig Location : 1 │
│ (N) List Prefix : ! │
│ (O) Checker Only : No │
│ (=) Insert Archiver │
│ (-) Delete Archiver │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
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Simple to explain. Archive name is ARJ, extension is ARJ. Can't
use Obv's internal ZIP viewer, and we swap for compression. Command
lines can be checked on by using ARJ at the command line. The output
screen will have all the commands listed.
AJVIEW.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\ARJ.EXE L %1 > %2ARCLIST.
This will do a listing of the files in the archive and print it out
to c:\obv\work\arclist. where the user can then view the contents
online.
Ok, the signature string for ARJ is 60EA in hex which looks like `Ω
in normal ASCII. Put it in exactly as I've shown (in hex). The
location is at 1 (the first byte). The list prefix is !. All of
this needs to be in there.
RAR
The version I'm using of RAR is v2.00 but the previous version (1.55)
will support all of this as well. This one was a little tricky, but
it's a nice little archiver, IF configured properly, otherwise it
can be a serious pain in the ass and could hang your system.
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ Command : (Q)uit [,] Change Arc Oblivion/2 Archiver Editor │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ (A) Archive Name : RAR │
│ (B) Archive Ext. : RAR │
│ (C) Use Zip Viewer : No │
│ (D) Swap for Coms : Yes │
│ (E) Compress Com : RAR.EXE a -ep -m4 -o+ -s -y %1 %2 │
│ (F) Extract Com : RAR.EXE e -o+ -y -c- %1 %2 %3 │
│ (G) View Com : RARVIEW.BAT %1 %3 │
│ (H) Delete F Com : RAR.EXE d -c- %1 @delete.lst │
│ (I) Max Ok/Test Com: 0/RAR.EXE t -c- %1 │
│ (J) Add Comment Com: RARADCMT.BAT %1 %2 %3 │
│ (K) Add Files Com : RAR.EXE a -c- %1 %2 │
│ (L) Sig String : Rar! │
│ (M) Sig Location : 1 │
│ (N) List Prefix : │
│ (O) Checker Only : No │
│ (=) Insert Archiver │
│ (-) Delete Archiver │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Once again, real easy. Archiver name is RAR, extension is RAR.
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Can't use Obv's internal ZIP viewer, and we swap for compression.
Command lines can be checked by using RAR /? or checking the docs.
Typing RAR by itself will get you to the interactive mode.
This is a wierd archiver. Let me first explain a few things. EVERY
SINGLE TIME you call RAR to do something, you MUST have the command
line param "-c-" in there if you're using 1.55 or lower (this is not
necessary when using 2.00). RAR uses a different commenting system
than traditional archivers and can enable ansi, etc. But, whenever
RAR shows the comment, it pauses and waits for a keystroke. So if
someone was uploading an RAR file at 4am... well, the board would be
hung until you came around to press enter. If you make sure that
"-c-" (without the quotes) is used all the time, you will avoid that
unpleasantness. Also, for some strange reason, on my system I could
not use RAR.EXE d -c- %1 @%2 to delete files contained in your delete
file list. I had to put in the actual name of the file (delete.lst)
instead and it worked. Otherwise RAR would complain about not being
able to open the file.
RARVIEW.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\RAR.EXE V -C- %1 > %2ARCLIST.
This outputs RAR's verbose listing of the archive's contents to the
file c:\obv\work\arclist. so your users can view it. Remember the
-c- command line in there!
RARADCMT.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\RAR.EXE C -C- %1 =%2
This will add the comment (%2 filename) to the archive. Remember
the -c- command line.
Ok, the signature for RAR is 52617221 (in ASCII translates to Rar!).
The location is 1 (first byte). And, for some reason, Obv wouldn't
let me put in the list prefix which is @ (that's why the delete files
line would have to read RAR.EXE D -C- %1 @%2 and not simply RAR.EXE D
-C- %1 %2).
That's it for RAR. Fairly easy, fairly straightforward. Works like
a charm on my system. RAR itself may need a little time dedicated to
it to configure it (by typing RAR to get into interactive mode and
then F9 for configuration) but it's all straightforward.
UltraCompressor2
The version of UC2 that I'm using is revision 3 PRO. It's better
than UC2 (original version). If you don't have the PRO version, I
suggest getting it. Better management, WAY better compression than
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anything else I've seen. This is a killer archiver. Really nice...
Anyways:
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ Command : Oblivion/2 Archiver Editor │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ (A) Archive Name : UltraCompressor2 │
│ (B) Archive Ext. : UC2 │
│ (C) Use Zip Viewer : No │
│ (D) Swap for Coms : Yes │
│ (E) Compress Com : UC.EXE A -BFTT %1 %2 │
│ (F) Extract Com : UC.EXE E -F %1 %2 #%3 │
│ (G) View Com : UC2VIEW.BAT %1 %3 │
│ (H) Delete F Com : UC D %1 @%2 │
│ (I) Max Ok/Test Com: 0/UC.EXE T %1 │
│ (J) Add Comment Com: UC2ADCMT.BAT %1 %2 %3 │
│ (K) Add Files Com : UC.EXE A %1 %2 │
│ (L) Sig String : UC2 │
│ (M) Sig Location : 1 │
│ (N) List Prefix : │
│ (O) Checker Only : No │
│ (=) Insert Archiver │
│ (-) Delete Archiver │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Easy. The archiver's name is UltraCompressor2 and the extension is
UC2. Oblivion/2's internal ZIP viewer doesn't support it, and we
swap for compression. Command lines can be viewed by typing UC -? or
by checking the docs. UC2 is a far more advanced archiver than
anything else I've seen so it may take you a while to wade thru the
docs to find what you're looking for, but trust me, it's worth it.
UC2VIEW.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\UC.EXE V %1 > %2ARCLIST.
This puts the output of a verbose archive file listing into
c:\obv\work\arclist. for users to view.
UC2ADCMT.BAT looks like this:
@C:\OBV\UC.EXE A %1 U$~BAN.TXT
The way that UC2 handles comments is far more superior to other
archivers. It can basically become a multimedia banner that can
display GIFs, JPEGs, play music, and more. BUT, it goes by a
different convention than other archives as well, so you're standard
comment file won't work here and thus we can't use the %2 paramater.
The file is called U$~BAN.* where * is TXT (for ascii/ansi), GIF,
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JPG, etc. This file must be in the directory that UC.EXE is called
from (ie. c:\obv).
Ok, the signature for UC2 is 554332 in hex (translates to UC2 in
ASCII). The sig location is 1 (first byte). The list command would
be @, but again, I had the same problem with UC2 that I did with RAR,
and that's why the Delete F Com line has @%2 instead of just %2. One
other note, in the Extract Com line, you need the #%3 as opposed to
simply %3. This is because UC2 needs the # sign to tell it that what
immediately follows is the target/destination directory, so it would
expand to #c:\obv\work.
LHA
The version of LHA that I'm currently using is 2.13. 2.13 works
good with the following setup and it's a couple years old so if you
have an older version and not this one, well, you're hurting big
time.
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ Command : (Q)uit [,] Change Arc Oblivion/2 Archiver Editor │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
╒══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╕
│ (A) Archive Name : LHA │
│ (B) Archive Ext. : LZH │
│ (C) Use Zip Viewer : No │
│ (D) Swap for Coms : Yes │
│ (E) Compress Com : LHA.EXE a /rp %1 %2 │
│ (F) Extract Com : LHA.EXE x %1 %3 %2 │
│ (G) View Com : LHAVIEW.BAT %1 %3 │
│ (H) Delete F Com : LHA.EXE d %1 @%2 │
│ (I) Max Ok/Test Com: 0/LHA.EXE t %1 │
│ (J) Add Comment Com: │
│ (K) Add Files Com : LHA.EXE a %1 %2 │
│ (L) Sig String : -lh5- │
│ (M) Sig Location : 3 │
│ (N) List Prefix : │
│ (O) Checker Only : No │
│ (=) Insert Archiver │
│ (-) Delete Archiver │
╘══════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════════╛
Ok, really easy. Program is called LHA, the extension is LZH. Not
compatable with Oblivion/2's internal ZIP viewer, and we swap when
using it. All of the commandlines can be looked at by typing LHA
alone.
LHAVIEW.BAT looks like this:
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@C:\OBV\LHA.EXE L %1 > %2ARCLIST.
This will do a listing of the contents of the .LZH file and copy the
output to the file c:\obv\work\arclist. for your users to view.
This version of LHA doesn't support comments, and that's why there's
no command for it... if there's a newer one, it might, but I haven't
seen anything newer at all.
The signature is 2D6C68352D in hex (or -lh5- in ASCII). This is for
one form of LZH files (most commonly used). This a level 5 archive.
There are level 4, level 3, etc. as well (and in ASCII, the changes
are simply -lh4-, -lh3-, etc.) but considering default LHA
compressions are made with level 5, you shouldn't need to support the
older ones. The sig location is at 3 (third byte).
Again, the list prefix is @ but Obv wouldn't let me put it in,
therefore the @%2 in the Delete F Com line. LHA was a little
tricky... this one actually took me a while (damned old
archivers...), but I got her working. The order of the % codes in
the Extract Com line are VERY important, they have to be like that
(%1 %3 %2) or else you'll get very frustrated kinda like I did.
6.1: Archive Signature Strings
Archive signature strings are relatively easy to find out. However,
below is a compiled list of some of the more popular ones. If you
need to use an archiver other than one of the ones listed below,
you'll need to refer to the documentation for the information needed
(signature string, list prefix, and signature location). However, I
wasn't able to find all of the list prefixes for all of the arhivers
listed below, so the ones with a "???" in the List Pref field are
unknowns and you'll need to find them yourself.
PKZip v2.04g
Sig : 504B0304
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: @
ARJ v2.50
Sig : 60EA
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: !
RAR v2.00
Sig : 52617221
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: @
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UC2 r3PRO
Sig : 554332
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: @
LHA 3.33S
Sig : 2D6C68352D
Sig Loc : 3
List Pref: @
HPACK v0.78A0
Sig : 4850414B
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: ???
Hap&Pah TM v3.00
Sig : 91334846
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: ???
ZOO v2.10
Sig : DCA7C4FD
Sig Loc : 21
List Pref: ???
HA v0.98
Sig : 4841
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: ???
DWC v5.10
Sig : 445743
Sig Loc : -4
List Pref: None
PKPak v3.61 (SEA compatible mode)
Sig : 1A
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: @
PAK v2.51
Sig : 1A0A
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: ???
HYPER v2.6
Sig : 1A4850
Sig Loc : 1
List Pref: None
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