Copyright: Copyright 1991,1992 Firefly Software Systems Corp.


EDOS

Enhanced DOS for Windows

A brief list of features:

 DOS Session Group on desktop.

 	 Change/display pif settings.

List of Information Topics

Summary of New Dos Commands

Dos Commands Modified

Keyboard Commands

Menu Bar

Summary Of Original DOS Commands

Quick Tips


DOSSUM

Summary of DOS Commands

Append	Set Data Path

Attrib	Change/Set file attributes

Backup

Break

Call

CLS

Command

COMP

Copy	Copy files

CD	Change Directory

Date	Display the current date

Debug

Del	Delete files

Dir

Diskcomp

Diskcopy

Edlin

Exit

Fdisk

Find

Format

Help

Join

Label	Put volume label on a disk

MD	Make a directory

Time	Display the current time

Path

Print

Prompt

RD	Remove Directory

Recover

Restore

Sort

Subst

SYS

Type

VOL

Xcopy

Ver	Display the DOS Version number

Verify	Set/Reset the Verify Flag


SPECIALFEATURES

 Batch Files

Custom DOS Prompt


DOSPERMANENT

If EDOS is installed correctly, when Windows begins, EDOS starts up a DOS session. This DOS session is special. First because it is small. It uses a minimum amount of memory, and it can not be terminated. It is also hidden, ordinarily you will never notice it.


SYSTEMINI
 System.ini switches

With default condition:

[edos]

Alt-F4	EDOSALTF4= True

Disable EDOS loading	EDOSDisable=0	(use 0 or 1, not True or False. Special case)

Disable a command	EDOSCommand=<blank>

Print Screen	EDOSPrtScr= True

Intel InboardPC 	EDOSInbrdPC= False

Enable/Dis Over 640k	EDOS640KPlus=TRUE

Enable/Dis Over 740k	EDOS704KPlus=TRUE

Memory for Hidden DOS	EDOSTempPif=0 (0 to 300 legal)

Edos handles Int 24h	EDOSCritError=FALSE

Debug Messages	EDOSInidb=FALSE

Handle exceptions faults	EDOSFaultFlag=FALSE

Fatal exits, use our message	EDOSHOOKFatalOk=TRUE

Number of alarms allowed	EDOSNumMsgs=1 (more than one may cause stack overflows)

Windows Apps run	EDOSExecWinApp=FALSE

Share message at startup	EDOSWarnShare=TRUE

Ctrl+P, printint	EDOSCtrlP=FALSE

Disable DOS command	EDOSCommand=

Examples:

[edos]

EDOSHookFatalOK=True

EDOSHOOKFATALOK=False

edoshookfatalok=1

EdosHookFatalOk=0

These are all legal uses of "EDOSHookFatalOK".


TRUEFALSE
Use: True or False. 1 or 0. TRUE or FALSE.


BATCH

Batch Files

The new EDOS commands will execute in a batch file just like any ordinary command.

Extensive use of this feature will allow you to eliminate many pif files.


INGENIOUS

Alt-F4 has no impact on the hidden DOS session


CUSTOMDOS
 Custom DOS Prompt

Windows v. 3.1 includes a mostly undocumented feature where you can have a custom DOS prompt  in the DOS sessions that run under Windows. EDOS provides this same functionallity in Windows v. 3.0.

To have a custom prompt, use a DOS "SET" command to create an environment variable "WINPMT". Like this:

SET WINPMT=$T$P$L

When Windows is running a DOS session the DOS the WINPMT prompt above will cause the DOS prompt to have the time,drive/directory and a "<".


Keyboard Commands

Alt+Enter	Toggles from full-screen to windowed and back.

Alt+Tab	Shifts to last task.

Alt+Tab+Tab	Shifts tasks.

Alt+Space	Switches to windowed mode, if full screen, with system menu open.

Ctrl+ESC	Runs the task switcher program.

Crtl+Shift+ any cursor key	Selects text in a Windowed DOS session, if mark is ON.


DOSMOD

DOS Commands Modified

VER	Puts Windows Version + DOS Version.

VER /w	Puts up EDOS version number.

TIME	(displays time, no altering. Use Control Panel).

DATE	(same as time).

CHKDSK 	( /F not allowed, all other options ok).

MEM	Puts up Window related memory information.

WIN	Switches the DOS session to the Windows Desktop


EXECWINAPPS
Entering a command at the DOS prompt which referes to an executable file which is a Windows applictaion will cause that application to be executed as if it were a Windows application.

This feature can be disabled with the appropriate system.ini switch as well with the /Y and /N switches using the EDOS or STATUS commands at the DOS command line.

Example:

EDOS /Y

CLOCK

The above will execute the clock Windows application.

or:

EDOS /N

CLOCK

The above will execute the stub at the beginning of the Windows application (CLOCK). The stub usually prints "this application requires Microsoft Windows".


NEWDOSSUM

AltF4  [ON | OFF]

STATUS [/? | /v | /l | /Y | /N]

EDOS [/? | /v | /l |/Y | /N]

EDOSEXIT [/?]

PIF [/?]

EMS [/?]

XMS [/?]

MEM [/?]

PRIB [/? | milliseconds]

PRIF [/? | milliseconds]

SLICE [/? | milliseconds]

DOSMEM [/? | k bytes | /P | /X | /V]

ALARM [/? ] | [seconds ["message string"]]

BOXSWITCH [/? | ON | OFF]

BACKGROUND [/? | ON | OFF]

EXCLUSIVE [/? | ON | OFF]

CLIPBOARD [/? | /VIEW]

SYSTIME [/?]

BOXTIME [/?]

ISWIN [/?]

Execution of Windows applications from the DOS command line.

Menu Bar (in Windowed DOS session)

The new DOS commands accept a "/?" option which provides the usual help information.


ALTF4
Alt-F4

   ALTF4  [/? | ON | OFF]

The hot key combination Alt-F4 will cause a DOS session to exit just as if "EXIT" + enter had been typed at the keyboard.

This feature can be disabled in this version. See system.ini switches. Can also be enabled/disabled using the optional parameter ON or OFF.


CLIPBOARD

  CLIPBOARD [/? | /VIEW]

The clipboard command displays the clipboard status or the contents of the clipboard.

The clipboard status is printed if the command is typed. The clipboard text is viewed if the V option is used.

Redirection allows the clipboard to be printed.

Ex: clipboard /VIEW > PRN:


ALARM

  ALARM  [/?] | [ seconds ["message string"]]

The alarm command allows you to set an alarm that will "ring" at the time indicated by the (delay in seconds) parameter. An optional message string may be included; it must be enclosed by double quote marks.

ALARM  5 "Time to Eat"

Will cause an alarm message to be displayed in 5 seconds. You will be returned to the DOS session where the alarm was set. The message string "Time to Eat" will be displayed in the message box.

NOTE: only one alarm is allowed per DOS session.


BACKGROUND

  BACKGROUND [/? | ON | OFF]

The background command causes the DOS session to have the background mode changed. The background mode status is printed whenever the mode is changed or the command is typed.

The one allowed parameter turns the setting ON or OFF.

Ex. Background OFF


BOXSWITCH

  BOXSWITCH [/? | ON | OFF]

The boxswitch command enables/disables switching away from the DOS session. The boxswitch mode status is printed whenever the mode is changed or the command is typed.

The one allowed parameter turns the setting ON or OFF.

Ex. Boxswitch OFF


BOXTIME

  BOXTIME [/?]

First invocation starts a DOS Box-time timer. Second invocation prints the elapsed DOS session cpu time.

Time is measure in milliseconds.

Ex. Boxtime


DOSMEM

  DOSMEM [/? | K bytes | /P | /X | /V]

DOSMEM allows you to add memory to the current DOS session.

Ex: DOSMEM  200

Adds 200K bytes of memory to the DOS session.

DOSMEM, with no parameter, displays the DOS session size, the space not occuppied by memory and the amount of memory left in the memory pool.

Example:

DOSMEM<enter>

Present DOS memory size=  362 K bytes,   100 K bytes can be added, From= 172K

This means that the DOS session is presently 362k, that 100k can be added and that there is 172k from which to get the memory.

DOSMEM /P

Adds memory to the DOS Session to make a 704 K partition

DOSMEM /X

Adds memory to the DOS session to make a 736 K partition

DOSMEM /V

Displays technical information about the DOS session memory layout.

WARNING: the /P & /X options create partitions that use address space where the VIDEO buffers normally reside. Therefore: a DOS session modified by /P or /X will not correctly run a DOS application which uses graphics or 43/50 line text display modes.

NOTE: it is not advisable to use all the remaining memory. If 172K is left, don't use more than 100-120k. Leave at least 50k.

Presently, can only be invoked one time in each DOS session.

NOTE:  Use of more than 640k, means that you CAN NOT run any application in that session that uses graphics mode. You will recieve no warning about this, but if the application runs or shifts into graphics mode, your screen will be trashed and so will the session. The only cure will be to kill the session and start over.

If you are running QEMM, you should EXCLUDE=B000-B7FF, on the command line that loads QEMM.

386Max and other similar memory managers should have the similar option set.

Note: some SCSI drives are using memory space at 639k. DPT and Future Domain controllers, as well as some of the  Western Digital units. EDOS will correctly detect this in most cases. If the space at 639k is in use, you will not be able to have an oversized DOS session. DPT and Future Domain have special device drivers that will relocate this memory usage into upper memory. Once this is done, you will be able to use oversize DOS sessions.


EMS

  EMS [/?]

Displays the Expanded Memory minimum and maximum settings for the DOS session. EMS settings cannot be changed once the session has started.

EMS Required=   0K EMS Limit=300K

EMS Free=   200K, Total=    290K ,  Page Frame Segment = E000 hex.


EXCLUSIVE

  EXCLUSIVE [/? | ON | OFF]

The exclusive command causes the DOS session to have the exclusive mode changed. The exclusive mode status is printed whenever the mode is changed or the command is typed.

The one allowed parameter turns the setting ON or OFF.

Ex. Exclusive OFF

Note: the instant that exclusive ON is enabled, ALL other DOS sessions AND all WINDOWS applications cease to run, until the session that enabled exclusive on, is switched into the background.


EDOSEXIT

  EDOSEXIT returns the exit code of the last internal EDOS command executed

This exit code may be tested in a batch file, like this:

DOSMEM /P

EDOSEXIT

IF ERRORLEVEL 1 ECHO EDOS DOSMEM Command Failed


ISWIN

  ISWIN returns an exit code of 3 to indicate that windows 3.xx is running. Otherwise it returns zero.

This exit code may be tested in a batch file, like this:

ISWIN

IF ERRORLEVEL 3 goto Windows3


MEM

  MEM [/?]

Displays the Windows low level memory information.

Example:

Total Mem= 7804K, Free Mem=5896K (unlocked),  Unlocked Mem=1252K

Physical Mem=2052K, Free Phys Mem=144K

NOTE: the most interesting number here is the Free Physical Mem. Which in the example was only 144K. When free physical reaches zero, all new memory is coming from the disk swap file. This has a significant impact on system performance.


PRIB

  PRIB [/? | milliseconds]

The background priority command(PRIB) allows you to change or display the BACKGROUND Execution Priority of the DOS session.

Ex. Prib  27


PRIF

  PRIF [/? | milliseconds]

The foreground priority command(PRIF) allows you to change or display the FOREGROUND Execution Priority of the DOS session.


PIF

  PIF [/?]

Displays the pif settings for the DOS Box. Sample:

Command = COMMAND.COM

Command Tail = /E:2000 /C any.bat

C:\WIN\_DEFAULT.PIF

Text Emulate

No Trap Text

No Trap Low Res Graphics

Trap High Res Graphics

Video Text Mode

EMS Required=   0K, Limit=1024K

XMS Required=   0K, Limit=1024K

VDD Bits = 0017  , VM Status        00004000


SLICE

  SLICE  [/? | milliseconds]

The slice command allows you to change or display the Minimum Time Slice allocated to ALL sessions.  All Windows applications share one session, each DOS session is a a session, etc. Setting slice changes the time for everybody.


SYSTIME

  SYSTIME [/?]

First invocation starts a system-time timer. Second invocation prints the elapsed system time.

Time is measured in milliseconds.


XMS

  XMS [/?]

Displays the Extended Memory required & limit settings for the DOS session. The XMS settings cannot be changed once the session has started.

XMS Required=   0K XMS Limit=1024K


STATUS
STATUS & EDOS

  [STATUS | EDOS] [/? | /V | /L]

The /V option displays all (verbose) information.

The /L option lists all the sessions: current, other, Windows (system).

The /Y option turns on Execution of Windows applications.

The /N option turns off Execution of Windows applications.

The /V command displays a screen similar to the following:

 Enhanced DOS for Windows Version 3.0

Free Memory:  No Lock or Fix=     516K,Lockable=     516K

Swap File  Size=        K, Type= None

Total Paging Mem =     0K, Free =      0K  In Use Total=     0 Kc, Contig=?

Windows Physical Memory  Total=  2200K, Free=   544K

Physical UnLocked(in use)=      0Kc, Unlocked=     544K

Real Physical Memory Base=   640K, Extended=  3456K, Total =  4096K

EMS Free =    0K, EMS Total=    0K, Page Frame Address= E000 hex

PageOutCount =   1

Xlate Buffer Segment = 2800hex, Size    8192 bytes

Stack Unused = 3606hex, Stack Used    1364, Stack Total = 4970hex

Ebios Page = 9F00hex, Size    1000 hex, Remain = 0000 hex, Start = 0000hex

Com Ports ComPort1=ID#1

Global Min. Time Slice =  21 ms.

The /V and /L commands display a screen similar to the following:

 Current DOS Session

Background =N, Exclusive =N

Foreground Priority =  100, Background Priority =   50, CPU Time =  66%

Memory Used =  164K, Not Mapped =   0K (1K=1024 Bytes)

Windows Session(System)

Background=Y,   Exclusive=Y

Foreground Priority=  101, Background Priority=   51, CPU Time=  33%

Memory Used=  960K, Not Mapped =   0K (1K=1024 Bytes)


FREEMEM
Free Memory: No Lock..	Memory (free) not lockable or fixable


LOCKABLE
Lockable	Free memory (lockable)


SWAPFILE
Swap File Size	Size of Swap file in K bytes

 Type	None, DOS/BIOS, Direct to hard disk.


TOTPAGING
Total Paging Memory	Memory available to the demand pager

 	In use total	A calculation of Total minus Free = in use.

 	Contig	Y=Yes, N=No.


PHYSMEM
Windows Physical Mem	Total real memory available to Windows


EMSFREE
EMS Free,Total	EMS memory, free and total available


PAGEOUT
PageOutCount	Number of pages on page out list


XLATEBUF
Xlate Buffer Segment	Segment & size of translation buffer


STACKSPACE
Stack Space	Size of Stack


EDIOSPAGE
Ebios Page	Segment & size of Extended Bios Data Area


COMPORTS
Com Ports	Com Port Assignments


TIMESLICE
Global Min. Time Slice	Minimum time slice in milliseconds


Status_BACKGROUND
Background	Y=Background enabled. N=disabled


Status_EXCLUSIVE
Exclusive	Y=Exclusive enabled. N=disabled


MEMUSED
Memory Used	Memory dedicated to this session.


NOTMAPPED
Not Mapped	Memory dedicated to session but not mapped in.


FBPRIORITY
For/Back Priority	From PIF file, priority when in fore/background


MENUBAR
Windowed DOS session have a menu bar.

This menu consists of:

File

Edit

View

Settings

EDOS Help

Indicators Background & Exclusive... {b} and [X]


MENUBAR_SETTINGS
Menu Items for SETTINGS:

Current	Allows changing of Background and Exclusive states.

   also contains menu item to KILL the current task and others.

Fast Paste	Turn on/off the PIF option for fast pasting.

WinAppExec	Turn on/off option for allowing Windows applications to run from the DOS command line.

Drag/Drop	Turn on/off DOS session accepting a Drop Object.

Currently File Manager provides Drop Objects and

DOS sessions and PIF Editor will accept them.

Other utilites may  also work with Drag/Drop.

Startup	Loads PIF editor with PIF for the current DOS session.


MENUBAR_VIEW
Menu Items under VIEW:

SCROLL	Turns on/off Scroll mode.  ESC & Enter will exit from this mode. Use arrow keys.

FULL- SCREEN	Switches from Windowed to FULL SCREEN.

FONTS	Dialog Box selection list of FONTS.

50 Lines	Switches into 50 line mode.

25 Lines	Switches into 25 line mode.

SCREENSAVE	Switches on the screen saver.

FONTS	Dialog box of available fonts.


MENUBAR_EDIT
Menu items under EDIT:

MARK	Start mark mode, to create a selection region.

COPY	Copy the selection region to the clipboard.

PASTE	Paste the contents of the clipboard into the DOS session at the cursor.

VIEW	Startup the Clipboard Viewer.

CLIP STATUS	Display size and contents of clipboard.

PRINT CLIP	Print the contents of the clipboard to the printer.


MENUBAR_INDICATORS
Menu Items for {b}  and  [X]

The {b} is the indicator for Background on/off. When the indicator is grayed, Background is OFF.

The [X] is the indicator for Exclusive on/off. When the indicator is grayed, Exclusive is OFF.


MENUBAR_HELP
Menu Items for EDOS Help:

INDEX

KEYBOARD

COMMANDS

SEARCH FOR HELP ON...

HELP ON HELP


MENUBAR_FILE
Menu items under File:

NEW	Select a file to run as a NEW session.

PICK	Select a file name to be placed at the cursor.

EXIT	Exit and close the DOS session.


CPUTIME
 CPU Time	Percent of CPU time assigned to this DOS session