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JP Software
4DOS Shareware README.DOC
Version 4.02 -- March 30, 1993
Copyright 1988 - 1993, JP Software Inc., All Rights Reserved. Published
by JP Software Inc., P.O. Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174 USA, (617)
646-3975.
Greetings, and thanks for trying 4DOS!
This file contains a variety of information you should read before using
4DOS, including:
* Changes in version 4.02
* Files included with this version
* Installation and upgrade instructions
* Using 4DOS with MS-DOS 6.0 and OS/2 2.1
* Technical support
* Bulletin board support
* Shareware policy and ASP information
If you have tried a shareware copy of 4DOS and want to place an order,
see the product and ordering information in the file ORDERINF.DOC, or
call us at (800) 368-8777 (USA only, orders only please!) or (617) 646-
3975. The order form is included separately in the file ORDER.FRM.
For complete installation instructions, see page 3. These instructions
cover installation procedures for both new 4DOS users and for those
upgrading from a previous version of 4DOS. For information on using
4DOS with MS-DOS 6.0 see page 4; for information on OS/2 2.1 see page 5.
The license agreement which governs your use of 4DOS is included
separately in the file LICENSE.DOC. Please read it before ordering.
The text is written in plain English, and clearly explains your rights
and responsibilities as a user of 4DOS. For more information on the
shareware system under which you obtained this copy of 4DOS, see page
10.
This file is formatted at 58 lines per page, and contains form feeds and
page footers. It can be viewed with a file viewer such as the 4DOS LIST
command, or printed on most PC printers using the command:
copy readme.doc prn
Printing it with a program that formats the pages is not likely to work
due to the formatting included in the file.
(3/93-4.02A)
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 1
Changes in Version 4.02
Version 4.02 is a maintenance release primarily designed to add
support for MS-DOS 6.0 and OS/2 2.1, and to fix minor bugs. There
are only a few feature changes.
If you are a current 4DOS user, be sure to check over the list of
changes in this version, in the file UPDAT402.DOC, BEFORE you install
and use version 4.02! You may also want to look through APPNOTES.DOC
for any new application notes (look for a "4.02" in the left margin).
If you're a new 4DOS user, you can skip UPDAT402.DOC.
Be sure to read the installation instructions in this file before
installing 4DOS 4.02.
Files Included with 4DOS 4.02
Please note that the way your copy of 4DOS is "packaged" will vary
depending on the distribution method (5.25" disk, 3.5" disk, or on-
line). In general there will be two 5.25", 360K disks, or one 3.5"
720K disk. On-line copies will be in two .ZIP files: one (usually
4DOS4D.ZIP or 4DOS402D.ZIP) containing 4DOS.DOC and ASCTAB.TXT, and
one (usually 4DOS4P.ZIP or 4DOS402P.ZIP) containing all other files.
If you have an on-line copy and have only one .ZIP file, check to be
sure you are not missing the manual or other files before installing
4DOS.
ZIP files distributed by JP Software will display the message
"Authentic files Verified! # VHJ325 JP Software Inc." when they
are unzipped. If you do not see this message, the ZIP file you are
using has been modified. This does not necessarily indicate a
problem (for example, some BBS sysops "brand" 4DOS with their BBS
name using software from us; 4DOS ZIP files on these BBSes will not
show the JP Software verification message). However it does alert
you to the fact that the file has been changed since it was created
by JP Software.
The following files are included with this version of 4DOS (numbers
in parentheses refer to notes at the end of the list):
4DOS.COM 4DOS program file
4DOS.DOC Complete 4DOS manual
4DOS.HLP 4DOS help text
4DOS.ICO Icon file for running 4DOS under Windows 3.0
4DOSM.ICO Same as 4DOS.ICO but for monochrome systems
4DOS.PIF PIF file for running 4DOS under Windows 3.0
4HELP.EXE 4DOS help program
ALIASES Sample aliases
APPNOTES.DOC Information on using 4DOS with other products
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 2
ASCTAB.TXT (1) ASCII table for optional inclusion in the
4DOS manual
BRAND4.BTM (2) 4DOS batch file for branding version 4.02
using version 3 BRAND.EXE
HELPCFG.EXE Color configuration program for HELP.EXE
KSTACK.COM Memory-resident program used by the 4DOS
KEYSTACK command
LICENSE.DOC The 4DOS shareware license agreement.
ORDER.FRM 4DOS shareware and upgrade order forms
ORDERINF.DOC Ordering and product information
README.DOC This file
SAMPLES.BTM Sample 4DOS batch files (all samples are
included in one file)
SUPPORT.BBS Information on Channel 1, the independent BBS
used for 4DOS support
SYSOP.DOC 4DOS information for BBS sysops
TOUR1.BTM Batch file used for the 4DOS "tour" (see
and TOUR2.BTM chapter 3 of the manual)
UPDAT401.DOC Information on changes in 4DOS 4.0 and 4.01
UPDAT402.DOC Information on changes in 4DOS 4.02
VENDOR.DOC 4DOS information for shareware disk vendors
(1) ASCTAB.TXT contains a complete ASCII table for Appendix B of the
4DOS ASCII manual in 4DOS.DOC. See the installation instructions
below for details.
(2) Included only with electronic copies of 4DOS, not on diskettes.
Installation and Upgrade Instructions
(These instructions do not cover diskette installation, because when
4DOS is installed from diskette this file is not visible until after
installation is complete.)
Whether or not you presently have 4DOS installed, create a new
directory for 4DOS 4.02 (do not install it in the same directory as a
previous version of 4DOS). Decompress your downloaded 4DOS 4.02
files into this directory. You can print the manual, or any 4DOS
documentation file (including this one), by copying it to the printer
with a command like this:
copy 4dos.doc prn
The documentation files are formatted at 58 lines or less per page,
and contain form feeds and page footers. Printing them with a
program that formats the pages is not likely to work due to the
formatting already included in each file.
Please note that the manual is quite long (over 380 pages!). If you
don't want to print it it can be viewed on-screen with a file viewer
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 3
such as the 4DOS LIST command or LIST.COM. Much of what's in the
manual is also available in the 4DOS HELP system. However the HELP
system is organized primarily for quick reference, and may not be the
best way to get an overview of 4DOS's features or to learn about a
topic in depth.
The ASCTAB.TXT file is separate from 4DOS.DOC because many printers
can't handle the control codes it contains. If you wish you can
print ASCTAB.TXT on your printer if possible, and paste it into the
manual. However you should be aware that the control codes in this
file may not print properly, so the output may not be intelligible at
all! As an alternative, there is a complete ASCII table in the on-
line 4DOS HELP system.
To test drive your copy of 4DOS see the instructions in Chapter 3 of
the manual (the "Tour"). To install it completely, follow the manual
installation instructions in Chapter 2, disregarding the discussion
of extracting files from the diskettes.
BE SURE YOU HAVE A BOOTABLE DOS FLOPPY DISK (as described at the
beginning of Chapter 2) before installing 4DOS on your system. This
is not because 4DOS is likely to cause trouble. It's because a
mistake in the system startup files (CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT), or
a power failure or other disturbance during installation, could
prevent your system from booting properly. While such problems are
rare, any time you modify CONFIG.SYS or AUTOEXEC.BAT you should have
a bootable floppy disk handy so you can recover if necessary.
If you are upgrading from a previous version of 4DOS, note that 4DOS
4.02 can be run in "test drive" mode over previous versions of 4DOS,
so you can test the new version before fully installing it. 4DOS
4.02 should always be installed in a different directory (or if you
have a floppy-disk system, on a different disk) than any earlier
version of 4DOS. Installing in the same directory as your old
version will overwrite old 4DOS files with new ones. Since these
files are used when your system boots, overwriting them can cause
trouble if you make a mistake.
After installation, be sure to modify any of your aliases or batch
files which use the DIR /C or SELECT /C upper case display switches
to adjust for the changes to these switches documented in
UPDAT402.DOC.
Using 4DOS 4.02 with MS-DOS 6.0
If you are installing both 4DOS 4.02 and MS-DOS 6.0, you can install
either product first. However MS-DOS 6.0's MEMMAKER utility may not
be able to optimize memory properly with earlier versions of 4DOS.
If you are running an earlier version of 4DOS you should upgrade to
version 4.02 before running MEMMAKER.
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 4
Look through UPDAT402.DOC for additional changes related to MS-DOS
6.0, including full support for the DBLSPACE file compression
utility. In most cases you will find that 4DOS works transparently
with MS-DOS 6.0, and you won't need to make any adjustments or take
any special steps.
MS-DOS 6.0 includes a complete on-line help system. Most of the time
you probably won't need to access that system, because all of the
internal commands and most external DOS utilities it discusses are
also covered by the 4DOS help system.
The MS-DOS 6 help also includes information on some commands which
are not covered by the 4DOS help system. These include more complex
parts of MS-DOS 6 such as DBLSPACE (a disk compression utility) and
MEMMMAKER; some commands which are not relevant to 4DOS users; and
some rarely-used commands. (A complete list is available in the MS-
DOS 6 topic in the 4DOS online help system.)
If you need to access MS-DOS 6 help for information on such topics,
you can do so with an alias like this one, which assigns the command
DOSHELP to load the MS-DOS 6 help system:
alias doshelp c:\dos\help.com
If you prefer, you can use the HELP command to refer to MS-DOS 6.0
help and another command such as 4DHELP to run 4DOS help. For
example:
alias help c:\dos\help.com
alias 4dhelp *help
In all of the above aliases, adjust the path used if your DOS files
are not in the C:\DOS directory. For more information on aliases see
the ALIAS command in your 4DOS manual or the online 4DOS help.
Using 4DOS 4.02 with OS/2 2.1
If you use OS/2 version 2.1, 4DOS 4.02 will allow you to use the
DOS_AUTOEXEC setting for DOS sessions. More details are provided in
UPDAT402.DOC, but in general DOS_AUTOEXEC should operate
transparently, and no special action on your part is required to use
it. All other aspects of 4DOS should operate with no change under
OS/2 2.1.
Upgrading from 4DOS Version 4.0 or 4.01 to Version 4.02
If you have 4DOS version 4.0 or 4.01, read the notes below before
installing version 4.02. If you are upgrading from 4DOS version 3,
see the next section.
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 5
Be sure to go over the changes in version 4.02, in the file
UPDAT402.DOC, before you start using it.
To upgrade from 4DOS 4.0 or 4.01 to version 4.02, make the following
changes in your system configuration:
* Modify the SHELL= line in CONFIG.SYS to reflect the new
directory where 4DOS.COM is stored. Make a similar
modification to any SET COMSPEC statements you have in
AUTOEXEC.BAT or other batch files.
* Modify any line in AUTOEXEC.BAT which loads KSTACK.COM to
reflect the new directory where KSTACK.COM is stored.
* If you keep any 4DOS startup or exit files (4DOS.INI, 4START,
or 4EXIT) in your 4DOS directory, be sure to move or copy the
old files into the new directory where you installed 4DOS 4.02
is stored. (If the files are in the root directory of the boot
drive they do not need to be moved.) Also be sure to modify
any path information in these files to reflect the new
directory for 4DOS (for example, if you have a HelpPath
directive in 4DOS.INI you may need to change it to point to the
new directory for the 4DOS 4.02 copy of the 4HELP program).
* If you use OS/2 2.x, be sure that any DOS_SHELL settings you
have explicitly set to 4DOS in your DOS session icons are
modified to reflect the new directory where 4DOS.COM is stored.
You can also highlight the DOS_SHELL setting and click on the
Default button; this will set the command processor for the
object to whatever is specified on the SHELL= line in
CONFIG.SYS. The DOS_SHELL setting is accessible from the "DOS
Settings" button on the Session page of the Settings notebook
for the icon.
* Use your BRAND program to brand your new copy of 4DOS 4.02 with
your name and serial number. If you have the version 4.0 or
4.01 brand program and a brand ID card from JP Software, simply
copy BRAND.EXE to your 4DOS 4.02 directory, run it, and enter
the information from the card. If you have an older version 3
BRAND program, see the section below on "Branding with the
Version 3 BRAND Program".
Once you've made these changes, you can reboot your system and you'll
be running 4DOS 4.02.
Upgrading from 4DOS Version 3 to Version 4.02
Be sure to read about the changes in this version, in the file
UPDAT402.DOC, and the changes since version 3, in the file
UPDAT401.DOC, before you start using this new version.
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 6
We have made some changes to command syntax and switches in 4DOS
version 4, both for DOS 5 and DOS 6 compatibility and in the course
of implementing new features. You should learn about these changes
as some commands may not work exactly the way you're used to. The
change summary in UPDAT401.DOC should give you the information you
need.
To upgrade from 4DOS version 3 to version 4.02, you'll need to make
all of the following changes:
* Remove any old SHELL= line from CONFIG.SYS and replace it with
a new SHELL= line, following the instructions in chapter 2 of
the manual. Be sure you change the path on the SHELL= line to
point to your 4DOS 4.02 files! Note that most of the
parameters that used to be set on the SHELL= line are now set
in 4DOS.INI.
* Remove any DEVICE=KEYSTACK.SYS line in CONFIG.SYS. Instead,
include a line in AUTOEXEC.BAT to load the new memory-resident
program KSTACK.COM, which replaces the old KEYSTACK.SYS. You
may load KSTACK high using any memory manager with a load high
capability, and you may load it from CONFIG.SYS with INSTALL=
if you are familiar with this method of loading TSRs.
* Be sure to remove any line(s) in AUTOEXEC which SET the COMSPEC
to point to the old version of 4DOS. This is very important
because if these lines are left in you may end up running a
copy of version 3.03 as a secondary shell with version 4.02 as
a primary shell, which will NOT work. You probably don't need
to replace the old SETs with corresponding SETs for version
4.02, because version 4.02 sets the COMSPEC automatically.
* If you need to change the 4DOS configuration defaults, create a
4DOS.INI file in the same directory where 4DOS.COM is stored.
See Chapter 6 of the manual for complete details on the wide
variety of configuration options available in 4DOS 4.02. We do
recommend that you get your system up and running under version
4.02 with only the necessary items in 4DOS.INI (for example,
increased alias or environment size, or a change in the default
swapping type) before trying out new configuration options.
If you now run 4DOS version 3, then version 4.02 is a major upgrade.
If you purchased version 3 with a printed manual and are entitled to
a free or low-cost upgrade to version 4, the BRAND program you used
to brand your old copy will also brand version 4.02, converting your
downloaded copy from a shareware to a registered copy (see below for
detailed instructions). If you do not have a copy of BRAND, you
purchased 4DOS from a publisher outside the US with a different
upgrade policy. Contact the publisher or your dealer for upgrade
information.
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 7
If you are not entitled to the upgrade, see the upgrade order form at
the end of the ORDER.FRM file. Order one of the "standard upgrade"
items from that form to obtain your upgrade, including a new copy of
BRAND. Once you've ordered the upgrade, you can continue to use this
shareware copy until your order arrives.
Branding with the Version 3 BRAND Program
Your version 3 BRAND.EXE will not work directly with version 4.02,
because it is designed for the version 3 file names (4DOS88.EXE and
4DOS286.EXE), whereas the file to be branded for version 4.02 is
4DOS.COM. If you order an upgrade to version 4.02 (with or without a
printed manual) from JP Software, it will come with a newer copy of
BRAND which can be used instead of your old copy. In the meantime,
the following procedure explains how to use your old BRAND so that it
will work on this shareware copy of version 4.02. This procedure
assumes you are working from a downloaded copy of 4DOS and have the
BRAND4.BTM file, rather than using a shareware diskette which does
not have this file (shareware disks generally are not used for
upgrades). If you are using a shareware disk to upgrade your copy of
4DOS, follow the manual BRANDing instructions below and ignore the
references to BRAND4.BTM.
(1) Change to the directory where your 4DOS version 4.02 files
are stored.
(2) Find your old 4DOS registered disk and copy BRAND.EXE from
that disk to the directory where your 4DOS 4.02 files are
stored.
(3) To BRAND version 4.02 automatically, enter the command:
BRAND4
to run the BRAND4.BTM file which comes with shareware copies
of 4DOS and follow the instructions on the screen.
BRAND4.BTM will only work if it is run from 4DOS -- it
cannot be used from COMMAND.COM.
(4) To BRAND version 4.02 manually, rename 4DOS.COM to
4DOS286.EXE, run BRAND and enter the serial number from the
label on your old registered disk, and then rename
4DOS286.EXE back to 4DOS.COM. (This procedure will work
even if you have an 8088-based system).
(5) When you run BRAND (either automatically or manually) you
should see two messages:
Cannot brand 4DOS88.EXE -- file not found
4DOS286.EXE branded successfully
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 8
If you see a message indicating a "brand installation
error", you probably are not entitled to brand this upgrade.
You can order an upgrade from JP Software
Technical Support
We support 4DOS in our own CompuServe area, section 10 of the PC
Vendor B forum (GO PCVENB). If you are not currently a CompuServe
subscriber, consider a special offer CompuServe has made to 4DOS
users: call 1-800-848-8199 (outside the US and Canada call 614-457-
0802) and ask for operator 178 to receive a free CompuServe
introductory membership, including user ID, password, and a $15
connect time credit.
Our CompuServe ID for direct access to our technical support
personnel is 75300,1215. Use this ID for technical support issues
only. If you have direct CompuServe access please use the PCVENB
forum (as opposed to Mail) whenever possible. For technical support
on the Internet send mail to 75300.1215@compuserve.com.
Support is also available by phone (617-646-3975), fax (617-646-
0904), and mail (JP Software, PO Box 1470, E. Arlington, MA 02174).
Telephone support hours and availability may vary depending on our
current staffing pattern and workload; there may not always be a
support representative available when you call, in which case we will
take a message and call you back. We return calls as soon as
possible, and our policy is to return all calls within at most 24
hours (weekends and holidays excepted).
Bulletin Board Support for 4DOS
4DOS product support is always available on our support BBS, Channel
1 in Boston. Channel 1 is an independent BBS (not operated by JP
Software) which has generously offered to provide a home for 4DOS BBS
support. Phone 617-354-7077 to access Channel 1 at 2400 baud; other
phone numbers are available once you sign up. To download 4DOS files
join conference 5 and then download the file you need. The file
names for the latest version of 4DOS are 4DOSxxxD.ZIP (the manual),
and 4DOSxxxP.ZIP (all other files), where "xx" is the version (e.g.
4DOS402P.ZIP). You will be able to download 4DOS files even if they
appear to be too large for your remaining time on the board.
If you have access to a local bulletin board which is a member of any
of the major BBS networks (RIME / PC Relay, ILink, SmartNet, or
FidoNet), you can discuss 4DOS with other users, and obtain limited
support from JP Software, by leaving messages in the network's 4DOS
conference.
4DOS is distributed directly to over 150 bulletin boards worldwide by
JP Software, and is uploaded to many more. It is impossible for us
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 9
to list the enormous number of boards that have the latest version of
4DOS, but we encourage you to check your favorite BBS, or use Channel
1. If you are a BBS sysop, see SYSOP.DOC for information on
obtaining a copy of 4DOS for your BBS.
Shareware Copies of 4DOS and 4OS2
If you obtained 4DOS or 4OS2 from a shareware disk vendor, an on-line
computer service or bulletin board, a friend or colleague, or another
similar source, you have an unregistered (trial) copy. As the
copyright holder for this software, JP Software allows and encourages
you to use this trial copy without charge for a limited period of
time, under the terms of our license agreement (see LICENSE.DOC).
After this time is up, you must purchase (register and pay for) the
product to continue using it.
This method of distribution is known as shareware. It allows you to
determine whether the product meets your needs before you pay for it.
Payment of the shareware registration fee for 4DOS or 4OS2 entitles
you to a complete copy of the product with typeset-quality printed
and bound manual; the ability to upgrade to the next major release of
the product (see below); continued technical support via electronic
mail or telephone; and a subscription to "The Prompt Solution", JP
Software's customer newsletter.
Association of Shareware Professionals
The authors and publisher of 4DOS and 4OS2 are members of the
Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP), an organization formed
to strengthen the future of shareware. Its members, all of whom are
programmers who subscribe to a code of ethics, are committed to the
concept of shareware as a method of marketing.
The ASP sets standards for its members and their shareware products
which provide that programs produced by ASP members must be fully
documented, non-crippled, and offered with at least a minimum level
of support. It also sets standards for shareware disk vendors and
provides information to the public about shareware.
ASP Ombudsman Statement
JP Software is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals
(ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for
you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an
ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to
help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem
with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for
members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 10
Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe
Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536.
4DOS 4.02 [3-30-93] README.DOC page 11